Exhibit 3.2
SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET, INC.
Incorporated under the laws
of the State of Delaware
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS
Effective as of February 28, 2023
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS
OF SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET, INC.
The registered office of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (the “Corporation”) in the State of Delaware shall be Corporation Service Company, 2711 Centerville Rd., Suite. 400, New Castle County, Wilmington, DE 19808, and the registered agent in charge thereof shall be The Corporation Service Company.
The Corporation may also have an office or offices at any other place or places within or outside the State of Delaware.
The books of the Corporation may be kept within or without the State of Delaware as the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.
The annual meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors, and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting, shall be held at such place, if any, date and hour as shall be fixed by the Board and designated in the notice or waiver of notice thereof. In lieu of holding an annual meeting of stockholders at a designated place, the Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that any annual meeting of stockholders may be held solely by means of remote communication.
A special meeting of the stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Charter”), to be held at such place, if any, date and hour as shall be designated in the notice or waiver of notice thereof. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the matters stated in the notice. In lieu of holding a
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special meeting of stockholders at a designated place, the Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that any special meeting of stockholders may be held solely by means of remote communication.
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Whenever the Board solicits proxies with respect to the election of directors at an annual meeting of stockholders, subject to the provisions of this Section 2.5, the Corporation shall include in its proxy statement for such annual meeting and on the form of proxy distributed by the Corporation in connection with such annual meeting, in addition to any persons nominated for election by or at the direction of the Board, the name, and in the proxy statement, the Required Information (as defined below), of any person nominated for election (a “Stockholder Nominee”) to the Board by an Eligible Stockholder (as defined in Section 2.5(d)) who expressly elects at the time of providing the notice required by this Section 2.5 to have such nominee included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.5. For purposes of this Section 2.5, the “Required Information” that the Corporation will include in its proxy statement is (i) the information provided to the Secretary of the Corporation concerning the Stockholder Nominee and the Eligible Stockholder that is required to be disclosed in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and (ii) if the Eligible Stockholder so elects, a Supporting Statement (as defined in Section 2.5(h)). For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 2.5 shall limit the Corporation’s ability to solicit against any Stockholder Nominee or include in its proxy materials the Corporation’s own statements or other information relating to any Eligible Stockholder or Stockholder Nominee, including any information provided to the Corporation pursuant to this Section 2.5. Any Eligible Stockholder directly or indirectly soliciting proxies from other stockholders must use a proxy card color other than white, which shall be reserved for the exclusive use by the Board.
In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be made by an Eligible Stockholder pursuant to this Section 2.5, the Eligible Stockholder must have given timely notice thereof (the “Notice of Proxy Access Nomination”) in proper written form to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination must be delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation within the time periods applicable to stockholder notices of proposed nominations pursuant to Section 2.4(a)(ii) of these Bylaws. In no event shall the adjournment or postponement of the annual meeting, or the public announcement of such an adjournment or postponement, commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination pursuant to this Section 2.5.
The maximum number of Stockholder Nominees nominated by all Eligible Stockholders that will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders shall not exceed the greater of (x) two or (y) twenty percent (20%) of the number of directors in office as of the last day on which a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination may be delivered pursuant to and in accordance with this Section 2.5 (the “Final Proxy Access Nomination Date”) or, if such amount is not a whole number, rounded down to the closest whole number below such amount (such number, as it may be adjusted pursuant to this Section 2.5(c), the “Permitted Number”).
In the event that one or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the Board after the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date but before the date of the annual meeting and the Board resolves to reduce the size of the Board in connection therewith, the Permitted Number shall be calculated based on the number of directors in office as so reduced.
In addition, the Permitted Number shall be reduced by (i) the number of individuals who will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials as nominees recommended by the Board pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or other understanding with a stockholder or group of stockholders (other than any such agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of stock from the Corporation by such stockholder or group of stockholders) and (ii) the number of directors
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in office as of the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date who were included in the Corporation’s proxy materials as Stockholder Nominees for any of the two (2) preceding annual meetings of stockholders (including any persons counted as Stockholder Nominees pursuant to the immediately succeeding sentence) and (i) who is serving a term not scheduled to expire at the next upcoming annual meeting, or (ii) whom the Board decides to nominate for re-election to the Board at the next upcoming annual meeting. For purposes of determining when the Permitted Number has been reached, any individual nominated by an Eligible Stockholder for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.5 whose nomination is subsequently withdrawn or whom the Board decides to nominate for election to the Board shall be counted as one of the Stockholder Nominees.
Any Eligible Stockholder submitting more than one Stockholder Nominee for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.5 shall rank such Stockholder Nominees based on the order in which the Eligible Stockholder desires such Stockholder Nominees to be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials in the event that the total number of Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2.5 exceeds the Permitted Number. In the event that the number of Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2.5 exceeds the Permitted Number, the highest ranking Stockholder Nominee from each Eligible Stockholder who meets the requirements of this Section 2.5 will be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials until the Permitted Number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of shares of stock of the Corporation each Eligible Stockholder disclosed as owned in its Notice of Proxy Access Nomination. If the Permitted Number is not reached after the highest ranking Stockholder Nominee from each Eligible Stockholder who meets the requirements of this Section 2.5 has been selected, then the next highest ranking Stockholder Nominee from each Eligible Stockholder who meets the requirements of this Section 2.5 will be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials, and this process will continue as many times as necessary, following the same order each time, until the Permitted Number is reached.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.5, the Corporation shall not be required to include any Stockholder Nominees in its proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.5 for any meeting of stockholders for which the Secretary of the Corporation receives notice that a stockholder intends to nominate one or more persons for election to the Board pursuant to the advance notice requirements for stockholder nominees set forth in Section 2.4.
An “Eligible Stockholder” is a stockholder or group of no more than 20 stockholders (counting as one stockholder, for this purpose, any two or more funds that are part of the same Qualifying Fund Group (as defined below)) that (i) has owned (as defined in Section 2.5(e)) continuously for at least three years (the “Minimum Holding Period”) a number of shares of stock of the Corporation that represents at least three percent (3%) of the voting power of all shares of stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote in the election of directors, in each case, measured as of the date the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is received by the Secretary of the Corporation in accordance with this Section 2.5 (the “Required Shares”), (ii) continues to own the Required Shares through the date of the annual meeting and (iii) satisfies all other requirements of, and complies with all applicable procedures set forth in, this Section 2.5.
A “Qualifying Fund Group” means two or more funds that are (A) under common management and investment control, (B) under common management and funded primarily by the same employer or (C) a “group of investment companies” as such term is defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
Whenever the Eligible Stockholder consists of a group of stockholders (including a group of funds that are part of the same Qualifying Fund Group), (x) each provision in this Section 2.5 that requires the Eligible Stockholder to provide any written statements, representations, undertakings, agreements or other instruments or to meet any other conditions shall be deemed to require each stockholder (including each individual fund) that is a member of such group to provide such statements, representations,
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undertakings, agreements or other instruments and to meet such other conditions (except that the members of such group may aggregate the shares that each member has owned continuously for the Minimum Holding Period in order to meet the three percent (3%) ownership requirement of the “Required Shares” definition) and (y) a breach of any obligation, agreement or representation under this Section 2.5 by any member of such group shall be deemed a breach by the Eligible Stockholder. No person may be a member of more than one group of stockholders constituting an Eligible Stockholder with respect to any annual meeting.
For purposes of this Section 2.5, an Eligible Stockholder shall be deemed to “own” only those outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation as to which the stockholder possesses both (i) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares and (ii) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit from and risk of loss on) such shares; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (i) and (ii) shall not include any shares (x) sold by such stockholder or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed, (y) borrowed by such stockholder or any of its affiliates for any purposes or purchased by such stockholder or any of its affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell or (z) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar instrument or agreement entered into by such stockholder or any of its affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares or with cash based on the notional amount or value of shares of outstanding stock of the Corporation, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of (1) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such stockholder’s or its affiliates’ full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares and/or (2) hedging, offsetting or altering to any degree any gain or loss realized or realizable from maintaining the full economic ownership of such shares by such stockholder or affiliate. A stockholder shall “own” shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the stockholder retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of directors and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. A stockholder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which (i) the stockholder has loaned such shares, provided that the stockholder has the power to recall such loaned shares on five (5) business days’ notice and includes in the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination an agreement that it (A) will promptly recall such loaned shares upon being notified that any of its Stockholder Nominees will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials and (B) will continue to hold such recalled shares through the date of the annual meeting or (ii) the stockholder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney or other instrument or arrangement which is revocable at any time by the stockholder. The terms “owned,” “owning” and other variations of the word “own” shall have correlative meanings. For purposes of this Section 2.5, the term “affiliate” or “affiliates” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto under the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.
To be in proper written form, the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination must include or be accompanied by the following:
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In addition to the information required pursuant to Section 2.5(f) or any other provision of these Bylaws, (i) the Corporation may require any proposed Stockholder Nominee to furnish any other information (A) that may reasonably be requested by the Corporation to determine whether the Stockholder Nominee would (x) qualify as independent (including with respect to all committees of the Board) under the listing standards and rules of each exchange upon which the Corporation’s common stock is at the time listed, any applicable rules of the SEC and any publicly disclosed standards used by the Board in determining and disclosing independence of the Corporation’s directors, (y) be a “non-employee director” for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule), and (z) be an “outside director for the purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (or any successor provisions) (collectively the “Independence Standards”), (B) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such Stockholder Nominee or (C) that may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such Stockholder Nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation, and (ii) the Corporation may require the Eligible Stockholder to furnish any other information that may reasonably be required by the Corporation to verify the Eligible Stockholder’s continuous ownership of the Required Shares for the Minimum Holding Period.
The Eligible Stockholder may, at its option, provide to the Secretary of the Corporation, at the time the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is provided, a written statement, not to exceed 500 words, in support of each Stockholder Nominee(s)’ candidacy (a “Supporting Statement”). Only one Supporting Statement may be submitted by an Eligible Stockholder (including any group of stockholders together constituting an Eligible Stockholder) in support of each of its Stockholder Nominee(s). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.5, the Corporation may omit from its proxy materials any information or Supporting Statement (or portion thereof) if the Corporation in good faith believes that (i) the inclusion of the Supporting Statement (or portion thereof) would violate any applicable law or regulation or (ii) the Supporting Statement (or portion thereof) (x) directly or indirectly impugns the character, integrity or personal reputation of, or directly or indirectly makes charges concerning improper, illegal or immoral conduct or associations, without factual foundation, with respect to, any person or (y) is untrue in any material respect (or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading).
In the event that any information or communications provided by an Eligible Stockholder or a Stockholder Nominee to the Corporation or its stockholders ceases to be true and correct in all material respects or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, such Eligible Stockholder or Stockholder Nominee, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Secretary of the Corporation of any defect in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct any such defect; it being understood that providing such notification shall not be deemed to cure any such defect or limit the remedies available to the Corporation relating to any such defect (including the right to omit a Stockholder Nominee from its proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.5).
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.5, the Corporation shall not be required to include in its proxy materials, pursuant to this Section 2.5, any Stockholder Nominee (i) who would not meet the Independence Standards, (ii) whose election as a member of the Board would
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cause the Corporation to be in violation of these Bylaws, the Charter, the rules and listing standards of the principal United States securities exchanges upon which the stock of the Corporation is listed or traded, or any applicable state or federal law, rule or regulation, (iii) who is or has been, within the past three years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined in Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, (iv) who is a named subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses) or has been convicted in such a criminal proceeding within the past ten years, (v) who is subject to any order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (vi) who shall have provided any information to the Corporation or its stockholders that was untrue in any material respect or that omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, if (i) a Stockholder Nominee and/or the applicable Eligible Stockholder breaches any of its agreements or representations or fails to comply with any of its obligations under this Section 2.5 or (ii) a Stockholder Nominee otherwise becomes ineligible for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.5, dies, or becomes unable to serve as a director due to disability or otherwise becomes ineligible or unavailable for election at the annual meeting, (x) the Corporation may omit or, to the extent feasible, remove the information concerning such Stockholder Nominee and the related Supporting Statement from its proxy materials and/or otherwise communicate to its stockholders that such Stockholder Nominee will not be eligible for election at the annual meeting, (y) the Corporation shall not be required to include in its proxy materials any successor or replacement nominee proposed by the applicable Eligible Stockholder or any other Eligible Stockholder and (z) the Board or the chair of the annual meeting shall declare such nomination to be invalid and such nomination shall be disregarded notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. In addition, if the Eligible Stockholder (or a qualified representative of the Eligible Stockholder) does not appear at the annual meeting to present any nomination pursuant to this Section 2.5, such nomination shall be declared invalid and disregarded as provided in clause (z) above.
Any Stockholder Nominee who is included in the Corporation’s proxy materials for a particular annual meeting of stockholders but either (i) withdraws from or becomes ineligible or unavailable for election at the annual meeting, or (ii) does not receive at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the votes cast in favor of such Stockholder Nominee’s election, will be ineligible to be a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.5 for the next two (2) annual meetings of stockholders. For the avoidance of doubt, the immediately preceding sentence shall not prevent any stockholder from nominating any person to the Board pursuant to and in accordance with Section 2.4.
The Board (or any other person or body authorized by the Board, including the chair of the applicable annual meeting) shall have the power and authority to interpret this Section 2.5 and to make any and all determinations necessary or advisable to apply this Section 2.5 to any persons, facts or circumstances, including without limitation, the power to determine (i) whether a person or group of persons qualifies as an Eligible Stockholder, (ii) whether outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation are “owned” for purposes of meeting the ownership requirements of this Section 2.5, (iii) whether any and all requirements of this Section 2.5 have been satisfied, including timely delivery in proper form of the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination, (iv) whether a person satisfies the requirements to be a Stockholder Nominee, including the Independence Standards, (v) whether the inclusion of a Supporting Statement (or any portion thereof) meets the grounds for omission set forth in Section 2.5(h) and (vi) whether any nomination of a Stockholder Nominee is invalid under Section 2.5(k) hereof. This Section 2.5 shall be the exclusive means for the stockholders to include nominees for election as a director of the Corporation in the Corporation’s proxy statement and on its form of proxy for an annual meeting of stockholders. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Section 2.5 shall not apply to a special meeting of stockholders,
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and the Corporation shall not be required to include a director nominee of a stockholder or any other person in the Corporation’s proxy statement or form a proxy for any special meeting of stockholders.
At each meeting of the stockholders, except where otherwise provided by the Charter or these Bylaws, the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at such meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. In the absence of a quorum, any officer entitled to preside at, or act as secretary of, such meeting, or a majority in voting power of the stockholders present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote, shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, until stockholders holding the requisite amount of stock to constitute a quorum shall be present or represented. At any 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 called.
Any meeting of stockholders, annual or special, may adjourn from time to time to reconvene at the same or some other place, if any, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the time and place, if any, or means of remote communication, if any, thereof are (i) announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken, (ii) displayed, during the time scheduled for the meeting, on the same electronic network used to enable stockholders and proxy holders to participate in the meeting by means of remote communication or (iii) set forth in the notice of meeting, or as otherwise provided by Section 222 of the DGCL. At the adjourned meeting, this Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. In addition to such other powers as are conferred upon the person acting as chairperson of the meeting in these Bylaws or by the Board, such person shall have the authority to adjourn the meeting at any time.
Unless otherwise determined by the Board, at each meeting of the stockholders, one of the following shall act as chairperson of the meeting and preside thereat, in the following order of precedence:
The Secretary, or if he or she shall be absent from such meeting, the person (who shall be an Assistant Secretary, if an Assistant Secretary has been appointed and is present) whom the chairperson of such meeting shall appoint, shall act as secretary of such meeting and keep the minutes thereof.
The order of business at each meeting of the stockholders shall be determined by the chairperson of such meeting.
Except as otherwise provided by law, the Charter or these Bylaws, at each meeting of the stockholders, every stockholder of the Corporation shall be entitled to one vote in person or by proxy for each share of Common Stock of the Corporation held by such stockholder and registered in such stockholder’s name on the books of the Corporation on the date fixed pursuant to Section 6.7 of Article VI as the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting. Persons holding
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stock in a fiduciary capacity shall be entitled to vote the shares so held. A person whose stock is pledged shall be entitled to vote, unless, in the transfer by the pledgor on the books of the Corporation, such person has expressly empowered the pledgee to vote thereon, in which case only the pledgee or the pledgee’s proxy may represent such stock and vote thereon. Shares of Common Stock standing in the name of another corporation may be voted either in person or by proxy, by the president of such corporation or other entity or any other officer appointed by such president. A proxy executed by any principal officer of such other corporation or other entity or assistant thereto shall be conclusive evidence of the signer’s authority to act, in the absence of express notice to the Corporation, given in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation, of the designation of some other person by the board of directors or the bylaws of such other corporation. If shares or other securities having voting power stand in the record of two or more persons, whether fiduciaries, members of a partnership, joint tenants, tenants in common, tenants by the entirety or otherwise, or if two or more persons have the same fiduciary relationship respecting the same shares, unless the Secretary shall be given written notice to the contrary and furnished with a copy of the instrument or order appointing them or creating the relationship wherein it is so provided, their acts with respect to voting shall have the following effect:
If the instrument so filed shows that any such tenancy is held in unequal interests, a majority or even-split for the purposes of this Section 2.10 shall be a majority or even-split in interest. Any vote of stock may be given by the stockholder entitled thereto in person or by a proxy appointed by an instrument in writing, subscribed by such stockholder or by such stockholder’s attorney thereunto authorized, delivered to the secretary of the meeting; provided, however, that no proxy shall be voted after three years from its date, unless said proxy provides for a longer period.
At all meetings of the stockholders, all matters (other than the election of directors) shall be decided by the affirmative vote of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote thereon. Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors. The vote on any question need not be by written ballot.
The chairperson of the meeting may at any time appoint one or more inspectors to serve at any meeting of the stockholders. Any inspector may be removed, and a new inspector or inspectors appointed, by the Board at any time. Such inspectors shall decide upon the qualifications of voters, accept and count votes, declare the results of such vote, and subscribe and deliver to the secretary of the meeting a certificate stating the number of shares of stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereon and the number of shares voted for and against the question, respectively. The inspectors need not be stockholders of the Corporation, and any director or officer of the Corporation may be an inspector on any question other than a vote for or against his or her election to any position with the Corporation or on any other matter in which he or she may be directly interested. Before acting as herein provided, each inspector shall subscribe an oath faithfully to execute the duties of an inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of the inspector’s ability.
It shall be the duty of the Secretary or other officer of the Corporation who shall have charge of its stock ledger to prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of the stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote thereat, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such
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list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to any such meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to such meeting, in the manner required by applicable law.
Except as otherwise provided by the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) or the Charter, the business, property and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board, which may exercise all such powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by law or by the Charter directed or required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.
The Board shall consist of such number of directors as may be set by the Board from time to time. The Board shall initially consist of seven (7) members.
Subject to the Charter, directors shall be elected by a plurality of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at a meeting of its stockholders and entitled to vote on the election of directors; provided, however, that for purposes of such vote no stockholder shall be allowed to cumulate such stockholder’s votes. Election of directors may be conducted in any manner approved at such meeting.
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The Secretary or, in the case of his or her absence, an Assistant Secretary, if an Assistant Secretary has been appointed and is present, or any person whom the chairperson of the meeting shall appoint shall act as secretary of such meeting and keep the minutes thereof.
Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board or any committee of the Board may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if all members of the Board or such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or such committee; provided however, that such electronic transmission or transmissions must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission or transmissions were authorized by the director. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.
Any one or more members of the Board or any committee of the Board may participate in a meeting of the Board or such committee by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting by such means shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
The Board may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more directors, which to the extent provided in said resolution or resolutions shall have and may exercise the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation (including the power and authority to designate other committees of the Board); provided, however, that
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no such committee shall have the power or authority in reference to the following matters: (i) approving or adopting, or recommending to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval (other than recommending the election or removal of directors), or (ii) adopting, amending, or repealing any Bylaw of the Corporation. The Board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee to replace any absent or disqualified member of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members present at any meeting of such committee and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in place of such absent or disqualified director. Except as otherwise provided by these Bylaws, each committee shall adopt its own rules governing the time, place, and method of holding its meetings and the conduct of its proceedings and shall meet as provided by such rules or by resolution of the Board. Unless otherwise provided by these Bylaws or any such rules or resolutions, notice of the time and place of each meeting of a committee shall be given to each member of such committee as provided in Section 3.5(c) of this Article III with respect to notices of meetings of the Board.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Charter or these Bylaws, the Board shall have the authority to fix the compensation of the directors. The directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board and may be paid a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the Board or a stated salary as director. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. Members of standing or special committees may be allowed like compensation for their service on such committees.
Any director of the Corporation may resign at any time, by giving notice in writing to the Chairperson of the Board, the President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall take effect at the time therein specified or, if no time is specified, immediately; and, unless otherwise specified in such notice, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Except as otherwise required by applicable law and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of shares of preferred stock then outstanding, any director or the entire Board may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause, and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority in voting power of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote in the election of directors.
The officers of the Corporation shall be a Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, one or more Vice Presidents (any one or more of whom may be designated Executive Vice President or Senior Vice President), a Secretary and, if the Board so elects, a Chairperson, a Treasurer and such other officers as the Board may from time to time elect or appoint. Each officer shall hold office until his or her successor shall be duly elected and shall qualify or until his or her death or until he or she shall resign or shall have been removed in the manner hereinafter provided. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, unless the Charter provides otherwise. Except for Chairperson, if any, no officer need be a director.
All officers, as between themselves and the Corporation, shall have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the Corporation as may be provided in these Bylaws or, to the extent so provided, by the Board.
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Any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board at any meeting thereof, or to the extent delegated to the Chairperson, by the Chairperson. Subject to the provisions of the Charter, any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation may be filled by the Board.
Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by giving notice in writing or by electronic transmission to the Board or to the Chairperson of the Board; provided, however, that if such notice is given by electronic transmission, such electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the officer. Such resignation shall take effect on the date of the receipt of such notice or at any later time specified therein and, unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
The salaries of all officers of the Corporation shall be fixed by the Board or a committee thereof from time to time, and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such salary by reason of the fact that he or she also is a director of the Corporation.
If elected, the Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board; and he or she shall have such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Board. The Chairperson may be a non-executive Chairperson.
The Chief Executive Officer shall be responsible for supervising the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, subject to the directions and limitations imposed by the Board, these Bylaws and the Charter. All other officers shall report and be accountable to the Chief Executive Officer, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws or as otherwise determined by the Board. Unless the Board otherwise determines, the Chief Executive Officer shall, in the absence of the Chairperson (or if there be no Chairperson), preside at all meetings of the stockholders and (should he or she be a director) of the Board.
Unless the Board otherwise determines, the President shall have the authority to agree upon and execute all leases, contracts, evidences of indebtedness and other obligations in the name of the Corporation; and, unless the Board otherwise determines, he or she shall, in the absence of the Chairperson (or if there be no Chairperson) and the Chief Executive Officer, preside at all meetings of the stockholders and (should he or she be a director) of the Board; and he or she shall have such other powers and duties as designated in accordance with these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Board.
The Chief Financial Officer shall be responsible for supervising the Corporation’s overall financial planning and financial controls and shall be responsible for the maintenance of the Corporation’s books and records, subject to the directions and limitations imposed by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer and these Bylaws. All other officers involved with the financial and accounting functions of the Corporation shall report and be accountable to the Chief Financial Officer, and the Chief Financial Officer shall report to the Chief Executive Officer or the Board, as the Board shall determine.
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In the absence of the President, or in the event of his or her inability or refusal to act, a Vice President designated by the Board 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. In the absence of a designation by the Board of a Vice President to perform the duties of the President, or in the event of the President’s absence or inability or refusal to act, the Vice President who is present and who is senior in terms of time as a Vice President of the Corporation shall so act. The Vice Presidents shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board may from time to time prescribe.
The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board, committees of directors and the stockholders, in books provided for that purpose; he or she shall attend to the giving and serving of all notices; he or she may sign with the other appointed officers all certificates for shares of capital stock of the Corporation; he or she shall have charge of the certificate books, transfer books and stock ledgers, and such other books and papers as the Board may direct, all of which shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection of any director upon application at the office of the Corporation during business hours; he or she shall have such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Board; and he or she shall in general perform all acts incident to the office of Secretary, subject to the control of the Chief Executive Officer and the Board.
Each Assistant Secretary, if any, shall have the usual powers and duties pertaining to his or her office, together with such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Chief Executive Officer or the Board. The Assistant Secretaries shall exercise the powers of the Secretary during that officer’s absence or inability or refusal to act.
Unless such responsibility shall be designated to the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, if any, shall have responsibility for the custody and control of all the funds and securities of the Corporation, and he or she shall have such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Board. He or she shall perform all acts incident to the position of Treasurer, subject to the control of the Chief Executive Officer and the Board; and he or she shall, if required by the Board, give such bond for the faithful discharge of his or her duties in such form as the Board may require.
Each Assistant Treasurer, if any, shall have the usual powers and duties pertaining to his or her office, together with such other powers and duties as designated in these Bylaws and as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Board. The Assistant Treasurers shall exercise the power of the Treasurer during that officer’s absence or inability or refusal to act.
The Board shall designate, by either specific or general resolution, the officers, employees and agents of the Corporation who shall have the power to execute and deliver deeds, contracts, mortgages, bonds, debentures, checks, drafts and other orders for the payment of money and other documents for and in the name of the Corporation, and may authorize such officers, employees and agents to delegate such power (including authority to redelegate) by written instrument to other officers, employees or agents
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of the Corporation. Unless so designated or expressly authorized by these Bylaws, no officer, employee or agent shall have any power or authority to bind the Corporation by any contract or engagement, to pledge its credit or to render it liable pecuniarily for any purpose or amount.
All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation or otherwise as the Board or Treasurer, or any other officer of the Corporation to whom power in this respect shall have been given by the Board, shall select.
The Board shall designate the officers of the Corporation who shall have authority from time to time to exercise, or to appoint an agent or agents of the Corporation to exercise in the name and on behalf of the Corporation the powers and rights that the Corporation may have as the holder of stock or other securities in any other corporation, and to vote or consent with respect to such stock or securities. In the absence of any express designation by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer shall have such authority, unless otherwise determined by the Board. Such designated officers may instruct the person or persons so appointed as to the manner of exercising such powers and rights, and such designated officers may execute or cause to be executed in the name and on behalf of the Corporation or otherwise, such written proxies, powers of attorney or other instruments as they may deem necessary or proper in order that the Corporation may exercise its powers and rights.
The shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, unless the Charter otherwise provides or unless the Board provides by resolution or resolutions that some or all of the shares of any class or classes, or series thereof, of the Corporation’s capital stock shall be uncertificated. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares previously represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Certificates, if any, for shares of stock of the Corporation shall be issued under the seal of the Corporation, or a facsimile thereof, and shall be numbered and shall be entered in the books of the Corporation as they are issued. Each certificate, if any, shall bear a serial number, shall exhibit the holder’s name and the number of shares evidenced thereby, and shall be signed by the Chairperson of the Board or a Vice Chairperson, if any, or the Chief Executive Officer or the President or any Vice President, and by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer or officers who shall have signed any such certificate or certificates shall cease to be such officer or officers of the Corporation, whether because of death, resignation or otherwise, before such certificate or certificates shall have been delivered by the Corporation, such certificate or certificates may nevertheless be adopted by the Corporation and be issued and delivered as though the person or persons who signed such certificate or certificates had not ceased to be such officer or officers of the Corporation.
The names and addresses of the holders of record of the shares of each class and series of the Corporation’s capital stock, together with the number of shares of each class and series held by each record holder and the date of issue of such shares, shall be entered on the books of the Corporation. The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares of capital stock of the Corporation as the person entitled to exercise the rights of a stockholder, including, without limitation, the right to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation. The Corporation shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other
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claim to or interest in any such shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly required by the DGCL or other applicable law.
The transfer of stock and certificates, if any, that represent the stock of the Corporation shall be governed by Article 8 of Subtitle 1 of Title 6 of the Delaware Code (the Uniform Commercial Code), as amended from time to time.
Registration of transfers of shares of the Corporation shall be made only on the books of the Corporation upon written request of the registered holder thereof, or of such holder’s attorney thereunto authorized by power of attorney duly executed and filed with the Secretary of the Corporation, and upon the surrender of the certificate or certificates, if any, for such shares properly endorsed or accompanied by a stock power duly executed.
Each stockholder shall designate to the Secretary an address at which notices of meetings and all other corporate notices may be served or mailed to such stockholder, and, if any stockholder shall fail to designate such address, corporate notices may be served upon any such stockholder by mail directed to such stockholder at the post-office address, if any, as appears on the share record books of the Corporation or at such stockholder’s last known post-office address.
The holder of any shares of the Corporation shall immediately notify the Corporation of any loss, destruction or mutilation of the certificate therefor, and the Board may, in its discretion, cause to be issued to any such stockholder a new certificate or certificates for such shares, or shares in uncertificated form, upon the surrender of the mutilated certificates or, in the case of loss or destruction of the certificate, upon satisfactory proof of such loss or destruction, and the Board may, in its discretion, require the owner of the lost or destroyed certificate or such owner’s legal representative to give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as it may direct to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss or destruction of any such certificate.
The Board may make such rules and regulations as it may deem expedient, not inconsistent with these Bylaws, concerning the issue, transfer and registration of certificates, if any, for stock of the Corporation.
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Dividends upon the capital stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of the Charter, if any, may be declared by the Board at any regular or special meeting, or any action by written consent in lieu of such meeting, pursuant to law. Dividends may be paid in cash, property or shares of the capital stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of the Charter.
Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the directors from time to time, in their absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund to meet contingencies, for equalizing dividends, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, or for such other purpose as the directors shall think conducive to the interests of the Corporation. The directors may reduce or abolish any such reserve at any time.
The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be such fiscal year as the Board from time to time by resolution may determine.
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The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or any person who is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any 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 DGCL.
Any amendment or repeal of the provisions of this Article VIII, or the adoption of any provision inconsistent with the provisions of this Article VIII, shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any indemnitee in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment or repeal (regardless of whether the proceeding relating to such act or omission, or any proceeding relating to such person’s rights to indemnification or to advancement of expenses, is commenced before or after the time of such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption), and any such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption that would adversely affect such person’s rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses hereunder shall be ineffective as to such person, except with respect to any proceeding that relates to or arises from (and only to the extent such proceeding relates to or arises from) any act or omission of such person occurring after the effective time of such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption.
If any provision or provisions of this Article VIII shall be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (1) the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Article VIII (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph or clause containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby; and (2) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Article VIII (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph or
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clause containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable.
Any bylaw (including these Bylaws) may be adopted, amended or repealed by the requisite affirmative vote of shares present in person or represented in proxy at a meeting of the stockholders and entitled to vote or by the vote of the Board or by the directors’ written consent pursuant to Section 3.6 of Article III.
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