EX-3.1 3 dex31.htm AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF REGISTRANT Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Registrant

Exhibit 3.1

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

 

OF

 

AMERICAN TELECOM SERVICES, INC.

 

AMERICAN TELECOM SERVICES, INC., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, hereby certifies as follows:

 

1. The name of the corporation is “American Telecom Services, Inc.” (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Corporation”).

 

2. The Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation was filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of Delaware on June 16, 2003.

 

3. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation restates, integrates and amends the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation.

 

4. The text of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as heretofore amended, is hereby amended and restated to read in full as follows:

 

FIRST: The name of the corporation is American Telecom Services, Inc. (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Corporation”).

 

SECOND: The registered office of the Corporation is located at 615 South DuPont Highway, Dover, Delaware 19901; County of Kent. The name of its registered agent at that address is National Corporate Research, Ltd.

 

THIRD: The purpose of the Corporation shall be to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“GCL”).

 

FOURTH: (a) The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 40,005,000, of which:

 

(i) 40,000,000 shares shall be Common Stock of the par value of $.001 per share; and

 

(ii) 5,000 shares shall be Preferred Stock of the par value of $.001 per share.


(b) Preferred Stock. Shares of Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in series or otherwise and the Board of Directors of the Corporation is hereby authorized, subject to the limitations provided by law, to establish and designate series, if any, of the Preferred Stock, to fix the number of shares constituting any such series, and to fix the voting powers, designations, and relative, participating, optional, conversion, redemption and other rights of the shares of Preferred Stock or series thereof, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, and to increase and to decrease the number of shares of Preferred Stock constituting any such series. The authority of the Board of Directors of the Corporation with respect to shares of Preferred Stock or any series thereof shall include but shall not be limited to the authority to determine the following:

 

I. The designation of any series.

 

II. The number of shares initially constituting any such series.

 

III. The rate or rates and the times at which dividends on the shares of Preferred Stock or any series thereof shall be paid, and whether or not such dividends shall be cumulative, and, if such dividends shall be cumulative, the date or dates from and after which they shall accumulate.

 

IV. Whether or not shares of the Preferred Stock or series thereof shall be redeemable, and, if such shares shall be redeemable, the terms and conditions of such redemption, including but not limited to the date or dates upon or after which such shares shall be redeemable and the amount per share which shall be payable upon such redemption, which amount may vary under different conditions and at different redemption dates.

 

V. The amount payable on the shares of Preferred Stock or series thereof in the event of the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation; provided, however, that the holders of such shares shall be entitled to be paid, or to have set apart for payment, not less than $0.001 per share before the holders of shares of the Common Stock or the holders of any other class of stock ranking junior to the Preferred Stock as to rights on liquidation shall be entitled to be paid any amount or to have any amount set apart for payment; provided, further, that, if the amounts payable on liquidation are not paid in full, the shares of all series of the Preferred Stock shall share ratably in any distribution of assets other than by way of dividends in accordance with the sums which would be payable in such distribution if all sums payable were discharged in full.

 

VI. Whether or not the shares of Preferred Stock or series thereof shall have voting rights, in addition to the voting rights provided by law, and, if such shares shall have such voting rights, the terms and conditions thereof, including but not limited to the right of the holders of such shares to vote as a separate class either alone or with the holders of shares of one or more other class or series of Preferred Stock and the right to have more than one vote per share.

 

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VII. Whether or not a sinking fund shall be provided for the redemption of the shares of Preferred Stock or series thereof, and, if such a sinking fund shall be provided, the terms and conditions thereof.

 

VIII. Whether or not a purchase fund shall be provided for the shares of Preferred Stock or series thereof, and, if such a purchase fund shall be provided, the terms and conditions thereof.

 

IX. Whether or not the shares of Preferred Stock or series thereof shall have conversion privileges, and, if such shares shall have conversion privileges, the terms and conditions of conversion, including but not limited to any provision for the adjustment of the conversion rate or the conversion price.

 

X. Any other relative rights, preferences, qualifications, limitations and restrictions.

 

(c) Common Stock.

 

1. Voting Rights. Except as otherwise required by statute or as otherwise provided in this Certificate of Incorporation, each outstanding share of Common Stock shall be entitled to vote on each matter on which the stockholders of the Corporation shall be entitled to vote, and each holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote for each share of such stock held by such holder.

 

2. Dividends. Subject to the preferential dividend rights applicable to shares of Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive only such dividends as may be declared by the Board of Directors.

 

3. Liquidation. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, after distribution in full of the preferential amounts to be distributed to the holders of shares of Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled, ratably, in proportion to the number of shares held by them, to receive all of the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to holders of Common Stock.

 

FIFTH: The corporation is to have perpetual existence.

 

SIXTH: The following provisions are inserted for the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders:

 

A. Election of directors need not be by ballot unless the by-laws of the Corporation so provide.

 

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B. The Board of Directors shall have the power, without the assent or vote of the stockholders, to make, alter, amend, change, add to or repeal the by-laws of the Corporation as provided in the by-laws of the Corporation.

 

C. The directors in their discretion may submit any contract or act for approval or ratification at any annual meeting of the stockholders or at any meeting of the stockholders called for the purpose of considering any such act or contract, and any contract or act that shall be approved or be ratified by the vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation which is represented in person or by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote thereat (provided that a lawful quorum of stockholders be there represented in person or by proxy) shall be as valid and binding upon the Corporation and upon all the stockholders as though it had been approved or ratified by every stockholder of the Corporation, whether or not the contract or act would otherwise be open to legal attack because of directors’ interests, or for any other reason.

 

D. In addition to the powers and authorities hereinbefore or by statute expressly conferred upon them, the directors are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation; subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the statutes of Delaware, of this Certificate of Incorporation, and to any by-laws from time to time made by the stockholders; provided, however, that no by-law so made shall invalidate any prior act of the directors which would have been valid if such by-law had not been made.

 

SEVENTH: A. The Corporation shall, to the full extent permitted by Section 145 of the GCL, from time to time, indemnify all persons whom it may indemnify pursuant thereto.

 

B. A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation and to its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the GCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 

C. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (hereinafter a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person of whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, whether the basis of such proceeding is

 

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alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee or agent, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the GCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith and such indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators; provided, however, that except as provided in sub-paragraph (d) hereof, the Corporation shall indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the board of directors of the Corporation. The right to indemnification conferred in this Paragraph SEVENTH shall be a contract right and shall include the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that if the GCL requires, the payment of such expenses incurred by a director or officer in his or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such person while a director or officer, including, without limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding, shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such director or officer, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified under this Paragraph SEVENTH or otherwise. The Corporation may, by action of its Board of Directors, provide indemnification to employees and agents of the Corporation with the same scope and effect as the foregoing indemnification of directors and officers.

 

D. If a claim under sub-paragraph (c) of this Paragraph SEVENTH is not paid in full by the Corporation within thirty days after a written claim has been received by the Corporation, the claimant may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim and, if successful in whole or in part, the claimant shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting such claim. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for expenses incurred in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition where the required undertaking, if any is required, has been tendered to the Corporation) that the claimant has not met the standards of conduct which make it permissible under the GCL for the Corporation to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed, but the burden of proving such defense shall be on the Corporation. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the GCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard or conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

 

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E. The right to indemnification and the payment of expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance of its final disposition conferred in this Paragraph SEVENTH shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, by-law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

F. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any such expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the GCL.

 

EIGHTH: The personal liability of the directors of the corporation is hereby eliminated to the fullest extent permitted by the provisions of paragraph (7) of subsection (b) of Section 102 of the GCL.

 

NINTH: Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between this Corporation and its creditors or any class of them and/or between this Corporation and its stockholders or any class of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of Delaware may, on the application in a summary way of this Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the application of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 291 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 279 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court directs. If a majority in number representing three fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of this Corporation as a consequence of such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of stockholders, of this Corporation, as the case may be, and also on this Corporation.

 

5. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted by the unanimous written consent of the directors and by the written consent of the holders of at least a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 242 and 228, respectively, of the GCL.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by Lawrence Burstein, its Chairman, this 26th day of October, 2005.

 

/s/ Lawrence Burstein


Lawrence Burstein, Chairman

 

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