UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): October 13, 2015 (October 9, 2015)

 


 

ConocoPhillips

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 


 

Delaware

 

001-32395

 

01-0562944

(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)

 

(Commission File No.)

 

(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

600 North Dairy Ashford, Houston, Texas 77079

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

 

(281) 293-1000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 


 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 



 

Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws; Change in Fiscal Year.

 

On October 9, 2015, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of ConocoPhillips (the “Company”) amended and restated the Company’s By-Laws (as so amended and restated, the “By-Laws”) to implement “proxy access.” Article II, Section 16 has been added to the By-Laws to permit a stockholder, or a group of up to 20 stockholders, owning 3% or more of the Company’s outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years to nominate and include in the Company’s proxy materials director candidates constituting up to 20% of the Board or two directors, whichever is greater, provided that the stockholder(s) and the nominee(s) satisfy the requirements specified in the By-Laws.  Proxy access will first be available to stockholders in connection with the Company’s 2017 annual meeting of stockholders.

 

The By-Laws were also amended to make clarifications, updates and refinements to the advance notice by-laws contained in Article II, Sections 10, 11 and 12 and the informational requirements applicable to director nominees contained in Article II, Section 14.

 

The description of the amendments to the By-Laws is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the By-Laws, a copy of which is included as Exhibit 3.1 to this report and incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits.

 

3.1 Amended and Restated By-Laws of ConocoPhillips, as of October 9, 2015

 

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SIGNATURES

 

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

 

 

CONOCOPHILLIPS

 

 

 

 

 

Dated: October 13, 2015

By:

/s/ Janet Langford Carrig

 

 

Name:

Janet Langford Carrig

 

 

Title:

Senior Vice President, Legal General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

3.1

 

Amended and Restated By-Laws of ConocoPhillips, as of October 9, 2015

 

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Exhibit 3.1

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

BY-LAWS

 

OF

 

CONOCOPHILLIPS

 

(HEREINAFTER CALLED THE “CORPORATION”)

 

ARTICLE I

 

Offices

 

Section 1.  Registered Office.  The registered office of the Corporation shall be in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, State of Delaware or at such place within the State of Delaware as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.

 

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

 

ARTICLE II

 

Meetings of Stockholders

 

Section 1.  Place and Time of Meetings.  Meetings of the stockholders for the election of directors or for any other purpose shall be held at such time and place, either within or without the State of Delaware, as shall be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors.  Subject to applicable law, the Board of Directors may elect to postpone any previously scheduled meeting of stockholders.

 

Section 2.  Annual Meetings.  The annual meetings of stockholders for the election of directors shall be held on such date and at such time as shall be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors.  Any other proper business may be transacted at the annual meeting of stockholders.

 

Section 3.  Special Meetings.  Unless otherwise required by law or by the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, as amended and restated from time to time (including any certificates of designation with respect to any Preferred Stock, the “Certificate of Incorporation”), special meetings of stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, may only be called by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution stating the purpose or purposes thereof or by the Chairman, if there be one, and any power of stockholders to call a special meeting is specifically denied.  Notice of a special meeting stating the place, date and hour of the meeting and the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder of record

 



 

entitled to vote at such meeting.  Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting as shall be specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto).

 

Section 4.  Adjournments.  Any meeting of the stockholders may be adjourned by the chairman of the meeting or by the stockholders or their proxies in attendance, from time to time, to reconvene at the same or some other place, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken.  At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.  If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.

 

Section 5.  Quorum.  Unless otherwise required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares of capital stock entitled to cast a majority of the votes which could be cast at such meeting by the holders of all the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote at such meeting shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business.  A quorum, once established, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum.  If, however, such quorum shall not be present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting or the stockholders entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, in the manner provided in Section 4, until a quorum shall be present or represented.

 

Section 6.  Voting.  Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws or any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or regulatory body applicable to the Corporation, any question brought before any meeting of stockholders, other than the election of directors, shall be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes of shares of capital stock present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the question, voting as a single class.  Every reference in these By-Laws to a majority or other proportion of shares, or a majority or other proportion of the votes of shares, of capital stock shall refer to such majority or other proportion of the votes to which such shares of capital stock are entitled as provided in the Certificate of Incorporation.  Votes of stockholders entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may be cast in person or by proxy but no proxy shall be voted on or after three years from its date, unless such proxy provides for a longer period.  The Board of Directors, in its discretion, or the officer of the Corporation presiding at a meeting of stockholders, in such officer’s discretion, may require that any votes cast at such meeting shall be cast by written ballot.

 

Section 7.  No Action by Consent of Stockholders in Lieu of Meeting.  Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation may be effected only at a duly called annual or special meeting of such holders and may not be effected by a consent in writing by such holders in lieu of such a meeting.

 

Section 8.  List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote.  The officer of the Corporation who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at

 

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the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder.  Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, as required by applicable law.  Subject to applicable law, the list shall also be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder of the Corporation who is present.

 

Section 9.  Stock Ledger.  The stock ledger of the Corporation shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the stock ledger, the list required by Section 8 of this Article II or the books of the Corporation, or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

 

Section 10.  Nomination of Directors.  Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at any annual meeting of stockholders only (a) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof), (b) by any stockholder of the Corporation (i) who is a stockholder of record on the date of the giving of the notice provided for in this Section 10 and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such annual meeting, (ii) who is entitled to vote at the meeting and (iii) who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 10 or (c) by any stockholder (or group of stockholders) who meets the requirements of and complies with all of the procedures set forth in Section 16 of this Article II.  Compliance with the provisions of clause (b) or clause (c) of the preceding sentence of this Section 10 shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations before an annual meeting of stockholders.

 

In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be properly brought by a stockholder at an annual meeting pursuant to clause (b) of the paragraph above, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the Secretary of the Corporation.

 

To be timely, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the date of such annual meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such annual meeting is less than one hundred (100) days prior to the date of such annual meeting, 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 shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the public announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.  To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must include or be accompanied by the following: (a) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director, (i) all information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election

 

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pursuant to Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected) and (ii) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships, between or among the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made, and their respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee, and his or her respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 404 promulgated under Regulation S-K if the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made, or any affiliate or associate thereof or person acting in concert therewith, were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant; (b) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made, (i) the name and address of such person (including, if applicable, the name and address of such person as they appear on the Corporation’s books), (ii) (A) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially or of record by such person, (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 such person and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (C) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which such person has a right to vote any shares of any security of the Company, (D) any short interest in any security of the Company (for purposes of this Section 10, a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (E) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (F) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such person is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner and (G) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such person is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any such interests held by members of such person’s immediate family sharing the same household, (iii) a description of all arrangements or understandings between such person and each proposed nominee or any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination(s) are to be made by such person and (iv) any other information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for the election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated

 

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thereunder; (c) a representation that the stockholder giving the notice (or a representative thereof) intends to appear at the meeting to nominate the persons named in its notice; and (d) with respect to each proposed nominee for election or reelection to the Board of Directors, a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Article II, Section 14 of these By-Laws.  In addition to the information required pursuant to this paragraph or any other provision of these By-Laws, the Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish any other information (i) that may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine whether the proposed nominee would be independent under the rules and listing standards of the principal United States securities exchanges upon which the common stock of the Corporation is listed or traded, any applicable rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any publicly disclosed standards used by the Board of Directors in determining and disclosing the independence of the Corporation’s directors (collectively, the “Independence Standards”), (ii) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee or (iii) that may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation.  Any person providing any information to the Corporation pursuant to this Section 10 shall further update and supplement such information, if necessary, so that all such information shall be true and correct as of the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to or be mailed and received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting.

 

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

 

No person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation at an annual meeting of stockholders unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 10 or in Section 16 of this Article II, as applicable, and only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 10 or in Section 12 or Section 16 of this Article II shall be eligible to serve as directors.  Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination proposed to be brought before the meeting was made in accordance with the foregoing procedures and, if any proposed nomination is not in compliance with the foregoing procedures, to declare that such defective nomination shall be disregarded.

 

For purposes of this Section 10, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the

 

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Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 10; provided, however, that any references in these By-Laws to the Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit the requirements applicable to nominations to be considered pursuant to clause (b) of the first paragraph of this Section 10.  Nothing in this Section 10 shall be deemed to affect any rights (i) of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (ii) of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock if and to the extent provided for under law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.

 

Section 11.  Business at Annual Meetings.  No business may be transacted at an annual meeting of stockholders, other than business that is either (a) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof), (b) otherwise properly brought before the annual meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof) or (c) otherwise properly brought before the annual meeting by any stockholder of the Corporation (i) who is a stockholder of record on the date of the giving of the notice provided for in this Section 11 and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such annual meeting, (ii) who is entitled to vote at the meeting and (iii) who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 11.  Compliance with the provisions of clause (c) of the preceding sentence of this Section 11 shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to submit other business (other than matters properly brought under Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and included in the Corporation’s notice of meeting) before an annual meeting of stockholders.

 

In addition to any other applicable requirements, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the Secretary of the Corporation and such business must otherwise be a proper matter for stockholder action.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, notice by stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the date of such annual meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such annual meeting is less than one hundred (100) days prior to the date of such annual meeting, 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 shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the public announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

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To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must include or be accompanied by the following: (a) as to each matter such stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting; (b) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made, (i) the name and address of such person (including, if applicable, the name and address of such person as they appear on the Corporation’s books), (ii) (A) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially or of record by such person, (B) any Derivative Instrument directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such person and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (C) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which such person has a right to vote any shares of any security of the Company, (D) any short interest in any security of the Company (for purposes of this Section 11, a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (E) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (F) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such person is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner and (G) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such person is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any such interests held by members of such person’s immediate family sharing the same household, (iii) a description of all agreements, arrangements or understandings between such person and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such person and any material interest of such person in such business and (iv) any other information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with the proposal of business; and (c) a representation that the stockholder giving the notice (or a representative thereof) intends to appear at the annual meeting to bring such business before the meeting.  Any person providing any information to the Corporation pursuant to this Section 11 shall further update and supplement such information, if necessary, so that all such information shall be true and correct as of the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to or be mailed and received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting.

 

No business shall be conducted at the annual meeting of stockholders except business brought before the annual meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 11; provided, however, that, once business has been properly brought before the annual meeting in accordance with such procedures, nothing in this Section 11 shall be deemed to preclude discussion by any stockholder of any such business.  Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was proposed in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 11 and, if any

 

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proposed business is not in compliance with this Section 11, to declare that such defective proposal shall be disregarded.

 

For purposes of this Section 11, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 11; provided, however, that any references in these By-Laws to the Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit the requirements applicable to nominations to be considered pursuant to clause (c) of the first paragraph of this Section 11.  Nothing in this Section 11 shall be deemed to affect any rights (i) of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, or (ii) of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock if and to the extent provided for under law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.

 

Section 12.  Nominations of Directors and Business at Special Meetings.  Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof).

 

Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting only (a) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof) or (b) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation (i) who is a stockholder of record on the date of the giving of the notice provided for in this Section 12 and at the time of the special meeting, (ii) who is entitled to vote at the special meeting and (iii) who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 12 as to such nomination.  Compliance with the provisions of clause (b) of the preceding sentence of this Section 12 shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations before a special meeting of stockholders.

 

In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position(s) as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting if, in addition to any other applicable requirements, such stockholder gives timely notice of such nomination in proper written form to the Secretary of the Corporation.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the date of such special meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such special meeting is less than one hundred (100) days prior to the date of such special meeting, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the

 

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nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting.  In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of a special meeting or the public announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.  To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must include or be accompanied by the information, representations and agreements that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice of a nomination pursuant to Article II, Section 10 of these Bylaws (including the written consent of the nominee to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected and the completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement identified in Article II, Section 14 of these Bylaws).  In addition to the information required pursuant to this paragraph or any other provision of these By-Laws, the Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish any other information (i) that may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine whether the nominee would be independent under the Independence Standards, (ii) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee or (iii) that may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation.  Any person providing any information to the Corporation pursuant to this Section 12 shall further update and supplement such information, if necessary, so that all such information shall be true and correct as of the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to or be mailed and received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting.

 

No person shall be eligible for election at a special meeting of stockholders as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 12, and only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 12 or in Section 10 or Section 16 of this Article II shall be eligible to serve as directors.  Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, the Chairman of the special meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination was made in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 12 and, if any proposed nomination is not in compliance with this Section 12, to declare that such defective nomination shall be disregarded.

 

For purposes of this Section 12, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 12, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 12; provided, however, that any references in these By-Laws to the Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit the requirements applicable to nominations to be considered pursuant to clause (b) of the second paragraph of this Section 12.  Nothing in this Section 12 shall be deemed to affect any rights (i) of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (ii) of the

 

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holders of any series of Preferred Stock if and to the extent provided for under law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.

 

Section 13.  Required Vote for Directors.

 

(a)                                 Majority Vote.  Except in cases where, as of the meeting date, the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected, each director to be elected by stockholders shall be elected by the vote of the majority of the votes cast at any meeting for the election of directors at which a quorum is present.  For purposes of this By-Law, a majority of votes cast shall mean that the number of shares voted “for” a director’s election exceeds 50% of the number of votes cast with respect to that director’s election.  Votes cast shall include votes to withhold authority in each case and exclude abstentions with respect to that director’s election.

 

(b)                                 Resignation.  If a nominee for director who is an incumbent director is not elected and no successor has been elected at such meeting, the director shall promptly tender his or her resignation to the Board of Directors pursuant to the agreement required by Section 14 of these By-Laws.  The Committee on Directors’ Affairs shall make a recommendation to the Board of Directors as to whether to accept or reject the tendered resignation, or whether other action should be taken.  The Board of Directors shall act on the tendered resignation taking into account the recommendation of the Committee on Directors’ Affairs and publicly disclose (by a press release, a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other broadly disseminated means of communication) its decision regarding the tendered resignation and the rationale behind the decision within 90 days from the date of the certification of the election results.  The Committee on Directors’ Affairs, in making its recommendation, and the Board of Directors, in making its decision, may each consider any factors or other information that it considers appropriate and relevant.  The director who tenders his or her resignation shall not participate in the recommendation of the Committee on Directors’ Affairs or the decision of the Board of Directors with respect to his or her resignation.  If such incumbent director’s resignation is not accepted by the Board of Directors, such director shall continue to serve until his or her successor is duly elected, or his or her earlier resignation or removal.  If a director’s resignation is accepted by the Board of Directors pursuant to this By-Law, or if a nominee for director is not elected and the nominee is not an incumbent director, then the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, may fill any resulting vacancy or unfilled, newly created directorship pursuant to the provisions of Article III, Section 2 of these By-Laws or may decrease the size of the Board of Directors pursuant to the provisions of Article III, Section 1 of these By-Laws.

 

Section 14.  Additional Required Information.  To be eligible to be a nominee for election or reelection as a director of the Corporation, a person must deliver (in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under Section 10, Section 12 or Section 16, as applicable, of this Article II) to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such person and the background of any other person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made (which form of questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that such person (A) will abide by the requirements of Section 13 of this Article II, (B) is not and will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such person, if elected as a

 

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director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such person’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such person’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (C) is not and will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification (a “Compensation Arrangement”) in connection with such person’s nomination or candidacy for director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (2) any Compensation Arrangement in connection with service or action as a director, and (D) in such person’s individual capacity and on behalf of any person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made, would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the Corporation, and will comply with all applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the Corporation.

 

Section 15.  Conduct of Meetings.  The Board of Directors of the Corporation may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meetings of the stockholders as it shall deem appropriate.  Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board of Directors, the chairman of any meeting of the stockholders shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting.  Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the chairman of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) the determination of when the polls shall open and close for any given matter to be voted on at the meeting; (iii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (iv) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders of record of the corporation, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the chairman of the meeting shall determine; (v) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; (vi) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants; and (vii) policies and procedures with respect to the adjournment of such meeting.

 

Section 16.  Proxy Access.

 

(a)                                 Whenever the Board of Directors solicits proxies with respect to the election of directors at an annual meeting of stockholders (following the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders), subject to the provisions of this Section 16, the Corporation shall include in its proxy statement for such annual meeting, in addition to any persons nominated for election by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof), the name, together with the Required Information (as defined below), of any person nominated for election (the “Stockholder Nominee”) to the Board of Directors by a stockholder or group of no more than twenty (20) stockholders (counting as one stockholder, for this purpose, any two (2) or more funds under common management or sharing a common investment adviser) that satisfies the requirements of this Section 16 (the “Eligible Stockholder”) and that expressly elects at the time of providing the notice required by this Section 16 to have such nominee included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 16.  For purposes of this Section 16, the “Required Information” that the Corporation will include in its proxy statement is (i) the

 

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information provided to the Secretary of the Corporation concerning the Stockholder Nominee and the Eligible Stockholder that is required to be disclosed in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and (ii) if the Eligible Stockholder so elects, a Supporting Statement (as defined in Section 16(g) hereof).  Subject to the provisions of this Section 16, the name of any Stockholder Nominee included in the Corporation’s proxy statement for an annual meeting of stockholders shall also be set forth on the form of proxy distributed by the Corporation in connection with such annual meeting.

 

(b)                       In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a Stockholder Nominee to be eligible for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 16, the Eligible Stockholder must give timely notice of such nomination (the “Notice of Proxy Access Nomination”) in proper written form to the Secretary of the Corporation.  To be timely, the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination must be delivered to or be mailed and received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than one hundred and twenty (120) days nor more than one hundred and fifty (150) days prior to the first anniversary of the date that the Corporation first distributed its proxy statement to stockholders for the previous year’s annual meeting of stockholders.  In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the public announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination pursuant to this Section 16.

 

(c)                        The maximum number of Stockholder Nominees nominated by all Eligible Stockholders that will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders shall not exceed the greater of (i) two (2) or (ii) twenty percent (20%) of the number of directors in office as of the last day on which a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination may be delivered pursuant to and in accordance with this Section 16 (the “Final Proxy Access Nomination Date”) or, if such amount is not a whole number, the closest whole number below twenty percent (20%).  In the event that one or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the Board of Directors after the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date 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 of Stockholder Nominees included in the Corporation’s proxy materials shall be calculated based on the number of directors in office as so reduced.  For purposes of determining when the maximum number of Stockholder Nominees provided for in this Section 16 has been reached, each of the following persons shall be counted as one of the Stockholder Nominees: (i) any individual nominated by an Eligible Stockholder for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 16 whose nomination is subsequently withdrawn, (ii) any individual nominated by an Eligible Stockholder for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 16 whom the Board of Directors decides to nominate for election to the Board of Directors, (iii) any nominee recommended by the Board of Directors who will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or other understanding with a stockholder or group of stockholders (other than any such agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of stock from the Corporation by such stockholder or group of stockholders) and (iv) any director in office as of the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date who was included in the Corporation’s proxy materials as a Stockholder Nominee for any of the three (3) preceding annual meetings of stockholders (including any individual counted as a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to the preceding clause

 

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(ii)) and whom the Board of Directors decides to nominate for re-election to the Board of Directors.  Any Eligible Stockholder submitting more than one Stockholder Nominee for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 16 shall rank such Stockholder Nominees based on the order in which the Eligible Stockholder desires such Stockholder Nominees to be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials in the event that the total number of Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 16 exceeds the maximum number of Stockholder Nominees provided for in this Section 16.  In the event that the number of Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 16 exceeds the maximum number of Stockholder Nominees provided for in this Section 16, the highest ranking Stockholder Nominee who meets the requirements of this Section 16 from each Eligible Stockholder will be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials until the maximum number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of shares of common stock of the Corporation each Eligible Stockholder disclosed as owned in its Notice of Proxy Access Nomination.  If the maximum number is not reached after the highest ranking Stockholder Nominee who meets the requirements of this Section 16 from each Eligible Stockholder has been selected, then the next highest ranking Stockholder Nominee who meets the requirements of this Section 16 from each Eligible Stockholder will be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials, and this process will continue as many times as necessary, following the same order each time, until the maximum number is reached.

 

(d)                       In order to make a nomination pursuant to this Section 16, an Eligible Stockholder must have owned (as defined below) at least three percent (3%) of the Corporation’s outstanding common stock (the “Required Shares”) continuously for at least three (3) years (the “Minimum Holding Period”) as of both the date the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is delivered to or mailed and received by the Secretary of the Corporation in accordance with this Section 16 and the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting, and must continue to own the Required Shares through the date of the annual meeting.  For purposes of this Section 16, an Eligible Stockholder shall be deemed to “own” only those outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation as to which the stockholder 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 from and risk of loss on) such shares; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (i) and (ii) shall not include any shares (x) sold by such stockholder or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed, (y) borrowed by such stockholder or any of its affiliates for any purposes or purchased by such stockholder or any of its affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell or (z) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar instrument or agreement entered into by such stockholder 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 shares of outstanding common stock of the Corporation, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of (1) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such stockholder’s or its affiliates’ full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares and/or (2) hedging, offsetting or altering to any degree any gain or loss realized or realizable from maintaining the full economic ownership of such shares by such stockholder or affiliate, but not including any hedging across a broad multi-industry investment portfolio solely with respect to currency risk, interest-rate risk or, using a broad index-based hedge, equity risk.  A stockholder shall “own” shares held in the name

 

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of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the stockholder 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.  A stockholder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which (i) the stockholder has loaned such shares, provided that the stockholder has the power to recall such loaned shares on five (5) business days’ notice and provides a representation that it (A) will promptly recall such loaned shares upon being notified that any of its Shareholder Nominees will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials and (B) will continue to hold such shares through the date of the annual meeting or (ii) the stockholder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney or other instrument or arrangement which is revocable at any time by the stockholder.  The terms “owned,” “owning” and other variations of the word “own” shall have correlative meanings.  Whether outstanding shares of the common stock of the Corporation are “owned” for these purposes shall be determined by the Board of Directors or any committee thereof.  For purposes of this Section 16, the term “affiliate” or “affiliates” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto under the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.

 

(e)                                  To be in proper written form for purposes of this Section 16, the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination must include or be accompanied by the following:

 

(i)                                     a written statement by the Eligible Stockholder certifying as to the number of shares it owns and has owned (as defined in Section 16(d) hereof) continuously during the Minimum Holding Period;

 

(ii)                                  one or more written statements from the record holder of the Required Shares (and from each intermediary through which the Required Shares are or have been held during the Minimum Holding Period) verifying that, as of a date within seven (7) calendar days prior to the date the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is delivered to or mailed and received by the Secretary of the Corporation, the Eligible Stockholder owns, and has owned continuously for the Minimum Holding Period, the Required Shares, and the Eligible Stockholder’s agreement to provide, within five (5) business days after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting, one or more written statements from the record holder and such intermediaries verifying the Eligible Stockholder’s continuous ownership of the Required Shares through the record date;

 

(iii)                               a copy of the Schedule 14N that has been or is concurrently being filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as required by Rule 14a-18 under the Exchange Act;

 

(iv)                              the information, representations and agreements that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice of a nomination pursuant to Article II, Section 10 of these By-Laws (including the written consent of each Stockholder Nominee to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected and the completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement identified in Article II, Section 14 of these By-Laws);

 

(v)                                 a representation that the Eligible Stockholder (A) will continue to hold the Required Shares through the date of the annual meeting, (B) acquired the Required

 

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Shares in the ordinary course of business and not with the intent to change or influence control at the Corporation, and does not presently have such intent, (C) has not nominated and will not nominate for election to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting any person other than the Stockholder Nominee(s) it is nominating pursuant to this Section 16, (D) has not engaged and will not engage in, and has not and will not be a “participant” in another person’s, “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act in support of the election of any individual as a director at the annual meeting other than its Stockholder Nominee(s) or a nominee of the Board of Directors, (E) has not distributed and will not distribute to any stockholder of the Corporation any form of proxy for the annual meeting other than the form distributed by the Corporation, (F) has complied and will comply with all laws and regulations applicable to solicitations and the use, if any, of soliciting material in connection with the annual meeting, and (G) has provided and will provide facts, statements and other information in all communications with the Corporation and its stockholders that are or will be true and correct in all material respects and do not and will not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(vi)                              a representation as to the Eligible Stockholder’s intentions with respect to continuing to own the Required Shares for at least one year following the annual meeting;

 

(vii)                           an undertaking that the Eligible Stockholder agrees to (A) assume all liability stemming from any legal or regulatory violation arising out of the Eligible Stockholder’s communications with the stockholders of the Corporation or out of the information that the Eligible Stockholder provided to the Corporation, (B) indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation and each of its directors, officers and employees individually against any liability, loss or damages 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 any nomination submitted by the Eligible Stockholder pursuant to this Section 16 and (C) file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any solicitation or other communication with the stockholders of the Corporation relating to the meeting at which its Stockholder Nominee(s) will be nominated, regardless of whether any such filing is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act or whether any exemption from filing is available for such solicitation or other communication under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act;

 

(viii)                        in the case of a nomination by a group of stockholders together constituting an Eligible Stockholder, the designation by all group members of one member of the group that is authorized to receive communications, notices and inquiries from the Corporation and to act on behalf of all members of the group with respect to all matters relating to the nomination under this Section 16 (including withdrawal of the nomination); and

 

(ix)                              in the case of a nomination by a group of stockholders together constituting an Eligible Stockholder in which two or more funds under common management or sharing a common investment adviser are counted as one stockholder for purposes of qualifying as an Eligible Stockholder, documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation that demonstrates that the funds are under common control or share a common investment adviser.

 

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(f)                                   In addition to the information required pursuant to Section 16(e) or any other provision of these By-Laws, the Corporation may require (i) any proposed Stockholder Nominee to furnish any other information (x) that may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine whether the Stockholder Nominee would be independent under the Independence Standards, (y) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such Stockholder Nominee or (z) that may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such Stockholder Nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation and (ii) the Eligible Stockholder to furnish any other information that may reasonably be required by the Corporation to verify the Eligible Stockholder’s continuous ownership of the Required Shares for the Minimum Holding Period.

 

(g)                                  The Eligible Stockholder may, at its option, provide to the Secretary of the Corporation, at the time the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is provided, a written statement, not to exceed five hundred (500) words, in support of the Stockholder Nominee(s)’ candidacy (a “Supporting Statement”).  Only one Supporting Statement may be submitted by an Eligible Stockholder (including any group of stockholders together constituting an Eligible Stockholder) in support of its Stockholder Nominee(s).  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 16, the Corporation may omit from its proxy materials any information or Supporting Statement (or portion thereof) that it, in good faith, believes would violate any applicable law or regulation.

 

(h)                                 In the event that any information or communications provided by an Eligible Stockholder or a Stockholder Nominee to the Corporation or its stockholders ceases to be true and correct in all material respects or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, such Eligible Stockholder or Stockholder Nominee, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Secretary of the Corporation of any defect in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct any such defect.  In addition, any person providing any information to the Corporation pursuant to this Section 16 shall further update and supplement such information, if necessary, so that all such information shall be true and correct as of the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to or be mailed and received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting.

 

(i)                                     Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 16, the Corporation shall not be required to include, pursuant to this Section 16, a Stockholder Nominee in its proxy materials (i) for any meeting of stockholders for which the Secretary of the Corporation receives notice that the Eligible Stockholder or any other stockholder intends to nominate one or more persons for election to the Board of Directors pursuant to the advance notice requirements for stockholder nominees set forth in Section 10 of this Article II, (ii) if the Eligible Stockholder who has nominated such Stockholder Nominee has engaged in or is currently engaged in, or has been or is a “participant” in another person’s, “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act in support of the election of any individual as a director at the annual meeting other than its Stockholder Nominee(s) or a nominee of the Board of Directors, (iii) who would not be an independent director under the Independence Standards, (iv) whose election as a member of the Board of Directors would cause the

 

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Corporation to be in violation of these By-Laws, the Certificate of Incorporation, the rules and listing standards of the principal United States securities exchanges upon which the common stock of the Corporation is listed or traded, or any applicable state or federal law, rule or regulation, (v) who is or has been, within the past three (3) years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined in Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, (vi) who is a named subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses) or has been convicted in such a criminal proceeding within the past ten (10) years, (vii) who is subject to any order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (viii) if such Stockholder Nominee or the applicable Eligible Stockholder shall have provided any information to the Corporation or its stockholders in respect of the nomination that was untrue in any material respect or that omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, or (ix) if such Stockholder Nominee or the applicable Eligible Stockholder otherwise contravenes any of the agreements or representations made by such Stockholder Nominee or Eligible Stockholder or fails to comply with its obligations pursuant to this Section 16.

 

(j)                                    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, if (i) a Stockholder Nominee and/or the applicable Eligible Stockholder breaches any of its or their obligations, agreements or representations under this Section 16 or (ii) a Stockholder Nominee otherwise becomes ineligible for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 16 or dies, becomes disabled or otherwise becomes ineligible or unavailable for election at the annual meeting, in each case as determined by the Board of Directors, any committee thereof or the chairman of the annual meeting, (x) the Corporation may omit or, to the extent feasible, remove the information concerning such Stockholder Nominee and the related Supporting Statement from its proxy materials and/or otherwise communicate to its stockholders that such Stockholder Nominee will not be eligible for election at the annual meeting, (y) the Corporation shall not be required to include in its proxy materials any successor or replacement nominee proposed by the applicable Eligible Stockholder or any other Eligible Stockholder and (z) the Board of Directors or the chairman of the annual meeting shall declare such nomination to be invalid and such nomination shall be disregarded notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation.  In addition, if the Eligible Stockholder (or a representative thereof) does not appear at the annual meeting to present any nomination pursuant to this Section 16, such nomination shall be declared invalid and disregarded as provided in clause (z) above.

 

(k)                                 Whenever the Eligible Stockholder consists of a group of stockholders (including a group of funds under common management or sharing a common investment adviser), (i) each provision in this Section 16 that requires the Eligible Stockholder to provide any written statements, representations, undertakings, agreements or other instruments or to meet any other conditions shall be deemed to require each stockholder (including each individual fund) that is a member of such group to provide such statements, representations, undertakings, agreements or other instruments and to meet such other conditions (except that the members of such group may aggregate their shareholdings in order to meet the three percent (3%) ownership requirement of the “Required Shares” definition) and (ii) a breach of any obligation, agreement or representation under this Section 16 by any member of such group shall be deemed a breach

 

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by the Eligible Stockholder.  No person may be a member of more than one group of stockholders constituting an Eligible Stockholder with respect to any annual meeting.

 

(l)                                     Any Stockholder Nominee who is included in the Corporation’s proxy materials for a particular annual meeting of stockholders but withdraws from or becomes ineligible or unavailable for election at the annual meeting will be ineligible to be a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 16 for the next two (2) annual meetings of stockholders.  For the avoidance of doubt, the immediately preceding sentence shall not prevent any stockholder from nominating any person to the Board of Directors pursuant to and in accordance with Section 10 of this Article II.

 

(m)                             For purposes of this Section 16 “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(n)                                 This Section 16 provides the exclusive method for a stockholder to include nominees for election to the Board of Directors in the Corporation’s proxy materials.

 

ARTICLE III

 

Directors

 

Section 1.  Number, Classification and Qualification of Directors.

 

(a)                                 The size of the Board of Directors shall be not less than six and not more than twenty directors, with the exact number to be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors.  Effective at the annual meeting of stockholders scheduled to be held in 2009 and at each annual meeting of stockholders thereafter, all director nominees shall stand for election to terms expiring at the next succeeding annual meeting, with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, subject, however, to prior death, resignation, removal or departure from the Board of Directors for other cause.  The term of each director serving as of and immediately following the date of the 2008 annual meeting of stockholders shall expire at the next annual meeting of stockholders after such date, notwithstanding that such director may have been elected for a term that extended beyond the date of such annual meeting of stockholders.  Any director may resign at any time upon written notice to the Corporation.  Directors need not be stockholders.  Subject to applicable law and to the provisions of Article II of these By-Laws, any person shall be eligible for election as a director; provided that in the case of a director who is also an employee of the Corporation, any person who ceases to be an employee of the Corporation shall be disqualified from continued service as a director and such person’s term of office as a director shall automatically terminate.

 

(b)                                 There shall be no limitation on the qualification of any person to be a director or on the ability of any director to vote on any matter brought before the Board or any Board committee, except (i) as required by applicable law, (ii) as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation or (iii) as set forth in the foregoing Section 1(a) of this Article III or (iv) in any By-Law adopted by the Board of Directors with respect to the eligibility for election as a director

 

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upon reaching a specified age or, in the case of employee directors, with respect to the qualification for continuing service of directors upon cessation of employment with the Corporation.

 

Section 2.  Vacancies.  Unless otherwise required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, vacancies arising through death, resignation, removal, an increase in the number of directors or otherwise may be filled only by a majority of the directors then in office, though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and the directors so chosen shall hold office until the next election and until their successors are duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation, removal or departure from the Board of Directors for other cause.

 

Section 3.  Duties and Powers.  The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors which may exercise all such powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these By-Laws required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.

 

Section 4.  Meetings.  The Board of Directors may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or without the State of Delaware.  Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and at such place as may from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.  Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairman of the Board, if there be one, the President, or such number of directors constituting more than one-third of the directors then in office.  Notice thereof stating the place, date and hour of the meeting shall be given to each director either by mail not less than forty-eight (48) hours before the time of the meeting, by telephone, telegram, facsimile transmission or other electronic transmission not less than twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the meeting, or on such shorter notice as the person or persons calling such meeting may deem necessary or appropriate in the circumstances.

 

Section 5.  Quorum.  Except as otherwise required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, at all meetings of the Board of Directors, a majority of the entire Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the act of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board of Directors.  If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the Board of Directors, the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting of the time and place of the adjourned meeting, until a quorum shall be present.

 

Section 6.  Actions by Written Consent of the Board  Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, 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 the 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.

 

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Section 7.  Meetings by Means of Conference Telephone.  Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, members of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, or any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or such committee by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this Section 7 shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

Section 8.  Standing Committees.

 

(a)                                 The Board of Directors, by resolution adopted by a majority of the entire Board, shall appoint from among its members (i) an Executive Committee, (ii) an Audit and Finance Committee, (iii) a Compensation Committee, (iv) a Committee on Directors’ Affairs and (v) a Public Policy Committee (together, the “Standing Committees”) each consisting of three (3) (or such greater number as the Board of Directors may designate) directors, to perform the functions assigned to such committees by committee charters adopted by the Board of Directors.

 

(b)                                 The Executive Committee 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 which may require it, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

 

Section 9.  Committees.  The Board of Directors may designate one or more other committees (in addition to the Standing Committees), each such other committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation.  With respect to all Board committees, 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 any such committee.  With respect to all Board committees, in the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, and in the absence of a designation by the Board of Directors of an alternate member to replace the absent or disqualified member, 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 absent or disqualified member.  Any Board committee, to the extent permitted by law and provided in the resolution establishing such committee, 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 which may require it.  Each Board committee shall keep regular minutes and report to the Board of Directors when required.

 

Section 10.  Compensation.  The directors shall be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof and shall receive such compensation for their services as directors and as members of Board committees as shall be determined by the Board of Directors.  No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

 

Section 11.  Removal.  Subject to applicable law, a director may be removed, with or without cause, such removal to be by the affirmative vote of the shares representing a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the Voting Stock.  For purposes of these By-Laws, Voting

 

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Stock shall mean the then outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors and shall exclude any class or series of capital stock only entitled to vote in the event of dividend arrearages thereon, whether or not at the time of determination there are any dividend arrearages.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever holders of outstanding shares of one or more series of Preferred Stock are entitled to elect directors of the Corporation pursuant to the provisions applicable in the case of arrearages in the payment of dividends or other defaults contained in the resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors providing for the establishment of any such series, any such director of the Corporation so elected may be removed in accordance with the provisions of such resolution or resolutions.

 

Section 12.  Ratification.  Any transaction questioned in any stockholders’ derivative proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of director, officer or stockholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, or the application of improper principles or practices of accounting may be ratified before or after judgment by the Board of Directors or, if less than a quorum of directors is qualified, by a committee of qualified directors or by the stockholders; and, if so ratified, shall have the same force and effect as if the questioned transaction had been originally duly authorized, and said ratification shall be binding upon the Corporation and its stockholders and shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned transaction.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

Officers

 

Section 1.  General.  The officers of the Corporation shall be chosen by the Board of Directors and shall include a Chief Executive Officer; President, a Secretary and a Treasurer.  The Board of Directors, in its discretion, also may choose a Chairman of the Board (who must be a director) and one or more Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Treasurers and other officers.  Any number of offices may be held by the same person, unless otherwise prohibited by law or the Certificate of Incorporation.  The officers of the Corporation need not be stockholders of the Corporation nor, except in the case of the Chairman of the Board, need such officers be directors of the Corporation.

 

Section 2.  Election.  The Board of Directors, at its first meeting held after each annual meeting of stockholders, shall elect the officers of the Corporation who shall hold their offices for such terms and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors; and all officers of the Corporation shall hold office until their successors are chosen and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.  Any officer elected by the Board of Directors may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of the Board of Directors.  Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.  Voting Securities Owned by the Corporation.  Powers of attorney, proxies, waivers of notice of meeting, consents and other instruments relating to securities owned by the Corporation may be executed in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation by the President or any Vice President or any other officer authorized to do so by the Board of Directors and any such officer may, in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, take all

 

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such action as any such officer may deem advisable to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of security holders of any corporation in which the Corporation may own securities and at any such meeting shall possess and may exercise any and all rights and power incident to the ownership of such securities and which, as the owner thereof, the Corporation might have exercised and possessed if present.  The Board of Directors may, by resolution, from time to time confer like powers upon any other person or persons.

 

Section 4.  Chairman of the Board of Directors.  The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall preside at meetings of the Board and of the Corporation’s stockholders.  The Chairman shall have all the customary duties and responsibilities of such office.

 

Section 5.  Chief Executive Officer.  The Chief Executive Officer shall have general responsibility for the management of the Corporation as provided in these By-laws, reporting directly to the Board of Directors.  The Chief Executive Officer shall have all the customary duties and responsibilities of such office, and all of the Corporation’s executive officers shall report directly to him or indirectly to him through another such executive officer who reports to him.

 

Section 6.  President.  The President may be Chief Executive Officer if so designated by the Board.  If the President and Chief Executive Officer are not the same person, the President shall perform such duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors from time to time may prescribe.  At the request of the Chief Executive Officer or in the Chief Executive Officer’s absence or in the event of the Chief Executive Officer’s inability or refusal to act (and if there be no Chairman of the Board), the President, to the extent expressly authorized at such time by the Board of Directors, shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Chief Executive Officer.  The President shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors from time to time may prescribe.  If there be no Chairman of the Board and no President, the Board of Directors shall designate the officer of the Corporation who, in the absence of the Chief Executive Officer or in the event of the inability or refusal of the Chief Executive Officer to act, shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Section 7.  Vice Presidents.  Vice Presidents, if there be any, shall perform such duties and have such powers as the Board of Directors from time to time may prescribe and in the absence of the President or in the event of the President’s disability or refusal to act, shall perform 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.

 

Section 8.  Secretary.  The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings of stockholders and record all the proceedings thereat in a book or books to be kept for that purpose; the Secretary shall also perform like duties for committees of the Board of Directors when required.  The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer, under whose supervision the Secretary shall be.  If the

 

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Secretary shall be unable or shall refuse to cause to be given notice of all meetings of the stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, and if there be no Assistant Secretary, then either the Board of Directors or the President may choose another officer to cause such notice to be given.  The Secretary shall have custody of the seal of the Corporation and the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, if there be one, shall have authority to affix the same to any instrument requiring it and when so affixed, it may be attested by the signature of the Secretary or by the signature of any such Assistant Secretary.  The Board of Directors may give general authority to any other officer to affix the seal of the Corporation and to attest to the affixing by such officer’s signature.  The Secretary shall see that all books, reports, statements, certificates and other documents and records required by law to be kept or filed are properly kept or filed, as the case may be.

 

Section 9.  Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall have the custody of the corporate funds and securities and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors.  The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the President and the Board of Directors, at its regular meetings, or when the Board of Directors so requires, an account of all transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.  If required by the Board of Directors, the Treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of the office of the Treasurer and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of the Treasurer’s death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in the Treasurer’s possession or under the Treasurer’s control belonging to the Corporation.

 

Section 10.  Assistant Secretaries.  Assistant Secretaries, if there be any, shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors, the President, any Vice President, if there be one, or the Secretary, and in the absence of the Secretary or in the event of the Secretary’s disability or refusal to act, shall perform the duties of the Secretary, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Secretary.

 

Section 11.  Assistant Treasurers.  Assistant Treasurers, if there be any, shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors, the President, any Vice President, if there be one, or the Treasurer, and in the absence of the Treasurer or in the event of the Treasurer’s disability or refusal to act, shall perform the duties of the Treasurer, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Treasurer.  If required by the Board of Directors, an Assistant Treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of the office of Assistant Treasurer and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of the Assistant Treasurer’s death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in the Assistant Treasurer’s possession or under the Assistant Treasurer’s control belonging to the Corporation.

 

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Section 12.  Other Officers.  Such other officers as the Board of Directors may choose shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors may delegate to any other officer of the Corporation the power to choose such other officers and to prescribe their respective duties and powers.

 

ARTICLE V

 

Stock

 

Section 1.  Uncertificated and Certificated Shares; Form of Certificates.  Effective at such time as the President or any Vice President or the Treasurer of the Corporation, if so authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors, designates in writing to the Corporate Secretary and any transfer agents of the Corporation with respect to any class of stock of the Corporation, the shares of such class shall be uncertificated shares, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation.

 

Section 2.  Signatures.  Any or all of the signatures on a certificate may be a facsimile.  In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

Section 3.  Lost Certificates.  Any officer designated by the Board of Directors may direct a new certificate to be issued in place of any certificate theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen or destroyed.  When authorizing such issue of a new certificate, such officer may, in his or her discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or the owner’s legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as such officer shall require and/or to give the Corporation a bond in such sum as such officer may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed or the issuance of such new certificate.

 

Section 4.  Transfers.  Stock of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these By-Laws.  Transfers of stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation only by the person named as the holder thereof on the stock records of the Corporation by such person’s attorney lawfully constituted in writing, and in the case of shares represented by a certificate upon the surrender of the certificate therefor, which shall be canceled before a new certificate shall be issued.  No transfer of stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing from and to whom transferred.  To the extent designated by the President or any Vice President or the Treasurer of the Corporation, the Corporation may recognize the transfer of fractional uncertificated shares, but shall not otherwise be required to recognize the transfer of fractional shares.

 

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Section 5.  Record Date.

 

(a)                                 In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, 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 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 no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the 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 the adjourned meeting.

 

(b)                                 In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or 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.

 

Section 6.  Record Owners.  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, and to hold liable for calls and assessments a 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 any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise required by law.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

Notices

 

Section 1.  Notices.  Whenever notice is required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, to be given to any director, member of a committee or stockholder, such notice may be given by mail, addressed to such director, member of a committee or stockholder, at such person’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid, and such notice shall be deemed to be given at the time when the same shall be deposited in the United States mail.  Except as otherwise required by law, notice may also be given personally, or by courier, telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, cable, internet or other electronic transmission.  Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed.  Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when such person or his or her agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which such person or his or her agent is a party.  Electronic mail notice

 

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shall be deemed to be given when directed to an electronic mail address at which such person has consented to receive notice.  Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given when directed to a number at which such person has consented to receive notice.

 

Section 2.  Waivers of Notice.  Whenever any notice is required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, to be given to any director, member of a committee or stockholder, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to said notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent thereto.  Attendance of a person at a meeting (including, in the case of a stockholder, by proxy) shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where the person attends the 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.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

General Provisions

 

Section 1.  Dividends.  Dividends upon the capital stock of the Corporation, subject to the requirements of the Delaware General Corporation Law and the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors (or any action by written consent in lieu thereof in accordance with Section 6 of Article III hereof), and may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the Corporation’s capital stock.  Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the Board of Directors from time to time, in its absolute discretion, deems proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, or for any proper purpose, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve.

 

Section 2.  Disbursements.  All checks or demands for money and notes of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers or such other person or persons as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

 

Section 3.  Fiscal Year.  The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 4.  Corporate Seal.  The corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation, the year of its organization and the words “Corporate Seal, Delaware”.  The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

Indemnification

 

Section 1.  Power to Indemnify in Actions, Suits or Proceedings other than Those by or in the Right of the Corporation.  Subject to Section 3 of this Article VIII, any person who

 

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was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was a director, officer or employee of the Corporation serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise (any director or officer of the Corporation or director, officer or employee of the Corporation so serving at the request of the Corporation being referred to hereinafter as an “Indemnified Person”), shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as the same exists or may hereafter be amended or modified from time to time (but, in the case of any such amendment or modification, only to the extent that such amendment or modification permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment or modification), against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful.  The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the Indemnified Person did not act in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that such person’s conduct was unlawful.

 

Section 2.  Power to Indemnify in Actions, Suits or Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation.  Subject to Section 3 of this Article VIII, any Indemnified Person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was a director, officer or employee of the Corporation serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as the same exists or may hereafter be amended or modified from time to time (but, in the case of any such amendment or modification, only to the extent that such amendment or modification permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment or modification), against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation; except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

 

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Section 3.  Authorization of Indemnification.  Any indemnification under this Article VIII (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director or officer is proper in the circumstances because such claimant has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 or Section 2 of this Article VIII, as the case may be. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a claimant who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (1) if requested by the claimant, by Independent Counsel (as hereinafter defined), or (2) if no request is made by the claimant for a determination by Independent Counsel, (i) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of Disinterested Directors (as hereinafter defined), or (ii) if a quorum of the Board of Directors consisting of Disinterested Directors is not obtainable or, even if obtainable, such quorum of Disinterested Directors so directs, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the claimant, or (iii) if a quorum of Disinterested Directors so directs, by the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel at the request of the claimant, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board of Directors unless there shall have occurred within two years prior to the date of the commencement of the action, suit or proceeding for which indemnification is claimed a Change of Control as defined in the Corporation’s Stock Option Program dated as of February 14, 2008, in which case the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the claimant unless the claimant shall request that such selection be made by the Board of Directors.  To the extent, however, that a present or former director or officer of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding described above, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith, without the necessity of authorization in the specific case.

 

Section 4.  Good Faith Defined.  For purposes of any determination under Section 3 of this Article VIII, a person shall be deemed to have acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, to have had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful, if such person’s action is based on good faith reliance on the records or books of account of the Corporation or another enterprise, or on information supplied to such person by the officers of the Corporation or another enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Corporation or another enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Corporation or another enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Corporation or another enterprise.  The term “another enterprise” as used in this Section 4 shall mean any other corporation or any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which such person is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent.  The provisions of this Section 4 shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the circumstances in which a person may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 or 2 of this Article VIII, as the case may be.

 

Section 5.  Indemnification by a Court.  Notwithstanding any contrary determination in the specific case under Section 3 of this Article VIII, and notwithstanding the absence of any determination thereunder, any Indemnified Person may apply to the Court of

 

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Chancery in the State of Delaware for indemnification to the extent otherwise permissible under Sections 1 and 2 of this Article VIII.  The basis of such indemnification by a court shall be a determination by such court that indemnification of the Indemnified Person is proper in the circumstances because such person has met the applicable standards of conduct set forth in Section 1 or 2 of this Article VIII, as the case may be.  Neither a contrary determination in the specific case under Section 3 of this Article VIII nor the absence of any determination thereunder shall be a defense to such application or create a presumption that Indemnified Person seeking indemnification has not met any applicable standard of conduct.  Notice of any application for indemnification pursuant to this Section 5 shall be given to the Corporation promptly upon the filing of such application.  If successful, in whole or in part, the Indemnified Person seeking indemnification shall also be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such application.

 

Section 6.  Expenses Payable in Advance.  Expenses incurred by an Indemnified Person in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Article VIII.

 

Section 7.  Nonexclusivity of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses.  The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by or granted pursuant to this Article VIII shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under the Certificate of Incorporation, any By-Law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, it being the policy of the Corporation that indemnification of the persons specified in Sections 1 and 2 of this Article VIII shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law.  The provisions of this Article VIII shall not be deemed to preclude the indemnification of any person who is not specified in Section 1 or 2 of this Article VIII but whom the Corporation has the power or obligation to indemnify under the provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or otherwise.

 

Section 8.  Insurance.  The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any Indemnified Person against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or is or was a director, officer or employee of the Corporation serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power or the obligation to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this Article VIII.

 

Section 9.  Certain Definitions.  For purposes of this Article VIII, references to “the Corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors or officers, so that any person who is or was a director or officer of such constituent corporation, or is or was a director or officer of such constituent corporation serving at the

 

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request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article VIII with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.  For purposes of this Article VIII, references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director or officer with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation” as referred to in this Article VIII.  For purposes of this Article VIII, references to “Independent Counsel” shall mean a law firm, a member of a law firm, or an independent practitioner, that is experienced in matters of corporation law and shall include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would not have a conflict of interest in representing either the Corporation or the claimant in an action to determine the claimant’s rights under this By-Law.  For purposes of this Article VIII, “Disinterested Director” shall mean a director of the Corporation who is not and was not a party to the matter in respect of which indemnification is sought by the claimant.

 

Section 10.  Contractual Nature, Vesting, and Survival of Rights to Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses.  The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred upon or granted to indemnitees in or pursuant to this By-Law or other By-Laws shall be contract rights that vest at the time of such person’s service to or at the request of the Corporation and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators.  Such rights cannot be terminated by the Corporation, the Board of Directors or the stockholders of the Corporation with respect to a person’s service prior to the date of such termination.  Any amendment, modification, alteration or repeal of this By-Law that in any way diminishes, limits, restricts, adversely affects or eliminates any right of an indemnitee or his or her successors to indemnification, advancement of expenses or otherwise shall be prospective only and shall not in any way diminish, limit, restrict, adversely affect or eliminate any such right with respect to any actual or alleged state of facts, occurrence, action or omission then or previously existing, or any action, suit or proceeding previously or thereafter brought or threatened based in whole or in part upon any such actual or alleged state of facts, occurrence, action or omission.

 

Section 11.  Limitation on Indemnification.  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article VIII to the contrary, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification (which shall be governed by Section 5 of this Article VIII), the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director or officer in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized or consented to by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

 

Section 12.  Indemnification of Employees and Agents.  The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, provide rights to

 

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indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to employees and agents of the Corporation similar to those conferred in this Article VIII to directors and officers of the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

Exclusive Forum

 

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws (as they may be amended from time to time), or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be a state court located within the State of Delaware (or, if no state court located within the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware).

 

ARTICLE X

 

Amendments

 

Section 1.  Amendments.  These By-Laws may be altered, amended or repealed, in whole or in part, and new By-Laws may be adopted (i) by the affirmative vote of the shares representing a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the Voting Stock; provided, however, that any proposed alteration, amendment or repeal of, or the adoption of any By-Law inconsistent with, Section 3, 7, 10 or 11 of Article II of these By-Laws or Section 1, 2 or 11 of Article III of these By-Laws or Section 4 or 5 of Article IV of these By-Laws or this sentence, by the stockholders shall require the affirmative vote of shares representing not less than 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by the Voting Stock; and provided further, however, that in the case of any such stockholder action at a meeting of stockholders, notice of the proposed alteration, amendment, repeal or adoption of the new By-Law or By-Laws must be contained in the notice of such meeting, or (ii) by action of the Board of Directors of the Corporation.  The provisions of this Section 1 are subject to any contrary provisions and any provisions requiring a greater vote that are set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation and in Section 12 of Article IV of these By-Laws.

 

Section 2.  Entire Board of Directors.  As used in these By-Laws generally, the term “entire Board of Directors” means the total number of directors the Corporation would have if there were no vacancies.

 

Amended and Restated as of October 9, 2015

 

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