0001193125-12-119723.txt : 20120316 0001193125-12-119723.hdr.sgml : 20120316 20120316162206 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001193125-12-119723 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 3 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20120314 ITEM INFORMATION: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement ITEM INFORMATION: Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20120316 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20120316 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: EXAR CORP CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000753568 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: SEMICONDUCTORS & RELATED DEVICES [3674] IRS NUMBER: 941741481 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 0327 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 000-14225 FILM NUMBER: 12697954 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 48720 KATO ROAD STREET 2: 48720 KATO ROAD CITY: FREMONT STATE: CA ZIP: 94538 BUSINESS PHONE: 5106687000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 48720 KATO RD CITY: FREMONT STATE: CA ZIP: 94538-1167 8-K 1 d317688d8k.htm FORM 8-K Form 8-K

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

Current Report

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

March 14, 2012

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)

Commission File No. 0-14225

 

 

EXAR CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   94-1741481

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

48720 Kato Road, Fremont, CA 94538

(Address of principal executive offices, Zip Code)

(510) 668-7000

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code 

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 


Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On March 14, 2012, the Board of Directors of Exar Corporation (the “Company”) approved a new form of indemnification agreement for its directors and certain officers. Among other things, the indemnification agreement provides for indemnification of the Company’s directors and officers that are parties to such an agreement in their capacities as such to the fullest extent of the law, the advancement of legal fees and expenses in connection with legal proceedings, certain procedures for determining whether the director or officer is entitled to indemnification and dispute resolution procedures. The Company has amended and restated the indemnification agreements with its current directors and officers substantially in the new form agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1. This description of the new form indemnification agreement is qualified by reference to the form agreement, which is hereby incorporated in this Item 1.01 in full by this reference.

 

Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

On March 14, 2012, the Company’s Board of Directors approved various amendments to the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) and adopted amended and restated bylaws incorporating such amendments (the “Amended Bylaws”). Among other changes, the Board of Directors approved amendments to the Company’s advance notice bylaw and to confirm the persons enabled to call special meetings of stockholders. With respect to the amendments to the Company’s advance notice bylaw, among other things the amendments relate to:

(1) amend existing provisions providing for advance notice of stockholder proposals and nominations to change the notice period for stockholder proposals or nominations (other than proposals properly made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Rule 14a-8”)) to not less than 120 days and not more than 150 days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders, as compared to the prior advance notice deadline of 120 days in advance of the date that the Company’s proxy statement was released to stockholders in connection with the previous year’s annual meeting;

(2) amend existing provisions providing for advance notice of stockholder proposals and nominations (other than proposals properly made in accordance with Rule 14a-8) to expand the disclosure stockholders must provide when submitting proposals and nominations for consideration at a meeting to include, among other things, expanded information about director nominees and proponents’ economic, voting and other interests and relationships, including derivative securities, voting arrangements, short positions or other interests, related to the Company and its shares; and

(3) requiring that a stockholder nominee for election to the Board provide certain information to the Company regarding his/her independence and enter into an agreement with the Company regarding (a) his/her voting obligations, (b) commitment to comply with the Company’s corporate governance and similar policies, and (c) compensation from third parties for service as a member of the Board.

This summary does not purport to be complete as to all of the changes or, with respect to any given change, as to all aspects of such change, and this summary of the amendments made to the Bylaws is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended Bylaws, which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

 

  3.1    Amended and Restated Bylaws of Exar Corporation
10.1    Form of Indemnification Agreement with the Registrant’s Directors and Certain Officers


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: March 16, 2012

 

EXAR CORPORATION

By:

 

/s/ Kevin Bauer

 

Kevin Bauer

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description of Exhibit

  3.1    Amended and Restated Bylaws of Exar Corporation
10.1    Form of Indemnification Agreement with the Registrant’s Directors and Certain Officers
EX-3.1 2 d317688dex31.htm AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS OF EXAR CORPORATION Amended and Restated Bylaws of Exar Corporation

Exhibit 3.1

BYLAWS

OF

EXAR CORPORATION

(a Delaware corporation)

Amended and Restated

April 1, 1994

September 30, 2002

October 27, 2005

July 19, 2006

December 5, 2007

September 15, 2010

March 14, 2012


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  
ARTICLE I.   OFFICES      1   

Section 1.

 

Registered Office

     1   

Section 2.

 

Other Offices

     1   
ARTICLE II.   CORPORATE SEAL      1   

Section 3.

 

Corporate Seal

     1   
ARTICLE III.   STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS      1   

Section 4.

 

Place of Meetings

     1   

Section 5.

 

Annual Meeting

     2   

Section 6.

 

Special Meetings

     3   

Section 7.

 

Advance Notice of Stockholder Nominees and Stockholder Business

     3   

Section 8.

 

Notice of Meetings

     7   

Section 9.

 

Quorum and Voting

     8   

Section 10.

 

Adjournment and Notice of Adjourned Meetings

     8   

Section 11.

 

Voting Rights

     9   

Section 12.

 

Joint Owners of Stock

     9   

Section 13.

 

List of Stockholders

     9   

Section 14.

 

Organization

     10   
ARTICLE IV.   DIRECTORS      10   

Section 15.

 

Number and Term of Office; Qualifications

     10   

Section 16.

 

Powers

     11   

Section 17.

 

Classes of Directors

     11   

Section 18.

 

Vacancies

     11   

Section 19.

 

Resignation

     11   

Section 20.

 

Removal

     12   

Section 21.

 

Meetings

     12   

Section 22.

 

Quorum and Voting

     13   

Section 23.

 

Action Without Meeting

     13   

Section 24.

 

Fees and Compensation

     13   

Section 25.

 

Committees

     13   

Section 26.

 

Organization

     15   
ARTICLE V.   OFFICERS      15   

Section 27.

 

Officers Designated

     15   

Section 28.

 

Tenure and Duties of Officers

     16   

Section 29.

 

Delegation of Authority

     17   

Section 30.

 

Resignations

     17   

Section 31.

 

Removal

     17   

 

-i-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

         Page  
ARTICLE VI.   EXECUTION OF CORPORATE INSTRUMENTS AND VOTING OF SECURITIES OWNED BY THE CORPORATION      17   

Section 32.

 

Execution of Corporate Instruments

     17   

Section 33.

 

Voting of Securities Owned by the Corporation

     18   
ARTICLE VII.   SHARES OF STOCK      18   

Section 34.

 

Form and Execution of Certificates; Uncertificated Shares

     18   

Section 35.

 

Lost Certificates

     19   

Section 36.

 

Transfers

     19   

Section 37.

 

Fixing Record Dates

     19   

Section 38.

 

Registered Stockholders

     20   
ARTICLE VIII.   OTHER SECURITIES OF THE CORPORATION      20   

Section 39.

 

Execution of Other Securities

     20   
ARTICLE IX.   DIVIDENDS      21   

Section 40.

 

Declaration of Dividends

     21   

Section 41.

 

Dividend Reserve

     21   
ARTICLE X.   FISCAL YEAR      21   

Section 42.

 

Fiscal Year

     21   
ARTICLE XI.   INDEMNIFICATION      21   

Section 43.

 

Indemnification of Directors, Officers, Employees and Other Agents

     21   
ARTICLE XII.   NOTICES      26   

Section 44.

 

Notices

     26   
ARTICLE XIII.   AMENDMENTS      28   

Section 45.

 

Amendements

     28   
ARTICLE XIV.   LOANS TO OFFICERS      28   

Section 46.

 

Loans to Officers

     28   
ARTICLE XV.   ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION      28   

Section 47.

 

Electronic Transmission

     28   

 

-ii-


BYLAWS

OF

EXAR CORPORATION

(a Delaware corporation)

ARTICLE I

Offices

Section 1. Registered Office.

The registered office of the corporation in the State of Delaware shall be in the City of Dover, County of Kent.

Section 2. Other Offices.

The corporation shall also have and maintain an office or principal place of business in Fremont, California, at such place as may be fixed by the Board of Directors, and may also have offices at such other places, both within and without the State of Delaware as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the corporation may require.

ARTICLE II

Corporate Seal

Section 3. Corporate Seal.

The corporate seal shall consist of a die bearing the name of the corporation. Said seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise.

ARTICLE III

Stockholders’ Meetings

Section 4. Place of Meetings.

(a) Meetings of the stockholders of the corporation shall be held at such place, either within or without the State of Delaware, as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors, or, if not so designated, then at the office of the corporation required to be maintained pursuant to Section 2 hereof.

(b) The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that stockholder meetings shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication in accordance with Section 211(a)(2) of the Delaware General Corporation Law. If authorized by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion, and subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board of Directors may adopt, stockholders and proxy holders not physically present at a meeting of stockholders may, by means of remote

 

1


communication (a) participate in a meeting of stockholders and (b) be deemed present in person and vote at a meeting of stockholders whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote communication, provided that (i) the corporation shall implement reasonable measures to verify that each person deemed present and permitted to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a stockholder or proxy holder, (ii) the corporation shall implement reasonable measures to provide such stockholders and proxy holders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the stockholders, including an opportunity to read or hear the proceedings of the meeting substantially concurrently with such proceedings, and (iii) if any stockholder or proxy holder votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of remote communication, a record of such vote or other action shall be maintained by the corporation.

Section 5. Annual Meeting.

(a) The annual meeting of the stockholders of the corporation, for the purpose of election of Directors and for such other business as may lawfully come before it, shall be held on such date and at such time as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors.

(b) At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted or nominations presented as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business or nominations may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders only (1) pursuant to the corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto), (2) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, or (3) by any stockholder of the corporation that is a stockholder of record of the corporation at the time the notice provided for in this Section 5 and in Section 7 is delivered to the Secretary of the corporation, that is entitled to vote at the meeting and that complies with the requirement and procedures set forth in this Section 5 and in Section 7. Clause (3) of the preceding sentence shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations or submit other business (other than matters properly brought under Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and included in the corporation’s notice of meeting) before an annual meeting of stockholders.

(c) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at any annual meeting and no nomination of any person for election as a Director of the corporation shall be presented at any annual meeting except in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 5 and Section 7 of these Bylaws. The chairman of the annual meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare at the meeting that business or a nomination was not properly brought before the meeting and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 5 and 7 of these Bylaws, and, if he should so determine, he shall so declare at the meeting that any such business or nomination not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted. Unless otherwise required by law or otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual meeting to present a nomination or proposed business, such nomination shall be disregarded and such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies with respect to such vote may have been received by the corporation. To be considered a qualified representative of the stockholder, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder

 

2


or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders.

Section 6. Special Meetings.

(a) Special meetings of the stockholders of the corporation may be called, for any purpose or purposes, only by (i) the Chairman of the Board of Directors, (ii) the Chief Executive Officer, or (iii) the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors (whether or not there exists any vacancies in previously authorized directorships at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board of Directors for adoption), on such date, and at such time as the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors, as the case may be, shall fix.

(b) If a special meeting is called by any person or persons other than the Board of Directors, the request shall be in writing, specifying the general nature of the business proposed to be transacted, and shall be delivered personally or sent by registered mail or by telegraphic or other facsimile transmission to the Secretary of the corporation. No business may be transacted at such special meeting otherwise than specified in such notice. The Board of Directors shall determine the time and place of such special meeting, which shall be held not less than thirty-five (35) nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the date of the receipt of the request. Upon determination of the time and place of the meeting, the Secretary shall cause notice to be given to the stockholders entitled to vote, in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 of these Bylaws. If the notice is not given within sixty (60) days after the receipt of the request, the person or persons requesting the meeting may set the time and place of the meeting and give the notice. Nothing contained in this paragraph (b) shall be construed as limiting, fixing, or affecting the time when a meeting of stockholders called by action of the Board of Directors may be held.

Section 7. Advance Notice of Stockholder Nominees and Stockholder Business.

(a) In order to assure that stockholders and the corporation have a reasonable opportunity to consider nominations and other business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders and to allow for full information to be distributed to stockholders, for a stockholder to properly bring any business or nominations for election as Director of the corporation before an annual meeting of the stockholders, in addition to the requirements of Section 5 above, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the corporation in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 7 and any such proposed business other than the nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors must constitute a proper matter for stockholder action under the Delaware General Corporation Law. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or by nationally recognized courier, freight prepaid, not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred fiftieth (150th) day and not later than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to the date of the prior year’s annual stockholder meeting (or, if such 120th day is not a business day, on the immediately preceding business day); provided, however, that in the

 

3


event that the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than seventy (70) days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder must be delivered not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred fiftieth (150th) day and not later than the later of (i) the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting (or, if such 120th day is not a business day, on the immediately preceding business day) and (ii) the tenth (10th) day following the day on which notice of the date of the meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of such meeting was first made by the corporation. In no event shall the public announcement or notice of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described herein. A public announcement shall include disclosure in a press release through a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(b) To be in proper form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary of the corporation must set forth:

(i) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a Director (A) all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with the solicitations of proxies for election of Directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to and in accordance with Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a Director if elected) and (B) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships, between or among such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, and their respective affiliates and associates, or others Acting in Concert therewith, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee, and his or her respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the other hand, including without limitation all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 404 promulgated under Regulation S-K if the stockholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, if any, or any affiliate or associate thereof or person acting in concert therewith, were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant;

(ii) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, the (A) text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and, in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the corporation’s Bylaws, the language of the proposed amendment), (B) the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder, any such beneficial owner on whose behalf the proposal is made and any person with which such stockholder or any such beneficial owner is Acting in Concert (as defined below), and (C) a description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings between such stockholder, any such beneficial owner and any such person and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder;

 

4


(iii) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made, as well as any person with which such stockholder and/or beneficial owner is Acting in Concert (A) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the corporation’s books, and of any such beneficial owner and person; (B) (1) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially and of record by each of such stockholder, any such beneficial owner and any such person, (2) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of capital stock of the corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the corporation, whether or not such instrument or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of capital stock of the corporation or otherwise (a “Derivative Instrument”) directly or indirectly owned beneficially by each of such stockholder, any such beneficial owner and any such person and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decreased in the value of shares of the corporation, (3) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which each of such stockholder, any such beneficial owner and any such person has a right to vote any shares of any security of the corporation, (4) any short interest in any security of the corporation (for purposes of this Bylaw a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (5) any rights to dividends on the shares of the corporation owned beneficially by each of such stockholder, any such beneficial owner and any such person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the corporation, (6) any proportionate interest in shares of the corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which any of such stockholder, any such beneficial owner or any such person is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner and (7) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) to which each of such stockholder, any such beneficial owner and any such person is entitled based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any such interests held by members of each of such stockholder’s, any such beneficial owner’s and any such person’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by each of such stockholder, any such beneficial owner and any such person not later than 10 days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date); (C) whether and the extent to which any other hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of, or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short positions or any borrowings or lending of shares of stock) has been made, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to or manage risk of stock price changes for, or to increase the voting power of, each of such stockholder, any such beneficial owner and any such person with respect to any share of stock of the corporation; (D) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of stock of the corporation entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the

 

5


meeting to propose such business or nomination and (E) a representation whether the stockholder and/or any such beneficial owner or person intends or is part of a group that intends to (1) deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or elect the nominee and/or (2) otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such proposal or nomination;

(iv) with respect to each nominee for election or re-election to the Board of Directors, include a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement by clause (d) of this Bylaw; and

(v) if applicable and to the extent not already covered by clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, a description of all arrangements or understandings between (A) the stockholder and/or any person Acting in Concert with such stockholder and (B) each nominee for election as Director of the corporation and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nomination or nominations are to be made by the stockholder and/or any such person Acting in Concert with such stockholder.

A person shall be deemed to be “Acting in Concert” with another person for purposes of these Bylaws if such person knowingly acts (whether or not pursuant to an express agreement, arrangement or understanding) in concert with, or towards a common goal relating to the management, governance or control of the corporation in parallel with, such other person where (A) each person is conscious of the other person’s conduct or intent and this awareness is an element in their decision-making processes and (B) at least one additional factor suggests that such persons intend to act in concert or in parallel, which such additional factors may include, without limitation, exchanging information (whether publicly or privately), attending meetings, conducting discussions, or making or soliciting invitations to act in concert or in parallel; provided, that a person shall not be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any other person solely as a result of the solicitation or receipt of revocable proxies or consents from such other person in response to a solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a proxy or consent solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14A. A person Acting in Concert with another person shall be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any third party who is also Acting in Concert with such other person.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in order to include information with respect to a stockholder proposal in the corporation’s proxy statement and form of proxy for a stockholder’s meeting, stockholders must also provide notice as required by the regulations promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

The corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may reasonably be required by the corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director of the corporation or that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

 

6


(c) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, the terms “written” and “in writing” as used in this Section 7 shall not include any electronic transmission such as telegram, cablegram, facsimile transmission or communication by electronic mail.

(d) To be eligible to be a nominee for election or re-election as a director of the corporation, a person must deliver (in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under this Section 7) to the Secretary of the corporation at the principal executive offices of the corporation a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such person and the background of any other person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that such person (i) is not and will not become a party to (A) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such person, if elected as a Director of the corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the corporation or (B) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such person’s ability to comply, if elected as a Director of the corporation, with such person’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (ii) is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed therein, and (iii) in such person’s individual capacity and on behalf of any person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made, would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the corporation, and will comply with all applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the corporation.

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5 or this Section 7 of these Bylaws, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in such Sections; provided, however, that any reference in these Bylaws to the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit the requirements applicable to nominations or proposals as to any other business to be considered pursuant to Section 5 and this Section 7 of these Bylaws. Nothing in Section 5 or this Section 7 of these Bylaws shall be deemed to affect any rights (i) of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (ii) of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock if and to the extent provided for under law, the Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation or these Bylaws.

Section 8. Notice of Meetings.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, written notice (as the term “written” is defined in Article XV hereof) of each meeting of stockholders shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting directed to the stockholders in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article XII hereof, such notice to specify the place, if any, date, time, purpose or purposes of the meeting and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at

 

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such meeting. Notice shall be deemed to have been given to all stockholders of record who share an address if notice is given in accordance with the “householding” rules set forth in Rule 14a-3(e) under the Exchange Act.

(b) Notice of any meeting of stockholders may be waived in writing, signed by the person entitled to notice thereof, either before or after such meeting, and will be waived by any stockholder by his attendance thereat in person or by proxy, except when the stockholder attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Any stockholder so waiving notice of such meeting shall be bound by the proceedings of any such meeting in all respects as if due notice thereof had been given.

Section 9. Quorum and Voting.

(a) At all meetings of stockholders, except where otherwise provided by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation, or by these Bylaws, the presence, in person or by proxy duly authorized, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for the purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum for the transaction of business. Any meeting of stockholders may be adjourned, from time to time, either by the chairman of the meeting or by vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented thereat, but no other business shall be transacted at such meeting. The stockholders present at a duly called or convened meeting, at which a quorum is present, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

(b) Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, all action taken by the holders of a majority of the vote cast, excluding abstentions and broker non-votes, at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be valid and binding upon the corporation; provided, however, that Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of Directors. Where a separate vote by a class or classes is required, a majority of the outstanding shares of such class or classes, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on the matter and the affirmative vote of the majority (plurality, in the case of the election of Directors) of shares of such class or classes present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting shall be the act of each class.

Section 10. Adjournment and Notice of Adjourned Meetings.

Any meeting of stockholders, whether annual or special, may be adjourned from time to time either by the chairman of the meeting or by the vote of a majority of the shares casting votes, excluding abstentions. When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time and place, if any, thereof and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting, the corporation may transact any business

 

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which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days or if after the adjournment a new record date is faxed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.

Section 11. Voting Rights.

(a) For the purpose of determining those stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of the stockholders, except as otherwise provided by law, only persons in whose names shares stand on the stock records of the corporation on the record date, as provided in Section 13 of these Bylaws, shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of the stockholders.

(b) Every person entitled to vote or execute consents shall have the right to do so either in person or by an agent or agents authorized by a written proxy executed by such person or his duly authorized agent, which proxy shall be filed with the Secretary at or before the meeting at which it is to be used. An agent so appointed need not be a stockholder. No proxy shall be voted after three (3) years from its date of creation unless the proxy provides for a longer period. Elections of Directors need not be by written ballot, unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation.

Section 12. Joint Owners of Stock.

If shares or other securities having voting power stand of record in the names of two (2) or more persons, whether fiduciaries, members of a partnership, joint tenants, tenants in common, tenants by the entirety, or otherwise, or if two (2) or more persons have the same fiduciary relationship respecting the same shares, unless the Secretary is given written notice to the contrary and is furnished with a copy of the instrument or order appointing them or creating the relationship wherein it is so provided, their acts with respect to voting shall have the following effect: (a) if only one (1) votes, his act binds all; (b) if more than one (1) votes, the act of the majority so voting binds all; (c) if more than one (1) votes, but the vote is evenly split on any particular matter, each faction may vote the securities in question proportionally, or may apply to the Delaware Court of Chancery for relief as provided in the General Corporation Law of Delaware, Section 217(b). If the instrument filed with the Secretary shows that any such tenancy is held in unequal interests, a majority or even-split for the purpose of subsection (c) shall be a majority or even-split in interest.

Section 13. List of Stockholders.

The Secretary shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at said meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Nothing contained in Section 219 of the Delaware General Corporation Law shall require the corporation to include electronic mail addresses or other electronic contact information on such list. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, either (a) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (b)

 

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during ordinary business hours either at a place within the city where the meeting is to be held, which place shall be specified in the notice of the meeting, or, if not specified, at the place where the meeting is to be held. In the event that the corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, the list shall be produced and kept at the time and place of meeting during the whole time thereof and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting.

Section 14. Organization.

(a) At every meeting of stockholders, the Chairman of the Board, or, if the Chairman of the Board is absent, the President, or in the absence of the President, a chairman of the meeting chosen by a majority in interest of the stockholders entitled to vote, present in person or by proxy, shall act as chairman. The Secretary, or, in his absence, an Assistant Secretary directed to do so by the chairman of the meeting, shall act as secretary of the meeting.

(b) The Board of Directors of the corporation shall be entitled to make such rules or regulations for the conduct of meetings of stockholders as it shall deem necessary, appropriate or convenient. Subject to such rules and regulations of the Board of Directors, if any, the chairman of the meeting shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are necessary, appropriate or convenient for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, establishing an agenda or order of business for the meeting, rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present, limitations on participation in such meeting to stockholders or record of the corporation and their duly authorized and constituted proxies and such other persons as the chairman shall permit, restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof, limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants and regulation of the opening and closing of the polls for balloting on matters which are to be voted on by ballot. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with rules of parliamentary procedure.

ARTICLE IV

Directors

Section 15. Number and Term of Office; Qualifications.

The authorized number of Directors of the corporation shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors by a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Directors. Directors need not be stockholders unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation. If for any reason, the Directors shall not have been elected at an annual meeting, they may be elected as soon thereafter as convenient at a special meeting of the stockholders called for that purpose in the manner provided in these Bylaws. As a precondition to membership on the corporation’s Board of Directors, each Director must agree in writing to be bound by the corporation’s formal policies, including without limitation its Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, its Corporate Governance Principles and its Insider Trading Policy.

 

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Section 16. Powers.

The powers of the corporation shall be exercised, its business conducted and its property controlled by the Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise provided by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation.

Section 17. Classes of Directors.

At each annual meeting of stockholders, all directors shall be up for election to serve a one-year term until the next annual meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article, each director shall serve until his successor is duly elected and qualified or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

Section 18. Vacancies.

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal or other causes shall be filled by either (i) the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the then-outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Voting Stock”) voting together as a single class; or (ii) by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors. A vacancy in the Board of Directors shall be deemed to exist under this Bylaw in the case of the death, removal or resignation of any Director, or if the stockholders fail at any meeting of stockholders at which Directors are to be elected to elect the number of Directors then constituting the whole Board of Directors. Newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors shall, unless the Board of Directors determines by resolution that any newly created directorship shall be filled by the stockholders, be filled only by the affirmative vote of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and until such director’s successor shall have been elected and qualified.

Section 19. Resignation.

Any Director may resign at any time by delivering his written resignation to the Secretary, such resignation to specify whether it will be effective at a particular time, upon receipt by the Secretary or at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. If no such specification is made, it shall be deemed effective at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. When one or more Directors shall resign from the Board of Directors, effective at a future date, a majority of the Directors then in office, including those who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such vacancy or vacancies. The vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or resignations shall become effective and each Director so chosen shall hold office for the unexpired portion of the term of the Director whose place shall be vacated and until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.

 

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Section 20. Removal.

Subject to any limitations imposed by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, and except as provided in Section 141 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Board of Directors, or any individual Director, may be removed from office at any time with or without cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of the capital stock of the corporation entitled to vote at an election of Directors.

Section 21. Meetings.

(a) Annual Meetings. The annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held immediately before or after the annual meeting of stockholders and at the place where such meeting is held. No notice of an annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be necessary and such meeting shall be held for the purpose of electing officers and transacting such other business as may lawfully come before it.

(b) Regular Meetings. Except as hereinafter otherwise provided, regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in the office of the corporation required to be maintained pursuant to Section 2 hereof. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, regular meetings of the Board of Directors may also be held at any place within or without the State of Delaware which has been designated by resolution of the Board of Directors or the written consent of all directors.

(c) Special Meetings. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time and place within or without the State of Delaware whenever called by (i) the Chairman of the Board, (ii) the Chief Executive Officer or (iii) any two Directors.

(d) Telephone Meetings. Any member of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting by such means shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

(e) Notice of Meetings. Written notice of the time and place of all special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be given at least one (1) day before the date of the meeting. Notice of any meeting may be waived in writing at any time before or after the meeting and will be waived by any director by attendance thereat, except when the Director attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

(f) Waiver of Notice. The transaction of all business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or any committee thereof, however called or noticed, or wherever held, shall be as valid as though had at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice, if a quorum be present and if, either before or after the meeting, each of the Directors not present shall sign a written waiver of notice, or a consent to holding such meeting, or an approval of the minutes thereof. All such waivers, consents or approvals shall be filed with the corporate records or made a part of the minutes of the meeting.

 

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Section 22. Quorum and Voting.

(a) Unless the Certificate of Incorporation requires a greater number and except with respect to indemnification questions arising under Section 43 hereof, for which a quorum shall be one-third of the exact number of Directors fixed from time to time in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation, but not less than one (1), a quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of the exact number of Directors fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation, but not less than one (1); provided, however, at any meeting whether a quorum be present or otherwise, a majority of the Directors present may adjourn from time to time until the time fixed for the next regular meeting of the Board of Directors, without notice other than by announcement at the meeting.

(b) At each meeting of the Board of Directors at which a quorum is present, all questions and business shall be determined by a vote of a majority of the Directors present, unless a different vote be required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.

Section 23. Action Without Meeting.

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing, and such writing or writings are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form or shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.

Section 24. Fees and Compensation.

Directors shall be entitled to such compensation for their services as may be approved by the Board of Directors, including, if so approved, by resolution of the Board of Directors, a fixed sum and expenses of attendance, if any, for attendance at each regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors and at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any Director from serving the corporation in any other capacity as an officer, agent, employee, or otherwise and receiving compensation therefore.

Section 25. Committees.

(a) Executive Committee. The Board of Directors may by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board of Directors appoint an Executive Committee to consist of one (1) or more members of the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee, to the extent permitted by law and specifically granted by the Board of Directors, shall have and may exercise when the Board of Directors is not in session all powers of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the corporation, including, without limitation, the power and authority to declare a dividend or to authorize the issuance of stock, except such committee shall not have the power or authority to amend the Certificate of Incorporation, to

 

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adopt an agreement of merger or consolidation, to recommend to the stockholders the sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of the corporation’s property and assets, to recommend to the stockholders of the corporation a dissolution of the corporation or a revocation of a dissolution or to amend these Bylaws.

(b) Other Committees. The Board of Directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board of Directors, from time to time appoint such other committees as may be permitted by law. Such other committees appointed by the Board of Directors shall consist of one (1) or more members of the Board of Directors and shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the resolution or resolutions creating such committees, but in no event shall such committee have the powers denied to the Executive Committee in these Bylaws.

(c) Term. Each member of a committee of the Board of Directors shall serve a term on the committee coexistent with such member’s term on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors, subject to the provisions of subsections (a) or (b) of this Bylaw may at any time increase or decrease the number of members of a committee or terminate the existence of a committee. The membership of a committee member shall terminate on the date of his death or voluntary resignation from the committee or from the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may at any time for any reason remove any individual committee member and the Board of Directors may fill any committee vacancy created by death, resignation, removal or increase in the number of members of the committee. The Board of Directors may designate one or more Directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee, and, in addition, in the absence or disqualification of any member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member.

(d) Meetings. Unless the Board of Directors shall otherwise provide, regular meetings of the Executive Committee or any other committee appointed pursuant to this Section 25 shall be held at such times and places as are determined by the Board of Directors, or by any such committee, and when notice thereof has been given to each member of such committee, no further notice of such regular meetings need be given thereafter. Special meetings of any such committee may be held at any place which has been determined from time to time by such committee, and may be called by any Director who is a member of such committee, upon written notice to the members of such committee of the time and place of such special meeting given in the manner provided for the giving of written notice to members of the Board of Directors of the time and place of special meetings of the Board of Directors. Notice of any special meeting of any committee may be waived in writing at any time before or after the meeting and will be waived by any Director by attendance thereat, except when the Director attends such special meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. A majority of the authorized number of members of any such committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the act of a majority of those present at any meetings at which a quorum is present shall be the act of such committee.

 

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Section 26. Organization.

(a) Chairman. The Board of Directors may, by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of directors, designate any director as Chairman of the Board of Directors. The position of Chairman shall not be an office of the corporation, but rather shall be a special assignment as a member of the Board of Directors. The Chairman shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors and meetings of the stockholders of the corporation. The Chairman shall also undertake such specific projects as the Directors may from time to time specify by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of directors. The compensation of the Chairman shall be determined under Section 24 of these Bylaws.

(b) Vice Chairman. The Board of Directors may, by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of directors, designate any director as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. The position of Vice Chairman shall not be an office of the corporation, but rather shall be a special assignment as a member of the Board of Directors. The Vice Chairman shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors in the absence of the Chairman of the Board. The Vice Chairman shall also undertake such specific projects as the Directors may from time to time specify by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of directors. The compensation of the Vice Chairman shall be determined under Section 24 of these Bylaws.

(c) Chairman and Secretary of Meetings. The Chairman of the Board shall preside at every meeting of the Board of Directors, if present. In the case of any meeting, if there is no Chairman of the Board or if the Chairman is not present, the Vice Chairman of the Board shall act as chairman of such meeting, or if there is no Vice Chairman of the Board or if the Vice Chairman is not present, a chairman chosen by a majority of the directors present shall act as chairman of such meeting. The Secretary of the corporation or, in the absence of the Secretary, any person appointed by the Chairman shall act as secretary of the meeting.

ARTICLE V

Officers

Section 27. Officers Designated.

The officers of the corporation shall include, if and when designated by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, one or more Vice Presidents, the Secretary, the Chief Financial Officer and the Treasurer, all of whom shall be elected at the annual organizational meeting of the Board of Directors. The order of the seniority of the Vice Presidents shall be in order of their nomination, unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may also appoint one or more Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Treasurers and such other officers and agents with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary. The Board of Directors may assign such additional titles to one or more of the officers as it shall deem appropriate. Any one person may hold any number of offices of the corporation at any one time unless specifically prohibited therefrom by law. The salaries and other compensation of the officers of the corporation shall be fixed by or in the manner designated by the Board of Directors.

 

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Section 28. Tenure and Duties of Officers.

(a) General. All officers shall hold office at the pleasure of the Board of Directors and until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified, unless sooner removed. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed at any time by the Board of Directors. If the office of any officer becomes vacant for any reason, the vacancy may be filled by the Board of Directors. Nothing in these Bylaws shall be construed as creating any kind of contractual right to employment with the corporation.

(b) Duties of President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and all meetings of the Board of Directors, unless a Chairman of the Board of Directors has been appointed, is present, and, in the case of stockholder meetings, has not designated the next senior officer to so preside. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the corporation and shall, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, have general supervision, direction and control of the business and officers of the corporation. The President shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time.

(c) Duties of Vice Presidents. If and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors, the Vice Presidents, in the order of their seniority, may assume and perform the duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President or whenever the office of President is vacant. The Vice Presidents shall perform other duties commonly incident to their office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time.

(d) Duties of Secretary. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors and shall record all acts and proceedings thereof in the minute book of the corporation. The Secretary shall give notice in conformity with these Bylaws of all meetings of the stockholders and of all meetings of the Board of Directors and any committee thereof requiring notice. The Secretary shall perform all other duties given him in these Bylaws and other duties commonly incident to his officer and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time. The President may direct any Assistant Secretary to assume and perform the duties of the Secretary in the absence or disability of the Secretary, and each Assistant Secretary shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time.

(e) Duties of Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall keep or cause to be kept the books of account of the corporation in a thorough and proper manner and shall render statements of the financial affairs of the corporation in such form as often as required by the Board of Directors or the President. The Chief Financial Officer, subject to the order of the Board of Directors, shall have the custody of all funds and securities of the corporation. The Chief Financial Officer shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time. The President may direct the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer to assume and perform the duties of the Chief Financial Officer in the absence or disability of the Chief Financial Officer, and each Assistant Treasurer

 

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shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time.

Section 29. Delegation of Authority.

The Board of Directors may from time to time delegate the powers or duties of any officer to any other officer or agent, notwithstanding any provision hereof.

Section 30. Resignations.

Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board of Directors or to the President or to the Secretary. Any such resignation shall be effective when received by the person or persons to whom such notice is given, unless a later time is specified therein, in which event the resignation shall become effective at such later time. Unless otherwise specified in such notice, the acceptance of any such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation shall be without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the corporation under any contract with the resigning officer.

Section 31. Removal.

Any officer may be removed from office at any time, either with or without cause, by the vote or written consent of a majority of the Directors in office at the time, or by any committee or superior officers upon whom such power of removal may have been conferred by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VI

Execution of Corporate Instruments and Voting

of Securities Owned by the Corporation

Section 32. Execution of Corporate Instruments.

(a) The Board of Directors may, in its discretion, determine the method and designate the signatory officer or officers, or other person or persons, to execute on behalf of the corporation any corporate instrument or document, or to sign on behalf of the corporation the corporate name without limitation, or to enter into contracts on behalf of the corporation, except where otherwise provided by law or these Bylaws, and such execution or signature shall be binding upon the corporation.

(b) Unless otherwise specifically determined by the Board of Directors or otherwise required by law, promissory notes, deeds of trust, mortgages and other evidences of indebtedness of the corporation, and other corporate instruments or documents requiring the corporate seal, and certificates of shares of stock owned by the corporation, shall be executed, signed or endorsed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or the President or any Vice President, and by the Secretary or Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary or Assistant Treasurer. All other instruments and documents requiring the corporate signature, but not requiring the corporate seal, may be executed as aforesaid or in such other manner as may be directed by the Board of Directors.

 

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(c) All checks and drafts drawn on banks or other depositaries on funds to the credit of the corporation or in special accounts of the corporation shall be signed by such person or persons as the Board of Directors shall authorize so to do.

(d) Unless authorized or ratified by the Board of Directors or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.

Section 33. Voting of Securities Owned by the Corporation.

All stock and other securities of other corporations owned or held by the corporation for itself, or for other parties in any capacity, shall be voted, and all proxies with respect thereto shall be executed, by the person authorized so to do by resolution of the Board of Directors, or, in the absence of such authorization, by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President, or any Vice President.

ARTICLE VII

Shares of Stock

Section 34. Form and Execution of Certificates; Uncertificated Shares.

(a) The shares of stock of the corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of its stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the corporation. Every holder of stock represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate, in such form as the Board of Directors shall prescribe, signed by, or in the name of the corporation by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or the President or any Vice President, and by the Secretary or Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer or Assistant Secretary of the corporation representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. Any of or all of the signatures on the certificates may be by facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed, or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon, any such certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, such certificate may nevertheless be issued by the corporation with the same effect as though the person who signed such certificate, or whose facsimile signature shall have been placed thereupon, were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue. Each certificate shall state upon the face or back thereof, in full or in summary, all of the designations, preferences, limitations, restrictions on transfer and relative rights of the shares authorized to be issued.

(b) A record shall be kept of the respective names of the persons, firms or corporations owning the stock represented by certificates or registered in uncertificated form, the number and class of shares represented by such certificates or registered in uncertificated form, and in case of cancellation, the respective dates of cancellation. Every certificate surrendered to the corporation for exchange or transfer shall be cancelled, and, where the shares are to be represented by certificates, no new certificate or certificates shall be issued in exchange for any existing certificate until such existing certificate shall have been so cancelled. Uncertificated shares shall be cancelled and issuance of new equivalent uncertificated shares shall be made to the person entitled thereto and the transaction shall be recorded upon the books of the corporation.

 

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(c) Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may make such additional rules and regulations as it may deem expedient concerning the issue, transfer and registration of certificates representing shares of the stock of the corporation or the issue, transfer and registration of uncertificated shares of this corporation.

Section 35. Lost Certificates.

A new certificate or certificates shall be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen, or destroyed. The corporation may require, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, the owner of such lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate or certificates, or his legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as it shall require or to give the corporation a surety bond in such form and amount as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed.

Section 36. Transfers.

(a) Shares of capital stock of the corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these Bylaws. Shares of capital stock of the corporation shall only be transferred on the books of the corporation by the holder of record thereof or by such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, upon surrender to the corporation of the certificate or certificates representing such shares endorsed by the appropriate person or persons (or, with respect to uncertificated shares, by delivery of duly executed instructions or in any other manner permitted by applicable law), with such evidence of the authenticity of such endorsement or execution, transfer, authorization, and other matters as the corporation may reasonably require, and accompanied by all necessary stock transfer stamps.

(b) The corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes of stock of the corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the General Corporation Law of Delaware.

Section 37. Fixing Record Dates.

(a) In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix, in advance, 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 sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of

 

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business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

(b) In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

Section 38. Registered Stockholders.

The corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.

ARTICLE VIII

Other Securities of the Corporation

Section 39. Execution of Other Securities.

All bonds, debentures and other corporate securities of the corporation, other than stock certificates (covered in Section 34), may be signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President or any Vice President, or such other person as may be authorized by the Board of Directors, and the corporate seal impressed thereon or a facsimile of such seal imprinted thereon and attested by the signature of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, or the Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer; provided, however, that where any such bond, debenture or other corporate security shall be authenticated by the manual signature of a trustee under an indenture pursuant to which such bond, debenture or other corporate security shall be issued, the signatures of the persons signing and attesting the corporate seal on such bond, debenture or other corporate security may be the imprinted facsimile of the signatures of such persons. Interest coupons appertaining to any such bond, debenture or other corporate security, authenticated by a trustee as aforesaid, shall be signed by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the corporation or such other person as may be authorized by the Board of Directors, or bear imprinted thereon the facsimile signature of such person. In case any officer who shall have signed or attested any bond, debenture or other corporate security, or whose facsimile signature shall appear thereon or on any such interest coupon, shall have ceased to be such officer before the bond, debenture or other corporate security so signed or attested shall have been delivered, such bond, debenture or other corporate security nevertheless may be adopted by the corporation and issued and delivered as though the person who signed the same or whose facsimile signature shall have been used thereon had not ceased to be such officer of the corporation.

 

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ARTICLE IX

Dividends

Section 40. Declaration of Dividends.

Dividends upon the capital stock of the corporation, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors pursuant to law at any regular or special meeting. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the capital stock, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation.

Section 41. Dividend Reserve.

Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the Board of Directors from time to time, in their absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the corporation, or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall think conducive to the interests of the corporation, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.

ARTICLE X

Fiscal Year

Section 42. Fiscal Year.

The fiscal year of the corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XI

Indemnification

Section 43. Indemnification of Directors, Officers, Employees and Other Agents.

(a) Directors and Executive Officers. The corporation shall indemnify its Directors and executive officers to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Delaware General Corporation Law; provided, however, that the corporation shall not be required to indemnify any Director or executive officer in connection with any proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person or any proceeding by such person against the corporation or its Directors, officers, employees or other agents unless (i) such indemnification is expressly required to be made by law, (ii) the proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors of the corporation or (iii) such indemnification is provided by the corporation, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the corporation under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

(b) Other Officers, Employees and Other Agents. The corporation shall have power to indemnify its other officers, employees and other agents as set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

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(c) Good Faith.

(i) For purposes of any determination under this Bylaw, a Director or executive officer shall be deemed to have acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, to have had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful, if his action is based on information, opinions, reports and statements, including financial statements and other financial data, in each case prepared or presented by:

(A) one or more officers or employees of the corporation whom the Director or executive officer believed to be reliable and competent in the matters presented;

(B) counsel, independent accountants or other persons as to matters which the Director or executive officer believed to be within such person’s professional competence; and

(C) with respect to a Director, a committee of the Board upon which such Director does not serve, as to matters within such committee’s designated authority, which as, in each case, the Director or executive officer acts without knowledge that would cause such reliance to be unwarranted.

(ii) The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, that he had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

(iii) The provisions of this paragraph (c) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the circumstances in which a person may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth by the Delaware General Corporation Law.

(d) Expenses.

(i) The corporation shall advance, prior to the final disposition of any proceeding, promptly and, in any event, within 20 days following request therefore, all expenses incurred by any Director or executive officer in connection with such proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay said amounts if it should be determined ultimately that such person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Bylaw or otherwise.

(ii) To obtain indemnification, a claimant shall submit to the corporation a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to the claimant and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent the claimant is entitled to indemnification. Upon

 

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written request by a claimant for indemnification pursuant to the preceding sentence, a determination, if required by applicable laws, with respect to the claimant’s entitlement thereto shall be made by that party (a “Reviewing Party”) as determined as follows: (i) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of Directors who were not parties to the proceeding, or (ii) if such quorum is not obtainable, by Independent Legal Counsel (as hereinafter defined in Section 43(k)(vii) in a written opinion, or (iii) if a quorum of disinterested directors so directs by Independent Legal Counsel in written opinion, or (iv) if there has been a Change in Control (as hereinafter defined in Section 43(k)(vi) within two years prior to the date of the commencement of a proceeding for which indemnification is claimed, by Independent Legal Counsel selected by claimant unless claimant shall request that such selection be made by the Board of Directors. If it is so determined that the claimant is entitled to indemnification, payment to the claimant shall be made promptly and in any event, within 20 days after such determination.

(e) Enforcement. Without the necessity of entering into an express contract, all rights to indemnification and advances to Directors and executive officers under this Bylaw shall be deemed to be contractual rights and be effective to the same extent and as if provided for in a contract between the corporation and the Director or executive officer. Any right to indemnification or advances granted by this Bylaw to a Director or executive officer shall be enforceable by or on behalf of the person holding such right in any court of competent jurisdiction if (i) the claim for indemnification or advances is denied, in whole or in part, or (ii) no disposition of such claim is made within ninety (90) days of request therefore. The claimant in such enforcement action, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting his claim. The corporation shall be entitled to raise as a defense to any such action that the claimant has not met the standards of conduct that make it permissible under the Delaware General Corporation Law for the corporation to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed, but the burden of proving such defense shall be on the corporation. Neither the failure of the corporation (including its Board of Directors, Independent Legal Counsel or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the Delaware General Corporation law, nor an actual determination by the corporation (including its Board of Directors, Independent Legal Counsel or its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct. If a determination shall have been made pursuant to this Bylaw that the Claimant is entitled to indemnification, the corporation shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 43(e). The corporation shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 43(e) that the procedures and presumptions of this Bylaw are not valid, binding, and enforceable and shall stipulate in such proceeding that the corporation is bound by all the provisions of this Bylaw.

(f) Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Bylaw shall not be exclusive of any other right which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested Directors of otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding office. The corporation is specifically authorized to enter into individual contracts with any or all of its Directors, officers, employees or agents respecting indemnification and advances, to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

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(g) Survival of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Bylaw shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Director, officer, employee or other agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such person.

(h) Insurance. To the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, the corporation, upon approval by the Board of Directors, may purchase insurance on behalf of any person required or permitted to be indemnified pursuant to this Bylaw against any liability asserted against such person, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

(i) Amendments. Any repeal or modification of this Bylaw shall only be prospective and shall not affect the rights under this Bylaw in effect at the time of the alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that is the cause of any proceeding against any agent of the corporation.

(j) Savings Clause. If this Bylaw or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each Director and executive officer to the full extent not prohibited by any applicable portion of this Bylaw that shall not have been invalidated, or by an other applicable law.

(k) Certain Definitions. For the purposes of this Bylaw, the following definitions shall apply:

(i) The term “proceeding” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, the investigation, preparation, prosecution, defense, settlement, arbitration and appeal of, the giving of testimony in and participating in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, arbitrational, administrative or investigative.

(ii) The term “expenses” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, court costs, attorneys’ fees, witness fees, fines, penalties amounts paid in settlement or judgment and any other costs and expenses of any nature or kind incurred in connection with any proceeding.

(iii) The term “corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have the power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Bylaw with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as he would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

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(iv) References to a “director,” “officer,” “employee,” or “agent” of the corporation shall include, without limitation, situations where such person is serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, trustee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise.

(v) References to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the corporation” as referred to in this Bylaw.

(vi) A “Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the corporation or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the corporation in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the corporation, (A) who is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the corporation representing 10% or more of the combined voting power of the corporation’s then outstanding Voting Securities (as hereinafter defined), increases his beneficial ownership of such securities by 5% or more over the percentage so owned by such person, or (B) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the corporation representing more than 20% of the total voting power representing by the corporation’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the corporation and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the corporation’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the stockholders of the corporation approve a merger or consolidation of the corporation with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the corporation outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the corporation or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the stockholders of the corporation approve a plan of complete liquidation of the corporation or an agreement for the sale of disposition by the corporation of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the corporation’s assets.

(vii) The term “Independent Legal Counsel” shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys acceptable to the corporation and claimant who, under the applicable

 

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standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would not have a conflict of interest in representing either the corporation or the claimant in an action to determine claimant’s rights under this Bylaw.

(viii) The term “Voting Securities” shall mean any securities of the corporation that vote generally in the election of directors.

ARTICLE XII

Notices

Section 44. Notices.

(a) Notice to Stockholders. Whenever, under any provisions of these Bylaws, notice is required to be given to any stockholder, it shall be given in writing, either (i) timely and duly deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, and addressed to his last known post office address as shown by the stock record of the corporation or its transfer agent or (ii) by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given, except to the extent prohibited by Section 232(e) of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Any such consent shall be deemed revoked if (i) the corporation is unable to deliver by electronic transmission two (2) consecutive notices given by the corporation in accordance with such consent and (ii) such inability becomes known to the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the corporation or to the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice; provided however the inadvertent failure to treat such inability as a revocation shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.

(b) Notice to Directors. Any notice required to be given to any Director may be given by the method stated in subsection (a), except that such notice other than one which is delivered personally shall be sent to such post office address, facsimile number or electronic mail address as such Director shall have filed in writing with the Secretary, or, in the absence of such filing, to the last known post office address of such Director.

(c) Address Unknown. If no address of a stockholder or Director be known, notice may be sent to the office of the corporation required to be maintained pursuant to Section 2 hereof.

(d) Affidavit of Mailing. An affidavit of mailing, executed by a duly authorized and competent employee of the corporation or its transfer agent appointed with respect to the class of stock affected, specifying the name and address or the names and addresses of the stockholder or stockholders, or Director or Directors, to whom such notice or notices was or were given, and the time and method of giving the same (or, for any stockholder or Director to whom notice has been directed by electronic transmission, the form of electronic transmission and the facsimile number, electronic mail address or other location to which such notice was directed and the time at which such notice was directed to each such Director or stockholder), shall be conclusive evidence of the statements there in contained.

(e) Time Notices Deemed Given. All notices given by mail, as above provided, shall be deemed to have been given as at the time of mailing. All notices given to stockholders by a form of electronic transmission shall be deemed to have been given: (i) if by

 

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facsimile, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice, (ii) if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice, (iii) if by posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice, and (iv) if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder. All notices given to directors by a form of electronic transmission, as above provided, shall be deemed to have been given when directed to the electronic mail address, facsimile number or other location filed in writing by the Director with the Secretary of the corporation.

(f) Methods of Notice. It shall not be necessary that the same method of giving notice be employed in respect of all Directors, but one permissible method may be employed in respect of any one or more, and any other permissible method or methods may be employed in respect of any other or others.

(g) Failure to Receive Notice. The period or limitation of time within which any stockholder may exercise any option or right, or enjoy any privilege or benefit, or be required to act, or within which any Director may exercise any power or right, or enjoy privilege, pursuant to any notice sent him in the manner above provided, shall not be affected or extended in any manner by the failure of such stockholder or such Director to receive such notice.

(h) Notice to Person with Whom Communication is Unlawful. Whenever notice is required to be given, under any provision of law or of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the corporation, to any person with whom communication is unlawful, the giving of such notice to such person shall not be required and there shall be no duty to apply to any governmental authority or agency for a license or permit to give such notice to such person. Any action or meeting which shall be taken or held without notice to any such person with whom communication is unlawful shall have the same force and effect as if such notice had been duly given. In the event that the action taken by the corporation is such as to require the filing of a certificate under any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the certificate shall state, if such is the fact and if notice is required, that notice was given to all persons entitled to receive notice except such persons with whom communication is unlawful.

(i) Notice to Person with Undeliverable Address. Whenever notice is required to be given, under any provision of law or the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the corporation, to any stockholder to whom (i) notice of two consecutive annual meetings, and all notices of meetings or of the taking of action by written consent without a meeting to such person during the period between such two consecutive annual meetings, or (ii) all, and at least two, payments (if sent by first class mail) or dividends or interest on securities during a twelve-month period, have been mailed addressed to such person at his address as shown on the records of the corporation and have been returned undeliverable, the giving of such notice to such person shall not be required. Any action or meeting shall be taken or held without notice to such person shall have the same force and effect as if such notice had been duly given. If any such person shall deliver to the corporation a written notice setting forth his then current address, the requirement that notice be given to such person shall be reinstated. In the event that the action taken by the corporation is such as to require the filing of a certificate under any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the certificate need not state that notice was not given to persons to whom notice was not required to be given pursuant to this paragraph.

 

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(j) Notice to the corporation. Whenever notice is to be given to the corporation by a stockholder under any provision of law or of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the corporation, such notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation. Such notice may be delivered via registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, via nationally recognized courier, freight prepaid, or, except for notices pursuant to Section 7 above, via electronic mail or facsimile. If delivered by electronic mail or facsimile, the stockholder’s notice shall be directed to the Secretary at the electronic mail address or facsimile number, as the case may be, specified in the company’s most recent proxy statement.

ARTICLE XIII

Amendments

Section 45. Amendments.

Except as otherwise set forth in paragraph (i) of Section 43 of these Bylaws, the Bylaws may be altered or amended or new Bylaws adopted by the affirmative vote of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the Voting Stock. The Board of Directors shall also have the power, pursuant to Section B of Article VI of the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, to adopt, amend, supplement or repeal the corporation’s Bylaws.

ARTICLE XIV

Loans to Officers

Section 46. Loans to Officers.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the corporation may lend money to, or guarantee any obligation of, or otherwise assist any officer or other employee of the corporation or of its subsidiaries, including any officer or employee who is a Director of the corporation or its subsidiaries, whenever, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, such loan, guarantee or assistance may reasonably be expected to benefit the corporation. The loan may be unsecured or secured in such manner as the Board of Directors shall approve, including, without limitation, a pledge of shares of stock of the corporation. Nothing in this Bylaw shall be deemed to deny, limit or restrict the powers of guaranty or warranty of the corporation at common law or under any statute.

ARTICLE XV

Electronic Transmission

Section 47. Electronic Transmission.

When used in these Bylaws, except as provided in Section 7(c) above, the terms “written” and “in writing” shall include any “electronic transmission,” as defined in Section 232(c) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, including without limitation any telegram, cablegram, facsimile transmission and communication by electronic mail.

 

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EX-10.1 3 d317688dex101.htm FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT Form of Indemnification Agreement

Exhibit 10.1

[AMENDED AND RESTATED] INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into this     th day of     , 20    between Exar Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“the Company”) and             (“Indemnitee”). [This Agreement amends and restates and supersedes and replaces that certain Indemnification Agreement dated as of             by and between the Company and Indemnitee (the “Prior Agreement”).]

WITNESSETH THAT:

WHEREAS, Indemnitee has been selected to serve or is currently serving as a director or officer of the Company and in such capacity is expected to render or has rendered valuable services to the Company;

WHEREAS, the Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”) and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Law”) by their nonexclusive nature, permit contracts between the Company and the directors and officers of the Company with respect to indemnification and advancement of expenses of such directors and officers;

WHEREAS, the Company has investigated the availability and sufficiency of director’s and officer’s liability insurance (“D & O Insurance”), the statutory provisions of the Law regarding indemnification and expense advancement, [the Prior Agreement] and the Bylaws to provide its directors and officers adequate protection against various legal risks and potential liabilities to which directors and officers are subject due to their position with the Company and has concluded that the same may provide insufficient protection to individuals requested to serve as its directors and officers;

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Bylaws of the Company and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder;

WHEREAS, [in recognition of past services and] in order to induce Indemnitee to [continue to] serve as a director and/or officer of the Company, the Company has determined, after due consideration and investigation of the terms and provisions of this Agreement and the various other options available to the Company and Indemnitee in lieu of this Agreement, that this Agreement is not only reasonable and prudent, but necessary to promote and ensure the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and has agreed to enter into this contract with Indemnitee;


NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of Indemnitee’s continued service as a director and/or officer after the date hereof the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Indemnity of Indemnitee. The Company hereby agrees to hold harmless and indemnify Indemnitee to the full extent authorized or permitted by the provisions of the Law, as such may be amended from time to time. In furtherance of the foregoing indemnification, and without limiting the generality thereof:

(a) Proceedings Other Than Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this Section 1(a) if, by reason of his Corporate Status (as hereinafter defined), he is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding (as hereinafter defined) other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company. Pursuant to this Section 1(a), Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses (as hereinafter defined), judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.

(b) Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this Section 1(b) if, by reason of his Corporate Status, he is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 1(b), Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company; provided, however, that, if applicable law so provides, no indemnification against such Expenses shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter in such Proceeding as to which Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company unless and to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or the court in which such Proceeding shall have been brought or is pending, shall determine that such indemnification may be made.

(c) Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a party to (or participant in) and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, in whole or in part, he shall be indemnified to the maximum extent permitted by law against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter, to the fullest extent

 

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permitted by law. For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

2. Exclusions. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated to make any indemnity or advancement of Expenses under this Agreement:

(i) In respect to remuneration paid to Indemnitee if it shall be determined by a final judgment or other final adjudication that such remuneration was in violation of law;

(ii) For which payment has actually been made to or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision;

(iii) For (i) an accounting of profits made from the purchase or sale by Indemnitee of securities of the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and amendments thereto (the “Act”) or similar provisions of any federal, state or local statutory law, or (ii) any reimbursement of the Company by the Indemnitee of any bonus or other remuneration or any incentive-based or equity -based compensation or of any profits realized by Indemnitee from the sale of securities of the Company, as required in each case under the Act (including any such reimbursements that arise from an accounting restatement of the Company pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) or the payment to the Company of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 306 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or any reimbursement provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act);

(iv) On account of Indemnitee’s conduct which is finally adjudged to have been knowingly fraudulent or deliberately dishonest, or to constitute willful misconduct; or

(v) If a final decision by a court having jurisdiction in the matter shall determine that such indemnification is not lawful.

3. Contribution. To the fullest extent permitted by law, if the indemnification provided in Section 1 is unavailable and may not be paid to Indemnitee for any reason other than those set forth in Section 1 or 2, the Company shall contribute to the amount of Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred and paid or payable by Indemnitee in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand

 

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and by the Indemnitee on the other hand from the transaction from which such Proceeding arose, and (ii) the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Indemnitee on the other hand in connection with the events which resulted in such Expenses, judgments, fines or settlement amounts, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Indemnitee on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent the circumstances resulting in such Expenses, judgments, fines or settlement amounts. The Company agrees that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 3 were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the foregoing equitable considerations.

4. Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a witness in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party, he shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith.

5. Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall advance, to the extent not prohibited by law and subject to this Agreement, all reasonable Expenses incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status within ten days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding. Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing an action to enforce this right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Company to support the advances claims. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee and shall include or be preceded or accompanied by an undertaking by or on behalf of Indemnitee to repay any Expenses advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses. Any advances and undertakings to repay pursuant to this Section 5 shall be unsecured and interest free.

6. Procedure for Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification.

(a) Indemnitee shall notify the Company in writing of any matter with respect to which Indemnitee intends to seek indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder as soon as reasonably practicable following the receipt by Indemnitee of notice thereof. The written notification to the Company shall include a description of the nature of the Proceeding and the facts underlying the Proceeding. To obtain indemnification and/or advancement of Expenses by the Company under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent

 

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Indemnitee is entitled to such indemnification and/or advancement of Expenses. The failure by Indemnitee to notify the Company hereunder shall not relieve the Company from any liability which it may have to Indemnitee hereunder or otherwise than under this Agreement, and any delay in so notifying the Company shall not constitute a waiver by Indemnitee of any rights under this Agreement. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification and/or advancement of Expenses, advise the Board of Directors in writing that Indemnitee has made such a request.

(b) The Company shall be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.

(c) Upon written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to Section 6(a) hereof, a determination, if required by applicable law or otherwise requested by Indemnitee or the Company, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto shall be made in the specific case: (i) if a Change in Control (as hereinafter defined) shall have occurred, by Independent Counsel (as hereinafter defined) in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee shall request that such determination be made by the Board of Directors or the stockholders, in which case the determination shall be made in the manner provided in Clause (ii) below), or (ii) if a Change in Control shall not have occurred, (A) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors (as hereinafter defined), or (B) if there are no such Disinterested Directors or, said Disinterested Directors so direct, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee, or (C) by a committee of Disinterested Directors if so designated by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, or (D) if so directed by said Disinterested Directors, by the stockholders of the Company; and, if it is determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any Independent Counsel, member of the Board of Directors, or stockholder of the Company shall act reasonably and in good faith in making a determination under this Agreement of the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification. Any costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.

 

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(d) If the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 6(c) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 6(d). If a Change in Control shall not have occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and the Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising him of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected. If a Change in Control shall have occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board of Directors, in which event the preceding sentence shall apply), and Indemnitee shall give written notice to the Company advising it of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected. In either event, Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within 10 days after such written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the Company or to Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 14 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If a written objection is made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court has determined that such objection is without merit. Subject to Section 8(f), if, within 20 days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 6(a) hereof if a determination is required by law that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification hereunder or within 20 days after a request for such determination by Indemnitee or the Company, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or other court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company or Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel. The Company shall pay any and all reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel incurred by such Independent Counsel in connection with acting pursuant to this Agreement, and the Company shall pay all reasonable fees and expenses incident to the procedures of this Section 6(d), regardless of the manner in which such Independent Counsel was selected or appointed. Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 8(a)(iii) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).

(e) The Company shall not be required to obtain the consent of the Indemnitee to the settlement of any Proceeding which the Company has undertaken to defend if the Company assumes full and sole responsibility for such settlement and the settlement grants the Indemnitee a complete and unqualified release in respect of the potential liability.

 

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7. Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings.

(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person or persons or entity making such determination shall, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 6(a) of this Agreement, and the Company shall, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption in connection with the making by any person, persons or entity of any determination contrary to that presumption.

(b) Subject to Section 8(f), if the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 6 of this Agreement to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law; provided, however, that such 30-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) days, if the person, persons or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating documentation and/or information relating thereto and notice thereof is provided by such person, persons or entity prior to the expiration of such 30-day period; and provided, further, that the foregoing provisions of this Section 7(b) shall not apply if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the stockholders pursuant to Section 6(b) of this Agreement and if (A) within fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Company of the request for such determination the Board of Directors or the Disinterested Directors, if appropriate, resolve to submit such determination to the stockholders for their consideration at an annual meeting thereof to be held within ninety (90) days after such receipt and such determination is made thereat, or (B) a special meeting of stockholders is called within fifteen (15) days after such receipt for the purpose of making such determination, such meeting is held for such purpose within sixty (60) days after having been so called and such determination is made thereat.

(c) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement (with or without court approval), conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as

 

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otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. Neither the failure of the Company (including by its directors, Independent Counsel or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any Proceeding pursuant to his Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors, Independent Counsel or its stockholders) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

(d) For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Enterprise. In addition, the knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement. The provisions of this Section 7(d) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which the Indemnitee may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.

(e) The Company acknowledges that a settlement or other disposition short of final judgment may be successful if it permits a party to avoid expense, delay, distraction, disruption and uncertainty. In the event that any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is a party is resolved in any manner other than by adverse judgment against Indemnitee (including, without limitation, settlement of such Proceeding with or without payment of money or other consideration), it shall be presumed that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in such Proceeding. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof.

8. Remedies of Indemnitee.

(a) Subject to Section 8(f), in the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made

 

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pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 6(c) of this Agreement within 30 days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification (or such longer period, if any, as is permitted by Section 7(b)), (iv) payment of indemnification or contribution is not made pursuant to Section 1(c), 3 or 4 of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, (v) payment of indemnification is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or such determination is deemed to have been made pursuant to Section 6 or 7 of this Agreement, or (vi) in the event that the Company or any other person takes or threatens to take any action to declare this Agreement void or unenforceable, or institutes any litigation or other action or Proceeding designed to deny, or to recover from, the Indemnitee the benefits provided or intended to be provided to the Indemnitee hereunder, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication in an appropriate court of the State of Delaware, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction, of his entitlement to such indemnification and/or advancement of Expenses, as the case may be. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Indemnitee shall commence any such proceeding seeking any such adjudication or arbitration award within 180 days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence such a proceeding. The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.

(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 6(c) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 8 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 8 the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses, as the case may be.

(c) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 6(c) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 8, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

(d) In the event that Indemnitee, pursuant to this Section 8, seeks a judicial adjudication of or an award in arbitration to enforce his rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to recover from the Company, and shall be indemnified by the Company against, any and all

 

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expenses (of the types described in the definition of Expenses in Section 14 of this Agreement) actually and reasonably incurred by him in such judicial adjudication or arbitration, but only if he prevails therein. If it shall be determined in said judicial adjudication or arbitration that Indemnitee is entitled to receive part but not all of the indemnification sought, the expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such judicial adjudication or arbitration shall be appropriately prorated. It is the intent of the Company that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Indemnitee not be required to incur legal fees or other Expenses associated with the interpretation, enforcement or defense of Indemnitee’s rights under the Agreement by litigation or otherwise because the cost and expense thereof would substantially detract from the benefits intended to be extended to the Indemnitee hereunder. The Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor) advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, such Expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee for indemnification or advancement of Expenses from the Company under this Agreement or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company if Indemnitee is wholly successful on the underlying claims; if Indemnitee is not wholly successful on the underlying claims, then such indemnification and advancement shall be only to the extent Indemnitee is successful on such underlying claims or otherwise as permitted by law, whichever is greater.

(e) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 8 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.

(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to entitlement of Indemnitee to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be made prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding.

9. Non-Exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance: Subrogation.

(a) The rights of indemnification and to receive advancement of Expenses as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law (including the Law), the certificate of incorporation of the Company, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in the Law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater

 

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indemnification or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Bylaws and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

(b) To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, or agents or fiduciaries of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise which such person serves at the request of the Company, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, employee or agent under such policy or policies. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice from Indemnitee of a claim pursuant to the terms hereof for indemnification or advancement of Expenses or the commencement of a Proceeding with respect to which Indemnitee may seek indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder, the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of such claim or of the commencement of such Proceeding, as the case may be, to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

(c) In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

(d) The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder if and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise.

(e) The Company’s obligation to indemnify or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or advancement of Expenses from such other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise.

 

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10. Exception to Right of Indemnification. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification under this Agreement with respect to any Proceeding brought by Indemnitee, or any claim therein, unless (a) the bringing of such Proceeding or making of such claim shall have been approved by the Board of Directors or (b) such Proceeding is being brought by the Indemnitee to assert his rights under this Agreement.

11. Duration of Agreement. All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee is a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company (or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise), whether the act or omission occurred or Proceeding is brought before or after the date of this Agreement, and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any Proceeding (or any proceeding commenced under Section 8 hereof) by reason of his Corporate Status, whether or not he is acting or serving in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification can be provided under this Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company), assigns, spouses, heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether director in indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

12. Security. To the extent requested by the Indemnitee and approved by the Board of Directors, the Company may at any time and from time to time provide security to the Indemnitee for the Company’s obligations hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral. Any such security, once provided to the Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior written consent of the Indemnitee.

13. Enforcement.

(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to

 

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induce Indemnitee to serve as a director and/or officer of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director and/or officer of the Company.

(b) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof[, including the Prior Agreement]; provided, however, that this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, the Bylaws of the Company and applicable law, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.

(c) Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, federal or Delaware law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company may be required to undertake to the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee, and, in that event, Indemnitee’s rights and the Company’s obligations hereunder shall be subject to such determination.

14. Retention of Counsel. In the event that the Company shall be obligated to indemnify Indemnitee or advance Expenses to Indemnitee as a result of any Proceeding against Indemnitee, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such Proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election to do so. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to that same Proceeding, provided (a) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s own counsel in any such Proceeding at Indemnitee’s expense and (b) if (i) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (ii) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of such defense, or (iii) the Company shall not, in fact, have employed counsel to assume defense of such Proceeding, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company. The Company shall not be entitled to assume the defense of any Proceeding as to which Indemnitee shall have reasonably made the conclusion provided for in clause (b)(ii) above. The Company shall not be liable to indemnify Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any action or claim effected without its prior written consent. Neither the Company nor Indemnitee will unreasonably withhold its or his consent to any proposed settlement. The Company

 

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shall not be obligated pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement to provide counsel, indemnify or advance Expenses to Indemnitee with respect to Proceedings or other claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification or advancement of Expenses under this Agreement, the Law or the Bylaws.

15. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

(a) “Change in Control” means a change in control of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or in response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Act, whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement; provided, however, that, without limitation, such a Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred if after the date of this Agreement (i) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Act, as amended, but excluding (i) the Company, (ii) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company, and (iii) any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company) other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 20% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities (other than any such person or any affiliate thereof that is such a 20% beneficial owner as of the date hereof) without the prior approval of at least two-thirds of the members of the Board of Directors in office immediately prior to such person attaining such percentage interest; (ii) there occurs a proxy contest, or the Company is a party to a merger, consolidation, sale of assets, plan of liquidation or other reorganization, as a consequence of which members of the Board of Directors in office immediately prior to such transaction or event constitute less than a majority of the Board of Directors thereafter; or (iii) during any period of two consecutive years (not including any period prior to the execution of this Agreement), other than as a result of an event described in clause (a)(ii) of this Section 14, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board of Directors (including for this purpose any new director whose election or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who were directors at the beginning of such period) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors. A Change in Control shall not be deemed to have occurred under item (i) above if the “person” described under item (i) is entitled to report its ownership on Schedule 13G promulgated under the Act and such person is able to represent that it acquired such

 

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securities in the ordinary course of its business and not with the purpose nor with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the Company, nor in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having such purpose or effect. If the “person” referred to in the previous sentence would at any time not be entitled to continue to report such ownership on Schedule 13G pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b)(3)(i)(B) of the Act, then a Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred at such time.

(b) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent or fiduciary of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise which such person is or was serving at the express written request of the Company.

(c) “Disinterested Director” means a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.

(d) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the express written request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary.

(e) “Expenses” shall include all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, participating, or being or preparing to be a witness in a Proceeding. Expenses also shall include (i) Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding, including without limitation the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent, and (ii) for purposes of Section 8(d) only, Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the interpretation, enforcement or defense of Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement, by litigation or otherwise. The parties agree that for the purposes of any advancement of Expenses for which Indemnitee has made written demand to the Company in accordance with this Agreement, all Expenses included in such demand that are certified by affidavit of Indemnitee’s counsel as being reasonable shall be presumed conclusively to be reasonable.

(f) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of the Law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements), or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for

 

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indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

(g) “Proceeding” includes any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought by or in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (formal or informal) nature, including any appeal therefrom, in which Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party, potential party, non-party witness or otherwise, by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director and/or officer of the Company, by reason of any action taken by him or of any inaction on his part while acting as a director and/or officer of the Company, or by reason of the fact of his Corporate Status or that he otherwise is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, in each case whether or not he is acting or serving in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement or advancement of expenses can be provided under this Agreement, including one pending on or before the date of this Agreement and excluding one initiated by an Indemnitee pursuant to Section 8 of this Agreement to enforce his rights under this Agreement. If Indemnitee believes in good faith that a given situation may lead to or culminate in the institution of a Proceeding, this shall be considered a Proceeding under this paragraph.

(h) Reference to “other enterprise” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise tax assessed with respect to any employee benefit plan; references to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Company” as referred to in this Agreement.

16. Severabilitv. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, illegal or otherwise unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of

 

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the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; and (b) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.

17. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification, termination or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both of the parties to this Agreement. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver, unless, in each case, the waiver expressly so states.

18. Notice by Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder, and to keep the Company generally informed of, and consult with the Company with respect to, the status of any such Proceeding. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise.

19. Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (i) delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (ii) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed, (iii) sent by reputable overnight courier and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, or (iv) sent by facsimile transmission, with receipt of confirmation that such transmission has been received:

 

  (a) If to Indemnitee, to:

 

[DIRECTOR]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  (b) If to the Company, to:

Exar Corporation

48720 Kato Road

Fremont, CA 94538

Fax: (510) 668-7002

Attention: Chief Executive Officer; Secretary

or to such other address or fax number as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company or to the Company by Indemnitee, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 18.

20. Identical Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

21. Headings. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

22. Governing Law. The parties agree that this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without application of the conflict of laws principles thereof. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 8(a) of this Agreement, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware (the “Delaware Court”), and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court, and (iv) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

23. Gender. Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on and as of the day and year first above written.

 

EXAR CORPORATION
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

INDEMNITEE

 

 

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