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): June 17, 2014

 

MEDIFAST, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its Charter)

 

Delaware   001-31573   13-3714405
(State or other jurisdiction   (Commission file number)   (IRS Employer
of incorporation)       Identification No.)

 

3600 Crondall Lane, Owings Mills, Maryland, 21117

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (410)-581-8042

 

N/A

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

1  -
 

 

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

 

On June 17, 2014, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Medifast, Inc. (the “Company”), adopted amendments to the Medifast, Inc. Amended and Restated 2012 Share Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan was amended to:

 

· provide that, if awards granted on or after June 17, 2014 are assumed upon a Change in Control (as defined in the Plan), such awards will not automatically accelerate and will instead become immediately vested and fully exercisable upon the participant’s termination without Cause (as defined in the Plan) during the 24 months following the Change in Control;

 

· amend the limits on grants of awards Options, SARs, Restricted Shares and Deferred Shares (each as defined in the Plan) that may be granted to a participant during a specified period to 75,000 Options or SARs and 150,000 Restricted Shares or Deferred Shares during a calendar year;

 

· amend the definition of Change in Control so that a Change in Control is not considered to have occurred until the consummation of a merger, recapitalization or reorganization of the Company; and

 

· provide that dividends paid on Restricted Shares that vest based on the achievement of performance criteria will be paid only at the time and to the extent that the restrictions and risk of forfeiture of the underlying Restricted Shares lapse.

 

The foregoing summary of the amendments to the Plan is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, the complete text of the Plan filed as Exhibit 10.1 this Form 8-K and incorporated herein by this reference.

   

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

 

On and effective June 17, 2014, the Board approved and adopted amended and restated Bylaws of the Company (the “Amended and Restated Bylaws”). The following changes are included in the Amended and Restated Bylaws:

 

· The advance notice period for the submission of director nominations and stockholder proposals to be made at an annual meeting of stockholders is reduced to a maximum of 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the prior year’s annual meeting. The Amended and Restated Bylaws expand the disclosure requirements for stockholders who propose business or make nominations and require additional disclosure regarding proposed director nominees.

 

· The Board will determine the date and time of any special meeting of stockholders that is requested by the stockholders. Certain disclosure and procedural requirements are applicable to stockholders who seek to call a special meeting. These amendments include certain limitations on the type of business that may be presented at a special meeting.

 

· The Board is authorized to set a record date for action that may be taken by written consent of the stockholders. The Board has 10 days after a stockholder makes a request for a record date to adopt a resolution to set such record date, after which the Board has an additional 10 days to set the record date.

 

· Board vacancies, including vacancies resulting from the removal or resignation of a director, and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors will be filled exclusively by the Board. Additionally, the size of the Board will be determined exclusively by the Board.

 

· The directors and officers of the Company will be entitled to advancement of expenses incurred in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or investigation upon the Company’s receipt of an undertaking that such director or officer will repay any advanced amount if it is determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification for such matter.

 

2  -
 

 

· Unless the Company consents otherwise in writing, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware or, if the Superior Court of the State of Delaware does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware) is the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine.

 

The Amended and Restated Bylaws also include a number of technical, procedural, conforming and clarifying changes.

 

The foregoing summary of the Amended and Restated Bylaws is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, the complete text of the Amended and Restated Bylaws filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

  

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

  

The annual meeting of stockholders of the Company was held on June 17, 2014. The results of the matters voted on at the annual meeting are provided below: 

 

1. The election of five class I Directors to hold office for a one year term expiring at the annual meeting in 2015 and until their respective successors are elected and qualified.

         
Director Votes For Votes Against Abstentions Broker Non-Votes
Charles P. Connolly 9,901,690.00 115,965.00 2,825.00 1,463,298.00
Jason L. Groves, Esq. 9,111,922.00 904,828.00 3,730.00 1,463,298.00
John P. McDaniel 9,897,035.00 120,220.00 3,225.00 1,463,298.00
Donald F. Reilly 9,103,230.00 914,425.00 2,825.00 1,463,298.00
Carl E. Sassano 8,772,112.00 1,245,578.00 2,790.00 1,463,298.00

 

2. Proposal to ratify the appointment of McGladrey LLP, as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2014.

     
Votes For Votes Against Abstentions
11,262,198.00 220,678.00 902.00

 

3. Proposal to approve a non-binding advisory resolution to approve the Company’s executive compensation.

 

Votes For Votes Against Abstentions Broker Non-Votes
2,731,025.00 7,059,232.00 230,223.00 1,463,298.00

 

3  -
 

 

  Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

No. Description

 

3.1 Amended and Restated Bylaws as of June 17, 2014.

 

10.1 Medifast, Inc. Amended and Restated 2012 Share Incentive Plan, as amended effective June 17, 2014.

 

 

 

4  -
 

 

Signature

 

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

 

  MEDIFAST, INC.
   
   
  By: /s/ Jason L. Groves, Esq.  
   

Jason L. Groves

Executive Vice President and General Counsel

     
   
Dated: June 20, 2014  

 

5  -
 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

No. Description

 

3.1 Amended and Restated Bylaws as of June 17, 2014

 

10.1 Medifast, Inc. Amended and Restated 2012 Share Incentive Plan, as amended effective June 17, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

6  -

Exhibit 3.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEDIFAST, INC.,

 

a Delaware Corporation

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

 

(Amended and Restated as of June 17, 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

 

ARTICLE I
 
STOCKHOLDERS
 
Section 1.1 Annual Meeting 1
Section 1.2 Notice of Business to be Brought Before an Annual Meeting 1
Section 1.3 Special Meetings 5
Section 1.4 Manner of Giving Notice 8
Section 1.5 Notice of Director Nominations 8
Section 1.6 Submission of Questionnaire, Representation and Agreement 11
Section 1.7 General 11
Section 1.8 Quorum 12
Section 1.9 Required Vote 12
Section 1.10 Stockholder Action by Written Consent 13
Section 1.11 Proxies, Written Authorization and Electronic Authorization 14
Section 1.12 Lists of Stockholders 15
Section 1.13 Stockholder Record Date 15
Section 1.14 Presiding Officer and Secretary 16
     
ARTICLE II
 
DIRECTORS
 
Section 2.1 General Powers 16
Section 2.2 Number of Directors 16
Section 2.3 Term of Directors 16
Section 2.4 Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships 17
Section 2.5 Resignation or Removal 17
Section 2.6 Meetings 17
Section 2.7 Quorum and Voting 17
Section 2.8 Written Consents and Meetings by Telephone 17
Section 2.9 Compensation 18
Section 2.10 The “Whole Board” 18
     
ARTICLE III
 
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
 
Section 3.1 Appointment and Powers 18
     

 

 

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ARTICLE IV
 
OFFICERS, AGENTS AND EMPLOYEES
 
Section 4.1 Appointment and Qualification 19
Section 4.2 Removal of Officers, Agents or Employees 19
Section 4.3 Compensation and Bond 19
Section 4.4 Chairman of the Board 19
Section 4.5 Chief Executive Officer 19
Section 4.6 President 20
Section 4.7 Vice Presidents 20
Section 4.8 Treasurer 20
Section 4.9 Assistant Treasurer 20
Section 4.10 Secretary 20
Section 4.11 Assistant Secretaries 21
Section 4.12 Delegation of Duties 21
     
ARTICLE V
 
CAPITAL STOCK
 
Section 5.1 Certificates 21
Section 5.2 Transfers of Stock 21
Section 5.3 Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates 22
     
ARTICLE VI
 
SEAL
 
Section 6.1 Seal 22
     
ARTICLE VII
 
NOTICE
 
Section 7.1 Notice of Meetings 22
Section 7.2 Notices 22
Section 7.3 Waiver of Notice 23
     
ARTICLE VIII
 
INDEMNIFICATION
 
Section 8.1 Indemnification 23
Section 8.2 Determinations 24
Section 8.3 Business Combinations 24
Section 8.4 Advances of Expenses 24

 

 

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Section 8.5 Employee Benefit Plans 25
Section 8.6 Insurance 25
     
ARTICLE IX
 
GENERAL MATTERS
 
Section 9.1 Forum for Adjudication of Disputes 25
     
ARTICLE X
 
AMENDMENTS
 
Section 10.1 Amendments 26

 

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BYLAWS

of

MEDIFAST, INC.,
a Delaware Corporation

 

ARTICLE I

Stockholders

 

Section 1.1      Annual Meeting . The annual meeting of the stockholders of Medifast, Inc. (the “ Company ”), for the election of directors and for the transaction of any other business, which may properly be transacted at the annual meeting, shall be held at such hour on such day and at such place within or without the State of Delaware as may be fixed by Board of Directors (the “ Board ”). The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that stockholder meetings shall not be held at any place, but may instead by held solely by means of remote communication in accordance with Section 211(a)(2) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “ DGCL ”). If authorized by the Board in its sole discretion, and subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board may adopt, stockholders and proxy holders not physically present at a meeting of stockholders may, to the extent authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the DGCL, by means of remote communication (a) participate in a meeting of stockholders, and (b) be deemed present in person and vote at a meeting of stockholders whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote communication.

 

Section 1.2      Notice of Business to be Brought Before an Annual Meeting . (a) At any annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (i) brought before the meeting by the Company and specified in the Company’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board, (ii) otherwise brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board, or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder who (A) was a stockholder of record of the Company (and, with respect to any beneficial owner, if different from stockholder of record, on whose behalf such business is proposed, only if such beneficial owner was the beneficial owner of shares of the Company) both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 1.2(a) and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (C) has complied with this Section 1.2 as to such business to be proposed. Except for proposals properly made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “ Exchange Act ”), and included in the Company’s notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board, the foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders. Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at an annual meeting except in accordance with this Section 1.2. Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the Board must comply with Section 1.5 and this Section 1.2 shall not be applicable to nominations except as expressly provided in Section 1.5.

 

 
 

 

(b)      Without qualification, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must provide (i) timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary and (ii) any updates and supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by Section 1.2(d) . To be timely, a stockholder’s notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting must be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder, to be timely, must be so delivered not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the date of such annual meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which “public disclosure” of the date of such annual meeting was first made by the Company. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting, or the announcement thereof, commence a new time period (or extend the time period) for the giving of timely notice as described above. For purposes of these Bylaws, “ public disclosure ” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(c)      To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 1.2 , a stockholder’s notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting shall set forth:

 

(i)      As to each Proposing Person, (A) the name and address of each Proposing Person (including, if applicable, the name and address as they appear on the Company’s books), (B) the class and number of shares of the Company which are owned beneficially and of record by such Proposing Person (with evidence of such ownership attached), except that such Proposing Person shall be deemed for such purpose to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Company as to which such Proposing Person has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or the fulfillment of a condition or both), (B) a representation that such Proposing Person intends to hold the shares of the Company described in the immediately preceding clause (B) through the date of the annual meeting;

 

(ii)      As to each Proposing Person, any Disclosable Interests of such Proposing Person;

 

(iii)      As to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (A) a reasonably detailed description of such business, the reason or reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person, (B) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration), and (C) a reasonably detailed description of all contracts, agreements, arrangements and understandings (1) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (2) between or among any Proposing Person and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder.

 

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(iv)     Definitions

 

(A)     “ Proposing Person ” shall mean (i) each stockholder of record that provides notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting pursuant to Section 1.2(a) or that signs a Special Meeting Request pursuant to Section 1.3(a), (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different from the stockholder of record, on whose behalf such business proposal or Special Meeting Request is made, (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A), with such stockholder in such solicitation or associate (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act for purposes of these Bylaws) of such stockholder or beneficial owner, and (iv) any other person with whom such stockholder or such beneficial owner (or any of their respective associates or other participants in such solicitation) is Acting in Concert.

 

(B)      A person shall be deemed to be “ Acting in Concert ” with another person for purposes of these Bylaws if such person knowingly acts (whether or not pursuant to an express agreement, arrangement or understanding) in concert or in parallel with, or towards a common goal with such other person, relating to changing or influencing the control of the Company or in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect, where (i) each person is conscious of the other person’s conduct and this awareness is an element in their decision-making processes and (ii) at least one additional factor suggests that such persons intend to act in concert or in parallel, which such additional factors may include, without limitation, exchanging information (whether publicly or privately), attending meetings, conducting discussions, or making or soliciting invitations to act in concert or in parallel; provided, that a person shall not be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any other person solely as a result of the solicitation or receipt of (x) revocable proxies or consents from such other person in response to a solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a proxy or consent solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14(a) or (y) tenders of securities from such other person in a public tender or exchange offer made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 14(d) of the Exchange Act by means of a tender offer statement filed on Schedule TO. A person Acting in Concert with another person shall be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any third party who is also Acting in Concert with such other person.

 

- 3 -
 

 

(C)      Disclosable Interests ” shall mean (i) the full notional amount of any securities that, directly or indirectly, underlie any “derivative security” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) that constitutes a “call equivalent position” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) (“ Synthetic Equity Position ”) and that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by such Proposing Person with respect to any shares of any class or series of shares of the Company; provided that, for the purposes of the definition of “Synthetic Equity Position,” the term “derivative security” shall also include any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a “derivative security” as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence, in which case the determination of the amount of securities into which such security or instrument would be convertible or exercisable shall be made assuming that such security or instrument is immediately convertible or exercisable at the time of such determination; and, provided, further, that any Proposing Person satisfying the requirements of Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (other than a Proposing Person that so satisfies Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act solely by reason of Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)) shall not be deemed to hold or maintain the notional amount of any securities that underlie a Synthetic Equity Position held by such Proposing Person as a hedge with respect to a bona fide derivatives trade or position of such Proposing Person arising in the ordinary course of such Proposing Person’s business as a derivatives dealer, (ii) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Company owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Company, (iii) any material pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding (whether civil, criminal, investigative, administrative or otherwise) in which such Proposing Person is, or is reasonably expected to be made, a party or material participant involving the Company or any of its officers, directors or employees, or any affiliate of the Company, or any officer, director or employee of such affiliate, (iv) any other material relationship between such Proposing Person, on the one hand, and the Company, any affiliate of the Company, any officer, director or employee of the Company or any affiliate thereof, or any principal competitor of the Company, on the other hand, (v) any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement of such Proposing Person with the Company, any affiliate of the Company or any principal competitor of the Company (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement) and (vi) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting; provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the Special Meeting Request required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner.

 

(d)      A stockholder providing notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct (i) as of the record date for the meeting and (ii) as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Such updates and supplements shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company not later than five (5) business days after the record date for the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). As used herein, the term “ business day ” shall mean any day that is not a Saturday or Sunday or a day on which banks in the city of the Company’s principal place of business are required or permitted to close.

 

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(e)      Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, except as otherwise required by law, if the Proposing Person (or a qualified representative of the Proposing Person) giving notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders does not appear at such annual meeting to present such proposed business, such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Company. A “ qualified representative ” of a Proposing Person shall be, if such Proposing Person is (i) a general or limited partnership, any general partner or person who functions as a general partner of the general or limited partnership or who controls the general or limited partnership, (ii) a corporation, a duly appointed officer of the corporation, (iii) a limited liability company, any manager or officer (or person who functions as an officer) of the limited liability company or any officer, director, manager or person who functions as an officer, director or manager of any entity ultimately in control of the limited liability company or (iv) a trust, any trustee of such trust.

 

Section 1.3      Special Meetings . Special meetings of the stockholders of the Company (i) may be called by the Chairman of the Board, the President or the Secretary when directed to do so by resolution of the Board, (ii) may be called by the Secretary at the written request of directors representing a majority of the Whole Board and (iii) shall be called by the Secretary upon the written request of the holders of record of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company (the “ Requisite Percentage ”), subject to and in compliance with this Section 1.3.

 

(a)      In order for a special meeting to be called upon stockholder request (“ Stockholder Requested Special Meeting ”), one or more requests for a special meeting (each, a “ Special Meeting Request ” and, collectively, the “ Special Meeting Requests ”), in the form required by this Section 1.3(a), must be signed by Proposing Persons that have a combined Net Long Beneficial Ownership of at least the Requisite Percentage. Only Proposing Persons who are stockholders of record at the time the Special Meeting Requests representing the Requisite Percentage are validly delivered pursuant to this Section 1.3 shall be entitled to sign a Special Meeting Request. In determining whether a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting has been properly requested by Proposing Persons that have a combined Net Long Beneficial Ownership of at least the Requisite Percentage, multiple Special Meeting Requests delivered to the Secretary will be considered together only if (i) each Special Meeting Request identifies the same purpose or purposes of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting and the same matters proposed to be acted on at such meeting (in each case as determined in good faith by the Board), and (ii) such Special Meeting Requests have been dated and delivered to the Secretary within sixty (60) days of the earliest dated Special Meeting Request. To be in proper form, such Special Meeting Requests shall comply with, and shall include and set forth, the following:

 

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(i)      As to each Proposing Person, (A) the name and address of each Proposing Person (including, if applicable, the name and address as they appear on the Company’s books), (B) the class and number of shares of the Company which are owned beneficially and of record by such Proposing Person (with evidence of such ownership attached), except that such Proposing Person shall be deemed for such purpose to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Company as to which such Proposing Person has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or the fulfillment of a condition or both), (C) a representation that such Proposing Person intends to hold the shares of the Company described in the immediately preceding clause (B) through the date of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting and (D) an acknowledgement by the Proposing Person that any reduction in such Proposing Person’s Net Long Beneficial Ownership with respect to which a Special Meeting Request relates following the delivery of such Special Meeting Request to the Secretary shall constitute a revocation of such Special Meeting Request to the extent of such reduction;

 

(ii)      As to each Proposing Person, any Disclosable Interests of such Proposing Person;

 

(iii)      As to the purpose or purposes of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, a reasonably brief statement of the specific purpose or purposes of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, the matter(s) proposed to be acted on and the reasons for conducting such business at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, and the text of any proposal or business to be considered at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting (including the text of any resolutions proposed to be considered and, in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the Bylaws, the language of the proposed amendment); and

 

(iv)      Such other information and representations as would be required by Section 1.2, including, without limitation, all such information regarding any material interest of the Proposing Person in the matter(s) proposed to be acted on at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting and all agreements, arrangements or understandings between or among any Proposing Person and any other record holder or beneficial owner of shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Company in connection with the Special Meeting Request or the matter(s) proposed to be brought before the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting.

 

(v)     For purposes of this Section 1.3, “ Net Long Beneficial Ownership ” shall mean those shares of common stock of the Company as to which the stockholder or Proposing Person, as applicable, possesses (i) the sole power to vote or direct the voting, (ii) the sole economic incidents of ownership (including the sole right to profits and the sole risk of loss), and (iii) the sole power to dispose of or direct the disposition; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) shall not include any Synthetic Equity Position.

 

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(b)      Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 1.3:

 

(i)      The Secretary shall not accept, and shall consider ineffective, a Special Meeting Request if (A) such Special Meeting Request does not comply with these Bylaws, or relates to an item of business that is not a proper subject for stockholder action under applicable law, (B) the Special Meeting Request is received by the Company during the period commencing ninety (90) days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders and ending on the date of the final adjournment of the next annual meeting of stockholders, (C) an identical or substantially similar item (a “ Similar Item ”) to that included in the Special Meeting Request was presented at any meeting of stockholders held within one year prior to receipt by the Company of such Special Meeting Request, (D) the Chairman, President or the Secretary when directed to do so by resolution of the Board or the Secretary at the written request of the Whole Board calls an annual or special meeting of stockholders (in lieu of calling the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting) in accordance with Section 1.3(b)(iii), (E) a Similar Item is already included in the Company’s notice as an item of business to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders that has been called but not yet held, or (F) such Special Meeting Request was made in a manner that involved a violation of Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, or other applicable law.

 

(ii)      Business transacted at any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting shall be limited to the purpose stated in the valid Special Meeting Request; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit the Chairman, President or the Secretary when directed to do so by resolution of the Board or the Secretary at the written request of the Whole Board from submitting matters to the stockholders at any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting. If none of the Proposing Persons who submitted the Special Meeting Request appears at or sends a qualified representative to the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting to present the matters to be presented for consideration that were specified in the stockholder meeting request, the Company need not present such matters for a vote at such meeting.

 

(iii)      If a Special Meeting Request is made that complies with this Section 1.3, the Chairman, President or the Secretary when directed to do so by resolution of the Board or the Secretary at the written request of the Whole Board may (in lieu of calling the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting) present a Similar Item for stockholder approval at any other meeting of stockholders that is held within one hundred twenty (120) days after the Company receives such Special Meeting Request.

 

(iv)      Any Proposing Person may revoke a Special Meeting Request by written revocation delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at any time prior to the date of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting. In the event any revocation(s) are received by the Secretary after the Secretary’s receipt of a valid Special Meeting Request(s) from the holders of the Requisite Percentage of stockholders or any Special Meeting Request is deemed to be revoked as a result of Section 1.3(a)(i), and as a result of such revocation(s), there no longer are valid unrevoked Special Meeting Request(s) from the Requisite Percentage of stockholders to call a special meeting, the Chairman, President or the Secretary when directed to do so by resolution of the Board or the Secretary at the written request of the Whole Board shall have the discretion to determine whether or not to proceed with the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting.

 

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(v)      Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, the Secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting except in accordance with this Section 1.3. If the Chairman shall determine that any Special Meeting Request was not properly made in accordance with these Bylaws, or shall determine that the stockholder or stockholders submitting such Special Meeting Request have not otherwise complied with these Bylaws, then the Chairman shall not be required to take any action in connection with the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, and the Secretary shall not be required to call such meeting. In addition to the requirements of this Section 1.3, each Proposing Person shall comply with all requirements of applicable law, including all requirements of the Exchange Act, with respect to any request to fix a Special Meeting Request.

 

(c)      In connection with a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting called in accordance with this Section 1.3, each Proposing Person that signed and delivered a Special Meeting Request shall further update and supplement the information previously provided to the Company in connection with such request, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such request pursuant to this Section 1.3 shall be true and correct (i) as of the record date for notice of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting and (ii) as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Such updates and supplements shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company not later than five (5) business days after the record date for notice of the special meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the special meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the special meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof).

 

(d)      Any special meeting of stockholders, including any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, shall be held at such date and time as may be fixed by the Board in accordance with these Bylaws and in compliance with applicable law.

 

Section 1.4      Manner of Giving Notice . Notice of any annual or special meeting of the stockholders shall be given either personally, by electronic transmission in the manner provided in Section 232 of the DGCL, by mail to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting, or in the manner provided in Section 7.2 of these Bylaws. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail with postage thereon prepaid, addressed to the stockholder at his or her address as it appears on the stock transfer books of the Company. If given by electronic transmission, such notice shall be deemed to be given at the times provided in the DGCL or in Section 7.2 of these Bylaws.

 

Section 1.5      Notice of Director Nominations . (a) Nominations of any person for election to the Board may be made only (i) by or at the direction of the Board or (ii) by any stockholder who (A) was a stockholder of record of the Company (and, with respect to any beneficial owner, if different from stockholder of record, on whose behalf such nomination is proposed to be made, only if such beneficial owner was the beneficial owner of shares of the Company) both at the time of giving the notice provided for in Section 1.5(b) and at the time of the meeting or at the time of providing written consent in lieu of a meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting or act by written consent in lieu of a meeting, and (C) has complied with this Section 1.5 as to such nomination. The foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person for election to the Board.

 

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(b)      Without qualification, for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person for election to the Board at an annual meeting, the stockholder must (i) deliver timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company and (ii) provide any updates and supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by Section 1.5(e). Without qualification, if the election of directors is a matter specified in the Company’s notice of a special meeting given by or at the direction of (i) the Chairman, President or the Secretary when directed to do so by resolution of the Board, (ii) the Secretary at the written request of the Whole Board, or (iii) the Secretary upon receipt of the Special Meeting Request , as the case may be, then for a stockholder (other than the Requisite Percentage of stockholders) to make any nomination of a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position(s) as specified in the Company’s notice of meeting, such stockholder must (i) deliver timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company and (ii) provide any updates and supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by Section 1.5(e). To be timely, a stockholder’s (other than the Requisite Percentage of stockholders) notice for nomination(s) to be made at a special meeting must be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to the date of such special meeting and not later than the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the date of such special meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such special meeting was first made by the Company. Without qualification, if the Requisite Percentage of stockholders seeks to make any nomination of a person for election to the Board at a special meeting, such stockholder representing the Requisite Percentage must (i) concurrently with delivery of the Special Meeting Request, deliver notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company and (ii) provide any updates and supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by Section 1.5(e). In no event shall any adjournment of an annual or special meeting or the announcement thereof, commence a new time period (or extend the time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

(c)      To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 1.5, a stockholder’s notice for nominations to be made shall:

 

(i)      As to each Nominating Person, set forth the same stockholder information required to be provided in Section 1.2(c)(i) or Section 1.3(a)(i) as applicable, except that, for purposes of this Section 1.5(c)(i), the term “ Nominating Person ” shall be substituted for the term “ Proposing Person ” in all places it appears in Section 1.2(c)(i) or Section 1.3(a)(i) as applicable;

 

(ii)     As to each Nominating Person, set forth any Disclosable Interests, except that, for purposes of this Section 1.5(c)(ii), the term “ Nominating Person ” shall be substituted for the term “ Proposing Person ” in all places it appears in Section 1.2(c)(iv)(C) and any other information relating to such Nominating Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies by such Nominating Person with respect to the election of directors at the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act;

 

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(iii)      As to each person whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, set forth (A) all information with respect to such proposed nominee that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice pursuant to this Section 1.5(c) if such proposed nominee were a Nominating Person, (B) all information relating to such proposed nominee that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including such proposed nominee’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected), and (C) a description of any material relationships, between or among any Nominating Person, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee or any of his or her respective affiliates and associates, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the proposed nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant; and

 

(iv)      With respect to each nominee for election or reelection to the Board, include a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as required by Section 1.6.

 

The Company may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information (i) as may reasonably be required by the Company to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Company or (ii) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the eligibility, of such proposed nominee.

 

(d)      For purposes of this Section 1.5, the term “ Nominating Person ” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different from the stockholder of record, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made is made and (iii) any affiliate or associate of such stockholder or beneficial owner.

 

(e)      A Nominating Person providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct (i) as of the record date for the meeting and (ii) as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Such updates and supplements shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company not later than five (5) business days after the record date for the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof).

 

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(f)      Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Company unless nominated in accordance with this Section 1.5.

 

Section 1.6      Submission of Questionnaire, Representation and Agreement . To be eligible to be a nominee for election or reelection as a director of the Company, a proposed nominee must deliver (in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of a stockholder’s notice under Section 1.5(b)), to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such proposed nominee (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request), and a written representation and agreement (in form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that such proposed nominee (i) is not and will not become a party to (A) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Company, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “ Voting Commitment ”) that has not been fully disclosed to the Company or (B) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Company, with such proposed nominee’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (ii) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person other than the Company with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director of the Company that has not been fully disclosed to the Company, and (iii) in such proposed nominee’s individual capacity and on behalf of any person on whose behalf the nomination is made, would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the Company, and will comply, with the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Conduct and Business Ethics, including all applicable, publicly disclosed conflict of interest, confidentiality, stock ownership and insider trading policies and guidelines of the Company.

 

Section 1.7      General . (a)  Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Chairman of any annual or special meeting of the stockholders shall have the power and duty to determine whether any nomination to be made at, or any other business proposed to be brought before, the meeting has been made, proposed or brought, as the case may be, in compliance with these Bylaws and, if any such nomination or other proposed business is not in compliance with these Bylaws, to declare that such defective nomination or proposal of other business shall be disregarded.

 

(b)      Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, a Nominating Person giving notice of a nomination to be made at, or a Proposing Person proposing any other business be brought before, an annual or special meeting of the stockholders shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to such nomination or business, as the case may be; provided, however, that any references in these Bylaws to the Exchange Act are not intended to and shall not limit the separate and additional requirements set forth in these Bylaws with respect to nominations or proposals of other business. Nothing in these Bylaws shall be deemed to affect any rights (i) of any stockholder to request inclusion of proposals in the Company’s proxy statement in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (ii) of any holder of any series of preferred stock of the Company if and to the extent provided under law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. Subject to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, nothing in these Bylaws shall be construed to permit any stockholder, or give any stockholder the right, to include or have disseminated or described in the Company’s proxy statement any nomination of a person for election to the Board or any proposal of other business.

 

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Section 1.8      Quorum . Shares representing a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on a matter by all classes or series that are entitled to vote thereon and be counted together collectively, represented in person or by proxy at any meeting of the stockholders, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction or business thereat with respect to such matter, unless otherwise provided by law or these Bylaws. In the absence of a quorum at any such meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof, the chairman of such meeting or the holder of shares representing a majority of the votes cast on the matter of adjournment, either in person or by proxy, may adjourn such meeting from time to time until a quorum is obtained. When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At any such adjourned meeting at which a quorum has been obtained, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally called. If, however, the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.

 

Section 1.9      Required Vote . (a)  Whenever any corporate action is to be taken by vote of stockholders at a meeting, it shall, except as otherwise required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, be authorized by a majority of the votes cast at the meeting by the holders of stock entitled to vote thereat, provided that, with respect to the election of directors, if the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected, the directors shall be elected by the vote of a plurality of the votes cast. For purposes of this Section 1.9(a), “ a majority of the votes cast ” with respect to the election of directors means that the number of votes cast for a director’s election exceeds fifty percent of the number of votes cast with respect to that director’s election. If a nominee for director who is an incumbent director is not elected at such meeting, the director shall offer to tender his or her resignation to the Board. The Nomination Committee, if any, shall make a recommendation to the Board on whether to accept or reject the resignation, or whether other action should be taken. The Board will act on the Nomination Committee’s recommendation and disclose its decision and the rationale behind it within ninety (90) days from the date of the certification of the election results. The director who tenders his or her resignation will not participate in the Board’s decision.

 

(b)     Except as otherwise provided by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, each holder of record of stock of the Company entitled to vote on any matter shall be entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock standing in the name or such holder on the stock ledger of the Company on the record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to vote on such matters.

 

(c)     For purposes of these Bylaws, a share present at a meeting, but for which there is an abstention or broker nonvote on a particular matter shall be counted as present for the purpose of establishing a quorum but shall not be counted as a vote cast on the matter in question.

 

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Section 1.10      Stockholder Action by Written Consent . The provisions of this Section 1.10 shall govern any action taken by the stockholders by consent in writing without a meeting.

 

(a)     In order that the Company may determine the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which date shall not be more than ten (10) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board. No stockholder shall be entitled to act by written consent unless a stockholder of record first, by written notice delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company , requests that the Board fix a record date. The Board shall promptly, but in all events within ten (10) days after the date on which such written notice is received, adopt a resolution fixing the record date (unless a record date has previously been fixed by the Board pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 1.10(a)). If no record date has been fixed by the Board pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 1.10(a) or otherwise within ten (10) days after the date on which such written notice is received, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board is required by applicable law, shall be the first date after the expiration of such ten (10) day time period on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company . If no record date has been fixed by the Board pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 1.10(a), the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting if prior action by the Board is required by applicable law shall be at the close of business on the date on which the Board adopts the resolution taking such prior action.

 

(b)     In the event of the delivery, in the manner provided by this Section 1.10 and applicable law, to the Company of a signed written consent or consents to take corporate action and/or any related revocation or revocations, the Company shall engage independent inspectors of elections for the purpose of performing promptly a ministerial review of the validity of the consents and revocations. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no action by written consent and without a meeting shall be effective until such inspectors have completed their review, determined that the requisite number of valid and unrevoked consents delivered to the Company in accordance with this Section 1.10 and applicable law have been obtained to authorize or take the action specified in the consents, and certified such determination for entry in the records of the Company kept for the purpose of recording the proceedings of meetings of stockholders. The action by written consent and without a meeting will take effect as of the date and time of the certification of the written consents and will not relate back to the date the written consents to take the corporate action were delivered to the Company. In the event that the action by written consent and without a meeting elects a director or directors to the Board, such newly elected director or directors shall take office and have the authority of a director conferred upon them as of the date and time of the certification, and not the date of delivery to the Company, of the written consents. In the event that the action by written consent and without a meeting replaces a director or directors on the Board of Directors, the authority of such replaced director or directors shall continue until the date and time of the certification of the written consents. Nothing contained in this Section 1.10(b) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Board or any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any consent or revocation thereof, whether before or after such certification by the independent inspectors, 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).

 

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(c)     Every written consent shall bear the date of the signature of each stockholder who signs the consent, and no written consent shall be effective to take corporate action unless, within sixty (60) days of the earliest dated valid consent delivered in the manner described in this Section 1.10, a valid written consent or valid written consents signed by a sufficient number of stockholders to take such action are delivered to the Company in the manner prescribed in this Section 1.10 and applicable law, and not revoked.

 

Section 1.11      Proxies, Written Authorization and Electronic Authorization .

 

(a)     Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. Every proxy shall be signed by the stockholder or by such stockholder’s duly authorized attorney. A proxy that does not bear a date shall be deemed to be dated the date it was first delivered to one or more of the persons named to act under such proxy.

 

(b)     A stockholder or a stockholder’s duly authorized attorney-in-fact may authorize another person or persons to act for him as proxy by executing a writing authorizing such person or persons to act as such proxy. Execution may be accomplished by the stockholder or such stockholder’s duly authorized attorney-in-fact or authorized officer, director, employee or agent signing such writing or causing such stockholder’s signature to be affixed to such writing by any reasonable means including, but not limited to, by facsimile signature.

 

(c)     The Secretary may approve procedures to enable a stockholder or a stockholder’s duly authorized attorney-in-fact to authorize another person or persons to act for him as proxy by transmitting or authorizing the transmission of a telegram, cablegram, internet transmission, telephone transmission or other means of electronic transmissions to the person who will be the holder of the proxy or to a proxy solicitation firm, proxy support service organization or like agent duly authorized by the person who will be the holder of the proxy to receive such transmission, provided that any such transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which the judges or inspectors of election can determine that the transmission was authorized by the stockholder or the stockholder’s duly authorized attorney-in-fact. If it is determined that such transmissions are valid, the judges or inspectors shall specify the information upon which they relied. Any copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reliable reproduction of the writing or transmission created pursuant to this Section 1.11(c) may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or transmission.

 

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Section 1.12      Lists of Stockholders . (a) The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Company shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in such stockholder’s name. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, either at a place within the city where the meeting is to be held, which place shall be specified in the notice of the meeting, or, if not so specified, at the place where the meeting is to be held. The list shall also be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting who is present.

 

(b)     The stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the stock ledger, the list required by this Section 1.12 or the books or the Company, or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

 

(c)     One or more judges or inspectors of election for any meeting of stockholders may be appointed by the Chairman of such meeting, for the purpose of receiving and taking charge of proxies and ballots and deciding all questions as to the qualification of voters, the validity of proxies and ballots and the number of votes properly cast.

 

Section 1.13      Stockholder Record Date . (a)  Except as provided otherwise under Section 1.10, in order that the Company may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange or stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix, in advance, a record date, which shall not be more than sixty (60) days nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting, nor more than sixty (60) days prior to any other action. Only such stockholders as shall be stockholders of record on the date so fixed shall be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, such meeting and any adjournment thereof, or to receive payment of such dividend or other distribution, or to exercise such rights in respect of any such change, conversion or exchange of stock, or to participate in such action, as the case may be, notwithstanding any transfer of any stock on the books of the Company after any record date so fixed.

 

(b)     Except as provided otherwise under Section 1.10, if no record date is fixed by the Board, (i) the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the date on which notice is given, and (ii) the record date for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

(c)     A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

 

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Section 1.14      Presiding Officer and Secretary . The Board may designate the person who shall act as chairman of any meeting of the stockholders. Unless the Board shall designate a different chairman of the meeting, at all meetings of the stockholders, the Chairman of the Board or, in the Chairman’s absence, the Chief Executive Officer, or in the Chief Executive Officer’s absence, the President, or in the President’s absence, the Executive Vice President shall act as chairman of the meeting. In the absence of all of the foregoing persons or in absence of a designation by the Board, a majority of the shares entitled to vote at such meeting, may appoint any person to act as chairman of the meeting. The Secretary of the Company shall act as secretary at all meetings of the stockholders. In the absence of the Secretary, the Chairman may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting. The Chairman shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts and things as are necessary or desirable for the proper conduct of the meeting, including without limitation, the establishment of procedures for the dismissal of business not properly presented, the maintenance of order and safety, limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments on the affairs of the Company, restrictions on entry to such meeting after the time prescribed for the commencement thereof and the opening and closing of the voting polls.

 

ARTICLE II

Directors

 

Section 2.1      General Powers . Subject to the provisions of the DGCL and any limitations in the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws relating to action required to be approved by the stockholders, the business and affairs of the Company shall be managed, and all corporate powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of, the Board.

 

Section 2.2      Number of Directors . The number of directors constituting the Board shall be not more than fifteen (15) and not less than three (3), the exact number of directors to be fixed from time to time exclusively by the Board pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Whole Board. Directors need not be stockholders. No reduction in the total number of directors fixed from time to time by the Board shall have the effect of removing any director before that director’s term of office expires.

 

Section 2.3      Term of Directors . Directors shall be elected for terms at the annual meeting of stockholders in the year such terms are to commence, except that after June 30, 1995, directors whose terms of office have expired shall be elected at the annual meeting of stockholders. Each director shall hold office until such director’s successor is elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier resignation or removal for cause. If the annual election of directors is not held on the date designed therefore, the directors shall cause such election to be held as soon thereafter as convenient. There shall be three (3) classes of Directors; the number of Directors of each class shall be determined by the Board. These Directors are classified as Class I, Class II and Class III. The term of a Class I director shall be for one (1) year. The term of a Class II director shall be for two (2) years. The term of a Class III director shall be for three (3) years.

 

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Section 2.4      Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships . Newly-created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on the Board resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall be filled only by a majority vote of all the remaining directors, even though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and not by the stockholders.

 

Section 2.5      Resignation or Removal . Any director may resign from office at any time either by oral tender of resignation at any meeting to the Board or to the Chairman or by giving a written notice to the Secretary. Any such resignation shall take effect at the time it specifies or, if the time is not specified, upon receipt, and the acceptance of such resignation, unless required by its terms, shall not be necessary to make such resignation effective. Any director may be removed, only for cause, at any time, by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of stock of the Company entitled to vote at an election of directors.

 

Section 2.6      Meetings . Meetings of the Board, regular or special, may be held at any place within or without the State of Delaware. An annual meeting of the Board for the appointment of officers and the transaction of any other business shall be held immediately following the annual meeting of stockholders at the same place at which such meeting shall have been held, and no notice thereof need be given. If the meeting is not so held, the annual meeting of the Board shall take place as soon thereafter as is practicable, either at the next regular meeting of the Board or at the special meeting. The Board may fix times and places for regular meetings of the Board and no notice of such meetings need be given. A special meeting of the Board shall be held whenever called by the Chairman or by any director (except that if more than one meeting shall be called by directors in any period of one hundred eighty ( 180) days or less, each such meeting so called may be called only by a majority of the directors then in office) at such time and place as shall be specified in the notice or waiver thereof. Notice of the place, date, and time of each such special meeting shall be given to each director unless waived, by providing written notice not less than four (4) hours before the scheduled time of such meeting. Unless otherwise indicated in the notice thereof, any and all business may be transacted at a special meeting.

 

Section 2.7      Quorum and Voting . One-third of the Whole Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business (except as otherwise provided by Section 2.4 hereof), but in no event shall a quorum consist of less than two (2) directors. If there be less than a quorum at any meeting of the Board, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time, and no further notice thereof need be given other than announcement at the meeting which shall be so adjourned. Except as otherwise provided by law or by these Bylaws, the act of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board.

 

Section 2.8      Written Consents and Meetings by Telephone . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board or any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or of such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing and the writing or writings are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee. Members of the Board or any committee designated by the Board may participate in a meeting of such Board or committee by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this sentence shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

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Section 2.9      Compensation . Directors may receive compensation for services to the company in their capacities as directors or otherwise in such manner and in such amounts as may be fixed from time to time by the Board.

 

Section 2.10      The “Whole Board” . As used in these Bylaws, the term “ the Whole Board ” or “ the Whole Board of Directors ” means the total number of directors which the Company would have if there were no vacancies.

 

ARTICLE III

Committees of the Board

 

Section 3.1      Appointment and Powers . The Board may from time to time by resolution passed by a majority of the Whole Board, designate an executive committee or such other committee or committees as it may determine, each committee to consist of one or more directors of the Company. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution, shall have and may exercise any of the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Company, and may authorize the seal of the Company to be affixed to all papers which may require it, all subject to the exceptions set forth in the DGCL. The Board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of any member of any committee and of any alternate member designated by the Board, the member or members present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee may adopt titles governing the method of calling and time and place of holding its meetings. Unless otherwise provided by the Board, a majority of any such committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the act of a majority of the members of such committee present at the meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of such committee. Each such committee shall keep a record of its acts and proceedings and shall report thereon to the Board whenever requested so to do. Any or all members of any such committees may be removed, with or without cause, by resolution of the Board, adopted by a majority of the Whole Board.

 

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ARTICLE IV

Officers, Agents and Employees

 

Section 4.1      Appointment and Qualification . The officers of the Company shall be a Chairman of the Board, a Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, a President, a Treasurer and a Secretary, and may include one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Treasurers and one or more Assistant Secretaries, all of whom shall be appointed by the Board. The Chairman shall be chosen from among the directors. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. Each officer shall hold office until such officer’s successor is elected and qualified or until such officer’s earlier resignation or removal. The Board may appoint, and may delegate power to appoint, such other officers, agents and employees as it may deem necessary or proper, who shall hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board.

 

Section 4.2      Removal of Officers, Agents or Employees . Any officer, agent or employee of the Company may be removed by the Board with or without cause at any time, and the Board may delegate such power of removal as in officers, agents and employees not appointed by the Board. Such removal shall be without prejudice to such person’s contract rights, if any, but the appointment of any person as an officer, agent or employee of the Company shall not of itself create contract rights.

 

Section 4.3      Compensation and Bond . The compensation of the officers of the Company shall be fixed by the Board, but this power may be delegated to any officer in respect of the other officers under such officer’s direction or control. The Company may secure the fidelity of any or all of its officers, agents or employees by bond or otherwise.

 

Section 4.4      Chairman of the Board . The Chairman of the Board shall be the senior Board member. The Chairman shall ensure that the Board uses the best judgment and independent discretion, and is responsible for the determination and execution of corporate policy, including supervision and vigilance for the welfare of the whole company. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board at which the Chairman is present. The Chairman shall have such powers and perform such duties as generally pertain to the office of the Chairman of the Board, as well as such further powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board. The Chairman may vote the shares or other securities of any other domestic or foreign Company of any type or kind which may at any time be owned by the Company, may execute any stockholder or other consent in respect thereof and may in the Chairman’s discretion delegate such powers by executing proxies, or otherwise, on behalf of the Company. The Board, by resolution from time to time, may confer like other powers upon any other person or persons.

 

Section 4.5      Chief Executive Officer . The Chief Executive Officer shall have general charge of the business and affairs of the Company and shall keep the Board fully advised. The Chief Executive Officer shall employ and discharge employees and agents of the Company, except such as shall be appointed by the Board, and the Chief Executive Officer may delegate these powers to the other officers.

 

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Section 4.6      President . The President shall be the chief operating officer of the Company. The President shall employ and discharge employees and agents of the Company, except such as shall be appointed by the Board, and the President may delegate these powers to other officers. The President shall have such powers and perform such duties as generally pertain to the office of the President, as well as such further powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board. The Board, by resolution from time to time, may confer like-other powers upon any other person or persons.

 

Section 4.7      Vice Presidents . Each Vice President shall have such powers and perform such duties as the Board, the Chairman or the President may from time to time prescribe. In the absence or inability to act of the President, unless the Board shall otherwise provide, or unless there shall be in office an Executive Vice President (who shall have been determined by the Board to be senior to all other Vice Presidents), the Vice President who has served in that capacity for the longest time and who shall be present and able to act, shall perform all the duties and may exercise any of the powers of the President. The performance of any duty by a Vice President shall, in respect of any other person dealing with the Company, be conclusive evidence of such Vice President’s power to act.

 

Section 4.8      Treasurer . The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds and securities of the Company, shall endorse the same for the deposit or collection when necessary and deposit the same to the credit of the Company in such banks or depositories as the Board may authorize. The Treasurer may endorse all commercial documents requiring endorsements for or on behalf of the Company and may sign all receipts and vouchers for payments made to the Company. The Treasurer shall have all such further powers and duties as generally are incident to the position of Treasurer or as may be assigned to the Treasurer by the Chairman, the President or the Board.

 

Section 4.9      Assistant Treasurer . In the absence or inability to act of the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer may perform all the duties and exercise all the powers of the Treasurer. The performance of any such duty shall, in respect of any other person dealing with the Company, be conclusive evidence of such Assistant Treasurer’s power to act. An Assistant Treasurer shall also perform such other duties as the Treasurer or the Board may assign to such person.

 

Section 4.10      Secretary . The Secretary shall record all proceedings of meetings of the stockholders and directors in a book kept for that purpose and shall file in such book all written consents of directors to any action taken without a meeting. The Secretary shall attend to the giving and serving of all notice of the Company. The Secretary shall have custody of the seal of the Company and shall attest the same by signature whenever required. The Secretary shall have charge of the stock ledger and such other books and papers as the Board may direct, but may delegate responsibility for maintaining the stock ledger to any transfer agent appointed by the Board. The Secretary shall have all such further powers and duties as generally are incident to the position of Secretary or as may be assigned to the Secretary by the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Board.

 

Section 4.11      Assistant Secretaries . In the absence or inability to act of the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary may perform all the duties and exercise all the powers of the Secretary. The performance of any such duty shall, in respect of any other person dealing with the Company, be conclusive evidence of such Assistant Secretary’s power to act. An Assistant Secretary shall also perform such other duties as the Secretary or the Board may assign to such person.

 

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Section 4.12      Delegation of Duties . In case of the absence of any officer or the Company, or for any other reason that the Board may deem sufficient, the Board may confer for the time being the powers or duties, or any of them, of such officer upon any other officer or upon any director.

 

ARTICLE V

Capital Stock

 

Section 5.1      Certificates . Certificates for stock of the Company shall be in such forms as shall be approved by the Board and shall be signed in the name of the Company by the Chairman, the President or a Vice President and by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary. Such certificates may be sealed with the seal of the Company or a facsimile thereof, and shall contain such information as required by law to be stated thereon. Any of or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Company with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of the issue.

 

Section 5.2      Transfers of Stock . Transfers of stock shall be made only upon the books of the Company by the holder, in person or by duly authorized attorney, and on the surrender of the certificate or certificates for such stock properly endorsed. The Board shall have the power to make all such rules or regulations, not inconsistent with the certificate of incorporation and these Bylaws, as the Board may deem appropriate concerning the issue, transfer and registration of certificates for stock of the Company. The Board may appoint one or more transfer agents or registrars of transfers, or both, and may require all stock certificates to bear the signature of either or both, which signature or signatures may be in facsimile form if the Board by resolution authorizes such procedure.

 

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Section 5.3      Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates . The Company may issue a new stock certificate in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Company may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or such owner’s legal representative to give the Company a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of any such new certificate. The Board may require such owner to satisfy other reasonable requirements.

 

ARTICLE VI

Seal

 

Section 6.1      Seal . The seal of the Company shall consist of a flat-faced circular die with the name of the Company in a circle and the word “Delaware” and the year of its incorporation in the center. Such seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.

 

ARTICLE VII

Notice

 

Section 7.1      Notice of Meetings . Except as otherwise required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, notice of each annual or special meeting of the stockholders, specifying the place, if any, date and time of the meeting, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, shall be given not less than ten (10) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the date on which the meeting is to be held, to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting. Notice of a special meeting of the stockholders shall also state the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.

 

Section 7.2      Notices . (a)  Whenever notice is required to be given to any stockholder, director, officer, or agent, such requirement shall not be construed to mean personal notice.

 

(b)     Whenever notice is required to be given to any stockholder, such notice may in every instance be effectively given by regular or expedited United States mail, recognized courier service for overnight delivery, telegram, cable, telex, or telecopier, facsimile transmission, or by electronic mail or other electronic transmission (if such stockholder has consented to such form of electronic transmission) addressed to such stockholder at his or her address as the same appears on the books of the Company, including an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice. Notice shall be deemed given (i) if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to the number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice, (ii) if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice, (iii) if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice, and (iv) all other instances, when such notice is dispatched.

 

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(c)     Any notice required to be given to any director may be given by any of the methods in Section 7.2(b). Any such notice, other than one which is delivered personally, shall be sent to such post office address, facsimile number, or electronic mail address as such director shall have filed in writing with the Secretary of the Company, or, in the absence of such filing, to the last known such address or number of such director. It shall not be necessary that the same method of giving notice be employed in respect of all directors, but one (1) permissible method may be employed in respect of any one or more, and any other permissible method or methods may be employed in respect of any other or others.

 

Section 7.3      Waiver of Notice . Whenever notice is required to be given by statute, or under any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated therein shall be deemed equivalent to notice. In the case of a stockholder, such waiver of notice may be signed by such stockholder’s attorney or a proxy duly appointed in writing. Attendance of a stockholder at a meeting of stockholders, or attendance or a director at a meeting of the Board or any committee thereof, shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when such stockholder or director, as the case may be, attends a meeting for the express purpose of objection, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of any regular or special meetings of the stockholders, directors, or members of a committee of directors need to be specified in any written waiver of notice.

 

ARTICLE VIII

Indemnification

 

Section 8.1      Indemnification . The Company shall indemnify each director, officer, employee and agent of the Company who is a natural person, such person’s heirs, executors and administrators (whether or not natural persons) and all other natural persons whom the Company is authorized to indemnify under the provisions of the DGCL (including but not limited to a person who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent (or in a like capacity) of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise), to the fullest extent permitted by law, (i) against all expenses (including but not limited to attorneys’ and other experts’ fees and disbursements), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any actual or threatened action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or an arbitration, or in connection with any appeal therein, or otherwise, and (ii) against all expenses (including but not limited to attorneys’ and other experts’ fees and disbursements) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of any action, suit or other proceeding by or in the right of the Company, or in connection with any appeal therein, or otherwise; and no provision of these Bylaws is intended to be construed as limiting, prohibiting, denying or abrogating any of the general or specific powers or rights conferred under the DGCL upon the Company to furnish, or upon any court to award, such indemnification, or such other indemnification as may otherwise be authorized pursuant to the DGCL or any other law now or hereafter in effect, including but not limited to indemnification of any employees or agents of the Company or of another corporation partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise; provided, however, that, except with respect to an action, suit or other proceeding to enforce the indemnification and advancement rights provided under these Bylaws, the Company shall indemnify any such relevant person in connection with an action, suit or other proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such action, suit or other proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person was authorized or ratified by the Board. The term “ proceeding ” shall be understood to include any inquiry or investigation that could lead to a proceeding. The indemnification provided for herein shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a person seeking indemnification may be entitled and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of such person’s heirs, executors and administrators.

 

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Section 8.2      Determinations . If and to the extent such indemnification shall require a determination whether or not the relevant person met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL, such determination shall be made expeditiously at the cost of the Company after a written request to the Secretary for the same from the person seeking indemnification. A person’s entitlement to indemnification shall be determined either by (i) a majority vote of directors not a party to the proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought, whether or not they constitute a quorum of the Board or (ii) independent legal counsel. If indemnification is to be given upon a determination by independent legal counsel, such counsel may be the regular counsel to the Company. In rendering such opinion, such counsel shall be entitled to rely upon statements of fact furnished to them by persons reasonably believed by them to be credible, and such counsel shall have no liability or responsibility for the accuracy of the facts so relied upon, nor shall such counsel have any liability for the exercise of their own judgment as to matters of fact or law forming a part of the process of providing such opinion. The fees and disbursements of counsel engaged to render such opinion shall be paid by the Company whether or not such counsel ultimately are able to render the opinion that is the subject of their engagement.

 

Section 8.3      Business Combinations . Unless the Board shall determine otherwise with reference to a particular merger or consolidation or other business combination, for the purpose of this Article VIII references to “the Company” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a merger or consolidation or other business combination which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, agent (or in a like capacity) of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article VIII with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

Section 8.4      Advances of Expenses . If any director or officer of the Company who may be entitled to indemnification hereunder shall request that such person’s expenses actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, arbitration or investigation or appeal therein be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition thereof, the Company shall pay such expenses in advance of the final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company.

 

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Section 8.5      Employee Benefit Plans . References herein to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service as a corporation agent which imposes duties on, or involves services by, the corporate agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries. A person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner not opposed to the best interests of the Company.

 

Section 8.6      Insurance . T he Company may purchase and maintain insurance to protect itself and each director, officer, employee and agent of the Company and all other natural persons whom the Company is authorized to indemnify against any expenses (including but not limited to attorneys’ and other experts’ fees and disbursements), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement, as specified in Section 8.1, or incurred by any such director, officer, employee or agent in connection with any proceeding referred to in Section 8.1, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL. The Company may enter into contracts with any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company in furtherance of the provisions of this Article VIII and may create a trust fund, grant a security interest or use other means (including, without limitation, a letter of credit) to ensure the payment of such amounts as may be necessary to effect indemnification as provided or authorized in this Article VIII.

 

ARTICLE IX

General Matters

 

Section 9.1      Forum for Adjudication of Disputes . (a) Unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws or (v) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware does not have jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, or, if the Superior Court of the State of Delaware does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of stock of the Company shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Section 9.1.

 

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(b)      If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of Section 9.1(a) above is filed in a court other than the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (a “ Foreign Action ”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware and the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such courts to enforce Section 9.1(a) above (an “ Enforcement Action ”) and (ii) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such Enforcement Action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.

 

(c)      If any provision or provisions of this Section 9.1 shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Section 9.1 (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Section 9.1 containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

ARTICLE X

Amendments

 

Section 10.1      Amendments . These Bylaws or any of them may be altered, amended or repealed, and new Bylaws may be adopted, at any annual meeting of the stockholders, or at any special meeting of the stockholders called for that purpose, by a vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares represented and entitled to vote thereat. The Board shall also have the power, by a majority vote of the Whole Board, to alter or amend or repeal the Bylaws or to adopt new Bylaws; provided that (i) any such action of the Board may be amended or repealed by the stockholders at any annual meeting or any special meeting called for that purpose, (ii) the Board shall not have the power to alter or amend or repeal a specified Bylaw if such Bylaw is adopted by the stockholders and contains an express provision that such Bylaw may be altered or amended or repealed only by action of the stockholders and (iii) Article VIII hereof may be altered or amended by the Board to increase the indemnification of the persons referred to therein to the extent permitted by law, but such Article may be otherwise altered, amended or repealed only by action of the stockholders as provided above and in that connection, any repeal, amendment or alteration which reduces or limits the indemnification of the person therein shall apply prospectively.

 

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Exhibit 10.1

 

 

MEDIFAST, INC.  

AMENDED AND RESTATED 2012 SHARE INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1.      Purpose . The purpose of this Amended and Restated 2012 Share Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”) of Medifast, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), is to advance the interests of the Company and its shareholders by providing a means to attract, retain, and reward executive officers and other key individuals of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, to link compensation to measures of the Company’s performance in order to provide additional share-based incentives to such individuals for the creation of shareholder value, and to promote ownership of a greater proprietary interest in the Company, thereby aligning such individuals’ interests more closely with the interests of shareholders of the Company.

 

2.      Definitions . The definitions of awards under the Plan, including Options, SARs (including Limited SARs), Restricted Shares, Deferred Shares, and Shares granted as a bonus or in lieu of other awards are set forth in Section 6 of the Plan. Such awards, together with any other right or interest granted to a Participant under the Plan, are termed “Awards.” The definitions of terms relating to a Change in Control of the Company are set forth in Section 8 of the Plan. In addition to such terms and the terms defined in Section 1, the following are defined terms under the Plan:

 

(a)           “ Award Agreement ” means any written agreement, contract, notice to a Participant, or other instrument or document evidencing an Award.

 

(b)           “ Beneficiary ” means the person, persons, trust, or trusts which have been designated by a Participant in his or her most recent written beneficiary designation filed with the Committee to receive the benefits specified under this Plan upon such Participant’s death. If, upon a Participant’s death, there is no designated Beneficiary or surviving designated Beneficiary, then the term Beneficiary means the Participant’s estate.

 

(c)           “ Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(d)           “ Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time. References to any provision of the Code include regulations thereunder and successor provisions and regulations thereto.

 

(e)           “ Committee ” means the Compensation Committee of the Board, and/ or such other Board committee as may be designated by the Board to administer the Plan.

 

(f)           “ Covered Employee ” means each person who is either the chief executive officer of the Company or whose total compensation is required to be reported to shareholders of the Company under the Exchange Act by reason of being among the three highest compensated officers (other than the chief executive officer or the chief financial officer) of the Company. The intent of this definition is to identify those persons who are “covered employees” for purposes of the applicable provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code and this definition is to be interpreted consistent with this intent. The provisions of the Plan that specifically apply only to Covered Employees shall apply to a Participant if he or she is reasonably expected to be a Covered Employee with respect to the taxable year in which the Performance Period begins, or the taxable year in which the Performance Award is to be paid.

 

(g)           “ Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time. References to any provision of the Exchange Act include the rules promulgated thereunder and successor provisions and rules thereto.

 

(h)           “ Fair Market Value ” of a Share means, as of any given date, the closing sales price of a Share on the New York Stock Exchange for such date or, if such day was not a trading day, the closing sales price for the most recent trading day prior to such date.

 

(i)           “ Participant ” means a person who, as an executive officer, director, key employee or key independent contractor of the Company or a subsidiary, has been granted an Award under the Plan which remains outstanding.

 

 
 

 

(j)           “ Performance Goals ” means the objective goal or goals applicable to a Participant’s Awards that are deemed by the Committee to be important to the success of the Company or any subsidiaries of the Company. The Committee shall establish the specific objective measures for each applicable goal for a performance period, which need not be uniform with respect to each Participant. In creating these measures, the Committee shall use one or more of the following business criteria: (i) earnings before or after interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, (ii) earnings before or after interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization expressed as a percentage of net sales, (iii) earnings per share, (iv) operating cash flow, (v) return on invested capital, (vi) return on stockholders' equity, (vii) market price per share, measured either in absolute terms or as compared to a peer group, (viii) net sales or net revenue, (ix) return on net sales, (x) profit margin, gross or net, (xi) operating margin, (xii) productivity, (xiii) working capital efficiency, and (xiv) expense control. The business criteria may apply to the individual, a division, a component of the Company’s business, or to the Company and/or one or more subsidiaries of the Company and may be weighted and expressed in absolute terms or relative to the performance of other individuals or companies or an index. The Committee shall determine the performance period and the Performance Goals and measures (and weighting thereof) applicable to such period not later than the earlier of 90 days after the commencement of the performance period, or the expiration of 25% of the performance period.

 

(k)           “ Rule 16b-3 ” means Exchange Act Rule 16b-3 as from time to time in effect and applicable to the Plan and Participants.

 

(l)           “ Share ” means a Common Share of the Company and such other securities as may be substituted for such Share or such other securities pursuant to Section 8 ; provided , however , that to the extent any class of common shares are readily tradable on an established securities market, such common shares shall be designated as the Shares for purposes of this Plan.

 

(m)           “ Termination of Service ” means: (i) with respect to an Award granted to an employee, the termination of the employment relationship between the employee and the Company and all Company subsidiaries, (ii) with respect to an Award granted to an independent contractor, the termination of the service arrangement between the independent contractor and the Company and all Company subsidiaries, and (iii) with respect to an Award granted to a non-employee director, the cessation of the provision of services as a director of the Company and all Company subsidiaries; provided , however , that if the Participant’s status changes from employee, independent contractor, or non-employee director to any other status eligible to receive Awards under the Plan, the Committee may provide that no Termination of Service occurs for purposes of the Plan until the Participant’s new status with the Company and all Company subsidiaries terminates. For purposes of this subsection, if a Participant’s relationship is with a Company subsidiary, and not the Company (i.e., the Participant is an employee, independent contractor, or non-employee director of a Company subsidiary and not the Company), the Participant shall incur a Termination of Service when such entity ceases to be a Company subsidiary, unless the Committee determines otherwise.

 

3.      Administration .

 

(a)            Composition of Committee . The Committee shall consist solely of two or more individuals each of whom shall be a “nonemployee director” as defined in Rule l6b-3 and qualifies as an “outside director” (as that term is used for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code). If the Committee cannot or does not act, the Board shall have the rights and responsibilities of the Committee hereunder and under the Award Agreements.

 

(b)            Authority of the Committee . The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee shall have full and final authority to take the following actions, in each case subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan:

 

(i) to select Participants to whom Awards may be granted;

 

(ii) to determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant;

 

(iii) to determine the number of Awards to be granted, the number of Shares to which an Award will relate, the terms and conditions of any Award granted under the Plan (including, but not limited to, the exercise price, grant price, or purchase price, any restriction or condition, any schedule or performance conditions for the lapse of restrictions or conditions relating to transferability, forfeiture before or after grant, exercisability, or settlement of an Award, and waivers, accelerations, or modifications thereof, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee shall determine), and all other matters to be determined in connection with an Award;

 

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(iv) to determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid, in cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property, or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;

 

(v) to prescribe the form of each Award Agreement, which need not be identical for each Participant;

 

(vi) to adopt, amend, suspend, waive, and rescind such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan;

 

(vii) to correct any defect or supply appropriate text for any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan and to construe and interpret the Plan and any Award, rules and regulations, Award Agreement, or other instrument hereunder, with such constructions and interpretations to be conclusive and binding on all persons and otherwise accorded the maximum deference permitted by law; provided that, the Committee’s construction and interpretation shall not be entitled to deference on and after a Change in Control except to the extent that such constructions and interpretations are made exclusively by members of the Committee who are individuals who served as Committee members before the Change in Control;

 

(viii) to make all other decisions and determinations as may be required under the terms of the Plan or as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan; and

 

(ix) In the event of any dispute or disagreement as to the interpretation of the Plan or of any rule, regulation or procedure, or as to any question, right or obligation arising from or related to the Plan, the decision of the Committee, except as provided in clause (vii), shall be final and binding upon all persons. Unless otherwise expressly provided hereunder, the Committee, with respect to any grant, may exercise its discretion hereunder at the time of the Award or thereafter.

 

(c)            Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority . Unless authority is specifically reserved to the Board under the terms of the Plan, the Company’s bylaws, or applicable law, the Committee shall have discretion to exercise authority under the Plan. Any action of the Committee with respect to the Plan shall be final, conclusive, and binding on all persons, including the Company, subsidiaries of the Company, Participants, any person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant, and Shareholders. The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Committee may delegate to officers or employees of the Company or any subsidiary the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, (i) to perform administrative functions, (ii) with respect to Participants not subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, to perform such other functions of the Committee as the Committee may determine, and (iii) with respect to Participants subject to Section 16, to perform such other functions of the Committee as the Committee may determine to the extent performance of such functions will not result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3 otherwise available for transactions by such persons. If and to the extent applicable, no member of the Committee may act as to matters under the Plan specifically relating to such member. If no Committee is designated by the Board to act for these purposes, the Board shall have the rights and responsibilities of the Committee hereunder and under the Award Agreements.

 

(d)            Limitation of Liability . Each member of the Committee shall be entitled to in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him by any officer or other employee of the Company or any subsidiary, the Company’s independent certified public accountants, or any executive compensation consultant, legal counsel, or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan. No member of the Committee, nor any officer or employee of the Company acting on behalf of the Committee, shall be personally liable for any action, determination, or interpretation taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and all members of the Committee and any officer or employee of the Company acting on behalf of the Committee or members thereof shall, to the extent permitted by law or charter, be fully indemnified, held harmless and protected by the Company with respect to any such action, determination, or interpretation.

 

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4.      Shares Available Under Plan; Individual Award Limitations; Adjustments .

 

(a)            Shares Reserved for Awards . Subject to adjustment as hereinafter provided, the total number of Shares reserved and available for issuance to Participants in connection with Awards (including with respect to ISOs) under the Plan shall be 1,000,000 Shares; provided , however , that the number of Shares with respect to which (i) Awards of Options (including ISOs) and SARs may be granted to any Participant shall in each case not exceed 75,000 during any calendar year and (ii) Awards of Restricted Shares, Deferred Shares and Shares may be granted to any Participant shall in each case not exceed 150,000 during any calendar year. If all or any portion of an Award is forfeited, settled in cash, or terminated without issuance of Shares to the Participant, the Shares to which such Award or portion thereof related shall again be available for future Awards under the Plan. The Committee may adopt procedures for the counting of Shares relating to any Award to ensure appropriate counting and avoid double counting (in the case of tandem or substitute awards). Any Shares issued pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares, treasury Shares, or Shares acquired in the market for the account of the Participant (which treasury Shares or acquired Shares will be deemed to have been “issued” pursuant to such Award).

 

(b)            Adjustments .

 

(i) In the event that the Committee shall determine that any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase, exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, stock split or reverse split, extraordinary dividend (whether in the form of cash, Shares, or other property), liquidation, dissolution, or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Shares such that an adjustment is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of each Participant’s rights under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust any or all of (i) the number and kind of Shares remaining reserved and available for issuance under Section 4(a) , (ii) the number and kind of outstanding Restricted Shares or Restricted Shares relating to any other outstanding Award in connection with which Restricted Shares may be issued, (iii) the number and kind of Shares that may be issued in respect of other outstanding Awards, and/or (iv) the exercise price or grant price relating to any Award (or, if deemed appropriate, the Committee may make provision for a cash payment with respect to any outstanding Award). In addition, the Committee is authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, events described in the preceding sentence) affecting the Company or any subsidiary or the financial statements of the Company or any subsidiary, or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles; or in the event the Committee determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee shall not make any adjustments pursuant to this Section that would prevent an Award to a Covered Employee (that was otherwise intended to qualify for the “performance-based exception” pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Code) from qualifying for such exception.

 

(ii) If the Company shall be consolidated or merged with another corporation or other entity, each Participant who has received Restricted Shares that are then subject to restrictions imposed by Section 6(d) may be required to deposit with the successor corporation the certificates for the stock or securities or the other property that the Participant is entitled to receive by reason of ownership of Restricted Shares in a manner consistent with Section 6(d)(iv) , and such stock, securities or other property shall become subject to the restrictions and requirements imposed by Section 6(d) , and the certificates therefor or other evidence thereof shall bear a legend similar in form and substance to the legend referred to in Section 6(d)(iv) .

 

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(iii) The judgment of the Committee with respect to any matter referred to in this sub-section (b) shall be conclusive and binding upon each Participant without the need for any amendment to the Plan.

 

5.      Eligibility . Except as provided in the following sentence, Executive officers, other key employees and other key independent contractors of the Company and its subsidiaries, including any director and any director who is also an executive officer or employee, are eligible to be granted Awards under the Plan. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, only Executive officers and other key employees of the Company and its “subsidiary corporation” (as such term is defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) are eligible to be granted ISOs under the Plan.

 

6.      Specific Terms of Awards .

 

(a)            General . Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6. In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 10(f) ), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in the event of Termination of Service by the Participant or upon the occurrence of other events. In addition, the Committee shall require, as the condition of the issuance of Shares in connection with any Award, that consideration be received by the Company which meets the requirements of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

(b)            Options . An Option entitles a Participant to purchase a Share on the exercise thereof. Options include ISOs and NQSOs. An ISO is an Option that is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code. An NQSO is an Option that is not an ISO. The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i) Exercise Price . The exercise price per Share purchasable under an Option shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant but shall be not less than 100% (110% in the case of an ISO granted to a more-than-ten-percent shareholder, as provided in clause (vi) below) of Fair Market Value on the date of grant of the Option.

 

(ii) Term . The term of each Option shall be determined by the Committee and shall not exceed ten years (five years in the case of an ISO granted to a more-than-ten-percent shareholder (as provided in clause (vi) below)).

 

(iii) Time and Method of Exercise . The Committee shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part, the methods by which such exercise price may be paid or deemed to be paid, the form of such payment, including, without limitation, cash, Shares, cashless exercise and/or a broker-assisted exercise, and the methods by which Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants.

 

(iv) Forfeiture . Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon Termination of Service during the applicable term of the Options, unexercised Options shall be forfeited and again be available for Award by the Company. The Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, that forfeiture conditions relating to the Options will be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes.

 

(v) ISO Annual Limit . The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date the ISO is granted) of the Shares with respect to which the ISOs are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year (counting ISOs under this Plan and under any stock option plan of the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company (as defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code) shall not exceed $100,000. If an Option intended as an ISO is granted to a Participant and the Option may not be treated in whole or in part as an ISO pursuant to the $100,000 limit, the Option shall be treated as an ISO to the extent it may be so treated under the limit and as an NQSO as to the remainder. For purposes of determining whether an ISO would cause the limitation to be exceeded, ISOs shall be taken into account in the order granted.

 

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(vi) More-Than Ten-Percent Shareholder . If, after applying the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code, the Participant owns stock possessing more than ten percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of a parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company (as defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code) immediately before an ISO is granted to him or her, the exercise price for the ISO shall be not less than 110 percent of the Fair Market Value of the optioned Shares on the date the ISO is granted, and such ISO, by its terms, shall not be exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date the ISO is granted. The conditions set forth in this clause shall not apply to NQSOs.

 

(c)            Share Appreciation Rights . The Committee is authorized to grant SARs to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i) Right to Payment . A SAR shall confer on the Participant to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise, over (B) the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of grant of the SAR.

 

(ii) Other Terms . The Committee shall determine the time or times at which a SAR may be exercised in whole or in part, the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, method by which Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, whether or not a SAR shall be in tandem with any other Award, and any other terms and conditions of any SAR. Limited SARs that may only be exercised upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (as such term is defined in Section 8(b) or as otherwise defined by the Committee) may be granted on such terms, not inconsistent with this Section 6(c) , as the Committee may determine. Such Limited SARs may be either freestanding or in tandem with other Awards.

 

(iii) Forfeiture . Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon Termination of Service during the applicable term of the SARs, unexercised SARs shall be forfeited and again be available for Award by the Company. The Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, that forfeiture conditions relating to the SARs will be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes.

 

(d)            Restricted Shares . The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Shares to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i) Grant . The Committee may provide a specified purchase price for the Restricted Shares (whether or not any State law applicable to the Company requires the payment of a purchase price). Except to the extent restricted under the terms of the Plan and any Award Agreement relating to the Restricted Shares, a Participant granted Restricted Shares shall have all of the rights of a shareholder including, without limitation, the right to vote Restricted Shares and the right to receive dividends thereon (as described below). Restricted Shares include Performance Shares. Performance Shares are Restricted Shares that provide for a lapse of restrictions upon the attainment of certain Performance Goals.

 

(ii) Lapse of Restrictions.

 

(1) In General . Upon the lapse of all restrictions in accordance with this subsection (d) or Section 8, Shares shall cease to be Restricted Shares for purposes of the Plan.

 

(2) Restricted Shares Other Than Performance Shares . With respect to Restricted Shares that are not Performance Shares, the applicable restrictions shall lapse at such time or times, and on such conditions (such as performance-based requirements), as the Administrator may specify in the Award Agreement. The Administrator may at any time accelerate the time at which the restrictions on all or any part of the shares of Restricted Shares (other than Performance Shares) will lapse.

 

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(3) Performance Shares . With respect to Performance Shares, the applicable restrictions shall lapse at the end of the applicable performance period if and to the extent the Performance Goals have been achieved for such period. The Committee shall certify the extent to which the Performance Goals are achieved and shall have the discretion to decrease (but not increase) the extent to which such restrictions lapse on account of such achievement. The restrictions shall also lapse (A) as provided in Section 8, or (B) if and to the extent determined by the Committee, in the case of the Participant’s death or disability (as determined by the Committee). If the Participant’s Termination of Service occurs for any reason prior to the end of the performance period, the Participant shall forfeit all Performance Shares granted with respect to such performance period except (i) as provided in Section 14, (ii) as determined by the Committee in the case of the Participant’s death or disability (as determined by the Committee), or (iii) the Committee may provide that restrictions lapse with respect to a pro-rata portion of the number of shares of Performance Shares for which the restrictions would have lapsed had the Participant been employed on the last day of the performance period, under such circumstances as the Committee, in its sole discretion, determines.

 

(iii) Forfeiture . Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon Termination of Service during the applicable restriction period, Restricted Shares that are at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited and reacquired by the Company; provided , however , that the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Shares (other than with respect to Restricted Shares that are subject to Performance Goals and are granted to Covered Employees) will be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes.

 

(iv) Certificates for Shares . Restricted Shares granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted Shares are registered in the name of the Participant, such certificates shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Shares, the Company may retain physical possession of the certificate, and the Participant shall have delivered a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Shares.

 

(v) Dividends and Distributions . Dividends paid on Restricted Shares shall be either paid at the dividend payment date in the form the dividends are paid to other shareholders, in cash, or in unrestricted Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, or subject to the terms of Section 409A of the Code, the payment of such dividends shall be deferred and/or the amount or value thereof automatically reinvested in additional Restricted Shares, other Awards, or other investment vehicles, as the Committee shall determine or permit the Participant to elect; provided that with respect to Restricted Shares (including Performance Shares) that vest based on the achievement of Performance Goals or other performance criteria, dividends shall be paid at the time and to the extent that the restrictions and risk of forfeiture on the Restricted Shares lapse. Shares distributed in connection with a Share split or Share dividend, and other property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Shares with respect to which such Shares or other property are distributed.

 

(vi) Nature of Restricted Shares . Restricted Shares granted under the Plan are not intended to provide for the deferral of compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code.

 

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(e)            Deferred Shares . The Committee is authorized to grant Deferred Shares to Participants, subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(i) Award and Restrictions . A Deferred Share shall entitle a Participant to a Share (or its cash equivalent) on the date of vesting. Deferred Shares shall be subject to such vesting conditions as the Committee may impose, if any, which may include vesting at the expiration of the deferral period, at earlier specified times, or upon the achievement of certain Performance Goals, separately or in combination, under such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise as the Committee may determine.

 

(ii) Issuance of Shares . Upon meeting the vesting condition specified for an Award of Deferred Shares, the Company shall issue the Shares to which the Participant is entitled under the Award. In no event shall such issuance occur more than two and one-half months after the close of the calendar year in which the Participant’s rights to such shares vest. In the event the Award of Deferred Shares provides for partial vesting over multiple years, shares that vest during a calendar year shall be issued to the Participant within two and one-half months after the close of the calendar year in which the Shares vest.

 

(iii) Vesting .

 

(1) Deferred Shares Other Than Deferred Shares That Are Subject to Performance Goals . With respect to Deferred Shares that are not subject to Performance Goals, the Committee shall determine when such Deferred Shares shall vest and any conditions (such as continued employment) that must be met in order for such Deferred Shares to vest at the end of the applicable vesting period. The Committee may at any time accelerate the time at which such Deferred Shares shall vest.

 

(2) Deferred Shares Subject to Performance Goals . Deferred Shares that are subject to Performance Goals shall vest at the end of the applicable performance period if and to the extent the Performance Goals have been achieved for such period. The Committee shall certify the extent to which the Performance Goals are achieved and shall the have the discretion to decrease (but not increase) the extent to which such Deferred Shares vest on account of such achievement. Such Deferred Shares shall also vest (A) as provided in Section 8, or (B) if and to the extent determined by the Committee in the case of the Participant’s death or disability (as determined by the Committee). If the Participant’s Termination of Service occurs for any reason prior to the end of the performance period, the Participant shall forfeit all such Deferred Shares granted with respect to such performance period, except (i) as provided in Section 8, (ii) as determined by the Committee in the case of the Participant’s death or disability (as determined by the Committee), or (iii) the Committee may provide for vesting of a pro-rata portion of such Deferred Shares that would have vested had the Participant been employed on the last day of the performance period, under such circumstances as the Committee, in its sole discretion, determines.

 

(iv) Forfeiture . Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon Termination of Service during the applicable deferral period or portion thereof to which forfeiture conditions apply (as provided in the Award Agreement evidencing the Deferred Shares), all Deferred Shares that are at that time subject to such risk of forfeiture shall be forfeited; provided , however , that the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Deferred Shares (other than with respect to Deferred Shares that are subject to Performance Goals and that have been granted to a Covered Employee) will be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes.

 

(v) Dividend Equivalents . The Committee may provide that payments in the form of dividend equivalents will be credited in respect of Deferred Shares, which amounts may be paid or distributed when accrued or deemed reinvested in additional Deferred Shares. Any dividend equivalents credited with respect to Deferred Shares shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Deferred Shares and amounts credited shall be distributed in accordance with the provisions of Section 6(e)(ii) above.

 

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(vi) Compliance with Section 409A . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, all distributions of Deferred Shares shall be made within the applicable “short-term deferral period” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.

 

(f)            Bonus Shares and Awards in Lieu of Cash Obligations. The Committee is authorized to grant Shares as a bonus, or to grant Shares or other Awards in lieu of Company obligations to pay cash under other plans or compensatory arrangements; provided , however , that, in the case of Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the amount of such Shares or Awards shall be determined by the Committee in a manner conforming to then-applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3. Shares or Awards granted hereunder shall be subject to such other terms as shall be determined by the Committee.

 

(g)            Other Stock-Based Awards . The Committee shall have the right to grant other Awards based upon the Shares having such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine, including the grant of shares based upon certain conditions, the grant of securities convertible into Shares and the grant of phantom shares.

 

7.      Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards .

 

(a)            Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem and Substitute Awards . Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution for, any other Award granted under the Plan or any award granted under any other plan of the Company, any subsidiary, or any business entity to be acquired by the Company or a subsidiary, or any other right of a Participant to receive payment from the Company or any subsidiary. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or awards may be granted either as of the same time as or a different time from the grant of such other Awards or awards. The per Share exercise price of any Option, grant price of any SAR, or purchase price of any other Award conferring a right to purchase Shares granted in substitution for an outstanding Award or award may be adjusted to reflect the in-the-money value of the surrendered Award or award, provided such adjustment does not cause the Award to be treated as deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code.

 

(b)            Term of Awards . The term of each Award shall be for such period as may be determined by the Committee up to a maximum term of ten years.

 

(c)            Form of Payment Under Awards . Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, payments to be made by the Company or a subsidiary upon the grant or exercise of an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee shall determine, including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other Awards.

 

(d)            Rule 16b-3 Compliance . It is the intent of the Company that this Plan comply in all respects with applicable provisions of Rule 16b-3 in connection with any grant of Awards to or other transaction by a Participant who is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act (except for transactions exempted under alternative Exchange Act Rules or acknowledged in writing to be non-exempt by such Participant). Accordingly, if, at such time, any provision of this Plan or any Award Agreement relating to an Award does not comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 as then applicable to any such transaction, such provision will be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3 so that such Participant shall avoid liability under Section 16(b).

 

8.      Change in Control Provisions .

 

(a)           In the event of a “ Change in Control ,” as defined in this Section:

 

(i) With respect to Awards granted prior to June 17, 2014, any Award carrying a right to exercise that was not previously exercisable and vested shall become fully exercisable and vested, subject only to the restrictions set forth in Sections 7(d) and 10(a) ; and (B) the restrictions, deferral of settlement, and forfeiture conditions applicable to any other Award granted under the Plan shall lapse and such Award shall be deemed fully vested, and any performance conditions imposed with respect to any Award shall be deemed to be fully achieved, subject to the restrictions set forth in Sections 7(d) and 10(a).

 

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(ii) With respect to Awards granted on or after June 17, 2014, unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or another contract, in the event of a Change in Control, unless provision is made in connection with the Change in Control for (x) assumption of Awards previously granted or (y) substitution for such Awards of new awards covering stock of a successor corporation or its “parent corporation” (as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code) or “subsidiary corporation” (as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kinds of shares and the exercise prices, if applicable, the following shall occur:

 

(1) the Committee as constituted immediately before the Change in Control may make such adjustments as it, in its discretion, determines are necessary or appropriate in light of the Change in Control (including, without limitation, the substitution of stock other than stock of the Company as the stock optioned hereunder, cash payment or other equitable consideration and the acceleration of vesting or exercisability of Awards under the Plan), provided that the Committee determines that such adjustments do not have a substantial adverse economic impact on the Participants as determined at the time of the adjustments, and

 

(2) any Award carrying a right to exercise that was not previously exercisable and vested shall become fully exercisable and vested, subject only to the restrictions set forth in Sections 7(d) and 10(a) ; and (B) the restrictions, deferral of settlement, and forfeiture conditions applicable to any other Award granted under the Plan shall lapse and such Award shall be deemed fully vested, and any performance conditions imposed with respect to any Award shall be deemed to be fully achieved, subject to the restrictions set forth in Sections 7(d) and 10(a) .

 

(iii) Termination Following a Change in Control . With respect to Awards granted on or after June 17, 2014, in the event that the Awards are assumed or substituted with new awards as set forth above, unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or another contract or under the terms of a transaction constituting a Change in Control, upon a Participant’s involuntary termination of employment without Cause within twenty-four (24) months following the Change in Control, provided that such termination does not result from the Participant’s termination due to death or for disability, (1) any Award carrying a right to exercise that was not previously exercisable and vested shall become fully exercisable and vested, subject only to the restrictions set forth in Sections 7(d) and 10(a) ; and (2) the restrictions, deferral of settlement, and forfeiture conditions applicable to any other Award granted under the Plan shall lapse and such Award shall be deemed fully vested, and any performance conditions imposed with respect to any Award shall be deemed to be fully achieved, subject to the restrictions set forth in Sections 7(d) and 10(a) .

 

(b)           For purposes of the Plan, a “Change in Control” shall have occurred if.

 

(i) Any “Person,” as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act (other than the Company, any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company, any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company), is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule l3d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 25% or more of either the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities or the then outstanding Shares (in either case, other than as a result of an acquisition of securities directly from the Company);

 

(ii) during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board, and any new director (other than a director designated by a person who has entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in clause (i), (iii), or (iv) of this Section 8(b) ) whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board;

 

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(iii) a merger, consolidation, recapitalization, or reorganization of the Company is consummated, or a reverse share split of any class of voting securities of the Company, other than any such transaction which would result in at least 75% of the total voting power represented by the voting securities of the Company or the surviving entity outstanding immediately after such transaction being beneficially owned by persons who together beneficially owned of least 75% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such transaction, with the relative voting power of each such continuing holder compared to the voting power of each such continuing holder not substantially altered as a result of the transaction; provided that, for purposes of this paragraph (iii), such continuity of ownership (and preservation of relative voting power) shall be deemed to be satisfied if the failure to meet such 75% threshold (or to substantially preserve such relative voting power) is due solely to the acquisition of voting securities by an employee benefit plan of the Company or such surviving entity or of any subsidiary of the Company or such surviving entity; or

 

(iv) the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (or any transaction having a similar effect).

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no event or condition shall constitute a Change of Control to the extent that, if it were, a 20% tax would be imposed upon or with respect to an award under Section 409A of the Code; provided that, in such case, the event or condition shall continue to constitute a Change in control to the maximum extent possible (e.g., if applicable, in respect of vesting without an acceleration of distribution) without causing the imposition of such 20% tax.

 

(c)           For purposes of the Plan, “Cause” means a Participant’s gross misconduct, insubordination, violation of the Company’s policies, or commission of a felony.

 

9.      Certain Corporate Transactions .

 

In the event of a corporate transaction (such as, for example, a merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, separation, reorganization, or liquidation), the surviving or successor corporation shall assume each outstanding Award or substitute a new award of the same type for each outstanding Award; provided , however , that, in the event of a proposed corporate transaction, the Committee may terminate all or a portion of the outstanding Awards, effective upon the closing of the corporate transaction, if it determines that such termination is in the best interests of the Company. If the Committee decides so to terminate outstanding Options and SARs, the Committee shall give each Participant holding an Option or SAR to be terminated not fewer than seven days’ notice prior to any such termination, and any Option or SAR which is to be so terminated may be exercised (if and only to the extent that it is then exercisable under the terms of the Award Agreement and Section 8) at any time prior to such termination. Further, except as otherwise provided in the Plan, the Administrator may, in its discretion accelerate, in whole or in part, the date on which any or all Awards become exercisable or vested (to the extent such Award is not fully exercisable or vested pursuant to the Award Agreement or Section 8).

 

The Committee also may, in its discretion, change the terms of any outstanding Award to reflect any such corporate transaction, provided that (i) in the case of ISOs, such change would not constitute a “modification” under Section 424(h) of the Code, unless the Participant consents to the change, and (ii) no such adjustment shall be made to an outstanding Option or SAR if such adjustment would cause the Option or SAR to be subject to Section 409A of the Code.

 

10.      General Provisions .

 

(a)            Compliance With Laws and Obligations . The Company will not be obligated to issue or deliver Shares in connection with any Award or take any other action under the Plan in a transaction subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any other federal or state securities law, any requirement under any listing agreement between the Company and any stock exchange or automated quotation system, or any other law, regulation, or contractual obligation of the Company, until the Company is satisfied that such laws, regulations, and other obligations of the Company have been complied with in full. Certificates representing Shares issued under the Plan will be subject to such stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as may be applicable under such laws, regulations, and other obligations of the Company, including any requirement that a legend or legends be placed thereon.

 

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(b)            Limitations on Transferability . Awards and other rights under the Plan will not be transferable by a Participant except by will or the laws of descent and distribution (or to a designated Beneficiary in the event of the Participant’s death), and, if exercisable, shall be exercisable during the lifetime of a Participant only by such Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative; provided , however , that such Awards and other rights may be transferred to one or more transferees during the lifetime of the Participant in connection with the Participant’s estate or tax planning, and such transferees may exercise rights thereunder in accordance with the terms thereof, but only if and to the extent consistent with the registration of the offer and sale of Shares on Form S-8, Form S-3, or such other registration form of the Securities and Exchange Commission as may then be filed and effective with respect to the Plan and permitted by the Committee. The Company may rely upon the beneficiary designation last filed in accordance with this Section 10(b) . Awards and other rights under the Plan may not be pledged, mortgaged, hypothecated, or otherwise encumbered by a Participant and shall not be subject to the claims of a Participant’s creditors.

 

(c)            Taxes . The Company and any subsidiary is authorized to withhold from any Award granted or to be settled, any delivery of Shares in connection with an Award, any other payment relating to an Award, or any payroll or other payment to a Participant amounts of withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any income recognition event involving an Award (including, for example, an election under section 83(b) of the Code), and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award. This authority shall include authority to withhold or receive Shares or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of a Participant’s tax obligations.

 

(d)            No Right to Continued Employment; Leaves of Absence . Neither the Plan, any Award Agreement, or any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Participant the right to be retained in the employ or contract of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, nor shall it interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to terminate any Participant’s employment or contract at any time. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Award Agreement, an approved leave of absence shall not be considered a Termination of Service for purposes of an Award under the Plan.

 

(e)            No Rights to Awards; No Shareholder Rights . No Participant or employee or independent contractor shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants, employees or independent contractors. No Award shall confer on any Participant any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company unless and until Shares are duly issued or transferred and delivered to the Participant in accordance with the terms of the Award or, in the case of an Option, the Option is duly exercised.

 

(f)            Changes to the Plan and Awards . The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or the Committee’s authority to grant Awards under the Plan without the consent of shareholders or Participants, except that any material amendment or alteration will be subject to the approval of the Company’s shareholders at or before the next annual meeting of shareholders for which the record date is after the date of such Board action if such shareholder approval is required by any applicable federal or state law or regulation or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which Company securities may then be listed or quoted, and the Board may otherwise determine to submit other such amendments or alterations to shareholders for approval; provided , however , that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such action may materially impair the rights of such Participant with respect to any Award theretofore granted to him. The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, or amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate, any Award theretofore granted and any Award Agreement relating thereto; provided , however , that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such action may materially impair the rights of such Participant under such Award; and provided further that no such amendment, discontinuance or termination of the Plan shall accelerate the time for payment of any Deferred Shares or other amounts subject to Section 409A of the Code (except to the extent permitted by Section 409A of the Code).

 

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Except as permitted under Section 4(b), if the Fair Market Value of Shares subject to an Option or SAR has declined since the Award was granted, the Committee shall not, without shareholder approval, (i) cancel any or all such Options or SARs in exchange for cash or the grant of a new Award, or (ii) reduce the exercise price of any or all such Options or reduce the amount over which appreciation of a SAR is measured; provided , however , that such reduced amount shall not be less than the Fair Market Value on the date such reduction is made.

 

(g)            No Fiduciary Relationship . Nothing contained in the Plan and no action taken pursuant to the provisions of the Plan, shall create or shall be construed to create a trust of any kind, or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or its subsidiaries, or their officers or the Committee, on the one hand, and the Participant, the Company, its subsidiaries or any other person or entity, on the other.

 

(h)            Notices . All notices under the Plan shall be in writing, and if to the Company, shall be delivered to the Board or mailed to its principal office, addressed to the attention of the Board; and if to the Participant, shall be delivered personally, sent by facsimile transmission or mailed to the Participant at the address appearing in the records of the Company. Such addresses may be changed at any time by written notice to the other party given in accordance with this Section 10(h) .

 

(i)            Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts . The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award shall give any such Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company; provided , however , that the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts or make other arrangements to meet the Company’s obligations under the Plan to deliver cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property pursuant to any Award, which trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan unless the Committee otherwise determines with the consent of each affected Participant.

 

(j)            Nonexclusivity of the Plan . Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission to the shareholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other compensatory arrangements as it may deem desirable, including the granting of awards otherwise than under the Plan, and such arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.

 

(k)            Non-Deferred Compensation Plan . The Plan is intended to constitute an equity or equity-based compensation plan that does not provide for the deferral of compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code and, if any provision of the Plan is subject to more than one interpretation or construction, such ambiguity shall be resolved in favor of that interpretation or construction which is consistent with the Plan not being subject to the provisions of Section 409A. Notwithstanding the forgoing, if, at any time, any provision of this Plan or any Award Agreement relating to an Award does not comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, such provision will be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code so that such Participant shall avoid liability under Section 409A. Deferred Shares are intended to meet the “short-term deferral exception” under Section 409A of the Code.

 

(l)            No Fractional Shares . No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, other Awards, or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

 

(m)            Captions . The use of captions in this Plan is for convenience. The captions are not intended to provide substantive rights.

 

(n)            Governing Law . The validity, construction, and effect of the Plan, any rules and regulations under the Plan, and any Award Agreement will be determined in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law and other laws (including those governing contracts) of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of laws, and applicable federal law.

 

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(o)            Recoupment Policy . Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, a Participant’s right to receive or retain an Award, to retain any amount received pursuant to an Award (in cash or Shares) and, in the case of Shares received pursuant to an Award, to retain any profit or gain the Participant realized in connection with such an Award, shall be subject to any recoupment or “clawback” policy adopted by the Company.

 

11.      Effective Date and Plan Termination . The Plan, as amended and restated, will be effective upon approval of the Board, subject to its approval by the shareholders of the Company if such shareholder approval is required by any applicable federal or state law or regulation or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system as then in effect. Unless earlier terminated by action of the Board, the Plan will remain in effect until such time as no Shares remain available for issuance under the Plan and the Company or, if earlier, until the day before the tenth anniversary of the effective date of the Plan.

 

 

 

As adopted by the Board of Directors: June 17, 2014

 

 

 

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