UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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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:
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
| Item 5.03 | Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year. |
On November 17, 2022, the Board of Directors of Twist Bioscience Corporation (the “Company”) approved an amendment and restatement of the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”). The Bylaws, as amended and restated (the “Restated Bylaws”), were effective immediately and include, among other things, the following changes:
| · | adding a proxy access provision, inserted as new Section 2.13 of Article II of the Restated Bylaws, to allow a stockholder or a group of up to 20 stockholders owning at least 3% of the Company’s outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years to nominate and include in the Company’s proxy statement for an annual meeting director nominees constituting up to the greater of two individuals or 20% of the number of directors in office, provided that the stockholders satisfy the requirements specified in the Restated Bylaws; |
| · | eliminating the requirement that the list of stockholders be open to examination at meetings of stockholders to conform to recent amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law; and |
| · | addressing matters relating to Rule 14a-19 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Universal Proxy Rules”), including requiring a stockholder providing notice of a nomination pursuant to the advance notice bylaws to inform the Company if it will solicit proxies from holders representing at least 67% of the voting power of shares entitled to vote on the election of directors in support of such nominee or nominees, other than the Company’s nominees; providing the Company a remedy if a stockholder fails to satisfy the Universal Proxy Rules requirements; and requiring stockholders intending to use the Universal Proxy Rules to provide reasonable evidence that the requirements under the Universal Proxy Rules have been satisfied. |
The Restated Bylaws also contain certain technical, conforming and non-substantive changes.
The foregoing summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Restated Bylaws, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
Exhibit No. |
Description | |
| 3.1 | Amended and Restated Bylaws of Twist Bioscience Corporation (as amended and restated on November 17, 2022). | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL) | |
SIGNATURES
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.
| Date: November 18, 2022 | Twist Bioscience Corporation |
| /s/ William E. Solis | |
| William
E. Solis Associate General Counsel, Corporate and Assistant Secretary |
Exhibit 3.1
BYLAWS
OF
TWIST BIOSCIENCE CORPORATION
(As Amended and Restated Effective November 17, 2022)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||
| ARTICLE I CORPORATE OFFICES | 1 | |
| 1.1 | REGISTERED OFFICE | 1 |
| 1.2 | OTHER OFFICES | 1 |
| ARTICLE II MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS | 1 | |
| 2.1 | PLACE OF MEETINGS | 1 |
| 2.2 | ANNUAL MEETING | 1 |
| 2.3 | SPECIAL MEETING | 4 |
| 2.4 | NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDER’S MEETINGS; AFFIDAVIT OF NOTICE | 4 |
| 2.5 | QUORUM | 5 |
| 2.6 | ORGANIZATION | 5 |
| 2.7 | CONDUCT OF BUSINESS | 5 |
| 2.8 | VOTING | 5 |
| 2.9 | STOCKHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING | 6 |
| 2.10 | WAIVER OF NOTICE | 6 |
| 2.11 | RECORD DATE FOR STOCKHOLDER NOTICE; VOTING | 6 |
| 2.12 | PROXIES | 6 |
| 2.13 | STOCKHOLDER NOMINATIONS INCLUDED IN THE CORPORATION’S PROXY MATERIALS | 7 |
| ARTICLE III DIRECTORS | 12 | |
| 3.1 | POWERS | 12 |
| 3.2 | NUMBER OF DIRECTORS | 12 |
| 3.3 | ELECTION, QUALIFICATION AND TERM OF OFFICE OF DIRECTORS | 13 |
| 3.4 | RESIGNATION AND VACANCIES | 13 |
| 3.5 | PLACE OF MEETINGS; MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE | 13 |
| 3.6 | REGULAR MEETINGS | 13 |
| 3.7 | SPECIAL MEETINGS; NOTICE | 13 |
| 3.8 | QUORUM AND VOTING | 14 |
| 3.9 | WAIVER OF NOTICE | 14 |
| 3.10 | BOARD ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING | 14 |
| 3.11 | FEES AND COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS | 14 |
| 3.12 | REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS | 14 |
| 3.13 | CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | 15 |
| 3.14 | EMERGENCY BYLAWS | 15 |
| ARTICLE IV COMMITTEES | 15 | |
| 4.1 | COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS | 15 |
| 4.2 | COMMITTEE MINUTES | 15 |
| 4.3 | MEETINGS AND ACTION OF COMMITTEES | 15 |
| ARTICLE V OFFICERS | 16 | |
| 5.1 | OFFICERS | 16 |
| 5.2 | APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS | 16 |
| 5.3 | SUBORDINATE OFFICERS | 16 |
| 5.4 | REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS | 16 |
| 5.5 | VACANCIES IN OFFICES | 16 |
| 5.6 | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 16 |
| 5.7 | PRESIDENT | 16 |
| 5.8 | VICE PRESIDENTS | 17 |
| 5.9 | SECRETARY | 17 |
| 5.10 | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 17 |
| 5.11 | REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER CORPORATIONS | 17 |
| 5.12 | AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS | 18 |
| ARTICLE VI INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND OTHER AGENTS | 18 | |
| 6.1 | RIGHT TO INDEMNIFICATION | 18 |
| 6.2 | POWER TO ADVANCE EXPENSES | 18 |
| 6.3 | RIGHT OF INDEMNITEE TO BRING SUIT | 18 |
| 6.4 | NON-EXCLUSIVITY OF RIGHTS | 19 |
| 6.5 | INSURANCE | 19 |
| 6.6 | INDEMNIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS OF THE CORPORATION | 19 |
| 6.7 | NATURE OF RIGHTS | 19 |
| ARTICLE VII RECORDS AND REPORTS | 19 | |
| 7.1 | MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF RECORDS; STOCKLIST | 19 |
| ARTICLE VIII GENERAL MATTERS | 20 | |
| 8.1 | CHECKS | 20 |
| 8.2 | EXECUTION OF CORPORATE CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS | 20 |
| 8.3 | STOCK CERTIFICATES | 20 |
| 8.4 | LOST, STOLEN OR DESTROYED CERTIFICATES | 20 |
| 8.5 | CONSTRUCTION; DEFINITIONS | 20 |
| 8.6 | DIVIDENDS | 21 |
| 8.7 | FISCAL YEAR | 21 |
| 8.8 | REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS | 21 |
| 8.9 | TIME PERIODS | 21 |
| ARTICLE IX NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION | 21 | |
| 9.1 | NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION | 21 |
| ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS | 21 | |
BYLAWS
OF
TWIST BIOSCIENCE CORPORATION
ARTICLE I
CORPORATE OFFICES
1.1 REGISTERED OFFICE.
The registered office of the Corporation shall be fixed in the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time.
1.2 OTHER OFFICES.
The Board of Directors may at any time establish other offices, and keep the books and records of the Corporation, except as may otherwise be required by law, at any place or places where the Corporation is qualified to do business.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
2.1 PLACE OF MEETINGS.
Meetings of stockholders shall be held at any place, within or outside the State of Delaware, designated by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). In the absence of any such designation, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the registered office of the Corporation.
2.2 ANNUAL MEETING.
(a) The annual meeting of stockholders shall be held each year on a date and at a time designated by resolution of the Board of Directors. The meeting shall be for the election of directors to succeed those whose terms expire and for the transaction of such business as may properly come before the meeting. The Corporation may postpone, reschedule or cancel any annual meeting of Stockholders previously scheduled by the Board of Directors.
(b) Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation and the proposal of business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders only (A) pursuant to the Corporation’s proxy materials with respect to such meeting (or any supplement thereto), (B) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (C) by any stockholder of record (the “Record Stockholder”) of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time of giving such notice, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section or Section 2.13, as the case may be. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing clause (C) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations or propose business (other than business included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act, as amended (such act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the “Exchange Act”)) at an annual meeting of stockholders.
(c) For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a Record Stockholder pursuant to clause (C) of the foregoing paragraph, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Corporation, such business must be a proper subject for stockholder action, and the Record Stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf any such proposal or nomination is made, must have acted in accordance with the representations set forth in the Solicitation Statement required by these Bylaws. To be timely (other than a notice by an Eligible Holder (as defined in Section 2.13) who seeks to include a Nominee (as defined in Section 2.13) in the Corporation’s proxy statement for an annual meeting of stockholders pursuant to Section 2.13), a Record Stockholder’s notice shall be received by the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that, subject to the last sentence of this Section 2.2(c), in the event that no annual meeting was held in the previous year or if the annual meeting is convened more than thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, notice by the Record Stockholder to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the date on which public announcement (as defined below) of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation. In no event shall an adjournment, or postponement of an annual meeting for which notice has been given, commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a Record Stockholder’s notice as described above.
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(d) Such Record Stockholder’s notice (other than a notice by an Eligible Holder (as defined in Section 2.13) who seeks to include a Nominee (as defined in Section 2.13) in the Corporation’s proxy statement for an annual meeting of stockholders pursuant to Section 2.13) shall set forth:
(A) as to each person whom the Record Stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director (1) all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to and in accordance with Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, and (2) such person’s written consent to being named in a proxy statement and form of proxy relating to the meeting at which directors are to be elected, and such person’s intent to serve a full term as a director if elected;
(B) as to any business that the Record 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 the Bylaws of the Corporation, the language of the proposed amendment), the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any interest in such business of such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made;
(C) as to the Record Stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made or the business is proposed (each, a “party”):
(1) the name and address of each such party;
(2) (A) the class, series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned, directly or indirectly, beneficially and of record by each such party, (B) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the Corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of capital stock of the Corporation or otherwise (a “Derivative Instrument”) directly or indirectly owned beneficially by each such party, and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (C) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which either party has a right to vote, directly or indirectly, any shares of any security of the Corporation, (D) any short interest in any security of the Corporation held by each such party (for purposes of this Section 2.2, a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (E) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned beneficially directly or indirectly by each such party that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (F) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which either party is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner and (G) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that each such party is directly or indirectly entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any such interests held by members of each such party’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information set forth in this paragraph shall be supplemented by such stockholder or such beneficial owner, as the case may be, not later than ten (10) days after the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting and/or to vote at the meeting to disclose such ownership as of such record date);
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(3) any other information relating to each such party that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act; and
(4) a statement whether or not each such party will (i) deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of, in the case of a proposal, at least the percentage of voting power of all of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation required under applicable law to carry the proposal or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, at least the percentage of voting power of all of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation reasonably believed by the Record Stockholder or beneficial holder, as the case may be, to be sufficient to elect the nominee or nominees proposed to be nominated by the Record Stockholder; (ii) in the case of a nomination or nominations, solicit proxies from holders of share representing at least 67% of the voting power of shares entitled to vote on the election of directors in support of such nominee or nominees, other than the Corporation’s nominees, in accordance with Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act; or (iii) otherwise engage in a solicitation (within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act) with respect to such nominations or other business and, if so, the name of each participant (as defined in Item 4 of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act) in such solicitation (such statement, in each case, a “Solicitation Statement”).
(e) The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation, including information relevant to a determination whether such proposed nominee can be considered an independent director.
(f) Only such business shall be conducted at an annual meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in these Bylaws. The chairperson of the meeting shall determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be transacted by the stockholders has been properly brought before the meeting and, if any proposed nomination or business has not been properly brought before the meeting, the chairperson shall declare that such proposed business or nomination shall not be presented for stockholder action at the meeting.
(g) If a Record Stockholder no longer intends to solicit holders of shares of the Corporation in accordance with the representation made pursuant to Section 2.2(d)(C)(4)(ii), such Record Stockholder shall inform the Corporation of this change by delivering a writing to the secretary of the Corporation no later than two (2) business days after the occurrence of such change. If (A) any Record Stockholder provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) under the Exchange Act and (B) such Record Stockholder subsequently fails to comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(2) or (3) under the Exchange Act, then the Corporation shall disregard any proxies for any proposed nominees on the Corporation’s proxy card other than the Corporation’s nominees, notwithstanding that proxies in favor thereof may have been received by the Corporation. Upon request by the Corporation, if any Record Stockholder provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) under the Exchange Act, such Record Stockholder shall deliver to the secretary of the Corporation, no later than five (5) business days prior to the applicable meeting, reasonable evidence that the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) under the Exchange Act have been satisfied.
(h) For purposes of this Article, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or a comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
(i) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.2 and the provisions of Section 2.13, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to matters set forth in this Section 2.2. Nothing in this Section 2.2 or Section 2.13 shall be deemed to affect any rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.
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(j) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.2, nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may also be properly brought before an annual meeting of stockholders by any Eligible Holder (as defined in Section 2.13) who has satisfied the requirements of Section 2.13.
2.3 SPECIAL MEETING.
(a) A special meeting of the stockholders, other than those required by statute, may be called at any time by the Board of Directors acting pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Whole Board (for purposes of these Bylaws, the term “Whole Board” shall mean the total number of authorized directors whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships) and special meetings may not be called by any other person or persons. The Corporation may postpone, reschedule or cancel any special meeting of Stockholders previously scheduled by the Board of Directors.
(b) Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors. The notice of a special meeting shall include the purpose for which the meeting is called. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (ii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of record of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time of the giving of the notice provided for in this paragraph, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and upon such election and who delivers a written notice to the secretary of the Corporation setting forth the information set forth in Section 2.2(d)(A) and (C). Nominations by stockholders of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at such a special meeting of stockholders only if such stockholder of record’s notice required by the preceding sentence shall be received by the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall an adjournment, or postponement of a special meeting for which notice has been given, commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.
(c) Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors. The notice of such special meeting shall include the purpose for which the meeting is called.
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.3, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to matters set forth in this Section 2.3. Nothing in this Section 2.3 shall be deemed to affect any rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.
2.4 NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDER’S MEETINGS; AFFIDAVIT OF NOTICE.
Notice of the place, if any, date, and time of all meetings of the stockholders, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, and the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, shall be given, not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date on which the meeting is to be held, to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law (meaning, here and hereinafter, as required from time to time by the DGCL or the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation).
When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time and place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken; provided, however, that if the date of any adjourned meeting is more than thirty (30) days after the date for which the meeting was originally noticed, notice of the place, if any, date, and time of the adjourned meeting and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting, shall be given to each stockholder in conformity herewith. If after the adjournment a new record date for stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board of Directors shall fix a new record date for notice of such adjourned meeting, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors and, except as otherwise required by law, shall not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date 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 fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting. At any adjourned meeting, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the original meeting.
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2.5 QUORUM.
At any meeting of stockholders, the holders of a majority of the voting power of all issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except to the extent that the presence of a larger number may be required by law or the rules of any stock exchange upon which the Corporation’s securities are listed. Where a separate vote by a class or classes or series is required, a majority of the voting power of all issued and outstanding stock of such class or series, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to such matter. If a quorum is not present or represented at any meeting of stockholders, then the chairperson of the meeting or the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time in accordance with Section 2.4.
2.6 ORGANIZATION.
Such person as the Board of Directors may have designated or, in the absence of such a person, the chairperson of the Board of Directors or, in his or her absence, the president of the Corporation or, in his or her absence, such person as may be chosen by the holders of a majority of the voting of the shares entitled to vote who are present, in person or by proxy, shall call to order any meeting of the stockholders and act as chairperson of the meeting. In the absence of the secretary of the Corporation, the secretary of the meeting shall be such person as the chairperson of the meeting appoints.
2.7 CONDUCT OF BUSINESS.
The chairperson of any meeting of stockholders shall determine the order of business and the procedure at the meeting, including the manner of voting and the conduct of business. The chairperson of the meeting shall have the power to adjourn the meeting to another place, if any, date and time. The date and time of the opening and closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at the meeting shall be announced at the meeting.
2.8 VOTING.
(a) Except as may be otherwise provided in the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or by law, each stockholder shall be entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder.
(b) All elections shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast, and except as otherwise required by law or the rules of any stock exchange upon which the Corporation’s securities are listed, all other matters shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast affirmatively or negatively.
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2.9 STOCKHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING.
Subject to the rights of the holders of the shares of any series of preferred stock, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such stockholders.
2.10 WAIVER OF NOTICE.
Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the DGCL or of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws to a stockholder, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.
2.11 RECORD DATE FOR STOCKHOLDER NOTICE; VOTING.
In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may, except as otherwise required by law, 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 of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board of Directors 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 of Directors 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 of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of and 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 of Directors 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 with the foregoing provisions of this Section at the adjourned meeting.
In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no 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 of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.
2.12 PROXIES.
Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by a written proxy, signed by the stockholder and filed with the secretary of the Corporation, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A proxy shall be deemed signed if the stockholder’s name is placed on the proxy (whether by manual signature, typewriting, electronic or telegraphic transmission or otherwise) by the stockholder or the stockholder’s attorney-in-fact. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212(e) of the DGCL.
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2.13 STOCKHOLDER NOMINATIONS INCLUDED IN THE CORPORATION’S PROXY MATERIALS
(a) Subject to the provisions of this Section 2.13, if expressly requested in the relevant Nomination Notice (as defined below), the Corporation shall include in its proxy statement for any annual meeting of stockholders: (i) the name or names of any person or persons nominated for election (each, a “Nominee”), which shall also be included on the Corporation’s form of proxy and ballot, by any Eligible Holder (as defined below) or group of up to twenty (20) Eligible Holders that has (individually and collectively, in the case of a group) satisfied, as determined by the Board of Directors, all applicable conditions and complied with all applicable procedures set forth in this Section 2.13 (such Eligible Holder or group of Eligible Holders being a “Nominating Stockholder”); (ii) disclosure about each Nominee and the Nominating Stockholder required under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission or other applicable law to be included in the proxy statement; (iii) any statement included by the Nominating Stockholder in the Nomination Notice for inclusion in the proxy statement in support of each Nominee’s election to the Board of Directors (subject, without limitation, to Section 2.13(e)(B)), if such statement does not exceed five hundred (500) words and fully complies with Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Rule 14a-9 (the “Supporting Statement”); and (iv) any other information that the Corporation or the Board of Directors determines, in their discretion, to include in the proxy statement relating to the nomination of each Nominee, including, without limitation, any statement in opposition to the nomination, any of the information provided pursuant to this Section and any solicitation materials or related information with respect to a Nominee.
For purposes of this Section 2.13, any determination to be made by the Board of Directors may be made by the Board of Directors, a committee of the Board of Directors or any officer of the Corporation designated by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors, and any such determination shall be final and binding on the Corporation, any Eligible Holder, any Nominating Stockholder, any Nominee and any other person so long as made in good faith (without any further requirements). The chairperson of any annual meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall have the power and duty to determine whether a Nominee has been nominated in accordance with the requirements of this Section 2.13 and, if not so nominated, shall direct and declare at the meeting that such Nominee shall not be considered.
(b) The maximum number of nominees shall be determined as follows:
(A) The Corporation shall not be required to include in the proxy statement for an annual meeting of stockholders more Nominees than that number of directors constituting the greater of (i) two (2) or (ii) twenty percent (20%) of the total number of directors of the Corporation on the last day on which a Nomination Notice may be submitted pursuant to this Section 2.13 (rounded down to the nearest whole number) (the “Maximum Number”). The Maximum Number for a particular annual meeting shall be reduced by: (1) Nominees who the Board of Directors itself decides to nominate for election at such annual meeting; (2) Nominees who cease to satisfy, or Nominees of Nominating Stockholders that cease to satisfy, the eligibility requirements in this Section 2.13, as determined by the Board of Directors; (3) Nominees whose nomination is withdrawn by the Nominating Stockholder or who become unwilling to serve on the Board of Directors; and (4) the number of incumbent directors who had been Nominees with respect to any of the preceding two (2) annual meetings of stockholders and whose reelection at the upcoming annual meeting is being recommended by the Board of Directors. In the event that one (1) or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the Board of Directors after the deadline for submitting a Nomination Notice as set forth in paragraph (d) of this Section 2.13 but before the date of the annual meeting, and the Board of Directors resolves to reduce the size of the Board of Directors in connection therewith, the Maximum Number shall be calculated based on the number of directors in office as so reduced.
(B) If the number of Nominees pursuant to this Section 2.13 for any annual meeting of stockholders exceeds the Maximum Number then, promptly upon notice from the Corporation, each Nominating Stockholder will select one (1) Nominee for inclusion in the proxy statement until the Maximum Number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of the ownership position as disclosed in each Nominating Stockholder’s Nomination Notice, with the process repeated if the Maximum Number is not reached after each Nominating Stockholder has selected one (1) Nominee. If, after the deadline for submitting a Nomination Notice as set forth in paragraph (d) of this Section 2.13, a Nominating Stockholder or a Nominee ceases to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 2.13, as determined by the Board of Directors, a Nominating Stockholder withdraws its nomination or a Nominee becomes unwilling to serve on the Board of Directors, whether before or after the mailing or other distribution of the definitive proxy statement, then the nomination shall be disregarded, and the Corporation: (i) shall not be required to include in its proxy statement or on any ballot or form of proxy the disregarded Nominee or any successor or replacement nominee proposed by the Nominating Stockholder or by any other Nominating Stockholder and (ii) may otherwise communicate to its stockholders, including without limitation by amending or supplementing its proxy statement or ballot or form of proxy, that a Nominee will not be included as a nominee in the proxy statement or on any ballot or form of proxy and will not be voted on at the annual meeting.
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(c) Stockholder eligibility shall be determined as follows:
(A) An “Eligible Holder” is a person who has either (i) been a record holder of the shares of common stock used to satisfy the eligibility requirements in paragraph (c) of this Section 2.13 continuously for the three (3)-year period specified in subparagraph (c)(B) of this Section 2.13 or (ii) provides to the secretary of the Corporation, within the time period referred to in paragraph (d) of this Section 2.13, evidence of continuous ownership of such shares for such three (3)-year period from one (1) or more securities intermediaries in a form that the Board of Directors determines would be deemed acceptable for purposes of a shareholder proposal under Rule 14a-8(b)(2) under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule).
(B) An Eligible Holder or group of up to twenty (20) Eligible Holders may submit a nomination in accordance with this Section 2.13 only if the person or group (in the aggregate) has continuously owned at least the Minimum Number (as defined below) of shares of the Corporation’s common stock throughout the three (3)-year period preceding and including the date of submission of the Nomination Notice, and continues to own at least the Minimum Number through the date of the annual meeting. Two (2) or more funds that are (i) under common management and investment control, (ii) under common management and funded primarily by a single employer or (iii) a “group of investment companies,” as such term is defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, shall be treated as one Eligible Holder if such Eligible Holder shall provide together with the Nomination Notice documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation that demonstrates that the funds meet the criteria set forth in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) above. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a nomination by a group of Eligible Holders, any and all requirements and obligations for an individual Eligible Holder that are set forth in this Section 2.13, including the minimum holding period, shall apply to each member of such group; provided, however, that the Minimum Number shall apply to the ownership of the group in the aggregate. Should any stockholder cease to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 2.13, as determined by the Board of Directors, or withdraw from a group of Eligible Holders at any time prior to the annual meeting of stockholders, the group of Eligible Stockholders shall only be deemed to own the shares held by the remaining members of the group.
(C) The “Minimum Number” of shares of the Corporation’s common stock means three percent (3%) of the number of outstanding shares of common stock as of the most recent date for which such amount is given in any filing by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission prior to the submission of the Nomination Notice.
(D) For purposes of this Section 2.13, an Eligible Holder “owns” only those outstanding shares of the Corporation as to which the Eligible Holder possesses both (i) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares; and (ii) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares; provided, however, that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (i) and (ii) shall not include any shares: (1) purchased or sold by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed, (2) sold short by such Eligible Holder, (3) borrowed by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates for any purpose or purchased by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell or subject to any other obligation to resell to another person, or (4) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar agreement entered into by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares or with cash based on the notional amount or value of outstanding shares of the Corporation, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of: (x) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such Eligible Holder’s or any of its affiliates’ full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares, and/or (y) hedging, offsetting, or altering to any degree, gain or loss arising from the full economic ownership of such shares by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates.
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An Eligible Holder “owns” shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the Eligible Holder retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of directors and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. An Eligible Holder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Holder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney, or other similar instrument or arrangement that is revocable at any time by the Eligible Holder. An Eligible Holder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Holder has loaned such shares provided that the Eligible Holder has the power to recall such loaned shares on five (5) business days’ notice. The terms “owned,” “owning” and other variations of the word “own” shall have correlative meanings. Whether outstanding shares of the Corporation are “owned” for these purposes shall be determined by the Board.
(E) No Eligible Holder shall be permitted to be in more than one group constituting a Nominating Stockholder, and if any Eligible Holder appears as a member of more than one (1) group, it shall be deemed to be a member of the group that has the largest ownership position as reflected in the Nomination Notice.
(d) To nominate a Nominee, the Nominating Stockholder must, not less than one hundred twenty (120) nor more than one hundred fifty (150) calendar days prior to the anniversary of the date (as specified in the Corporation’s proxy materials for its immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders) on which the Corporation first sent its proxy materials for its immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders, deliver to the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation all of the below information and documents (collectively, the “Nomination Notice”); provided, however, that if (and only if) the scheduled date of the annual meeting is thirty (30) days before or thirty (30) days after such anniversary date, the Nomination Notice shall be given in the manner provided herein by the later of the close of business on the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days prior to the date of the annual meeting or the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation. In no event will the public announcement of an adjournment of an annual meeting of stockholders commence a new time period for the giving of the Nomination Notice as provided above. For purposes of these Bylaws, the Nomination Notice shall include the following: (i) a Schedule 14N (or any successor form) relating to each Nominee, completed and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Nominating Stockholder as applicable, in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission; (ii) a written notice, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Directors, of the nomination of each Nominee that includes the following additional information, agreements, representations and warranties by the Nominating Stockholder (including each group member):
(A) the information required with respect to the nomination of directors pursuant to this Section 2.13;
(B) the details of any relationship that existed within the past three (3) years and that would have been described pursuant to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) if it existed on the date of submission of the Schedule 14N;
(C) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder acquired the securities of the Corporation in the ordinary course of business and did not acquire, and is not holding, securities of the Corporation for the purpose or with the effect of influencing or changing control of the Corporation;
(D) a representation and warranty that each Nominee’s candidacy or, if elected, Board membership would not violate applicable state or federal law or the rules of any stock exchange on which the Corporation’s securities are traded;
(E) a representation and warranty that each Nominee: (1) does not have any direct or indirect relationship with the Corporation that would cause the Nominee to be considered not independent pursuant to the Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines as most recently published on its website and otherwise qualifies as independent under the rules of the primary stock exchange on which the Corporation’s shares of common stock are traded; (2) meets the audit committee and compensation committee independence requirements under the rules of the primary stock exchange on which the Corporation’s shares of common stock are traded; (3) is a “non-employee director” for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule); (4) is an “outside director” for the purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor provision); and (5) is not and has not been subject to any event specified in Rule 506(d)(1) of Regulation D (or any successor rule) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K (or any successor rule) under the Exchange Act, without reference to whether the event is material to an evaluation of the ability or integrity of such Nominee;
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(F) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder satisfies the eligibility requirements set forth in paragraph (c) of this Section 2.13 and has provided evidence of ownership to the extent required by subparagraph (c)(A) of this Section 2.13;
(G) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder intends to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in subparagraph (c)(A) of this Section 2.13 through the date of the annual meeting;
(H) details of any position of a Nominee as an officer or director of any competitor (that is, any entity that produces products or provides services that compete with or are alternatives to the products produced or services provided by the Corporation or its affiliates) of the Corporation, within the three (3) years preceding the submission of the Nomination Notice;
(I) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder will not engage in a “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) (without reference to the exception in Section 14a-1(l)(2)(iv)) (or any successor rules) with respect to the annual meeting, other than with respect to a Nominee or any nominee of the Board;
(J) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder will not use any proxy card other than the Corporation’s proxy card in soliciting stockholders in connection with the election of a Nominee at the annual meeting;
(K) if desired, a Supporting Statement; and
(L) in the case of a nomination by a group, the designation by all group members of one (1) group member that is authorized to act on behalf of all group members with respect to matters relating to the nomination, including withdrawal of the nomination;
(iii) an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Directors, pursuant to which the Nominating Stockholder (including each group member) agrees:
(A) to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in connection with the nomination, solicitation and election;
(B) to file any written solicitation or other communication with the Corporation’s stockholders relating to one or more of the Corporation’s directors or director nominees or any Nominee with the Securities and Exchange Commission, regardless of whether any such filing is required under rule or regulation or whether any exemption from filing is available for such materials under any rule or regulation;
(C) to assume all liability stemming from an action, suit or proceeding concerning any actual or alleged legal or regulatory violation arising out of any communication by the Nominating Stockholder or any of its Nominees with the Corporation, its stockholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election of directors, including, without limitation, the Nomination Notice;
(D) to indemnify and hold harmless (jointly with all other group members, in the case of a group member) the Corporation and each of its directors, officers and employees individually against any liability, loss, damages, expenses or other costs (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the Corporation or any of its directors, officers or employees arising out of or relating to a failure or alleged failure of the Nominating Stockholder or any of its Nominees to comply with, or any breach or alleged breach of, its or their obligations, agreements or representations under this Section 2.13;
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(E) in the event that any information included in the Nomination Notice, or any other communication by the Nominating Stockholder (including with respect to any group member), with the Corporation, its stockholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election ceases to be true and accurate in all material respects (or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading), or that the Nominating Stockholder (including any group member) has failed to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in paragraph (c) of this Section 2.13, to promptly (and in any event within forty-eight (48) hours of discovering such misstatement, omission or failure) notify the Corporation and any other recipient of such communication of (1) the misstatement or omission in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct the misstatement or omission or (2) such failure; and
(iv) an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Directors, by each Nominee:
(A) to provide to the Corporation such other information and certifications, including completion of the Corporation’s director questionnaire, as it may reasonably request;
(B) at the reasonable request of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, to meet with the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to discuss matters relating to the nomination of such Nominee to the Board of Directors, including the information provided by such Nominee to the Corporation in connection with his or her nomination and such Nominee’s eligibility to serve as a member of the Board of Directors;
(C) that such Nominee has read and agrees, if elected, to serve as a member of the Board of Directors, to adhere to the Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and any other Corporation policies and guidelines applicable to directors; and
(D) that such Nominee is not and will not become a party to (i) any compensatory, payment or other financial agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity in connection with his or her nomination, service or action as a director of the Corporation that has not been disclosed to the Corporation, (ii) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity as to how such Nominee would vote or act on any issue or question as a director (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (iii) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such Nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with its fiduciary duties under applicable law.
The information and documents required by paragraph (d) of this Section 2.13 to be provided by the Nominating Stockholder shall be: (i) provided with respect to and executed by each group member, in the case of information applicable to group members; and (ii) provided with respect to the persons specified in Instruction 1 to Items 6(c) and (d) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) in the case of a Nominating Stockholder or group member that is an entity. The Nomination Notice shall be deemed submitted on the date on which all the information and documents referred to in paragraph (d) of this Section 2.13 (other than such information and documents contemplated to be provided after the date the Nomination Notice is provided) have been delivered to or, if sent by mail, received by the secretary of the Corporation.
(e) The Corporation must comply with the requirements of this Section 2.13, except as set forth below:
(A) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.13, the Corporation may omit from its proxy statement any Nominee and any information concerning such Nominee (including a Nominating Stockholder’s Supporting Statement) and no vote on such Nominee will occur (notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation), and the Nominating Stockholder may not, after the last day on which a Nomination Notice would be timely, cure in any way any defect preventing the nomination of such Nominee, if: (i) the Corporation receives a notice pursuant to this Section 2.13 that a stockholder intends to nominate a candidate for director at the annual meeting, whether or not such notice is subsequently withdrawn or made the subject of a settlement with the Corporation; (ii) the Nominating Stockholder or the designated lead group member, as applicable, or any qualified representative thereof, does not appear at the meeting of stockholders to present the nomination submitted pursuant to this Section 2.13, the Nominating Stockholder withdraws its nomination or the chairperson of the annual meeting declares that such nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by this Section 2.13 and shall therefore be disregarded; (iii) the Board of Directors determines that such Nominee’s nomination or election to the Board of Directors would result in the Corporation violating or failing to be in compliance with the Corporation’s Bylaws or Certificate of Incorporation or any applicable law, rule or regulation to which the Corporation is subject, including any rules or regulations of the primary stock exchange on which the Corporation’s common stock is traded; (iv) such Nominee was nominated for election to the Board of Directors pursuant to this Section 2.13 at one of the Corporation’s two preceding annual meetings of stockholders and either withdrew or became ineligible; (v) such Nominee has been, within the past three (3) years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined for purposes of Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, as amended; or (vi) the Corporation is notified, or the Board of Directors determines, that the Nominating Stockholder or the Nominee has failed to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in paragraph (c) of this Section 2.13, any of the representations and warranties made in the Nomination Notice ceases to be true and accurate in all material respects (or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading), such Nominee becomes unwilling or unable to serve on the Board of Directors or any material violation or breach occurs of the obligations, agreements, representations or warranties of the Nominating Stockholder or such Nominee under this Section 2.13;
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(B) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.13, the Corporation may omit from its proxy statement, or may supplement or correct, any information, including all or any portion of the Supporting Statement or any other statement in support of a Nominee included in the Nomination Notice, if the Board of Directors determines that: (i) such information is not true in all material respects or omits a material statement necessary to make the statements made not misleading; (ii) such information directly or indirectly impugns the character, integrity or personal reputation of, or directly or indirectly makes charges concerning improper, illegal or immoral conduct or associations, without factual foundation, with respect to, any person; or (iii) the inclusion of such information in the proxy statement would otherwise violate the Securities and Exchange Commission proxy rules or any other applicable law, rule or regulation.
The Corporation may solicit against, and include in the proxy statement its own statement relating to, any Nominee.
ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS
3.1 POWERS.
Subject to the provisions of the DGCL and any limitations in the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws relating to action required to be approved by the stockholders or by the outstanding shares, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed and all corporate powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. In addition to the powers and authorities these Bylaws expressly confer upon them, the Board of Directors may exercise all such powers of the Corporation.
3.2 NUMBER OF DIRECTORS.
Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock to elect directors under specified circumstances, the number of directors shall be fixed from time to time exclusively by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Whole Board.
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3.3 ELECTION, QUALIFICATION AND TERM OF OFFICE OF DIRECTORS.
The Board of Directors shall be divided into three (3) classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, effective at the same time that the stockholders appoint and elect directors to the inaugural classes of Class I, Class II and Class III. Each director shall serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting following his or her election; provided, that, with respect to the directors serving in the inaugural classes of Class I, Class II and Class III, the terms of the directors serving in Class I shall expire at the Corporation’s first annual meeting of stockholders held after the effectiveness of the division of the Board of Directors into three (3) classes; the terms of the directors serving in Class II shall expire at the Corporation’s second annual meeting of stockholders held after such effectiveness; and the terms of the directors serving in Class III shall expire at the Corporation’s third annual meeting of stockholders held after such effectiveness. The Board of Directors and/or any committee thereof shall ensure that any nominee for election to the Board of Directors nominated by such body provide a written statement of such person’s intent to serve a full term as a director if elected.
3.4 RESIGNATION AND VACANCIES.
Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies in the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall, unless otherwise required by law or by resolution of the Board of Directors, be filled only by a majority vote of the directors then in office, though less than a quorum (and not by the stockholders), and directors so chosen shall serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders at which the term of office of the class to which they have been elected expires or until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. No decrease in the number of authorized directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.
3.5 PLACE OF MEETINGS; MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE.
The Board of Directors of the Corporation may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or outside the State of Delaware. Unless otherwise restricted by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, members of the Board of Directors, or any committee designated by the Board of Directors, may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
3.6 REGULAR MEETINGS.
Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and at such place as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.
3.7 SPECIAL MEETINGS; NOTICE.
Special meetings of the Board of Directors for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the chairperson of the board, the president, any vice president, the secretary of the Corporation or a majority of the Whole Board.
Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be (i) delivered personally by courier or telephone to each director, (ii) sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, (iii) sent by facsimile, or (iv) by electronic mail, directed to each director at that director’s address, telephone number, facsimile number or electronic mail address as it is shown on the records of the Corporation. If the notice is mailed, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least four (4) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is (i) delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone, (ii) sent by facsimile or (iii) sent by electronic mail, it shall be delivered at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting, or on such shorter notice as the person or persons calling such meeting may deem necessary and appropriate in the circumstances. Any oral notice given personally or by telephone may be communicated either to the director or to a person at the office of the director who the person giving the notice has reason to believe will promptly communicate it to the director. Notice of any meeting need not be given to any director who shall, either before or after the meeting, submit a waiver of such notice or who shall attend such meeting except attendance for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. The notice need not specify the purpose of the meeting, and unless otherwise indicated in the notice thereof, any and all business may be transacted at a special meeting.
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3.8 QUORUM AND VOTING.
At all meetings of the Board of Directors, a majority of the Whole Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute or by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board of Directors, then the majority of directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.
3.9 WAIVER OF NOTICE.
Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the DGCL or of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws to a director, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the directors, or members of a committee of directors, need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.
3.10 BOARD ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee. Written consents representing actions taken by the Board of Directors or committee thereof may be executed by telex, telecopy or other facsimile transmission, and such facsimile shall be valid and binding to the same extent as if it were an original. Such action by written consent shall have the same force and effect as a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors.
3.11 FEES AND COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors. No such compensation shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
3.12 REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS.
Unless otherwise restricted by statute, by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, any director or the entire Board of Directors may be removed, but only for cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors, voting together as a single class.
No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director prior to the expiration of such director’s term of office.
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3.13 CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, a Chairperson of the Board of Directors who shall not be considered an officer of the Corporation.
3.14 EMERGENCY BYLAWS.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, in the event of any emergency, disaster or catastrophe, as referred to in Section 110 of the DGCL, or other similar emergency condition, the Board of Directors may adopt emergency bylaws.
ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES
4.1 COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS.
The Board of Directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the Whole Board, designate one or more committees, with each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof 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 of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors or in the Bylaws of the Corporation, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers that may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority to (a) approve or adopt or recommend any action or matter (other than election or removal of directors) expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders or (b) amend the Bylaws of the Corporation.
4.2 COMMITTEE MINUTES.
Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board of Directors when required.
4.3 MEETINGS AND ACTION OF COMMITTEES.
Each committee may determine the procedural rules for meeting and conducting its business and shall act in accordance therewith, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law. Adequate provision shall be made for notice to members of all meetings; one-third (1/3) of the members shall constitute a quorum unless the committee shall consist of one or two members, in which event one member shall constitute a quorum; and all matters shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present. Action may be taken by any committee without a meeting if all members thereof consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of the proceedings of such committee. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.
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ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
5.1 OFFICERS.
The officers of the Corporation shall be a chief executive officer, a president, a secretary, and a chief financial officer. The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, one or more vice presidents, one or more assistant secretaries, a treasurer, one or more assistant treasurers, and any such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 of these Bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person.
5.2 APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS.
The officers of the Corporation, except such officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Sections 5.3 or 5.5 of these Bylaws, shall be appointed by the Board of Directors, subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment.
5.3 SUBORDINATE OFFICERS.
The Board of Directors may appoint, or empower the chief executive officer or the president to appoint, such other officers and agents as the business of the Corporation may require, each of whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority, and perform such duties as are provided in these Bylaws or as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.
5.4 REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS.
Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by an affirmative vote of the majority of the Board of Directors or, except in the case of an officer chosen by the Board of Directors, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board of Directors.
Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the attention of the secretary of the Corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice; and, unless otherwise specified in that notice, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.
5.5 VACANCIES IN OFFICES.
Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board of Directors.
5.6 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
Subject to such supervisory powers, if any, as may be given by the Board of Directors to the chairperson of the board, if any, the chief executive officer of the Corporation shall, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, have general supervision, direction, and control of the business and the officers of the Corporation. He or she shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and, in the absence or nonexistence of a chairperson of the board, at all meetings of the Board of Directors and shall have the general powers and duties of management usually vested in the office of chief executive officer of a corporation and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed or delegated by the Board of Directors or these Bylaws.
5.7 PRESIDENT.
Subject to such supervisory powers, if any, as may be given by the Board of Directors to the chairperson of the Board of Directors (if any) or the chief executive officer, the president shall have general supervision, direction, and control of the business and other officers of the Corporation. He or she shall have the general powers and duties of management usually vested in the office of president of a corporation and such other powers and duties as may be prescribed or delegated by the Board of Directors or these Bylaws.
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5.8 VICE PRESIDENTS.
In the absence or disability of the chief executive officer and president, the vice presidents, if any, in order of their rank as fixed by the Board of Directors or, if not ranked, a vice president designated by the Board of Directors, shall perform all the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of, and be subject to all the restrictions upon, the president. The vice presidents shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as from time to time may be prescribed or delegated to them respectively by the Board of Directors, these Bylaws, the president or the chairperson of the board.
5.9 SECRETARY.
The secretary shall keep or cause to be kept, at the principal executive office of the Corporation or such other place as the Board of Directors may direct, a book of minutes of all meetings and actions of directors, committees of directors, and stockholders. The minutes shall show the time and place of each meeting, the names of those present at directors’ meetings or committee meetings, the number of shares present or represented at stockholders’ meetings, and the proceedings thereof.
The secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, at the principal executive office of the Corporation or at the office of the Corporation’s transfer agent or registrar, as determined by resolution of the Board Of Directors, a share register, or a duplicate share register, showing the names of all stockholders and their addresses, the number and classes of shares held by each, the number and date of certificates evidencing such shares, and the number and date of cancellation of every certificate surrendered for cancellation.
The secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors required to be given by law or by these Bylaws. He or she shall keep the seal of the Corporation, if one be adopted, in safe custody and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed or delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws.
5.10 CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
The chief financial officer shall keep and maintain, or cause to be kept and maintained, adequate and correct books and records of accounts of the properties and business transactions of the Corporation, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital retained earnings, and shares. The books of account shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by any director.
The chief financial officer shall deposit all moneys and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Corporation with such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors. He or she shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, shall render to the president, the chief executive officer, or the directors, upon request, an account of all his or her transactions as chief financial officer and of the financial condition of the Corporation, and shall have other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed or delegated by the Board of Directors or the Bylaws.
5.11 REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER CORPORATIONS.
The chairperson of the board, the chief executive officer, the president, any vice president, the chief financial officer, the secretary or assistant secretary of this Corporation, or any other person authorized by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer or the president or a vice president, is authorized to vote, represent, and exercise on behalf of this Corporation all rights incident to any and all shares of any other corporation or corporations held by this Corporation. The authority granted herein may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by the person having such authority.
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5.12 AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS.
In addition to the foregoing authority and duties, all officers of the Corporation shall respectively have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the business of the Corporation as may be designated or delegated from time to time by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VI
INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND OTHER AGENTS
6.1 RIGHT TO INDEMNIFICATION.
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 is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer 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 or trustee or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer 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 6.3 of this Article VI with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification, 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 of Directors of the Corporation.
6.2 POWER TO ADVANCE EXPENSES
The Corporation shall have the power to advance expenses to any person to the fullest extent permitted by law.
6.3 RIGHT OF INDEMNITEE TO BRING SUIT.
If a claim under Section 6.1 of this Article VI is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after a written claim 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. To the fullest extent permitted by law, if successful in whole or in part in any such suit, the indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. In any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder it shall be a defense that the indemnitee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including 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 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 hereunder, the burden of proving that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, under this Article VI or otherwise shall be on the Corporation.
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6.4 NON-EXCLUSIVITY OF RIGHTS.
The rights to indemnification conferred in this Article VI shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, the Corporation’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or directors or otherwise.
6.5 INSURANCE.
The Corporation may 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.
6.6 INDEMNIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS OF THE CORPORATION.
The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to any employee or agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law.
6.7 NATURE OF RIGHTS.
(a) The rights conferred upon indemnitees in this Article VI shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer or trustee and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Article VI 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.
ARTICLE VII
RECORDS AND REPORTS
7.1 MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF RECORDS; STOCKLIST.
The Corporation shall, either at its principal executive offices or at such place or places as designated by the Board of Directors, keep a record of its stockholders listing their names and addresses and the number and class of shares held by each stockholder, a copy of these Bylaws as amended to date, accounting books, and other records.
The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, prepare and make a complete list of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders, provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the meeting date, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth (10th) day before the meeting date, arranged in alphabetical order for each class of stock and showing the address of each such stockholder and the number of shares registered in his or her name. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting in the manner provided by law.
This list shall presumptively determine (a) the identity of the stockholders entitled to examine such stock list and to vote at the meeting and (b) the number of shares held by each of them.
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ARTICLE VIII
GENERAL MATTERS
8.1 CHECKS.
From time to time, the Board of Directors shall determine by resolution which person or persons may sign or endorse all checks, drafts, other orders for payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness that are issued in the name of or payable to the Corporation, and only the persons so authorized shall sign or endorse those instruments.
8.2 EXECUTION OF CORPORATE CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS.
The Board of Directors, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, may authorize any officer or officers, or agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation; such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless so authorized or ratified by the Board of Directors or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the Corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.
8.3 STOCK CERTIFICATES.
The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board of Directors of the Corporation may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of its stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Each holder of stock represented by certificates shall be entitled to a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, the president or a vice president, and by the secretary or an assistant secretary, or the treasurer or an assistant treasurer, certifying the number of shares owned by him or her. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue. Notwithstanding any other provision in these Bylaws, the Corporation may adopt a system of issuance, recordation and transfer of shares of the Corporation by electronic or other means not involving any issuance of certificates, including provisions for notice to purchasers in substitution for any required statements on certificates, and as may be required by applicable corporate securities laws, which system has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any system so adopted shall not become effective as to issued and outstanding certificated securities until the certificates therefor have been surrendered to the Corporation.
8.4 LOST, STOLEN OR DESTROYED CERTIFICATES.
Except as provided in this Section 8.4, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace a previously issued certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the Corporation and canceled at the same time. The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in the place of any certificate previously issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or the owner’s legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares.
8.5 CONSTRUCTION; DEFINITIONS.
Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction, and definitions in the DGCL shall govern the construction of these Bylaws. Without limiting the generality of this provision, the singular number includes the plural, the plural number includes the singular, and the term “person” includes both a corporation and a natural person.
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8.6 DIVIDENDS.
The directors of the Corporation, subject to any restrictions contained in (a) the DGCL or (b) the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of its capital stock. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the Corporation’s capital stock.
The directors of the Corporation may set apart out of any of the funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve. Such purposes shall include but not be limited to equalizing dividends, repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, and meeting contingencies.
8.7 FISCAL YEAR.
The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors and may be changed by the Board of Directors.
8.8 REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS.
The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends and to vote as such owner, shall be entitled to hold liable for calls and assessments the person registered on its books as the owner of shares, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of another person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.
8.9 TIME PERIODS.
In applying any provision of these Bylaws which requires that an act be done or not be done a specified number of days prior to an event or that an act be done during a period of a specified number of days prior to an event, calendar days shall be used, the day of the doing of the act shall be excluded, and the date of the event shall be included.
ARTICLE IX
NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
9.1 NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION.
Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders pursuant to the DGCL, the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any notice shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission in the manner provided in Section 232 of the DGCL.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS
In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by law, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend and repeal these Bylaws subject to the power of the holders of capital stock of the Corporation to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws; provided, however, that, with respect to the power of holders of capital stock to adopt, amend and repeal Bylaws of the Corporation, notwithstanding any other provision of these Bylaws or any provision of law which might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to any affirmative vote of the holders of any particular class or series of the capital stock of the Corporation required by law, these Bylaws or any preferred stock, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (662⁄3)% of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to adopt, amend or repeal any provision of these Bylaws.
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