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ARTICLE IV
Board of Directors
SECTION 4.01. Powers. – All powers vested by law in the corporation shall be exercised by or under the authority of, and the business and affairs of the corporation shall be managed under the direction of, the board of directors.
SECTION 4.02. Number. – Subject to the provisions of the certificate of incorporation, the board of directors shall consist of such number of directors as may be determined only by resolution adopted by of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present.
SECTION 4.03. Term of Office. – Subject to the provisions of the certificate of incorporation, directors of the corporation shall hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors shall have been elected and qualified, except in the event of death, resignation or removal.
SECTION 4.04. Vacancies.
(a) Vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled by resolution adopted by a majority of the directors then in office, present at a meeting at which a quorum is present, and a director so chosen shall hold office until the next annual election of directors and until a successor is duly elected and qualified. If there are no directors in office, then an election of directors may be held in the manner provided by statute.
(b) Whenever the holders of any class or classes of stock or series thereof are entitled to elect one or more directors by the provisions of the certificate of incorporation, vacancies and newly created directorships of such class or classes or series may be filled by a majority of the directors elected by such class or classes or series thereof then in office, or by a sole remaining director so elected.
(c) If, at the time of filling any vacancy or any newly created directorship, the directors then in office shall constitute less than a majority of the entire board (as constituted immediately prior to any such increase), the Court of Chancery may, upon application of any stockholder or stockholders holding at least ten percent of the total number of the shares at the time outstanding having the right to vote for such directors, summarily order an election to be held to fill any such vacancies or newly created directorship, or to replace the directors chosen by the directors then in office.
SECTION 4.05. Resignations. – Any director may resign at any time upon written notice to the chairman, chief executive officer, president or secretary of the corporation. The resignation shall be effective upon receipt thereof by the corporation or at such subsequent time as shall be specified in the notice of resignation and, unless otherwise specified in the notice, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make
it effective.
SECTION 4.06. Organization. – At every meeting of the board of directors, the chairman of the board, if there be one, or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the chairman of the board, one of the following officers present in the order stated: the vice chairman of the board, if there be one, the president, the vice presidents in their order
of rank and seniority, or a chairman chosen by a majority of the directors present, shall preside, and the secretary, or, in the absence of the secretary, an assistant secretary, or
in the absence of the secretary and the assistant secretaries, any person appointed by the chairman of the meeting, shall act as secretary.
SECTION 4.07. Place of Meeting. – Meetings of the board of directors, both regular and special, shall be held at such place within or without the State of Delaware as the board of directors may from time to time determine, or as may be designated in the notice of the meeting.
SECTION 4.08. Regular Meetings. – Regular meetings of the board of directors shall be held without notice at such time and place as shall be designated from time to time by resolution of the board of directors.
SECTION 4.09. Special Meetings. – Special meetings of the board of directors shall be held whenever called by the chairman or by three or more of the directors.
SECTION 4.10. Quorum, Manner of Acting and Adjournment.
(a) General Rule. – 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. The vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the board of directors, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by the GCL or by the certificate of incorporation. If a quorum is not 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, until a quorum is present.
(b) Unanimous Written Consent. – Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the board of directors may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the board consent thereto in writing, and the writing or writings are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the board.
SECTION 4.11. Committees of the Board.
(a) Establishment. – The board of directors may, by resolution adopted by a majority of the entire board, establish an Executive Committee and one or more other committees, each committee to consist of one or more directors. The board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee and the alternate or alternates, if any, designated for such member, the member or members of the committee present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another director to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member.
(b) Powers. – The Executive Committee, if established, and any such other committee, to the extent provided in the resolution establishing such committee, shall have and may exercise all the power 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; but no such committee shall have such power or authority in reference to amending the certificate of incorporation (except that a committee may, to the extent authorized in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of shares of stock adopted by the board of directors as provided in Section 151(a) of the GCL, fix the designation and any of the preferences or rights of such shares relating to dividends, redemption, dissolution, any distribution of assets of the corporation or the conversion into, or the exchange of such shares for, shares of any other class or classes or any other series of the same or any other class or classes of stock of the corporation or fix the number of shares of any series of stock or authorize the increase or decrease of shares of any series), adopting an agreement of merger or consolidation under Section 251, 252, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 263 or 264 of the GCL, recommending to the stockholders the sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of the corporation’s property and assets, recommending to the stockholders a dissolution of the corporation or a revocation of a dissolution, or amending the By-laws of the corporation. The Executive Committee shall have the power or authority to declare a dividend, to authorize the issuance of stock and to adopt a certificate of ownership and merger pursuant to Section 253 of the GCL. Such committee or committees shall have such name or names as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the board of directors. Each committee so formed shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the board of directors when required.
(c) Committee Procedures. – The term “board of directors” or “board,” when used in any provision of these By-laws relating to the organization or procedures of or the manner of taking action by the board of directors, shall be construed to include and refer to the Executive Committee or other committee of the board.
SECTION 4.12. Compensation of Directors. – Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation, the board of directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors. The directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the board of directors and may be paid a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the board of directors or a stated salary as director. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. Members of special or standing committees may be allowed like compensation for attending committee meetings.
SECTION 4.13. Qualifications and Election of Directors.
(a) All directors of the corporation shall be natural persons of full age, but need not be residents of Delaware or stockholders of the corporation. Except in the case of vacancies, directors shall be elected by the stockholders.
(b) Nominations of persons for election to the board of directors of the corporation may be made at a meeting of stockholders by or at the direction of the board of directors.
(c) Nominations of persons for election to the board of directors of the corporation may also be made by any stockholder of the corporation entitled to vote for the election of directors at a meeting of stockholders who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 4.13 (c). Such nominations shall be made pursuant to timely notice in writing to the secretary of the corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to or mailed to, and received by, the secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not less than 60 days prior to the meeting; provided, however, that in the event that less than 75 days’ notice or prior public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given or made to stockholders, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on the 15th day following the day on which such notice of the date of the meeting was mailed or such public disclosure was made. Such stockholder’s notice to the secretary shall set forth (a) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director, (i) the name, age, business address and residence address of the person, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of the person, (iii) the class and number of shares of capital stock of the corporation which are beneficially owned by the person, and (iv) any other information relating to the person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations for proxies for election of directors pursuant to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and (b) as to the stockholder giving the notice
(i) the name and record address of the stockholder and (ii) the class and number of shares of capital stock of the corporation which are beneficially owned by the stockholder. The corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may reasonably be required by the corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the corporation. No person shall be eligible for election as a director by the stockholders of the corporation unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth herein.
(d) The chairman of the meeting may, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that any nomination made at the meeting was not made in accordance with the foregoing procedures and, in such event, the nomination shall be disregarded. Any decision by the chairman of the meeting shall be conclusive and binding upon all stockholders of the corporation for any purpose.
SECTION 4.14. Voting of Stock. – Unless otherwise ordered by the board of directors, each of the chairman of the board, the principal executive officer (as defined by the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission) and the principal accounting officer (as defined by the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission) shall have full power and authority, on behalf of the corporation, to attend and to act and vote, in person or by proxy, at any meeting of the stockholders of any company in which the corporation may hold stock, and at any such meeting shall possess and may exercise any and all of the rights and powers incident to the ownership of such stock which, as the owner thereof, the corporation might have possessed and exercised if present. The board of directors, by resolution adopted from time to time, may confer like powers upon any other person or persons.
SECTION 4.15. Endorsement of Securities for Transfer. – Each of the chairman of the board, the principal executive officer and the principal accounting officer shall have the power to endorse and deliver for sale, assignment or transfer certificates for stock, bonds or other securities, registered in the name of or belonging to the corporation, whether issued by the corporation or by any other corporation, government, state or municipality or agency thereof; and the board of directors from time to time may confer like power upon any other officer, agent or person by resolution adopted from time to time. Every such endorsement shall be countersigned by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer.
SECTION 4.16. Lead Director. – Unless the corporation shall have a non-executive Chairman of the Board, the directors will elect one of their numbers to serve as Lead Director. The Lead Director will assume such duties as the directors may designate from time to time. Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 8.06, this Section 4.16 may only be altered, amended or repealed (a) by vote of the stockholders at a duly organized annual or special meeting of stockholders in accordance with the certificate of incorporation, or (b) by vote of 75% of the entire board of directors at any regular or special meeting of directors.
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