EX-3.1 2 ex3-1.htm

Exhibit 3.1

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

BRAND ENGAGEMENT NETWORK INC.

The name of this corporation is Brand Engagement Network Inc. (the “Corporation”).

II.

The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, County of New Castle, DE 19801. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

III.

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which a corporation may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).

IV.

A. Authorized Stock. The Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, “Common Stock” and “Preferred Stock.” The total number of shares that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 760,000,000 shares, consisting of (1) 750,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value of $0.0001 per share, and (2) 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value of $0.0001 per share.

B. Issuance of Preferred Stock. The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. The Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) is hereby expressly authorized to provide for the issue of all or any of the unissued and undesignated shares of the Preferred Stock, in one or more series, and to fix the number of shares of such series and to determine or alter for each such series, such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designation, preferences, and relative, participating, optional, or other rights and such qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof, as shall be stated and expressed in the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors providing for the issuance of such shares and as may be permitted by the DGCL. The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock, or any series thereof, and Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding plus, if applicable, the number of shares of such class or series reserved for issuance) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, without a separate vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or of any series thereof, or Common Stock, respectively, irrespective of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL, unless a vote of any such holder is required pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock).

C. Rights, Preferences, Privileges and Restrictions of Common Stock.

1. Dividend Rights. Subject to the prior or equal rights, if any, of the holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock duly created hereunder, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive, when and as declared by the Board of Directors out of any funds legally available therefor, such dividends as may be declared from time to time by the Board of Directors.

2. Voting Rights. Each outstanding share of Common Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to one vote on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders of the Corporation for their vote; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by applicable law, holders of Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation filed with respect to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series of Preferred Stock are entitled, either separately or together as a class with the holders of one or more other such series of Preferred Stock, to vote thereon pursuant to applicable law or the Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation filed with respect to any series of Preferred Stock). There shall be no cumulative voting.

3. Liquidation. Upon the dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Corporation, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of the Corporation and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock or any class or series of stock having a preference over or the right to participate with the Common Stock with respect to the distribution of assets of the Corporation upon such dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders ratably in proportion to the number of shares held by them.

For the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and in further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation, of its directors and stockholders, or any class thereof, as the case may be, it is further provided that:

A.	Management of the Business

Except as otherwise provided by the DGCL or the Certificate of Incorporation, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board. Subject to any rights of the holders of shares of any one or more series of Preferred Stock then outstanding to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the number of directors that shall constitute the Board shall be fixed exclusively by the Board.

B.	Board of Directors.

The number of directors of the Corporation which shall constitute the entire Board shall initially be nine and thereafter shall be as determined from time to time by a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board, or by a sole remaining director and not by the stockholders. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the directors shall be divided into three classes designated as Class I, Class II and Class III, respectively. Each class shall consist, as nearly as practicable, of a number of directors equal to one-third of the number of members of the Board of Directors authorized as provided in Section A of this Article V. At the first annual meeting of stockholders following the filing of this Certificate of Incorporation, the initial term of office of the Class I directors shall expire and Class I directors shall be elected for a full term of three years. At the second annual meeting of stockholders following the filing of this Certificate of Incorporation, the initial term of office of the Class II directors shall expire and Class II directors shall be elected for a full term of three years. At the third annual meeting of stockholders following the filing of this Certificate of Incorporation, the initial term of office of the Class III directors shall expire and Class III directors shall be elected for a full term of three years. At each succeeding annual meeting of stockholders, directors shall be elected for a full term of three years to succeed the directors of the class whose terms expire at such annual meeting. At any time that applicable law prohibits a classified board as described in this Article V, all directors shall be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders to hold office until the next annual meeting. No stockholder entitled to vote at an election for directors may cumulate votes.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, each director shall serve until such director’s successor is duly elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal. If the total number of directors is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned by the Board among the classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, and any additional director of any class elected to fill a newly created directorship resulting from an increase in such class shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class, but in no case shall a decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board remove or shorten the term of any incumbent director.

C.	Removal of Directors.

For so long as the Board of Directors is classified and subject to the rights of any series of Preferred Stock to remove directors elected by such series of Preferred Stock, any individual director or the entire Board of Directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause, and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 50% of the voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally at an election of directors, voting together as a single class.

D.	Vacancies.

Subject to any limitations imposed by applicable law and subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors or fill vacancies in respect of such directors, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal or other causes and any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors, shall be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, or by a sole remaining director, and not by the stockholders. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the director for which the vacancy was created or occurred and until such director’s successor shall have been elected and qualified or such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal.

E.	Preferred Stockholders’ Election Rights.

Whenever the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock shall have the right, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, removal and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock) applicable thereto. The number of directors that may be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the number fixed pursuant to Section A of Article V hereof, and the total number of directors constituting the whole Board shall be automatically adjusted accordingly. Except as otherwise provided by the Board in the resolution or resolutions establishing such series, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect additional directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such stock, the terms of office of all such additional directors elected by the holders of such stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate (in which case each such director thereupon shall cease to be qualified as, and shall cease to be, a director) and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be reduced accordingly.

F.	Bylaw Amendments.

The Board of Directors is expressly authorized and empowered to adopt, amend or repeal any provisions of the Bylaws of the Corporation (as amended from time to time, the “Bylaws”). The stockholders shall also have power to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws; provided, however, that, in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, such action by stockholders shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 50% of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the matter, voting together as a single class.

G.	Stockholder Actions.

The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws so provide.

	2.	Subject to any rights of the holders of shares of any one or more series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders and may not be effected by consent in lieu of a meeting.

	3.	Subject to any rights of the holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Board of Directors acting pursuant to a vote of, or resolution adopted by, the majority of the Board of Directors, but a special meeting may not be called by any other person or persons and any power of stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders is specifically denied. Only such business shall be considered at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been stated in the notice for such meeting.

	4.	An annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors to succeed those whose terms expire and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting, shall be held at such place, if any, on such date, and at such time as shall be fixed exclusively by the Board or a duly authorized committee thereof.

	5.	Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws.

VI.

A. No director or officer of the Corporation shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended. Any amendment, modification or repeal of the foregoing sentence shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of the Corporation hereunder in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment, modification or repeal.

VII.

A. The Corporation shall have the power to provide rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses to its current and former officers, directors, employees and agents and to 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.

VIII.

A. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware lacks subject matter jurisdiction, any state court located within the State of Delaware or, if and only if all such state courts lack subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) and any appellate court therefrom shall be the sole and exclusive forum for the following claims or causes of action under Delaware statutory or common law: (A) any derivative claim or cause of action brought on behalf of the Corporation; (B) any claim or cause of action for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer or other employee or stockholder of the Corporation, to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders; (C) any claim or cause of action against the Corporation or any current or former director, officer or other employee of the Corporation, arising out of or pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws; (D) any claim or cause of action seeking to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws (including any right, obligation, or remedy thereunder); (E) any claim or cause of action as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; and (F) any claim or cause of action against the Corporation or any current or former director, officer or other employee of the Corporation, governed by the internal-affairs doctrine or otherwise related to the Corporation’s internal affairs, in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and subject to the court having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. This Section A of Article VIII shall not apply to claims or causes of action brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

B. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the 1933 Act, including all causes of action asserted against any defendant named in such complaint. For the avoidance of doubt, this provision is intended to benefit and may be enforced by the Corporation, its officers and directors, the underwriters for any offering giving rise to such complaint, and any other professional entity whose profession gives authority to a statement made by that person or entity and who has prepared or certified any part of the documents underlying the offering.

C. Failure to enforce the foregoing provisions would cause the Corporation irreparable harm, and the Corporation shall be entitled to equitable relief, including injunctive relief and specific performance, to enforce the foregoing provisions.

IX.

A. Any person or entity holding, owning, or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation.

B. The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal, at any time and from time to time, any provision contained in the Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, except as provided in Section C of this Article IX and all rights, preferences and privileges of whatsoever nature conferred upon the stockholders, directors or any other persons whomsoever by and pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation are granted subject to this reservation.

C. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation or any provision of applicable law that might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to any affirmative vote of the holders of any particular class or series of capital stock of the Corporation required by applicable law or by the Certificate of Incorporation or any certificate of designation filed with respect to a series of Preferred Stock, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 50% of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to alter, amend or repeal (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise), or adopt any provision inconsistent with, Articles V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X and XI.

A. The Corporation hereby renounces any interest or expectancy in any business opportunity, transaction or other matter in which any Designated Party participates or desires or seeks to participate in and that involves any aspect of the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage (each, a “Business Opportunity”) other than a Business Opportunity that (i) is first presented to a Designated Party solely in such person’s capacity as a director or officer of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries and with respect to which, at the time of such presentment, no other Designated Party (other than a Nominee) has independently received notice of or otherwise identified such Business Opportunity or (ii) is identified by a Designated Party solely through the disclosure of information by or on behalf of the Corporation (each Business Opportunity other than those referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) are referred to as a “Renounced Business Opportunity”). No Designated Party, including any Nominee, shall have any obligation to communicate or offer any Renounced Business Opportunity to the Corporation, and any Designated Party may pursue a Renounced Business Opportunity, provided that such Renounced Business Opportunity is conducted by such Designated Party in accordance with the standard set forth in Section B of this Article X. The Corporation shall not be prohibited from pursuing any Business Opportunity with respect to which it has renounced any interest or expectancy as a result of this Section A of Article X. Nothing in this Section A of Article X. shall be construed to allow any director to usurp a Business Opportunity of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries solely for his or her personal benefit.

B. In the event that a Designated Party acquires knowledge of a Renounced Business Opportunity, such Designated Party may pursue such Renounced Business Opportunity if such Renounced Business Opportunity is developed and pursued solely through the use of personnel and assets of the Designated Party (including, as applicable, such Designated Party in his or her capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of a Designated Party).

C. Provided a Renounced Business Opportunity is conducted by a Designated Party in accordance with the standards set forth in Section B of this Article X, no Designated Party shall be liable to the Corporation or a stockholder of the Corporation for breach of any fiduciary or other duty by reason of such Renounced Business Opportunity. In addition, subject to Section D of this Article X. hereof, no Designated Party shall be liable to the Corporation or a stockholder of the Corporation for breach of any fiduciary duty as a director or controlling stockholder of the Corporation, as applicable, by reason of the fact that such Designated Party conducts, pursues or acquires such Renounced Business Opportunity for itself, directs such Renounced Business Opportunity to another Person or does not communicate information regarding such Renounced Business Opportunity to the Corporation.

D. Should any director of the Corporation have actual knowledge that he or she or his or her Affiliates is pursuing a Renounced Business Opportunity also pursued by the Corporation, he or she shall disclose to the Board that he or she may have a conflict of interest, so that the Board may consider his or her withdrawal from discussions in Board deliberations, as appropriate.

	(a)	For purposes of this Article X, “*Designated Parties*” shall include all Subsidiaries and Affiliates of each Designated Party (other than the Corporation and its Subsidiaries).

	(b)	As used in this Article X, the following definitions shall apply:

(i) “Affiliate” means with respect to a specified person, a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the person specified, and any directors, officers, partners or 5% or more owners of such person.

(ii) “Designated Parties” means October 3rd Holdings, LLC and any member of the Board who is not at the time also an officer of the Corporation or any entity through which such Person operates (each of which being a “Designated Party”).

(iii) “Nominee” means any officer, director, employee or other agent of any Designated Party who serves as a director (including Chairman of the Board) or officer of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries.

(iv) “Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, unincorporated organization or other legal or business entity.

(v) “Subsidiary” or “Subsidiaries” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any other Person the majority of the voting securities of which are owned, directly or indirectly, by such first Person.

F. The provisions of this Article X shall terminate and be of no further force and effect at such time as no Designated Party serves as a director (including Chairman of the Board) or officer of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries.

XI.

A. The Corporation hereby expressly elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.

XII.

A. If any provision or provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

The Corporation has caused this Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation on this 14th day of March, 2024.

	By:	/s/ Michael Zacharski
		Michael Zacharski
		Chief Executive Officer