UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-A

 

 

FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES

PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

 

STONE ENERGY CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   72-1235413
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

625 E. Kaliste Saloom Road

Lafayette, Louisiana 70508

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

to be so registered

 

Name of each exchange on which

each class is to be registered

Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share   New York Stock Exchange

 

 

If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(c) or (e), check the following box   ☑

If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(d) or (e), check the following box.   ☐

If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities concurrently with a Regulation A offering, check

the following box.   ☐

Securities Act registration statement file number to which this form relates:

Not applicable

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

 

 

 


Item 1. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered.

General

As previously reported, on December 14, 2016, Stone Energy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and its subsidiaries, Stone Energy Holding, L.L.C. and Stone Energy Offshore, L.L.C. (collectively with the Company, the “ Debtors ”), filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the “ Bankruptcy Code ”) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “ Bankruptcy Court ”) in order to effectuate the Second Amended Joint Prepackaged Plan of Reorganization of Stone Energy Corporation and its Debtor Affiliates, dated December 28, 2016 (the “ Plan ”). On February 15, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order confirming the Plan (the “ Confirmation Order ”), a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto. On the date hereof (the “ Effective Date ”), the Company satisfied the conditions of the Confirmation Order and the Plan became effective.

Pursuant to the Plan, on the Effective Date, the Company created new common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Common Stock ”). On the Effective Date, pursuant to the Plan, the Company issued 20,000,000 shares of Common Stock. This registration statement registers under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Common Stock issued pursuant to the Plan. The Company has applied to list the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol of “SGY.”

Also on the Effective Date, the Company filed its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and adopted its Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “ Bylaws ”). The following description of the Common Stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified by the full terms of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws, copies of which are attached to this registration statement as Exhibit 3.1 and Exhibit 3.2, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL ”) may contain provisions which affect the capital stock of the Company.

Authorized Capitalization

The Company’s authorized capital stock consists of 65,000,000 shares, which include 60,000,000 shares of the Common Stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Preferred Stock ”).

Common Stock

Dividends

Subject to the rights granted to any holders of the Preferred Stock, holders of the Common Stock will be entitled to dividends, if any, in the amounts and at the times declared by the Company’s board of directors (the “ Board ”) in its discretion out of any assets or funds of the Company legally available for the payment of dividends.

Voting

Each holder of shares of the Common Stock is entitled to one vote for each share of the Common Stock on all matters presented to the stockholders of the Company (including the election of directors). There are no cumulative voting rights for the election of directors. Each director will be elected by a majority of the votes cast with respect to that director’s election ( i.e. the number of votes cast “for” a director exceeds the votes cast “against” the director), unless the number of nominees for director exceeds the number of directors to be elected, in which case, the directors will be elected by a plurality of the shares represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors.

Liquidation

The holders of the Common Stock will share equally and ratably in the Company’s assets on liquidation after payment or provision for all liabilities and any preferential liquidation rights of any Preferred Stock then outstanding.


Other Rights

The holders of the Common Stock do not have preemptive rights to purchase shares of the Company’s stock. The Common Stock is not convertible, redeemable, assessable or entitled to the benefits of any sinking or repurchase fund. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of the Common Stock will be subject to those of the holders of any shares of Preferred Stock that the Company may issue in the future.

Under the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws, the Company is prohibited from issuing any non-voting equity securities to the extent required under Section 1123(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code and only for so long as Section 1123 of the Bankruptcy Code is in effect and applicable to the Company.

Limitation of Liability of Directors

The Certificate of Incorporation provides that no director shall be personally liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. The effect of this provision is to eliminate the Company’s and its stockholders’ rights, through stockholders’ derivative suits on the Company’s behalf, to recover monetary damages from a director for a breach of the fiduciary duty of care as a director.

Registration Rights Agreement

On the Effective Date, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement (the “ Registration Rights Agreement ”) with parties who received shares of Common Stock upon the Effective Date (the “ Holders ”) representing 5% or more of the Common Stock outstanding on that date. The Registration Rights Agreement provides resale registration rights for the Holders’ Registrable Securities (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement).

Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, Holders have customary underwritten offering and piggyback registration rights, subject to the limitations set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement. Under their underwritten offering registration rights, Holders have the right to demand the Company to effectuate the distribution of any or all of its Registrable Securities by means of an underwritten offering pursuant to an effective registration statement; provided, however, that the expected gross proceeds of such offering are equal to or greater than $20.0 million in the aggregate. The Company is not obligated to effect an underwritten demand notice upon certain circumstances, including within 180 days of closing an underwritten offering. Under their piggyback registration rights, if at any time the Company proposes to undertake a registered offering of Common Stock for its own account, the Company must give at least 10 business days’ notice to all Holders of Registrable Securities to allow them to include a specified number of their shares in the offering.

These registration rights are subject to certain conditions and limitations, including the right of the underwriters to limit the number of shares to be included in an offering and the Company’s right to delay or withdraw a registration statement under certain circumstances. The Company will generally pay all registration expenses in connection with its obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement, regardless of whether a registration statement is filed or becomes effective. The registration rights granted in the Registration Rights Agreement are subject to customary indemnification and contribution provisions, as well as customary restrictions such as blackout periods and, if an underwritten offering is contemplated, limitations on the number of shares to be included in the underwritten offering that may be imposed by the managing underwriter.

This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Registration Rights Agreement, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated by reference herein.

Anti-Takeover Provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws and the DGCL

The Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws and the DGCL contain provisions that may have some anti-takeover effects and may delay, defer or prevent a takeover attempt or a removal of the Company’s incumbent officers or directors that a stockholder might consider in his, her or its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for shares held by the stockholders.


Preferred Stock

The Board is empowered, without further vote or action by the stockholders (except as may otherwise be provided by the terms of any class or series of then-outstanding Preferred Stock), to (i) authorize the issuance of the Preferred Stock in one or more series, (ii) determine the designations and the powers, preferences, rights (including voting rights), qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, (iii) determine variations, if any, between any classes or series so established and (iv) increase or decrease the number of shares of any such class or series to the extent permitted by law.

The issuance of Preferred Stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of the Company without further action by the stockholders and may adversely affect the voting and other rights of the holders of the Common Stock. At present, the Company has no plans to issue any of the Preferred Stock.

Written Consent of Stockholders; Calling of Special Meeting of Stockholders

The Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by the Company’s stockholders may be taken by written consent. Special meetings of stockholders may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board, by the President, by the majority of the Board, by a majority of the Executive Committee of the Board or by the Secretary at the direction of stockholders holding at least 25% of the outstanding capital stock of the Company.

Amendment of the Bylaws

Under the DGCL, the power to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws is conferred upon the stockholders. A corporation may, however, in its certificate of incorporation also confer upon the board of directors the power to adopt, amend or repeal its bylaws. The Certificate of Incorporation grants the Board the power to adopt, amend, restate or repeal the Bylaws, provided that no such adoption, amendment, or repeal shall be valid with respect to provisions of the Bylaws that have been adopted, amended, or repealed by the stockholders; provided further that certain provisions of the Bylaws may not be amended or repealed without the affirmative vote of (i) a majority of the Board or (ii) stockholders holding at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the outstanding voting securities of the Company.

Other Limitations on Stockholder Actions

Advance notice which complies with the requirements set forth in the Bylaws is required for stockholders to nominate directors or to submit proposals for consideration at meetings of stockholders.

Newly Created Directorships and Vacancies on the Board

Under the Bylaws, any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors may be filled solely by the Board upon a vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, even if they constitute less than a quorum of the Board or by a sole remaining director. Under the Bylaws, any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal or other cause may be filled by a majority vote of the holders of capital stock of the Company at any annual or special meeting of stockholders; stockholders provided, however, that if a vacancy on the Board is not filled by a majority vote of stockholders at the meeting immediately following the vacancy, the vacancy shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.

No Cumulative Voting

The stockholders do not have the right to cumulate votes, as discussed further under “Common Stock—Voting.”


Section 203 of the DGCL

Before the Effective Date, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation provided that the Company was subject to Section 203 of the DGCL. As of the Effective Date, the Company has elected in its Certificate of Incorporation to not be subject to Section 203.

In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that such stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with its affiliates and associates, owns, 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock. Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited for a period of three years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder unless it satisfies one of the following conditions:

 

    before the stockholder became interested, the board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

    upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and employee stock plans, in some instances; or

 

    at or after the time the stockholder became interested, the business combination is approved by the board of directors of the corporation and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

Item 2. Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

2.1    Second Amended Joint Prepackaged Plan of Reorganization of Stone Energy Corporation and its Debtor Affiliates, dated December 28, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit A of the Confirmation Order attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto).
3.1*    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Stone Energy Corporation.
3.2*    Amended and Restated Bylaws of Stone Energy Corporation.
10.1*    Registration Rights Agreement among Stone Energy Corporation and certain holders identified therein.
99.1    Order Confirming the Second Amended Joint Prepackaged Plan of Reorganization of Stone Energy Corporation and its Debtor Affiliates, as entered by the Bankruptcy Court on February 15, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 15, 2017).

 

 

* Filed herewith.


SIGNATURES

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

 

    STONE ENERGY CORPORATION
Date: February 28, 2017     By:   /s/ Lisa S. Jaubert
      Lisa S. Jaubert
     

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and

Secretary


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

2.1    Second Amended Prepackaged Joint Plan of Reorganization of Stone Energy Corporation and its Debtor Affiliates, dated December 28, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit A of the Confirmation Order attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto).
3.1*    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Stone Energy Corporation.
3.2*    Amended and Restated Bylaws of Stone Energy Corporation.
10.1*    Registration Rights Agreement among Stone Energy Corporation and certain holders identified therein.
99.1    Order Confirming the Second Amended Joint Prepackaged Plan of Reorganization of Stone Energy Corporation and its Debtor Affiliates, as entered by the Bankruptcy Court on February 15, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 15, 2017).

 

 

* Filed herewith.

Exhibit 3.1

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

STONE ENERGY CORPORATION

Stone Energy Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, hereby certifies as follows:

1. The name of the corporation is Stone Energy Corporation. The Corporation was incorporated by filing its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of Delaware on March 15, 1993.

2. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which restates, integrates and further amends the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, is made and filed pursuant to that certain Second Amended Joint Prepackaged Plan of Reorganization with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “Court”) in In re: Stone Energy Corporation, et al., Case No. 16-36390, which was confirmed by order of the Court entered February 15, 2017 in accordance with Section 303 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).

3. The Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation is hereby amended, integrated and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

FIRST: The name of the corporation is Stone Energy Corporation.

SECOND: The address of the registered office of the corporation in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, 19801. The name of the registered agent of the corporation at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

THIRD: The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted by the corporation is to engage in any lawful business, act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL.

FOURTH: The total number of shares of capital stock of the corporation shall be 65,000,000, which shall consist of 5,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value of $.01 per share, and 60,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value of $.01 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 to fix any such provisions not fixed by this Certificate:

I. Preferred Stock

The Preferred Stock may be divided into and issued from time to time in one or more series as may be fixed and determined by the Board of Directors. The relative rights and preferences of the Preferred Stock of each series shall be such as shall be stated in any resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors setting forth the designations of the series and


fixing and determining the relative rights and preferences thereof, any such resolution or resolutions being herein called a “Preferred Stock Series Resolution”. The Board of Directors is hereby authorized to fix and determine such variations in the designations, preferences, and relative, participating, optional or other special rights (including, without limitation, special voting rights, preferential rights to receive dividends or assets upon liquidation, rights of conversion into Common Stock or other securities, redemption provisions or sinking fund provisions) as between series and as between the Preferred Stock or any series thereof and the Common Stock, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such rights, all as shall be stated in a Preferred Stock Series Resolution, and the shares of Preferred Stock or any series thereof may have full or limited voting powers, or be without voting powers, all as shall be stated in a Preferred Stock Series Resolution.

Any of the series terms, including voting rights, of any series may be made dependent upon facts ascertainable outside the Certificate of Incorporation 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 the Certificate of Incorporation or in the Preferred Stock Series Resolution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Series Resolutions 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 with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Series Resolutions relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms of this Certificate of Incorporation or any resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of such series of stock adopted by the Board of Directors, the number of authorized shares of any class or series of capital stock of the corporation may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

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.

II. Common Stock

1. Dividends . Subject to the provisions of 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 . Subject to the provisions of any Preferred Stock Series Resolution, 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 . The holders of the Common Stock of the corporation shall be entitled to one vote for each share of such stock held by them.

III. Prior, Parity or Junior Stock

Whenever reference is made in this Article Fourth to shares “ranking prior to” another class of stock or “on a parity with” another class of stock, such reference shall mean and include all other shares of the corporation in respect of which the rights of the holders thereof as to the payment of dividends or as to distributions in the event of a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the corporation are given preference over, or rank on an equal basis with, as the case may be, the rights of the holders of such other class of stock. Whenever reference is made to shares “ranking junior to” another class of stock, such reference shall mean and include all shares of the corporation in respect of which the rights of the holders thereof as to the payment of dividends and as to distributions in the event of a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the corporation are junior and subordinate to the rights of the holders of such class of stock.

Except as otherwise provided herein or in any Preferred Stock Series Resolution, each series of Preferred Stock ranks on a parity with each other and each ranks prior to the Common Stock. Common Stock ranks junior to Preferred Stock.

IV. Reservation and Retirement of Shares

The corporation shall at all times reserve and keep available, out of its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock or out of shares of Common Stock held in its treasury, the full number of shares of Common Stock into which all shares of any series of Preferred Stock having conversion privileges from time to time outstanding are convertible.

Unless otherwise provided in a Preferred Stock Series Resolution with respect to a particular series of Preferred Stock, all shares of Preferred Stock redeemed or acquired (as a result of conversion or otherwise) by the corporation shall be retired and restored to the status of authorized but unissued shares.

V. No Preemptive Rights

No holder of shares of stock of the corporation shall have any preemptive or other rights, except as such rights are expressly provided by contract, an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation or any Preferred Stock Series Resolution to purchase or subscribe for or receive

 

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any shares of any class, or series thereof, of stock of the corporation, whether now or hereafter authorized, or any warrants, options, bonds, debentures or other securities convertible into, exchangeable for or carrying any right to purchase any shares of any class, or series thereof, of stock; but such additional shares of stock and such warrants, options, bonds, debentures or other securities convertible into, exchangeable for or carrying any right to purchase any shares of any class, or series thereof, of stock may be issued or disposed of by the Board of Directors to such persons, and on such terms and for such lawful consideration, as in its discretion it shall deem advisable or as to which the corporation shall have by binding contract agreed.

VI. Nonvoting Equity Securities

The corporation shall not issue nonvoting equity securities; provided, however the foregoing restriction shall (i) have no further force and effect beyond that required under Section 1123(a)(6) of Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”), (ii) only have such force and effect for so long as Section 1123 of the Bankruptcy Code 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 may be in effect. The prohibition on the issuance of nonvoting equity securities is included in this Certificate of Incorporation in compliance with Section 1123(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code.

FIFTH: [Intentionally Omitted.]

SIXTH: The number of directors of the corporation shall be fixed as specified or provided for in the by-laws of the corporation. Election of directors need not be by written ballot unless the by-laws shall so provide. No holders of Preferred Stock or Common Stock of the corporation shall have any right to cumulate votes in the election of directors.

SEVENTH: [Intentionally Omitted.]

EIGHTH: 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 by-laws of the corporation or adopt new by-laws, without any action on the part of the stockholders; provided, however, that no such adoption, amendment, or repeal shall be valid with respect to by-law provisions which have been adopted, amended, or repealed by the stockholders; and further provided, that by-laws adopted or amended by the Directors and any powers thereby conferred may be amended, altered, or repealed by the stockholders.

NINTH: To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, the corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless each person who is or was made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “proceeding”) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the corporation or, while a director or officer of the corporation, is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (an “indemnitee”), whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent, or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee or agent, against all expenses,

 

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liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such indemnitee in connection with such proceeding. To the fullest extent permitted by law, an indemnitee shall also have the right to be paid by the corporation the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that, if the DGCL requires, an advancement of expenses shall be made only upon delivery to the corporation of an undertaking, by or on behalf of the indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for the expenses under this Article Ninth or otherwise. The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred by this Article Ninth shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article Ninth, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses, the corporation shall indemnify and advance expenses to an indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors.

The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred on any indemnitee by this Article Ninth shall not be exclusive of any other rights that any indemnitee may have or hereafter acquire under law, the Certificate of Incorporation, the by-laws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.

Any repeal or amendment of this Article Ninth by the stockholders of the corporation or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provision of the Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article Ninth, shall, unless otherwise required by law, be prospective only (except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits the corporation to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis than permitted prior thereto), and shall not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.

This Article Ninth shall not limit the right of the corporation, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than indemnitees.

TENTH: The corporation shall have the right, subject to any express provisions or restrictions contained in the Certificate of Incorporation or by-laws of the corporation, from time to time, to amend the Certificate of Incorporation 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 Certificate of Incorporation or any amendment thereof are conferred subject to such right.

ELEVENTH: The corporation shall not be governed by or subject to Section 203 of the DGCL.

 

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TWELFTH: Unless otherwise provided in the corporation’s certificate of incorporation, any action required to be taken at any regular or special meeting of stockholders of the corporation, or any action which may be taken at any regular or special meeting of such 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 so taken and bearing the dates of signature of the stockholders who signed the consent or consents, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding stock 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 thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the corporation by delivery to its registered office in the state of Delaware, or the corporation’s principal place of business, or an officer or agent of the corporation having custody of the book or books in which proceedings of meetings of the stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to the corporation’s registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested or by reputable overnight courier service. All consents properly delivered in accordance with this section shall be deemed to be recorded when so delivered. No written consent shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless, within 60 days after the earliest dated consent delivered to the corporation as required by this section, written consents signed by the holders of a sufficient number of shares to take such corporate action are so recorded. Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall 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. Any action taken pursuant to such written consent or consents of the stockholders shall have the same force and effect as if taken by the stockholders at a meeting thereof. Any copy, facsimile or other reliable reproduction of a consent in writing may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing for any and all purposes for which the original writing could be used; provided that such copy, facsimile or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing.

THIRTEENTH: A director of the corporation shall not be liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or may hereafter be amended. Any amendment, modification or repeal of the foregoing sentence shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the corporation hereunder in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment, modification or repeal.

[Signature page follows.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his hand this 28th day of February, 2017.

 

STONE ENERGY CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ Kenneth H. Beer

  Name:   Kenneth H. Beer
  Title:  

Executive Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

[Signature Page to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Stone Energy Corporation]

Exhibit 3.2

 

 

 

SECOND AMENDED & RESTATED BYLAWS

OF

STONE ENERGY CORPORATION

A Delaware Corporation

As Amended and Restated February 28, 2017

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

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; Required Vote for Stockholder Action; Withdrawal During Meeting; Adjournment      1  

Section 3.

  Annual Meetings      2  

Section 4.

  Special Meetings      2  

Section 5.

  Record Date      2  

Section 6.

  Notice of Meetings      3  

Section 7.

  List of Stockholders      3  

Section 8.

  Proxies      4  

Section 9.

  Voting; Elections; Inspectors      4  

Section 10.

  Conduct of Meetings      5  

Section 11.

  Treasury Stock      6  

Section 12.

  Action Without Meeting      6  

Section 13.

  Business to be Brought Before Annual or Special Meetings      6  

ARTICLE III BOARD OF DIRECTORS

     11  

Section 1.

  Power; Number; Term of Office      11  

Section 2.

  Annual Election of Directors      12  

Section 3.

  Quorum; Required Vote for Director Action      12  

Section 4.

  Place of Meetings; Order of Business      12  

Section 5.

  [Intentionally Omitted.]      12  

Section 6.

  Regular Meetings      12  

Section 7.

  Special Meetings      12  

Section 8.

  Removal      12  

Section 9.

  Vacancies; Increases in the Number of Directors      13  

Section 10.

  Compensation      13  

Section 11.

  Action Without a Meeting; Telephone Conference Meeting      13  

ARTICLE IV COMMITTEES

     14  

Section 1.

  Designation; Powers      14  

Section 2.

  Procedure; Meetings; Quorum      14  

Section 3.

  Substitution of Members      14  

ARTICLE V OFFICERS

     14  

Section 1.

  Number, Titles and Term of Office      14  

Section 2.

  Compensation      15  

Section 3.

  Removal      15  

Section 4.

  Vacancies      15  

Section 5.

  Powers and Duties of the Chief Executive Officer      15  

Section 6.

  Powers and Duties of the Chairman of the Board      15  


Section 7.

  Powers and Duties of the President      15  

Section 8.

  Vice Presidents      15  

Section 9.

  Secretary      16  

Section 10.

  Assistant Secretaries      16  

Section 11.

  Action with Respect to Securities of Other Corporations      16  

ARTICLE VI INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS

     16  

Section 1.

  Right to Indemnification      16  

Section 2.

  Advance Payment      17  

Section 3.

  Indemnification of Employees and Agents      17  

Section 4.

  Appearance as a Witness      17  

Section 5.

  Right of Claimant to Bring Suit      18  

Section 6.

  Nonexclusivity of Rights      18  

Section 7.

  Insurance      18  

Section 8.

  [Intentionally Omitted]      18  

Section 9.

  Definitions      18  

ARTICLE VII CAPITAL STOCK

     19  

Section 1.

  Certificates of Stock      19  

Section 2.

  Transfer of Shares      19  

Section 3.

  Ownership of Shares      19  

Section 4.

  Regulations Regarding Certificates      20  

Section 5.

  Lost, Stolen      20  

ARTICLE VIII MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

     20  

Section 1.

  Fiscal Year      20  

Section 2.

  Corporate Seal      20  

Section 3.

  Notice and Waiver of Notice      20  

Section 4.

  Resignations      21  

Section 5.

  Facsimile Signatures      21  

Section 6.

  Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records      21  

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS

     21  


SECOND AMENDED & RESTATED BYLAWS

OF

STONE ENERGY CORPORATION

A DELAWARE 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. If the Corporation maintains a principal office within the State of Delaware, the registered office need not be identical to such principal office of the Corporation.

Section 2. Other Offices . The Corporation may have other offices at such places both within and without the State of Delaware as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or as 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, or at such other place either within or without the State of Delaware as shall be specified or fixed in the notices or waivers of notice thereof.

Section 2 . Quorum; Required Vote for Stockholder Action; Withdrawal During Meeting; Adjournment . Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, the holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at any such meeting of stockholders. Where there is a required quorum present when any duly organized meeting convenes, the stockholders present may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the subsequent withdrawal of sufficient stockholders or proxies to reduce the total number of voting shares below the number of shares required for a quorum.

Notwithstanding other provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, the chairman of the meeting of stockholders or the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote at such meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, at any meeting of stockholders, whether or not a quorum is present, shall have the power to adjourn 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 meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 30 days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented by proxy, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally called. If a quorum is present at the original duly organized meeting of stockholders, it is also present at an adjourned session of such meeting.

Section 3 . Annual Meetings . 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 be considered at the meeting, shall be held at such place, within or without the State of Delaware, on such date and at such time as the Board of Directors shall fix and set forth in the notice of the meeting. If the Board of Directors has not fixed a place for the holding of the annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with this Article II, Section 3, such annual meeting shall be held at the principal place of business of the Corporation. No business may be conducted at the annual meeting of stockholders except in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 13 of this Article II

Section 4 . Special Meetings . Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, special meetings of the stockholders for any proper purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board (if any), by the President, by a majority of the Board of Directors, by a majority of the executive committee (if any) or by the Secretary at the direction of a stockholder, or a group of stockholders, holding at least 25% of the capital stock of the Corporation and special meetings may not be called by any other person or persons. Only business within the proper purpose or purposes described in the notice required by these bylaws may be conducted at a special meeting of the stockholders.

Section 5 . Record Date . For the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders, or any adjournment thereof, or entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in connection with any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix, in advance, a date as the record date for any such determination of stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting, which date shall not be more than 60 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of such meeting.

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 a meeting of stockholders shall be the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice of such meeting is given, or, if notice is waived in accordance with Article VIII, Section 3 of these bylaws, the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, in order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board of Directors may fix a record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent in writing to such corporate action, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than 10 days subsequent to the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors.

 

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If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required by law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation by delivery to its registered office, its principal place of business, or to an officer or to agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to the Corporation’s registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors and prior action by the Board of Directors is required by law, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.

In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in connection with any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall not be more than 60 days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

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

Section 6 . Notice of Meetings . Written notice stating the place, day and hour of all meetings, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be delivered by or at the direction of the President, the Secretary or the other person(s) calling the meeting not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting. Such notice may be delivered either personally or by mail. If mailed, notice shall be deemed to have been given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at his address as it appears on the records of the Corporation. An affidavit of the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary or the transfer agent of the Corporation that the notice has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima fade evidence of the facts stated therein.

Section 7 . List of Stockholders . The officer or agent having charge of the share transfer records of the Corporation shall prepare and make, at least 10 days prior to each meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting or any adjournment thereof, arranged in alphabetical order, with the address of and the number of shares held by each, which list, for a period of 10 days prior to such meeting, shall be kept on file at the registered office or principal place of business of the Corporation and shall be subject to inspection by any stockholder at any time during usual business hours. Such list shall also be

 

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produced and kept open at the time and place of the meeting and shall be subject to inspection by any stockholder during the course of the meeting. The original share transfer records shall be prima facie evidence as to the identity of those stockholders entitled to examine such voting list or transfer records or to vote at any meeting of stockholders. Failure to comply with the requirements of this Article II, Section 7 shall not affect the validity of any action taken at such meeting.

Section 8 . Proxies . Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize another person or persons to act for 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 such 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 with respect to 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 3 years from the date of its execution, unless such proxy provides for a longer period. Each proxy shall be revocable unless expressly provided therein to be irrevocable and only as long as it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power.

If a proxy designates two or more persons to act as proxies, unless such instrument shall expressly provide to 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 consent 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 cannot agree on any particular issue, the Corporation shall not be required to recognize such proxy with respect to such issue, if such proxy does not specify how the shares that are the subject of such proxy are to be voted with respect to such issue.

Section 9 . Voting; Elections; Inspectors . Unless otherwise required by law or provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, each stockholder shall, on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders, have one vote for each share of capital stock entitled to vote thereon that is registered in his name on the record date for such meeting. Shares registered in the name of another corporation, domestic or foreign, may be voted by such officer, agent or proxy as the bylaws (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 executor or administrator, either in person or by proxy.

At any stockholders meeting, every stockholder entitled to vote may vote in person or by proxy. Every stock vote shall be taken by written ballot, and each ballot 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 stock vote, unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

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At any meeting of stockholders at which a vote is to be taken by ballot, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors, each of whom shall sign an oath or affirmation to faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his ability. The inspectors 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 that no candidate for the office of director shall be appointed as an inspector.

Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, each director shall be elected by the vote of a majority of the votes cast with respect to that director’s election at any meeting for the election of directors at which a quorum is present; provided that if, as of the 10th day preceding the date the Corporation first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to the stockholders of the Corporation, the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected at such meeting (a “Contested Election”), then the directors shall be elected by the vote of a plurality of the votes cast. For purposes of this paragraph, a majority of the votes cast shall mean that the number of votes cast “for” a director’s election exceeds the number of votes cast “against” the director’s election (with “abstentions” and “broker nonvotes” not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” that director’s election). The Corporation’s corporate governance guidelines may establish procedures with respect to the contingent resignation of any director who does not receive a majority of the votes cast in an election that is not a Contested Election.

In all matters other than the election of directors, when a quorum is present, a majority of the votes cast on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders, except where a larger vote is required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, in which case such larger vote shall control the decision of such matter.

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

Section 10 . Conduct of Meetings . All meetings of the stockholders shall be presided over by the chairman of the meeting, who shall be the Chairman of the Board (if any), or if he is not present, the President, or if neither the Chairman of the Board (if any) nor President is present, a chairman elected at the meeting. The Secretary of the Corporation, if present, shall act as secretary of such meetings, or if he is not present, an Assistant Secretary (if any) shall so act; if neither the Secretary nor an Assistant Secretary (if any) is present, then a secretary shall be appointed by the chairman of the meeting.

The chairman of any meeting of stockholders 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 the chairman in order. Unless the chairman of the meeting shall otherwise determine, the order of business shall be as follows:

 

  (a) Calling of meeting to order.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  (e) Reading and settlement of the minutes of the previous meeting.

 

  (f) Reports of officers and committees.

 

  (g) Election of directors, if an annual meeting, or special election if a meeting called for such purpose.

 

  (h) Unfinished business.

 

  (i) New business.

 

  (j) Adjournment.

Section 11 . Treasury Stock . Neither the Corporation nor any other person shall vote, directly or indirectly, shares of the Corporation’s own stock owned by the Corporation, shares of the Corporation’s own stock owned by another corporation the majority of the voting stock of which is owned or controlled by the Corporation, or shares of the Corporation’s own stock held by the Corporation in a fiduciary capacity and such shares shall not be counted for quorum purposes or in determining the number of outstanding shares.

Section 12 . Action Without Meeting . Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, any action permitted or required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws to be taken at a 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 so taken, shall be signed by the holders of the outstanding stock 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 thereon were present and voted and such consent shall be delivered to the Corporation’s registered office, its principal place of business, or to an officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which the proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to a Corporation’s registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. Every written consent shall bear the date of signature thereto and no written consent shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless, within 60 days of the first consent delivered to the Corporation in the manner required by this Article II, Section 12, written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take action are delivered to the Corporation.

Section 13 . Business to be Brought Before Annual or Special Meetings . All matters to be considered and brought before any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, whether or not such matter is to be included in the Corporation’s proxy statement prepared pursuant to the federal securities laws, including the proxy rules set forth in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ( the “Exchange Act”), shall be properly brought before any such meeting only if in compliance with the procedures set forth in this Section 13.

 

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(A) Annual Meetings of Stockholders

 

  (1) Nominations of persons for election to the board of directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (a) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (b) by or at the direction of the board of directors or (c) by any stockholder of the corporation who (i) was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this by-law and at the time of the annual meeting, (ii) is entitled to vote at the meeting and (iii) complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 13 as to such business or nomination; clause (c) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations or submit other business before an annual meeting of stockholders.

 

  (2) Without qualification, for any nominations or any other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to Section 13(A)(1)(c) of this Section 13, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the corporation and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for stockholder action. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day and not later than the close of business on the 90th day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after the anniversary date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 100th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such annual meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of such annual meeting, the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the corporation. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

To be in proper form, a stockholder’s notice (whether given pursuant to this Section 13(A)(2) or Section 13(B)) to the Secretary must:

 

  (a)

set forth, as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made (i) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the corporation’s books, and of such beneficial owner, if any, (ii) (A) the class or series and number of shares of the corporation which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, (B) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, 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

 

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  underlying class or series of capital stock of the corporation or otherwise (a “Derivative Instrument”) directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such stockholder and any other direct or indirect 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 has a right to vote any shares of any security of the corporation, (D) any short interest in any security of the corporation (for purposes of this by-law a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, 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 that are separated or separable from the underlying 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 is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner and (G) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such stockholder 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 immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, not later than 10 days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date), and (iii) any other information relating to such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;

 

  (b) if the notice relates to any business other than a nomination of a director or directors that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, set forth (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest of such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, in such business and (ii) a description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings between such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder;

 

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  (c) set forth, as to each person, if any, whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection to the board of directors (i) all information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected) and (ii) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships, between or among such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, and their respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee, and his or her respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the other hand, including, without limitation all biographical and related party transaction and other information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to the federal and state securities laws if the stockholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, if any, or any affiliate or associate thereof or person acting in concert therewith, were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant; and

 

  (d) with respect to each nominee for election or reelection to the board of directors, include a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 13(D) below.

The corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information 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 or that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

 

  (3) Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of Section 13(A)(2) to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the board of directors is increased and there is no public announcement by the corporation naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased board of directors at least 100 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 13 shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the corporation.

 

(B)

Special Meetings of Stockholders . Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the corporation’s notice of meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the board of directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the corporation’s notice of meeting (i) by or at the direction of the

 

9


  Board of Directors or (ii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the corporation who (a) is a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this by-law and at the time of the special meeting, (b) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (c) complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 13 as to such nomination. In the event the corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the board of directors, any such stockholder may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position(s) as specified in the corporation’s notice of meeting, if the stockholder’s notice required by Section 13(A)(2) with respect to any nomination (including the completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 13(D) below) shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the date of such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 100th day prior to the date of such special meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such special meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of such special meeting, the 10th day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the board of directors to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of a special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

(C) General

 

  (1) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this by-law shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 13. Except as otherwise provided by law, or the corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation or its Bylaws, the Chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 13 and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with this Section 13, to declare that such defective proposal or nomination shall be disregarded.

 

  (2) For purposes of this Section 13, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

  (3)

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 13, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 13; provided, however, that any references in the corporation’s Bylaws to the Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended to and

 

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  shall not limit the requirements applicable to nominations or proposals as to any other business to be considered pursuant to Section 13(A)(1)(c) or Section 13(B) above. Nothing in this Section 13 shall eliminate or limit any obligations of any stockholder pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or any other applicable federal or state securities law with respect to that stockholder’s request to include proposals in the corporation’s proxy statement.

 

(D) Submission of Questionnaire, Representation and Agreement . To be eligible to be a nominee for election or reelection as a director of the corporation, a person must deliver (in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under this Section 13) to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such person and the background of any other person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that such person (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 person, 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 person’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the corporation, with such person’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 therein, and (iii) in such person’s individual capacity and on behalf of any person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made, would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the corporation, and will comply with all applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the corporation.

ARTICLE III

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1 . Power; Number; Term of Office . The powers of the Corporation shall be exercised by or under the authority of, and 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 the Certificate of Incorporation, they may exercise all the powers of the Corporation.

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, the number of directors that shall constitute the Board of Directors shall be seven (7) or such other number as may be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors (provided that no decrease in the number of directors that would have the effect of shortening the term of an incumbent director may be made by the Board of Directors). If the Board of Directors does not make such

 

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determination, the number of directors shall be the number set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation as the number of directors constituting the initial Board of Directors; provided, however, that in no event shall there be less than three (3) or more than thirteen (13) directors in the aggregate. Each director shall hold office for the term for which he is elected and thereafter until his successor shall have been elected and qualified, or until his earlier death, resignation or removal.

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, directors need not be stockholders or residents of the State of Delaware.

Section 2 . Annual Election of Directors . The members of the Board of Directors shall be elected annually.

Section 3 . Quorum; Required Vote for Director Action . Unless otherwise required by law or in the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, 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 4 . 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 (if any), or in his absence by the President (if the President is a director) or by resolution of the Board of Directors.

Section 5 . [ Intentionally Omitted .]

Section 6 . 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 7 . Special Meetings . Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairman of the Board (if any), the President or, upon written request of any two directors, by the Secretary, in each case on at least 24 hours written notice to each director. Such written notice shall be deemed given effectively if given in person, facsimile, e-mail or by other means of electronic transmission. Such notice, or any waiver thereof pursuant to Article VIII, Section 3 hereof, need not state the purpose or purposes of such meeting, except as may otherwise be required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws.

Section 8 . Removal . Any one or more directors or the entire Board of Directors may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors; provided that, if the Certificate of Incorporation expressly grants to stockholders the right to cumulate votes for the election of directors and if less than the entire board is to be removed, no director may be removed without cause if the votes cast against his removal would be sufficient to elect him if then cumulatively voted at an election of the entire Board of Directors or, if there be classes of directors, at an election of the class of directors of which such director is a part.

 

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Section 9 . Vacancies; Increases in the Number of Directors . (a) Vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal or other cause may be filled by a majority vote of the holders of capital stock of the Corporation at any annual or special meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that if a vacancy on the Board of Directors is not filled by a majority vote of stockholders at the meeting immediately following the vacancy, the vacancy shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors elected by all of the stockholders having the right to vote as a single class may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. If the Certificate of Incorporation entitles the holders of any class or classes of stock or series thereof to elect one or more directors, vacancies and newly created directorships of such class or classes or series may be filled only by a majority of the directors elected by such class or classes or series thereof then in office, or by a sole remaining director so elected.

Section 10 . Compensation . Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation, if any, of directors.

Section 11 . Action Without a Meeting; Telephone Conference Meeting . Unless otherwise provided in 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 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.

 

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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 an executive committee, each such committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. Any such 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 with regard 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, to authorize the issuance of stock or to adopt a certificate of ownership and merger. Any such designated committee may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it. In addition, 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 Article IV, Section 1 hereof, shall choose its own chairman and secretary, 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 procedures, or by resolution of such committee or resolution of the Board of Directors. 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 . Substitution of Members . 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.

ARTICLE V

OFFICERS

Section 1 . Number, Titles and Term of Office . The officers of the Corporation shall be a President, one or more Vice Presidents (any one or more of whom may be designated Executive Vice President or Senior Vice President), a Secretary and, if the Board of Directors so

 

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elects, a Chairman of the Board and such other officers as the Board of Directors may from time to time elect or appoint. Each officer shall hold office until his successor shall be duly elected and shall qualify or until his death or until he 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, if any, no officer need be a director.

Section 2 . Compensation . The salaries or other compensation, if any, 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 Board of Directors. Election or appointment of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contractual 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 . The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation unless the Board of Directors designates the Chairman of the Board or other officer as 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 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; and he shall have such other powers and duties as designated in accordance with these bylaws and as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board of Directors.

Section 6 . Powers and Duties of the Chairman of the Board . The Chairman of the Board (if any) shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors; and he shall have such other powers and duties as designated in accordance with these bylaws and as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board of Directors.

Section 7 . Powers and Duties of the President . Unless the Board of Directors otherwise determines, the President 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, he 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 (if he is a director) of the Board of Directors; and the President shall have such other powers and duties as designated in accordance with these bylaws and as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board of Directors.

Section 8 . Vice Presidents . In the absence of the Chairman of the Board (if any) or the President, or in the event of their inability or refusal to act, a Vice President designated by the Board of Directors or, in the absence of such designation, the Vice President who is present and who is senior in terms of time as a Vice President of the Corporation, shall perform the duties of

 

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the Chairman of the Board (if any) or the President, as the case may be, and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President; provided, however, that such Vice President shall not preside at meetings of the Board of Directors unless he is a director. Each Vice President shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.

Section 9 . Secretary . The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors, committees of directors and of the stockholders in books provided for such purpose; he shall attend to the giving and serving of all notices; he may in the name of the Corporation affix the seal of the Corporation to all contracts of the Corporation and attest thereto; he may sign with the other appointed officers all certificates for shares of capital stock of the Corporation; he 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 by any director upon application at the office of the Corporation during business hours; he shall have such other powers and duties as designated in accordance with these bylaws and as may be prescribed from time to time by the Board of Directors; and he 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 10 . Assistant Secretaries . Each Assistant Secretary (if any) shall have the usual powers and duties pertaining to his office, together with such other powers and duties as designated in accordance with these bylaws and as may be prescribed from time to time by the chief executive officer, the Board of Directors or the Secretary. The Assistant Secretaries shall exercise the powers of the Secretary during the Secretary’s absence or inability or refusal to act.

Section 11 . Action with Respect to Securities of Other Corporations . Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer shall have the power to vote and otherwise to act on behalf of the Corporation, in person or by proxy, at any meeting of security holders of any other corporation, or with respect to any action of security holders thereof, in which the Corporation may hold securities and otherwise, to exercise any and all rights and powers which the Corporation may possess by reason of its ownership of securities in such other corporation.

ARTICLE VI

INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS

Section 1 . Right to Indemnification . Subject to the limitations and conditions as provided in this Article VI, each person who was or is made a party to or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, arbitrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) (hereinafter a “proceeding”), or any appeal in such a proceeding or any inquiry or investigation that could lead to such a proceeding, by reason of the fact that he, or a person of whom he 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, venturer, proprietor, trustee, employee, agent, or

 

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similar functionary of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director or officer or in any other capacity while serving or having agreed to serve as a director or officer of the Corporation, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended against all reasonable expense, liability and loss (including without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, excise or similar taxes, punitive damages or penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) actually incurred or suffered by such person in connection with such proceeding, and such indemnification under this Article VI 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 any 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 of the Corporation. The right to indemnification granted pursuant to this Article VI shall be a contractual right, and no amendment, modification or repeal of this Article VI shall have the effect of limiting or denying any such rights with respect to actions taken or proceedings arising prior to any such amendment, modification or repeal. It is expressly acknowledged that the indemnification conferred in this Article VI could involve indemnification for negligence or under theories of strict liability. The Corporation shall be the indemnitor of first resort for any such person entitled to indemnification under this Article VI, which such person entitled to indemnification also has certain rights to indemnification, advancement or expenses and/or insurance in favor of such person and not the Corporation, provided by one or more other persons or entities.

Section 2 . Advance Payment . The right to indemnification conferred in this Article VI shall include the right to be paid or reimbursed by the Corporation for the reasonable expenses incurred by a person of the type entitled to be indemnified under Section 2 who was, is or is threatened to be made a named defendant or respondent in a proceeding in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding and without any determination as to the person’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification; provided, however, that the payment of such expenses incurred by any such person in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of a written affirmation by such director or officer of his good faith belief that he has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification under this Article VI and a written undertaking, by or on behalf of such 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 Article VI or otherwise.

Section 3 . 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 VI.

Section 4 . Appearance as a Witness . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article VI, the Corporation may pay or reimburse expenses incurred by a director or officer in connection with his appearance as a witness or other participation in a proceeding at a time when he is not a named defendant or respondent in the proceeding.

 

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Section 5 . 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 VI is not paid in full by the Corporation within ninety 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 Delaware General Corporation Law 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 Delaware General Corporation Law, 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.

Section 6 . Nonexclusivity of Rights . The right to indemnification and advancement and payment of expenses conferred in this Article VI shall not be exclusive of any other rights which a director or officer or other person indemnified pursuant to this Article VI may have or hereafter acquire under any law (common or statutory), provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these bylaws, any agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

Section 7 . Insurance . The Corporation may purchase and 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, partner, venturer, proprietor, employee, agent or similar functionary of another domestic or foreign corporation, partnership, joint venture, proprietorship, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss asserted against any such person and incurred in any such capacity, or arising out of the person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under this Article VI.

Section 8 . [ Intentionally Omitted ]

Section 9 . Definitions . For purposes of this Article, 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 with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as he would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

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ARTICLE VII

CAPITAL STOCK

Section 1 . Certificates of Stock . The shares of the capital stock of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided, however, that the Board of Directors may determine by resolution that some or all of any or all the classes or series of the Corporation’s stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the adoption of such a resolution by the Board of Directors, every holder of stock represented by certificates and, upon request, every holder of uncertificated shares shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by any two authorized officers of the Corporation including but not limited to the Chairman of the Board of Directors (if any), the Chief Executive Officer (if any), the President, a Vice President, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. Any or all the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, such certificate may 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.

Section 2 . Transfer of Shares . The shares of stock of the Corporation shall only be transferable on the books of the Corporation by the holders thereof in person or by their duly authorized attorneys or legal representatives upon surrender and cancellation of certificates for a like number of shares (or upon compliance with the provisions of Article VII, Section 5 hereof, if applicable). Upon surrender to the Corporation or a transfer agent of a certificate for shares duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer (or upon compliance with the provisions of Article VII, Section 5 hereof, if applicable) and of compliance with any transfer restrictions applicable thereto contained in any agreement to which the Corporation is a party, or of which the Corporation has knowledge by reason of a legend with respect thereto placed upon any such surrendered stock certificate, it shall be the duty of the Corporation to issue a new certificate to the person entitled thereto, cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books.

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 owner in fact thereof at that time for purposes of voting such shares, receiving distributions thereon or notices in respect thereof, transferring such shares, exercising rights of dissent, exercising or waiving any preemptive rights, or giving proxies with respect to such shares; and, neither the Corporation nor any of its officers, directors, employees, or agents shall be liable for regarding that person as the owner of those shares at that time for those purposes, regardless of whether or not that person possesses a certificate for those shares.

 

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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 it 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, Stolen . Destroyed or Mutilated Certificates. The Board of Directors may determine the conditions upon which a new certificate of stock may be issued in place of any certificate which is alleged to have been lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated; and may, in its discretion, require the owner of such certificate or his 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 issuance of a new certificate in the place of the one so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

ARTICLE VIII

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 1 . Fiscal Year . The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be such as 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 an Assistant Secretary.

Section 3 . Notice and Waiver of Notice . Whenever any notice is required to be given by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, except with respect to notices of meetings of stockholders (with respect to which the provisions of Article II, Section 6 hereof apply) and except with respect to notices of special meetings of directors (with respect to which the provisions of Article III, Section 7 hereof apply) said notice shall be deemed to be sufficient if given (i) by telegraphic, cable or wireless transmission or (ii) by deposit of such postage prepaid notice, in a post office box addressed to the person entitled thereto at his address as it appears on the records of the Corporation. 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 these bylaws, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to such 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 a committee of directors need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws.

 

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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 such resignation 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 elsewhere in these bylaws, facsimile signatures of any officer or officers of the Corporation may be used as determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 6 . Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records . A member of the Board of Directors, or a member of any committee thereof, shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees, or committees of the Board of Directors, or by any other person as to matters the director reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation, as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities and/or net profits of the Corporation, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of surplus or other funds from which dividends might properly be declared and paid, or with which the Corporation’s stock might properly be purchased or redeemed.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENTS

The power to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws shall reside in the stockholders entitled to vote; provided, however, the Corporation may, in the Certificate of Incorporation, confer the power to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws upon the directors. The fact that such power has been so conferred upon the directors, shall not divest the stockholders of the power, nor limit their power to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no amendment to or repeal of Article II, Section 3; Article II, Section 4; Article II, Section 13; Article III, Section 1; Article III, Section 9; or this Article IX shall be effective, nor may any other bylaw be amended, adopted or repealed that will have the effect of modifying or permitting the circumvention of such bylaws, without the affirmative vote of (i) a majority of the Board of Directors or (ii) holders of outstanding shares of common stock representing 66 2/3% or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting securities of the Corporation.

As amended and restated through February 28, 2017

 

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Exhibit 10.1

Execution Version

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of February 28, 2017, is entered into by and among Stone Energy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and the holders listed on Schedule I hereto (each a “ Holder ” and, collectively, the “ Holders ”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, this Agreement is being entered into in connection with the issuance of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“ Common Stock ”) in connection with the Company’s emergence from Bankruptcy proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas on the Emergence Date.

WHEREAS, in accordance with the Plan of Reorganization, , the Company has agreed to grant to the Holders and their respective permitted assignees and transferees the registration rights set forth in Article II hereof.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual agreements herein contained, and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.1. Definitions . In addition to the definitions set forth above, the following terms, as used herein, have the following meanings:

Affiliate ” of any particular Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person.

Agreement ” means this Registration Rights Agreement, as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.

Business Day ” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized by law to close.

By-Laws ” means the Second Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company, dated as of February 28, 2017, as the same may be amended, modified or restated from time to time.

Certificate of Incorporation ” means the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, dated as of February 28, 2017, as the same may be amended, modified or restated from time to time.

Commission ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Common Stock Equivalents ” means securities (including, without limitation, warrants) exercisable, exchangeable or convertible into Common Stock.

Emergence Date ” means the date upon which the Company emerges from Chapter 11 proceedings in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

End of Suspension Notice ” means an End of Suspension Notice as defined in Section 2.4 .


Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

FINRA ” means Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.

Holder ” means, for so long as it continues to beneficially own any Registrable Security, each of the Persons set forth on Schedule I hereto, or any permitted assignee or transferee thereof.

Indemnified Party ” means an Indemnified Party as defined in Section 2.9 .

Indemnifying Party ” means an Indemnifying Party as defined in Section 2.9 .

“Initial Shelf Registration Statement” means an Initial Shelf Registration Statement as defined in Section 2.1(a).

Inspector ” means an Inspector as defined in Section 2.5 .

Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down ” means a Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down as defined in Section 2.1(d)(iii) .

Non-Marketed Shelf Take-Down ” means an Non-Marketed Shelf Take-Down as defined in Section 2.1(d)(vi) .

Notice and Questionnaire ” means a written notice, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A , delivered by a Holder to the Company (i) notifying the Company of such Holder’s desire to include Registrable Securities held by it in a Shelf Registration Statement, (ii) containing all information about such Holder required to be included in such Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with applicable law, including Item 507 of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act, as amended from time to time, or any similar successor rule thereto, and (iii) pursuant to which such Holder agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions hereof.

NYSE ” means the New York Stock Exchange.

Person ” means an individual or a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, trust, or any other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.

Piggy-Back Registration ” means a Piggy-Back Registration as defined in Section 2.2 .

Registrable Securities ” means any Common Stock at any time owned, either of record or beneficially, by any Holder and any additional securities that may be issued or distributed or be issuable in respect of any Common Stock by way of conversion, dividend, stock-split, distribution or exchange, merger, consolidation, exchange, recapitalization or reclassification or similar transactions until (i) a registration statement covering such shares has been declared effective by the Commission and such shares have been disposed of pursuant to such effective registration statement, (ii) such shares have been publicly sold under Rule 144 or (iii) such shares have been otherwise transferred in a transaction that constitutes a sale thereof under the Securities Act, the Company has delivered to the Holder’s transferee a new certificate or other evidence of ownership for such shares not bearing the Securities Act restricted stock legend and such shares may be resold or otherwise transferred by such transferee without subsequent registration under the Securities Act.

 

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Registration Expenses ” means Registration Expenses as defined in Section 2.6 .

Representatives ” means, with respect to any Person, any of such Person’s officers, directors, employees, agents, attorneys, accountants, actuaries, consultants, equity financing partners, investment advisors or financial advisors or other Person associated with, or acting on behalf of, such Person.

Requested Shares ” means Requested Shares as defined in Section 2.1(d)(ii) .

Rule 144 ” means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, as amended from time to time, or any similar successor rule thereto that may be promulgated by the Commission.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Selling Holder ” means a Holder who is selling Registrable Securities pursuant to a registration statement under the Securities Act pursuant to the terms hereof.

“Shelf Registration Statement” means a Shelf Registration Statement as defined in Section 2.1(b).

“Shelf Take-Down” means a Shelf Take-Down as defined in Section 2.1(d)(ii).

“Subsequent Shelf Registration Statement” means a Subsequent Shelf Registration Statement as defined in Section 2.1(b). “ Suspension Event ” means a Suspension Event as defined in Section 2.4 .

Suspension Notice ” means a Suspension Notice as defined in Section 2.4 .

Underwriter ” means a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.

Underwritten Offering ” shall mean a sale, on the Company’s or any Holder’s behalf, of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents by the Company or a Holder to an underwriter for reoffering to the public.

Underwritten Shelf Take-Down ” means an Underwritten Shelf Take-Down as defined in Section 2.1(d)(iii) .

Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice ” means an Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice as defined in Section 2.1(d)(iii) .

ARTICLE II

REGISTRATION RIGHTS

SECTION 2.1. Shelf Registration .

(a) Preparation and Filing of Initial Shelf Registration Statement . On or before the date that is seventy-five (75) days after the Emergence Date, the Company shall (x) prepare and file a “shelf” registration statement with respect to the offer and resale of Registrable Securities, on Form S-1 (or other such appropriate form, including Form S-3) for the offering and subsequent resale thereof, to be made on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (the “ Initial Shelf Registration Statement ”) and (y) cause the Initial Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective by

 

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the Commission as promptly as reasonably practicable thereafter and maintain it as an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, until the earlier of (i) the sale of all Registrable Securities registered thereunder or (ii) the replacement of the Initial Shelf Registration Statement with a subsequent Shelf Registration Statement.

(b) Preparation and Filing of Subsequent Shelf Registration Statement . Upon the Company becoming eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, and only if the Initial Shelf Registration Statement is not already on Form S-3, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to promptly (x) prepare and file a “shelf” registration statement with respect to the offer and resale of Registrable Securities, on Form S-3 for the offering and subsequent resale thereof, to be made on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (the “ Subsequent Shelf Registration Statement ” and together with the Initial Shelf Registration Statement, the “ Shelf Registration Statement ”) to replace the then existing Initial Shelf Registration Statement, if any, and (y) cause the Subsequent Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective by the Commission as promptly as reasonably practicable thereafter and maintain it until the sale of all Registrable Securities registered thereunder.

(c) At any time after the filing of a Shelf Registration Statement, each Holder may request any additional Registrable Securities be registered on such Shelf Registration Statement, and the Company shall thereafter use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect such increase for such Shelf Registration Statement as promptly as practicable thereafter.

(d) Shelf Registration Statements.

 

  (i) At the time a Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2.1(a) or Section 2.1(b) is declared effective, each Holder that has delivered a duly completed and executed Notice and Questionnaire to the Company on or prior to the date ten (10) Business Days prior to such time of effectiveness shall be named as a Selling Holder in the Shelf Registration Statement and the related prospectus in such a manner as to permit such Holder to deliver such prospectus to purchasers of Registrable Securities in accordance with applicable law. If required by applicable law, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, after effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement, the Company shall file a supplement to such prospectus or amendment to the Shelf Registration Statement not less frequently than once a quarter as necessary to name as Selling Holders therein any Holders that provide to the Company a duly completed and executed Notice and Questionnaire and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause any post-effective amendment to such Shelf Registration Statement filed for such purpose to be declared effective by the Commission as promptly as reasonably practicable after the filing thereof.

 

  (ii) Any Holder included in an effective Shelf Registration Statement as a Selling Holder may initiate an offering or sale (a “ Shelf Take-Down ”) of all or part of such Holder’s shares of Common Stock registered under such Shelf Registration Statement (the “ Requested Shares ”), in which case the provisions of this Section 2.1(d) shall apply.

 

  (iii)

Following such time as the Company has filed and had declared effective a Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3, a Holder or Holders holding Registrable Securities may elect in a written request delivered to the Company (an “ Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice ”) that a Shelf Take-Down be in the form

 

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  of an Underwritten Offering (an “ Underwritten Shelf Take-Down ”) and, if necessary, the Company shall file and effect an amendment or supplement to its Shelf Registration for such purpose as soon as practicable; provided, however, the expected gross proceeds to be received by the initiating Holder or Holders (after deduction for underwriter’s discounts and expenses related to the issuance) must be equal to or greater than $20.0 million in the aggregate. Such initiating Holder or Holders shall indicate in such Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice whether it or they intend for such Underwritten Shelf Take-Down to involve a customary “road show” (including an “electronic road show”) or other marketing effort by the underwriters (a “ Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down ”). Upon receipt of an Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice indicating that such Underwritten Shelf Take-Down will be a Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down, the Company shall promptly (but in any event no later than five days prior to the expected date of such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down) give written notice of such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down to all other Holders and shall permit the participation of all such Holders that request inclusion in such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down who respond in writing within five days after the receipt of such notice of their election to participate. The provisions of Section 2.1(d) shall apply with respect to the rights of the Holders to participate in any Underwritten Shelf Take-Down (it being understood that the Company shall not be obligated to commence such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down until promptly following the expiration of such five-day period). Notwithstanding the foregoing , that the Company shall not be obligated to effect, or take any action to effect, an Underwritten Shelf Take-Down (i) within one hundred and eighty (180) days following the last date on which any previous Underwritten Offering was effected, (ii) during any lock-up period required by the Underwriters in any prior Underwritten Offering conducted by the Company on its own behalf or on behalf of selling stockholders, or (iii) during the period commencing with the date thirty (30) days prior to the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date ninety (90) days after the effective date of, a registration statement with respect to an Underwritten Offering by the Company.

 

  (iv) The Holders of a majority of the Requested Shares shall select the Underwriter or Underwriters to serve as book-running manager or managers in connection with any such offering; provided that such managing Underwriter or Underwriters must be reasonably satisfactory to the Company. The Company may select any additional investment banks and managers to be used in connection with the offering; provided that such additional investment bankers and managers must be reasonably satisfactory to the Holders of a majority of the Requested Shares, as applicable. Each Holder shall have the right to include in such offering up to each of their respective pro rata portion of their respective Registrable Securities in the manner described in Section 2.3(a) .

 

  (v) In no event shall the Company be obligated to consummate an Underwritten Shelf Take-Down more than once in any one hundred and eighty (180) day period or within ninety (90) days of any previous Underwritten Offering.

 

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  (vi) All determinations as to whether to complete any Non-Marketed Shelf Take-Down and as to the timing, manner, price and other terms of any Non-Marketed Shelf Take-Down shall be at the discretion of the applicable Holder or Holders.

(e) Filing of Additional Registration Statements . The Company shall prepare and file such additional registration statements as necessary every three (3) years (or such other period that may be applicable under the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act) and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statements to be declared effective by the Commission so that the registration statement remains continuously effective with respect to resales of Registrable Securities as of and for the periods required under Section 2.1(d) , as applicable, such subsequent registration statements to constitute a Shelf Registration Statement, as the case may be, hereunder.

(f) Selling Holders Become Party to Agreement . Each Holder acknowledges that by participating in its registration rights pursuant to this Agreement, such Holder will be deemed a party to this Agreement and will be bound by its terms, notwithstanding such Holder’s failure to deliver a Notice and Questionnaire; provided , that any Holder that has not delivered a duly completed and executed Notice and Questionnaire shall not be entitled to be named as a Selling Holder in, or have the Registrable Securities held by it covered by, a Shelf Registration Statement.

SECTION 2.2. Piggy-Back Registration . If the Company proposes to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any firmly underwritten public offering of its Common Stock for its own account or for the account of any of its respective securityholders (other than (a) a registration statement on Form S-4 or S-8 (or any substitute form that may be adopted by the Commission), (b) a registration statement filed in connection with an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing securityholders, (c) a registration incidental to an issuance of debt securities under Rule 144A or (d) a registration of securities solely relating to an offering and sale to employees or directors of the Company pursuant to any employee stock plan or other employee benefit plan arrangement, a dividend reinvestment plan, or a merger or consolidation) (a “ Company Public Sale ”), then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable (but in no event less than ten (10) Business Days before the anticipated filing date), and such notice shall offer such Holders the opportunity to register such number of shares of Registrable Securities as each such Holder may request (a “ Piggy-Back Registration ”). Subject to Section 2.3 , the Company shall include in such registration statement all such Registrable Securities that are requested to be included therein within fifteen (15) days after the receipt by such Holders of any such notice; provided , that if at any time after giving written notice of its intention to register any securities and prior to the effective date of the registration statement filed in connection with such registration, the Company or selling securityholders shall determine for any reason not to register or to delay registration of such securities, the Company shall give written notice of such determination to each Holder and, thereupon, (i) in the case of a determination not to register, shall be relieved of its obligation to register any Registrable Securities in connection with such registration (but not from its obligation to pay the Registration Expenses in connection therewith) and (ii) in the case of a determination to delay registering shall be permitted to delay registering any Registrable Securities, for the same period as the delay in registering such other securities. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed underwritten offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Piggy-Back Registration to be included on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company or initiating selling securityholders included therein. Each Holder shall be permitted to withdraw all or part of its Registrable Securities from a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement.

 

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SECTION 2.3. Reduction of Offering . Notwithstanding anything contained herein, if the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of an offering described in Sections 2.1(e) or 2.2 (or, in the case of an offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, not being underwritten, the majority of the Holders) advise the Company and the Holders of the Registrable Securities included in such offering, or if such managing Underwriter or Underwriters are unwilling to so advise, if the Company and the Holders of the Registrable Securities included in such offering conclude after consultation with such managing Underwriter or Underwriters that (i) the size of the offering that the Holders, the Company and such other persons intend to make or (ii) in the case of a Piggy-Back Registration only, the kind of securities that the Holders, the Company and/or any other Persons intend to include in such offering are such that the success of the offering would be materially and adversely affected by inclusion of the Registrable Securities requested to be included, then:

(a) if the size of the offering is the basis of such determination, the amount of securities to be offered for the accounts of Holders shall be reduced pro rata (according to the Registrable Securities proposed for registration) to the extent necessary to reduce the total amount of securities to be included in such offering to the amount recommended by such managing Underwriter or Underwriters (or, in the case of an offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, not being underwritten, the majority of the Holders); provided that, pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement, the securities to be included in such Shelf Registration Statement shall be allocated, (x) first, 100% pro rata among the Holders of the Registrable Securities that have requested to participate in such a Shelf Registration Statement, as applicable, based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder, (y) next, and only if all the securities referred to in clause (x)  have been included, the number of securities that the Company proposes to include in such Shelf Registration Statement that, in the opinion of the managing underwriter or underwriters (or, in the case of an offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, not being underwritten, the majority of the Holders) can be sold without having such significant adverse effect, and (z) last, only if all of the Registrable Securities referred to in clause (y)  have been included in such registration, any other securities eligible for inclusion in such registration; provided , further that, in the event of a Piggy-Back Registration, the securities to be included in such Piggy-Back Registration shall be allocated, (A) first, 100% of the securities proposed to be sold in such Piggyback Registration by the Company or any Person (other than a Holder) exercising a contractual right to demand registration, as the case may be, proposes to sell, (B) second, and only if all the securities referred to in clause (A)  have been included, the number of Registrable Securities that, in the opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters (or, in the case of an offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, not being underwritten, the majority of the Holders), can be sold without having such adverse effect, with such number to be allocated pro rata among the Holders that have requested to participate in such registration based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder and (iii) third, and only if all of the Registrable Securities referred to in clause (B)  have been included in such registration, any other securities eligible for inclusion in such registration.

(b) if the kind of securities to be offered is the basis of such determination, (i) the Registrable Securities to be included in such offering shall be reduced as described in clause (a) above or, (ii) if the actions described in clause (i) would, in the good faith, best judgment of the managing Underwriter (or, in the case of an offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, not being underwritten, the majority of the Holders), be insufficient to substantially eliminate the adverse effect that inclusion of the Registrable Securities requested to be included would have on such offering, such Registrable Securities will be excluded from such offering.

 

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SECTION 2.4. Black-Out Periods .

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 2.1(a) , 2.1(b ) and 2.1(e) , the Company shall be permitted to postpone the filing of any Shelf Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2.1 and from time to time to require the Holders not to sell Registrable Securities under any such Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement or to suspend the effectiveness thereof, for such times as the Company reasonably may determine is necessary and advisable, if any of the following events shall occur (each such circumstance a “ Suspension Event ”): (i) a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Company determines in good faith that (A) the offer or sale of any Registrable Securities would materially impede, delay or interfere with any proposed material financing, material acquisition, corporate reorganization or other material transaction involving the Company or (B)(x) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving the confidentiality of a material transaction that would otherwise be required to be disclosed due to such registration, (y) disclosure would have a material adverse effect on the Company or the Company’s ability to consummate such a material transaction or (z) such a material transaction renders the Company unable to comply with Commission requirements, in each case under circumstances that would make it impractical or inadvisable, to cause the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement (or such filings) to become effective or to promptly amend or supplement the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement on a post-effective basis, as applicable; (ii) a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Company determines in good faith that it is in the Company’s best interest or it is required by law, rule or regulation to supplement the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement or file a post-effective amendment to such Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement in order to ensure that the prospectus included in the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement (1) contains the information required by the form on which such Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement was filed or (2) discloses any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement (or of the most recent post-effective amendment) that, individually or in the aggregate, represents a fundamental change in the information set forth therein; or (iii) if the Company is subject to any of its customary suspension or blackout periods, for all or part of such period. Upon the occurrence of any such suspension, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement to become effective or to amend or supplement the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement on a post-effective basis or to take such action as is necessary to permit resumed use of the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement or filing thereof as soon as reasonably possible following the conclusion of the applicable Suspension Event and its effect.

The Company will provide written notice (a “ Suspension Notice ”) to the Holders of the occurrence of any Suspension Event; provided , however , that the Company shall not be permitted to exercise a suspension pursuant to this Section 2.4(a) (i)  more than twice during any twelve (12)-month period, or (ii) for a period exceeding sixty (60) days in the aggregate during such twelve (12)-month period. Upon receipt of a Suspension Notice, each Holder agrees that it will (i) immediately discontinue offers and sales of the Registrable Securities under the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement and (ii) maintain the confidentiality of any information included in the Suspension Notice unless otherwise required by law or subpoena. The Holders may recommence effecting offers and sales of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement (or such filings) following further written notice to such effect (an “ End of Suspension Notice ”) from the Company, which End of Suspension Notice shall be given by the Company to the Holders promptly following the conclusion of any Suspension Event and its effect; provided that the Holders agree that they will only effect such offers and sales pursuant to any supplemental or amended prospectus that has been provided to them by the Company pursuant to Section 2.4(b) .

(b) Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, if the Company shall give a Suspension Notice with respect to any Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement pursuant to Section 2.4(a) , the Company agrees that it shall extend the period of time during which such

 

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Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement shall be maintained effective (including the period referred to in Section 2.5(a) ) by the number of days during the period from the date of receipt by the Holders of the Suspension Notice to and including the date of receipt by the Holders of the End of Suspension Notice and promptly provide copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus necessary to resume offers and sales, with respect to each Suspension Event; provided , that such period of time shall not be extended beyond the date that the Common Stock covered by such Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement are no longer Registrable Securities.

SECTION 2.5. Registration Procedures; Filings; Information . Subject to Section 2.4 , in connection with any Shelf Registration Statement under Section 2.1 or Piggy-Back Registration under Section 2.2 , the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration and the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof as quickly as practicable, and in connection with any such request:

(a) The Company will as expeditiously as possible prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement on any form for which the Company then qualifies or which counsel for the Company shall deem appropriate and which form shall be available for the sale of the Registrable Securities to be registered thereunder in accordance with the intended method of distribution thereof and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such filed registration statement to become and remain effective (i) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, for the period described in Section 2.1

(b) The Company will, prior to filing a registration statement or prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish to each Selling Holder and each Underwriter, if any, of the Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement copies of such registration statement as proposed to be filed with copies of all documents proposed to be filed, which documents shall be subject to the review of such Selling Holder and Underwriter, if any, and their respective counsel and, except in the case of a registration statement under Section 2.2 , not file any registration statement or amendments or supplements thereto to which the Underwriter, if any, shall reasonably object. The Company shall thereafter furnish to such Selling Holder and Underwriter, if any, such number of conformed copies of such registration statement, each amendment and supplement thereto (and upon request, all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the prospectus included in such registration statement (including each preliminary prospectus) and such other documents as such Selling Holder or Underwriter may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Selling Holder.

(c) After the filing of the registration statement, the Company will promptly notify each Selling Holder of Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement of (i) any stop order issued or threatened by the Commission or any order by the Commission or any other regulatory authority preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary or final prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for such purposes, (ii) any written comments by the Commission or any request by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to such registration statement or for additional information or (iii) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Registrable Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.

(d) The Company will promptly take all reasonable actions required to prevent, or obtain the withdrawal of, any stop order or other order suspending the use of any preliminary or final registration statement.

 

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(e) The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities under such other securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions in the United States (where an exemption does not apply) as any Selling Holder or managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, reasonably (in light of such Selling Holder’s intended plan of distribution) requests and (ii) cause such Registrable Securities to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable such Selling Holder to consummate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Selling Holder; provided that the Company will not be required to (A) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this paragraph (e), (B) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction or (C) consent to general service of process in any such jurisdiction.

(f) The Company will promptly notify each Selling Holder of such Registrable Securities, at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of (i) the Company’s receipt of any notification of the suspension of the qualification of any Registrable Securities covered by a Shelf Registration Statement for sale in any jurisdiction, (ii) the occurrence of an event requiring the preparation of a supplement or amendment to such prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such Registrable Securities, such prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and promptly make available to each Selling Holder any such supplement or amendment and (iii) deliver to each Selling Holder and each Underwriter, if any, without charge, as many copies of the applicable prospectus (including each preliminary prospectus), any amendment or supplement thereto and such other documents useful to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities as such Selling Holder or Underwriter may reasonably request.

(g) The Company will promptly (i) incorporate in a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information as the Underwriter, if any, reasonably believes should be included therein relating to the plan of distribution with respect to such Registrable Securities, and make all required filings of such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment, (ii) furnish to each Selling Holder and each Underwriter, if any, without charge, as many conformed copies as such Selling Holder or Underwriter may reasonably request of the applicable registration statement and any amendment or post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated therein by reference and all exhibits (including those incorporated by reference).

(h) The Company will enter into customary agreements (including an underwriting agreement, if any, in customary form) and use commercially reasonable efforts to take such other actions as the Underwriters, if any, reasonably request or that are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities, including, without limitation, (A) obtain for delivery to the Selling Holders and to the Underwriters, if any, an opinion or opinions from counsel for the Company dated the effective date of the applicable registration statement or, in the event of an underwritten offering, the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement, in customary form, scope and substance, which opinions shall be reasonably satisfactory to such Holders or Underwriters, as the case may be, and their respective counsel, (B) in the case of an underwritten offering, obtain for delivery to the Company and the managing Underwriter or Underwriters, with copies to the Selling Holders, a cold comfort letter from the Company’s independent certified public accountants in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by cold comfort letters as the managing underwriter or underwriters reasonably request, dated the date of execution of the underwriting agreement and brought down to the closing under the underwriting agreement and (C) cooperate with each Selling Holder and each Underwriter, if any, participating in the disposition of such Registrable Securities and their respective counsel in connection with any filings required to be made with FINRA.

 

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(i) The Company will make available for inspection by any Selling Holder of such Registrable Securities, if such Selling Holder has a due diligence defense under the Securities Act, any Underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement and any attorney, accountant or other professional retained by any such Selling Holder or Underwriter (collectively, the “ Inspectors ”), all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company as shall be reasonably necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence responsibility, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any Inspector in connection with such registration statement, subject to entry by each such Inspector into a customary confidentiality agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company.

(j) The Company will otherwise use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and make available to its securityholders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering a period of 12 months, beginning within three months after the effective date of the registration statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder (or any successor rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission).

(k) The Company may require each Selling Holder of Registrable Securities to promptly furnish in writing to the Company such information regarding such Selling Holder, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of distribution of the Registrable Securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably request and such other information as may be legally required in connection with such registration. No Holder may include Registrable Securities in any registration statement pursuant to this Agreement unless and until such Holder has furnished to the Company such information. Each Holder further agrees to furnish as soon as reasonably practicable to the Company all information required to be disclosed in order to make information previously furnished to the Company by such Holder not materially misleading.

(l) Each Selling Holder agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 2.5(f) , such Selling Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to the registration statement covering such Registrable Securities until such Selling Holder’s receipt of written notice from the Company that such disposition may be made and, in the case of clause (ii) of Section 2.5(f) , copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by clause (ii) of Section 2.5(f) . Each Selling Holder of Registrable Securities agrees that it will promptly notify the Company at any time when a prospectus relating to the registration of such Registrable Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act of the happening of an event as a result of which information previously furnished by such Selling Holder to the Company in writing for inclusion in such prospectus contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances in which they were made. In the event the Company shall give such notice, the Company shall extend the period during which such registration statement shall be maintained effective (including the period referred to in Section 2.5(a) ) by the number of days during the period from and including the date of the giving of notice pursuant to Section 2.5(f) to the date when the Company shall provide written notice that such dispositions may be made and, in the case of clause (ii) of Section 2.5(f) , make available to the Selling Holders of Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement a prospectus supplemented or amended to conform with the requirements of Section 2.5(f) .

(m) In the case of an underwritten offering, the Company will cooperate in all marketing efforts, including, without limitation, providing information and materials and causing senior executive officers of the Company to participate in meetings, customary “road show” presentations and/or investor conference calls to market the Registrable Securities that may be reasonably requested by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in any such underwritten offering and otherwise to facilitate, cooperate with, and participate in each proposed offering contemplated herein and customary selling efforts related thereto.

 

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(n) With respect to any notice of a filing of or copies of a registration statement provided by the Company to a Holder prior to the filing of a registration statement pursuant to Section 2.1 or Section 2.2, each of the Holders receiving such notice and information shall maintain the confidentiality until the Company’s public disclosure of and comply with applicable law with respect to any such information, including the Company’s intention to file the registration statement.

SECTION 2.6. Registration Expenses . In connection with any registration statement required to be filed hereunder, the Company shall pay the following registration expenses incurred in connection with the registration hereunder (the “ Registration Expenses ”), regardless of whether such registration statement is declared effective by the Commission: (a) all registration and filing fees, and any other fees and expenses associated with filings required to be made with the SEC or FINRA, (b) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with blue sky qualifications of the Registrable Securities), (c) all printing, duplicating, word processing, messenger, telephone, facsimile and delivery expenses (including expenses of printing certificates for the Registrable Securities in a form eligible for deposit with The Depository Trust Company and of printing prospectuses), (d) internal expenses (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), (e) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities, (f) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and customary fees and expenses for independent certified public accountants retained by the Company (including the expenses of any comfort letters or costs associated with the delivery by independent certified public accountants of a comfort letter or comfort letters requested pursuant to Section 2.5(h) ), (g) the reasonable fees and expenses of any special experts retained by the Company in connection with such registration, (h) reasonable fees and disbursements of one (1) legal counsel plus any regulatory counsel, as appropriate, for all Selling Holders participating in such registration, and (i) any reasonable fees and disbursements of the Underwriters, if any, customarily paid by issuers or sellers of securities. The Company shall have no obligation to pay any underwriting fees, discounts or commissions attributable to the sale of Registrable Securities or any transfer taxes relating to the registration or sale of the Registrable Securities.

SECTION 2.7. Indemnification by the Company . The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, to the full extent permitted by law, each Selling Holder of Registrable Securities, each member, limited partner or general partner thereof, each member, limited partner or general partner of each such member, limited or general partner, each of their respective Affiliates, officers, directors, stockholders, employees, advisors, and agents and each Person, if any, who controls such Persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each of their respective Representatives from and against any and all losses, penalties, judgments, suits, costs, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable costs of investigation and legal expenses) (each, a “ Loss ”, and collectively, “ Losses ”) that arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any registration statement or prospectus relating to such Registrable Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any preliminary prospectus, or that arise out of or are based upon any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except to the extent, but only to the extent that such losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission with respect to information relating to such Selling Holder included in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such Selling Holder or on such Selling Holder’s behalf expressly for inclusion in such registration statement,

 

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prospectus, amendment or supplement, as the case may be. This indemnity shall be in addition to any liability the Company may otherwise have. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Selling Holder or any Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer of such securities by such Selling Holder. The Company also agrees to indemnify any Underwriters of the Registrable Securities, their officers and directors and each Person who controls such underwriters within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each of their respective Representatives on substantially the same basis as that of the indemnification of the Selling Holders provided in this Section 2.7 .

SECTION 2.8. Indemnification by Holders of Registrable Securities. Each Selling Holder agrees, severally but not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its officers, directors and agents and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each of their respective Representatives to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Selling Holder pursuant to Section 2.7 , but only with respect to written information relating to such Selling Holder included in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing by such Selling Holder or on such Selling Holder’s behalf expressly for use in any registration statement or prospectus relating to the Registrable Securities of such Selling Holder, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any preliminary prospectus. In case any action or proceeding shall be brought against the Company or its officers, directors or agents or any such controlling person, in respect of which indemnity may be sought against such Selling Holder, such Selling Holder shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company or its officers, directors or agents or such controlling person shall have the rights and duties given to such Selling Holder, by Section 2.7 . Each Selling Holder also agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Underwriters of the Registrable Securities, their officers and directors and each Person who controls such Underwriters within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each of their respective Representatives on substantially the same basis as that of the indemnification of the Company provided in this Section 2.8 . Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event will the liability of a Selling Holder under this Section 2.8 or Section 2.10 or otherwise hereunder exceed the net proceeds actually received by such Selling Holder.

SECTION 2.9. Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings . In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any Person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Sections 2.7 or 2.8 , such Person (an “ Indemnified Party ”) shall promptly notify the Person against whom such indemnity may be sought (an “ Indemnifying Party ”) in writing and the Indemnifying Party shall assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party, and shall assume the payment of all fees and expenses; provided that the failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice will not relieve such Indemnifying Party of its obligations under Sections 2.7 or 2.8 , as applicable, except to the extent such Indemnifying Party is materially prejudiced by such failure. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party unless (a) the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (b) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the Indemnifying Party shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys (in addition to any local counsel) at any time for all such Indemnified Parties relating to the same class of Common Stock, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. In the case of any such separate firm for the Indemnified Parties relating to the same class of Common Stock, such firm shall be designated in writing by (i) in the case of Persons indemnified pursuant to Section 2.7 , the Selling Holders which owned a majority of the Registrable Securities sold

 

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under the applicable registration statement and (ii) in the case of Persons indemnified pursuant to Section 2.8 , the Company. The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, but if settled with such consent, or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Party shall indemnify and hold harmless such Indemnified Parties from and against any loss or liability (to the extent stated above) by reason of such settlement or judgment. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of with any Indemnified Party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability arising out of such proceeding without any admission of liability by such Indemnified Party.

SECTION 2.10. Contribution . If the indemnification provided for in Sections 2.7 or 2.8 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to an Indemnified Party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to herein, then each such Indemnifying Party, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (a) as between the Company and the Selling Holders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Holders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the securities, or if such allocation is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Holders on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations and (b) between the Company on the one hand and each Selling Holder on the other, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Company and of each Selling Holder in connection with such statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Holders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Holders bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the prospectus. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Holders on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Selling Holders or by the Underwriters. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of each Selling Holder on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by such party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and the Selling Holders agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 2.10 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 2.10 , no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public

 

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exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission, and no Selling Holder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the securities of such Selling Holder were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Selling Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Selling Holder’s obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 2.10 are several in such proportion that the proceeds of the offering received by such Selling Holder bears to the total proceeds of the offering received by all the Selling Holders, and not joint. For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 2.10 applies in the case of a “shelf” registration and an underwritten offering.

SECTION 2.11. Participation in Underwritten Offerings . No Person may participate in any underwritten offering hereunder unless such Person (a) agrees to sell such Person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements and (b) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such customary underwriting arrangements and the registration rights provided for in this Article II .

SECTION 2.12. Rule 144 . The Company covenants that it will timely file any reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and that it will take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable Holders to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144. Upon the reasonable request of any Holder, the Company will deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements and, if not, the specific thereof.

SECTION 2.13. Holdback Agreements .

(a) Restrictions on Public Sale by Holder of Registrable Securities . To the extent not inconsistent with applicable law, in connection with any underwritten public offering, each Holder who is participating in such offering or who “beneficially owns” (as such term is defined under the Exchange act) five percent (5%) or more of the Common Stock (whether its securities are included in a registration statement or not, for as long as such Holder has the right to require that its securities be included in such registration statement) agrees not to effect any sale or distribution of the Common Stock being registered or a similar security of the Company, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such securities, including a sale pursuant to Rule 144, during the seven (7) days prior to, and during the sixty (60)-day period beginning on, the pricing date of such underwritten public offering (such period, the “ Lockup Period ”) (except as part of such underwritten public offering), if and to the extent requested in writing by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters (such agreement to be in the form of lock-up agreement provided by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters); provided that such Lockup Period is applicable on substantially similar terms to the Company and the executive officers and directors of the Company; provided further that nothing herein will prevent any Holder that is a partnership or corporation from making a distribution of Registrable Securities to the partners or stockholders thereof or a transfer to an Affiliate that is otherwise in compliance with applicable securities laws, so long as such distributees or transferees agree to be bound by the restrictions set forth in this Section 2.13(a . Each Holder shall receive the benefit of any shorter Lockup Period or permitted exceptions (on a pro rata basis) agreed to by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters irrespective of whether such Holder participated in the underwritten public offering. This Section 2.13(a) will no longer apply to a Holder once such Holder ceases to hold Registrable Securities.

 

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(b) Restrictions on Public Sale by the Company and Others . The Company agrees that any agreement entered into after the date of this Agreement pursuant to which the Company issues or agrees to issue any privately placed securities shall contain a provision under which holders of such securities agree not to effect any sale or distribution of any securities of the same class or convertible into securities of the same class as those being sold in connection with an underwritten public offering in accordance with Sections 2.1 or 2.2 , or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such securities, during the seven (7) days prior to, and during the 90-day period beginning on, the pricing date of such underwritten public offering (except as part of such underwritten public offering where the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be included in such underwritten public offering consent or as part of registration statements filed as set forth in Sections 2.2(a) or (c) ), if and to the extent requested in writing by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters (such agreement to be in the form of lock-up agreement provided by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters), in each case including a sale pursuant to Rule 144 (except as part of any such registration, if permitted); provided , however , that the provisions of this paragraph (b) shall not prevent the conversion or exchange of any securities pursuant to their terms into or for other securities.

ARTICLE III

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 3.1. NYSE Listing . To the extent and for so long as any shares of Common Stock are listed on the NYSE or such other exchange, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause any Registrable Securities covered by the applicable registration statement to be listed on the NYSE or such other exchange on which any of the Common Stock may then be listed or quoted.

SECTION 3.2. Remedies . In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein and granted by law, including recovery of damages, the Holders shall be entitled to specific performance of the rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Agreement and hereby agrees to waive the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, specific performance shall not be available with respect to the rights and obligations of the parties pursuant to Sections 2.14(a) and (b) .

SECTION 3.3. Term and Termination . In the event that a given Holder ceases to “beneficially own” (as such term is defined under the Exchange act) one percent (5%) or more of the Common Stock, all of such Holder’s rights and obligations under this Agreement shall expire and such Holder will cease to be a “Holder” for all purposes hereunder without any further action of the Company or any other party hereto. This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of February 28, 2021 and such time as there are no Registrable Securities outstanding.

SECTION 3.4. Amendments and Waivers . The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, in each case without the written consent of the Company and the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities. No failure or delay by any party to insist upon the strict performance of any covenant, duty, agreement or condition of this Agreement or to exercise any right or remedy consequent upon any breach thereof shall constitute waiver of any such breach or any other covenant, duty, agreement or condition.

SECTION 3.5. Notices . All notices, requests, consents, and other communications hereunder to any party hereto shall be deemed to be sufficient if contained in a written instrument delivered in person or sent by facsimile, electronic mail, nationally recognized overnight courier, or first class registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to such party at the address set forth below:

 

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(a) if to a Holder, initially to the address, email and facsimile set forth on Schedule I opposite such Holder’s name or to such other address and to such other Persons as such Holder may hereafter specify in writing; and

(b) if to the Company, to:

Stone Energy Corporation

625 East Kaliste Saloom Rd.

Lafayette, Louisiana 70508

Attention: Executive Vice President & Chief

Financial Officer

Phone: (337) 521-2210

Email: beerh@stoneenergy.com

SECTION 3.6. Successors and Assigns . Except pursuant to a sale of Common Stock and except as expressly provided in this Agreement, the rights and obligations of the Holders under this Agreement shall not be assignable by any Holder to any Person that is not a Holder (including any Person that becomes a Holder by means of purchase of Common Stock from a Holder as of the date hereof). All rights hereunder shall be assignable in connection with a transfer of Registrable Securities. This Agreement shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors, assigns and transferees.

SECTION 3.7. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties and separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed an original, and all of which, when taken together, shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement by electronic means shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

SECTION 3.8. Choice of Laws; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial . The validity of this Agreement, the construction, interpretation, and enforcement hereof, and the rights of the parties hereto with respect to all matters arising hereunder or related hereto shall be determined under, governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York without regard to any conflicts of laws principles (but including and giving effect to Sections 5-1401 and 5-1402 of the New York General Obligations Law) that would result in the application of the law of another jurisdiction. Each party to this Agreement agrees that, in connection with any legal suit or proceeding arising with respect to this Agreement, it shall submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York or the applicable New York state court located in New York County and agrees to venue in such courts. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

SECTION 3.9. Severability . In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected or impaired thereby.

 

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SECTION 3.10. Entire Agreement . This Agreement is intended by the parties as a final expression of their agreement and intended to be a complete and exclusive statement of the agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter contained herein. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein with respect to the registration rights granted by the Company with respect to the Registrable Securities. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings between the parties with respect to such subject matter.

SECTION 3.11. Headings . The section headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of this Agreement or otherwise affect the interpretation of this Agreement.

SECTION 3.12. No Third Party Beneficiaries . Nothing express or implied herein is intended or shall be construed to confer upon any person or entity, other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns and all Indemnified Parties, any rights, remedies or other benefits under or by reason of this Agreement.

[remainder of page intentionally left blank; signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

COMPANY
STONE ENERGY CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ Kenneth H. Beer

  Name:   Kenneth H. Beer
  Title:  

Executive Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


HOLDER
FRANKLIN ADVISERS INC., AS INVESTMENT MANAGER ON BEHALF OF CERTAIN FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS
By:  

/s/ Glenn Voyles

Name: Glenn Voyles
Title: S.V.P./Director of Portfolio Management

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


HOLDER
MACKAY SHIELDS LLC, as investment manager on behalf of certain of its clients, and not in its individual capacity
By:  

/s/ Andrew Susser

Name: Andrew Susser
Title: Executive Managing Director

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]