EX-3.1 2 secondamendedandrestatedb.htm ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION / BYLAWS Blueprint
EXHIBIT 3.1
 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS
 
OF
 
NAVIENT CORPORATION
 
ADOPTED APRIL 4, 2018
 
ARTICLE I
 
STOCKHOLDERS
 
1.1 Place of Meetings. All meetings of stockholders shall be held at such place, if any, as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Navient Corporation (the “Corporation”), the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President or, if not so designated, at the principal office of the Corporation. The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication in accordance with Section 211(a) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).
 
1.2 Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting shall be held on a date and at a time designated by the Board, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President (which date shall not be a legal holiday in the place, if any, where the meeting is to be held). The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled annual meeting of stockholders.
 
1.3 Special Meetings. Special meetings of stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Board, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer, and shall be called by the Secretary at the request in writing of the holders of at least one-third (1/3) of the capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at an election of directors. The request of stockholders shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed special meeting and shall include the information required by Section 1.10 and Section 1.11 of these Bylaws to be included in a stockholder’s notice to the Corporation with respect to the stockholder(s) proposing the matters to be considered at such special meeting. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to matters relating to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting, provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit the Board from submitting matters to the stockholders at any special meeting requested by stockholders who have complied with the requirements set forth in these Bylaws. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders.
 
1.4 Notice of Meetings. Except as otherwise provided by law, notice of each meeting of stockholders, whether annual or special, shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given to stockholders, any notice shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to (in a manner consistent with the DGCL) by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. The notices of all meetings shall state the place, if any, date and time of the meeting, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, and the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (if such date is different from the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting). The notice of a special meeting shall state, in addition, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. If notice is given by mail, such notice shall be deemed given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation. If notice is given by electronic transmission, such notice shall be deemed given at the time specified in Section 232 of the DGCL.
 
1.5 Voting List. The Secretary shall prepare, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting: (a) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (b) during ordinary business hours, at the principal place of business of the Corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, then 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 who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting. Except as otherwise provided by law, the list shall presumptively determine the identity of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and the number of shares held by each of them.
 
1.6 Quorum. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of the capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person, present by means of remote communication in a manner, if any, authorized by the Board in its sole discretion, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business; provided, however, that where a separate vote by a class or classes or series of capital stock is required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of such class or classes or series of the capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote on such matter, present in person, present by means of remote communication in a manner, if any, authorized by the Board in its sole discretion, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to the vote on such matter. A quorum, once established at a meeting, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum.
 
1.7 Adjournments. Any meeting of stockholders, annual or special, may be adjourned from time to time to any other time and to any other place at which a meeting of stockholders may be held under these Bylaws by the chairman of the meeting or by the stockholders present or represented at the meeting and entitled to vote thereon, although less than a quorum. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board shall fix as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record as of the record date so fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting. At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.
 
1.8 Voting and Proxies. Each stockholder shall have such number of votes, if any, for each share of stock entitled to vote and held of record by such stockholder as may be fixed in the Certificate of Incorporation and a proportionate vote for each fractional share so held, unless otherwise provided by law or the Certificate of Incorporation. Each stockholder of record entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may vote in person (including by means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting) or may authorize another person or persons to vote for such stockholder by a proxy executed or transmitted in a manner permitted by applicable law. No such proxy shall be voted upon after three years from the date of its execution, unless the proxy expressly provides for a longer period.
 
1.9 Action at Meeting. When a quorum is present at any meeting, any matter other than the election of directors to be voted upon by the stockholders at such meeting shall be decided by the vote of the holders of shares of stock having a majority in voting power of the votes cast by the holders of all of the shares of stock present or represented at the meeting and voting affirmatively or negatively on such matter (or if there are two or more classes or series of stock entitled to vote as separate classes, then in the case of each such class or series, the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of stock of that class or series present or represented at the meeting and voting affirmatively or negatively on such matter), except when a different vote is required by applicable law, regulation applicable to the Corporation or its securities, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. Other than directors who may be elected by the holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock or pursuant to any resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of such Preferred Stock adopted by the Board, each director shall be elected by the vote of a majority of the votes cast with respect to that director’s election at any meeting for the election of directors at which a quorum is present; provided that if, as of the date that is ten (10) days in advance of the date the Corporation files its definitive proxy statement (regardless of whether or not thereafter revised or supplemented) with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a meeting at which directors are to be elected, the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected, the directors shall be elected by the vote of a plurality of the votes cast. For purposes of the foregoing sentence of this Section 1.9, a majority of votes cast shall mean that the number of votes cast “for” a director’s election exceeds the number of votes cast “against” that director’s election (with “abstentions” and “broker nonvotes” not counted as votes cast either “for” or “against” any director’s election). Voting at meetings of stockholders need not be by written ballot.
 
1.10 Nomination of Directors.
 
(a) Except for (1) any directors entitled to be elected by the holders of Preferred Stock, (2) any directors elected in accordance with Section 2.8 hereof by the Board to fill a vacancy or newly-created directorship or (3) as otherwise required by applicable law or stock exchange regulation, at any meeting of stockholders, only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures in this Section 1.10 or Section 1.13 shall be eligible for election as directors. Nomination for election to the Board at a meeting of stockholders may be made (i) by or at the direction of the Board (or any committee thereof), (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who (x) timely complies with the notice procedures in Section 1.10(b), (y) is a stockholder of record on the date of the giving of such notice and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting and (z) is entitled to vote at such meeting; or (iii) as provided in Section 1.13 (nominations under which shall be governed by the provisions of such Section).
 
(b) To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received in writing by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation as follows: (i) in the case of an election of directors at an annual meeting of stockholders, not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that (x) in the case of the annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation to be held in 2015 or (y) in the event that the date of the annual meeting in any other year is advanced by more than twenty (20) days, or delayed by more than sixty (60) days, from the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice must be so received not earlier than the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of (A) the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting and (B) the tenth (10th) day following the day on which notice of the date of such annual meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was made, whichever first occurs; or (ii) in the case of an election of directors at a special meeting of stockholders, not earlier than the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of (x) the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting and (y) the tenth (10th) day following the day on which notice of the date of such special meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of such special meeting was made, whichever first occurs; provided, however that (x) at a special meeting of stockholders called by the Board, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer, the Board, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer shall have determined, in accordance with Section 1.3, that directors shall be elected at such special meeting and provided further that the nomination made by the stockholder is for one of the director positions that the Board, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer, as the case may be, has determined will be filled at such special meeting, and (y) at a special meeting of stockholders called by the Secretary upon the request of a stockholder(s) who has complied with Section 1.3, such stockholder(s) shall have determined, in accordance with Section 1.3, that directors shall be elected at such special meeting and provided further that the nomination made by the stockholder is for one of the director positions that the requesting stockholder(s) has determined will be filled at such special meeting. In no event shall the adjournment or postponement of a meeting (or the public disclosure thereof) commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice.
 
The stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth: (A) as to each proposed nominee (1) such person’s name, age, business address and, if known, residence address, (2) such person’s principal occupation or employment, (3) the class and series and number of shares of stock of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned, beneficially or of record, by such person, (4) 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 (x) the stockholder, the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is being made and the respective affiliates and associates of, or others acting in concert with, such stockholder and such beneficial owner, on the one hand, and (y) each proposed nominee, and his or her respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert with such nominee(s), on the other hand, including all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K if the stockholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner 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 Item and the proposed nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant, and (5) any other information concerning such person that must be disclosed as to nominees in proxy solicitations pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); and (B) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is being made (1) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and of such beneficial owner, (2) the class and series and number of shares of stock of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned, beneficially or of record, by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, (3) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between or among such stockholder and/or such beneficial owner and each proposed nominee and any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination(s) are being made or who may participate in the solicitation of proxies in favor of electing such nominee(s), (4) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, swaps, profit interests, options, warrants, convertible securities, stock appreciation or similar rights, hedging transactions, and borrowed or loaned shares) that has been entered into by, or on behalf of, such stockholder or such beneficial owner, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, manage risk or benefit of share price changes for, or increase or decrease the voting power of, such stockholder or such beneficial owner with respect to shares of stock of the Corporation, (5) any other information relating to such stockholder and such beneficial owner 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 thereunder, (6) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the person(s) named in its notice and (7) a representation whether such stockholder and/or such beneficial owner intends or is part of a group which intends (x) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock reasonably believed by such stockholder or such beneficial owner to be sufficient to elect the nominee and/or (y) otherwise to solicit proxies or votes from stockholders in support of such nomination. Not later than ten (10) days after the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, the information required by Items (A)(1)-(5) and (B)(1)-(5) of the prior sentence shall be supplemented by the stockholder giving the notice to provide updated information as of such record date. In addition, to be effective, the stockholder’s notice must be accompanied by the written consent of the proposed nominee to serve as a director if elected. The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as the Corporation may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation or whether such nominee would be independent under applicable Securities and Exchange Commission and stock exchange rules and the Corporation’s publicly disclosed corporate governance guidelines. A stockholder shall not have complied with this Section 1.10(b) if the stockholder (or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made) solicits or does not solicit, as the case may be, proxies or votes in support of such stockholder’s nominee in contravention of the representations with respect thereto required by this Section 1.10.
 
(c) The chairman of any meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination was made in accordance with the provisions of this Section 1.10 (including whether the stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made solicited (or is part of a group which solicited) or did not so solicit, as the case may be, proxies or votes in support of such stockholder’s nominee in compliance with the representations with respect thereto required by this Section 1.10), and if the chairman should determine that a nomination was not made in accordance with the provisions of this Section 1.10, the chairman shall so declare to the meeting and such nomination shall not be brought before the meeting.
 
(d) Except as otherwise required by law, nothing in this Section 1.10 shall obligate the Corporation or the Board to include in any proxy statement or other stockholder communication distributed on behalf of the Corporation or the Board information with respect to any nominee for director submitted by a stockholder.
 
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 1.10, unless otherwise required by law, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the meeting to present a nomination, such nomination shall not be brought before the meeting, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such nominee may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 1.10, to be considered a “qualified representative of the stockholder”, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders.
 
(f) For purposes of this Section 1.10, “public disclosure” shall include disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
 
(g) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 1.10, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 1.10; provided, however, that any references in these Bylaws to the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit any requirements applicable to nominations to be considered pursuant to this Section 1.10 (including paragraph (a)(ii) hereof), and compliance with paragraph (a)(ii) of this Section 1.10 shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations. Nothing in this Section 1.10 shall be deemed to affect any rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors pursuant to any applicable provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation.
 
1.11 Notice of Business at Annual Meetings.
 
(a) At any annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (1) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board, (2) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board (or any committee thereof), or (3) properly brought before the annual meeting by a stockholder. For business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, (i) if such business relates to the nomination of a person for election as a director of the Corporation, the procedures in Section 1.10 must be complied with and (ii) if such business relates to any other matter, the business must constitute a proper matter under Delaware law for stockholder action and the stockholder must (x) have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary in accordance with the procedures in Section 1.11(b), (y) be a stockholder of record on the date of the giving of such notice and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such annual meeting and (z) be entitled to vote at such annual meeting.
 
(b) To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received in writing by the Secretary 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 first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that (x) in the case of the annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation to be held in 2015 or (y) in the event that the date of the annual meeting in any other year is advanced by more than twenty (20) days, or delayed by more than sixty (60) days, from the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice must be so received not earlier than the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of (A) the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting and (B) the tenth (10th) day following the day on which notice of the date of such annual meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was made, whichever first occurs. In no event shall the adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting (or the public disclosure thereof) commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice.
 
The stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth: (A) as to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting (1) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, (2) the text of the proposal (including the exact text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and, in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the Bylaws, the exact text of the proposed amendment), and (3) the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting, and (B) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is being made (1) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and of such beneficial owner, (2) the class and series and number of shares of stock of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned, beneficially or of record, by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, (3) a description of any material interest of such stockholder or such beneficial owner and the respective affiliates and associates of, or others acting in concert with, such stockholder or such beneficial owner in such business, (4) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between or among such stockholder and/or such beneficial owner and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business or who may participate in the solicitation of proxies in favor of such proposal, (5) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, swaps, profit interests, options, warrants, convertible securities, stock appreciation or similar rights, hedging transactions, and borrowed or loaned shares) that has been entered into by, or on behalf of, such stockholder or such beneficial owner, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, manage risk or benefit of share price changes for, or increase or decrease the voting power of, such stockholder or such beneficial owner with respect to shares of stock of the Corporation, (6) any other information relating to such stockholder and such beneficial owner 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 business proposed pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, (7) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual meeting to bring such business before the meeting and (8) a representation whether such stockholder and/or such beneficial owner intends or is part of a group which intends (x) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal and/or (y) otherwise to solicit proxies or votes from stockholders in support of such proposal. Not later than ten (10) days after the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, the information required by Items (A)(3) and (B)(1)-(6) of the prior sentence shall be supplemented by the stockholder giving the notice to provide updated information as of such record date. Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at any annual meeting of stockholders except in accordance with the procedures in this Section 1.11; provided that any stockholder proposal which complies with Rule 14a-8 of the proxy rules (or any successor provision) promulgated under the Exchange Act and is to be included in the Corporation’s proxy statement for an annual meeting of stockholders shall be deemed to comply with the notice requirements of this Section 1.11. A stockholder shall not have complied with this Section 1.11(b) if the stockholder (or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made) solicits or does not solicit, as the case may be, proxies or votes in support of such stockholder’s proposal in contravention of the representations with respect thereto required by this Section 1.11.
 
(c) The chairman of any annual meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether business was properly brought before the annual meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Section 1.11 (including whether the stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made solicited (or is part of a group which solicited) or did not so solicit, as the case may be, proxies or votes in support of such stockholder’s proposal in compliance with the representation with respect thereto required by this Section 1.11), and if the chairman should determine that business was not properly brought before the annual meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Section 1.11, the chairman shall so declare to the meeting and such business shall not be brought before the annual meeting.
 
(d) Except as otherwise required by law, nothing in this Section 1.11 shall obligate the Corporation or the Board to include in any proxy statement or other stockholder communication distributed on behalf of the Corporation or the Board information with respect to any proposal submitted by a stockholder.
 
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 1.11, unless otherwise required by law, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual meeting to present business, such business shall not be considered, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such business may have been received by the Corporation.
 
(f) For purposes of this Section 1.11, the terms “qualified representative of the stockholder” and “public disclosure” shall have the same meaning as in Section 1.10.
 
(g) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 1.11, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 1.11; provided, however, that any references in these Bylaws to the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit any requirements applicable to proposals as to any business to be considered pursuant to this Section 1.11 (including paragraph (a)(3) hereof), and compliance with paragraph (a)(3) of this Section 1.11 shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to submit business (other than, as provided in the penultimate sentence of (b), business other than nominations brought properly under and in compliance with Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, as may be amended from time to time). Nothing in this Section 1.11 shall be deemed to affect any rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act, or pursuant to Section 1.13.
 
1.12 Conduct of Meetings.
 
(a) Meetings of stockholders shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the Chairman’s absence by the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the Vice Chairman’s absence by the Chief Executive Officer, or in the Chief Executive Officer’s absence, by the President, or in the President’s absence by a Vice President, or in the absence of all of the foregoing persons by a chairman designated by the Board. The Secretary shall act as secretary of the meeting, but in the Secretary’s absence the chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.
 
(b) The Board may adopt by resolution such rules, regulations and procedures for the conduct of any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation as it shall deem appropriate including, without limitation, such guidelines and procedures as it may deem appropriate regarding the participation by means of remote communication of stockholders and proxyholders not physically present at a meeting. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules, regulations and procedures as adopted by the Board, the chairman of any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to recess and/or adjourn the meeting, 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 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) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (iii) 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 shall be determined; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
 
(c) The chairman of the meeting shall announce at the meeting when the polls for each matter to be voted upon at the meeting will be opened and closed. After the polls close, no ballots, proxies or votes or any revocations or changes thereto may be accepted.
 
(d) In advance of any meeting of stockholders, the Board, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President shall appoint one or more inspectors of election to act at the meeting and make a written report thereof. One or more other persons may be designated as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate is present, ready and willing to act at a meeting of stockholders, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Unless otherwise required by law, inspectors may be officers, employees or agents of the Corporation. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of such inspector’s duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of such inspector’s ability. The inspector shall have the duties prescribed by law and, when the vote is completed, shall make a certificate of the result of the vote taken and of such other facts as may be required by law. Every vote taken by ballots shall be counted by a duly appointed inspector or duly appointed inspectors.
 
1.13 Proxy Access.
 
(a) Inclusion of Nominee in Proxy Statement. Subject to the provisions of this Section 1.13, if expressly requested in the relevant Nomination Notice (as defined below), the Corporation shall include in its proxy statement for any annual meeting of stockholders:
 
(i) the name of any person nominated for election (the “Nominee”) to the Board, which shall also be included on the Corporation’s form of proxy and ballot for the relevant annual meeting, by any Eligible Holder (as defined below) or group of up to twenty (20) Eligible Holders that has (individually and collectively, in the case of a group) satisfied, as determined by the Board or its designee, acting in good faith, all applicable conditions and complied with all applicable procedures set forth in this Section 1.13 (such Eligible Holder or group of Eligible Holders being a “Nominating Stockholder”);
 
(ii) disclosure about the Nominee and the Nominating Stockholder required under rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other applicable law, rule or regulation to be included in the proxy statement; and
 
(iii) any statement included by the Nominating Stockholder in the Nomination Notice for inclusion in the proxy statement in support of the Nominee’s election to the Board (subject, without limitation, to Section 1.13(e)(ii)), if such statement does not exceed five hundred (500) words.
 
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Corporation may solicit stockholders against any Nominee and include in its proxy statement for any annual meeting any other information that the Corporation or the Board determines, in their discretion, to include in the proxy statement relating to the nomination of the Nominee, including without limitation any statement in opposition to the nomination and any of the information provided pursuant to this Section 1.13.
 
(b)  Maximum Number of Nominees.
 
(i) The Corporation shall not be required to include in the proxy statement for an annual meeting more Nominees than that number of directors constituting twenty percent (20%) of the total number of directors of the Corporation on the last day on which a Nomination Notice may be submitted pursuant to Section 1.13(d) (the “Final Nomination Date”), rounded down to the nearest whole number, but not less than two (the “Maximum Number”). The Maximum Number for a particular annual meeting shall be reduced by (A) Nominees nominated by a Nominating Stockholder for that annual meeting whose nomination is subsequently withdrawn after the Nominating Stockholder is notified by the Corporation that the Nominees will be included in the Corporation’s proxy statement and proxy card for the annual meeting, (B) Nominees nominated by a Nominating Stockholder for such annual meeting pursuant to this Section 1.13 that the Board itself decides to nominate for election at such annual meeting and (C) the number of directors in office as of the Final Nomination Date who had been Nominees nominated by a Nominating Stockholder with respect to any of the preceding two annual meetings (including any Nominee who had been counted at any such annual meeting pursuant to the immediately preceding clause (B)) and whose reelection at the upcoming annual meeting is being recommended by the Board. If one or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the Board after the Final Nomination Date but before the date of the annual meeting and the Board resolves to reduce the size of the Board in connection with the occurrence of the vacancy or vacancies, then the Maximum Number shall be calculated based on the number of directors in office as so reduced.
 
(ii) Any Nominating Holder submitting more than one Nominee pursuant to this Section 1.13 for an annual meeting shall rank such Nominees based on the order in which the Nominating Holder desires such Nominees to be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement for such annual meeting if the number of Nominees pursuant to this Section 1.13 exceeds the Maximum Number. If the number of Nominees pursuant to this Section 1.13 for any annual meeting exceeds the Maximum Number, then the highest-ranking Nominee who meets the requirements of this Section 1.13 from each Nominating Holder will be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement until the Maximum Number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of the shares of common stock of the Corporation disclosed as owned in each Nominating Stockholder’s Nomination Notice.
 
(iii) If, after the Final Nomination Date, (A) the Corporation is notified, or the Board or its designee, acting in good faith, determines that a Nominating Stockholder has failed to satisfy or to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 1.13(c), any of the representations and warranties made in the Nomination Notice cease to be true and accurate in all material respects (or omit a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading) or any material violation or breach occurs of the obligations, agreements, representations or warranties of the Nominating Stockholder or the Nominee under this Section 1.13, (B) a Nominating Stockholder or any qualified representative thereof does not appear at the annual meeting to present any nomination submitted pursuant to this Section 1.13, or the Nominating Stockholder withdraws its nomination, or (C) a Nominee becomes ineligible for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to this Section 1.13 or dies, becomes disabled or is otherwise disqualified from being nominated for election or serving as a director of the Corporation or is unwilling or unable to serve as a director of the Corporation, in each case as determined by the Board or its designee, acting in good faith, whether before or after the Corporation’s definitive proxy statement for such annual meeting is made available to stockholders, then the nomination of the Nominating Stockholder or such Nominee, as the case may be, shall be disregarded and no vote on such Nominee will occur (notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation), the Nominating Stockholder may not cure in any way any defect preventing the nomination of the Nominee, and the Corporation (1) may omit from its proxy statement and any ballot or form of proxy the disregarded Nominee and any information concerning such Nominee (including a Nominating Stockholder’s statement in support) or any successor or replacement nominee proposed by the Nominating Stockholder or by any other Nominating Stockholder and (2) may otherwise communicate to its stockholders, including without limitation by amending or supplementing its proxy statement or ballot or form of proxy, that the Nominee will not be included as a Nominee in the proxy statement or on any ballot or form of proxy and will not be voted on at the annual meeting.
 
(c) Eligibility of Nominating Stockholder.
 
(i) An “Eligible Holder” is a person who has either (A) been a record holder of the shares of the Corporation’s common stock used to satisfy the eligibility requirements in this Section 1.13(c) continuously for the three-year period specified in Section 1.13(c)(ii) or (B) provides to the Secretary of the Corporation, within the time period referred to in Section 1.13(d), evidence of continuous ownership of such shares for such three-year period from one or more securities intermediaries in a form and in substance that the Board or its designee, acting in good faith, determines would be deemed acceptable for purposes of a stockholder proposal under Rule 14a-8(b)(2) under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule).
 
(ii) An Eligible Holder or group of up to twenty (20) Eligible Holders may submit a nomination in accordance with this Section 1.13 only if the person or group (in the aggregate) has continuously owned at least the Minimum Number (as defined below) of shares of the Corporation’s common stock throughout the three-year period preceding and including the date of submission of the Nomination Notice and continues to own at least the Minimum Number through the date of the annual meeting. A group of funds under common management and investment control shall be treated as one Eligible Holder for purposes of such limitation if such Eligible Holder shall provide together with the Nomination Notice documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation that demonstrates that the funds are under common management and investment control. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a nomination by a group of Eligible Holders, any and all requirements and obligations applicable to an individual Eligible Holder that are set forth in this Section 1.13, including the minimum holding period, shall apply to each member of such group; provided, however, that the Minimum Number shall apply to the ownership of the group in the aggregate, and a breach of any obligation, agreement, representation or warranty under this Section 1.13 by any member of a group shall be deemed a breach by the Nominating Stockholder. If any stockholder withdraws from a group of Eligible Holders at any time prior to the annual meeting, then the group of Eligible Stockholders shall only be deemed to own the shares held by the remaining members of the group and if, as a result of such withdrawal, the Nominating Stockholder no longer owns the Minimum Number of shares of the Corporation’s common stock, then the nomination shall be disregarded as provided in Section 1.13(b)(iii).
 
(iii) The “Minimum Number” of shares of the Corporation’s common stock means 3% of the number of outstanding shares of the Corporation’s common stock as of the most recent date for which such amount is given in any filing by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission prior to the submission of the Nomination Notice.
 
(iv) For purposes of this Section 1.13, an Eligible Holder “owns” only those outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation as to which the Eligible Holder possesses both: (A) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to such shares; and (B) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (A) and (B) shall not include any shares (1) sold by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed, (2) borrowed by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates for any purpose or purchased by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell or (3) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar instrument or agreement entered into by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares or with cash based on the notional amount or value of outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of (x) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such Eligible Holder’s or any of its affiliates’ full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares and/or (y) hedging, offsetting, or altering to any degree gain or loss arising from maintaining the full economic ownership of such shares by such Eligible Holder or any of its affiliates. An Eligible Holder “owns” shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the Eligible Holder retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of directors and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. An Eligible Holder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Holder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney or other similar instrument or arrangement that is revocable at any time by the Eligible Holder. An Eligible Holder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Holder has loaned such shares provided that the Eligible Holder has the power to recall such loaned shares on five business days’ notice, recalls such loaned shares upon being notified by the Corporation that any of the Eligible Holder’s Nominees will be included in the Corporation’s proxy statement and proxy card for the annual meeting (subject to the provisions of this Section 1.13) and holds such shares through the date of the annual meeting. The terms “owned,” “owning,” “ownership” and other variations of the word “own” shall have correlative meanings. Whether outstanding shares of the Corporation are “owned” for these purposes shall be determined by the Board. For purposes of this Section 1.13, the term “affiliate” or “affiliates” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto under the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.
 
(v) No person shall be permitted to be in more than one group constituting a Nominating Stockholder, and if any person appears as a member of more than one group, then it shall be deemed to be a member of the group that has the largest amount of shares of common stock of the Corporation disclosed as owned in the Nomination Notice.
 
(d) Nomination Notice. To nominate a Nominee for purposes of this Section 1.13, the Nominating Stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary. To be timely, a Nominating Stockholder’s notice shall be received by the Secretary at the principal offices of the Corporation not less than one hundred twenty (120) days nor more than one hundred fifty (150) days prior to the first annual anniversary of the date set forth in the Corporation’s proxy statement for the immediately preceding annual meeting as the date on which the Corporation first made available to its stockholders definitive proxy materials for the immediately preceding annual meeting; provided, however, that if the date for which the annual meeting is called is more than thirty (30) days before or more than thirty days after the first annual anniversary of the immediately preceding annual meeting, then notice by the Nominating Stockholder to be timely must be received by the Secretary by the later of the close of business on the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days prior to the date of such annual meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of such annual meeting is first made. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of any annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a Nomination Notice. To be in proper form, a Nominating Stockholder’s notice to the Secretary for purposes of this Section 1.13 shall include all of the following information and documents (collectively, the “Nomination Notice”):
 
(i) A Schedule 14N (or any successor form) relating to the Nominee, completed and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Nominating Stockholder as applicable, in accordance with the rules of the Commission;
 
(ii) A written notice of the nomination of such Nominee that includes the following additional information, agreements, representations and warranties by the Nominating Stockholder (including each group member):
 
(A) the information and representations that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice of a nomination for the election of directors pursuant to Section 1.10;
 
(B) the details of any relationship that existed within the past three years and that would have been described pursuant to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) if it existed on the date of submission of the Schedule 14N;
 
(C) a representation and warranty that the shares of common stock of the Corporation owned by the Nominating Stockholder were acquired in the ordinary course of business and not with the intent or objective to influence or change control of the Corporation and are not being held with the purpose or effect of changing control of the Corporation or to gain a number of seats on the Board that exceeds the maximum number of nominees that stockholders may nominate pursuant to this Section 1.13;
 
(D) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder satisfies the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 1.13(c) and has provided evidence of ownership to the extent required by Section 1.13(c)(i);
 
(E) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder will continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 1.13(c) through the date of the annual meeting;
 
(F) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder has not nominated and will not nominate for election to the Board at the annual meeting any person other than the Nominees it is nominating pursuant to this Section 1.13;
 
(G) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder will not engage in, and will not be a “participant” in another person’s, “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) (without reference to the exception in Section 14a-1(l)(2)(iv)) (or any successor rules) with respect to the annual meeting, other than with respect to its Nominees or any nominees of the Board;
 
(H) a representation and warranty that the Nominating Stockholder will not use any proxy card other than the Corporation’s proxy card in soliciting stockholders in connection with the election of a Nominee at the annual meeting;
 
(I) a representation and warranty that the Nominee’s nomination for election to the Board or, if elected, Board membership would not violate applicable state or federal law or the rules of any stock exchange on which the Corporation’s securities are traded;
 
(J) a representation and warranty that the Nominee (1) qualifies as independent under the rules of any stock exchange on which the Corporation’s securities are traded, (2) meets the audit committee and compensation committee independence requirements under the rules of any stock exchange on which the Corporation’s securities are traded, (3) is a “non-employee director” for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule), (4) is an “outside director” for the purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (or any successor provision), and (5) is not and has not been subject to any event specified in Rule 506(d)(1) of Regulation D (or any successor rule) under the Securities Act of 1933 or Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K (or any successor rule) under the Exchange Act, without reference to whether the event is material to an evaluation of the ability or integrity of the Nominee;
 
(K) details of any position of the Nominee as an officer or director of any competitor of the Corporation (that is, any entity whose principal business is servicing student loans), within the three years preceding the submission of the Nomination Notice;
 
(L) if desired, a statement for inclusion in the proxy statement in support of the Nominee’s election to the Board, provided that such statement shall not exceed 500 words and shall fully comply with Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Rule 14a-9; and
 
(M) in the case of a nomination by a group, the designation by all group members of one group member for purposes of receiving communications, notices and inquiries from the Corporation and that is authorized to act on behalf of all group members with respect to matters relating to the nomination, including withdrawal of the nomination;
 
(iii) An executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board or its designee, acting in good faith, pursuant to which the Nominating Stockholder (including each group member) agrees:
 
(A) to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in connection with the nomination, solicitation and election;
 
(B) to file any written solicitation or other written communication with the Corporation’s stockholders relating to one or more of the Corporation’s directors or director nominees or any Nominee with the Securities and Exchange Commission, regardless of whether any such filing is required under rule or regulation or whether any exemption from filing is available for such materials under any rule or regulation;
 
(C) to assume all liability (jointly and severally by all group members in the case of a nomination by a group) stemming from any action, suit or proceeding concerning any actual or alleged legal or regulatory violation arising out of any communication by the Nominating Stockholder, its affiliates and associates or their respective agents and representatives with the Corporation, its stockholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election of directors, including without limitation the Nomination Notice, or out of the facts, statements or other information that the Nominating Stockholder or its Nominees provided to the Corporation in connection with the inclusion of such Nominees in the Corporation’s proxy statement;
 
(D) to indemnify and hold harmless (jointly with all other group members, in the case of a group member) the Corporation and each of its directors, officers and employees individually against any liability, loss, damages, expenses or other costs (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the Corporation or any of its directors, officers or employees arising out of or relating to any nomination submitted by the Nominating Stockholder pursuant to this Section 1.13 or a failure or alleged failure of the Nominating Stockholder to comply with, or any breach or alleged breach of, its obligations, agreements or representations under this Section 1.13; and
 
(E) in the event that any information included in the Nomination Notice, or any other communication by the Nominating Stockholder (including with respect to any group member) with the Corporation, its stockholders or any other person in connection with the nomination or election ceases to be true and accurate in all material respects or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made not misleading or that the Nominating Stockholder (including any group member) has failed to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 1.13(c), to promptly (and in any event within forty-eight (48) hours of discovering such misstatement, omission or failure) notify the Corporation and any other recipient of such communication of the misstatement or omission in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct the misstatement or omission and/or notify the Corporation of the failure to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in Section 1.13(c), as the case may be;
 
(iv) An executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board or its designee, acting in good faith, by the Nominee:
 
(A) to make such other acknowledgments, enter into such agreements and provide such other information as the Board requires of all directors, including promptly completing the Corporation’s director questionnaire;
 
(B) that the Nominee has read and agrees, if elected as a director of the Corporation, to adhere to the Board Governance Guidelines for the Corporation and its Code of Business Conduct, as well as any other Corporation policies and guidelines applicable to directors; and
 
(C) that the Nominee is not and will not become a party to (1) any compensatory, payment, reimbursement, indemnification or other financial agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity in connection with service or action as a director of the Corporation that has not been disclosed to the Corporation, (2) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity as to how the Nominee would vote or act on any issue or question as a director (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (3) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with the Nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with his or her fiduciary duties under applicable law.
 
The information and documents required by this Section 1.13(d) shall be (i) provided with respect to and executed by each group member in the case of information applicable to group members and (ii) provided with respect to the persons specified in Instruction 1 to Items 6(c) and (d) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) in the case of a Nominating Stockholder or group member that is an entity. The Nomination Notice shall be deemed submitted on the date on which all the information and documents referred to in this Section 1.13(d) (other than such information and documents contemplated to be provided after the date the Nomination Notice is provided) have been delivered to or, if sent by mail, received by the Secretary of the Corporation.
 
(e) Exceptions.
 
(i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 1.13, the Corporation may omit from its proxy statement and any ballot or form of proxy any Nominee and any information concerning such Nominee (including a Nominating Stockholder’s statement in support), and no vote on such Nominee will occur (notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation), and the Nominating Stockholder may not, after the Final Nomination Date, cure in any way any defect preventing the nomination of the Nominee, if:
 
(A) the Corporation receives a notice pursuant to Section 1.10 (b) that the Nominating Stockholder intends to nominate a person for election to the Board at the annual meeting (other than in compliance with this Section 1.13), or has or is engaged in, or has been or is a be a “participant” in another person’s, “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) (without reference to the exception in Section 14a-1(l)(2)(iv)) (or any successor rules) with respect to the annual meeting, other than with respect to its Nominees or any nominees of the Board;
 
(B) the Board or its designee, acting in good faith, determines that such Nominee’s nomination or election to the Board would result in the Corporation violating or failing to be in compliance with these Bylaws, the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation or any applicable law, rule or regulation to which the Corporation is subject, including any rules or regulations of any stock exchange on which the Corporation’s securities are traded;
 
(C) the Nominee was nominated for election to the Board pursuant to this Section 1.13 at one of the Corporation’s two preceding annual meetings and withdrew or became ineligible or unavailable for election at any such annual meeting; or
 
(D) the Nominee has been, within the past three years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined for purposes of Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, as amended.
 
(ii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 1.13, the Corporation may omit from its proxy statement, or may supplement or correct, any information, including all or any portion of the statement in support of the Nominee included in the Nomination Notice, if the Board or its designee, acting in good faith, determines that:
 
(A) such information is not true in all material respects or omits a material statement necessary to make the statements made not misleading;
 
(B) such information directly or indirectly impugns the character, integrity or personal reputation of, or directly or indirectly makes charges concerning improper, illegal or immoral conduct or associations, without factual foundation, with respect to, any person; or
 
(C) the inclusion of such information in the proxy statement would otherwise violate Securities and Exchange Commission rules or any other applicable law, rule or regulation.
 
ARTICLE II
 
DIRECTORS
 
2.1 General Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of a Board, who may exercise all of the powers of the Corporation except as otherwise provided by law or the Certificate of Incorporation.
 
2.2 Number, Election and Qualification. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the number of directors of the Corporation shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board. Election of directors need not be by written ballot. Directors need not be stockholders of the Corporation.
 
2.3 Chairman of the Board; Vice Chairman of the Board. The Board may appoint from its members a Chairman of the Board and a Vice Chairman of the Board, neither of whom need be an employee or officer of the Corporation. If the Board appoints a Chairman of the Board, such Chairman shall perform such duties and possess such powers as are assigned by the Board and, if the Chairman of the Board is also designated as the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, shall have the powers and duties of the Chief Executive Officer prescribed in Section 3.7 of these Bylaws. If the Board appoints a Vice Chairman of the Board, such Vice Chairman shall perform such duties and possess such powers as are assigned by the Board. Unless otherwise provided by the Board, the Chairman of the Board or, in the Chairman’s absence, the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, shall preside at all meetings of the Board.
 
2.4 Term of Office. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, each director shall serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until the election and qualification of his or her successor, subject to his or her earlier death, disqualification, resignation or removal.
 
2.5 Quorum. The greater of (a) a majority of the directors at any time in office and (b) one-third of the number of directors fixed by the Board pursuant to Section 2.2 of these Bylaws shall constitute a quorum of the Board. If at any meeting of the Board there shall be less than a quorum, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.
 
2.6 Action at Meeting. Every act or decision done or made by a majority of the directors present at a meeting duly held at which a quorum is present shall be regarded as the act of the Board, unless a greater number is required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation.
 
2.7 Removal. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock, directors of the Corporation may be removed only as expressly provided in the Certificate of Incorporation.
 
2.8 Vacancies. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock, any newly created directorship that results from an increase in the number of directors or any vacancy on the Board that results from the death, disability, resignation, disqualification or removal of any director or from any other cause shall be filled solely by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director and shall not be filled by the stockholders. Any director elected to fill a vacancy not resulting from an increase in the number of directors shall hold office for the remaining term of his or her predecessor.
 
2.9 Resignation. Any director may resign by delivering a resignation in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation at its principal office or to the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Secretary. Such resignation shall be effective upon delivery unless it is specified to be effective at some later time or upon the happening of some later event.
 
2.10 Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board may be held without notice at such time and place as shall be determined from time to time by the Board; provided that any director who is absent when such a determination is made shall be given notice of the determination prior to such regular meeting. A regular meeting of the Board may be held without notice immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders.
 
2.11 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be held at any time and place designated in a call by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, two or more directors, or by one director in the event that there is only a single director in office.
 
2.12 Notice of Special Meetings. Notice of the date, place and time of any special meeting of the Board shall be given to each director by the Secretary or by the officer or one of the directors calling the meeting. Notice shall be duly given to each director (a) in person or by telephone at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the meeting, (b) by sending written notice by reputable overnight courier, telecopy, facsimile or other means of electronic transmission, or delivering written notice by hand, to such director’s last known business, home or means of electronic transmission address at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the meeting, or (c) by sending written notice by first-class mail to such director’s last known business or home address at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of the meeting. A notice or waiver of notice of a meeting of the Board need not specify the purposes of the meeting.
 
2.13 Meetings by Conference Communications Equipment. Directors may participate in meetings of the Board or any committee thereof by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
 
2.14 Action by Consent. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent to the action in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee thereof. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.
 
2.15 Committees. The Board may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation with such lawfully delegable powers and duties as the Board thereby confers, to serve at the pleasure of the Board. The Board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members of the committee present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board and subject to the provisions of law, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board 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 such committee shall keep minutes and make such reports as the Board may from time to time request. Except as the Board may otherwise determine, any committee may make rules for the conduct of its business, but unless otherwise provided by the directors or in such rules, its business shall be conducted as nearly as possible in the same manner as is provided in these Bylaws for the Board. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, or the resolution of the Board designating the committee, a committee may create one or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one or more members of the committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee.
 
2.16 Compensation of Directors. Directors may be paid such compensation for their services and such reimbursement for expenses of attendance at meetings as the Board may from time to time determine. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation or any of its parent or subsidiary entities in any other capacity and receiving compensation for such service.
 
ARTICLE III
 
OFFICERS
 
3.1 Titles. The officers of the Corporation shall consist of a Chief Executive Officer, a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and such other officers with such other titles as the Board shall determine, including one or more Vice Presidents, Assistant Treasurers and Assistant Secretaries. The Board may appoint such other officers as it may deem appropriate.
 
3.2 Election. The Chief Executive Officer, President, Treasurer and Secretary shall be elected annually by the Board at its first meeting following the annual meeting of stockholders. Other officers may be appointed by the Board at such meeting or at any other meeting.
 
3.3 Qualification. No officer need be a stockholder. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.
 
3.4 Tenure. Except as otherwise provided by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, each officer shall hold office until such officer’s successor is duly elected and qualified, unless a different term is specified in the resolution electing or appointing such officer, or until such officer’s earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal.
 
3.5 Resignation. Any officer may resign by delivering a written resignation to the Corporation at its principal office or to the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Secretary. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified to be effective at some later time or upon the happening of some later event.
 
3.6 Vacancies. The Board may fill any vacancy occurring in any office for any reason and may, in its discretion, leave unfilled, for such period as it may determine, any offices. Each such successor shall hold office for the unexpired term of such officer’s predecessor and until a successor is duly elected and qualified, or until such officer’s earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal.
 
3.7 President; Chief Executive Officer. Unless the Board has designated another person as the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, the President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation. The Chief Executive Officer shall have general charge and supervision of the business of the Corporation subject to the direction of the Board, and shall perform all duties and have all powers that are commonly incident to the office of chief executive or that are delegated to such officer by the Board. The President shall perform such other duties and shall have such other powers as the Board or the Chief Executive Officer (if the President is not the Chief Executive Officer) may from time to time prescribe. In the event of the absence, inability or refusal to act of the Chief Executive Officer or the President (if the President is not the Chief Executive Officer), the Vice President (or if there shall be more than one, the Vice Presidents in the order determined by the Board) shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer and when so performing such duties shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Chief Executive Officer.
 
3.8 Vice Presidents. Each Vice President shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time prescribe. The Board may assign to any Vice President the title of Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or any other title selected by the Board.
 
3.9 Secretary and Assistant Secretaries. The Secretary shall perform such duties and shall have such powers as the Board or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time prescribe. In addition, the Secretary shall perform such duties and have such powers as are incident to the office of the secretary, including without limitation the duty and power to give notices of all meetings of stockholders and special meetings of the Board, to attend all meetings of stockholders and the Board and keep a record of the proceedings, to maintain a stock ledger and prepare lists of stockholders and their addresses as required, to be custodian of corporate records and the corporate seal and to affix and attest to the same on documents.
 
Any Assistant Secretary shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary may from time to time prescribe. In the event of the absence, inability or refusal to act of the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary (or if there shall be more than one, the Assistant Secretaries in the order determined by the Board) shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary.
 
In the absence of the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary at any meeting of stockholders or directors, the chairman of the meeting shall designate a temporary secretary to keep a record of the meeting.
 
3.10 Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers. The Treasurer shall perform such duties and shall have such powers as may from time to time be assigned by the Board or the Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the Treasurer shall perform such duties and have such powers as are incident to the office of treasurer, including without limitation the duty and power to keep and be responsible for all funds and securities of the Corporation, to deposit funds of the Corporation in depositories selected in accordance with these Bylaws, to disburse such funds as ordered by the Board, to make proper accounts of such funds, and to render as required by the Board statements of all such transactions and of the financial condition of the Corporation.
 
The Assistant Treasurers shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the Treasurer may from time to time prescribe. In the event of the absence, inability or refusal to act of the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer (or if there shall be more than one, the Assistant Treasurers in the order determined by the Board) shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer.
 
3.11 Salaries. Officers of the Corporation shall be entitled to such salaries, compensation or reimbursement as shall be fixed or allowed from time to time by the Board.
 
3.12 Delegation of Authority. The Board may from time to time delegate the powers or duties of any officer to any other officer or agent, notwithstanding any provision hereof.
 
ARTICLE IV
 
CAPITAL STOCK
 
4.1 Issuance of Stock. Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, the whole or any part of any unissued balance of the authorized capital stock of the Corporation or the whole or any part of any shares of the authorized capital stock of the Corporation held in the Corporation’s treasury may be issued, sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of by vote of the Board in such manner, for such lawful consideration and on such terms as the Board may determine.
 
4.2 Stock Certificates; Uncertificated Shares. The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of the Corporation’s stock shall be uncertificated shares. Every holder of stock of the Corporation represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate, in such form as may be prescribed by law and by the Board, representing the number of shares held by such holder registered in certificate form. Each such certificate shall be signed in a manner that complies with Section 158 of the DGCL.
 
Each certificate for shares of stock which are subject to any restriction on transfer pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, applicable securities laws or any agreement among any number of stockholders or among such holders and the Corporation shall have conspicuously noted on the face or back of the certificate either the full text of the restriction or a statement of the existence of such restriction.
 
If the Corporation shall be authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of each certificate representing shares of such class or series of stock, provided that in lieu of the foregoing requirements there may be set forth on the face or back of each certificate representing shares of such class or series of stock a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
 
Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated shares, the Corporation shall send to the registered owner thereof a written notice containing the information required to be set forth or stated on certificates pursuant to Sections 151, 156, 202(a) or 218(a) of the DGCL or, with respect to Section 151 of DGCL, a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
 
4.3 Transfers. Shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law, the Certificate of Incorporation and in these Bylaws. Transfers of shares of stock of the Corporation shall be made only on the books of the Corporation or by transfer agents designated to transfer shares of stock of the Corporation. Subject to applicable law, shares of stock represented by certificates shall be transferred only on the books of the Corporation by the surrender to the Corporation or its transfer agent of the certificate representing such shares properly endorsed or accompanied by a written assignment or power of attorney properly executed, and with such proof of authority or the authenticity of signature as the Corporation or its transfer agent may reasonably require. Except as may be otherwise required by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, the Corporation shall be entitled to treat the record holder of stock as shown on its books as the owner of such stock for all purposes, including the payment of dividends and the right to vote with respect to such stock, regardless of any transfer, pledge or other disposition of such stock until the shares have been transferred on the books of the Corporation in accordance with the requirements of these Bylaws.
 
4.4 Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates. The Corporation may issue a new certificate or uncertificated shares in place of any previously issued certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon such terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe, including the presentation of reasonable evidence of such loss, theft or destruction and the giving of such indemnity and posting of such bond as the Board may require for the protection of the Corporation or any transfer agent or registrar.
 
4.5 Record Date. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned meeting.
 
In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no such record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto
 
4.6 Regulations. The issue and registration of shares of stock of the Corporation shall be governed by such other regulations as the Board may establish.
 
ARTICLE V
 
GENERAL PROVISIONS
 
5.1 Fiscal Year. Except as from time to time otherwise designated by the Board, the fiscal year of the Corporation shall begin on the first day of January of each year and end on the last day of December in each year.
 
5.2 Corporate Seal. The corporate seal shall be in such form as shall be approved by the Board.
 
5.3 Waiver of Notice. Whenever notice is required to be given by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, a written waiver signed by the person entitled to notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to notice, whether before, at or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice required to be given to such person. Neither the business nor the purpose of any meeting need be specified in any such waiver. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
 
5.4 Voting of Securities. Except as the Board may otherwise designate, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Treasurer may waive notice, vote, consent, or appoint any person or persons to waive notice, vote or consent, on behalf of the Corporation, and act as, or appoint any person or persons to act as, proxy or attorney-in-fact for this Corporation (with or without power of substitution) with respect to, the securities of any other entity which may be held by this Corporation.
 
5.5 Evidence of Authority. A certificate by the Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, or a temporary Secretary, as to any action taken by the stockholders, directors, a committee or any officer or representative of the Corporation shall as to all persons who rely on the certificate in good faith be conclusive evidence of such action.
 
5.6 Certificate of Incorporation. All references in these Bylaws to the Certificate of Incorporation shall be deemed to refer to the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended and/or restated and in effect from time to time.
 
5.7 Severability. Any determination that any provision of these Bylaws is for any reason inapplicable, illegal or ineffective shall not affect or invalidate any other provision of these Bylaws.
 
5.8 Pronouns. All pronouns used in these Bylaws shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine or neuter, singular or plural, as the identity of the person or persons may require.
 
5.9 Electronic Transmission. For purposes of these Bylaws, “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.
 
ARTICLE VI
 
AMENDMENTS
 
These Bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed, in whole or in part, or new Bylaws may be adopted by the Board or by the stockholders as expressly provided in the Certificate of Incorporation.
 
ARTICLE VII
 
INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCEMENT
 
7.1 Power to Indemnify in Actions, Suits or Proceedings other than Those by or in the Right of the Corporation. Subject to Section 7.3, the Corporation shall indemnify any person who 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, 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, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, 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 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.
 
7.2 Power to Indemnify in Actions, Suits or Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation. Subject to Section 7.3, the Corporation shall indemnify any 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, 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, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise 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.
 
7.3 Authorization of Indemnification. Any indemnification under this Article VII (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 person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 7.1 or Section 7.2, as the case may be. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (i) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by a majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (iii) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion or (iv) by the stockholders. Such determination shall be made, with respect to former directors and officers, by any person or persons having the authority to act on the matter on behalf of the Corporation. 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 set forth in Section 7.1 or Section 7.2 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.
 
7.4 Good Faith Defined. For purposes of any determination under Section 7.3, 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 7.4 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 7.4 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 7.1 or 7.2, as the case may be.
 
7.5 Right of Claimant to Bring Suit. Notwithstanding any contrary determination in the specific case under Section 7.3, and notwithstanding the absence of any determination thereunder, if a claim under Sections 7.1 or 7.2 of the Article VII is not paid in full by the Corporation within (i) ninety (90) days after a written claim for indemnification has been received by the Corporation, or (ii) thirty (30) days after a written claim for an advancement of expenses has been received by the Corporation, the claimant may at any time thereafter (but not before) bring suit against the Corporation in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware to recover the unpaid amount of the claim, together with interest thereon, or to obtain advancement of expenses, as applicable. It shall be a defense to any such action brought to enforce a right to indemnification (but not in an action brought to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) that the claimant has not met the standards of conduct which make it permissible under the DGCL (or other applicable law) for the Corporation to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed, but the burden of proving such defense shall be on the Corporation. Neither a contrary determination in the specific case under Section 7.3 nor the absence of any determination thereunder shall be a defense to such application or create a presumption that the claimant has not met any applicable standard of conduct. If successful, in whole or in part, the claimant shall also be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim, including reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred in connection therewith, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
 
7.6 Expenses Payable in Advance. Expenses, including without limitation attorneys’ fees, incurred by a current or former director or officer 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 current or former director or officer 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 VII.
 
7.7 Nonexclusivity of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses. The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by or granted pursuant to this Article VII 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 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, subject to Section 7.11, indemnification of the persons specified in Sections 7.1 and 7.2 shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law. The provisions of this Article VII shall not be deemed to preclude the indemnification of any person who is not specified in Section 7.1 or 7.2 but whom the Corporation has the power or obligation to indemnify under the provisions of the DGCL, or otherwise.
 
7.8 Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was 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 against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, 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 VII.
 
7.9 Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Article VII, 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, officers, employees or agents so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the 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 VII 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 VII, references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect of any 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, officer, employee or agent 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 VII.
 
7.10 Survival of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article VII shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
 
7.11 Limitation on Indemnification. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article VII to the contrary, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification (which shall be governed by Section 7.5), the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director, officer, employee or agent in connection with an action, suit proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless such action, suit or proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board.
 
7.12 Contract Rights. The obligations of the Corporation under this Article VII to indemnify, and advance expenses to, a person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation shall be considered a contract between the Corporation and such person, and no modification or repeal of any provision of this Article VII shall affect, to the detriment of such person, such obligations of the Corporation in connection with a claim based on any act or failure to act occurring before such modification or repeal.