EX-3.1 2 dex31.htm CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS,INC. Certificate of Incorporation of Broadridge Financial Solutions,Inc.

Exhibit 3.1

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

The undersigned incorporator, in order to form a corporation under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “General Corporation Law”), certifies as follows:

1. Name. The name of the corporation is Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

2. Address; Registered Office and Agent. The address of the Corporation’s registered office is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19801; and the name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

3. Purposes. The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law.

4. Capital Stock.

4.1 The total number of shares of stock that the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 675,000,000, consisting of 650,000,000 shares of Common Stock, having a par value of $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), and 25,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, having a par value of $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”).

4.2 The Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) is hereby expressly authorized, by resolution or resolutions thereof, to provide, out of the


unissued shares of Preferred Stock, for one or more series of Preferred Stock and, with respect to each such series, to fix the number of shares constituting such series and the designation of such series, the voting powers (if any) of the shares of such series, and the preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, if any, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of the shares of such series. The powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights of each series of Preferred Stock, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, may differ from those of any and all other series at any time outstanding.

4.3 Except as may otherwise be provided in this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware establishing the terms of a series of Preferred Stock in accordance with Section 4.2) or by applicable law, each holder of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder on all matters on which stockholders generally are entitled to vote, and no holder of any series of Preferred Stock, as such, shall be entitled to any voting powers in respect thereof.

4.4 Subject to applicable law and the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, dividends may be declared and paid on the Common Stock at such times and in such amounts as the Board in its discretion shall determine.

4.5 Upon the dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Corporation, subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, the holders of the Common Stock shall be entitled to receive the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders ratably in proportion to the number of shares held by them.

 

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5. Name and Mailing Address of Incorporator. The name and mailing address of the incorporator are: James B. Benson, c/o Automatic Data Processing, Inc., One ADP Boulevard, Roseland, New Jersey 07068.

6. Limitation of Liability. To the fullest extent permitted under the General Corporation Law, as amended from time to time, no director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. Any amendment, repeal or modification of the foregoing provision shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation hereunder in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment, repeal or modification.

7. Indemnification.

7.1 Right to Indemnification. The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any person (a “Covered Person”) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity (an “Other Entity”), including service with respect to employee benefit plans,

 

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against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by such Covered Person. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 7.3, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify a Covered Person in connection with a Proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such Covered Person only if the commencement of such Proceeding (or part thereof) by the Covered Person was authorized by the Board.

7.2 Prepayment of Expenses. The Corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by a Covered Person in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that, to the extent required by applicable law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the Covered Person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the Covered Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article 7 or otherwise.

7.3 Claims. If a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Article 7 is not paid in full within 30 days after a written claim therefor by the Covered Person has been received by the Corporation, the Covered Person may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim. In any such action the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the Covered Person is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.

7.4 Nonexclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any Covered Person by this Article 7 shall not be exclusive of any other rights that such

 

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Covered Person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of this Certificate of Incorporation, the By-laws of the Corporation (the “By-laws”), agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

7.5 Other Sources. The Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify or to advance expenses to any Covered Person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of an Other Entity shall be reduced by any amount such Covered Person may collect as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such Other Entity.

7.6 Amendment or Repeal. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article 7 shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any Covered Person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification.

7.7 Other Indemnification and Prepayment of Expenses. This Article 7 shall not limit the right of the Corporation, to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than Covered Persons when and as authorized by appropriate corporate action.

8. Written Consent Prohibition. At any time Automatic Data Processing, Inc. ceases to own a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, no action that is required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at any annual or special meeting of stockholders may be effected by written consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting of stockholders. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate of Incorporation to the contrary, the affirmative vote of at least 80% in voting power of the then outstanding voting stock of the Corporation, voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend, repeal or adopt any provision inconsistent with this Article 8.

 

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9. Adoption, Amendment and/or Repeal of By-laws. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board is expressly authorized to make, alter and repeal the By-laws, subject to the power of the stockholders of the Corporation to alter or repeal any By-law whether adopted by them or otherwise.

10. Powers of Incorporators. The powers of the incorporators are to terminate upon the filing of this Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The name and mailing address of the person who is to serve as the initial director of the Corporation, or until his successor is duly elected and qualified, is:

James B. Benson

One ADP Boulevard

Roseland, New Jersey 07068

11. Effective Time. This Certificate of Incorporation shall become effective on March 29, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern time).

WITNESS the signature of this Certificate of Incorporation this 29th day of March 2007.

 

/s/ James B. Benson    

James B. Benson
Incorporator

 

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