As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 12, 2016

Registration No. 333-[                      ]

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   76-0466193

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

801 Louisiana, Suite 700

Houston, Texas 77002

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

 

 

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

(Full title of the plan)

Walter G. Goodrich

Chief Executive Officer

Goodrich Petroleum Company

801 Louisiana, Suite 700

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 780-9494

(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

copy to:

Shane M. Tucker

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.

2001 Ross Avenue, Suite 3700

Dallas, Texas 75201-2975

(214) 220-7700

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer   ☐(Do not check if smaller reporting company)    Smaller Reporting Company  

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of securities

to be registered

 

Amount

to be
registered (1)

  Proposed
maximum
offering price
per share (2)
 

Proposed
maximum
aggregate

offering price (2)

 

Amount of

registration fee

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

  1,100,000 shares   $0.00925   $10,175   $1.18

 

 

(1) Represents shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Goodrich Petroleum Corporation (the “Registrant”) reserved for issuance under the Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers an indeterminate number of additional shares of Common Stock issuable with respect to the shares being registered hereunder by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction. No additional registration fee is included for these shares.
(2) The proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the Common Stock was calculated based upon the market value for shares of the Common Stock in accordance with Rule 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act using the average of the high and low sales prices per share reported by the OTC Markets marketplace on October 7, 2016.

 

 

 


PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The Registrant will send or give to all participants in the Plan document(s) containing the information required by Part I of Form S-8, as specified in Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act. In accordance with Rule 428, the Registrant has not filed such document(s) with the Commission, but such documents (along with the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof) shall constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

Except to the extent that information is deemed furnished and not filed pursuant to securities laws and regulations, the Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents:

 

  (a) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2015, filed with the Commission on March 30, 2016 and amended by the Registrant on Form 10-K/A filed with the Commission on April 29, 2016, in each case, pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”);

 

  (b) The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ending March 31, 2016, filed with the Commission on May 16, 2016;

 

  (c) The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ending June 30, 2016, filed with the Commission on August 8, 2016;

 

  (d) The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on January 14, 2016; January 25, 2016 (excluding any information furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 and Item 9.01 of such Current Report on Form 8-K); January 26, 2016; February 5, 2016; February 16, 2016; February 25, 2016; March 3, 2016; March 8, 2016; March 16, 2016; March 17, 2016; April 1, 2016; April 6, 2016; April 11, 2016; April 12, 2016 (excluding any information furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 and Item 9.01 of such Current Report on Form 8-K); April 15, 2016; May 26, 2016; July 29, 2016; and October 3, 2016; and

 

  (e) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the documents referred to in (a) above.

Except to the extent that information is deemed furnished and not filed pursuant to securities laws and regulations, all documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act and all reports on Form 8-K subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall also be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the dates of filing of such documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be


deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The Registrant is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any persons who are, or are threatened to be made, parties to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person was an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such person as an officer, director, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, suit or proceeding, provided that such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was illegal, except that no indemnification is permitted in any case without judicial approval if the officer or director is adjudged to be liable to the corporation. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him against the expenses which such officer or director has actually and reasonably incurred. The Registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides for the indemnification of directors and officers of the Registrant to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except for liability (i) for any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) for improper payment of dividends or redemptions of shares, or (iv) for any breach of a director’s duty of loyalty to the company or its stockholders. The Registrant’s Certificate of Incorporation includes such a provision. Reasonable expenses incurred by any officer or director in defending any such action, suit or proceeding shall be paid at reasonable intervals in advance of the final disposition by the Registrant upon delivery to the Registrant of a written affirmation of the officer or director’s good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification and an undertaking, by or on behalf of such director or officer, to repay all amounts so advanced if it should be ultimately determined that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by the Registrant.

The Registrant also maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

The indemnification discussed in this Item 6 is not exclusive of any other rights permitted by law to which the party seeking indemnification may possess.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.


Item 8. Exhibits.

The exhibits to this Registration Statement are listed in the Exhibit Index that immediately precedes such exhibits and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9. Undertakings.

 

  (a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

 

  (i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

  (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

  (iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

provided, however , that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

 

  (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

  (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

  (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

  (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas on October 11, 2016.

 

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION.
By:   /s/ Walter G. Goodrich
 

Name: Walter G. Goodrich

Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Walter G. Goodrich, Robert C. Turnham, Jr. and Michael J. Killelea, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and to file the same with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully and to all intents and purposes as they might or could not in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Dated: October 11, 2016     /s/ Walter G. Goodrich
   

Walter G. Goodrich

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

Dated: October 11, 2016     /s/ Robert T. Barker
   

Robert T. Barker

Vice President, Controller and Interim Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

Dated: October 11, 2016     /s/ Robert C. Turnham
   

Robert C. Turnham

President, Chief Operating Officer and Director

 

Dated: October 11, 2016     /s/ Josiah T. Austin
    Josiah T. Austin, Director

 

Dated: October 11, 2016     /s/ Michael J. Perdue
    Michael J. Perdue, Director

 

Dated: October 11, 2016     /s/ Arthur A. Seeligson
    Arthur A. Seeligson, Director

 

Dated: October 11, 2016     /s/ Stephen M. Straty
    Stephen M. Straty, Director

 

Dated: October 11, 2016     /s/ Gene Washington
    Gene Washington, Director


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Number

  

Description

  4.1*    Second Amended and Restated of Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant.
  4.2*    Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant.
  4.3*    Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Management Incentive Plan.
  4.4*    Form of Grant of Restricted Stock (attached as Exhibit A to the Management Incentive Plan)
  4.5*    Form of Grant of Restricted Stock (Secondary Exit Award; UCC Warrant Exercise)
  4.6*    Form of Grant of Restricted Stock (Secondary Exit Award; 2L Note Conversion)
  5.1*    Opinion of Vinson & Elkins LLP as to the legality of the securities being registered.
23.1*    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP—Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
23.2*    Consent of Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc.
23.3*    Consent of Ryder Scott Company, L.P.
23.4*    Consent of Vinson & Elkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1*    Power of Attorney (included as part of the signature pages to the Registration Statement).

 

* Filed herewith.

Exhibit 4.1

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), DOES HEREBY CERTIFY AS FOLLOWS:

 

  1. The name of the Corporation is “Goodrich Petroleum Corporation.” The Corporation was originally incorporated under the name “Goodrich Acquisition II, Inc.”, and the Corporation’s original certificate of incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on October 22, 1996. A restated certificate of incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 31, 1997.

 

  2. The Corporation filed its First Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code on August 12, 2016 (the “ Plan ”). The Plan was confirmed on September 28, 2016 by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division.

 

  3. This Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (“ Certificate ”) has been deemed approved without the need for Board of Directors or stockholder approval pursuant to Section 303 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL ”) because it is adopted pursuant to the Plan, as confirmed by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division.

 

  4. Pursuant to the provisions of Sections 242(a), 245 and 303 of the DGCL, the undersigned Corporation does hereby certify that the text of the Certificate is hereby amended and restated to read as follows:

FIRST: The name of the Corporation is GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION.

SECOND: The address of its registered office in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware, County of New Castle. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

THIRD: The purpose or purposes for which the Corporation is formed are to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL.

FOURTH: The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is eighty-five million (85,000,000), consisting of seventy-five million (75,000,000) shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, and ten million (10,000,000) shares of Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share.


The following is a statement fixing certain of the designations and powers, voting powers, preferences, and relative, participating, optional or other rights of the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock of the Corporation, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, and the authority with respect thereto expressly granted to the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) to fix any such provisions not fixed by this Certificate:

 

  A. Preferred Stock

The Board of Directors is hereby expressly vested with the authority to adopt a resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock, which shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Directors in such resolution or resolutions. The powers, voting powers, designations, preferences, and relative, participating, optional or other rights, if any, of each series of Preferred Stock and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, if any, of such preferences and/or rights (collectively the “ Series Terms ”), shall be such as are stated and expressed in a resolution or resolutions providing for the creation or revision of such Series Terms (a “ Preferred Stock Series Resolution ”) adopted by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors to which such responsibility is specifically and lawfully delegated. The powers of the Board of Directors with respect to the Series Terms of a particular series (any of which powers, other than voting powers, may by resolution of the Board of Directors be specifically delegated to one or more of its committees, except as prohibited by law) shall include, but not be limited to, determination of the following:

1. the number of shares constituting that series and the distinctive designation of that series, or any increase or decrease (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) in such number;

2. the dividend rate on the shares of that series, whether such dividends, if any, shall be cumulative, and, if so, the date or dates from which dividends payable on such shares shall accumulate, and the relative rights of priority, if any, of payment of dividends on shares of that series;

3. whether that series shall have voting rights, in addition to the voting rights provided by law, and, if so, the terms of such voting rights;

4. whether that series shall have conversion privileges with respect to shares of any other class or classes of stock or of any other series of any class of stock, and, if so, the terms and conditions of such conversion, including provision for adjustment of the conversion rate upon occurrence of such events as the Board of Directors shall determine;

5. whether the shares of that series shall be redeemable, and, if so, the terms and conditions of such redemption, including their relative rights of priority, if any, of redemption, the date or dates upon or after which they shall be redeemable, provisions regarding redemption notices, and the amount per share payable in case of redemption, which amount may vary under different conditions and at different redemption dates;

6. whether that series shall have a sinking fund for the redemption or purchase of shares of that series, and, if so, the terms and amount of such sinking fund;

 

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7. the rights of the shares of that series in the event of voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation, and the relative rights of priority, if any, of payment of shares of that series;

8. the conditions or restrictions upon the creation of indebtedness of the Corporation or upon the issuance of additional Preferred Stock or other capital stock ranking on a parity therewith, or prior thereto, with respect to dividends or distribution of assets upon liquidation;

9. the conditions or restrictions with respect to the issuance of, payment of dividends upon, or the making of other distributions to, or the acquisition or redemption of, shares ranking junior to the Preferred Stock or to any series thereof with respect to dividends or distribution of assets upon liquidation; and

10. any other designations, powers, preferences, and rights, including, without limitation, any qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof.

Any of the Series Terms, including voting rights, of any series may be made dependent upon facts ascertainable outside this Certificate and the Preferred Stock Series Resolution, provided that the manner in which such facts shall operate upon such Series Terms is clearly and expressly set forth in this Certificate or in the Preferred Stock Series Resolution.

Subject to the provisions of this Article Fourth, shares of one or more series of Preferred Stock may be authorized or issued from time to time as shall be determined by and for such consideration as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors or a designated committee thereof, in an aggregate amount not exceeding the total number of shares of Preferred Stock authorized by this Certificate. Except in respect of series particulars fixed by the Board of Directors or its committee as permitted hereby, all shares of Preferred Stock shall be of equal rank and shall be identical. All shares of any one series of Preferred Stock so designated by the Board of Directors shall be alike in every particular, except that shares of any one series issued at different times may differ as to the dates from which dividends thereon shall be cumulative.

 

  B. Common Stock

1. Dividends. Subject to the provisions of this Certificate relating to any series of Preferred Stock or any Preferred Stock Series Resolution, the Board of Directors may, in its discretion, out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends and at such times and in such manner as determined by the Board of Directors, declare and pay dividends on the Common Stock of the Corporation.

No dividend (other than a dividend in capital stock ranking on a parity with the Common Stock or cash in lieu of fractional shares with respect to such stock dividend) shall be declared or paid on any share or shares of any class of stock or series thereof ranking on a parity with the Common Stock in respect of payment of dividends for any dividend period unless there shall have been declared, for the same dividend period, like proportionate dividends on all shares of Common Stock then outstanding.

 

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2. Liquidation. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of the Corporation and payment or setting aside for payment of any preferential amount due to the holders of any other class or series of stock, the holders of the Common Stock shall be entitled to receive ratably any or all assets remaining to be paid or distributed.

3. Voting Rights. Subject to any special voting rights of any series of Preferred Stock, the holders of the Common Stock of the Corporation shall be entitled at all meetings of stockholders to one vote for each share of such stock held by them; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate (including any certificates of designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together as a class with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificates of designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock).

4. Preemptive Rights. Any issuance of Common Stock, or other capital stock, and rights, convertible securities, options or warrants to purchase Common Stock or other capital stock issued subsequent to the effective date of the Plan (“ New Securities ”) by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, other than an issuance of Exempt Securities (as defined below), shall be subject to the below.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the Corporation hereby grants to each stockholder that, together with its affiliates (which shall include any funds managed by the same investment manager), holds of record at least 10 percent of the Common Stock then outstanding (each, a “ Qualified Shareholder ”) the right to purchase its  pro rata  share of any and all issuances, sales or distributions New Securities proposed to be made by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries as set forth herein.

(b) The Corporation shall give each Qualified Shareholder written notice of the Corporation’s intention to issue or sell New Securities (which notice may be provided by posting the requisite information on the Corporation’s website and notifying (or causing notification to be delivered to) each of such Qualified Shareholders of such posting in writing) (the “ Issuance Notice ”), describing the type and terms of the New Securities, the price at which such New Securities will be issued or sold and the general terms upon which the Corporation proposes to issue or sell the New Securities, including the anticipated date of such issuance, sale or distribution, the general use of proceeds thereof, a description of both the business purpose of the offering of such New Securities and the dilutive effects, if any, of such offering, the pro rata share of each of them and the record date for determining Qualified Shareholders which, if not specified in the Issuance Notice, shall be the date of the Issuance Notice (the “ Preemptive Offer Record Date ”). Each Qualified Shareholder shall have 10 business days from the date the Issuance Notice is sent to deliver notice (the “ Response Notice ”) of its intention to purchase all or any portion of its pro rata share of the New Securities, based on the ratio of the shares of Common Stock held by such Qualified Shareholder on the Preemptive Offer Record Date

 

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to the number of shares of Common Stock held by all the Qualified Shareholders on the Preemptive Offer Record Date, and stating therein the quantity of New Securities it intends to purchase (each Qualified Shareholder who delivers a Response Notice hereunder is a “ Purchaser ” for purposes of this Section); provided that if the Corporation determines that a 10 business day period is not practical, the Corporation shall specify a shorter period (which shall be as long a period as is reasonably practical but in no event less than 3 business days) in the Issuance Notice. Such Response Notice shall constitute the irrevocable agreement of such Purchaser to purchase the quantity of New Securities indicated in the Response Notice at the price and upon the terms stated in the Issuance Notice; provided, however, that if the Corporation is proposing to issue, sell or distribute securities for consideration other than all cash, and subject to the limitations on the rights set forth in this Section, the Corporation shall accept from such Purchaser either non-cash consideration that is reasonably comparable to the non-cash consideration proposed by the Corporation or the cash value of such non-cash consideration, in each case as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors. Any purchase of New Securities by a Purchaser pursuant to this Section shall be consummated on or prior to the later of (x) the date on which all other Offered Securities described in the applicable Issuance Notice are issued, sold or distributed and (y) the second business day following delivery of the Response Notice by such Purchaser.

(c) The Corporation shall have 60 days from the date of the applicable Issuance Notice to consummate an issuance, sale or distribution of any New Securities which the Qualified Shareholders have not elected to purchase pursuant to Section B(4)(b) of this Article Fourth to other Persons at a price and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Corporation than those contained in the Issuance Notice, on the condition that any Person purchasing New Securities pursuant to such offer must comply with this Section. In the event that the sale of New Securities is not fully consummated within such 60 day period, then the Corporation shall be obligated once again to offer the purchase rights set forth in Section B(4)(b) of this Article Fourth before it may subsequently sell such New Securities ( provided  that such 60 day period shall automatically toll, but not for longer than 180 days to the extent regulatory approval would be required for such Qualified Shareholder to acquire such New Securities).

(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, Qualified Shareholders shall not have the right to participate in the issuance of any New Securities which are otherwise authorized to be issued in accordance with this Agreement (i) if such New Securities were issued as consideration in any merger, consolidation or combination with or acquisition of securities or assets of another person in exchange for New Securities, (ii) if made upon conversion or exercise of any rights, convertible securities, options or warrants to purchase Common Stock or other capital stock of the Corporation, (iii) if made by any subsidiary of the Corporation to the Corporation or any of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, (iv) if made as securities which are the subject of an effective registration statement, (v) if made to directors (each, a “ Director ”), officers, employees or consultants as compensation pursuant to any employee incentive plans or (vi) if such New Securities were issued in connection with the Plan (the New Securities described in the foregoing clauses (i) through (vi), “ Exempt Securities ”).

 

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(e) Nothing in this Section shall prevent the Corporation or its subsidiaries from issuing or selling to any person (an “ Accelerated Buyer ”) any New Securities without first complying with the provisions of this Section;  provided  that in connection with such issuance or sale (i) the Corporation gives reasonably prompt notice to the Qualified Shareholders of such issuance (after such issuance has occurred), which notice shall describe in reasonable detail the New Securities purchased by the Accelerated Buyer and the purchase price thereof and (ii) the Accelerated Buyer and the Corporation enable the Qualified Shareholders to effectively exercise their respective rights under this Section with respect to their purchase of their pro rata share of the New Securities issued to the Accelerated Buyer within 15 business days after receipt of the notice by the Qualified Shareholder of such issuance to the Accelerated Buyer on the terms specified in this Section. The Preemptive Offer Record Date for such issuance shall be the date such New Securities are issued to the Accelerated Buyer.

 

  C. Limitation on Voting

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate to the contrary, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“ JPMS ”) and its affiliates, collectively, shall not be entitled to vote, directly or indirectly, equity securities of the Corporation representing, in aggregate, greater than 4.99% of the total combined voting power of any class of equity securities of the Corporation entitled to vote on any matter (any equity securities held by JPMS and its affiliates, collectively, in excess of such 4.99% limitation, the “ Excess Voting Stock ”). For the avoidance of doubt, if JPMS or any of its affiliates shall transfer any Excess Voting Stock to any other person that is not an affiliate of JPMS, the limitation set forth in this Section C of this Article Fourth shall no longer apply to such Excess Voting Stock. Excess Voting Stock may only be transferred by JPMS or any of its affiliates: (i) among or between JPMS and its affiliates; (ii) in a widespread public distribution; (iii) in transfers in which no transferee (or group of associated transferees) would receive from JPMS and its affiliates in such sale or transfer two percent (2%) or more of any class of voting securities of the Corporation, which for the avoidance of doubt, does not include the amount of securities already owned by such transferee (together with its affiliates or group of associated transferees) prior to such transfer; (iv) to an underwriter for the purpose of conducting a widespread public distribution of the voting securities of the Corporation; (v) to the Corporation; or (vi) to a transferee that would control more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting securities of the Corporation without any transfer of Excess Voting shares from JPMS or its affiliates.

 

  D. Nonvoting Equity Securities

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate to the contrary, the Corporation shall not issue nonvoting equity securities to the extent prohibited by Section 1123 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 1123 (“ Section 1123 ”), and the Corporation shall provide, as to any classes of securities possessing voting power, an appropriate distribution of such power among such classes, including, in the case of any class of equity securities having a preference over another class of equity securities with respect to dividends, adequate provisions for the election of Directors representing such preferred class in the event of default in the payment of such dividends; provided,

 

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however, that this provision (i) will have no further force and effect beyond that required by Section 1123, (ii) will have such force and effect, if any, only for so long as such Section 1123 is in effect and applicable to the Corporation and (iii) in all events may be amended or eliminated in accordance with applicable law as from time to time in effect. The prohibition on the issuance of nonvoting securities is included in this Certificate in compliance with Section 1123.

FIFTH: The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors, and subject to the restrictions imposed by law or this Certificate, they may exercise all the powers of the Corporation.

The number of Directors shall be as specified in the Corporation’s bylaws (the “ Bylaws ”), provided, however, that following the confirmation of the Plan by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division, the initial Board of Directors (the “ Initial Board ”) shall consist of seven Directors. Each Director shall hold office for the term for which he is elected, and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. The Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes: Class I, Class II and Class III. The Initial Board shall consist of Walter G. Goodrich and Robert C. Turnham, Jr., who will serve as Class III Directors, K. Adam Light, Ronald F. Coleman and Thomas M. Souers, who will serve as Class II Directors and Eugene I. Davis and Timothy D. Leuliette, who will serve as Class I Directors. The initial term of the Class I Directors shall end on the date of the first annual meeting of stockholders following the effective date of this Certificate, the term of the Class II Directors shall end on the anniversary of the first annual meeting of stockholders following the effective date of this Certificate and the term of the Class III Directors shall end on the second anniversary of the first annual meeting of stockholders following the effective date of this Certificate. Following the expiration of the initial term of the Class I Directors and until the later to occur of (i) March 30, 2020 and (ii) the date of the annual meeting of stockholders in the year 2020 (the “ Warrant Holder Designation Period ”), the holders of a majority of the then outstanding warrants (the “ Warrants ”) issued by the Corporation to the New 2L Notes Purchasers (as such term is defined in the Plan) pursuant to that certain Warrant Agreement, dated as of October 12, 2016, by and between the Corporation and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, shall be entitled to designate nominees to serve as the Class I Directors to the Board of Directors (the “ Warrant Holder Selected Directors ”). Following the expiration of the initial term of the Class II Directors and for so long as Franklin Advisers, Inc. and its affiliates (collectively, “ Franklin ”) shall beneficially own greater than 10% of the total outstanding Common Stock of the Corporation (the “ Franklin Designation Period ”), Franklin shall be entitled to designate three nominees to serve as the Class II Directors to the Board of Directors (the “ Franklin Selected Directors ”), with it being understood that Franklin shall permanently, despite any later increase in its Common Stock ownership, no longer be entitled to designate any director nominees at such time as Franklin beneficially owns 10% or less of the total outstanding Common Stock of the Corporation.

During the Warrant Holder Designation Period, the Corporation and the Board of Directors shall cause the Warrant Holder Selected Directors to be the Corporation’s own nominees for election as Class I Directors at each annual meeting of stockholders in which the Class I Directors are to be elected, and the Corporation, the Board of Directors and the stockholders shall use their respective best efforts to cause the election of the Warrant Holder

 

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Selected Directors to the Board of Directors (including supporting each Warrant Holder Selected Director for election in a manner no less rigorous and favorable than the manner in which the Corporation supports any other nominee). During the Warrant Holder Designation Period, if any Warrant Holder Selected Director has resigned, died, or is otherwise unable to serve as Director for any reason, the Corporation and the Board of Directors shall cause a replacement of such Warrant Holder Selected Director designated in writing by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding Warrants to be installed in office in replacement of such Warrant Holder Selected Director promptly (but in no event more than twenty business days) following the delivery of such written notice.

During the Franklin Designation Period, the Corporation and the Board of Directors shall cause the Franklin Selected Directors to be the Corporation’s own nominees for election as Class II directors at each annual meeting of stockholders in which the Class II directors are to be elected, and the Corporation, the Board of Directors and the stockholders shall use their respective best efforts to cause the election of the Franklin Selected Directors to the Board of Directors (including supporting each Franklin Selected Director for election in a manner no less rigorous and favorable than the manner in which the Corporation supports any other nominee). During the Franklin Designation Period, if any Franklin Selected Director has resigned, died, or is otherwise unable to serve as director for any reason, the Corporation and the Board of Directors shall cause a replacement of such Franklin Selected Director designated in writing by Franklin to be installed in office in replacement of such Franklin Selected Director promptly (but in no event more than twenty business days) following the delivery of such written notice.

Except as otherwise provided in this Article Fifth, the number of Directors in each class shall be the whole number contained in the quotient arrived at by dividing the authorized number of Directors by three and if a fraction is also contained in such quotient and if such fraction is one-third, the extra Director shall be a member of Class II, and if the fraction is two-thirds, one extra Director shall be a member of Class II and the other shall be a member of Class I. Except as otherwise provided in this Article Fifth, each Director elected at an annual meeting shall serve for a term ending on the third annual meeting following the meeting at which such Director was elected. The foregoing notwithstanding, each Director shall serve until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. If for any reason the number of Directors in the various classes shall not conform with the formula set forth in this Section, the Board of Directors may redesignate any Director in a different class in order that the balance of Directors in such class shall conform thereto; provided, however, that no such redesignation may have the effect of reducing the term to which a Director was elected. Election of Directors need not be by written ballot.

Vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of Directors may be filled only by a majority of the Directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or a sole remaining Director; and any Director so chosen shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such Directors shall have been chosen, and until their successors shall be duly elected and shall qualify. If the number of Class I Directors is increased during the Warrant Holder Designation Period, the Corporation and the Board of Directors shall cause any vacancy created by such increase to be filled by an additional Warrant Holder Selected Director designated in writing by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding Warrants. If the number of Class II Directors is increased during the Franklin Designation Period, the Corporation and the Board of Directors shall cause any vacancy created by such increase to be filled by an additional Franklin Selected Director designated in writing by Franklin.

 

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SIXTH: In furtherance of, and not in limitation of, the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws. The Bylaws shall not be adopted, amended or repealed by the stockholders and no provision inconsistent therewith shall be adopted by the stockholders without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of Directors, voting together as a single class.

SEVENTH: Any Director may be removed at any time by the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of Directors acting at a meeting of the stockholders in accordance with the DGCL, this Certificate and the Bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that, during the Warrant Holder Designation Period, a Warrant Holder Selected Director may be removed only for cause by the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of Directors. Except as may otherwise be provided by law, “cause” shall mean, with respect to any Director, (a) the willful and material failure by such Director to perform, or the gross negligence of such Director in performing, the duties of a Director, (b) the engaging by such Director in willful or serious misconduct that is injurious to the Corporation or (c) the conviction of such Director of, or the entering by such Director of a plea of nolo contendere to, a crime that constitutes a felony. Any action for removal must be brought within three months of the date on which such conviction or adjudication is no longer subject to direct appeal.

A Director who, at the time of taking office as a Director, is an employee of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation (an “Employee Director”) shall cease to be qualified to serve as a Director, and shall tender his or her resignation as director, if such person ceases to be an employee of the Corporation or any one of its subsidiaries, with the disqualification of such Director and the effectiveness of such resignation to take place upon the earliest of (a) such Director’s cessation of employment, (b) delivery by such Employee Director to the Corporation, or such subsidiary or subsidiaries, as the case may be, of a notice of resignation of employment or (c) delivery by the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries, as the case may be, to such Employee Director of a notice of termination of employment; provided, however, the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, including the disqualification and resignation provisions thereof, shall have no force and effect with respect to any Employee Director if the Board of Directors determines that they shall have no force and effect with respect to such Employee Director prior to the earliest of the occurrence of (a), (b) or (c) above.

EIGHTH: Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between the Corporation and its creditors or any class of them and/or between the Corporation and its stockholders or any class of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of Delaware may, on the application in a summary way of the Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the application of any receiver or receivers appointed for the Corporation under the provisions of Section 291 of the DGCL or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for the Corporation under the provisions of Section 279 of the DGCL order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the

 

9


stockholders or class of stockholders of the Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court directs. If a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of the Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of the Corporation as a consequence of such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of stockholders, or the Corporation, as the case may be, and also on the Corporation.

NINTH: To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, a Director shall not be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a Director. In addition to the circumstances in which a Director is not personally liable for monetary damages as set forth in the preceding sentence, a Director shall not be liable to the fullest extent permitted by any amendment to the DGCL hereafter enacted that further eliminates or limits the liability of a Director.

TENTH: Any action to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action to be so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote theron were present and voted and shall be delivered (by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested) to the Corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business or to any officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Every written consent shall bear the date of signature of each stockholder who signs the consent, and no written consent shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless, within 60 days of the earliest dated consent delivered in the manner required by this Article Tenth, written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take action are delivered to the Corporation as aforesaid. Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall, to the extent required by applicable law, be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing, and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take the action were delivered to the Corporation

ELEVENTH: Subject to the terms of any one or more series of Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called only by the Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, at the request in writing or by vote of a majority of the Board of Directors or a majority of the holders of Common Stock. Any request for a special meeting shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting.

TWELFTH: The Corporation shall have the right, subject to any express provisions or restrictions contained in this Certificate or the Bylaws, from time to time, to amend the Certificate or any provision thereof in any manner now or hereafter provided by law, and all rights and powers of any kind conferred upon a Director or stockholder of the Corporation by the

 

10


Certificate or any amendment thereof are subject to such right of the Corporation; provided, however, that, (a) during the Warrant Holder Designation Period, no amendment or restatement of the Certificate that amends in any manner the rights of the holders of the Warrants with respect to the Warrant Holder Selected Directors, or the obligations of the Corporation, the Board of Directors or the stockholders with respect thereto, in each case as set forth in Article Fifth and Article Seventh hereof, or that amends this proviso, shall be effective unless and until such amendment or restatement has also been approved in writing by holders of a majority of the then outstanding Warrants, and (b) during the Franklin Designation Period, no amendment or restatement of the Certificate that amends in any manner the rights of Franklin with respect to the Franklin Selected Directors, or the obligations of the Corporation, the Board of Directors or the stockholders with respect thereto, in each case as set forth in Article Fifth hereof, or that amends this proviso, shall be effective unless and until such amendment or restatement has also been approved in writing by Franklin.

THIRTEENTH: Directors, officers, employees and agents of the Corporation shall have the following rights, as applicable:

1. Right to Indemnification . Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (hereinafter a “ proceeding ”), by reason of the fact that he or she or a person of whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was or has agreed to become a Director or officer of the Corporation or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, partner, venture, proprietor, trustee, employee or agent or similar functionary of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer partner, venture, proprietor, trustee, employee or agent or in any other capacity while serving or having agreed to serve as a director, officer partner, venture, proprietor, trustee, employee or agent, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted or required by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment) against all expense, liability and loss (including without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith and such indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to serve in the capacity which initially entitled such person to indemnity hereunder and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators; provided, however, that the Corporation shall indemnify such person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors. The right to indemnification conferred in this Article Thirteenth shall be a contract right and shall include the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses (including, without limitation, attorney’s fees and expenses) incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that, if the DGCL requires, the payment of such expenses incurred by a current, former or proposed Director or officer in his or her capacity as a Director or officer or proposed Director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is or has been agreed to be rendered by such person while a Director or officer, including, without limitation,

 

11


service to an employee benefit plan) in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding, shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such indemnified person, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such indemnified person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Section 1 or otherwise. Any repeal or amendment of this Article Thirteenth shall be prospective only and shall not limit the rights of any such Director or officer or the obligations of the Corporation with respect to any claim arising from or related to the services of such Director or officer in any of the foregoing capacities prior to any such repeal or amendment to this Article Thirteenth.

2. Indemnification of Employees and Agents . The Corporation may, by action of its Board of Directors, provide indemnification to employees and agents of the Corporation, individually or as a group, with the same scope and effect as the indemnification of Directors and officers provided for in this Article Thirteenth.

3. Right of Claimant to Bring Suit . If a written claim received by the Corporation from or on behalf of an indemnified party under this Article Thirteenth is not paid in full by the Corporation within 90 days after such receipt, the claimant may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim and, if successful in whole or in part, the claimant shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting such claim. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for expenses incurred in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition where the required undertaking, if any is required, has been tendered to the Corporation) that the claimant has not met the standards of conduct which make it permissible under the DGCL for the Corporation to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed, but the burden of proving such defense shall be on the Corporation. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

4. Nonexclusivity of Rights . The right to indemnification and the advancement and payment of expenses conferred in this Article Thirteenth shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any law (common or statutory), provision of this Certificate, the Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise.

The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any person who is or was serving as a Director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.

 

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If this Article Thirteenth or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify and hold harmless each Director and officer of the Corporation, as to costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement with respect to any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative to the full extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article Thirteenth that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

For purposes of this Article Thirteenth, reference to the “Corporation” shall include, in addition to the Corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger prior to (or, in the case of an entity specifically designated in a resolution of the Board of Directors, after) the adoption hereof and which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had the power and authority to indemnify its Directors, officers and 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, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article Thirteenth with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as he would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

FOURTEENTH: The Corporation shall not be governed by or subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL as now in effect or hereafter amended, or any successor statute thereto.

FIFTEENTH: To the fullest extent permitted by law, and unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought in the name or right of the Corporation or on its behalf, (2) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Director, officer, employee, stockholder or other agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (3) any action arising or asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or any provision of this Certificate or the Bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or (4) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, including, without limitation, any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of this Certificate or the Bylaws. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article Fourteenth.

( SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS )

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Goodrich Petroleum Corporation has caused this Certificate to be duly executed in its name and on its behalf by its Secretary this 12 th day of October, 2016.

 

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION
By:   /s/ Michael J. Killelea
Name:   Michael J. Killelea
Title:   Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Exhibit 4.2

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

OF

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

A Delaware Corporation

Date of Adoption:

October 12, 2016


GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

BYLAWS

Table of Contents

 

         Page  

Article I.

 

OFFICES

     1   

Section 1.

 

Registered Office

     1   

Section 2.

 

Other Offices

     1   

Article II.

 

STOCKHOLDERS

     1   

Section 1.

 

Place of Meetings

     1   

Section 2.

 

Quorum; Adjournment and Postponement of Meetings

     1   

Section 3.

 

Annual Meetings

     2   

Section 4.

 

Special Meetings

     2   

Section 5.

 

Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals

     3   

Section 6.

 

Record Date

     5   

Section 7.

 

Notice of Meetings

     5   

Section 8.

 

Stock List

     5   

Section 9.

 

Proxies

     6   

Section 10.

 

Voting; Elections; Inspectors

     6   

Section 11.

 

Conduct of Meetings

     7   

Section 12.

 

Treasury Stock

     7   

Section 13.

 

Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Nominations

     7   

Article III.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

     10   

Section 1.

 

Number; Term of Office

     10   

Section 2.

 

Quorum

     10   

Section 3.

 

Place of Meetings; Order of Business

     10   

Section 4.

 

First Meeting

     10   

Section 5.

 

Regular Meetings

     10   

Section 6.

 

Special Meetings

     10   

Section 7.

 

Compensation

     11   

Section 8.

 

Action Without a Meeting; Telephone Conference Meeting

     11   

Section 9.

 

Approval or Ratification of Acts or Contracts by Stockholders

     11   

Section 10.

 

Confidentiality

     11   

Article IV.

 

COMMITTEES

     12   

Section 1.

 

Designation; Powers

     12   

Section 2.

 

Procedure; Meetings; Quorum

     12   

Section 3.

 

Vacancy; Substitution of Members

     12   

Article V.

 

OFFICERS

     12   

Section 1.

 

Number, Titles and Term of Office

     13   

 

i


Section 2.

 

Salaries

     13   

Section 3.

 

Removal

     13   

Section 4.

 

Vacancies

     13   

Section 5.

 

Powers and Duties of the Chief Executive Officer

     13   

Section 6.

 

Powers and Duties of the Chairman of the Board

     13   

Section 7.

 

Vice Presidents

     13   

Section 8.

 

Chief Financial Officer

     14   

Section 9.

 

Assistant Treasurers

     14   

Section 10.

 

Secretary

     14   

Section 11.

 

Assistant Secretaries

     14   

Section 12.

 

Action with Respect to Securities of Other Corporations

     14   

Article VI.

 

CAPITAL STOCK

     15   

Section 1.

 

Certificates of Stock

     15   

Section 2.

 

Transfer of Shares

     15   

Section 3.

 

Ownership of Shares

     15   

Section 4.

 

Regulations Regarding Certificates

     16   

Section 5.

 

Lost or Destroyed Certificates

     16   

Section 6.

 

Equity Securities

     16   

Article VII.

 

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

     16   

Section 1.

 

Fiscal Year

     16   

Section 2.

 

Corporate Seal

     16   

Section 3.

 

Notice and Waiver of Notice

     16   

Section 4.

 

Resignations

     17   

Section 5.

 

Facsimile Signatures

     17   

Section 6.

 

Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records

     17   

Article VIII.

 

AMENDMENTS

     17   

 

ii


DELAWARE BYLAWS

OF

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

ARTICLE I.

OFFICES

Section 1. Registered Office . The registered office of the Corporation required by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware to be maintained in the State of Delaware, shall be the registered office named in the original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, or such other office as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors in the manner provided by law. Should the Corporation maintain a principal office within the State of Delaware such registered office need not be identical to such principal office of the Corporation.

Section 2. Other Offices . The Corporation may also have offices at such other places both within and without the State of Delaware as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

ARTICLE II.

STOCKHOLDERS

Section 1. Place of Meetings . All meetings of the stockholders shall be held at the principal office of the Corporation, at such other place within or without the State of Delaware or by means of remote communication as shall be specified or fixed in the notices or waivers of notice thereof.

Section 2. Quorum; Adjournment and Postponement of Meetings .

(a) Unless otherwise required by law or provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of stockholders for the transaction of business and the act of a majority of such stock so represented at any meeting of stockholders at which a quorum is present shall constitute the act of the meeting of stockholders. The stockholders present at a duly organized meeting may continue to transact business until adjournment or recess, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

(b) Notwithstanding the other provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the chairman of the meeting, at any meeting of stockholders, whether or not a quorum is present, shall have the power to adjourn or recess such meeting from time to time, without any notice other than announcement at the meeting of the time and place of the holding of the adjourned or recessed meeting. If the adjournment or recess is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment or recess a new record date is fixed for the adjourned or recessed meeting, a notice of the adjourned or recessed meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting. At such adjourned or recessed meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally called.

 

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(c) The Board of Directors may, at any time prior to the holding of a meeting of stockholders, and for any reason, cancel, postpone or reschedule such meeting upon public notice given prior to the time previously scheduled for such meeting of stockholders. The meeting may be postponed or rescheduled to such time and place as is specified in the notice of postponement or rescheduling of such meeting, which notice shall be given in accordance with Section 7 of this Article II .

Section 3. Annual Meetings .

(a) An annual meeting of the stockholders, for the election of directors to succeed those whose terms expire and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting, shall be held on such date, and at such time as the Board of Directors shall fix and set forth in the notice of the meeting. At the annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the annual meeting.

(b) For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder in compliance with the requirements of these Bylaws, the stockholder must have given timely notice in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation of such stockholder’s intent to make a nomination or to bring any other business before the meeting, which notice shall include the applicable information required by Article II , Section 5 and Article II , Section 13 . For an annual meeting, such notice, to be timely, shall be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 90th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided , however , that in the event that the actual date of the annual meeting as to which the notice is provided is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such annual meeting is less than 90 days prior to the date of such annual meeting, the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation. For purposes of these Bylaws, “public announcement” means disclosure (i) when made in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service, (ii) when filed in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or (iii) when dispatched as the notice of the meeting (or any supplement) pursuant to Section 7 of this Article II .

Section 4. Special Meetings .

For nominations to be properly brought before a special meeting by a stockholder in compliance with the requirements of these Bylaws, the stockholder must have given timely notice in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation of such stockholder’s intent to make a nomination before the meeting, which notice shall include the applicable information required by

 

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Article II , Section 13 . For a special meeting at which directors are to be elected, the stockholder may nominate a person or persons for election as director if the stockholder’s notice is so delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation not earlier than the date on which a public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation and not later than the close of business on the 15th day following the date of first public announcement unless the date of such special meeting is more than 105 days after the earlier of such dates, in which case such notice may be delivered no later than the 90th day preceding the date of such special meeting. In no event shall any adjournment, recess or postponement of any meeting of stockholders or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

Section 5. Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals . At any annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, the proposal of business (other than the nomination and election of directors, which shall be subject to Section 13 of Article II of these Bylaws) to be considered by the stockholders may be made (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of the meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation entitled to vote at the meeting who complies with the notice procedures hereinafter set forth in this Section 5 .

(a) Timing of Notice . For such business to be properly brought before any annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. In the case of an annual meeting, such notice, to be timely, shall comply with Article II , Section 3(b) . In no event shall any adjournment, recess or postponement of any meeting of stockholders or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice.

(b) Content of Notice . A stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth as to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before an annual meeting: (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting; (ii) the name and address, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, of the stockholder proposing such business and of any such beneficial owner; (iii) (A) the class or series (if any) and number of shares of the Corporation that are beneficially owned by such stockholder or any such beneficial owner, (B) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, swap or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the Corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of capital stock of the Corporation or otherwise (a “Derivative Instrument”) owned beneficially by such stockholder or any such beneficial owner and any other opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (C) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship pursuant to which such stockholder or any such beneficial owner has a right to vote any shares of the Corporation, (D) any short interest in any security of the Corporation (for purposes of these Bylaws, a person shall be deemed to have a “short interest” in a security if such person has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (E) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such stockholder or any such beneficial owner that are separated or separable from the underlying

 

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shares of the Corporation, (F) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such stockholder or any such beneficial owner is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner, (G) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such stockholder or any such beneficial owner is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any such interests held by members of such stockholder’s or any such beneficial owner’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by such stockholder not later than 10 days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date), and (H) any other information relating to such stockholder 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 stockholder in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; (iv) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of shares entitled to vote at the meeting, will continue to be a holder of record of shares entitled to vote at the meeting through the date of the meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to bring the proposed business before the meeting, (v) a description of any material interest in such business of the stockholder or any beneficial owner on whose behalf the proposal is made and (vi) a summary of any material discussions regarding the business proposed to be brought before the meeting between such stockholder and any other record or beneficial holder of the shares of any class or series of the Corporation (including their names).

(c) Duty to Update and Supplement Notice . A stockholder providing notice of business proposed to be brought before a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 5 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, recess or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation 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 seven (7) business days prior to the date for the meeting, if practicable (or, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to any adjournment or postponement thereof (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)).

(d) Consequences of Failure to Comply with Notice Procedures . Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business (other than the nomination and election of directors) shall be conducted at any annual or special meeting except in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 5 and applicable law. The chairman of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions and procedures described in this Section 5 and applicable law, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

 

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(e) Certain Circumstances . Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 5 , a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of Delaware law and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 5 and this Section 5 shall not apply to any stockholder proposal made pursuant to Rule 14a-8 promulgated under the Exchange Act to be included or described in the Corporation’s proxy statement or on the proxy card of the Board for any annual meeting of stockholders. The requirements, procedures and notice deadlines of Rule 14a-8 shall govern any proposal made pursuant thereto.

Section 6. Record Date . For the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders, or any adjournment, postponement or recess 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 of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors of the Corporation may fix, in advance, a date as the record date for any such determination of stockholders, which date 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. If the Board of Directors does not fix a record date for any meeting of the stockholders, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at such meeting shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if in accordance with Article VII , Section 3 of these Bylaws notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment, postponement or recess of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned, postponed or recessed meeting.

Section 7. Notice of Meetings . Written notice of the place, date and hour of all meetings, the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, and, in case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be given by or at the direction of the Chairman of the Board (if any), Vice Chairman, or the Chief Executive Officer, Secretary or the other person(s) calling the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote thereat not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting. Such notice may be delivered either personally or by mail. If mailed, notice is given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at his or her address as it appears on the records of the Corporation.

Section 8. Stock List . A complete list of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders, arranged in alphabetical order for each class of stock and showing the address of each such stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of such stockholder, shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, 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 stock 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 who is present. If the meeting is held solely by means of remote communication, the list shall also be open for inspection as provided by applicable law.

 

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Section 9. Proxies . Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for him by proxy. Proxies for use at any meeting of stockholders shall be filed with the Secretary, or such other officer as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine by resolution, before or at the time of the meeting. All proxies shall be received and taken charge of and all ballots shall be received and canvassed by the secretary of the meeting who shall decide all questions touching upon the qualification of voters, the validity of the proxies, and the acceptance or rejection of votes, unless an inspector or inspectors shall have been appointed by the chairman of the meeting, in which event such inspector or inspectors shall decide all such questions.

No proxy shall be valid after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. Each proxy shall be revocable unless expressly provided therein to be irrevocable and coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power.

Should a proxy designate two or more persons to act as proxies, unless such instrument shall provide the contrary, a majority of such persons present at any meeting at which their powers thereunder are to be exercised shall have and may exercise all the powers of voting or giving consents thereby conferred, or if only one be present, then such powers may be exercised by that one; or, if an even number attend and a majority do not agree on any particular issue, each proxy so attending shall be entitled to exercise such powers in respect of the same portion of the shares as he is of the proxies representing such shares.

Section 10. Voting; Elections; Inspectors . Unless otherwise required by law or provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, each stockholder shall have one vote for each share of stock entitled to vote which is registered in his or her name on the record date for the meeting. Shares registered in the name of another corporation, domestic or foreign, may be voted by such officer, agent or proxy as the bylaw (or comparable instrument) of such corporation may prescribe, or in the absence of such provision, as the Board of Directors (or comparable body) of such corporation may determine. Shares registered in the name of a deceased person may be voted by his or her executor or administrator, either in person or by proxy.

All voting, except as required by the Certificate of Incorporation or where otherwise required by law, may be by a voice vote; provided, however, that upon demand therefor by stockholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding stock present in person or by proxy at any meeting a stock vote shall be taken. Every stock vote shall be taken by written ballots, each of which shall state the name of the stockholder or proxy voting and such other information as may be required under the procedure established for the meeting. All elections of directors shall be by ballot, unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors at a meeting of stockholders at which a quorum is present. In all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the stockholders.

 

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At any meeting at which a vote is taken by ballots, the chairman of the meeting may appoint one or more inspectors, each of whom shall subscribe an oath or affirmation to execute faithfully the duties of inspector at such meeting with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. Such inspector shall receive the ballots, count the votes and make and sign a certificate of the result thereof. The chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to serve as inspector, except no candidate for the office of director shall be appointed as an inspector.

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, cumulative voting for the election of directors shall be prohibited.

Section 11. Conduct of Meetings . The meetings of the stockholders shall be presided over by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting shall be the Chairman of the Board, or if he or she is not present, the Vice Chairman or Chief Executive Officer, or if neither the Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman nor Chief Executive Officer is present, by another person designated by the Board of Directors. The Secretary of the Corporation, if present, shall act as secretary of such meetings, or if he or she is not present, an Assistant Secretary shall so act; if neither the Secretary nor an Assistant Secretary is present, then a secretary shall be appointed by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting shall determine the order of business and the procedure at the meeting, including such regulation of the manner of voting and the conduct of discussion as seem to him in order. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure. Unless the chairman of the meeting of stockholders shall otherwise determine, the order of business shall be as follows:

 

  (a) Calling of meeting to order.

 

  (b) Election of a chairman and the appointment of a secretary if necessary.

 

  (c) Presentation of proof of the due calling of the meeting.

 

  (d) Presentation and examination of proxies and determination of a quorum.

 

  (e) The election of directors if an annual meeting, or a meeting called for that purpose.

 

  (f) Unfinished business.

 

  (g) New business.

 

  (h) Adjournment.

Section 12. Treasury Stock . The Corporation shall not vote, directly or indirectly, shares of its own stock owned by it and such shares shall not be counted for quorum purposes.

Section 13. Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Nominations . Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in these Bylaws shall be eligible for election by stockholders as, and to serve as, directors. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation may be made at an annual or special

 

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meeting of stockholders (a) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (b) by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 13 , who shall be entitled to vote for the election of directors at the meeting and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 13 ; provided, however, that in the case of a special meeting, a stockholder shall only be entitled to make a nomination if the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 13 , a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of Delaware law and the Exchange Act with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 13 .

(a) Timing of Notice . For such nominations to be properly brought before any meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. In the case of an annual meeting, such notice, to be timely, shall comply with Article II , Section 3(b) . In the case of a special meeting, such notice, to be timely, shall comply with Article II , Section 4 . In no event shall any adjournment, recess or postponement of any meeting of stockholders or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice.

(b) Content of Notice . A stockholder’s notice to the Corporation of nominations for an annual or special meeting of stockholders shall set forth (x) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director: (i) such person’s name, (ii) all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or that is otherwise required, pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, (iii) such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected, (iv) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three (3) years, and any other material relationships, between the stockholder giving the notice, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee, his or her respective affiliates and associates and any other persons with whom such proposed nominee (or any of his or her respective affiliates and associates) is acting in concert, on the other hand; (v) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as provided below in Section 13(c) and (y) as to the stockholder giving the notice: (i) the name and address, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, of such stockholder and of any beneficial owners on whose behalf the nomination is made, (ii) the information called for by Section 5(b)(iii) of Article II with respect to such stockholder and any such beneficial owner, (iii) a summary of any material discussions regarding the nomination between such stockholder and any other record or beneficial holder of the shares of any class or series of the Corporation (including their names) and (iv) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of shares of the Corporation entitled to vote for the election of directors, will continue to be a holder of record of shares entitled to vote for the election of directors through the date of the meeting, and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the person or persons specified in the notice.

(c) Director Questionnaire and Agreement . To be eligible to be a nominee for election as a director of the Corporation, each proposed nominee must deliver (in accordance

 

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with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under this Section 13 ) to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation 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 or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation 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 Corporation, 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 or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation and (iii) in such proposed nominee’s individual capacity and on behalf of the stockholder (or the beneficial owner, if different) on whose behalf the nomination is made, would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the Corporation, and will comply with applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the Corporation.

(d) Additional Information Requests . The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information (i) as may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director of the Corporation in accordance with the Corporation’s corporate governance documents, including the board committee charters and the Corporate Code of Business Conduct and Ethics; or (ii) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence or lack of independence of such proposed nominee.

(e) Duty to Update and Supplement Notice . A stockholder 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 pursuant to this Section 13 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, postponement or recess thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation 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 seven (7) business days prior to the date for the meeting, if practicable (or, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to any adjournment or postponement thereof (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)).

(f) Consequences of Failure to Comply with Notice Procedures . Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 13 and applicable law. The chairman of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed in this Section 13 and applicable law and, if he or she should so determine, then he or she shall so declare to the meeting, and the defective nomination shall be disregarded.

 

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ARTICLE III.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Number; Term of Office . Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, the number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be determined by the Board of Directors. Each director shall hold office for the term for which he or she is elected, and until his or her successor shall have been elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, directors need not be stockholders nor residents of the State of Delaware.

Section 2. Quorum . Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, a majority of the total number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business of the Board of Directors and the vote of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Place of Meetings; Order of Business . The directors may hold their meetings and may have an office and keep the books of the Corporation, except as otherwise provided by law, in such place or places, within or without the State of Delaware, as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine by resolution. At all meetings of the Board of Directors business shall be transacted in such order as shall from time to time be determined by the Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman, or in their absence by the Chief Executive Officer, or by resolution of the Board of Directors.

Section 4. First Meeting . Each newly elected Board of Directors may hold its first meeting for the purpose of organization and the transaction of business, if a quorum is present, immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of the stockholders. Notice of such meeting shall not be required. At the first meeting of the Board of Directors in each year at which a quorum shall be present, held next after the annual meeting of stockholders, the Board of Directors shall proceed to the election of the officers of the Corporation.

Section 5. Regular Meetings . Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at such times and places as shall be designated from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors. Notice of such regular meetings shall not be required.

Section 6. Special Meetings . Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer or, on the written request of any two directors, by the Secretary, in each case on at least twenty-four (24) hours personal, written, telegraphic, cable or wireless notice to each director. Such notice, or any waiver thereof pursuant to Article VII , Section 3 hereof, need not state the purpose or purposes of such meeting, except as may otherwise be required by law or provided for in the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.

 

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Section 7. Compensation . Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of Directors, or a committee designated by the Board of Directors, shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors.

Section 8. Action Without a Meeting; Telephone Conference Meeting . Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or any committee designated by the Board of Directors, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors or 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 of Directors or committee. Such consent shall have the same force and effect as a unanimous vote at a meeting, and may be stated as such in any document or instrument filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware.

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, subject to the requirement for notice of meetings, members of the Board of Directors, or members of any committee designated by the Board of Directors, may participate in a meeting of such Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be, by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in such a meeting shall constitute presence in person at such meeting, except where a person participates in the meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

Section 9. Approval or Ratification of Acts or Contracts by Stockholders . The Board of Directors in its discretion may submit any act or contract for approval or ratification at any annual meeting of the stockholders, or at any special meeting of the stockholders called for the purpose of considering any such act or contract, and any act or contract that shall be approved or be ratified by the vote of the stockholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote and present in person or by proxy at such meeting (provided that a quorum is present), shall be as valid and as binding upon the Corporation and upon all the stockholders as if it has been approved or ratified by every stockholder of the Corporation. In addition, at the request of the Board of Directors, any such act or contract may be approved or ratified by the written consent of stockholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote and such consent shall be as valid and as binding upon the Corporation and upon all the stockholders as if it had been approved or ratified by every stockholder of the Corporation.

Section 10. Confidentiality . Each director shall hold all Confidential Information (as defined below) in the strictest confidence and shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that no other person shall have access to the Confidential Information. No director shall disclose any Confidential Information to any person outside the Corporation, either during or after his or her service as a director, except with authorization of the Board of Directors or as may be required by law. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing shall also apply to any director who serves on the Board of Directors as the designee or nominee of a stockholder of the Corporation, and such director shall not disclose any Confidential Information to such stockholder or any of its officers, directors, managers, members, partners, employees, attorneys, accountants, advisors, agents, consultants or other representatives without the approval of the Board of Directors. “Confidential Information” shall mean all non-public information (whether or not material to the Corporation) entrusted to or obtained by a director by reason of his or her position as a director of the Corporation.

 

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ARTICLE IV.

COMMITTEES

Section 1. Designation; Powers . The Board of Directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole board, designate one or more committees, including, if they shall so determine, an executive committee, each such committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. Any such designated committee shall have and may exercise such of the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation as may be provided in such resolution, except that no such committee shall have the power or authority of the Board of Directors in reference to amending the Certificate of Incorporation, adopting an agreement of merger or consolidation, recommending to the stockholders the sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s property and assets, recommending to the stockholders a dissolution of the Corporation or a revocation of a dissolution of the Corporation, or amending, altering or repealing the Bylaws or adopting new Bylaws for the Corporation and, unless such resolution or the Certificate of Incorporation expressly so provides, no such committee shall have the power or authority to declare a dividend or to authorize the issuance of stock. Any such designated committee may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it. In addition to the above such committee or committees shall have such other powers and limitations of authority as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Procedure; Meetings; Quorum . Any committee designated pursuant to Section 1 of this Article IV shall keep regular minutes of its proceedings and report the same to the Board of Directors when requested, shall fix its own rules or procedures, and shall meet at such times and at such place or places as may be provided by such rules, or by resolution of such committee or resolution of the Board of Directors. Each committee will have a chairman, designated by the Board of Directors or the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the committee. At every meeting of any such committee, the presence of a majority of all the members thereof shall constitute a quorum and the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present shall be necessary for the adoption by it of any resolution.

Section 3. Vacancy; Substitution of Members . Any committee vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of such committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not constituting a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of the absent or disqualified member.

 

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ARTICLE V.

OFFICERS

Section 1. Number, Titles and Term of Office . The officers of the Corporation shall be a Chief Executive Officer, one or more Vice Presidents (any one or more of whom may be designated Executive Vice President or Senior Vice President), a Chief Financial Officer, a Secretary and, if the Board of Directors so elects, a Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman and such other officers as the Board of Directors may from time to time elect or appoint. Each officer shall hold office until his or her successor shall be duly elected and shall qualify or until his or her death or until he or she shall resign or shall have been removed in the manner hereinafter provided. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, unless the Certificate of Incorporation provides otherwise. Except for the Chairman of the Board and Vice Chairman, if any, no officer need be a director.

Section 2. Salaries . The salaries or other compensation of the officers and agents of the Corporation shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Removal . Any officer or agent elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed, either with or without cause, by the vote of a majority of the whole Board of Directors at a special meeting called for the purpose, or at any regular meeting of the Board of Directors, provided the notice for such meeting shall specify that the matter of any such proposed removal will be considered at the meeting but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Election or appointment of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights.

Section 4. Vacancies . Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation may be filled by the Board of Directors.

Section 5. Powers and Duties of the Chief Executive Officer . Subject to the control of the Board of Directors and the executive committee (if any), the Chief Executive Officer shall have general executive charge, management and control of the properties, business and operations of the Corporation with all such powers as may be reasonably incident to such responsibilities; he or she may agree upon and execute all leases, contracts, evidences of indebtedness and other obligations in the name of the Corporation and may sign all certificates for shares of capital stock of the Corporation. Unless the Board of Directors otherwise determines, the Chief Executive Officer shall have the authority to agree upon and execute all leases, contracts, evidences of indebtedness and other obligations in the name of the Corporation; and, unless the Board of Directors otherwise determines, the Chief Executive Officer shall, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board or if there be no Chairman of the Board, preside at all meetings of the stockholders and (should he or she be a director) of the Board of Directors; and the Chief Executive Officer shall have such other powers and duties as designated in accordance with these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Directors.

Section 6. Powers and Duties of the Chairman of the Board . If elected, the Chairman of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors; and he or she shall have such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Directors.

Section 7. Vice Presidents . In the absence of the Chief Executive Officer, or in the event of his or her inability or refusal to act, a Vice President designated by the Board of

 

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Directors shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer, and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Chief Executive Officer. In the absence of a designation by the Board of Directors of a Vice President to perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer, or in the event of his or her absence or inability or refusal to act, the Vice President who is present and who is senior in terms of time as a Vice President of the Corporation shall so act. The Vice Presidents shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.

Section 8. Chief Financial Officer . The Chief Financial Officer shall have responsibility for the custody and control of all the funds and securities of the Corporation, and he or she shall have such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Directors. He or she shall perform all acts incident to the position of Chief Financial Officer, subject to the control of the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors; and he or she shall, if required by the Board of Directors, give such bond for the faithful discharge of his or her duties in such form as the Board of Directors may require.

Section 9. Assistant Treasurers . Each Assistant Treasurer shall have the usual powers and duties pertaining to his or her office, together with such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors. The Assistant Treasurers shall exercise the powers of the Chief Financial Officer during that officer’s absence or inability or refusal to act.

Section 10. Secretary . The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors, committees of directors and the stockholders, in books provided for that purpose; he or she shall attend to the giving and serving of all notices; he or she may in the name of the Corporation affix the seal of the Corporation to all contracts of the Corporation and attest the affixation of the seal of the Corporation thereto; he or she may sign with the other appointed officers all certificates for shares of capital stock of the Corporation; he or she shall have charge of the certificate books, transfer books and stock ledgers, and such other books and papers as the Board of Directors may direct, all of which shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection of any director upon application at the office of the Corporation during business hours; he or she shall have such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Directors; and he or she shall in general perform all acts incident to the office of Secretary, subject to the control of the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors.

Section 11. Assistant Secretaries . Each Assistant Secretary shall have the usual powers and duties pertaining to his or her office, together with such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors. The Assistant Secretaries shall exercise the powers of the Secretary during that officer’s absence or inability or refusal to act.

Section 12. Action with Respect to Securities of Other Corporations . Unless otherwise directed by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer shall have power to vote and otherwise act on behalf of the Corporation, in person or by proxy, at any meeting of security holders of or with respect to any action of security holders of any other corporation in which this Corporation may hold securities and otherwise to exercise any and all rights and powers which this Corporation may possess by reason of its ownership of securities in such other corporation.

 

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ARTICLE VI.

CAPITAL STOCK

Section 1. Certificates of Stock . The certificates for shares of the capital stock of the Corporation shall be in such form, not inconsistent with that required by law and the Certificate of Incorporation, as shall be approved by the Board of Directors; provided that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any class or series shall be uncertificated shares that may be evidenced by a book-entry system maintained by the registrar of such stock. With respect to shares of capital stock that are certificated, the Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer or a Vice President shall cause to be issued to each stockholder one or more certificates, under the seal of the Corporation or a facsimile thereof if the Board of Directors shall have provided for such seal, and signed by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer or a Vice President and the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or the Chief Financial Officer or an Assistant Treasurer certifying the number of shares (and, if the stock of the Corporation shall be divided into classes or series, the class and series of such shares) owned by such stockholder in the Corporation; provided, however, that any of or all the signatures on the certificate may be facsimile. The stock record books and the blank stock certificate books shall be kept by the Secretary, or at the office of such transfer agent or transfer agents as the Board of Directors may from time to time by resolution determine. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who shall have signed or whose facsimile signature or signatures shall have been placed upon any such certificate or certificates shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued by the Corporation, such certificate may nevertheless be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue. The stock certificates shall be consecutively numbered and shall be entered in the books of the Corporation as they are issued and shall exhibit the holder’s name and number of shares.

Section 2. Transfer of Shares . The shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferable only on the books of the Corporation by the holders thereof in person or by their duly authorized attorneys or legal representatives and, in the case of certificated shares, upon surrender and cancellation of certificates for a like number of shares. Upon surrender to the Corporation or a transfer agent of the Corporation of a certificate for shares duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, it shall be the duty of the Corporation to record the transaction upon its books and, in the case of certificated shares, to issue a new certificate to the person entitled thereto and cancel the old certificate. To the extent designated by the president or any vice president or any treasurer of the Corporation, the Corporation may recognize the transfer of fractional uncertificated shares.

Section 3. Ownership of Shares . The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share or shares of capital stock of the Corporation as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

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Section 4. Regulations Regarding Certificates . The Board of Directors shall have the power and authority to make all such rules and regulations as they may deem expedient concerning the issue, transfer and registration or the replacement of certificates for shares of capital stock of the Corporation.

Section 5. Lost or Destroyed Certificates . The Board of Directors may determine the conditions upon which a new certificate of stock may be issued in place of a certificate which is alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed; and may, in their discretion, require the owner of such certificate or his or her legal representative to give bond, with sufficient surety, to indemnify the Corporation and each transfer agent and registrar against any and all losses or claims which may arise by reason of the issue of a new certificate in the place of the one so lost, stolen or destroyed.

Section 6. Equity Securities . Notwithstanding anything contained in these Bylaws to the contrary, the Corporation shall not issue nonvoting equity securities to the extent prohibited by Section 1123 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 1123, and the Corporation shall provide, as to any classes of securities possessing voting power, an appropriate distribution of such power among such classes, including, in the case of any class of equity securities having a preference over another class of equity securities with respect to dividends, adequate provisions for the election of directors representing such preferred class in the event of default in the payment of such dividends; provided, however, that this provision (i) will have no further force and effect beyond that required by Section 1123, (ii) will have such force and effect, if any, only for so long as Section 1123 is in effect and applicable to the Corporation and (iii) in all events may be amended or eliminated in accordance with applicable law as from time to time in effect.

ARTICLE VII.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 1. Fiscal Year . The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be a calendar year unless otherwise established from time to time by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Corporate Seal . The Board of Directors may provide a suitable seal, containing the name of the Corporation. The Secretary shall have charge of the seal (if any). If and when so directed by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof, duplicates of the seal may be kept and used by the Chief Financial Officer or by the Assistant Secretary or Assistant Treasurer.

Section 3. Notice and Waiver of Notice . Whenever any notice is required to be given by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or under the provisions of these Bylaws, said notice shall be deemed to be sufficient if given (i) by telegraphic, cable or wireless transmission or (ii) by deposit of the same in a post office box in a sealed prepaid wrapper addressed to the person entitled thereto at his or her post office address, as it appears on the records of the Corporation, and such notice shall be deemed to have been given on the day of such transmission or mailing, as the case may be.

Whenever notice is required to be given by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or under any of the provisions of these Bylaws, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to

 

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notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, 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 meeting of the stockholders, directors, or members of a committee of directors need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws.

Section 4. Resignations . Any director, member of a committee or officer may resign at any time. Such resignation shall be made in writing and shall take effect at the time specified therein, or if no time be specified, at the time of its receipt by the Chief Executive Officer or Secretary. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective, unless expressly so provided in the resignation.

Section 5. Facsimile Signatures . In addition to the provisions for the use of facsimile signatures elsewhere specifically authorized in these Bylaws, facsimile signatures of any officer or officers of the Corporation may be used whenever and as authorized by the Board of Directors.

Section 6. Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records . Each director and each member of any committee designated by the Board of Directors shall, in the performance of his or her duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the books of account or reports made to the Corporation by any of its officers, or by an independent certified public accountant, or by an appraiser selected with reasonable care by the Board of Directors or by any such committee, or in relying in good faith upon other records of the Corporation.

ARTICLE VIII.

AMENDMENTS

The Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, amend and repeal from time to time the Bylaws of the Corporation. The Bylaws of the Corporation shall not be adopted, amended or repealed by the stockholders and no provision inconsistent therewith shall be adopted by the stockholders without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

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Exhibit 4.3

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

SECTION 1. Purpose of the Plan .

The Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is intended to promote the interests of Goodrich Petroleum Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), by providing a means by which Employees, Consultants and Directors may acquire or increase their equity interest in the Company and may develop a sense of proprietorship and personal involvement in the development and financial success of the Company, and to encourage them to remain with and devote their best efforts to the business of the Company, thereby advancing the interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Plan is also contemplated to enhance the ability of the Company and its Subsidiaries to attract and retain the services of individuals who are essential for the growth and profitability of the Company.

SECTION 2. Definitions .

As used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

“Award” shall mean an Option, Restricted Stock, Performance Award, Phantom Share, Stock Payment, or SAR.

“Award Agreement” shall mean any written or electronic agreement, contract, instrument or document evidencing any Award, which may, but need not, be executed or acknowledged by a Participant.

“Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company, as constituted from time to time.

“Business Day” means any day, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or “legal holidays” (as defined in Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 9006(a)), on which commercial banks are open for business in New York, New York.

“Change of Control” shall mean a change of control event as defined in the regulations and guidance issued under Section 409A of the Code.

“Chapter 11 Plan” means the joint plan of reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code of Goodrich Petroleum Company, L.L.C. and the Company, taken together with the joint plan supplement and all exhibits and schedules annexed thereto or referenced therein, as may be amended, modified or supplemented from time-to-time.

“Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

“Committee” shall mean the administrator of the Plan in accordance with Section 3, and shall include reference to any committee of the Board designated, from time to time, by the Board to act as the Committee under the Plan or the Board, as applicable.

 

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“Consultant” shall mean any individual who is not an Employee or a member of the Board and who provides consulting, advisory or other similar services to the Company or a Subsidiary.

“Director” shall mean any member of the Board who is not an Employee.

“Effective Date” means the first Business Day on which all the conditions to consummation of the Chapter 11 Plan have been satisfied in full or waived as permitted thereunder, and the Chapter 11 Plan becomes effective.

“Employee” shall mean any employee of the Company or a Subsidiary or a parent corporation.

“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Fair Market Value” means, as of any specified date after the Effective Date, (i) if the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the closing sales price of the Common Stock, as reported on the stock exchange composite tape on that date (or if no sales occur on that date, on the last preceding date on which such sales of the Common Stock are so reported); (ii) if the Common Stock is not traded on a national securities exchange but is traded over the counter at the time a determination of its fair market value is required to be made under the Plan, the average between the reported high and low bid and asked prices of Common Stock on the most recent date on which Common Stock was publicly traded; or (iii) in the event Common Stock is not publicly traded at the time a determination of its value is required to be made under the Plan, the amount shall be determined in good faith by the Committee.

“Initial Notes” means the $40.0 million of 13.5% convertible senior secured second lien notes of the Company issued pursuant to the indenture, dated the date hereof, among the Company, the guarantors named therein, and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee, without giving effect to any amendments, modifications, restatements or supplements thereto.

“Non-Qualified Stock Option” or “NQO” or “Option” shall mean an option granted under Section 6(a) of the Plan.

“Participant” shall mean any Employee, Consultant or Director granted an Award under the Plan.

“Performance Award” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(c) of the Plan.

“Performance Criteria” shall mean the following business criteria with respect to the Company, any Subsidiary or any division, or operating unit: oil and/or gas reserves, production volumes, finding and development costs, net income (either before or after interest, taxes, depreciation and/or amortization), revenue, operating earnings, cash flow, cash flow return on capital, return on net assets, return on stockholders’ equity, return on assets, return on capital, stockholder returns, gross or net profit margin, productivity, expense, margins, cost reductions, controls or savings, operating efficiency, working capital, strategic initiatives, economic value added, earnings per share, earnings per share from operations, price per share of stock, market share, or any other criteria selected by the Committee, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or as compared to results of a peer group.

 

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“Person” shall mean individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, government or political subdivision thereof or other entity.

“Phantom Shares” shall mean an Award of the right to receive Shares, cash equal to the Fair Market Value of such Shares or any combination thereof, in the Committee’s discretion, which is granted pursuant to Section 6(d) of the Plan.

“Restricted Period” shall mean the period established by the Committee with respect to an Award during which the Award either remains subject to forfeiture, is subject to restrictions or is not exercisable by the Participant.

“Restricted Stock” shall mean any Share, prior to the lapse of restrictions thereon, granted under Section 6(b) of the Plan.

“SAR” shall mean a stock appreciation right granted under Section 6(e) of the Plan that entitles the holder to receive the excess of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the relevant date over the exercise price of such SAR, with the excess paid in cash and/or in Shares in the discretion of the Committee.

“SEC” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor thereto.

“Shares” or “Common Shares” or “Common Stock” shall mean the common stock of the Company and such other securities or property as may become the subject of Awards under the Plan.

“Stock Payment” means a payment in the form of Shares.

“Subsidiary” shall mean any entity (whether a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity) in which the Company owns a majority of the voting power of the entity directly or indirectly.

“UCC Warrants” means warrants equal to an aggregate of 10% of the New Goodrich Equity Interests (as defined in the Chapter 11 Plan) issued to the holders of Unsecured Notes Claims and General Unsecured Claims (each as defined in the Chapter 11 Plan) pursuant to the warrant agreement, dated the date hereof, among the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, without giving effect to any amendments, modifications, restatements or supplements thereto.

SECTION 3. Administration .

(a) The Committee . The Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board (or any other committee of the Board designated, from time to time, by the Board to

 

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act as the Committee under the Plan). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Awards made to Directors shall be administered by the Board. The term “Committee” as used herein shall refer to the Compensation Committee (or other Board committee), or the Board, as applicable.

(b) Committee Powers . A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the acts of the members of the Committee who are present at any meeting thereof at which a quorum is present, or acts unanimously approved by the members of the Committee in writing, shall be the acts of the Committee. Subject to the terms of the Plan and applicable law, and in addition to other express powers and authorizations conferred on the Committee by the Plan, the Committee shall have full power and authority after the Effective Date to: (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant; (iii) determine the number of Shares to be covered by, or with respect to which payments, rights, or other matters are to be calculated in connection with, Awards; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award; (v) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances Awards may be settled or exercised in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited, or suspended and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled, forfeited, or suspended; (vi) interpret and administer the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to an Award made under the Plan; (vii) establish, amend, suspend, or waive such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; and (viii) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations, and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any Award shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon all Persons, including the Company, any Subsidiary, any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award, any stockholder and any other Person.

SECTION 4. Shares Available for Awards .

(a) Shares Available . Subject to adjustment as provided below, the number of Shares granted and to be issued initially under the Plan shall be 1,000,000 Shares, representing 8% of the outstanding fully diluted Shares as of the Effective Date (the “Exit Awards”) which shall be granted on the Effective Date. The Exit Awards will be divided into 728,261 primary Exit Awards (the “Primary Exit Awards”) and 271,739 secondary Exit Awards (the “Secondary Exit Awards”). 62.5% of the Primary Exit Awards will be issued in the form of Stock Payments and such Awards will be fully vested and nonforfeitable as of the date of issuance of the Awards. 37.5% of the Primary Exit Awards will be issued in the form of Restricted Stock vesting in substantially equal installments on the first, second and third anniversaries of the Effective Date. The Secondary Exit Awards will be unvested and subject to forfeiture. The Primary Exit Awards constituting Restricted Stock will be subject to the terms and conditions of an Award Agreement substantially in the form attached to the Plan as Exhibit A . If an Award of Restricted Stock is forfeited or cancelled or an Award otherwise lapses, expires, terminates or is canceled without the actual delivery of Shares or is settled in cash, then the Shares covered by such Award, to the extent of such forfeiture, expiration, lapse, termination or cancellation, shall again be Shares that may be issued with respect to Awards granted under the Plan. In addition, Shares tendered or withheld by the Company to satisfy tax withholding, including tax withholding with respect to Restricted Stock, exercise price or other payment obligations shall be available for issuance

 

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under future Awards if not sold to satisfy the tax withholding. The Committee will determine the number of additional Shares to be granted after the Effective Date to Employees, Consultants and Directors as part of the Company’s long term incentive plan pursuant to the Plan.

(b) Sources of Shares Deliverable Under Awards . Any Shares delivered pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares or of treasury Shares.

(c) Adjustments . In the event of a stock dividend or stock split with respect to Shares, the number of Shares with respect to which Awards may be granted, the number of Shares subject to outstanding Awards and the grant or exercise price with respect to outstanding Awards automatically shall be proportionately adjusted, without action by the Committee; provided, however, such automatic adjustment shall be evidenced by written addendums to the Plan and Award Agreements prepared by the Company and, with respect to Options, shall be in accordance with the Treasury Regulations promulgated pursuant to Section 409A of the Code. Further, in the event that the Committee determines that any distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, reorganization, merger, spin-off, combination, repurchase, or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Shares such that an adjustment is determined by the Committee to be appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust any or all of (i) the number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) with respect to which Awards may be granted, (ii) the number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards, and (iii) the grant or exercise price with respect to any Award or, if deemed appropriate, make provision for a cash payment to the holder of an outstanding Award; provided that the number of Shares subject to any Award denominated in Shares shall always be a whole number.

(d) Secondary Exit Awards . Notwithstanding anything else in this Plan or any Award Agreement, no Secondary Exit Award will be entitled to any antidilution protection under section 4(c) or 8(d) of the Plan or otherwise pursuant to the Plan or any Award Agreement. Notwithstanding anything else in this Plan or any Award Agreement, Secondary Exit Awards will vest only and exclusively upon the exercise of any Initial Note or UCC Warrants for Shares and only to the extent necessary to provide for a pro rata adjustment of such Exit Awards, which adjustment shall be administered by the Committee. Adjustments will be made quarterly, within 185 days of the exercise of any Initial Note or UCC Warrant. Secondary Exit Awards may be forfeited, expired, lapsed, terminated or cancelled similar to any other award under this Plan or the applicable Award Agreement. No vesting will occur upon any Secondary Exit Awards that have been forfeited, expired, lapsed, terminated, cancelled or sold by such Employee, Consultant or Director prior to the date of such adjustment.

SECTION 5. Eligibility .

Any Employee, Consultant or Director shall be eligible to be designated a Participant by the Committee. No individual shall have any right to be granted an Award pursuant to this Plan.

 

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SECTION 6. Awards .

(a) Options . Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority to determine Participants to whom Options shall be granted, the number of Shares to be covered by each Option, the purchase price therefor and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of the Option, including the following terms and conditions and such additional terms and conditions, as the Committee shall determine, that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan.

(1) Exercise Price . The purchase price per Share purchasable under an Option shall be determined by the Committee at the time the Option is granted, but shall not be less than the Fair Market Value per Share on the effective date of such grant.

(2) Time and Method of Exercise . The Committee shall determine and provide in the Award Agreement or by action subsequent to the grant the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part, and the method or methods by which, and the form or forms (which may include, without limitation, cash, check acceptable to the Company, Shares already-owned for more than six months (unless such holding requirement is waived by the Committee), Shares issuable upon Option exercise, a “cashless-broker” exercise (through procedures approved by the Committee), other securities or other property, a note, or any combination thereof, having a Fair Market Value on the exercise date equal to the relevant exercise price) in which payment of the exercise price and tax withholding obligation with respect thereto may be made or deemed to have been made. The Committee shall also determine the performance or other conditions, if any, that must be satisfied before all or part of an Option may vest and be exercised. No portion of an Option which is unexercisable at termination of the Participant’s employment or service, as applicable, shall thereafter become exercisable, except as may be otherwise provided by the Committee either in the Award Agreement or by action following the grant of the Option.

(b) Restricted Stock . After the Effective Date and subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority to determine the Participants to whom Restricted Stock shall be granted pursuant to the Company’s long term incentive plan, the number of Shares of Restricted Stock to be granted to each such Participant, the duration of the Restricted Period during which, and the conditions, including the Performance Criteria or other specified criteria, including the passage of time, if any, under which the Restricted Stock may vest or be forfeited to the Company, and the other terms and conditions of such Awards.

(1) Dividends . Dividends paid on Restricted Stock may be paid directly to the Participant, may be subject to risk of forfeiture and/or transfer restrictions during any period established by the Committee or sequestered and held in a bookkeeping cash account (with or without interest) or reinvested on an immediate or deferred basis in additional shares of Common Stock, which credit or shares may be subject to the same restrictions as the underlying Award or such other restrictions, all as determined by the Committee in its discretion, as provided in the Award Agreement.

 

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(2) Registration . Any Restricted Stock may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall deem appropriate, including, without limitation, book-entry registration or issuance of a stock certificate or certificates. In the event any stock certificate is issued in respect of Restricted Stock granted under the Plan, such certificate shall be registered in the name of the Participant and shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock.

(3) Forfeiture and Restrictions Lapse . Except as otherwise determined by the Committee or the terms of the Award Agreement, upon a Participant’s termination of employment or service (as determined under criteria established by the Committee) for any reason during the applicable Restricted Period, all Restricted Stock shall be forfeited by the Participant and re-acquired by the Company. The Committee may waive in whole or in part any or all remaining restrictions with respect to such Participant’s Restricted Stock. Unrestricted Shares, evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall deem appropriate, shall be issued to the holder of Restricted Stock promptly after the applicable restrictions have lapsed or otherwise been satisfied.

(4) Restrictions . Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability and other restrictions as the Committee may impose (including, without limitation, restrictions on the right to vote Restricted Stock or the right to receive dividends on the Restricted Stock). These restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, pursuant to such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise, as the Committee determines at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter. During the Restricted Period, Restricted Stock will be subject to such limitations on transfer as necessary to comply with Section 83 of the Code.

(c) Performance Awards . The Committee shall have the authority to determine the Participants who shall receive Performance Awards, which shall be denominated as a cash amount at the time of grant and confer on the Participant the right to receive all or part of such Award upon the achievement of such performance goals, length of service or other specified criteria during such period as the Committee shall establish with respect to the Award.

(1) Terms and Conditions . Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, the Committee shall determine the goals or criteria to be achieved during any period, the length of any performance period and the amount of any Performance Award.

(2) Payment of Performance Awards . Performance Awards shall be paid (in cash and/or in Shares, in the sole discretion of the Committee) in a lump sum following the close of the performance period.

(3) Forfeiture and Restrictions Lapse . Except as otherwise determined by the Committee or the terms of the Award Agreement that granted the Performance Award, upon a Participant’s termination of employment or service, as applicable (as determined under criteria established by the Committee) for any reason during the applicable period, all Performance Awards shall be forfeited by the Participant and re-acquired by the Company. The Committee may waive in whole or in part any or all remaining

 

7


restrictions with respect to such Participant’s Performance Award. Unrestricted Shares, evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall deem appropriate, shall be issued to the holder of Performance Awards promptly after the applicable restrictions have lapsed or otherwise been satisfied.

(d) Phantom Shares . The Committee shall have the authority to grant Awards of Phantom Shares to Participants upon such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine.

(1) Terms and Conditions . Each Phantom Share Award shall constitute an agreement by the Company to issue or transfer a specified number of Shares or pay an amount of cash equal to the Fair Market Value of a specified number of Shares, or a combination thereof to the Participant in the future, subject to the fulfillment during the Restricted Period of such conditions, including those linked to the Performance Criteria or other specified criteria, including the passage of time, if any, as the Committee may specify at the date of grant. During the Restricted Period, the Participant shall not have any right to transfer any rights under the subject Award, shall not have any rights of ownership in the Phantom Shares and shall not have any right to vote such shares.

(2) Dividend Equivalents . Any Phantom Share award may provide, in the discretion of the Committee, that any or all dividends or other distributions paid on Shares during the Restricted Period be credited in a cash bookkeeping account (with or without interest) or that equivalent additional Phantom Shares be awarded, which account or Phantom Shares may be subject to the same restrictions as the underlying Award or such other restrictions as the Committee may determine.

(3) Forfeiture and Restrictions Lapse . Except as otherwise determined by the Committee or set forth in the Award Agreement, upon a Participant’s termination of employment or service (as determined under criteria established by the Committee) for any reason during the applicable Restricted Period, all Phantom Shares shall be forfeited by the Participant. The Committee may, upon or in connection with a Qualifying Event, waive in whole or in part any or all remaining restrictions with respect to such Participant’s Phantom Shares.

(4) Payment of Phantom Shares. Phantom Shares may be paid (in cash and/or in Shares, in the sole discretion of the Committee) in a lump sum or in installments following the close of the Restricted Period, or at such later deferral date elected by the Participant, in accordance with procedures established by the Committee with respect to such Award and pursuant to Section 409A of the Code and the guidance and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

8


(e) SARs . The Committee shall have the authority to determine the Participants to whom SARs shall be granted, the number of Shares to be covered by each SAR, the exercise price and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of the SAR, including the following terms and conditions and such additional terms and conditions, as the Committee shall determine, that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan. A SAR may be granted (a) in connection and simultaneously with the grant of an Option, (b) with respect to a previously granted Option, or (c) independent of an Option.

(1) Exercise Price . The exercise price per SAR shall be determined by the Committee at the time the SAR is granted, but shall not be less than the Fair Market Value per Share on the effective date of such grant.

(2) Time of Exercise . The Committee shall determine and provide in the Award Agreement the time or times at which a SAR may be exercised in whole or in part.

(3) Method of Payment . The Committee shall determine, in its discretion, whether the SAR shall be paid in cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of the two.

(f) Stock Payments . Stock Payments after the Effective Date may be made to Directors, Employees and Consultants in such number of Shares and may be based upon such criteria as may be determined to be appropriate by the Committee in its discretion.

(g) General .

(1) Awards May Be Granted Separately or Together . Awards may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, any other Award granted under the Plan or any award granted under any other plan of the Company or any Subsidiary. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or awards granted under any other plan of the Company or any Subsidiary may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards or awards.

(2) Limits on Transfer of Awards .

(A) Except as provided in paragraph (C) below, each Award, and each right under any Award, shall be exercisable only by the Participant during the Participant’s lifetime, or if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s guardian or legal representative as determined by the Committee.

(B) Except as provided in paragraph (C) below, no Award and no right under any such Award may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and any such purported prohibited assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Subsidiary.

(C) To the extent specifically approved in writing by the Committee, an Award may be transferred to immediate family members or related family trusts, limited partnerships or similar entities or other Persons on such terms and conditions as the Committee may establish or approve.

 

9


(3) Terms of Awards . The term of each Award shall be for such period as may be determined by the Committee.

(4) Share Certificate . All certificates for Shares or other securities of the Company or any Subsidiary delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award or the exercise thereof shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the SEC, any stock exchange upon which such Shares or other securities are then listed, and any applicable federal or state laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.

(5) Consideration for Grants . Awards may be granted for no cash consideration or for such consideration as the Committee determines including, without limitation, such minimal cash consideration as may be required by applicable law.

(6) Delivery of Shares or other Securities and Payment by Participant of Consideration . No Shares or other securities shall be delivered pursuant to any Award until payment in full of any amount required to be paid pursuant to the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement (including, without limitation, any exercise price or tax withholding) is received by the Company. Such payment may be made by such method or methods and in such form or forms, including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, withholding of Shares, cashless exercise with simultaneous sale, or any combination thereof, provided that the combined value of all cash and cash equivalents and the Fair Market Value of any such Shares or other property so tendered to the Company, as of the date of such tender, is at least equal to the full amount required to be paid pursuant to the plan or the applicable Award Agreement to the Company.

(h) Performance Based Compensation . The Committee may establish performance goals applicable to those Awards based upon the attainment of such target levels of one or more of the Performance Criteria, over one or more periods of time, which may be of varying and overlapping durations, as the Committee may select. The Performance Criteria shall be subject to adjustment for changes in accounting standards required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board after the goal is established, and, to the extent provided for in the Award Agreement, shall be subject to adjustment for specified significant extraordinary items or events. In this regard, performance goals based on stock price shall be proportionately adjusted for any changes in the price due to a stock split. Performance Criteria may be absolute, relative to one or more other companies, or relative to one or more indexes, and may be contingent upon future performance of the Company or any Subsidiary, division, unit or product line thereof. A performance goal need not be based upon an increase or positive result under a Performance Criteria and could, for example, be based upon limiting economic losses or maintaining the status quo. Which Performance Criteria to be used with respect to any grant, and the weight to be accorded thereto if more than one factor is used, shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, at the time of grant. In determining the amount earned by a Participant, the Committee shall have the right to reduce, eliminate, increase or otherwise modify the amount payable at a given level of performance to take into account additional factors that the Committee may deem relevant to the assessment of individual or corporate performance for the performance period.

 

10


SECTION 7. Amendment and Termination .

Except to the extent prohibited by applicable law and unless otherwise expressly provided in an Award Agreement or in the Plan:

(1) Amendments to the Plan. The Board or the Committee may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate grants made under the Plan after the Effective Date without the consent of any stockholder, Participant, other holder or beneficiary of an Award, or other Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Plan may not be terminated with respect to an Award that is subject to Section 409A of the Code unless such termination would not result in the Award becoming subject to the additional tax under Section 409A of the Code.

(2) Amendments to Awards. Subject to Paragraph (1) above and Section 3(b), the Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter any Award theretofore granted, provided no change in any Award shall materially adversely affect the rights of a Participant under the Award without the consent of such Participant.

SECTION 8. General Provisions .

(a) No Rights to Awards . No Participant or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award, there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants, or holders or beneficiaries of Awards and the terms and conditions of Awards need not be the same with respect to each recipient.

(b) Tax Withholding . The Company or any Subsidiary is authorized to withhold from any Award, from any payment due or transfer made under any Award or from any compensation or other amount owing to a Participant the amount (in cash, Shares, or other property) of any applicable taxes required to be withheld by the Company or Subsidiary in respect of the Award, its exercise, the lapse of restrictions thereon, or any payment or transfer under the Award and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Company to satisfy all of its obligations for the payment of such taxes. In addition, the Committee may provide, in an Award Agreement, that the Participant may pay in cash or direct the Company to satisfy such Participant’s tax withholding obligations through the withholding of Shares otherwise to be acquired upon the exercise or payment of such Award, but only to the extent such withholding does not cause a charge to the Company’s financial earnings.

(c) No Right to Employment or Retention . The grant of an Award shall not be construed as giving a Participant the right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any Subsidiary or under any other service contract with the Company or any Subsidiary, or to remain on the Board. Further, the Company or a Subsidiary may at any time dismiss a Participant from employment or terminate any contractual agreement or relationship with any Consultant, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan, with or without cause, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, in any Award Agreement or any other agreement or contract between the

 

11


Company or a Subsidiary and the affected Participant. If a Participant’s employer ceases to be a Subsidiary, such Participant shall be deemed to have terminated employment for purposes of the Plan, unless specifically provided otherwise in the Award Agreement.

(d) Change of Control; Unusual Transactions or Events . In the event of any distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, reorganization, merger, spin-off, combination, repurchase, or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event or any unusual or nonrecurring transactions or events affecting the Company, any affiliate of the Company, or the financial statements of the Company or any affiliate, or of changes in applicable laws, regulations or accounting principles, or a Change of Control and whenever action is appropriate in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any Award under the Plan, to facilitate such transactions or events or to give effect to such changes in laws, regulations or principles, the Committee, in its sole discretion and on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, either by amendment of the terms of any outstanding Awards or by action taken prior to the occurrence of such transaction or event and either automatically or upon the Participant’s request, is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions:

(1) To provide for either (A) termination of any such Award in exchange for an amount of cash, if any, equal to the amount that would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction or event described in this Section 8(d) the Committee determines in good faith that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights, then such Award may be terminated by the Company without payment) or (B) the replacement of such Award with other rights or property selected by the Committee in its sole discretion;

(2) To provide that such Award be assumed by the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or shall be substituted for by similar options, rights or awards covering the stock of the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and prices;

(3) To make adjustments in the number and type of shares of common Stock (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards, and in the number and kind of outstanding Awards and/or in the terms and conditions of (including the grant or exercise price), and the criteria included in, outstanding Awards and Awards which may be granted in the future;

(4) To provide that such Award shall be exercisable or payable or fully vested with respect to all shares covered thereby, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement; and

(5) To provide that the Award cannot vest, be exercised or become payable after such event.

 

12


Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or an Award Agreement to the contrary, an Award that is subject to 409A of the Code may only be paid upon a Change of Control to the extent such payment would not be subject to additional taxes imposed under Section 409A of the Code.

(e) Governing Law . The validity, construction, and effect of the Plan and any rules and regulations relating to the Plan shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas and applicable federal law.

(f) Severability . If any provision of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or as to any Person or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the applicable laws, or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction, Person or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award shall remain in full force and effect.

(g) Other Laws . The Committee may refuse to issue or transfer any Shares or other consideration under an Award, permit the exercise of an Award and/or the satisfaction of its tax withholding obligation in the manner elected by the Participant, holder or beneficiary if, acting in its sole discretion, it determines that the issuance of transfer or such Shares or such other consideration, the manner of exercise or satisfaction or the tax withholding obligation might violate any applicable law or regulation, including without limitation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or entitle the Company to recover the same under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, and any payment tendered to the Company by a Participant, other holder or beneficiary in connection with the exercise of such Award shall be promptly refunded or refused, as the case may be, to the relevant Participant, holder or beneficiary.

(h) No Trust or Fund Created . Neither the Plan nor the Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or any Subsidiary and a Participant or any other Person. To the extent that any Person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any general unsecured creditor of the Company or any Subsidiary.

(i) No Fractional Shares . No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine whether cash, other securities, or other property shall be paid or transferred in lieu of any fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be cancelled, terminated, or otherwise eliminated.

(j) Headings . Headings are given to the Section and subsections of the Plan solely as a convenience to facilitate reference. Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of the plan or any provision thereof.

SECTION 9. Effective Date of Plan .

The Plan shall become effective as of the Effective Date.

 

13


SECTION 10. Term of the Plan .

No Award shall be granted under the Plan after the 10 th anniversary of the date this Plan was first adopted. However, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in an applicable Award Agreement, any Award granted prior to such termination, and the authority of the Board or the Committee to amend, alter, adjust, suspend, discontinue, or terminate any such Award or to waive any conditions or rights under such Award, shall extend beyond such termination date.

 

14


Exhibit A

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement

 

A-1


GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

Grant of Restricted Stock

Grantee:                     

Grant Date:                     

 

1. Grant of Restricted Stock . Goodrich Petroleum Corporation (the “Company”) hereby grants to you [                      ] Shares of Restricted Stock (“Restricted Stock”) under the Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) on the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference as a part of this Agreement. From and after the Grant Date, you shall have the right to receive dividends with respect to the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Stock, to vote the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Shares, and to enjoy all other stockholder rights with respect to the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Stock; provided, that, with respect to the payment of any dividend with respect to shares of Common Stock underlying the Restricted Shares, each such dividend shall be paid no later than the end of the calendar year in which the dividends are paid to the Company’s stockholders of such class of shares generally or, if later, the fifteenth day of the third month following the date dividends are paid to stockholders of such class of shares. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the Plan, the Plan shall control. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Plan, unless the context requires otherwise.

 

2. Regular Vesting . The shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder shall be subject to forfeiture as described in Paragraph 3 until the Restricted Stock vests as provide in Paragraph 3 or, as the case may be, on the anniversaries of the above Grant Date as follows:

 

   

Grant Date

  

Cumulative

Vested Percentage

    
  1st Anniversary    33  1 3 %   
  2nd Anniversary    66  2 3 %   
  3rd Anniversary    100%   

Further, even after such Restricted Shares become vested, the shares of Common Stock may not be sold or otherwise disposed of in any manner that would constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities or other applicable law or Company policies as determined by Company on advice of counsel chosen by the Company in its sole discretion. Vesting with respect to a fractional share shall be rounded up to the next whole share.

 

A-2


3. Events Occurring Prior to Regular Vesting .

 

  (a) Death or Disability . If, prior to becoming fully vested in the shares of Restricted Stock hereby granted, you cease to be an employee of the Company as a result of your death or a disability that entitles you to benefits under the Company’s long-term disability plan, the shares of Restricted Stock then held by you automatically will become fully vested upon such termination.

 

  (b) Other Terminations . If you terminate from the Company for any reason other than as provided in Paragraph 3(a), all unvested shares of Restricted Stock then held by you automatically shall be forfeited without payment upon such termination.

 

  (c) Change of Control . All outstanding shares of Restricted Stock held by you at the time of a Change of Control automatically shall become fully vested upon the Change of Control.

For purposes of this Agreement, your employment with a parent or Subsidiary of the Company shall be deemed to be employment with the Company. Any Restricted Stock forfeited under this Paragraph 3 shall automatically revert to the Company and become canceled. Any certificate(s) representing Restricted Stock that include forfeited shares shall only represent that number of shares of Restricted Stock that have not been forfeited hereunder. Upon the Company’s request, you agree for yourself and any other holder(s) to tender to the Company any certificate(s) representing shares of Restricted Stock that include forfeited shares for a new certificate representing only the unforfeited number of shares of Restricted Stock.

 

4. Stock Certificates; Escrow of Restricted Stock . The Company shall evidence the Restricted Stock in the manner that it deems appropriate. The Company may issue in your name a certificate or certificates representing the Restricted Stock and retain that certificate or those certificates until the restrictions on such shares of Restricted Stock expire as contemplated in Paragraphs 2 or 3 of this Agreement or the Restricted Stock is forfeited as described in Paragraph 3 of this Agreement. If the Company certificates the Restricted Stock, you shall execute one or more stock powers in blank for those certificates and deliver those stock powers to the Company. The Company shall hold the Restricted Stock and the related stock powers pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, if applicable, until such time as (a) a certificate or certificates for the shares of Restricted Stock are delivered to you, (b) the Restricted Stock is otherwise transferred to you free of restrictions, or (c) the Restricted Stock is canceled and forfeited pursuant to this Agreement. The Company may issue to you a receipt evidencing the certificates held by it which are registered in your name. In addition to any other legends that may be required by applicable law or otherwise, each such stock certificate shall bear the legends substantially as follows:

THE TRANSFERABILITY OF THIS CERTIFICATE AND THE SHARES OF STOCK REPRESENTED HEREBY ARE SUBJECT TO THE RESTRICTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS (INCLUDING FORFEITURE AND

 

A-3


RESTRICTIONS AGAINST TRANSFER) CONTAINED IN THE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BETWEEN THE REGISTERED OWNER OF SUCH SHARES AND GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION. COPIES OF THE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT ARE ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION, LOCATED AT 801 LOUISIANA ST, SUITE 700, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002.

The legend shall not be removed from the certificate evidencing the Restricted Stock until such time as the restrictions thereon have lapsed.

 

5. Limitations Upon Transfer . The Restricted Stock granted under this Agreement shall belong to you alone and may not be transferred, assigned, pledged, or hypothecated by you in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise), other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and shall not be subject to execution, attachment, or similar process. Upon any attempt by you to transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise dispose of such rights contrary to the provisions in this Agreement or the Plan, or upon the levy of any attachment or similar process upon such rights, such rights shall immediately become null and void.

 

6. Compliance with Securities Laws . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the issuance of Common Stock (including the Restricted Shares) will be subject to compliance with all applicable requirements of federal, state, or foreign law with respect to such securities and with the requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon which the Common Stock may then be listed. No Common Stock will be issued hereunder if such issuance would constitute a violation of any applicable federal, state, or foreign securities laws or other law or regulations or the requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon which the Common Stock may then be listed. The Company may require you, as a condition of receiving the Common Stock, to give written assurances in substance and form satisfactory to the Company and its counsel to the effect that you are acquiring the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Shares for your own account for investment and not with any present intention of selling or otherwise distributing the same, and to such other effects as the Company deems necessary or appropriate to comply with federal and any applicable state and foreign securities laws. The Company intends to register the shares under the Plan on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

7. Withholding of Tax . To the extent that the grant, vesting or settlement of Restricted Stock results in the receipt of compensation by you with respect to which the Company or an affiliate has a tax withholding obligation pursuant to applicable law, you will make an election provided to you by the Company on whether you desire the Company to withhold Shares to pay the taxes, sell shares on behalf of you through a registered broker-dealer to satisfy the tax withholding obligation, deliver to the Company or the affiliate such amount of money as the Company or the affiliate may require to meet its withholding obligations under such applicable law, or make such other arrangements with the Company to satisfy the tax withholding requirement.

 

A-4


8. Consent to Electronic Delivery; Electronic Signature . In lieu of receiving documents in paper format, you agree , to the fullest extent permitted by law, to accept electronic delivery of any documents that the Company may be required to deliver (including, without limitation, prospectuses, prospectus supplements, grant or award notifications and agreements, account statements, annual and quarterly reports, and all other forms of communications) in connection with this and any other award made or offered by the Company. Electronic delivery may be via an electronic mail system of the Company or by reference to a location on a Company intranet to which you have access. You hereby consent to any and all procedures the Company has established or may establish for an electronic signature system for delivery and acceptance of any such documents that the Company may be required to deliver, and the Company agrees that your electronic signature is the same as, and shall have the same force and effect as, your manual signature.

 

9. Binding Effect . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successor or successors of the Company and upon any person lawfully claiming under you.

 

10. Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with regard to the subject matter hereof, and contains all the covenants, promises, representations, warranties and agreements between the parties with respect to the Restricted Stock granted hereby. Without limiting the scope of the preceding sentence, all prior understandings and agreements, if any, among the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof are hereby null and void and of no further force and effect. Any modification of this Agreement shall be effective only if it is in writing and signed by both you and an authorized officer of the Company.

 

11. Independent Legal and Tax Advice . You have been advised, and you hereby acknowledge that you have been advised, to obtain independent legal and tax advice regarding this grant of Restricted Stock and the disposition of such shares, including, without limitation, the election available under Section 83(b) of the Code. The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Common Stock from loss or depreciation.

 

12. Governing Law . This grant shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.

Please return this Agreement signed to the Company. The enclosed copy is for your records.

 

Agreed and accepted

by Grantee

    Goodrich Petroleum Corporation
      By:   Leslee M. Ranly
[Name of Grantee]       Title: VP-Human Resources and Administration

 

A-5

Exhibit 4.5

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

Grant of Restricted Stock

(Secondary Exit Award; UCC Warrant Exercise)

Grantee:                         

Grant Date:                         

 

1. Grant of Restricted Stock . Goodrich Petroleum Corporation (the “Company”) hereby grants to you [                      ] Shares of Restricted Stock (“Restricted Stock”) under the Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) on the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference as a part of this Agreement. From and after the Grant Date, you shall have the right to receive dividends with respect to the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Stock, to vote the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Shares, and to enjoy all other stockholder rights with respect to the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Stock; provided, that, with respect to the payment of any dividend with respect to shares of Common Stock underlying the Restricted Shares, each such dividend shall be paid no later than the end of the calendar year in which the dividends are paid to the Company’s stockholders of such class of shares generally or, if later, the fifteenth day of the third month following the date dividends are paid to stockholders of such class of shares. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the Plan, the Plan shall control. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Plan, unless the context requires otherwise.

 

2. Regular Vesting . The shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder shall be subject to forfeiture until the Restricted Stock vests as provided in this Paragraph 2. The Restricted Stock will become vested and nonforfeitable, if at all, on a pro rata basis solely upon the exercise of the UCC warrants outstanding as of the Effective Date (the exercisability of which is contingent upon the Company’s achievement of market capitalization of $230,000,000).

Further, even after such Restricted Shares become vested, the shares of Common Stock may not be sold or otherwise disposed of in any manner that would constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities or other applicable law or Company policies as determined by Company on advice of counsel chosen by the Company in its sole discretion. Vesting with respect to a fractional share shall be rounded up to the next whole share.

 

3. Events Occurring Prior to Regular Vesting . If you terminate from the Company for any reason all unvested shares of Restricted Stock then held by you automatically shall be forfeited without payment upon such termination.

 

1


For purposes of this Agreement, your employment with a parent or Subsidiary of the Company shall be deemed to be employment with the Company. Any Restricted Stock forfeited under this Paragraph 3 shall automatically revert to the Company and become canceled. Any certificate(s) representing Restricted Stock that include forfeited shares shall only represent that number of shares of Restricted Stock that have not been forfeited hereunder. Upon the Company’s request, you agree for yourself and any other holder(s) to tender to the Company any certificate(s) representing shares of Restricted Stock that include forfeited shares for a new certificate representing only the unforfeited number of shares of Restricted Stock.

 

4. Stock Certificates; Escrow of Restricted Stock . The Company shall evidence the Restricted Stock in the manner that it deems appropriate. The Company may issue in your name a certificate or certificates representing the Restricted Stock and retain that certificate or those certificates until the restrictions on such shares of Restricted Stock expire as contemplated in Paragraphs 2 of this Agreement or the Restricted Stock is forfeited as described in Paragraph 3 of this Agreement. If the Company certificates the Restricted Stock, you shall execute one or more stock powers in blank for those certificates and deliver those stock powers to the Company. The Company shall hold the Restricted Stock and the related stock powers pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, if applicable, until such time as (a) a certificate or certificates for the shares of Restricted Stock are delivered to you, (b) the Restricted Stock is otherwise transferred to you free of restrictions, or (c) the Restricted Stock is canceled and forfeited pursuant to this Agreement. The Company may issue to you a receipt evidencing the certificates held by it which are registered in your name. In addition to any other legends that may be required by applicable law or otherwise, each such stock certificate shall bear the legends substantially as follows:

THE TRANSFERABILITY OF THIS CERTIFICATE AND THE SHARES OF STOCK REPRESENTED HEREBY ARE SUBJECT TO THE RESTRICTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS (INCLUDING FORFEITURE AND RESTRICTIONS AGAINST TRANSFER) CONTAINED IN THE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BETWEEN THE REGISTERED OWNER OF SUCH SHARES AND GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION. COPIES OF THE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT ARE ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION, LOCATED AT 801 LOUISIANA ST, SUITE 700, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002.

The legend shall not be removed from the certificate evidencing the Restricted Stock until such time as the restrictions thereon have lapsed.

 

5. Limitations Upon Transfer . The Restricted Stock granted under this Agreement shall belong to you alone and may not be transferred, assigned, pledged, or hypothecated by you in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise), other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and shall not be subject to execution, attachment, or similar process. Upon any attempt by you to transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise dispose of such rights contrary to the provisions in this Agreement or the Plan, or upon the levy of any attachment or similar process upon such rights, such rights shall immediately become null and void.

 

2


6. Compliance with Securities Laws . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the issuance of Common Stock (including the Restricted Shares) will be subject to compliance with all applicable requirements of federal, state, or foreign law with respect to such securities and with the requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon which the Common Stock may then be listed. No Common Stock will be issued hereunder if such issuance would constitute a violation of any applicable federal, state, or foreign securities laws or other law or regulations or the requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon which the Common Stock may then be listed. The Company may require you, as a condition of receiving the Common Stock, to give written assurances in substance and form satisfactory to the Company and its counsel to the effect that you are acquiring the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Shares for your own account for investment and not with any present intention of selling or otherwise distributing the same, and to such other effects as the Company deems necessary or appropriate to comply with federal and any applicable state and foreign securities laws. The Company intends to register the shares under the Plan on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

7. Withholding of Tax . To the extent that the grant, vesting or settlement of Restricted Stock results in the receipt of compensation by you with respect to which the Company or an affiliate has a tax withholding obligation pursuant to applicable law, you will make an election provided to you by the Company on whether you desire the Company to withhold Shares to pay the taxes, sell shares on behalf of you through a registered broker-dealer to satisfy the tax withholding obligation, deliver to the Company or the affiliate such amount of money as the Company or the affiliate may require to meet its withholding obligations under such applicable law, or make such other arrangements with the Company to satisfy the tax withholding requirement.

 

8. Consent to Electronic Delivery; Electronic Signature . In lieu of receiving documents in paper format, you agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to accept electronic delivery of any documents that the Company may be required to deliver (including, without limitation, prospectuses, prospectus supplements, grant or award notifications and agreements, account statements, annual and quarterly reports, and all other forms of communications) in connection with this and any other award made or offered by the Company. Electronic delivery may be via an electronic mail system of the Company or by reference to a location on a Company intranet to which you have access. You hereby consent to any and all procedures the Company has established or may establish for an electronic signature system for delivery and acceptance of any such documents that the Company may be required to deliver, and the Company agrees that your electronic signature is the same as, and shall have the same force and effect as, your manual signature.

 

9. Binding Effect . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successor or successors of the Company and upon any person lawfully claiming under you.

 

3


10. Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with regard to the subject matter hereof, and contains all the covenants, promises, representations, warranties and agreements between the parties with respect to the Restricted Stock granted hereby. Without limiting the scope of the preceding sentence, all prior understandings and agreements, if any, among the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof are hereby null and void and of no further force and effect. Any modification of this Agreement shall be effective only if it is in writing and signed by both you and an authorized officer of the Company.

 

11. Independent Legal and Tax Advice . You have been advised, and you hereby acknowledge that you have been advised, to obtain independent legal and tax advice regarding this grant of Restricted Stock and the disposition of such shares, including, without limitation, the election available under Section 83(b) of the Code. The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Common Stock from loss or depreciation.

 

12. Governing Law . This grant shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.

Please return this Agreement signed to the Company. The enclosed copy is for your records.

 

Agreed and accepted

by Grantee

    Goodrich Petroleum Corporation
      By:   Leslee M. Ranly
[Name of Grantee]     Title: VP-Human Resources and Administration

 

4

Exhibit 4.6

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

Grant of Restricted Stock

(Secondary Exit Award; 2L Note Conversion)

Grantee:                         

Grant Date:                         

 

1. Grant of Restricted Stock . Goodrich Petroleum Corporation (the “Company”) hereby grants to you [                          ] Shares of Restricted Stock (“Restricted Stock”) under the Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) on the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference as a part of this Agreement. From and after the Grant Date, you shall have the right to receive dividends with respect to the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Stock, to vote the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Shares, and to enjoy all other stockholder rights with respect to the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Stock; provided, that, with respect to the payment of any dividend with respect to shares of Common Stock underlying the Restricted Shares, each such dividend shall be paid no later than the end of the calendar year in which the dividends are paid to the Company’s stockholders of such class of shares generally or, if later, the fifteenth day of the third month following the date dividends are paid to stockholders of such class of shares. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the Plan, the Plan shall control. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Plan, unless the context requires otherwise.

 

2. Regular Vesting . The shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder shall be subject to forfeiture until the Restricted Stock vests as provided in this Paragraph 2. The Restricted Stock will become vested and nonforfeitable, if at all, on a pro rata basis solely upon the conversion to Common Stock of the notes held by the secondary lienholders to the Company outstanding as of the Effective Date.

Further, even after such Restricted Shares become vested, the shares of Common Stock may not be sold or otherwise disposed of in any manner that would constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities or other applicable law or Company policies as determined by Company on advice of counsel chosen by the Company in its sole discretion. Vesting with respect to a fractional share shall be rounded up to the next whole share.

 

3. Events Occurring Prior to Regular Vesting . If you terminate from the Company for any reason all unvested shares of Restricted Stock then held by you automatically shall be forfeited without payment upon such termination.

For purposes of this Agreement, your employment with a parent or Subsidiary of the Company shall be deemed to be employment with the Company. Any Restricted Stock

 

1


forfeited under this Paragraph 3 shall automatically revert to the Company and become canceled. Any certificate(s) representing Restricted Stock that include forfeited shares shall only represent that number of shares of Restricted Stock that have not been forfeited hereunder. Upon the Company’s request, you agree for yourself and any other holder(s) to tender to the Company any certificate(s) representing shares of Restricted Stock that include forfeited shares for a new certificate representing only the unforfeited number of shares of Restricted Stock.

 

4. Stock Certificates; Escrow of Restricted Stock . The Company shall evidence the Restricted Stock in the manner that it deems appropriate. The Company may issue in your name a certificate or certificates representing the Restricted Stock and retain that certificate or those certificates until the restrictions on such shares of Restricted Stock expire as contemplated in Paragraphs 2 of this Agreement or the Restricted Stock is forfeited as described in Paragraph 3 of this Agreement. If the Company certificates the Restricted Stock, you shall execute one or more stock powers in blank for those certificates and deliver those stock powers to the Company. The Company shall hold the Restricted Stock and the related stock powers pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, if applicable, until such time as (a) a certificate or certificates for the shares of Restricted Stock are delivered to you, (b) the Restricted Stock is otherwise transferred to you free of restrictions, or (c) the Restricted Stock is canceled and forfeited pursuant to this Agreement. The Company may issue to you a receipt evidencing the certificates held by it which are registered in your name. In addition to any other legends that may be required by applicable law or otherwise, each such stock certificate shall bear the legends substantially as follows:

THE TRANSFERABILITY OF THIS CERTIFICATE AND THE SHARES OF STOCK REPRESENTED HEREBY ARE SUBJECT TO THE RESTRICTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS (INCLUDING FORFEITURE AND RESTRICTIONS AGAINST TRANSFER) CONTAINED IN THE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BETWEEN THE REGISTERED OWNER OF SUCH SHARES AND GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION. COPIES OF THE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT ARE ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION, LOCATED AT 801 LOUISIANA ST, SUITE 700, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002.

The legend shall not be removed from the certificate evidencing the Restricted Stock until such time as the restrictions thereon have lapsed.

 

5. Limitations Upon Transfer . The Restricted Stock granted under this Agreement shall belong to you alone and may not be transferred, assigned, pledged, or hypothecated by you in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise), other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and shall not be subject to execution, attachment, or similar process. Upon any attempt by you to transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise dispose of such rights contrary to the provisions in this Agreement or the Plan, or upon the levy of any attachment or similar process upon such rights, such rights shall immediately become null and void.

 

2


6. Compliance with Securities Laws . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the issuance of Common Stock (including the Restricted Shares) will be subject to compliance with all applicable requirements of federal, state, or foreign law with respect to such securities and with the requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon which the Common Stock may then be listed. No Common Stock will be issued hereunder if such issuance would constitute a violation of any applicable federal, state, or foreign securities laws or other law or regulations or the requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon which the Common Stock may then be listed. The Company may require you, as a condition of receiving the Common Stock, to give written assurances in substance and form satisfactory to the Company and its counsel to the effect that you are acquiring the Common Stock underlying the Restricted Shares for your own account for investment and not with any present intention of selling or otherwise distributing the same, and to such other effects as the Company deems necessary or appropriate to comply with federal and any applicable state and foreign securities laws. The Company intends to register the shares under the Plan on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

7. Withholding of Tax . To the extent that the grant, vesting or settlement of Restricted Stock results in the receipt of compensation by you with respect to which the Company or an affiliate has a tax withholding obligation pursuant to applicable law, you will make an election provided to you by the Company on whether you desire the Company to withhold Shares to pay the taxes, sell shares on behalf of you through a registered broker-dealer to satisfy the tax withholding obligation, deliver to the Company or the affiliate such amount of money as the Company or the affiliate may require to meet its withholding obligations under such applicable law, or make such other arrangements with the Company to satisfy the tax withholding requirement.

 

8. Consent to Electronic Delivery; Electronic Signature . In lieu of receiving documents in paper format, you agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to accept electronic delivery of any documents that the Company may be required to deliver (including, without limitation, prospectuses, prospectus supplements, grant or award notifications and agreements, account statements, annual and quarterly reports, and all other forms of communications) in connection with this and any other award made or offered by the Company. Electronic delivery may be via an electronic mail system of the Company or by reference to a location on a Company intranet to which you have access. You hereby consent to any and all procedures the Company has established or may establish for an electronic signature system for delivery and acceptance of any such documents that the Company may be required to deliver, and the Company agrees that your electronic signature is the same as, and shall have the same force and effect as, your manual signature.

 

9. Binding Effect . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successor or successors of the Company and upon any person lawfully claiming under you.

 

10.

Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with regard to the subject matter hereof, and contains all the covenants, promises,

 

3


representations, warranties and agreements between the parties with respect to the Restricted Stock granted hereby. Without limiting the scope of the preceding sentence, all prior understandings and agreements, if any, among the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof are hereby null and void and of no further force and effect. Any modification of this Agreement shall be effective only if it is in writing and signed by both you and an authorized officer of the Company.

 

11. Independent Legal and Tax Advice . You have been advised, and you hereby acknowledge that you have been advised, to obtain independent legal and tax advice regarding this grant of Restricted Stock and the disposition of such shares, including, without limitation, the election available under Section 83(b) of the Code. The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Common Stock from loss or depreciation.

 

12. Governing Law . This grant shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.

Please return this Agreement signed to the Company. The enclosed copy is for your records.

 

Agreed and accepted

by Grantee

    Goodrich Petroleum Corporation
      By:   Leslee M. Ranly
[Name of Grantee]     Title: VP-Human Resources and Administration

 

4

LOGO    Exhibit 5.1

October 12, 2016

Goodrich Petroleum Corporation

801 Louisiana, Suite 700

Houston, Texas 77002

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel for Goodrich Petroleum Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Company’s registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), of the offer and sale of an aggregate of up to 1,100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on October 12, 2016, which Shares may be issued from time to time in accordance with the terms of the Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

In reaching the opinions set forth herein, we have examined and are familiar with originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents and records of the Company and such statutes, regulations and other instruments as we deemed necessary or advisable for purposes of this opinion, including (i) the Registration Statement, (ii) certain resolutions adopted by the board of directors of the Company, (iii) the Plan, and (iv) such other certificates, instruments, and documents as we have considered necessary for purposes of this opinion letter. As to any facts material to our opinions, we have made no independent investigation or verification of such facts and have relied, to the extent that we deem such reliance proper, upon certificates of public officials and officers or other representatives of the Company.

We have assumed (i) the legal capacity of all natural persons, (ii) the genuineness of all signatures, (iii) the authority of all persons signing all documents submitted to us on behalf of the parties to such documents, (iv) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, (v) the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies, (vi) that all information contained in all documents reviewed by us is true, correct and complete, and (vii) that the Shares will be issued in accordance with the terms of the Plan.

Based on the foregoing and subject to the limitations set forth herein, and having due regard for the legal considerations we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, when the Shares are issued by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Plan and the instruments executed pursuant to the Plan, as applicable, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

This opinion is limited in all respects to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. We express no opinion as to any other law or any matter other than as expressly set forth above, and no opinion as to any other law or matter may be inferred or implied herefrom. The opinions expressed herein are rendered as of the date hereof and we expressly disclaim any obligation to update this letter or advise you of any change in any matter after the date hereof.

 

Vinson & Elkins LLP Attorneys at Law

Abu Dhabi    Austin    Beijing    Dallas    Dubai     Hong Kong    Houston    London

Moscow    New York    Palo Alto    Riyadh    San Francisco     Tokyo    Washington

  

Trammell Crow Center, 2001 Ross Avenue, Suite 3700

Dallas, TX 75201-2975

Tel +1.214.220.7700     Fax +1.214.220.7716     www.velaw.com


LOGO    Goodrich Petroleum Corporation    October 12, 2016     Page  2

 

This opinion letter may be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act.

 

Very truly yours,
/s/ Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Management Incentive Plan of our reports dated March 30, 2016, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Goodrich Petroleum Corporation and subsidiary and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Goodrich Petroleum Corporation and subsidiary included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Houston, Texas

October 12, 2016

LOGO

Exhibit 23.2

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PETROLEUM ENGINEERS AND GEOLOGISTS

Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. hereby consents to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Goodrich Petroleum Corporation of information relating to Goodrich Petroleum Corporation’s estimated proved reserves as set forth under the captions “Part I, Item 1 and 2. Business and Properties – Oil and Natural Gas Reserves” in Goodrich Petroleum Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and to the inclusion of our report dated February 4, 2016 in Goodrich Petroleum Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

 

 

NETHERLAND, SEWELL & ASSOCIATES, INC.
By:   /s/ J. Carter Henson, Jr., P.E.
  J. Carter Henson, Jr., P.E.
  Senior Vice President

Houston, Texas

October 12, 2016

EXHIBIT 23.3

 

LOGO    LOGO      
   TBPE REGISTERED ENGINEERING FIRM F-1580       FAX (713) 651-0849
   1100 LOUISIANA SUITE 4600                        HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002-5294    TELEPHONE (713) 651-9191

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ENGINEERS

As independent engineering consultants, Ryder Scott Company, L.P. hereby consents to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Goodrich Petroleum Corporation of information relating to Goodrich Petroleum Corporation’s estimated proved reserves as set forth under the captions “Part I, Item 1 and 2. Business and Properties – Oil and Natural Gas Reserves” in Goodrich Petroleum Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and to the inclusion of our report dated January 25, 2016 in Goodrich Petroleum Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

 

LOGO
RYDER SCOTT COMPANY, LP
TBPE Firm Registration No. F-1580

Houston, Texas

October 12, 2016

 

SUITE 600, 1015 4TH STREET, S.W.   CALGARY, ALBERTA T2A1J4   TEL (403) 262-2799   FAX (403) 262-2790
621 17TH STREET, SUITE 1550   DENVER, COLORADO 80293-1501   TEL (303) 623-9147   FAX (303) 623-4258