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Exhibit 3.1

 

CURRENT BY-LAWS AS OF 12/15/10

 

BY-LAWS

 

OF

 

METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.

 

ARTICLE I

 

OFFICES

 

Section 1.    The principal office shall be in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, State of Delaware.

 

Section 2.    The corporation 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

 

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section 1.    All meetings of the stockholders for the election of directors or for any other purpose may be held at such time and place, within or without the State of Delaware, as may be fixed from time to time by the board of directors and as shall be stated in the notice of the meeting or in a duly executed waiver of notice thereof.

 

Section 2.    Annual meetings of stockholders for the election of directors, and for such other business as may properly come before the meeting, shall be held at such place, either within or without the State of Delaware, and at such time and date as the Board of Directors, by resolution, shall determine and as set forth in the notice of the meeting.

 

Section 3.    Notice of the place, if any, date, and time of all meetings of the stockholders, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, shall be given, not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date on which the meeting is to be held, to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law (meaning, here and hereinafter, as required from time to time by the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation).

 

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 proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken; provided, however, that if the date of any adjourned meeting is more than thirty (30) days after the date for which the meeting was originally noticed, or if a new record date is fixed for the

 



 

adjourned meeting, notice of the place, if any, date, and time of the adjourned meeting and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting, shall be given in conformity herewith. At any adjourned meeting, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the original meeting.

 

Section 4.    The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten 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 and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. 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 days prior to the meeting in the manner provided by the Delaware General Corporation Law. The list shall be open to examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting as provided by General Corporation Law.

 

Section 5.    Special meetings of the stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by statute or by the certificate of incorporation, may be called by the president and shall be called by the president or secretary at the request in writing of a majority of the board of directors, or at the request in writing of stockholders owning a majority in amount of the entire capital stock of the corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote. Any stockholder or stockholders desiring to request that a special meeting of the stockholders be called shall deliver a notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the corporation at the principal executive offices of the corporation together with documentation evidencing that such stockholder or stockholders possess sufficient voting power in accordance with the requirement of the immediately preceding sentence to request that such a special meeting be called.  Such notice shall contain the information required by the final sentence of Section 6(A)(2) of this Article II with respect to the item or items to be brought before the special meeting of the stockholders which is desired to be called.  Within ten business days after receipt of such notice and verification of the accompanying documentation, the board of directors shall fix a record date and meeting date for such special meeting, which meeting date shall be set for not less than 30 nor more than 120 days after the date of such board action.

 

Section 6.    Notice of Stockholder Business and Nominations. (A)  Annual Meetings of Stockholders.  (1)  Nominations of persons for election to the board of directors of the corporation and the proposal of business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (a) pursuant to the corporation’s notice of meeting, (b) by or at the direction of the board of directors or (c) by any stockholder of the corporation who was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this by-law, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this by-law.

 

(2)  For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (c) of paragraph (A)(1) of this by-law, (1) the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the corporation and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for stockholder action, (2) such business must be a proper matter for stockholder action under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, (3) if the stockholder, or the beneficial owner on whose behalf any such proposal or nomination is made, has provided the corporation with a Solicitation Notice, as that term is defined in subclause (c)(iii) of this paragraph, such stockholder or beneficial owner must, in the case of a proposal, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of

 

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the corporation’s voting shares required under applicable law to carry any such proposal, or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of a percentage of the corporation’s voting shares reasonably believed by such stockholder or beneficial holder to be sufficient to elect the nominee or nominees proposed to be nominated by such stockholder, and must, in either case, have included in such materials the Solicitation Notice and (4) if no Solicitation Notice relating thereto has been timely provided pursuant to this section, the stockholder or beneficial owner proposing such business or nomination must not have solicited a number of proxies sufficient to have required the delivery of such a Solicitation Notice under this section.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than the close of business on the 60th day nor earlier than the close of business on the 90th day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting (the “Anniversary”); provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the 90th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 60th day prior to such annual meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the corporation.  In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment of an annual meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth (a) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 14a-11 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); (b) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; and (c) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made (i) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the corporation’s books, and of such beneficial owner, (ii) the class and number of shares of the corporation which are owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner and , and (iii) whether either such stockholder or beneficial owner intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of, in the case of a proposal, at least the percentage of the corporation’s voting shares required under applicable law to carry the proposal or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, a sufficient number of holders of the corporation’s voting shares to elect such nominee or nominees (an affirmative statement of such intent, a “Solicitation Notice”).

 

(3)           Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of the third paragraph of clause 2 of this section to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased and there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors made by the corporation at least 40 days prior to the Anniversary, a stockholder’s notice required by this Bylaw shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than the

 

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close of business on the 10th day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the corporation.

 

(B)  Special Meetings of Stockholders.  Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the corporation’s notice of meeting or by or at the direction of the board of directors.  Nominations of persons for election to the board of directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the corporation’s notice of meeting (a) by or at the direction of the board of directors or (b) in the case of a meeting requested by any stockholder of the corporation, by such stockholder provided such stockholder has complied with the provisions of Section 5 and has complied with the notice procedures set forth in this by-law.  In the event the corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the board of directors, any such stockholder may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be), for election to such position(s) as specified in the corporation’s notice of meeting, if the stockholder’s notice required by paragraph (A)(2) of this by-law shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not earlier than the close of business on the 90th day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 60th day prior to such special meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the board of directors to be elected at such meeting.  In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment of a special meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

(C)  General. Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this by-law shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this by-law.  Except as otherwise provided by law, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this by-law and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with this by-law, to declare that such defective proposal or nomination shall be disregarded.

 

For purposes of this by-law, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this by-law, 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 this by-law.  Nothing in this by-law 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 to elect directors under specified circumstances.

 

Section 7.    The holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business except as otherwise provided by statute or by the certificate of incorporation. If, however, such quorum shall not be present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the stockholders

 

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entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, unless otherwise required under applicable law, until a quorum shall be present or represented. If a quorum is present, the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time and for any reason, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, unless otherwise required under these by-laws or applicable law, until such time as determined by the Chairman of the Board of Directors in his or her sole discretion.  At any adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the original meeting.

 

Section 8.    When a quorum is present at any meeting, the vote of the holders of a majority of the stock having voting power present in person or represented by proxy shall decide any question brought before such meeting, unless the question is one upon which by express provision of the statutes, the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws, a different vote is required in which case such express provision shall govern and control the decision of such question.

 

Section 9.    Each stockholder shall at every meeting of the stockholders be entitled to vote in person or by proxy for each share of the capital stock having voting power held by such stockholder as described in the certificate of incorporation, as amended, but no proxy shall be voted on after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period, and, except where the transfer books of the corporation have been closed or a date has been fixed as a record date for the determination of its stockholders entitled to vote, no share of stock shall be voted on at any election for directors which has been transferred on the books of the corporation within twenty days next preceding such election of directors.

 

Section 10.  In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the board of directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the board of directors, and which date shall not be more than ten (10) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the board of directors.  Any stockholder of record seeking to take or to have the stockholders authorize or take corporate action by written consent shall, by written notice to the secretary of the corporation, request the board of directors to fix a record date.  The board of directors shall promptly, but in all events within ten (10) days after the date on which such a written request is received, adopt a resolution fixing the record date (unless a record date has previously been fixed by the board of directors pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 10). If no record date has been fixed by the board of directors pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 10 or otherwise within ten (10) days of the date on which such a request is received, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the board of directors is required by applicable law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the corporation by delivery to its registered office in Delaware, its principal place of business, or to the secretary of the corporation having custody of the books in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded.  Delivery shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested.  If no record date has been fixed by the board of directors and prior action by the board of directors is required by applicable law, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to

 

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consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be at the close of business on the date on which the board of directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.

 

Section 11.  In the event of the delivery, in the manner provided by Section 10, to the corporation of the requisite written consent or consents to take corporate action and/or any related revocation or revocations, the corporation shall engage independent inspectors of elections for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of the consents and revocations.  For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no action by written consent without a meeting shall be effective until such date as the independent inspectors certify to the corporation that the consents delivered to the corporation in accordance with Section 10 and not revoked represent at least the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to take the corporate action.  Nothing contained in this Section 10 shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the board of directors or any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any consent or revocation thereof, whether before or after such certification by the independent inspectors, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution, or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).

 

Section 12.  Every written consent shall bear the date of signature of each stockholder who signs the consent and no written consent shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless, within sixty (60) days of the earliest dated written consent received in accordance with Section 10, a written consent or consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take such action are delivered to the corporation in the manner prescribed in Section 10.

 

ARTICLE III

 

DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.    Subject to the rights of any holders of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, the number of directors which shall constitute the whole board shall be not less than three nor more than twelve. [Effective 9/16/10] Within the limits above specified, the number of directors shall be determined by resolution of the board of directors or by the stockholders at the annual meeting. The directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of the stockholders, except as provided in Section 2 of this Article, and each director elected shall hold office until his successor is elected and qualified. Directors need not be stockholders.

 

Section 2.    Subject to the rights of any holders of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office, though less than a quorum, and the directors so chosen shall hold office until the next annual election and until their successors are duly elected and shall qualify, unless sooner displaced.

 

Section 3.    The business of the corporation shall be managed by its board of directors which may exercise all such powers of the corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by statute or by the certificate of incorporation or by these by-laws directed or required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.

 

MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Section 4.    The board of directors of the corporation may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or without the State of Delaware.

 

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Section 5.    The first meeting of each newly elected board of directors shall be held at such time and place as shall be fixed by the vote of the stockholders at the annual meeting and no notice of such meeting shall be necessary to the newly elected directors in order legally to constitute the meeting, provided a quorum shall be present. In the event of the failure of the stockholders to fix the time or place of such first meeting of the newly elected board of directors, or in the event such meeting is not held at the time and place so fixed by the stockholders, the meeting may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the board of directors, or as shall be specified in a written waiver signed by all of the directors.

 

Section 6.    Regular meetings of the board of directors may be held without notice at such time and at such place as shall from time to time be determined by the board.

 

Section 7.    Special meetings shall be called by the chairman, president or secretary on the written request of two directors.  Notice of any special meeting of directors shall be given to each director at such person’s business or residence in writing by hand delivery, first-class or overnight mail or courier service, telegram or facsimile transmission, or orally by telephone.  If mailed by first-class mail, such notice shall be deemed adequately delivered when deposited in the United States mails so addressed, with postage thereon prepaid, at least 5 calendar days before such meeting.  If by telegram, overnight mail or courier service, such notice shall be deemed adequately delivered when the telegram is delivered to the telegraph company or the notice is delivered to the overnight. mail or courier service company at least 24 hours before such meeting.  If by facsimile transmission, such notice shall be deemed adequately delivered when the notice is transmitted at least 12 hours before such meeting.  If by telephone or by hand delivery, the notice shall be given at least 12 hours prior to the time set for the meeting.  Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the board of directors need be specified in the notice of such meeting.  A meeting may be held at any time without notice if all the directors are present or if those not present waive notice of the meeting either before or after such meeting.

 

Section 8.    At all meetings of the board, a majority of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the act of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the board of directors, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute or by the certificate of incorporation. If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the board of directors, a majority of the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.

 

Section 9.    Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws, 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 prior to such action a written consent thereto is signed by all members of the board or of such committee as the case may be, and such written consent is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the board or committee.

 

Section 10.     Members of the board of directors or any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of the board of directors or such committee by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

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COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS

 

Section 10.    The board of directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole board, designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of two or more of the directors of the corporation, which, to the extent provided in the resolution, shall have and may exercise the powers of the board of directors in the management of the business and affairs of the corporation and may authorize the seal of the corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; provided, in the absence or disqualification of any member of such committee or committees, 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. Such committee or committees shall have such name or names as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the board of directors.

 

Section 11.    Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the board of directors when required.

 

COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

 

Section 12.    The directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the board of directors and may be paid a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the board of directors or a stated salary as a director. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. Members of special or standing committees may be allowed like compensation for attending committee meetings.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

NOTICES

 

Whenever any notice is required to be given under the provisions of the statutes or of the certificate of incorporation or of these by-laws, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to said notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent thereto.  Neither the business nor the purpose of any meeting need be specified in such a waiver.  Attendance at any meeting shall constitute waiver of notice except attendance for the sole purpose of objecting to the timeliness of notice.

 

ARTICLE V

 

OFFICERS

 

Section 1.  The officers of the Corporation shall be chosen by the Board of Directors and may include a chairman of the board, a president or a chief executive officer, a chief financial officer, one or more executive or senior vice-presidents, vice-presidents, a secretary and a treasurer. The Board of Directors may also choose additional, one or more, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers. Two or more offices may be held by the same person, except that when the offices of president and secretary are held by the same person, such person shall not hold any other office.

 

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Section 2.  The Board of Directors may appoint such other officers and agents as it shall deem necessary who shall hold their offices for such terms and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board.

 

Section 3.  The salaries of all executive officers of the Corporation shall be fixed by the Board of Directors or designated committee of the Board.

 

Section 4.  The officers of the Corporation shall hold office until their successors are chosen and qualify. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 5.  Any officer of the Corporation may be removed, either with or without cause, at any time by a resolution adopted by the Board of Directors.  The Chairman of the Board or Chief Executive Officer may suspend the powers, authority, responsibilities and compensation of any employee or officer, for a period of time sufficient to permit the Board or the appropriate committee of the Board a reasonable opportunity to consider and act upon the status of any such officer or employee.

 

Section 6.  Chairman of the Board.  The Chairman of the Board shall preside, when present, at all meetings of the stockholders (except as otherwise provided by statute) and at all meetings of the Board of Directors.  The Chairman shall have general power to execute bonds, deeds, contracts, mortgage and other instruments or documents in the name of the Corporation; to affix the corporate seal; to sign stock certificates; and to perform such other duties and services as shall be assigned to the Chairman by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 7.  Vice Chairman.  The Vice Chairman of the Board shall have the power, during the absence or disability of the Chairman of the Board, to exercise the Chairman’s powers and to perform the Chairman’s duties and to perform such other duties and services as shall be assigned to or required of the Vice Chairman by the Board of Directors. [amended 12/15/10]

 

Section 8.  President.  The President shall have general power to execute bonds, deeds, contracts, mortgages and other instruments or documents in the name of the Corporation and to affix the corporate seal; to sign stock certificates; during the absence or disability of the Chairman of the Board and Vice-Chairman of the Board to exercise the Chairman’s powers and to perform the Chairman’s duties; and to perform such other duties and services as shall be assigned to or required of the President by the Board of Directors; provided, that if the office of President is vacant, the Chairman shall exercise the duties ordinarily exercised by the President until such time as a President is elected or appointed.   [amended 12/15/10]

 

Section 9.  Chief Executive Officer.  The officer designated by the Board of Directors as the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation shall have general and active control of its business and affairs and of its officers, employees and agents. The Chief Executive Officer shall have general power to appoint or designate all employees and agents of the Corporation whose appointment or designation is not otherwise provided for and to fix the compensation, subject to the provisions of these By-Laws; to remove or suspend any employee or agent who shall not have been elected or appointed by the Board of Directors; to suspend for cause any employee, agent, or officer, other than an elected officer; and to exercise all the powers usually pertaining to the office held by the Chief Executive Officer of a Corporation.

 

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Section 10.  Chief Operating Officer.  The Chief Operating Officer shall have general charge, control, direction and supervision over the day-to-day operations of the corporation, under the direction of the Chief Executive officer, subject to the control of the Board of Directors and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time prescribe. [adopted 6/23/10]

 

Section 11.  Chief Financial Officer.  The Chief Financial Officer shall be the principal financial officer of the Corporation.  The Chief Financial Officer shall render such reports and accounts as may be required by the Board of Directors or any committee of the Board.  The financial records, books and accounts of the Corporation shall be maintained subject to his direct or indirect supervision.

 

Section 12.  Executive or Senior Vice Presidents or Vice Presidents, Treasurer and Controller.  The several Executive or Senior Vice Presidents or Vice Presidents, Treasurer and the Controller shall perform all such duties and services as shall be assigned to or required of them, from time to time, by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Section 13.  Secretary.  The Secretary shall attend to the giving of notice of all meetings of stockholders and of the Board of Directors and shall keep and attest true records of all proceedings thereat.  The Secretary shall have charge of the corporate seal and have authority to attest any and all instruments or writings to which the same may be affixed and shall keep and account for all books, documents, papers, and records of the Corporation relating to its corporate organization.  The Secretary shall have authority to sign stock certificates and shall generally perform all the duties usually appertaining to the office of secretary of a Corporation.  In the absence of the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary or Secretary pro tempore shall perform the duties of the Secretary.

 

Section 14.  Resignation or Removal.  Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by giving notice to the Board of Directors or the Corporation.  Any such resignation is effective when the notice is given, unless the notice specifies a later date, and shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of such officer.

 

Section 15.  Vacancies.  If any office becomes vacant for any reason, the directors may appoint a successor or successors who shall hold office for the unexpired term or leave such office vacant.

 

[Article V Amended 9/14/04, Section 9 added 6/24/10]

 

ARTICLE VI

 

CERTIFICATES OF STOCK

 

Section 1.  The shares of the corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, that some or all of any classes or series of the corporation’s stock shall be uncertificated shares.  Every holder of stock represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate, signed by, or in the name of the corporation by the chairman of the board, the president or a vice-president and the treasurer or an assistant

 

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treasurer, or the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation, certifying the number of shares owned by him in the corporation.

 

Section 2.  Where a certificate is signed (1) by a transfer agent or an assistant transfer agent or (2) by a transfer clerk acting on behalf of the corporation and a registrar, the signature of any such chairman of board, president, vice-president, treasurer, assistant treasurer, secretary or assistant secretary may be facsimile. In case any officer or officers who have signed, or whose facsimile signature or signatures have been used on, any such certificate or certificates shall cease to be such officer or officers of the corporation, whether because of death, resignation or otherwise, before such certificate or certificates have been delivered by the corporation, such certificate or certificates may nevertheless be adopted by the corporation and be issued and delivered as though the person or persons who signed such certificate or certificates or whose facsimile signature or signatures have been used thereof had not ceased to be such officer or officers of the corporation.

 

[Article VI, Sections 1 and 2 Amended 9/13/07]

 

LOST CERTIFICATES

 

Section 3.    The board of directors may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the corporation alleged to have been lost or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificates of stock to be lost or destroyed. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or certificates, the board of directors may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost or destroyed certificate or certificates, or his legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as it shall require and/or to give the corporation a bond in such sum 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 or destroyed.

 

TRANSFER OF STOCK

 

Section 4.    Upon surrender to the corporation or the transfer agent of the corporation of a certificate for shares duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, it shall be the duty of the corporation to issue a new certificate to the person entitled thereto, cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books, except to the extent that transfer restrictions are imposed by the charter, these by-laws, directors resolutions or other appropriate agreements.

 

RECORD DATE

 

Section 5.    - 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 or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or 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 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, unless otherwise provided in these by-laws, will :  (1) in the case of determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders or adjournment thereof, shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty nor less than ten days before the date of such meeting and (2) in the case of any other action, shall not be more than sixty days prior to such other action.  If no record date is fixed:  (1) the record date for

 

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determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of 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 and (2) the record date for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the board of directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.  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.

 

REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section 6.    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 to hold liable for calls and assessments a person registered on its books as the owner of shares, 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 VII

 

GENERAL PROVISIONS DIVIDENDS

 

Section 1.    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 at any regular or special meeting, pursuant to law. 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 2.    Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the directors from time to time, in their absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve 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 directors shall think conducive to the interest of the corporation, and the directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.

 

CHECKS

 

Section 3.    All checks or demands for money and notes of the corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers or such other person or persons as the board of directors may from time to time designate.

 

FISCAL YEAR

 

Section 4.    The fiscal year of the corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the board of directors.

 

SEAL

 

Section 5.    The corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the corporation and the words “Corporate Seal, Delaware.” The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise.

 

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ARTICLE VIII

 

AMENDMENTS

 

Section 1.    By-laws may be adopted, altered or repealed at any regular meeting of the board of directors or at any special meeting of the board of directors if notice of such alteration or repeal be contained in the notice of such special meeting or by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.

 

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