EX-3.1 2 exhibit31amendedandrestate.htm EX-3.1 Document
Exhibit 3.1
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.
The undersigned, Laura J. Alber, hereby certifies that:
1.The undersigned is the duly elected and acting President and Chief Executive Officer of Williams-Sonoma, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
2.The Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation was originally filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on March 8, 2011.
3.The following Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been duly adopted by this corporation’s Board of Directors and stockholders in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
4.The Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation shall be amended and restated as set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by Laura J. Alber, a duly authorized officer of the company on this 25th day of May, 2011.

/s/ Laura J. Alber            
Laura J. Alber
Its: President and Chief Executive Officer



EXHIBIT A
ARTICLE I
The name of the corporation is Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
ARTICLE II
The address of the corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, 19808. The name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.
ARTICLE III
The purpose of the corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).
ARTICLE IV
The total number of shares of stock that the corporation shall have authority to issue is 260,625,000, consisting of the following:
253,125,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share. Each share of Common Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to one (1) vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders.
7,500,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, which may be issued from time to time in one or more series pursuant to a resolution or resolutions providing for such issue duly adopted by the Board of Directors (authority to do so being hereby expressly vested in the Board of Directors). The Board of Directors is further authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by law, to fix by resolution or resolutions the designations, powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of any wholly unissued series of Preferred Stock, including without limitation authority to fix by resolution or resolutions the dividend rights, dividend rate, conversion rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions), redemption price or prices, and liquidation preferences of any such series, and the number of shares constituting any such series and the designation thereof, or any of the foregoing.
The Board of Directors is further authorized to increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of the class) or decrease (but not below the number of shares of any such series then outstanding) the number of shares of any series, the number of which was fixed by it, subsequent to the issuance of shares of such series then outstanding, subject to the powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof stated in the Certificate of Incorporation or the resolution of the Board of Directors originally fixing the




number of shares of such series. If the number of shares of any series is so decreased, then the shares constituting such decrease shall resume the status which they had prior to the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of such series.
ARTICLE V
The number of directors that constitutes the entire Board of Directors of the corporation shall be fixed by, or in the manner provided in, the Bylaws of the corporation. At each annual meeting of stockholders, directors of the corporation shall be elected to hold office until the expiration of the term for which they are elected and until their successors have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal; except that if any such election shall not be so held, such election shall take place at a stockholders’ meeting called and held in accordance with the DGCL.
Vacancies occurring on the Board of Directors for any reason and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled only by vote of a majority of the remaining members of the Board of Directors, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, at any meeting of the Board of Directors. A person so elected by the Board of Directors to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship shall hold office until the next succeeding annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor shall be duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal.
ARTICLE VI
Except as otherwise provided in the Bylaws, the Bylaws may be amended or repealed or new Bylaws adopted by the vote or written consent of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors of the corporation is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the corporation.
ARTICLE VII
Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the corporation shall so provide.
ARTICLE VIII
Any action required or permitted to be taken at an annual or special meeting of stockholders 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 holders of record on the record date (established in the manner provided in the Bylaws) of outstanding shares of the Corporation 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 entitled to vote thereon were present and voted; provided, however, that in the case of the election or removal of
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directors by written consent, such consent shall be effective only if signed by the holders of all outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of directors.
In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than ten days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors. Any stockholder of record seeking to have the stockholders authorize or take corporate action by written consent shall, by written notice to the attention of the Secretary of the Corporation, request the Board of Directors to fix a record date. The Board of Directors shall promptly, but in all events within ten days after the date on which such a request is received, adopt a resolution fixing the record date. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors within ten days of the date on which such a request is received, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is 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 proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors and prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be at the close of business on the date on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.
ARTICLE IX
Except as provided in the resolutions establishing the terms of any series of Preferred Stock as provided in Article IV above, in the election of directors, each holder of shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation shall be entitled to one vote for each share held. No stockholder will be permitted to cumulate votes at any election of directors.
ARTICLE X
Special meetings of the stockholders may be called at any time by the Board of Directors acting pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships, the chairman of the Board of Directors and the chief executive officer, and special meetings may not be called by any other person or persons; provided, however, that special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called by the secretary of the Corporation following his or her receipt at the principal executive offices of the Corporation of one or more written demands to call a special meeting of the stockholders submitted by or on behalf of the holder or holders of record of at least ten percent (10%) of the total voting power of all issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of the Board of Directors (the “Requisite Percentage”); provided, that such stockholder demand or demands shall have been
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submitted in accordance with and in the form required by the Bylaws. Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation (including those called by the secretary following receipt of a written demand or demands from stockholders holding the Requisite Percentage) shall be held on such date, at such time, and at such place, if any, as shall be designated by the Board of Directors and stated in the Corporation’s notice of meeting. In the case of a special meeting called by the secretary following receipt of a written demand or demands from stockholders holding the Requisite Percentage, the date of such special meeting, as fixed by the Board of Directors in accordance with this Article X and the Bylaws, shall not be fewer than thirty (30) days nor more than ninety (90) days (the “Outside Date”) after the date a demand or demands by stockholders holding the Requisite Percentage have been received by the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation in accordance with this Article X and the Bylaws. To be in proper form, a demand or demands from stockholders holding the Requisite Percentage shall include the information, documents and instruments specified in the Bylaws. The Board of Directors may postpone or reschedule any previously scheduled special meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may not reschedule a special meeting called in response to a written demand or demands to call such meeting received by the secretary from stockholders holding the Requisite Percentage nor may the Board of Directors postpone such meeting beyond the Outside Date.
ARTICLE XI
To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended from time to time, 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. If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.
The corporation shall have the power to indemnify to the fullest extent permitted by law any person made or threatened to be made a party to an action or proceeding, whether criminal, civil, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he, she, his or her testator or his or her intestate is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or any predecessor of the corporation or serves or served at any other enterprise as a director, officer, employee or agent at the request of the corporation or any predecessor to the corporation.
Neither any amendment nor repeal of this Article XI, nor the adoption of any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the corporation inconsistent with this Article XI, shall eliminate or reduce the effect of this Article XI in respect of any matter occurring, or any cause of action, suit, claim or proceeding accruing or arising or that, but for this Article XI, would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision.
ARTICLE XII
Except as provided in Article XI above, the corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now
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or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.
ARTICLE XIII
Notwithstanding that applicable law would otherwise permit action to be taken with the approval of a lesser percentage, each of the following actions shall require the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of this Corporation entitled to vote:
(a)    a merger or consolidation of this Corporation or any subsidiary;
(b)    the sale or other disposition by this Corporation or a subsidiary of substantially all of the assets of this Corporation or a subsidiary; or
(c)    the adoption of any plan or proposal for dissolution or liquidation of this Corporation;
provided that the provisions of this Article XIII shall not apply to any such transaction solely between the Corporation and another corporation of which 50% or more of the outstanding shares entitled to vote are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Corporation.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of this Corporation and notwithstanding that a lesser percentage may be specified by law, this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of this Corporation, the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of this Corporation entitled to vote shall be required to amend or repeal, or adopt any provision inconsistent with this Article XIII.
ARTICLE XIV
Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (A) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (B) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (C) any action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, or (D) any action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
ARTICLE XV
Pursuant to Section 203(b)(1) of the DGCL, the Corporation shall not be governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL.




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CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
OF THE AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

The undersigned, Laura J. Alber, does hereby certify as follows:

1.The undersigned is the duly elected and acting President and Chief Executive Officer of Williams-Sonoma, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”).

2.The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Charter”) was originally filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on March 8, 2011.

3.Pursuant to Section 242 and any other applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, this Certificate of Amendment to the Charter (the “Certificate of Amendment”) amends and restates Article XI of the Charter in its entirety to read as follows:

To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended from time to time, no director or officer of the corporation shall be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer. Without limiting the effect of the preceding sentence, if the DGCL is hereafter amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, then the liability of a director or an officer of the corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.
The corporation shall have the power to indemnify to the fullest extent permitted by law any person made or threatened to be made a party to an action or proceeding, whether criminal, civil, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he, she, his or her testator or his or her intestate is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or any predecessor of the corporation or serves or served at any other enterprise as a director, officer, employee or agent at the request of the corporation or any predecessor to the corporation.
Neither any amendment nor repeal of this Article XI, nor the adoption of any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the corporation inconsistent with this Article XI, shall eliminate or reduce the effect of this Article XI in respect of any matter occurring, or any cause of action, suit, claim or proceeding accruing or arising or that, but for this Article XI, would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision.
4.The foregoing Certificate of Amendment has been duly adopted by the Corporation’s Board of Directors and stockholders in accordance with the provisions of Section 242 and any other applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

5.All other provisions of the Charter shall remain in full force and effect.

6.This Certificate of Amendment herein certified shall become effective immediately upon filing with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to be executed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation as of 29th day of May, 2024.

 
By /s/ Laura J. Alber            
Laura J. Alber
President and Chief Executive Officer
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