EX-3.1 3 nt10025000x14_ex3-1.htm EXHIBIT 3.1

Exhibit 3.1

AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
PROOF ACQUISITION CORP I



Pursuant to Sections 242 and 245 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law



PROOF Acquisition Corp I, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), by its Chief Executive Officer, hereby certifies as follows:

1. The name of the Corporation is “PROOF Acquisition Corp I”

2. The Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation was filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on March 16, 2021 (the “Certificate of Incorporation”).

3. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”) restates, integrates and amends the Certificate of Incorporation.

4. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted by written consent of the directors and stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 141(f), 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time (“DGCL”).

5. The text of the Certificate of Incorporation is hereby amended and restated to read in full as follows:

FIRST: The name of the corporation is PROOF Acquisition Corp I (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Corporation”).

SECOND: The registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is located at 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, Zip Code 19801, New Castle County.  The name of the Registered Agent at such address upon whom process against this corporation may be served is The Corporation Trust Company.

THIRD: The purpose of the Corporation shall be to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL. In addition to the powers and privileges conferred upon the Corporation by law and those incidental thereto, the Corporation shall possess and may exercise all the powers and privileges that are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business or purposes of the Corporation including, but not limited to, effecting a Business Combination (as defined below).

FOURTH: The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 83,500,000 of which 82,500,000 shares shall be Common Stock of the par value of $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), representing (a) 70,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock (“Class A Common Stock”) and (b) 12,500,000 shares of Class B Common Stock (“Class B Common Stock”), and 1,000,000 shares shall be Preferred Stock of the par value of $0.0001 per share.

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A.          Preferred Stock. Subject to paragraph I of Article FIFTH, the Board of Directors is expressly granted authority to issue shares of the Preferred Stock, in one or more series, and to fix for each series the voting powers, full or limited, and the designations, preferences, and relative, participating, optional, or other special rights and the 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 issue of the series (a “Preferred Stock Designation”) and as may be permitted by the DGCL. The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, without a separate vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or any series thereof, unless a vote of any the holders is required pursuant to any Preferred Stock Designation.

B.          Common Stock.

(1)          Voting.

(a)          Except as otherwise required by law or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation), the holders of the Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power with respect to the Corporation.

(b)          Except as otherwise required by law or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation), the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote for each such share on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders on which the holders of the Common Stock are entitled to vote.

(c)          Except as otherwise required by law or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation and paragraph J of Article FIFTH), at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, holders of the Class A Common Stock and holders of the Class B Common Stock, voting together as a single class, shall have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors and on all other matters properly submitted to a vote of the stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise required by law or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation), holders of shares of any series of Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any amendment to any Preferred Stock Designation) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock or other series of Common Stock if the holders of the affected series of Preferred Stock or Common Stock, as applicable, are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation) or the DGCL.

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(2)          Class B Common Stock.

(a)          Shares of Class B Common Stock shall be convertible into shares of Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis (the “Initial Conversion Ratio”) (i) at any time and from time to time at the option of the holder thereof, and (ii) automatically at the time of the closing of the Business Combination (as defined below).

(b)          Notwithstanding the Initial Conversion Ratio, in the case that additional shares of Class A Common Stock, or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Class A Common Stock (“equity-linked securities”), are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in the Corporation’s initial public offering of securities (the “IPO”) and related to the closing of the initial Business Combination, the ratio at which shares of Class B common stock will convert into shares of Class A common stock will be adjusted so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the sum of the shares outstanding upon the consummation of the IPO plus the number of shares of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the initial Business Combination, excluding any shares of Class A common stock or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the initial Business Combination and any securities issued privately concurrently with the IPO or upon conversion of working capital loans made to the Corporation.

(c)          Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, (i) the foregoing adjustment to the Initial Conversion Ratio may be waived as to any particular issuance or deemed issuance of additional shares of Class A Common Stock or equity-linked securities by the written consent or agreement of holders of a majority of the shares of Class B Common Stock then outstanding consenting or agreeing separately as a single class, and (ii) in no event shall the Class B Common Stock convert into Class A Common Stock at a ratio that is less than one-for-one.

(d)          The foregoing conversion ratio shall also be adjusted to account for any subdivision (by stock split, subdivision, exchange, stock dividend, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse stock split, exchange, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or similar reclassification or recapitalization of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock into a greater or lesser number of shares occurring after the original filing of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation without a proportionate and corresponding subdivision, combination or similar reclassification or recapitalization of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock.

(e)          Each share of Class B Common Stock shall convert into its pro rata number of shares of Class A Common Stock pursuant to this section. The pro rata share for each holder of Class B Common Stock will be determined as follows: Each share of Class B Common Stock shall convert into such number of shares of Class A Common Stock as is equal to the product of one (1) multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Class A Common Stock into which all of the issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock shall be converted pursuant to this section and the denominator of which shall be the total number of issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock at the time of conversion.

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(f)          Except as otherwise required by law or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation), for so long as any shares of Class B Common Stock shall remain outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the prior vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of Class B Common Stock then outstanding, voting separately as a single class, amend, alter or repeal any provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, if such amendment, alteration or repeal would alter or change the powers, preferences or relative, participating, optional or other or special rights of the Class B Common Stock. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the holders of Class B Common Stock may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of the outstanding Class B Common Stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of Class B Common Stock were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business, or an officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which minutes of proceedings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to the Corporation’s registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. Prompt written notice of the taking of corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent of the holders of Class B Common Stock shall, to the extent required by law, be given to those holders of Class B Common Stock who have not consented in writing and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for notice of such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders of Class B Common Stock to take the action were delivered to the Corporation.

(3)          Dividends. Subject to applicable law, the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of the Preferred Stock and the provisions of Article FIFTH, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive dividends and other distributions when, as and if declared thereon by the Board of Directors from time to time out of any assets or funds of the Corporation legally available therefor and shall share equally on a per share basis in any dividends and distributions.  Dividends or distributions, if declared, may be paid in cash, property, or capital stock of the Corporation.

(4)          Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up of the Corporation. Subject to applicable law, the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of the Preferred Stock and the provisions of Article FIFTH, in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of the Corporation, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive all the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders, ratably in proportion to the number of shares of Class A Common Stock (on an as converted basis with respect to the Class B Common Stock) held by them.

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C.          Rights, Warrants, and Options. Subject to the provisions of Article FIFTH, the Corporation has the authority to create and issue rights, warrants and options entitling the holders thereof to acquire from the Corporation any shares of its capital stock of any class or classes, with such rights, warrants and options to be evidenced by or in instruments approved by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is empowered to set the exercise price, duration, times for exercise, and other terms and conditions of such rights, warrants or options; provided, however, that the consideration to be received for any shares of capital stock issuable upon exercise thereof may not be less than the par value thereof.

FIFTH: The introduction and the following provisions (A) through (J) of this Article FIFTH shall apply during the period commencing upon the filing of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and terminating upon the consummation of any Business Combination (as defined below) and no amendment to this Article FIFTH shall be effective during the Target Business Acquisition Period (as defined below) unless approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-five percent (65%) of all then outstanding shares of Common Stock; provided, however, that the provisions of paragraph J below may only be amended by approval of a majority of at least ninety percent (90%) of the shares of all then outstanding Common Stock.

The “Target Business Acquisition Period” shall mean the period from the effectiveness of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (“Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) in connection with the IPO up to and including the first to occur of (a) a Business Combination and (b) the end of the Completion Window (as defined below).

A “Business Combination” shall mean any merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination involving the Corporation and one or more businesses or entities (“Target Business” or “Target Businesses”). So long as the Corporation’s securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the Target Business or Target Businesses acquired in the Business Combination must together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the signing of the definitive agreement governing the terms of the initial Business Combination. If the Corporation acquires less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a Target Business, the portion of such Target Business that the Corporation acquires is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% fair market value test.

The “Completion Window” shall mean the period of time commencing on, and including, the closing date of the IPO and ending on the date that is the later of (i) 18 months after such closing date of the IPO and (ii) if the Corporation’s sponsor, or its affiliates or designees, has given five days advance notice prior to the expiry of such 18 month period, and deposited into the Trust Account US$2,000,000, or up to US$2,300,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full (US$0.10 per issued and outstanding share of Class A Common Stock in either case) on or prior to the expiry of such 18 month period, but has not completed the initial Business Combination within such 18 month period, the date that is 21 months after such closing date of the IPO and (iii) if the Corporation’s sponsor, or its affiliates or designees, has given five days advance notice prior to the expiry of such 21 month period referred to in paragraph (ii), and deposited into the Trust Account an additional US$2,000,000, or up to US$2,300,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full (US$0.10 per issued and outstanding share of Class A Common Stock in either case) on or prior to the expiry of such 21 month period, but has not completed the initial Business Combination within such 21 month period, the date that is 24 months after such closing date of the IPO.

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“Trust Account” shall mean the trust account established by the Corporation at the consummation of the IPO and into which a certain amount of the net proceeds of the IPO and simultaneous private placement is deposited, all as described in the Registration Statement. Except for the withdrawal of interest to pay franchise and income taxes, none of the funds held in the Trust Account (including the interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account) will be released from the Trust Account except as described herein.

A.          Prior to the consummation of any Business Combination, the Corporation shall either (i) submit such Business Combination to its stockholders for approval (“Proxy Solicitation”) pursuant to the proxy rules promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), or (ii) provide all holders of its Common Stock with the opportunity to sell their shares to the Corporation, effective upon consummation of such Business Combination, for cash through a tender offer (“Tender Offer”) pursuant to the tender offer rules promulgated under the Exchange Act.

B.          If the Corporation engages in a Proxy Solicitation in connection with any proposed Business Combination, the Corporation will consummate such Business Combination only if a majority of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock present and entitled to vote at the meeting to approve the Business Combination are voted for the approval of such Business Combination (subject to the limitation set forth in paragraph E(a) below). A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding Common Stock representing a majority of the voting power of the Corporation entitled to vote at such meeting.

C.          In the event of a Proxy Solicitation in connection with any proposed Business Combination, the Corporation will provide any holder of shares of Common Stock sold in the IPO (whether such are purchased in connection with the IPO or in the secondary market following the IPO) (the “IPO Shares”) the right to redeem their IPO Shares for cash, subject to the consummation of such Business Combination. The Corporation shall, promptly after consummation of the Business Combination, redeem such shares properly submitted for redemption for cash at a per share price equal to the quotient determined by dividing (i) the amount then held in the Trust Account net of taxes payable, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, by (ii) the total number of IPO Shares then outstanding (such price being referred to as the “Redemption Price”).

The Corporation may require any holder of IPO Shares who demands that the Corporation redeem such IPO Shares for cash to either tender such holder’s certificates to the Corporation’s transfer agent at any time prior to the vote taken at the stockholder meeting relating to such Business Combination or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System up to two business days prior to the vote taken at the stockholder meeting relating to such Business Combination, with the exact requirements for delivery of the IPO Shares, including whether a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares, to be set forth in the proxy materials relating to such Business Combination.

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If the Corporation offers to redeem the IPO Shares in conjunction with a stockholder vote on an initial Business Combination pursuant to a Proxy Solicitation, a stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), shall be restricted from redeeming IPO Shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the IPO Shares without the consent of the Corporation.

If the Corporation seeks to amend this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Corporation’s obligation to allow redemption in connection with its initial Business Combination or an amendment described in this clause (A) or in clause (B) or to redeem 100% of the IPO Shares if the Corporation does not complete its initial Business Combination within the Completion Window, or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, then the Corporation shall provide holders of IPO Shares with the opportunity to redeem their IPO Shares upon the approval of any such amendment, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, divided by the number of then outstanding IPO Shares. The Corporation’s ability to provide such redemption opportunity is subject to the limitation set forth in paragraph E(a) below.

D.          If the Corporation engages in a Tender Offer, the Corporation shall file tender offer documents with the Commission prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the Business Combination as is required under the proxy rules promulgated under the Exchange Act and that would have been included in any proxy statement filed with the Commission in connection with a Proxy Solicitation, even if such information is not required under the tender offer rules promulgated under the Exchange Act. The per-share price at which the Corporation will repurchase the IPO Shares in any such Tender Offer shall be equal to the Redemption Price. The Corporation shall not purchase any shares of Common Stock other than IPO Shares in any such Tender Offer.

E.          The Corporation will not consummate any Business Combination (a) unless it has net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule 3a51-1(g)(1) of the Exchange Act, or any successor rule) of at least $5,000,001 or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to the initial Business Combination either immediately prior to or upon consummation of such Business Combination and (b) solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations.

F.          In the event that the Corporation does not consummate a Business Combination within the Completion Window, the Corporation shall (i) cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten (10) business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the IPO Shares for cash for a redemption price per share equal to the aggregate amount then held in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Corporation to pay taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the total number of IPO Shares then outstanding (which redemption will completely extinguish such holders’ rights as stockholders, including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to approval of the Corporation’s then stockholders and subject to the requirements of the DGCL, including the adoption of a resolution by the Board of Directors pursuant to Section 275(a) of the DGCL finding the dissolution of the Corporation advisable and the provision of such notices as are required by said Section 275(a) of the DGCL, dissolve and liquidate, subject (in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above) to the Corporation’s obligations under the DGCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law.

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G.          A holder of IPO Shares shall be entitled to receive distributions from the Trust Account only in the event (i) he or she validly demands redemption of his or her shares in accordance with paragraph C above in connection with any Proxy Solicitation, (ii) he or she validly sells his or her shares to the Corporation in accordance with paragraph D above in connection with any Tender Offer, (iii) that the Corporation has not consummated a Business Combination within the Completion Window or (iv) the Corporation seeks to amend the provisions of this Article FIFTH or any other provision herein relating to stockholders’ rights and pre-initial Business Combination activity prior to the consummation of a Business Combination. In no other circumstances shall a holder of IPO Shares have any right or interest of any kind in or to the Trust Account, and no stockholder other than a holder of IPO Shares shall have any interest in or to the Trust Account.

H.          The Corporation shall not consummate a Business Combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of the Corporation’s pre-IPO stockholders, officers, directors or sponsor or any of their affiliates unless the Corporation, or a committee of the Corporation’s independent directors, has obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that such a Business Combination is fair to the Corporation from a financial point of view and a majority of the Corporation’s disinterested independent directors approve such Business Combination.

I.          Prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, the Board of Directors may not issue any securities which would entitle the holder thereof to (1) participate in or otherwise be entitled in any manner to any of the proceeds in the Trust Account or (2) vote as a class with the Common Stock (a) on any initial Business Combination or (b) to approve any amendment to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

J.          Prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, only holders of the Class B Common Stock then outstanding shall have the right to vote on the appointment of directors. Holders of the Class A Common Stock held by the public shall not be entitled to vote on the appointment of directors during such time. In addition, prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, holders of a majority of the Class B Common Stock then outstanding may remove a member of the Board of Directors for any reason.

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SIXTH: The following provisions are inserted for the governance of stockholder meetings, notice thereof and action by written consent:

A.          Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of the Preferred Stock, and to the requirements of applicable law, special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, or the Board pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Board, and the ability of the stockholders to call a special meeting is hereby specifically denied. Except as provided in the foregoing sentence, special meetings of stockholders may not be called by another person or persons.

B.          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 Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation (the “Bylaws”).

C.          Except as may be otherwise provided for or fixed pursuant to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation) relating to the rights of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, subsequent to the consummation of a Business Combination, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected by a duly called annual or special meeting of such stockholders and may not be effected by written consent of the stockholders other than with respect to our Class B Common Stock with respect to which action may be taken by written consent.

SEVENTH: 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.          In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by law, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, alter and repeal the Bylaws, subject to the power of the stockholders of the Corporation to alter or repeal any bylaw whether adopted by them or otherwise.

B.          The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by, or under the direction of, the Board of Directors. In addition to the powers and authority expressly conferred upon the Board of Directors by statute, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws, the Board of Directors is 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 DGCL, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and any bylaws adopted by the stockholders; provided, however, that no bylaws hereafter adopted by the stockholders shall invalidate any prior act of the Board of Directors that would have been valid if such bylaws had not been adopted.

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C.          The number of directors of the Corporation shall be fixed from time to time exclusively by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible and designated Class I, Class II and Class III. The Board of Directors is authorized to assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to Class I, Class II or Class III. The term of the initial Class I directors shall expire at the first annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation following the effectiveness of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation; the term of the initial Class II directors shall expire at the second annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation following the effectiveness of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation; and the term of the initial Class III directors shall expire at the third annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation following the effectiveness of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. At each succeeding annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, beginning with the first annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation following the effectiveness of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that annual meeting shall be elected for a three-year term or until the election and qualification of their respective successors in office, subject to their earlier death, resignation or removal. If the number of directors is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned by the Board of Directors among the classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, but in no case shall a decrease in the number of directors shorten the term of any incumbent director. Except as otherwise required by law or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation and paragraph J of Article FIFTH), the election of directors shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote thereon. The Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized, by resolution or resolutions thereof, to assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to the aforesaid classes at the time this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and therefore such classification becomes effective in accordance with the DGCL.

D.          A director shall hold office until the annual meeting for the year in which his or her term expires and until his or her successor has been elected and qualified, subject, however, to such director’s earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal. Unless and except to the extent that the Bylaws shall so require, the election of directors need not be by written ballot.

E.          Except as otherwise required by law or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation and paragraph J of Article FIFTH), newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on the Board resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal or other cause may be filled solely and exclusively by a majority vote of the remaining directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director (and not by stockholders), and any director so chosen shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors to which the new directorship was added or in which the vacancy occurred and until his or her successor has been elected and qualified, subject, however, to such director’s earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal.

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F.          Except as otherwise required by law or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation and paragraph J of Article FIFTH), any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.

G.          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 special meeting of the stockholders called for the purpose of considering any such contract or act, 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), unless a higher vote is required by applicable law, 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.

EIGHTH: The following provisions are inserted to limit liability of directors and provide indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law.

A.          A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, 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 unless they violated their duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived improper personal benefit from their actions as directors. Any amendment, modification or repeal of the foregoing sentence shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation hereunder in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment, modification or repeal.

B.          To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, the Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless each person who is or was made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “proceeding”) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (an “indemnitee”), whether the basis of such proceeding is 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, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred by such indemnitee in connection with such proceeding. The Corporation shall to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an indemnitee in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that, to the extent required by applicable law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking, by or on behalf of the indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article EIGHTH or otherwise. The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred by this Article EIGHTH shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses, the Corporation shall indemnify and advance expenses to an indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors.

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C.          The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred on any indemnitee by this Article EIGHTH shall not be exclusive of any other rights that any indemnitee may have or hereafter acquire under law, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.

D.          Any repeal or amendment of this Article EIGHTH by the stockholders of the Corporation or by changes in law with regard to indemnification and advancement of expenses, or the adoption of any other provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article EIGHTH in this regard, shall, unless otherwise required by law, be prospective only (except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis than permitted prior thereto), and shall not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision in respect of any proceeding (regardless of when such proceeding is first threatened, commenced or completed) arising out of, or related to, any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.

E.          This Article EIGHTH shall not limit the right of the Corporation, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than indemnitees.

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.

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TENTH: The following provisions are inserted for the governance of derivative actions or proceedings brought on behalf of the Corporation.

A.          Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, or any claim for aiding and abetting any such alleged breach, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers, or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine except for, as to each of (i) through (iv) above, any claim (A) as to which the Court of Chancery determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or (C) arising under the federal securities laws, including the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as to which the Court of Chancery and the federal district court for the District of Delaware shall concurrently be the sole and exclusive forums. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this paragraph A will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the sole and exclusive forum. If an action is brought outside Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel.

B.          If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of paragraph A above is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce paragraph A above (an “Enforcement Action”) and (ii) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such Enforcement Action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.

C.          If any provision or provisions of this Article TENTH shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article TENTH (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Article TENTH containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article TENTH.

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ELEVENTH: The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change, add, or repeal any provision contained in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation), in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the DGCL; and, except as set forth in Article EIGHT, all rights, preferences and privileges herein conferred upon stockholders, directors, or any other persons by and pursuant to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation in its present form or as hereafter amended are granted subject to the right reserved in this article ELEVENTH; provided, however, that Article FIFTH of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation may be amended only as provided therein.

TWELFTH: The doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any other analogous doctrine, shall not apply with respect to the Corporation or any of its officers or directors in circumstances where the application of any such doctrine would conflict with any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations they may have as of the date of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or in the future, and the Corporation renounces any expectancy that any of the directors or officers of the Corporation will offer any such corporate opportunity of which he or she may become aware to the Corporation. In addition to the foregoing, the doctrine of corporate opportunity shall not apply to any other corporate opportunity with respect to any of the directors or officers of the Corporation unless such corporate opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the Corporation and such opportunity is one the Corporation is legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for the Corporation to pursue.

THIRTEENTH: The following provisions are inserted for the governance of the limitation on business combinations:

A.          The Corporation hereby expressly elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall not engage in any business combination (as defined below), at any point in time at which the Corporation’s Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act with any interested stockholder (as defined below) for a period of three (3) years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

(a) prior to such time, the Board of Directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, or

(b) upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned by (i) persons who are directors and also officers of the Corporation and (ii) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer, or

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(c) at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by the Board and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

B.          Solely for purposes of this Article THIRTEENTH, references to:

(a) “affiliate” means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, another person.

(b) “associate,” when used to indicate a relationship with any person, means: (i) any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity of which such person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of any class of voting stock; (ii) any trust or other estate in which such person has at least a twenty percent (20%) beneficial interest or as to which such person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (iii) any relative or spouse of such person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same residence as such person.

(c) “business combination,” when used in reference to the Corporation and any interested stockholder of the Corporation, means:

(i) any merger or consolidation of the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (a) with the interested stockholder, or (b) with any other corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity if the merger or consolidation is caused by the interested stockholder and as a result of such merger or consolidation paragraph A above is not applicable to the surviving entity;

(ii) any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions), except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation, to or with the interested stockholder, whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which assets have an aggregate market value equal to ten percent (10%) or more of either the aggregate market value of all the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the Corporation;

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(iii) any transaction which results in the issuance or transfer by the Corporation or by any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation of any stock of the Corporation or of such subsidiary to the interested stockholder, except: (a) pursuant to the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which securities were outstanding prior to the time that the interested stockholder became such; (b) pursuant to a merger under Section 251(g) of the DGCL; (c) pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made, or the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which security is distributed, pro rata to all stockholders of a class or series of stock of the Corporation subsequent to the time the interested stockholder became such; (d) pursuant to an exchange offer by the Corporation to purchase stock made on the same terms to all stockholders of said stock; or (e) any issuance or transfer of stock by the Corporation; provided, however, that in no case under items (c)-(e) of this subsection (iii) shall there be an increase in the interested stockholder’s proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the Corporation or of the voting stock of the Corporation (except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments); or

(iv) any transaction involving the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series, or securities convertible into the stock of any class or series, of the Corporation or of any such subsidiary which is owned by the interested stockholder, except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments or as a result of any purchase or redemption of any shares of stock not caused, directly or indirectly, by the interested stockholder.

 (d) “control,” including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with,” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting stock, by contract, or otherwise. A person who is the owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity shall be presumed to have control of such entity, in the absence of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to the contrary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a presumption of control shall not apply where such person holds voting stock, in good faith and not for the purpose of circumventing this Article THIRHTEENTH, as an agent, bank, broker, nominee, custodian or trustee for one or more owners who do not individually or as a group have control of such entity.

(e) “Exempted Person” means PROOF Acquisition Sponsor I, LLC, and its affiliates, any of its respective direct or indirect transferees of at least 20% of the Corporation’s outstanding common stock and any “group” (as defined under Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) of which any such person is a part under Rule 13d-5 of the Exchange Act.

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(f) “interested stockholder” means any person (other than the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation) that (i) is the owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the voting stock of the Corporation, or (ii) is an affiliate or associate of the Corporation and was the owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the voting stock of the Corporation at any time within the three (3) year period immediately prior to the date on which it is sought to be determined whether such person is an interested stockholder; and the affiliates and associates of such person; but “interested stockholder” shall not include (a) any Exempted Person, or (b) any person whose ownership of shares in excess of the twenty percent (20%) limitation set forth herein is the result of any action taken solely by the Corporation; provided that with respect to clause (b) such person shall be an interested stockholder if thereafter such person acquires additional shares of voting stock of the Corporation, except as a result of further corporate action not caused, directly or indirectly, by such person. For the purpose of determining whether a person is an interested stockholder, the voting stock of the Corporation deemed to be outstanding shall include stock deemed to be owned by the person through application of the definition of “owner” below but shall not include any other unissued stock of the Corporation which may be issuable pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise.

(g) “owner,” including the terms “own” and “owned,” when used with respect to any stock, means a person that individually or with or through any of its affiliates or associates:

(i) beneficially owns such stock, directly or indirectly; or

(ii) has (a) the right to acquire such stock (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of stock tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such person or any of such person’s affiliates or associates until such tendered stock is accepted for purchase or exchange; or (b) the right to vote such stock pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of any stock because of such person’s right to vote such stock if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such stock arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to ten (10) or more persons; or

(iii) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent as described in item (b) of subsection (2) above), or disposing of such stock with any other person that beneficially owns, or whose affiliates or associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, such stock.

(h) “person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity.

(i) “stock” means, with respect to any corporation, capital stock and, with respect to any other entity, any equity interest.

(j) “voting stock” means stock of any class or series entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by its Chief Executive Officer, as of the 29th day of November, 2021.

 
/s/ John C. Backus, Jr.
 
John C. Backus, Jr.
 
Chief Executive Officer

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