-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, VWmUtS/LMdQqKWVfMDzXv0+wvbTNeMhtuEkJAojwn9YMeNHpQClGC1zCQuv/NRGq h+x3Bk5W3/Mb2OraB2rl5w== 0001104659-08-020816.txt : 20080328 0001104659-08-020816.hdr.sgml : 20080328 20080328170415 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001104659-08-020816 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20080324 ITEM INFORMATION: Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20080328 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20080328 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: FIVE STAR QUALITY CARE INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001159281 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: SERVICES-SKILLED NURSING CARE FACILITIES [8051] IRS NUMBER: 043516029 FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-16817 FILM NUMBER: 08720340 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 400 CENTRE STREET CITY: NEWTON STATE: MA ZIP: 02458 BUSINESS PHONE: 617 796 8387 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 400 CENTRE ST CITY: NEWTON STATE: MA ZIP: 02458 8-K 1 a08-9170_18k.htm 8-K

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 28, 2008 (March 24, 2008)

 

FIVE STAR QUALITY CARE, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Maryland
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

 

001-16817
(Commission File Number)

 

04-3516029
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

 

 

400 Centre Street, Newton, Massachusetts
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

02458
(Zip Code)

 

617-796-8387
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 



 

Item 5.03.  Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

 

Amendments to Bylaws

 

On March 24, 2008, the Board of Directors of Five Star Quality, Inc., or the Company, adopted amendments to Article II, Section 3 (relating to special meetings), Article II, Section 11 (related to advance notice of nominees for director and other proposals) and Article III, Section 2 (relating to directors) of the Company’s bylaws effective March 24, 2008, to, among other things, (1) require certain documentation in connection with shareholder nominations and proposals; (2) require shareholders to provide additional information in the shareholders’ notice concerning hedging/derivative transactions and (3) clarify deadlines for submitting shareholder proposals.  The above description of the amendments to the Company’s bylaws does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the bylaws of the Company, as amended and in effect on March 24, 2008.  A composite copy of the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended, is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)

 

Exhibits

 

 

 

The Company hereby files the following exhibits:

 

 

 

3.1

 

Composite copy of the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended to date.

 

2



 

SIGNATURES

 

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

 

 

 

FIVE STAR QUALITY CARE, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Bruce J. Mackey

 

Name:

Bruce J. Mackey Jr.

 

Title:

Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: March 28, 2008

 

 

 

3


EX-3.1 2 a08-9170_1ex3d1.htm EX-3.1

Exhibit 3.1

 

 

FIVE STAR QUALITY CARE, INC.

 


 

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

 


 

As Amended and Restated March 19, 2003,

and as Further Amended on January 21, 2004,

March 10, 2004 and March 24, 2008

 

 



 

Table of Contents

 

 

ARTICLE I OFFICES

1

Section.1.

PRINCIPAL OFFICE

1

Section.2.

ADDITIONAL OFFICES

1

 

 

 

ARTICLE II MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

1

Section.1.

PLACE

1

Section.2.

ANNUAL MEETING

1

Section.3.

SPECIAL MEETINGS

1

Section.4.

NOTICE

4

Section.5.

ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT

4

Section.6.

QUORUM

5

Section.7.

VOTING

5

Section.8.

PROXIES

5

Section.9.

VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS

5

Section.10.

INSPECTORS

6

Section.11.

ADVANCE NOTICE OF NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR AND OTHER PROPOSALS

6

Section.12.

VOTING BY BALLOT

12

Section.13.

CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT

12

 

 

 

ARTICLE III DIRECTORS

13

Section.1.

GENERAL POWERS

13

Section.2.

TYPE, NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS

13

Section.3.

ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS

13

Section.4.

SPECIAL MEETINGS

13

Section.5.

NOTICE

14

Section.6.

QUORUM

14

Section.7.

VOTING

14

Section.8.

ORGANIZATION

14

Section.9.

TELEPHONE MEETINGS

15

Section.10.

WRITTEN CONSENT BY DIRECTORS

15

Section.11.

VACANCIES

15

Section.12.

COMPENSATION

15

Section.13.

LOSS OF DEPOSITS

15

Section.14.

SURETY BONDS

15

Section.15.

RELIANCE

15

Section.16.

CERTAIN RIGHTS OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS

16

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV COMMITTEES

16

Section.1.

NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS

16

Section.2.

POWERS

16

Section.3.

MEETINGS

16

Section.4.

TELEPHONE MEETINGS

16

Section.5.

WRITTEN CONSENT BY COMMITTEES

17

Section.6.

VACANCIES

17

 

 

i



 

 

ARTICLE V OFFICERS

17

Section.1.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

17

Section.2.

REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION

17

Section.3.

VACANCIES

17

Section.4.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

17

Section.5.

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

18

Section.6.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

18

Section.7.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

18

Section.8.

PRESIDENT

18

Section.9.

VICE PRESIDENTS

18

Section.10.

SECRETARY

18

Section.11.

TREASURER

19

Section.12.

ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS

19

Section.13.

SALARIES

19

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

19

Section.1.

CONTRACTS

19

Section.2.

CHECKS AND DRAFTS

19

Section.3.

DEPOSITS

20

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII STOCK

20

Section.1.

CERTIFICATES

20

Section.2.

TRANSFERS

20

Section.3.

REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE

21

Section.4.

CLOSING OF TRANSFER BOOKS OR FIXING OF RECORD DATE

21

Section.5.

STOCK LEDGER

22

Section.6.

FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNITS

22

 

 

 

ARTICLE VIII ACCOUNTING YEAR

22

 

 

 

ARTICLE IX DISTRIBUTIONS

22

Section.1.

AUTHORIZATION

22

Section.2.

CONTINGENCIES

22

 

 

 

ARTICLE X INVESTMENT POLICY

22

 

 

 

ARTICLE XI SEAL

23

Section.1.

SEAL

23

Section.2.

AFFIXING SEAL

23

 

 

 

ARTICLE XII INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES

23

 

 

 

ARTICLE XIII WAIVER OF NOTICE

24

 

 

 

ARTICLE XIV AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

24

 

 

 

ii



 

 

FIVE STAR QUALITY CARE, INC.

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

 

ARTICLE I

 

OFFICES

 

Section. 1.                                         PRINCIPAL OFFICE.  The principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Board of Directors may designate.

 

Section. 2.                                         ADDITIONAL OFFICES.  The Corporation may have additional offices, including a principal executive office, at such places as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

 

ARTICLE II

 

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section. 1.                                         PLACE.  All meetings of stockholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation or at such other place as shall be set by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting.

 

Section. 2.                                         ANNUAL MEETING. An annual meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Corporation shall be held within six months after the end of each fiscal year.

 

Section. 3.                                         SPECIAL MEETINGS.

 

(a)                      General. The chairman of the board, if any, the president or a majority of the entire Board of Directors may call a special meeting of the stockholders. Subject to Section 3(b), if at the time stockholders are entitled by law to cause a special meeting of the stockholders to be called, a special meeting of stockholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Corporation upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than the Special Meeting Percentage of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting. The “Special Meeting Percentage” shall be a majority or, if greater from time to time, the largest portion which the Corporation is legally permitted to specify with respect to stockholders entitled by law to cause a special meeting of the stockholders to be called.

 

(b)                     Stockholder Requested Special Meetings.

 

(1)                                              Any stockholder of record seeking to have stockholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the secretary (the “Record Date Request Notice”) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Directors to fix a record date to determine the stockholders entitled to request a special meeting (the “Request Record Date”). No stockholder may make a Record Date Request Notice unless such stockholder holds certificates for all shares of stock of the Corporation owned by such stockholder, and a copy of each such certificate shall accompany such stockholder’s written request to the secretary,

 



 

as described in the preceding sentence, in order for such request to be effective.  The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one (1) or more stockholders of record as of the date of signature (or their duly authorized agents), shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or other agent) signing the Record Date Request Notice and shall set forth all information relating to each such stockholder that must be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 14a-11 thereunder. Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Directors may fix a Request Record Date. The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten (10) days after the close of business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors, within ten (10) days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date and make a public announcement of such Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the 10th day after the first date on which the Record Date Request Notice is received by the secretary.

 

(2)                                              In order for any stockholder to request a special meeting, one (1) or more written requests for a special meeting (the “Special Meeting Request”) signed by stockholders of record (or their duly authorized agents) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast not less than the Special Meeting Percentage shall be delivered to the secretary.  No stockholder may make a Record Date Request Notice unless such stockholder holds certificates for all shares of stock of the Corporation owned by such stockholder, and a copy of each such certificate shall accompany such stockholder’s written request to the secretary, as described in the preceding sentence, in order for such request to be effective.  In addition, the Special Meeting Request shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to the matters set forth in the Record Date Request Notice received by the secretary), shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or other agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, shall set forth the name and address, as they appear in the Corporation’s books, of each stockholder signing such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed) and the class and number of shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned of record and beneficially by each such stockholder, shall be sent to the secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and shall be received by the secretary within sixty (60) days after the Request Record Date. Any requesting stockholder may revoke his, her or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the secretary.

 

(3)                                              The secretary shall inform the requesting stockholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice of meeting (including the Corporation’s proxy materials). The secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon stockholder request and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Section 3(b), the secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the mailing of any notice of the meeting.

 

(4)                                              Except as provided in the next sentence, any special meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the officer who called the meeting

 

 

2



 

in accordance with Section 3(a), if any, and otherwise by the Board of Directors. In the case of any special meeting called by the secretary upon the request of stockholders (a “Stockholder Requested Meeting”), such meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that the date of any Stockholder Requested Meeting shall be not more than ninety (90) days after the record date for such meeting (the “Meeting Record Date”); and provided further that if the Board of Directors fails to designate, within ten (10) days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the secretary (the “Delivery Date”), a date and time for a Stockholder Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on the 90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; and provided further that in the event that the Board of Directors fails to designate a place for a Stockholder Requested Meeting within ten (10) days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation. In fixing a date for any special meeting, chairman of the board, the president or Board of Directors may consider such factors as he, she or it deems relevant within the exercise of their business judgment, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for meeting and any plan of the Board of Directors to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Stockholder Requested Meeting, if the Board of Directors fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within thirty (30) days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date.

 

(5)                                              If at any time as a result of written revocations of requests for the special meeting, stockholders of record (or their duly authorized agents) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage shall have delivered and not revoked requests for a special meeting, the secretary may refrain from mailing the notice of the meeting or, if the notice of the meeting has been mailed, the secretary may revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten (10) days before the meeting if the secretary has first sent to all other requesting stockholders written notice of such revocation and of the intention to revoke the notice of the meeting. Any request for a special meeting received after a revocation by the secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new special meeting.

 

(6)                                              The Board of Directors shall determine the validity of any purported Special Meeting Request received by the secretary. For the purpose of permitting the Board of Directors to perform such review, no such purported request shall be deemed to have been delivered to the secretary until the earlier of (i) five (5) Business Days after receipt by the secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as the Board of Directors may certify whether valid requests received by the secretary represent at least a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of stock that would be entitled to vote at such meeting. The Board of Directors’ determination regarding the validity of a Special Meeting Request shall be final and binding unless it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been made in bad faith.  Nothing contained in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest whether the Board of Directors’ actions determining the validity of a Special Meeting Request has been made in bad faith, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation), provided

 

 

3



 

such action is commenced within five (5) Business Days after notice of the Board of Directors determination regarding the invalidity of a Special Meeting Request is delivered to the requesting stockholders.  In the event of such a challenge, a purported Special Meeting Request shall be deemed not to have been delivered to the Corporation until a final determination that the Board of Directors acted in bad faith has been made by a court of competent jurisdiction and all times for applicable appeals of such determination have expired.

 

(7)                                              For purposes of these Bylaws, “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

Section. 4.                                         NOTICE.  Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of stockholders, the secretary shall give to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each stockholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting written or printed notice stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called, either by mail, by presenting it to such stockholder personally, by leaving it at the stockholder’s residence or usual place of business or by any other means permitted by Maryland law.  If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid.

 

Any business of the Corporation may be transacted at an annual meeting of stockholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice.  No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of stockholders except as specifically designated in the notice.

 

Section. 5.                                         ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT.  Every meeting of stockholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Directors to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment, by the chairman of the board or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the chairman of the board, by one of the following officers present at the meeting:  the vice chairman of the board, if there be one, the president, the vice presidents in their order of rank and seniority, or, in the absence of such officers, a chairman chosen by the stockholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present in person or by proxy.  The secretary, or, in the secretary’s absence, an assistant secretary, or in the absence of both the secretary and assistant secretaries, a person appointed by the Board of Directors or, in the absence of such appointment, a person appointed by the chairman of the meeting shall act as secretary.  In the event that the secretary presides at a meeting of the stockholders, an assistant secretary shall record the minutes of the meeting.  The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting.  The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of such chairman, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized proxies or other such persons as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to stockholders of record of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matter, their

 

 

4



 

duly authorized proxies or other such persons as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments by participants; (e) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (f) removing any stockholder who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting; and (g) recessing or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time and place announced at the meeting.  Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure or any established rules of order.

 

Section. 6.                                         QUORUM.  At any meeting of stockholders, the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the charter of the Corporation for the vote necessary for the adoption of any measure.  If, however, such quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting or the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting, present in person or by proxy, shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting.  At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

 

The stockholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and convened, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

 

Section. 7.                                         VOTING.  A majority of all the votes entitled to be cast for election of a director at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect such director.  Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted.  A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute or by the charter of the Corporation.  Unless otherwise provided in the charter, each outstanding share, regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders.

 

Section. 8.                                         PROXIES.  A stockholder may cast the votes entitled to be cast by the shares of stock owned of record by the stockholder in person or by proxy executed by the stockholder or by the stockholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law.  Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Corporation before or at the meeting.  No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months after its date unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

 

Section. 9.                                         VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS.  Stock of the Corporation registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, a general partner or trustee thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such stock pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution

 

 

5



 

of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such stock.  Any director or other fiduciary may vote stock registered in his or her name as such fiduciary, either in person or by proxy.

 

Shares of stock of the Corporation directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.

 

The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a stockholder may certify in writing to the Corporation that any shares of stock registered in the name of the stockholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the stockholder.  The resolution shall set forth the class of stockholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date or closing of the stock transfer books, the time after the record date or closing of the stock transfer books within which the certification must be received by the Corporation; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board of Directors considers necessary or desirable.  On receipt of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the stockholder of record of the specified stock in place of the stockholder who makes the certification.

 

Section. 10.                                   INSPECTORS.  The Board of Directors, in advance of any meeting, may, but need not, appoint one or more individual inspectors or one or more entities that designate individuals as inspectors to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof.  If an inspector or inspectors are not appointed, the person presiding at the meeting may, but need not, appoint one or more inspectors.  In case any person who may be appointed as an inspector fails to appear or act, the vacancy may be filled by appointment made by the Board of Directors in advance of the meeting or at the meeting by the chairman of the meeting.  The inspectors, if any, shall determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, the validity and effect of proxies, and shall receive votes, ballots or consents, hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, count and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, determine the result, and do such acts as are proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all stockholders.  Each such report shall be in writing and signed by him or her or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting.  If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors.  The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.

 

Section. 11.                                   ADVANCE NOTICE OF NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR AND OTHER PROPOSALS.

 

(a)                      Nominations and Proposals to be Considered at Meeting of Stockholders. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other

 

 

6



 

 

business to be considered by the stockholders at an annual or special meeting of stockholders may be properly brought before the meeting only as set forth in this Section 11. All judgments and determinations made by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, as applicable, under this Section 11 (including without limitation judgments as to whether any matter or thing is satisfactory to the Board of Directors and determinations as to the propriety of a proposed nomination or a proposal of other business) shall be final and binding unless determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been made in bad faith.

 

(b)                     Annual Meetings of Stockholders.

 

(1)                                              Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders at an annual meeting of stockholders may be properly brought before the meeting (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting by or at the direction of the directors or (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by the stockholder provided for in this Section 11(b) and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting on such election, or the proposal for other business, as the case may be, and who complies with this Section 11.

 

(2)                                              For nominations for election to the Board of Directors or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (ii) of Section 11(b)(1), the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Corporation and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by stockholders.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall set forth all information required under this Section 11 and shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the 90th day nor earlier than the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the later of: (i) the 90th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or (ii) the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation.  Neither the postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting, nor the public announcement of such postponement or adjournment, shall commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.  No stockholder may give a notice to the secretary described in this Section 11(b)(2) unless such stockholder holds a certificate for all shares of stock of the Corporation owned by such stockholder, and a copy of each such certificate shall accompany such stockholder’s notice to the secretary in order for such notice to be effective.

 

A stockholder’s notice shall set forth:

 

(A)                                          as to each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director (a “Proposed Nominee”) and any Proposed

 

 

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Nominee Associated Person (as defined below), (1) the name, age, business address and residence address of such Proposed Nominee and the name and address of such Proposed Nominee Associated Person, (2) a statement of whether such Proposed Nominee is proposed for nomination as an independent director or a managing director and a description of such Proposed Nominee’s qualifications to be an independent director or managing director, as the case may be, (3) the class, series and number of any shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are beneficially owned or owned of record by such Proposed Nominee or by such Proposed Nominee Associated Person, (4) the date such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, (5) a description of all purchases and sales of securities of the Corporation by such Proposed Nominee or by such Proposed Nominee Associated Person during the previous twelve (12) month period, including the date of the transactions, the class, series and number of securities involved in the transactions and the consideration involved, (6) a description of all Derivative Transactions by such Proposed Nominee or by such Proposed Nominee Associated Person during the previous twelve (12) month period, including the date of the transactions and the class, series and number of securities involved in, and the material economic terms of, the transactions, such description to include all information that such Proposed Nominee or Proposed Nominee Associated Person would be required to report on an Insider Report if such Proposed Nominee or Proposed Nominee Associated Person were a director of the Corporation or the beneficial owner of more than ten percent (10%) of the shares of the Corporation at the time of the transactions, (7) to the extent known by such Proposed Nominee or such Proposed Nominee Associated Person, the name and address of any other person who owns, of record or beneficially, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation and who supports the Proposed Nominee for election or reelection as a director, (8) all other information relating to such Proposed Nominee or such Proposed Nominee Associated Person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and (9) such Proposed Nominee’s notarized written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected;

 

(B)                                            as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, (1) a description of such business, (2) the reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below), including any anticipated benefit to such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person therefrom and (3) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to bring the business before the meeting;

 

(C)                                            as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person, (1) the class, series and number of all shares of stock the Corporation which are owned of record by such stockholder or by such Stockholder Associated Person, if any, and (2) the class, series and number of, and the nominee holder for, all shares of stock of the Corporation owned beneficially but not of record by such stockholder or by any such Stockholder Associated Person, if any;

 

 

 

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(D)                                           as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person covered by clause (B) or (C) above in this Section 11(b)(2), (1) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s stock ledger and the current name and address, if different, of such Stockholder Associated Person and (2) the investment strategy or objective, if any, of such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person and a copy of the prospectus, offering memorandum or similar document, if any, provided to investors or potential investors in such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person;

 

(E)                                             as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person covered by clause (B) or (C) above in this Section 11(b)(2), (1) a description of all purchases and sales of securities of the Corporation by such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person during the previous twelve (12) month period, including the date of the transactions, the class, series and number of securities involved in the transactions and the consideration involved and (2) a description of all Derivative Transactions by such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person during the previous twelve (12) month period, including the date of the transactions and the class, series and number of securities involved in, and the material economic terms of, the transactions, such description to include all information that such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person would be required to report on an Insider Report if such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person were a director of the Corporation or the beneficial owner of more than ten percent (10%) of the shares of the Corporation at the time of the transactions; and

 

(F)                                             to the extent known by the stockholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other person who owns, beneficially or of record, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation and who supports the nominee for election or reelection as a director or the proposal of other business on the date of such stockholder’s notice.

 

(3)                                              Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of Section 11(b)(2) to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased and there is no public announcement of such action at least 100 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 11(b) also shall be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if the notice is delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the 10th day immediately following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

 

(4)                                              For purposes of this Section 11, (i) “Stockholder Associated Person” of any stockholder shall mean (A) any person controlling, directly or indirectly, or acting in concert with, such stockholder, (B) any beneficial owner of shares of capital stock of the Corporation owned of record or beneficially by such stockholder and (C) any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such stockholder or a Stockholder Associated Person, (ii) “Proposed Nominee Associated Person” of any Proposed Nominee shall mean (A) any person acting in concert with such Proposed Nominee, (B) any beneficial owner of shares of capital stock of the Corporation owned of record or beneficially by such Proposed

 

 

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Nominee and (C) any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Proposed Nominee or a Proposed Nominee Associated Person, (iii) “Derivative Transaction” by a person shall mean any (A) transaction in, or arrangement, agreement or understanding with respect to, any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right or similar right with an exercise, conversion or exchange privilege, or settlement payment or mechanism related to, any security of the Corporation, or similar instrument with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of a security of the Corporation, in any such case whether or not it is subject to settlement in a security of the Corporation or otherwise and (B) any transaction, arrangement, agreement or understanding which included or includes an opportunity for such person, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of any security of the Corporation, to mitigate any loss or manage any risk associated with any increase or decrease in the value of any security of the Corporation or to increase or decrease the number of securities of the Corporation which such person was, is or will be entitled to vote, in any case whether or not it is subject to settlement in a security of the Corporation or otherwise; and (iv) “Insider Report” shall mean a statement required to be filed pursuant to Section 16 of the Exchange Act (or any successor provisions) by a person who is a director of the Corporation or who is directly or indirectly the beneficial owner of more than ten percent (10%) of the shares of the Corporation.

 

(c)                      Stockholder Nominations or Proposals Causing Covenant Breaches. At the same time as or prior to the submission of any stockholder nomination or proposal of business to be considered at an annual or special meeting that, if approved and implemented by the Corporation, would cause the Corporation to be in breach of any covenant of the Corporation in any existing or proposed debt instrument, agreement of the Corporation or other material contract or agreement, the proponent stockholder or stockholders must submit to the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (i) evidence satisfactory to the Board of Directors of the lender’s or contracting party’s willingness to waive the breach of covenant or (ii) a plan for repayment of the indebtedness to the lender or correcting the contractual default, specifically identifying the actions to be taken or the source of funds to be used in the repayment, which plan must be satisfactory to the Board of Directors in its discretion.

 

(d)                     Stockholder Nominations or Proposals Requiring Regulatory Notice, Consent or Approval. At the same time or prior to the submission of any stockholder nominations or proposal of business to be considered at an annual or special meeting that, if approved, could not be implemented by the Corporation without notifying or obtaining the consent or approval of any federal, state, municipal or other regulatory body, the proponent stockholder or stockholders must submit to the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (i) evidence satisfactory to the Board of Directors that any and all required notices, consents or approvals have been given or obtained, including without limitation such evidence as the Board of Directors may require so that any nominee may be determined to satisfy any suitability or other requirements or (ii) a plan, for making the requisite notices or obtaining the requisite consents or approvals, as applicable, prior to the implementation of the proposal or election, which plan must be satisfactory to the Board of Directors in its discretion.

 

 

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(e)                      Special Meetings of Stockholders.  As set forth in Section 4 of this Article II, only business brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders.  Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors only may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected: (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors; or (ii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such special meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 11(e) and at the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting on such election and who has complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 11(e).  In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one (1) or more directors to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a director as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, if the stockholder’s notice contains the information required by Section 11(b) and the stockholder has given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the later of (i) the 90th day prior to such special meeting or (ii) the 10th day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the directors to be elected at such meeting.  Neither the postponement or adjournment of a special meeting, nor the public announcement of such postponement or adjournment, shall commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

(f)                        General.

 

(1)                                              If information submitted pursuant to this Section 11 by any stockholder proposing a nominee for election as a director or any proposal for other business at a meeting of stockholders shall be incomplete or inaccurate, any authorized officer or the Board of Directors or any committee thereof may treat such information as not having been provided in accordance with this Section 11.  Upon written request by the secretary or the Board of Directors or any committee thereof, any stockholder proposing a nominee for election as a director or any proposal for other business at a meeting of stockholders shall provide, within three business days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), (i) written verification, satisfactory to any authorized officer or the Board of Directors or any committee thereof, in his, her or its sole discretion, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 11 and (ii) a written update, to a current date, of any information submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 11 as of an earlier date.  If a stockholder fails to provide such written verification or such written update within such period, any authorized officer or the Board of Directors or any committee thereof may treat the information as to which written verification or written update was requested as not having been provided in accordance with this Section 11.  Nothing in this Section 11(f) shall require the Corporation to request clarification or updating of information provided by any stockholder but the Board of Directors, a committee thereof or the secretary acting on behalf of the Board or committee may do so in its discretion

 

 

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(2)                                              Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Section 11 shall be eligible for election by stockholders as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 11. The chairman of the meeting shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 11 and, if any proposed nomination or other business is not in compliance with this Section 11, to declare that such defective nomination or proposal be disregarded.

 

(3)                                              For purposes of this Section 11, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in (i) a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Business Wire, PR Newswire or any other widely circulated news or wire service or (ii) a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act.

 

(4)                                              Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 11. Nothing in this Section 11 shall be deemed to require that a stockholder nomination of an individual for election to the Board of Directors or a stockholder proposal relating to other business be included in the Corporation’s proxy statement except as may be required by law.

 

(5)                                              The Board of Directors may from time to time require any individual nominated to serve as a Director to agree in writing with regard to matters of business ethics and confidentiality while such nominee serves as a Director, such agreement to be on the terms and in a form (the “Agreement”) determined satisfactory by the Board of Directors, as amended and supplemented from time to time in the discretion of the Board of Directors. The terms of the Agreement may be substantially similar to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of the Corporation or any similar code promulgated by the Corporation (the “Code”) or may differ from or supplement the Code.

 

Section. 12.                                   VOTING BY BALLOT.  Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the presiding officer shall order or any stockholder shall demand that voting be by ballot.

 

Section. 13.                                   CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the Maryland General Corporation Law (or any successor statute) shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation.  This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.

 

 

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ARTICLE III

 

DIRECTORS

 

Section. 1.              GENERAL POWERS.  The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Directors.

 

Section. 2.              TYPE, NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS.  A majority of the directors holding office shall at all times be Independent Directors (as defined below); provided, however, that upon a failure to comply with this requirement as a result of the creation of a temporary vacancy which must be filled by an Independent Director, whether as a result of enlargement of the Board of Directors or the resignation, removal or death of a director who is an Independent Director, such requirement shall not be applicable.  An “Independent Director” is one who is not involved in the Corporation’s day-to-day activities and who meets the qualifications of an independent director under the applicable rules of each National Securities Exchange upon which shares of stock the Corporation are listed for trading and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as those requirements may be amended from time to time.  If the number of directors, at any time, is set at less than five (5), at least one (1) director shall be a Managing Director.  So long as the number of Directors shall be five (5)  or greater, at least two (2) Directors shall be Managing Directors.  “Managing Directors” shall mean directors who are not Independent Directors and who have been involved in the day-to-day activities of the Corporation for at least one (1) year prior to their election.  If at any time the Board of Directors shall not be comprised of a majority of Independent Directors, the Board of Directors shall take such actions as will cure such condition; provided that the fact that the Board of Directors does not have a majority of Independent Directors at any time or from time to time shall not affect the validity of any action taken by the Board of Directors.  At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board of Directors may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than the minimum number required by the Maryland General Corporation Law, nor more than 7, and further provided that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors.  The number of directors shall be five (5) until increased or decreased by the Board of Directors.

 

Section. 3.              ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS.  An annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders, no notice other than this Bylaw being necessary.  In the event such meeting is not so held, the meeting may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the Board of Directors.

 

Section. 4.              SPECIAL MEETINGS.  Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the chairman of the board, if any, or the president or by request of any two directors then in office.  The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Directors may fix any place as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board of Directors called by them.  The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of special meetings of the Board of Directors without other notice than such resolution.

 

 

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Section. 5.              NOTICE.  Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, United States mail or courier to each director at his or her business or residence address.  Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic mail or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.  Notice by United States mail shall be given at least three days prior to the meeting.  Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting.  Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the director or his or her agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the director or his or her agent is a party.  Electronic mail notice shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Corporation by the director.  Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Corporation by the director and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt.  Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid.  Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed.  Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.

 

Section. 6.              QUORUM.  A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, provided that, if less than a majority of such directors are present at said meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority of a particular group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority of such group.

 

The directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and convened may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough directors to leave less than a quorum.

 

Section. 7.              VOTING.  The action of the majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable statute or the charter.  If enough directors have withdrawn from a meeting to leave less than a quorum but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of the directors still present at such meeting shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable statute or the charter.

 

Section. 8.              ORGANIZATION.  At each meeting of the Board of Directors, the chairman of the board, if any, or, in the absence of the chairman, the vice chairman of the board, if any, shall act as chairman.  In the absence of both the chairman and vice chairman of the board, the president, if he or she is a director, or in the absence of the president, a director chosen by a majority of the directors present, shall act as chairman.  The secretary or, in his or her absence, an assistant secretary of the Corporation, or in the absence of the secretary and all assistant secretaries, a person appointed by the chairman, shall act as secretary of the meeting.

 

 

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Section. 9.              TELEPHONE MEETINGS.  Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time.  Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

Section. 10.            WRITTEN CONSENT BY DIRECTORS.  Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing to such action is signed by each director and such written consent is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors.

 

Section. 11.            VACANCIES.  If for any reason any or all the directors cease to be directors, such event shall not terminate the Corporation or affect these Bylaws or the powers of the remaining directors hereunder (even if fewer than three directors remain).  Except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, any vacancy on the Board of Directors may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum.  Any director elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the class in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies.

 

Section. 12.            COMPENSATION.  Directors shall not receive any stated salary for their services as directors but, by resolution of the Board of Directors, may receive compensation per year and/or per meeting and/or per visit to real property or other facilities owned or leased by the Corporation and for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors.  Directors may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with each property visit and any other service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any directors from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

 

Section. 13.            LOSS OF DEPOSITS.  No director shall be liable for any loss which may occur by reason of the failure of the bank, trust company, savings and loan association, or other institution with whom moneys or stock have been deposited.

 

Section. 14.            SURETY BONDS.  Unless required by law, no director shall be obligated to give any bond or surety or other security for the performance of any of his or her duties.

 

Section. 15.            RELIANCE.  Each director, officer, employee and agent of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Corporation, be fully justified and protected with regard to any act or failure to act in reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation, upon an opinion of counsel or upon reports made to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees or by the adviser, accountants, appraisers or other experts or consultants selected by the Board of Directors or officers of the Corporation, regardless of whether such counsel or expert may also be a director.

 

 

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Section. 16.            CERTAIN RIGHTS OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS.  The directors shall have no responsibility to devote their full time to the affairs of the Corporation.  Any director or officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, in his or her personal capacity or in a capacity as an affiliate, employee, or agent of any other person, or otherwise, may have business interests and engage in business activities similar to or in addition to or in competition with those of or relating to the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

COMMITTEES

 

Section. 1.              NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS.  The Board of Directors shall appoint an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Governance Committee and may from time to time appoint other committees.  Each committee shall be composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors shall adopt a charter with respect to the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee, which charter shall specify the purposes, the criteria for membership and the responsibility and duties and may specify other matters with respect to each such committee.  The Board of Directors may also adopt a charter with respect to other committees of the Board of Directors.

 

Section. 2.              POWERS.  The Board of Directors may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article any of the powers of the Board of Directors, except as prohibited by law.  In the event that a charter has been adopted with respect to a committee, such charter shall constitute a delegation by the Board of Directors of the powers of the Board of Directors necessary to carry out the purposes, responsibilities and duties of such committee provided in such Charter or reasonably related to those purposes, responsibilities and duties, to the extent permitted by law.

 

Section. 3.              MEETINGS.  Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Directors.  A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee.  The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee.  The Board of Directors or, if authorized by the Board in a committee charter or otherwise, the committee members may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the Committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide.  In the absence of any member of any such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint another director to act in the place of such absent member.  Each committee shall keep minutes of its proceedings.

 

Section. 4.              TELEPHONE MEETINGS.  Members of a committee of the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time.  Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

 

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Section. 5.              WRITTEN CONSENT BY COMMITTEES.  Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing to such action is signed by each member of the committee and such written consent is filed with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.

 

Section. 6.              VACANCIES.  Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill all vacancies, to designate alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.

 

ARTICLE V

 

OFFICERS

 

Section. 1.              GENERAL PROVISIONS.  The officers of the Corporation shall include a president, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a chairman of the board, a vice chairman of the board, a chief executive officer, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, one or more assistant secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers.  In addition, the Board of Directors may from time to time elect such other officers with such powers and duties as they shall deem necessary or desirable.  The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors, except that the chief executive officer or president may from time to time appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers or other officers.  Each officer shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, or his or her resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided.  Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person.  Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Corporation and such officer or agent.

 

Section. 2.              REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION.  Any officer or agent of the Corporation may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Directors if in its judgment the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed.  Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by giving written notice of his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the chairman of the board, if any, the president or the secretary.  Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the notice of resignation.  The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.  Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Corporation.

 

Section. 3.              VACANCIES.  A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Directors for the balance of the term.

 

Section. 4.              CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.  The Board of Directors may designate a chief executive officer.  In the absence of such designation, the president or, if determined by the Board of Directors, the chairman of the board shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation.  The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for

 

 

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implementation of the policies of the Corporation, as determined by the Board of Directors, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation.

 

Section. 5.              CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.  The Board of Directors may designate a chief operating officer.  The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

 

Section. 6.              CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.  The Board of Directors may designate a chief financial officer.  The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

 

Section. 7.              CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD.  The Board of Directors may designate a chairman of the board.  The chairman of the board shall preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the stockholders at which he or she shall be present.  The chairman of the board shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors.

 

Section. 8.              PRESIDENT.  In the absence of a chief executive officer, the president shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Corporation.  In the absence of a designation of a chief operating officer by the Board of Directors, the president shall be the chief operating officer.  He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.

 

Section. 9.              VICE PRESIDENTS.  In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to such vice president by the president or by the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president or as vice president for particular areas of responsibility.

 

Section. 10.            SECRETARY.  The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the stockholders, the Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such stockholder; (e) have general charge of the stock transfer books of the Corporation; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board of Directors.

 

 

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Section. 11.            TREASURER.  The treasurer shall have the custody of the funds and securities of the Corporation and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors.  In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Corporation.

 

The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the president and Board of Directors, at the regular meetings of the Board of Directors or whenever it may so require, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.

 

If required by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of his or her office and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of his or her death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, moneys and other property of whatever kind in his or her possession or under his or her control belonging to the Corporation.

 

Section. 12.            ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS.  The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the president or the Board of Directors.  The assistant treasurers shall, if required by the Board of Directors, give bonds for the faithful performance of their duties in such sums and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors.

 

Section. 13.            SALARIES.  The salaries and other compensation of the officers shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such salary or other compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also a director.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

 

Section. 1.              CONTRACTS.  The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.  Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Corporation when authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Directors and executed by an authorized person.

 

Section. 2.              CHECKS AND DRAFTS.  All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Corporation in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.

 

 

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Section. 3.              DEPOSITS.  All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors may designate.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

STOCK

 

Section. 1.              CERTIFICATES.  Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, this Section shall not be interpreted to limit the authority of the Board of Directors to issue some or all of the shares of any or all of its classes or series without certificates.  Each certificate issued, if any, shall be signed by the chairman of the board, if any, the president or a vice president and countersigned by the secretary or an assistant secretary or the treasurer or an assistant treasurer and may be sealed with the seal, if any, of the Corporation.  The signatures may be either manual or facsimile.  Certificates shall be consecutively numbered; and if the Corporation shall, from time to time, issue several classes of stock, each class may have its own number series.  A certificate is valid and may be issued whether or not an officer who signed it is still an officer when it is issued.  Each certificate representing shares which are restricted as to their transferability or voting powers, which are preferred or limited as to their dividends or as to their allocable portion of the assets upon liquidation or which are redeemable at the option of the Corporation, shall have a statement of such restriction, limitation, preference or redemption provision, or a summary thereof, plainly stated on the certificate.  If the Corporation has authority to issue stock of more than one class, any certificate issued shall contain on the face or back a full statement or summary of the designations and any preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of each class of stock and, if the Corporation is authorized to issue any preferred or special class in series, the differences in the relative rights and preferences between the shares of each series to the extent they have been set and the authority of the Board of Directors to set the relative rights and preferences of subsequent series.  In lieu of such statement or summary, the certificate may state that the Corporation will furnish a full statement of such information to any stockholder upon request and without charge.  If any class of stock is restricted by the Corporation as to transferability, the certificate shall contain a full statement of the restriction or state that the Corporation will furnish information about the restrictions to the stockholder on request and without charge.

 

Section. 2.              TRANSFERS.  Upon surrender to the Corporation or the transfer agent of the Corporation of a stock certificate duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, the Corporation shall issue a new certificate to the person entitled thereto, cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books.

 

The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of stock as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.

 

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class of stock will be subject in all respects to the charter of the Corporation and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.

 

Section. 3.              REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE.  Any officer designated by the Board of Directors may direct a new certificate to be issued in place of any certificate previously issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed.  When authorizing the issuance of a new certificate, an officer designated by the Board of Directors may, in his or her discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or the owner’s legal representative to advertise the same in such manner as he shall require and/or to give bond, with sufficient surety, to the Corporation to indemnify it against any loss or claim which may arise as a result of the issuance of a new certificate.

 

Section. 4.              CLOSING OF TRANSFER BOOKS OR FIXING OF RECORD DATE.  The Board of Directors may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or determining stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose.  Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of stockholders of record is to be held or taken.

 

In lieu of fixing a record date, the Board of Directors may provide that the stock transfer books shall be closed for a stated period but not longer than 20 days.  If the stock transfer books are closed for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders, such books shall be closed for at least ten days before the date of such meeting. However, so long as shares of capital stock of the Corporation are listed on the American Stock Exchange, the Board of Directors shall not close the transfer books of the Corporation.

 

If no record date is fixed and the stock transfer books are not closed for the determination of stockholders, (a) the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day on which the notice of meeting is mailed or the 30th day before the meeting, whichever is the closer date to the meeting; and (b) the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive payment of a dividend or an allotment of any other rights shall be the close of business on the day on which the resolution of the directors, declaring the dividend or allotment of rights, is adopted.

 

When a determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof, except when (i) the determination has been made through the closing of the transfer books and the stated period of closing has expired or (ii) the meeting is adjourned to a

 

 

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date more than 120 days after the record date fixed for the original meeting, in either of which case a new record date shall be determined as set forth herein.

 

Section. 5.              STOCK LEDGER.  The Corporation shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate share ledger containing the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of each class held by such stockholder.

 

Section. 6.              FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNITS.  The Board of Directors may issue fractional stock or provide for the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as they may determine.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the charter or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may issue units consisting of different securities of the Corporation.  Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Corporation, except that the Board of Directors may provide that for a specified period securities of the Corporation issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Corporation only in such unit.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

ACCOUNTING YEAR

 

The Board of Directors shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Corporation by a duly adopted resolution.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

 

Section. 1.              AUTHORIZATION.  Dividends and other distributions upon the stock of the Corporation may be authorized by the Board of Directors, subject to the provisions of law and the charter of the Corporation.  Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of law and the charter.

 

Section. 2.              CONTINGENCIES.  Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Corporation available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Directors may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends or other distributions, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall determine to be in the best interest of the Corporation, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve.

 

ARTICLE X

 

INVESTMENT POLICY

 

Subject to the provisions of the charter of the Corporation, the Board of Directors may from time to time adopt, amend, revise or terminate any policy or policies with respect to investments by the Corporation as it shall deem appropriate in its sole discretion.

 

 

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ARTICLE XI

 

SEAL

 

Section. 1.              SEAL.  The Board of Directors may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Corporation.  The seal shall contain the name of the Corporation and the year of its incorporation and the words “Incorporated Maryland.”  The Board of Directors may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.

 

Section. 2.              AFFIXING SEAL.  Whenever the Corporation is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE XII

 

INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES

 

To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, the Corporation shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any individual who is a present or former director or officer of the Corporation and who is made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (b) any individual who, while a director of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner or trustee of such corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity.  The Corporation may, with the approval of its Board of Directors, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to a person who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation.  As a condition to advancing expenses to a director or officer, the individual seeking such advance shall deliver to the Corporation (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation under applicable law and (b) a written undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay the amount advanced by the Corporation if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation under applicable law has not been met.

 

Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Bylaws or charter of the Corporation inconsistent with this Article, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.

 

 

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ARTICLE XIII

 

WAIVER OF NOTICE

 

Whenever any notice is required to be given pursuant to the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice.  Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice, unless specifically required by statute.  The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

 

ARTICLE XIV

 

AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

 

The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws.

 

 

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