UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 15, 2017
Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Delaware |
001-37795 |
36-2058176 |
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
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1600 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 1000 McLean, Virginia
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22102 |
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (703) 584-7979
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2. below):
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Item 5.03 . Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year .
In connection with the consummation of the previously announced transaction (the “Sale”) pursuant to which HNA Tourism Group Co., Ltd. (“HNA”) acquired shares of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (the “Company”) from affiliates of The Blackstone Group L.P. (collectively, “Blackstone”), the Company has filed an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The Charter, effective as of March 15, 2017, included the following changes:
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Removed references to the spin-off distribution ratio, which were no longer applicable following completion of the Company’s spin-off from Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.; |
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Increased the size of the Company’s board of directors from nine to 11 directors; |
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Removed references to Blackstone’s ownership of at least 40% of the total voting power of the Company’s stock; |
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Revised certain provisions referencing the “Blackstone Stockholder,” as appropriate, to include references to HNA; and |
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Clarified the Company’s forum selection provision. |
In addition, the Company adopted its Amended and Restated By-Laws (the “By-Laws”) in connection with the consummation of the Sale, effective as of March 15, 2017. The By-Laws included the following changes:
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Removed references to Blackstone’s ownership of at least 40% of the total voting power of the Company’s stock; |
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Revised certain provisions referencing the “Blackstone Stockholders Agreement,” as appropriate, to include references to the HNA Stockholders Agreement; and |
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Clarified the date upon which the first annual meeting shall have been considered to be held. |
The Charter was approved prior to the spin-off by the Company’s board of directors and sole stockholder, and following the spin-off, no further board, stockholder or other corporate action was required to approve the Charter to be adopted in connection with consummation of the Sale.
The Charter and the By-Laws are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of each such document, which are filed herewith as Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2, and the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
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(d) |
Exhibits. |
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Exhibit
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Description |
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3.1 |
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Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. |
3.2 |
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Amended and Restated By-Laws of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. |
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By: |
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/s/ Sean M. Dell’Orto |
Name: |
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Sean M. Dell’Orto |
Title: |
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Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
Date: March 17, 2017
Exhibit
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Description |
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3.1 |
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Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. |
3.2 |
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Amended and Restated By-Laws of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. |
Exhibit 3.1
AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
PARK HOTELS & RESORTS INC.
The present name of the corporation is Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (the “ Corporation ”). The Corporation was incorporated under the name “Hilton Hotels Corporation” by the filing of the original certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on May 29, 1946 (such certificate of incorporation as amended and/or amended and restated to the date hereof, the “ Existing Certificate of Incorporation ”). This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, which amends, restates and integrates the provisions of the Existing Certificate of Incorporation, was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and by the written consent of the stockholders in accordance with Section 228 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The Existing Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended and restated to read in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE I
Section 1.1. Name . The name of the Corporation is Park Hotels & Resorts Inc.
ARTICLE II
Section 2.1. Address . The registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19808; and the name of the Corporation’s registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.
ARTICLE III
Section 3.1. Purpose . The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity, either directly or indirectly through subsidiaries of the Corporation, for which corporations may now or hereafter be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL ”), including, without limitation or obligation, engaging in business as a real estate investment trust (“ REIT ”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor statute (the “ Code ”). References to particular sections of the Code shall include any successor provisions.
ARTICLE IV
Section 4.1. Capitalization . The total number of shares of all classes of stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 6,600,000,000 shares, consisting of (i) 6,000,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“ Common Stock ”) and (ii) 600,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“ Preferred Stock ”). The number of authorized shares of any of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock 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 of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL (or any successor provision thereto), and no vote of the holders of any of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock voting separately as a class shall be required therefor, unless a vote of any such holder is required pursuant to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock).
Section 4.2. Preferred Stock .
(A) The Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “ Board ”) is hereby expressly authorized, by resolution or resolutions, at any time and from time to time, to provide, out of the unissued shares of Preferred Stock, for one or more series of Preferred Stock and, with respect to each such series, to fix the number of shares constituting such series and the designation of such series, the voting powers (if any) of the shares of such series, and the powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, if any, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of the shares of such series and to cause to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a certificate of designations with respect thereto. The powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights of each series of Preferred Stock, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, may differ from those of any and all other series at any time outstanding.
(B) Except as otherwise required by law, holders of a series of Preferred Stock, as such, shall be entitled only to such voting rights, if any, as shall expressly be granted thereto by this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to such series of Preferred Stock).
Section 4.3. Common Stock .
(A) Voting Rights . Each holder of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder on all matters on which stockholders generally are entitled to vote; provided , however , that to the fullest extent permitted by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall have no voting power with respect to, and shall not be entitled to vote on, any amendment to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations 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 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL.
(B) Dividends and Distributions . Subject to applicable law and the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock or any class or series of stock having a preference over or the right to participate with the Common Stock with respect to the payment of dividends and other distributions in cash, property of the Corporation or shares of stock of the Corporation, such dividends and other distributions may be declared and paid on the Common Stock out of the assets of the Corporation that are by law available therefor at such times and in such amounts as the Board in its discretion shall determine. The Board shall
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endeavor to authorize, and the Corporation shall declare and pay, such dividends and distributions as shall be necessary for the Corporation to qualify as a REIT under the Code (unless the Board has determined that it is no longer in the best interests of the Corporation to continue to be qualified as a REIT). Stockholders shall have no right to any dividend or distribution unless and until declared by the Board, and any such dividend or other distribution shall be subject to any conditions established by the Board in connection with the declaration of any such dividend.
(C) Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up . In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of the Corporation and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of Preferred Stock or any class or series of stock having a preference over or the right to participate with the Common Stock as to distributions upon dissolution or liquidation or winding up, the holders of all outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution ratably in proportion to the number of shares held by each such stockholder.
Section 4.4. Transferable Shares; Preferential Dividends . Notwithstanding any other provision in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, no determination shall be made by the Board nor shall any transaction be entered into by the Corporation that would cause any shares of Capital Stock (as defined in Section 7.1) of the Corporation not to constitute “transferable shares” or “transferable certificates of beneficial interest” under Section 856(a)(2) of the Code or that would cause any distribution to constitute a preferential dividend as described in Section 562(c) of the Code, to the extent Section 562(c) is applicable to the Corporation (and any determination or transactions prohibited by this Section 4.4 shall be void ab initio ).
ARTICLE V
Section 5.1. By-Laws . In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the DGCL, the Board is expressly authorized to make, amend, alter, change, add to or repeal the by-laws of the Corporation (as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “ Bylaws ”) without the assent or vote of the stockholders in any manner not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Delaware or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. The affirmative vote of the holders of at least 80% of the voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required for the stockholders to make, amend, alter, change, add to or repeal any provision of the Bylaws.
ARTICLE VI
Section 6.1. Board of Directors .
(A) Except as otherwise provided in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the DGCL, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board. The number of directors constituting the entire Board is currently set at eleven (11), but, subject to the provisions hereof, may hereafter be increased or
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decreased only by the Board in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Bylaws, but shall never be fewer than three (3).
(B) Whenever the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, removal and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) applicable thereto. Notwithstanding Section 6.1(A), the number of directors that may be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the number fixed pursuant to Section 6.1(A) hereof.
(C) Directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws shall so provide. Except as otherwise provided in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or the Bylaws (as either may be amended and/or restated from time to time), directors of the Corporation shall be elected at each annual meeting of the stockholders and shall serve until the next annual meeting of the stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
Section 6.2. REIT Qualification . The Board, without any action by the stockholders, shall have the authority to cause the Corporation to elect to qualify for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a REIT. Following such election, if the Board determines that it is no longer in the best interests of the Corporation to continue to be qualified as a REIT, the Board, without any action by the stockholders, may revoke or otherwise terminate the Corporation’s REIT election pursuant to Section 856(g) of the Code or through such other means as the Board determines appropriate. In addition, the Board, without any action by the stockholders of the Corporation shall have and may exercise, on behalf of the Corporation, without limitation, the power to determine, prospectively or retroactively, that compliance with any restriction or limitation on ownership and transfers of shares of stock of the Corporation set forth in Article VII is no longer required in order for the Corporation to qualify as a REIT.
ARTICLE VII
Section 7.1. Definitions . For purpose of this Article VII, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Beneficial Ownership . The term “Beneficial Ownership” shall mean ownership of Capital Stock by a Person, whether the interest in the Capital Stock is held directly or indirectly (including by a nominee) by such Person, and shall include interests that would be treated as owned by any Person through the application of Section 544 of the Code, as modified by Sections 856(h)(1)(B) and 856(h)(3) of the Code. The terms “Beneficial Owner,” “Beneficially Owns” and “Beneficially Owned” shall have the correlative meanings.
Business Day . The term “Business Day” shall mean any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
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Capital Stock . The term “Capital Stock” shall mean all classes or series of stock of the Corporation, including, without limitation, Common Stock and Preferred Stock.
Charitable Beneficiary . The term “Charitable Beneficiary” shall mean one or more beneficiaries of the Charitable Trust as determined pursuant to Section 7.3.7, provided that each such organization must be described in Sections 501(c)(3), 170(b)(1)(A) and 170(c)(2) of the Code.
Charitable Trust . The term “Charitable Trust” shall mean any trust provided for in Section 7.2.1(b)(i) and Section 7.3.1.
Charitable Trustee . The term “Charitable Trustee” shall mean the Person unaffiliated with both the Corporation and the relevant Prohibited Owner that is appointed by the Corporation to serve as trustee of the Charitable Trust.
Common Stock Ownership Limit . The term “Common Stock Ownership Limit” shall mean not more than 4.9% (or such lower amount designated by the Board pursuant to Section 7.2.9) (in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Corporation.
Constructive Ownership . The term “Constructive Ownership” shall mean ownership of Capital Stock by a Person who is or would be treated as an owner of such shares of Capital Stock either actually or constructively through the application of Section 318 of the Code, as modified by Section 856(d)(5) of the Code. The terms “Constructive Owner,” “Constructively Owns” and “Constructively Owned” shall have the correlative meanings.
Initial Date . The term “Initial Date” shall mean the first day after the date that Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Hilton ”), distributes shares of Common Stock to the holders of shares of Hilton common stock.
Market Price . The term “Market Price” on any date shall mean, with respect to any class or series of outstanding shares of Capital Stock, the Closing Price for such Capital Stock on such date. The “Closing Price” on any date shall mean the last sale price for such Capital Stock, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, for such Capital Stock, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trade on the NYSE or, if such Capital Stock is not listed or admitted to trade on the NYSE, as reported on the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which such Capital Stock is listed or admitted to trading or, if such Capital Stock is not listed or admitted to trade on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price, or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the principal automated quotation system that may then be in use or, if such Capital Stock is not quoted by any such system, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in such Capital Stock selected by the Board or, in the event that no trading price is available for such Capital Stock, the fair market value of the Capital Stock, as determined in good faith by the Board.
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Non-Transfer Event . The term “Non-Transfer Event” shall mean any event or other changes in circumstances other than a purported Transfer, including, without limitation, any change in the value of any Capital Stock and any redemption of any Capital Stock.
NYSE . The term “NYSE” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange.
Person . The term “Person” shall mean an individual, corporation, partnership (general or limited), limited liability company, estate, trust (including, without limitation, a trust qualified under Sections 401(a) or 501(c)(17) of the Code), a portion of a trust permanently set aside for or to be used exclusively for the purposes described in Section 642(c) of the Code, association, private foundation within the meaning of Section 509(a) of the Code, joint stock company or other entity and also includes a group as that term is used for purposes of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Preferred Stock Ownership Limit . The term “Preferred Stock Ownership Limit” shall mean, with respect to any class or series of Preferred Stock, not more than 4.9% (or such lower amount designated by the Board pursuant to Section 7.2.9) (in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of such class or series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation.
Prohibited Owner . The term “Prohibited Owner” shall mean, with respect to any purported Transfer or Non-Transfer Event, any Person who, but for the provisions of Section 7.2.1, would Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Capital Stock in excess of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or Preferred Stock Ownership Limit, as applicable, and if appropriate in the context, shall also mean any Person who would have been the record owner of the shares of Capital Stock that the Prohibited Owner would have so owned.
REIT . The term “REIT” shall mean a real estate investment trust within the meaning of Sections 856 through 859 of the Code.
Restriction Termination Date . The term “Restriction Termination Date” shall mean the first day after the Initial Date on which the Board determines that it is no longer in the best interests of the Corporation to attempt to, or continue to, qualify as a REIT or that compliance with the restrictions and limitations on Beneficial Ownership, Constructive Ownership and Transfers of shares of Capital Stock set forth herein is no longer required in order for the Corporation to qualify as a REIT.
Transfer . The term “Transfer” shall mean any issuance, sale, transfer, gift, assignment, devise or other disposition, as well as any other event that causes any Person to acquire or have Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership, or any agreement to take any such actions or cause any such events, of Capital Stock or the right to vote or receive dividends or distributions on Capital Stock, including (a) a change in the capital structure of the Corporation, (b) a change in the relationship between two or more Persons which causes a change in ownership of Capital Stock by application of Section 544 of the Code, as modified by Section 856(h) of the Code, (c) the granting or exercise of any option or warrant (or any acquisition or disposition of any option or warrant), pledge, security interest, or similar right to acquire Capital Stock, (d) any acquisition or disposition of any securities or rights convertible
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into or exchangeable for Capital Stock or any interest in Capital Stock or any exercise of any such conversion or exchange right and (e) Transfers of interests in other entities that result in changes in Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of Capital Stock; in each case, whether voluntary or involuntary, whether owned of record, Constructively Owned or Beneficially Owned and whether by operation of law or otherwise. The terms “Transferring” and “Transferred” shall have the correlative meanings.
Section 7.2. Capital Stock .
Section 7.2.1 Ownership Limitations . During the period commencing on the Initial Date and ending on the Restriction Termination Date:
(a) Basic Restrictions .
(i) (1) No Person, other than a Person exempted from the Common Stock Ownership Limit pursuant to Section 7.2.7, shall Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Common Stock in excess of the Common Stock Ownership Limit unless, as provided in Section 7.2.8, the Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, increases the Common Stock Ownership Limit, in which case no Person shall Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Common Stock in excess of such modified Common Stock Ownership Limit; and
(2) No Person, other than a Person exempted from the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit pursuant to Section 7.2.7, shall Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Preferred Stock in excess of the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit unless, as provided in Section 7.2.8, the Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, increases the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit, in which case no Person shall Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Preferred Stock in excess of such modified Preferred Stock Ownership Limit.
(ii) No Person shall Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Capital Stock to the extent that:
(1) such Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of Capital Stock would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) result in the Corporation being “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code (without regard to whether the ownership interest is held during the last half of a taxable year);
(2) such Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of Capital Stock would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) result in (a) the Corporation owning (directly, indirectly or as a result of Constructive Ownership) an interest in a tenant that is described in Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code if the income derived by the Corporation (either directly or indirectly through one or more partnerships or limited liability companies) from such tenant for the taxable year of the Corporation during which such determination is being made would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) reasonably be expected to equal or exceed one percent (1%) of the Corporation’s gross income (as determined for purposes of Section 856(c) of the Code) or (b) any manager or operator of a “qualified lodging facility,”
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within the meaning of Section 856(d)(9)(D) of the Code, leased by the Corporation (or any subsidiary of the Corporation) to one of the Corporation’s taxable REIT subsidiaries failing to qualify as an “eligible independent contractor,” within the meaning of Section 856(d)(9)(A) of the Code, if, in the case of either clause (a) or (b), the income derived by the Corporation from such tenant or such taxable REIT subsidiary, taking into account any other income of the Corporation that would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) not qualify under the gross income requirements of Section 856(c) of the Code, would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) cause the Corporation to fail to satisfy any of such gross income requirements; or
(3) such Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of Capital Stock would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) result in the Corporation otherwise failing to qualify as a REIT.
(iii) No Person shall Transfer any shares of Capital Stock if, as a result of the Transfer, the Capital Stock would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) be Beneficially Owned by fewer than 100 Persons (determined without reference to the rules of attribution under the Code). Subject to Section 7.4 and notwithstanding any other provisions contained herein, any Transfer of Capital Stock (whether or not such Transfer is the result of a transaction entered into through the facilities of the NYSE or any other national securities exchange or automated inter-dealer quotation system) that, if effective, would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) result in the Capital Stock being Beneficially Owned by fewer than 100 Persons (determined under the principles of Section 856(a)(5) of the Code) shall be void ab initio , and the intended transferee shall acquire no rights in such shares of Capital Stock.
(iv) No Person shall Beneficially Own shares of Capital Stock to the extent that such Beneficial Ownership of Capital Stock would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) result in the Corporation failing to qualify as a “domestically controlled qualified investment entity” within the meaning of Section 897(h) of the Code.
(b) Transfer in Trust . If any Transfer of shares of Capital Stock (whether or not such Transfer is the result of a transaction entered into through the facilities of the NYSE or any other national securities exchange or automated inter-dealer quotation system) or Non-Transfer Event occurs which, if effective, would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) result in any Person Beneficially Owning or Constructively Owning shares in violation of Section 7.2.1(a)(i), (ii) or (iv),
(i) then that number of shares of Capital Stock the Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of which otherwise would (or in the sole judgment of the Board, could) cause such Person to violate Section 7.2.1(a)(i), (ii) or (iv) (rounded up to the nearest whole share) shall be automatically transferred to a Charitable Trust for the benefit of a Charitable Beneficiary, as described in Section 7.3, effective as of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the date of such Transfer or Non-Transfer Event, and such Person shall acquire no rights in such shares of Capital Stock; or
(ii) if the transfer to the Charitable Trust described in clause (i) of this subparagraph would not be effective for any reason to prevent the violation of
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Section 7.2.1(a)(i), (ii) or (iv), or would not prevent the Corporation from failing to qualify as a REIT, then the Transfer of that number of shares of Capital Stock that otherwise would cause any Person to violate Section 7.2.1(a)(i), (ii) or (iv) shall be void ab initio , and the intended transferee shall acquire no rights in such shares of Capital Stock.
(iii) in determining which shares of Capital Stock are to be transferred to a Charitable Trust in accordance with this Section 7.2.1(b) and Section 7.3 hereof, unless the Board agrees to a different methodology with a Person who has been granted an exemption from the Common Stock Ownership Limit and/or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit, shares shall be so transferred to a Charitable Trust in such manner as minimizes the aggregate value of the shares of Capital Stock that are transferred to the Charitable Trust (except as provided in Section 7.2.6) and, to the extent not inconsistent therewith, on a pro rata basis.
(iv) to the extent that, upon a transfer of shares of Capital Stock pursuant to this Section 7.2.1(b), a violation of any provision of Section 7.2.1(a) would nonetheless be continuing (as, for example, where the ownership of shares of Capital Stock by a single Charitable Trust would result in the Capital Stock being Beneficially Owned (determined under the principles of Section 856(a)(5) of the Code) by fewer than 100 persons), then shares of Capital Stock shall be transferred to that number of Charitable Trusts, each having a Charitable Trustee and a Charitable Beneficiary or Charitable Beneficiaries that are distinct from those of each other Charitable Trust, such that there is no violation of any provision of Section 7.2.1(a) hereof.
Section 7.2.2 Remedies for Breach . If the Board shall at any time determine in good faith that a Transfer or Non-Transfer Event has taken place that results in a violation of Section 7.2.1(a) or that a Person intends to acquire or has attempted to acquire Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of any shares of Capital Stock in violation of Section 7.2.1(a) (whether or not such violation is intended), the Board shall take such action as it deems advisable to refuse to give effect to or to prevent such Transfer or Non-Transfer Event, including, without limitation, causing the Corporation to redeem shares of Capital Stock, refusing to give effect to such Transfer or Non-Transfer Event on the books of the Corporation or instituting proceedings to enjoin such Transfer or Non-Transfer Event; provided , however , that any Transfer or attempted Transfer or Non-Transfer Event in violation of Section 7.2.1(a) shall automatically result in the Transfer to the Charitable Trust described above, and, where applicable, such Transfer (or other event) shall be void ab initio as provided above irrespective of any action (or non-action) by the Board.
Section 7.2.3 Notice of Restricted Transfer . Any Person who acquires or attempts or intends to acquire Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of shares of Capital Stock that will or may violate Section 7.2.1(a), or any Person who would have owned shares of Capital Stock that resulted in a transfer to the Charitable Trust pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.2.1(b), shall immediately give written notice to the Corporation of such event or, in the case of such a proposed or attempted transaction, shall give at least fifteen (15) days prior written notice, and shall provide to the Corporation such other information as the Corporation may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such acquisition or ownership on the Corporation’s status as a REIT.
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Section 7.2.4 Owners Required To Provide Information . During the period commencing on the Initial Date and ending on the Restriction Termination Date:
(a) upon request by the Corporation, every owner of more than five percent (5%) (or such lower percentage as required by the Code or the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder) of the outstanding shares of Capital Stock, within thirty (30) days after the end of each taxable year, shall give written notice to the Corporation stating the name and address of such owner, the number of shares of Capital Stock Beneficially Owned and a description of the manner in which such shares are held; provided, that a stockholder of record who holds outstanding shares of Capital Stock as nominee for another Person, which other Person is required to include in gross income the dividends or distributions received on such shares (an “ Actual Owner ”), shall give written notice to the Corporation stating the name and address of such Actual Owner and the number of shares of Capital Stock of such Actual Owner with respect to which the stockholder of record is nominee. Each owner shall provide to the Corporation such additional information as the Corporation may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such Beneficial Ownership on the Corporation’s status as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit applicable to such owner; and
(b) each Person who is a Beneficial Owner or Constructive Owner of shares of Capital Stock and each Person (including the stockholder of record) who is holding shares of Capital Stock for a Beneficial Owner or Constructive Owner shall provide to the Corporation such information as the Corporation may request, in good faith, in order to determine the Corporation’s status as a REIT and to comply with requirements of any taxing authority or governmental authority or to determine such compliance and to ensure compliance with the Common Stock Ownership Limit and the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit.
Section 7.2.5 Remedies Not Limited . Subject to Sections 6.2 and 7.4 of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, nothing contained in this Section 7.2 shall limit the authority of the Board to take such other action as it deems necessary or advisable to protect the Corporation and the interests of its stockholders in preserving the Corporation’s status as a REIT.
Section 7.2.6 Ambiguity or Interpretation . In the case of an ambiguity in the application, or question about the interpretation, of any of the provisions of this Section 7.2, Section 7.3 or any definition contained in Section 7.1, the Board shall have the power to determine the application or interpretation of the provisions of this Section 7.2 or Section 7.3 with respect to any situation based on the facts known to it. If Section 7.2 or 7.3 requires an action by the Board and this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation fails to provide specific guidance with respect to such action, the Board shall have the power to determine the action to be taken so long as such action is not contrary to the provisions of Sections 7.1, 7.2 or 7.3.
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(a) Subject to Sections 7.2.1(a)(ii), 7.2.1(a)(iii) and 7.2(a)(iv), the Board may exempt, prospectively or retroactively, a Person from the Common Stock Ownership Limit and/or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit for purposes of the application of Section 7.2.1(a)(i) if:
(i) the Board determines, in its sole discretion, based on representations and undertakings provided by such Person to the Board and/or other information submitted by such Person to the Board, that either (A) such Person is not an individual for purposes of Section 542(a)(2) of the Code (determined taking into account Section 856(h)(3)(A) of the Code), or (B) such Person’s ownership of the maximum amount of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock permitted under the exemption proposed to be granted could not result in the Corporation being “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code (without regard to whether the ownership interest is held during the last half of a taxable year), determined assuming for such purposes that any four other Persons who would be considered individuals for purposes of Section 542(a)(2) of the Code (determined taking into account Section 856(h)(3)(A) of the Code) also would Beneficially Own the maximum amount Preferred Stock and/or Common Stock permitted under this Article VII (determined taking into account any prior exemptions granted under this Section 7.2.7);
(ii) such Person submits to the Board information satisfactory to the Board, in its sole discretion, demonstrating that either (A) no Person who is an individual for purposes of Section 542(a)(2) of the Code (determined taking into account Section 856(h)(3)(A) of the Code) would be considered to Beneficially Own shares of Common Stock in excess of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or shares of Preferred Stock in excess of the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit by reason of such Person’s ownership of shares of Common Stock in excess of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or ownership of shares of Preferred Stock in excess of the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit pursuant to the exemption granted under this subparagraph (a), or (B) such Person’s ownership of the maximum amount of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock permitted under the exemption proposed to be granted could not result in the Corporation being “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code (without regard to whether the ownership interest is held during the last half of a taxable year), determined assuming for such purposes that any four other Persons who would be considered individuals for purposes of Section 542(a)(2) of the Code (determined taking into account Section 856(h)(3)(A) of the Code) also would Beneficially Own the maximum amount Preferred Stock and/or Common Stock permitted under this Article VII (determined taking into account any prior exemptions granted under this Section 7.2.7);
(iii) such Person submits to the Board information satisfactory to the Board, in its sole discretion, demonstrating that clauses (1), (2) and (3) of subparagraph (a)(ii) of Section 7.2.1 will not be violated by reason of such Person’s ownership of shares of Common Stock in excess of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or ownership of shares of Preferred Stock in excess of the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit pursuant to the exemption granted under this subparagraph 7.2.7(a); and
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(iv) such Person provides to the Board such representations and undertakings, if any, as the Board may, in its sole discretion, require to ensure that the conditions in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) hereof are satisfied and will continue to be satisfied throughout the period during which such Person owns shares of Common Stock in excess of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or shares of Preferred Stock in excess of the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit pursuant to any exemption thereto granted under this subparagraph (a), and such Person agrees that any violation of such representations and undertakings or any attempted violation thereof will result in the application of the remedies set forth in Section 7.2 (including, without limitation, Section 7.2.5) with respect to shares of Common Stock in excess of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or shares of Preferred Stock in excess of the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit with respect to such Person (determined without regard to the exemption granted such Person under this subparagraph (a)).
(b) Prior to granting any exemption pursuant to subparagraph (a), the Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, may require a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of counsel, in either case in form and substance satisfactory to the Board, in its sole and absolute discretion as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to determine or ensure the Corporation’s status as a REIT; provided , however , that the Board shall not be obligated to require obtaining a favorable ruling or opinion in order to grant an exemption hereunder. In addition, notwithstanding the receipt of any ruling or opinion, the Board may impose such conditions or restrictions as it deems appropriate in connection with granting such exemption.
(c) Subject to Sections 7.2.1(a)(ii), 7.2.1(a)(iii) and 7.2.1(a)(iv), an underwriter that participates in a public offering or a private placement of Capital Stock (or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Capital Stock) may Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Capital Stock (or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Capital Stock) in excess of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit, but only to the extent necessary to facilitate such public offering or private placement.
Section 7.2.8 Increase in Common Stock Ownership Limit or Preferred Stock Ownership Limit . Subject to the limitations provided in Sections 7.2.1(a)(ii), 7.2.1(a)(iii) and 7.2.1(a)(iv) and this Section 7.2.8, the Board may, in its sole and absolute discretion, from time to time increase the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit for any one or more Persons; provided , however , that:
(a) the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit may not be increased if, after giving effect to such change, either (1) five Persons who are considered individuals pursuant to Section 542 of the Code, as modified by Section 856(h)(3) of the Code, could Beneficially Own, in the aggregate, more than 49.9% of the value of the outstanding shares of Capital Stock (determined taking into account any reduction in the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit for other Persons being made contemporaneously pursuant to Section 7.2.9), or (2) either clause (2) or clause (3) of subparagraph (a)(ii) of Section 7.2.1 could be violated by any Person for whom the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit is increased by reason of such Person’s ownership of Common Stock in accordance with the increased Common Stock
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Ownership Limit or ownership of Preferred Stock in accordance with the increased Preferred Stock Ownership Limit; and
(b) prior to the modification of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit pursuant to this Section 7.2.8, the Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, may require such opinions of counsel, affidavits, undertakings or agreements as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to determine or ensure the Corporation’s status as a REIT if the modification of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit were to be made.
Section 7.2.9 Decrease in Common Stock Ownership Limit or Preferred Stock Ownership Limit . The Board may from time to time decrease the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit for some or all Persons (including in connection with an increase of the Common Stock Ownership Limit or the Preferred Stock Ownership Limit pursuant to Section 7.2.8 for any one or more Persons); provided , however , that any such decreased Common Stock Ownership Limit and/or Preferred Stock Ownership Limit will not be effective for any Person whose percentage ownership in shares of Common Stock or shares of Preferred Stock, as the case may be, is in excess of such decreased Common Stock Ownership Limit or Preferred Stock Ownership Limit until such time as such Person’s percentage ownership of shares of Common Stock or shares of Preferred Stock, as the case may be, equals or falls below the decreased Common Stock Ownership Limit and/or Preferred Stock Ownership Limit but until such time as such Person’s percentage ownership of shares of Common Stock or shares of Preferred Stock, as the case may be, falls below such decreased Common Stock Ownership Limit and/or Preferred Stock Ownership Limit, any further acquisition of shares of Common Stock or shares of Preferred Stock, as the case may be, in excess of such decreased Common Stock Ownership Limit and/or Preferred Stock Ownership Limit will be in violation of such decreased Common Stock Ownership Limit and/or Preferred Stock Ownership Limit.
Section 7.2.10 Legend . Each certificate for shares of Capital Stock shall bear substantially the following legend:
The shares represented by this certificate are subject to restrictions on Beneficial Ownership, Constructive Ownership and Transfer. Subject to certain further restrictions and except as expressly provided in the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, (i) no Person may Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Common Stock of the Corporation in excess of 4.9% (in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Corporation; (ii) no Person may Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Preferred Stock of the Corporation in excess of 4.9% (in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the total outstanding shares of any class or series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation; (iii) no Person may Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation that would result in the Corporation being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code; (iv) no Person may Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation that would result in (a) the Corporation owning (directly, indirectly or as a result of Constructive Ownership) an interest in a tenant that is described in
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Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code if the income derived by the Corporation (either directly or indirectly through one or more partnerships or limited liability companies) from such tenant for the taxable year of the Corporation during which such determination is being made would reasonably be expected to equal or exceed one percent (1%) of the Corporation’s gross income (as determined for purposes of Section 856(c) of the Code) or (b) any manager or operator of a “qualified lodging facility,” within the meaning of Section 856(d)(9)(D) of the Code, leased by the Corporation (or any subsidiary of the Corporation) to one of the Corporation’s taxable REIT subsidiaries failing to qualify as an “eligible independent contractor,” within the meaning of Section 856(d)(9)(A) of the Code, if, in the case of either clause (a) or (b), the income derived by the Corporation from such tenant or such taxable REIT subsidiary, taking into account any other income of the Corporation that would not qualify under the gross income requirements of Section 856(c) of the Code, would cause the Corporation to fail to satisfy any of such gross income requirements; (v) no Person may Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation that would result in the Corporation otherwise failing to qualify as a REIT, (vi) no Person may Transfer shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation if such Transfer would result in shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation being owned by fewer than 100 Persons (as determined under the principles of Section 856(a)(5) of the Code); and (vii) n o Person shall Beneficially Own shares of Capital Stock to the extent that such Beneficial Ownership of Capital Stock would result in the Corporation failing to qualify as a “domestically controlled qualified investment entity” within the meaning of Section 897(h) of the Code . Any Person who Beneficially Owns or Constructively Owns, Transfers or attempts to Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation which causes or will cause a Person to Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation in excess or in violation of the above limitations must immediately notify the Corporation. If certain of the restrictions on Transfer or ownership above are violated, the shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation represented hereby will be automatically Transferred to a Charitable Trustee of a Charitable Trust for the benefit of one or more Charitable Beneficiaries. In addition, the Corporation may take other actions, including redeeming Capital Stock upon the terms and conditions specified by the Board in its sole and absolute discretion if the Board determines that ownership or a Transfer or other event may violate the restrictions described above. Furthermore, upon the occurrence of certain events, attempted Transfers in violation of the restrictions described above may be void ab initio . A Person who attempts to Beneficially Own or Constructively Own shares of Capital Stock in violation of the ownership limitations described above shall have no claim, cause of action or any recourse whatsoever against a transferor of such shares. All capitalized terms in this legend have the meanings defined in the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as the same may be amended from time to time, a copy of which, including the restrictions on Transfer and ownership, will be furnished to each holder of shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation on request and without charge. Requests for such a copy may be directed to the Secretary of the Corporation at its principal office.
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Instead of the foregoing legend, the certificate may state that the Corporation will furnish a full statement about certain restrictions on transferability to a stockholder on request and without charge.
Section 7.3 Transfer of Shares in Trust .
Section 7.3.1 Ownership in Trust . Upon any purported Transfer or other event described in Section 7.2.1(b) that would result in a transfer of shares of Capital Stock to a Charitable Trust, such shares of Capital Stock shall be deemed to have been transferred to the Charitable Trustee as trustee of a Charitable Trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more Charitable Beneficiaries. Such transfer to the Charitable Trustee shall be deemed to be effective as of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the purported Transfer or other event that results in the Transfer to the Charitable Trust pursuant to Section 7.2.1(b). The Charitable Trustee shall be appointed by the Corporation and shall be a Person unaffiliated with the Corporation and any Prohibited Owner. Each Charitable Beneficiary shall be designated by the Corporation as provided in Section 7.3.7.
Section 7.3.2 Status of Shares Held by the Charitable Trustee . Shares of Capital Stock held by the Charitable Trustee shall be issued and outstanding shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation. The Prohibited Owner shall have no rights in the Capital Stock held by the Charitable Trustee. The Prohibited Owner shall not benefit economically from ownership of any shares held in trust by the Charitable Trustee, shall have no rights to dividends or other distributions and shall not possess any rights to vote or other rights attributable to the shares held in the Charitable Trust. The Prohibited Owner shall have no claim, cause of action, or any other recourse whatsoever against the purported transferor of such shares of Capital Stock.
Section 7.3.3 Dividend and Voting Rights . The Charitable Trustee shall have all voting rights and rights to dividends or other distributions with respect to shares of Capital Stock held in the Charitable Trust, which rights shall be exercised for the exclusive benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary. Any dividend or other distribution paid prior to the discovery by the Corporation that shares of Capital Stock have been transferred to the Charitable Trustee shall be paid with respect to such shares to the Charitable Trustee upon demand and any dividend or other distribution authorized but unpaid shall be paid when due to the Charitable Trustee. Any dividends or distributions so paid over to the Charitable Trustee shall be held in trust for the Charitable Beneficiary. The Prohibited Owner shall have no voting rights with respect to shares of Capital Stock held in the Charitable Trust and, subject to Delaware law, effective as of the date that the shares of Capital Stock have been transferred to the Charitable Trustee, the Charitable Trustee shall have the authority (at the Charitable Trustee’s sole discretion) (i) to rescind as void any vote cast by a Prohibited Owner prior to the discovery by the Corporation that shares of Capital Stock have been transferred to the Charitable Trustee and (ii) to recast such vote in accordance with the desires of the Charitable Trustee acting for the benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary; provided , however , that if the Corporation has already taken irreversible action, then the Charitable Trustee shall not have the authority to rescind and recast such vote. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article VII, until the Corporation has received notification that shares of Capital Stock have been transferred into a Charitable Trust, the Corporation shall be entitled to rely on its share transfer and other shareholder records for
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purposes of preparing lists of stockholders entitled to vote at meetings, determining the validity and authority of proxies and otherwise conducting votes of stockholders.
Section 7.3.4 Rights Upon Liquidation . Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of or any distribution of the assets of the Corporation, the Charitable Trustee shall be entitled to receive, ratably with each other holder of shares of Capital Stock of the class or series of Capital Stock that is held in the Charitable Trust, that portion of the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to the holders of such class or series (determined based upon the ratio that the number of shares of such class or series of Capital Stock held by the Charitable Trustee bears to the total number of shares of such class or series of Capital Stock then outstanding). The Charitable Trustee shall distribute any such assets received in respect of the shares of Capital Stock held in the Charitable Trust in any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of, or distribution of the assets of the Corporation, in accordance with Section 7.3.5.
Section 7.3.5 Sale of Shares by Charitable Trustee . Within twenty (20) days of receiving notice from the Corporation that shares of Capital Stock have been transferred to the Charitable Trust, the Charitable Trustee shall sell the shares held in the Charitable Trust to a person, designated by the Charitable Trustee, whose ownership of the shares will not violate the ownership limitations set forth in Section 7.2.1(a). In connection with any such sale, the Charitable Trustee shall use good faith efforts to sell such shares at a fair market price. Upon such sale, the interest of the Charitable Beneficiary in the shares sold shall terminate and the Charitable Trustee shall distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the Prohibited Owner and to the Charitable Beneficiary as provided in this Section 7.3.5. The Prohibited Owner shall receive the lesser of (1) the price paid by the Prohibited Owner for the shares or, if the Prohibited Owner did not give value for the shares in connection with the event causing the shares to be held in the Charitable Trust ( e.g. , in the case of a gift, devise or other such transaction), the Market Price of the shares on the day of the event causing the shares to be held in the Charitable Trust and (2) the price per share received by the Charitable Trustee (net of any commissions and other expenses of sale) from the sale or other disposition of the shares held in the Charitable Trust. The Charitable Trustee may reduce the amount payable to the Prohibited Owner by the amount of dividends and distributions which have been paid to the Prohibited Owner and are owed by the Prohibited Owner to the Charitable Trustee pursuant to Section 7.3.3 of this Article VII. Any net sales proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the Prohibited Owner shall be immediately paid to the Charitable Beneficiary. If, prior to the discovery by the Corporation that shares of Capital Stock have been transferred to the Charitable Trustee, such shares are sold by a Prohibited Owner, then (i) such shares shall be deemed to have been sold on behalf of the Charitable Trust and (ii) to the extent that the Prohibited Owner received an amount for such shares that exceeds the amount that such Prohibited Owner was entitled to receive pursuant to this Section 7.3.5, such excess shall be paid to the Charitable Trustee upon demand. The Charitable Trustee shall have the right and power (but not the obligation) to offer any shares held in trust for sale to the Corporation on such terms and conditions as the Charitable Trustee shall deem appropriate.
Section 7.3.6 Purchase Right in Stock Transferred to the Charitable Trustee . Shares of Capital Stock transferred to the Charitable Trustee shall be deemed to have been offered for sale to the Corporation, or its designee, at a price per share equal to the lesser of
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(i) the price per share in the transaction that resulted in such transfer to the Charitable Trust (or, in the case of a devise or gift, the Market Price at the time of such devise or gift) and (ii) the Market Price on the date the Corporation, or its designee, accepts such offer. The Corporation may reduce the amount payable to the Prohibited Owner by the amount of dividends and distributions which have been paid to the Prohibited Owner and are owed by the Prohibited Owner to the Charitable Trustee pursuant to Section 7.3.3 of this Article VII. The Corporation may pay the amount of such reduction to the Charitable Trustee for the benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary. The Corporation shall have the right to accept such offer until the Charitable Trustee has sold the shares of Capital Stock held in the Charitable Trust pursuant to Section 7.3.5. Upon such a sale to the Corporation, the interest of the Charitable Beneficiary in the shares sold shall terminate and the Charitable Trustee shall distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the Prohibited Owner and any dividends or other distributions held by the Charitable Trustee will be paid to the Charitable Beneficiary.
Section 7.3.7 Designation of Charitable Beneficiaries . By written notice to the Charitable Trustee, the Corporation shall designate one or more nonprofit organizations to be the Charitable Beneficiary of the interest in the Charitable Trust such that (i) shares of Capital Stock held in the Charitable Trust would not violate the restrictions set forth in Section 7.2.1(a) in the hands of such Charitable Beneficiary and (ii) each such organization must be described in Sections 501(c)(3), 170(b)(1)(A) or 170(c)(2) of the Code.
Section 7.4 NYSE Transactions . Nothing in this Article VII shall preclude the settlement of any transaction entered into through the facilities of the NYSE or any other national securities exchange or automated inter-dealer quotation system. The fact that the settlement of any transaction takes place shall not negate the effect of any other provision of this Article VII (including that such transaction may be void ab initio ) and any transferor and transferee in such a transaction shall be subject to all of the provisions and limitations set forth in this Article VII.
Section 7.5 Enforcement . The Corporation is authorized specifically to seek equitable relief, including injunctive relief, to enforce the provisions of this Article VII.
Section 7.6 Non-Waiver . No delay or failure on the part of the Corporation or the Board in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any right of the Corporation or the Board, as the case may be, except to the extent specifically waived in writing.
Section 7.7 Action by Committee and Delegation of Authority . To the extent delegated by resolution of the Board, or as provided in the Bylaws, any committee of the Board may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in taking action pursuant to this Article VII.
ARTICLE VIII
Section 8.1. Meetings of Stockholders . Any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of stock of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of such holders and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such holders
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unless such action is recommended by all directors of the Corporation then in office; provided , however , that, to the extent expressly permitted by the certificate(s) of designation relating to one or more series of Preferred Stock, any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of such series of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more other such series, 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 outstanding shares of the relevant class or series 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 Delaware, its principal place of business, or to an officer or 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. Except as otherwise required by law and subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time only by or at the direction of the Board, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation or upon the request of holders of stock of the Corporation entitling the holders thereof to not less than a majority of the total voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.
ARTICLE IX
Section 9.1. Limitation on Liability of Directors . No director of the Corporation will have any personal liability to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any 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 hereafter may be amended. Neither the amendment nor the repeal of this Article IX shall eliminate or reduce the effect thereof in respect of any state of facts existing or act or omission occurring, or any cause of action, suit or claim that, but for this Article IX, would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment or repeal.
ARTICLE X
Section 10.1. Business Combinations . The Corporation hereby elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL until such time as there is no Significant Investor (as defined below), which, together with its Affiliates (as defined below), continues to beneficially own at least 5% of the total voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, whereupon the Corporation shall immediately and automatically, without further action on the part of the Corporation or any holder of stock of the Corporation, become governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.
ARTICLE XI
Section 11.1. Certain Acknowledgment . In recognition and anticipation that (i) certain directors, principals, officers, employees and/or other representatives of HNA Group Co., Ltd. or of investment funds or vehicles affiliated with The Blackstone Group L.P. (each a “ Significant
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Investor ” and, collectively, the “ Significant Investors ”) and their Affiliates may serve as directors, officers or agents of the Corporation, (ii) each Significant Investor and its Affiliates may now engage and may continue to engage in the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage, and (iii) members of the Board who are not employees of the Corporation (“ Non-Employee Directors ”) and their respective Affiliates may now engage and may continue to engage in the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage, the provisions of this Article XI are set forth to regulate and define the conduct of certain affairs of the Corporation with respect to certain classes or categories of business opportunities as they may involve any of the Significant Investors, the Non-Employee Directors or their respective Affiliates and the powers, rights, duties and liabilities of the Corporation and its directors, officers and stockholders in connection therewith.
Section 11.2. Competition and Corporate Opportunities; Renouncement . None of (i) the Significant Investors or any of their respective Affiliates or (ii) any Non-Employee Director (including any Non-Employee Director who serves as an officer of the Corporation in both his or her director and officer capacities) or his or her Affiliates (the Persons (as defined below) identified in (i) and (ii) above being referred to, collectively, as “ Identified Persons ” and, individually, as an “ Identified Person ”) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have any duty to refrain from directly or indirectly (1) engaging in the same or similar business activities or lines of business in which the Corporation or any of its Affiliates now engages or proposes to engage or (2) otherwise competing with the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, no Identified Person shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders or to any Affiliate of the Corporation for breach of any fiduciary duty solely by reason of the fact that such Identified Person engages in any such activities. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporation hereby renounces any interest or expectancy in, or right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, any business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for an Identified Person and the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, except as provided in Section 11.3 hereof. Subject to said Section 11.3, in the event that any Identified Person acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for itself, herself or himself and the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, such Identified Person shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have no duty to communicate or offer such transaction or other business opportunity to the Corporation or any of its Affiliates and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall not be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders or to any Affiliate of the Corporation for breach of any fiduciary duty as a stockholder, director or officer of the Corporation solely by reason of the fact that such Identified Person pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity for itself, herself or himself, or offers or directs such corporate opportunity to another Person.
Section 11.3. Allocation of Corporate Opportunities . The Corporation does not renounce its interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any Non-Employee Director (including any Non-Employee Director who serves as an officer of this Corporation) if such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or
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officer of the Corporation, and the provisions of Section 11.2 hereof shall not apply to any such corporate opportunity.
Section 11.4. Certain Matters Deemed Not Corporate Opportunities . In addition to and notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article XI, a corporate opportunity shall not be deemed to be a potential corporate opportunity for the Corporation if it is a business opportunity that (i) the Corporation is neither financially or legally able, nor contractually permitted to undertake, (ii) from its nature, is not in the line of the Corporation’s business or is of no practical advantage to the Corporation or (iii) is one in which the Corporation has no interest or reasonable expectancy.
Section 11.5. Certain Definitions . For purposes of Article X and this Article XI, (i) “Affiliate” shall mean (a) in respect of each Significant Investor, any Person that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by such Significant Investor, controls such Significant Investor or is under common control with such Significant Investor and shall include any principal, member, director, partner, stockholder, officer, employee or other representative of any of the foregoing (other than the Corporation and any entity that is controlled by the Corporation), (b) in respect of a Non-Employee Director, any Person that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by such Non-Employee Director (other than the Corporation and any entity that is controlled by the Corporation) and (c) in respect of the Corporation, any Person that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by the Corporation; and (ii) “Person” shall mean any individual, corporation, general or limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, association or any other entity.
Section 11.6. Notice of this Article . To the fullest extent permitted by law, any Person purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of this Article XI.
ARTICLE XII
Section 12.1. Severability . If any provision or provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and the provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability to the fullest extent permitted by law.
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Section 13.1. Forum . Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or stockholder of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer of the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws (as either may be amended and/or restated from time to time) or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article XIII.
ARTICLE XIV
Section 14.1. Preemptive Rights . No stockholder, as such, shall be entitled as a matter of right to preemptive rights to subscribe for, purchase or receive any shares of capital stock of the Corporation or any rights, options, warrants, bonds, debentures or other securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of capital stock of the Corporation that the Corporation may issue, sell or dispose of from time to time; provided that the foregoing shall not limit or eliminate the Corporation’s power to grant or enter into agreements providing for subscription rights as to any of the foregoing.
This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation shall become effective upon the filing of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
* **
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by Thomas J. Baltimore, Jr. , its Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer this 15 th day of March , 2017.
PARK HOTELS & RESORTS INC.
By :_/s/ Thomas J. Baltimore, Jr.___________
Name: Thomas J. Baltimore, Jr.
Title: Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
[Signature page – Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation]
E xhibit 3.2
AMENDED AND RESTATED
BY-LAWS
OF
PARK HOTELS & RESORTS INC.
Article I
STOCKHOLDERS
Section 1. The annual meeting of the stockholders of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (the “Corporation”) for the purpose of electing directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting shall be held on such date, and at such time and place, if any, within or without the State of Delaware as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”). The Corporation may postpone, reschedule or cancel any annual meeting of stockholders previously scheduled.
Section 2. Except as otherwise required by law or the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, and subject to the rights of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock (as defined in the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation), special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by or at the direction of the Board, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation or upon the request of holders of stock of the Corporation entitling the holders thereof to not less than a majority of the total voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. The Corporation may postpone, reschedule or cancel any special meeting of stockholders previously scheduled.
Section 3. Except as otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation or these By-Laws, notice of the date, time, place (if any), the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (if such date is different from the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting) and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes of the meeting of stockholders shall be given not more than sixty (60), nor less than ten (10), days before the date of the meeting, to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting at such address as appears on the records of the Corporation.
Section 4. The holders of a majority in voting power of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business, except as otherwise provided herein, by statute or by the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation; but if at any meeting of stockholders there shall be less than a quorum present, the chairman of the meeting or,
by a majority in voting power thereof, the stockholders present may, to the extent permitted by law, adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice other than announcement at the meeting of the date, time and place, if any, of the adjourned meeting, until a quorum shall be present or represented. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise provided by the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, where a separate vote by a class or series or classes or series is required, a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of such class or series or classes or series, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter. At any adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the original meeting. Notice need not be given of any adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date for stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board shall fix a new record date for notice of such adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such adjourned meeting as of the record date for notice of such adjourned meeting.
Section 5. The Chairman of the Board, or in the Chairman’s absence or at the Chairman’s direction, the Chief Executive Officer, or in the Chief Executive Officer’s absence or at the Chief Executive Officer’s direction, any officer of the Corporation shall call all meetings of the stockholders to order and shall act as chairman of any such meetings. The Secretary of the Corporation or, in such officer’s absence, an Assistant Secretary shall act as secretary of the meeting. If neither the Secretary nor an Assistant Secretary is present, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint a secretary of the meeting. The Board may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Unless otherwise determined by the Board prior to the meeting, the chairman of the meeting shall determine the order of business and shall have the authority in his or her discretion to regulate the conduct of any such meeting, including, without limitation, convening the meeting and adjourning the meeting (whether or not a quorum is present), announcing the date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote, imposing restrictions on the persons (other than stockholders of record of the Corporation or their duly appointed proxies) who may attend any such meeting, establishing procedures for the transaction of business at the meeting (including the dismissal of business not properly presented), maintaining order at the meeting and safety of those present, restricting entry to the meeting after the time fixed for commencement thereof and limiting the circumstances in which any person may make a statement or ask questions at any meeting of stockholders.
Section 6. At all meetings of stockholders, any stockholder entitled to vote thereat shall be entitled to vote in person or by proxy, but no proxy shall be voted after three years from its date, unless such proxy provides for a longer period. Without limiting the manner in which a stockholder may authorize another person or persons to act for the stockholder as proxy pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), the following shall constitute a valid means by which a stockholder may grant such authority: (i) a stockholder may execute a writing authorizing another person or persons to act for the stockholder as proxy, and execution of the writing may be accomplished by the stockholder or the stockholder’s authorized officer, director, employee or agent signing such writing or causing his or her signature to be
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affixed to such writing by any reasonable means including, but not limited to, by facsimile signature; or (ii) a stockholder may authorize another person or persons to act for the stockholder as proxy by transmitting or authorizing by means of electronic transmission to the person who will be the holder of the proxy or to a proxy solicitation firm, proxy support service organization or like agent duly authorized by the person who will be the holder of the proxy to receive such transmission, provided that any such means of electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the stockholder. If it is determined that such electronic transmissions are valid, the inspector or inspectors of stockholder votes or, if there are no such inspectors, such other persons making that determination shall specify the information upon which they relied.
A proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A stockholder may revoke any proxy which is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to the Secretary of the Corporation a revocation of the proxy or a new proxy bearing a later date.
Any copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reliable reproduction of the writing or transmission created pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section 6 may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or transmission.
Proxies shall be filed with the secretary of the meeting prior to or at the commencement of the meeting to which they relate.
Section 7. When a quorum is present at any meeting, the vote of the holders of a majority of the votes cast shall decide any question brought before such meeting, unless the question is one upon which by express provision of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, these By-Laws or the DGCL a different vote is required, in which case such express provision shall govern and control the decision of such question. Notwithstanding the foregoing, where a separate vote by a class or series or classes or series is required and a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by shares of such class or series or classes or series shall be the act of such class or series or classes or series, unless the question is one upon which by express provision of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, these By-Laws or the DGCL a different vote is required, in which case such express provision shall govern and control the decision of such question.
Section 8. (A) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice
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of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however , that the Board may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned meeting.
(B) 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 entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date on which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to such other action. If no such record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.
Section 9. At any time when the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation does not prohibit action by one or more classes or series of stockholders of the Corporation to be taken by written consent, the provisions of this section shall apply. All consents properly delivered in accordance with the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, and the DGCL 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 sixty (60) days of the earliest dated consent delivered to the Corporation as required by the DGCL, written consents signed by the holders of a sufficient number of shares to take such corporate action are so delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL. 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 notice of 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 as provided in the applicable provisions of the DGCL. 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. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which date shall not be more than ten (10) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board. If no record date has been fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board is required by statute, 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 in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business, or an officer or 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 and prior action by the Board is required by statute, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to
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corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution taking such prior action.
Section 10. The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare and make at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting ( provided, however , if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth (10th) day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting: (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting; or (ii) during ordinary business hours, at the principal place of business of the Corporation. In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, then a list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting.
Section 11. The Board, in advance of all meetings of the stockholders, may (and, if required by law, shall) appoint one or more inspectors of stockholder votes, who may be employees or agents of the Corporation or stockholders or their proxies, but who shall not be directors of the Corporation or candidates for election as directors. In the event that the Board fails to so appoint one or more inspectors of stockholder votes or, in the event that one or more inspectors of stockholder votes previously designated by the Board fails to appear or act at the meeting of stockholders, the chairman of the meeting may appoint one or more inspectors of stockholder votes to fill such vacancy or vacancies. Inspectors of stockholder votes appointed to act at any meeting of the stockholders, before entering upon the discharge of their duties, shall take and sign an oath to faithfully execute the duties of inspector of stockholder votes with strict impartiality and according to the best of their ability and the oath so taken shall be subscribed by them. Inspectors of stockholder votes shall take all actions required under the applicable provisions of the DGCL and any other applicable law, rule or regulation.
Section 12. (A) Annual Meetings of Stockholders . (1) Nominations of persons for election to the Board and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders only (a) as provided in a Stockholders Agreement, (b) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) delivered pursuant to Article I, Section 3 of these By-Laws, (c) by or at the direction of the Board or any authorized committee thereof or (d) by any stockholder of the Corporation who is entitled to vote on such election or such other business at the meeting, who complied with the notice procedures set forth in subparagraphs (2) and (3) of this paragraph (A) of this By-Law and who was a stockholder of record at the time such notice is delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation.
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(2) For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation, and, in the case of business other than nominations of persons for election to the Board, such other business must constitute a proper matter for stockholder action. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than twenty (20) days, or delayed by more than seventy (70) days, from the anniversary date of the previous year’s meeting, or if no annual meeting was held in the preceding year (including for the Corporation’s first annual meeting of stockholders after shares of its Common Stock (as defined in the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation) are first publicly traded), notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. For purposes of the application of Rule 14a-4(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (or any successor provision), the date for notice specified in this paragraph (A)(2) shall be the earlier of the date calculated as hereinbefore provided or the date specified in paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 14a-4.
Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth: (a) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Section 14(a) 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; (b) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and, in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend these By-Laws, the language of the proposed amendment), the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; (c) 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 records, and of such beneficial owner, (ii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned directly or indirectly, beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, (iii) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of the stock of the Corporation at the time of the giving of the notice, will be entitled to vote at such meeting and will appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business or nomination, (iv) a representation whether the stockholder or the beneficial owner, if any, will be or is part of a group which will (A) deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the voting power of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or elect the nominee and/or (B) otherwise solicit proxies or votes from stockholders in support of such proposal or nomination, (v) a certification regarding whether such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, have complied with all applicable federal, state and other legal requirements in connection with the stockholder’s and/or beneficial owner’s
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acquisition of shares of capital stock or other securities of the Corporation and/or the stockholder’s and/or beneficial owner’s acts or omissions as a stockholder of the Corporation and (vi) any other information relating to such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, 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 an election contest pursuant to and in accordance with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; (d) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to the nomination or proposal and/or the voting of shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation between or among the stockholder giving the notice, the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made, any of their respective affiliates or associates and/or any others acting in concert with any of the foregoing (collectively, “proponent persons”); and (e) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including without limitation any contract to purchase or sell, acquisition or grant of any option, right or warrant to purchase or sell, swap or other instrument) to which any proponent person is a party, the intent or effect of which may be (i) to transfer to or from any proponent person, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security of the Corporation, (ii) to increase or decrease the voting power of any proponent person with respect to shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation and/or (iii) to provide any proponent person, directly or indirectly, with the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from, or to otherwise benefit economically from, any increase or decrease in the value of any security of the Corporation. A stockholder providing notice of a proposed nomination for election to the Board or other business proposed to be brought before a meeting (whether given pursuant to this paragraph (A)(2) or paragraph (B) of this By-Law) shall update and supplement such notice from time to time to the extent necessary so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting and as of the date that is fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof provided that if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting is less than fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the information shall be supplemented and updated as of such later date. Any such update and supplement shall be delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) days after the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting (in the case of any update or supplement required to be made as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting), not later than ten (10) days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof (in the case of any update or supplement required to be made as of fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof) and not later than five (5) days after the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, but no later than the day prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof (in the case of any update and supplement required to be made as of a date less than fifteen (15) days prior the date of the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation and to determine the independence of such director under the Exchange Act and rules and regulations thereunder and applicable stock exchange rules.
(3) Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of paragraph (A)(2) of this By-Law to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the
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Board is increased, effective after the time period for which nominations would otherwise be due under paragraph (A)(2) of this By-Law, and there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board made by the Corporation at least one hundred (100) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this By-Law shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which a public announcement of such increase is first made by the Corporation; provided that, if no such announcement is made at least ten (10) days before the meeting, then no such notice shall be required.
(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 pursuant to Article I, Section 3 of these By-Laws. Nominations of persons for election to the Board may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected (i) pursuant to a Stockholders Agreement, (ii) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting or (iii)(a) by or at the direction of the Board or a committee thereof (or stockholders pursuant to Article I, Section 2 of these By-Laws and Article VIII of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation) or (b) provided that the Board (or stockholders pursuant to Article I, Section 2 of these By-Laws and Article VIII of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation) has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is entitled to vote on such election at the meeting, who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this By-Law and who is a stockholder of record at the time such notice is delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation. The proposals by stockholders of other business to be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders may be made only in accordance with Article I, Section 2 of these By-Laws and Article VIII of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board, any such stockholder entitled to vote in such election of directors 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 as required by paragraph (A)(2) of this By-Law shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board to be elected at such meeting.
(C) General . (1) Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this By-Law or a Stockholders Agreement 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 By-Law. Except as otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation or these By-Laws, the chairman of the meeting shall, in addition to making any other determination that may be appropriate for the conduct of the meeting, have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made in accordance with the procedures set forth in these By-Laws and, if any proposed nomination or business is not
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in compliance with these By-Laws, to declare that such defective proposal or nomination shall be disregarded or that such proposed business shall not be transacted.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 12, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation to present a nomination or business, such nomination shall be disregarded and such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 12, to be considered a qualified representative of the stockholder, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders.
(2) For purposes of this By-Law, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure (a) in a press release released by the Corporation, provided such press release is released by the Corporation following its customary procedures, is reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service, or is generally available on internet news sites, (b) in a document publicly filed or furnished by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or (c) otherwise disseminated in a manner constituting “public disclosure” under Regulation FD promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(3) For purposes of this By-Law, no adjournment or postponement or notice of adjournment or postponement of any meeting shall be deemed to constitute a new notice of such meeting for purposes of this Section 12, and in order for any notification required to be delivered by a stockholder pursuant to this Section 12 to be timely, such notification must be delivered within the periods set forth above with respect to the originally scheduled meeting.
(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this By-Law, 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 By-Law; provided however, that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any references in these By-Laws to the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit any requirements applicable to nominations or proposals as to any other business to be considered pursuant to this By-Law (including paragraphs (A)(1)(d) and (B) hereof), and compliance with paragraphs (A)(1)(d) and (B) of this By-Law shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations or submit other business. Nothing in this By-Law shall apply to the right, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors pursuant to any applicable provisions of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation.
Article II
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors
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constituting the entire Board; provided , that the number thereof shall never be fewer than three (3), nor more than twelve (12); and provided further, that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors. Directors shall (except as hereinafter provided for the filling of vacancies and newly created directorships and except as otherwise expressly provided in the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation) be elected by the holders of a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of such directors. A majority of the total number of directors then in office (but not less than one-third of the number of directors constituting the entire Board) shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Except as otherwise provided by law, these By-Laws or by the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, the act of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board. Directors need not be stockholders.
Section 2. Subject to the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation and a Stockholders Agreement, unless otherwise required by the DGCL or Article II, Section 4 of these By-Laws, any newly created directorship on the Board that results from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancy occurring in the Board (whether by death, resignation, removal, retirement, disqualification or otherwise) shall be filled only by a majority of the directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.
The Corporation’s corporate governance guidelines have established procedures with respect to the resignation of any director who does not receive a majority of the votes cast in an election that is not a Contested Election (as defined below). The Board will not nominate any person for service on the Board (other than any person nominated or designated pursuant to a Stockholders Agreement) unless such person (a “Nominee”) has agreed to resign from the Board upon failing to receive a majority of the votes cast in an election that is not a Contested Election, contingent on acceptance of that proffered resignation by the Board in accordance with the policies and procedures adopted by the Board for such purpose. An election of directors is a “Contested Election” if, as of the tenth (10th) day preceding the date the Corporation first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to the stockholders of the Corporation, or at any time thereafter, the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected. If the Board accepts a Nominee’s resignation, then the Board may fill any resulting vacancy pursuant to Article II, Section 2 of these By-Laws.
Section 3. Meetings of the Board shall be held at such place, if any, within or without the State of Delaware as may from time to time be fixed by resolution of the Board or as may be specified in the notice of any meeting. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held at such times as may from time to time be fixed by resolution of the Board and special meetings may be held at any time upon the call of the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer, by oral or written notice, including telegraph, telex or transmission of a telecopy, e-mail or other means of electronic transmission, duly served on or sent and delivered to each director to such director’s address, e-mail address or telephone or telecopy number as shown on the books of the Corporation not less than twenty-four (24) hours before the meeting. The notice of any meeting need not specify the purposes thereof. A meeting of the Board may be held without notice immediately after the annual meeting of stockholders at the same place, if any, at which such meeting is held. Notice need not be given of regular meetings of the Board held at times fixed by resolution of the Board.
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Section 4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, removal, and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) applicable thereto. Notwithstanding Section 1 of this Article II, the number of directors that may be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the total number of directors fixed by the Board pursuant to the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation and these By-Laws. Except as otherwise expressly provided in the terms of such series, the number of directors that may be so elected by the holders of any such series of stock shall be elected for terms expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders, and vacancies among directors so elected by the separate vote of the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors elected by such series, or, if there are no such remaining directors, by the holders of such series in the same manner in which such series initially elected a director.
Section 5. If at any meeting for the election of directors, the Corporation has outstanding more than one class of stock, and one or more such classes or series thereof are entitled to vote separately as a class to elect directors, and there shall be a quorum of only one such class or series of stock, that class or series of stock shall be entitled to elect its quota of directors notwithstanding the absence of a quorum of the other class or series of stock.
Section 6. The Board may from time to time establish one or more committees of the Board to serve at the pleasure of the Board, which shall be composed of such members of the Board and have such duties as the Board shall from time to time determine. Any director may belong to any number of committees of the Board. The Board may also establish such other non-Board committees with such members (whether or not directors) and with such duties as the Board may from time to time determine. The Board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, these By-Laws or the resolution of the Board designating the committee, a committee may create one or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one or more members of the committee, and may delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee.
Section 7. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation or these By-Laws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee.
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Section 8. The members of the Board or any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of such Board or committee, as the case may be, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this subsection shall constitute presence in person at such a meeting.
Section 9. The Board may establish policies for the compensation of directors and for the reimbursement of the expenses of directors, in each case, in connection with services provided by directors to the Corporation.
Article III
OFFICERS
Section 1. The Board shall elect officers of the Corporation, including a Chief Executive Officer, President and a Secretary. The Board may also from time to time elect such other officers (including, without limitation, a Chief Financial Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, a General Counsel, one or more Vice Presidents, a Treasurer, one or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries and one or more Assistant Treasurers) as it may deem proper or may delegate to any elected officer of the Corporation the power to appoint and remove any such other officers and to prescribe their respective terms of office, authorities and duties. Any Vice President may be designated Executive, Senior or Corporate, or may be given such other designation or combination of designations as the Board or the Chief Executive Officer may determine. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person. The Board may also elect or appoint a Chairman of the Board, who may or may not also be an officer of the Corporation. The Board may elect or appoint co-Chairmen of the Board, co-Presidents or co-Chief Executive Officers and, in such case, references in these By-Laws to the Chairman of the Board, the President or the Chief Executive Officer shall refer to either such co-Chairman of the Board, co-President or co-Chief Executive Officer, as the case may be.
Section 2. All officers of the Corporation elected by the Board shall hold office for such terms as may be determined by the Board or, except with respect to his or her own office, the Chief Executive Officer, or until their respective successors are chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal. Any officer may be removed from office at any time either with or without cause by affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Board then in office, or, in the case of appointed officers, by any elected officer upon whom such power of removal shall have been conferred by the Board.
Section 3. Each of the officers of the Corporation elected by the Board or appointed by an officer in accordance with these By-Laws shall have the powers and duties prescribed by law, by these By-Laws or by the Board and, in the case of appointed officers, the powers and duties prescribed by the appointing officer, and, unless otherwise prescribed by these By-Laws or by the Board or such appointing officer, shall have such further powers and duties as ordinarily pertain to that office.
Section 4. Unless otherwise provided in these By-Laws, in the absence or disability of any officer of the Corporation, the Board or the Chief Executive Officer may, during such period,
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delegate such officer’s powers and duties to any other officer or to any director and the person to whom such powers and duties are delegated shall, for the time being, hold such office.
Article IV
INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES
Section 1. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (hereinafter a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or an 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, agent or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (hereinafter an “indemnitee”), whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than such law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such indemnitee in connection therewith; provided, however, that, except as provided in Section 3 of this Article IV with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses or with respect to any compulsory counterclaim brought by such indemnitee, the Corporation shall indemnify any such 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.
Section 2. In addition to the right to indemnification conferred in Section 1 of this Article IV, an indemnitee shall also have the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses (including attorney’s fees) incurred in appearing at, participating in or defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition or in connection with a proceeding brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Article IV (which shall be governed by Section 3 of this Article IV) (hereinafter an “advancement of expenses”); provided, however, that, if (x) the DGCL requires or (y) in the case of an advance made in a proceeding brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification or advancement, an advancement of expenses incurred by an indemnitee in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the Corporation (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such indemnitee, including, without limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) shall be made solely upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking (hereinafter an “undertaking”), by or on behalf of such 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 (hereinafter a “final adjudication”) that such indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified or entitled to advancement of expenses under Section 1 or 2 of this Article IV or otherwise.
Section 3. If a claim under Section 1 or 2 of this Article IV is not paid in full by the Corporation within (i) sixty (60) days after a written claim for indemnification has been received
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by the Corporation or (ii) twenty (20) days after a claim for an advancement of expenses has been received by the Corporation, the indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim or to obtain advancement of expenses, as applicable. To the fullest extent permitted by law, if the indemnitee is successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. In (i) any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) any suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that, the indemnitee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including by its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including by its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit brought by the indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, or brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article IV or otherwise shall be on the Corporation.
Section 4. (A) The provision of indemnification to or the advancement of expenses and costs to any indemnitee under this Article IV, or the entitlement of any indemnitee to indemnification or advancement of expenses and costs under this Article IV, shall not limit or restrict in any way the power of the Corporation to indemnify or advance expenses and costs to such indemnitee in any other way permitted by law or be deemed exclusive of, or invalidate, any right to which any indemnitee seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses and costs may be entitled under any law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such indemnitee’s capacity as an officer, director, employee or agent of the Corporation and as to action in any other capacity.
(B) Given that certain jointly indemnifiable claims (as defined below) may arise due to the service of the indemnitee as a director and/or officer of the Corporation at the request of the indemnitee-related entities (as defined below), the Corporation shall be fully and primarily responsible for the payment to the indemnitee in respect of indemnification or advancement of expenses in connection with any such jointly indemnifiable claims, pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of this Article IV, irrespective of any right of recovery the indemnitee may have from the indemnitee-related entities. Under no circumstance shall the Corporation be entitled to any right of subrogation against or contribution by the indemnitee-related entities and no right of advancement, indemnification or recovery the indemnitee may have from the indemnitee-related entities shall reduce or otherwise alter the rights of the indemnitee or the obligations of the Corporation under this Article IV. In the event that any of the indemnitee-related entities shall
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make any payment to the indemnitee in respect of indemnification or advancement of expenses with respect to any jointly indemnifiable claim, the indemnitee-related entity making such payment shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the indemnitee against the Corporation, and the indemnitee shall execute all papers reasonably required and shall do all things that may be reasonably necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of such documents as may be necessary to enable the indemnitee-related entities effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights. Each of the indemnitee-related entities shall be third-party beneficiaries with respect to this Section 4(B) of Article IV, entitled to enforce this Section 4(B) of Article IV.
For purposes of this Section 4(B) of Article IV, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1) The term “ indemnitee-related entities ” means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise (other than the Corporation or any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for which the indemnitee has agreed, on behalf of the Corporation or at the Corporation’s request, to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent and which service is covered by the indemnity described herein) from whom an indemnitee may be entitled to indemnification or advancement of expenses with respect to which, in whole or in part, the Corporation may also have an indemnification or advancement obligation.
(2) The term “ jointly indemnifiable claims ” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, any action, suit or proceeding for which the indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnification or advancement of expenses from both the indemnitee-related entities and the Corporation pursuant to applicable law, any agreement, certificate of incorporation, bylaws, partnership agreement, operating agreement, certificate of formation, certificate of limited partnership or comparable organizational documents of the Corporation or the indemnitee-related entities, as applicable.
Section 5. The rights conferred upon indemnitees in this Article IV shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Article IV that adversely affects any right of an indemnitee or its successors shall be prospective only and shall not limit, eliminate, or impair any such right with respect to any proceeding involving any occurrence or alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that took place prior to such amendment or repeal.
Section 6. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.
Section 7. The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to any employee or
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agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent of the provisions of this Article IV with respect to the indemnification and advancement of expenses of directors and officers of the Corporation.
Article V
CORPORATE BOOKS
The books of the Corporation may be kept inside or outside of the State of Delaware at such place or places as the Board may from time to time determine.
Article VI
CHECKS, NOTES, PROXIES, ETC.
All checks and drafts on the Corporation’s bank accounts and all bills of exchange and promissory notes, and all acceptances, obligations and other instruments for the payment of money, shall be signed by such officer or officers or agent or agents as shall be authorized from time to time by the Board or such officer or officers who may be delegated such authority. Proxies to vote and consents with respect to securities of other corporations or other entities owned by or standing in the name of the Corporation may be executed and delivered from time to time on behalf of the Corporation by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, or by such officers as the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the Board may from time to time determine.
Article VII
FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be, unless otherwise determined by resolution of the Board, the calendar year ending on December 31.
Article VIII
CORPORATE SEAL
The corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation. In lieu of the corporate seal, when so authorized by the Board or a duly empowered committee thereof, a facsimile thereof may be impressed or affixed or reproduced.
Article IX
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Whenever notice is required to be given by law or under any provision of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation or these By-Laws, notice of any meeting need not be given to any person who shall attend 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), or who shall waive notice thereof, before or after such meeting, in writing (including by electronic transmission).
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Section 2. Section headings in these By-Laws are for convenience of reference only and shall not be given any substantive effect in limiting or otherwise construing any provision herein.
Section 3. In the event that any provision of these By-Laws is or becomes inconsistent with any provision of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation or the DGCL, the provision of these By-Laws shall not be given any effect to the extent of such inconsistency but shall otherwise be given full force and effect.
Section 4. As used in these By-Laws, “Stockholders Agreement” means each of (i) the Stockholders Agreement, dated as of January 2, 2017, by and among the Corporation and certain entities affiliated with The Blackstone Group L.P., and (ii) the Stockholders Agreement, dated as of October 24, 2016, by and among the Corporation, HNA Tourism Group Co., Ltd. and, solely for purposes of Section 4.3 thereof, HNA Group Co., Ltd. (as such agreements may be amended or restated from time to time).
Article X
AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be made, amended, altered, changed, added to or repealed as set forth in the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation and these By-Laws.
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