the Board, when required. Unless otherwise specified in the Board’s resolution appointing the committee, all provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and these Bylaws relating to meetings, action without meetings, notice (and waiver), quorum, and voting requirements of the Board apply to Board committees and their members. Unless otherwise provided in the resolution of the Board designating the Board committee, a Board committee may create one or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one or more members of the Board committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the Board committee.
execute may be executed, for and on behalf of the Corporation, by the Chairman of the Board, any Vice Chair of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, if one, the President, the Chief Operating Officer, if one, the Chief Financial Officer, or any Vice President. Any person having authority to sign on behalf of the Corporation may delegate by instrument in writing, all or any part of such authority to an employee of the Corporation (an “associate”) unless such a delegation of authority is specifically limited by the Board.
Section 4. Chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Board shall preside, when present, at all meetings of the Board and stockholders, shall advise and counsel the other officers of the Corporation regarding the business and operations of the Corporation, and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be assigned or required by the Board.
Section 5. The President. Subject to these Bylaws and the direction of the Board, the President shall have the responsibility and the power necessary for the general management, oversight, supervision and control of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and to ensure that all orders and resolutions of the Board are carried into effect. If the Board has elected a Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, (1) the Chief Executive Officer shall have all of the powers granted by these Bylaws to the President and (2) the President shall, subject to the powers of supervision and control conferred upon the Chief Executive Officer, have such duties and powers as assigned to him or her by the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.
Section 6. Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall have general charge and supervision of the financial affairs of the Corporation, including budgetary and accounting methods, and shall approve payment, or designate others serving under him or her to approve for payment, all vouchers for distribution of funds and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, if one, or the President.
Section 7. Vice Presidents. Each Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, and Vice President elected by the Board shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as may be assigned by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, if one, or the President.
Section 8. Secretary. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the stockholders and all meetings of the Board and record all proceedings at such meetings in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form. The Secretary, or his or her delegates, shall perform like duties for the Board committees, when required; provided, however, that the Secretary shall not be required to be present at any sessions of non-management or independent directors contemplated by any stock exchange listing standards to which the Corporation is subject. Except as may be otherwise provided in these Bylaws, the Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and shall perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as may be prescribed by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, if one, or the President. The Secretary shall keep in safe custody the seal of the Corporation, if any, and shall have authority to affix the seal of the Corporation to any instrument requiring it, and when so affixed it may be attested by the
Secretary’s signature. The Board may give general authority to any other officer to affix the seal of the Corporation and to attest the affixing by any other officer’s signature.
Section 9. Assistant Secretaries. Assistant Secretaries in the order determined by the Board shall, in the absence or disability of the Secretary, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary and shall perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as may be assigned by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, if one, the President, or the Secretary.
Section 10. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have the responsibility for maintaining the financial records of the Corporation, shall make such disbursements of the funds of the Corporation as are authorized, and shall perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as may be assigned to him or her by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, if one, or the President.
Section 11. Assistant Treasurers. The Assistant Treasurers in the order determined by the Board shall, in the absence or disability of the Treasurer, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer and shall perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as may be assigned by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, if one, the President, or the Treasurer.
Section 12. Delegation of Authority. The Board may delegate the power or duties of any officer to any other officer or officers or agent or agents notwithstanding any provision of these Bylaws.
Section 13. Action with Respect to Securities of Other Companies. Unless otherwise ordered by a majority of the Board, the Chairman of the Board, a Vice Chair of the Board, if one, the Chief Executive Officer, if one, the President, or any Vice President shall have full power and authority on behalf of the Corporation to attend and to act and to vote, in person or by proxy, at any meetings of security holders of corporations, limited liability companies, business trusts, and other entities in which the Corporation may hold securities and at such meetings shall possess and may exercise any and all rights and powers incident to the ownership of such securities. The Board by resolution may confer like powers upon any other person or persons.
ARTICLE V
STOCK OF THE CORPORATION
Section 1. Stock Certificates; Uncertificated Shares. The shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates; however, the Board may provide by resolution that some, all, or any classes or series of shares shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the adoption of such a resolution by the Board, every holder of stock represented by certificates, and upon request every holder of uncertificated
shares, shall be entitled to have a certificate (representing the number of shares registered in certificate form) signed in the name of the Corporation by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, if one, the President, or any Vice President, and by the Secretary, Treasurer, any Assistant Secretary, or any Assistant Treasurer. Any or all the signatures on the certificate may be a reproduction. In case any officer, transfer agent, or registrar whose signature or reproduced signature appears on a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent, or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person was as officer, transfer agent, or registrar at the date of issue.
Section 2. Transfers of Stock. Shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by applicable law and in these Bylaws. Transfers of shares shall be made only on the records of the Corporation kept at an office of the Corporation or by the transfer agent designated by the Corporation to transfer shares. Transfers of shares may be made only by the record holder, or by the record holder’s legal representative authorized by power of attorney duly executed and filed with the Secretary or with the transfer agent appointed by the Board and, in the case of certificated shares, upon the surrender of the certificate or certificates for such shares properly endorsed. The Board may make such additional rules and regulations concerning the issue, transfer, and registration of certificates for shares or uncertificated shares as it may deem necessary but that are not inconsistent with these Bylaws.
Section 3. Holders of Record. The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the record holder of shares of capital stock of the Corporation as the holder in fact and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice, except as otherwise provided by applicable law. No transfer of shares shall be valid against the Corporation for any purpose unless the transfer of shares is entered in the records of the Corporation or in the records of the transfer agent designated by the Corporation showing from and to whom the shares were transferred.
Section 4. Lost Certificates. The Corporation may direct a new certificate or certificates or uncertificated shares to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates 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 share certificate to be lost, stolen, or destroyed. The Corporation may require the owner of such lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate or certificates, or such owner’s legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as it shall require, 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 or alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed or the issuance of such new certificate, or both.
Section 5. Record Date. (a) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders, the Board may fix a record date, which shall neither precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board nor shall be more than 60 days nor less than 10 days before the date of such meeting. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining
stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be 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. 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, unless the Board fixes a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
(b) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board may fix a record date, which shall neither precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board nor shall be more than 10 days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board. If no record date has been fixed by the Board, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board is required by the Delaware General Corporation 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 in the manner prescribed by the Delaware General Corporation Law. If no record date has been fixed by the Board and prior action by the Board is required by the Delaware General Corporation Law, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution taking such prior action.
(c) 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 with respect to any change, conversion, or exchange of shares, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which shall neither precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted nor shall be more than 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 adopts the resolution.
ARTICLE VI
INDEMNIFICATION
Section 1. Indemnification. (a) Subject to Section 3 of this Article VI, the Corporation shall indemnify, to the full extent that it shall have power under applicable law to do so and in a manner permitted by such law, any person made or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending, or completed action, lawsuit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative (a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of Corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an associate benefit plan (collectively, “another enterprise”).
(b) The Corporation may indemnify, to the full extent that it shall have power under applicable law to do so and in a manner permitted by such law, any person made or threatened to be made a party to any proceeding, by reason of the fact that such person is or was
an associate or agent of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as an employee or agent of another enterprise.
Section 2. Advancement of Expenses. (a) Subject to Section 3 of this Article VI, with respect to any person made or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending, or completed proceeding, by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of another enterprise, the Corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by such person in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition (an “advancement of expenses”); provided, however, that any advancement of expenses shall be made only upon receipt of a written agreement by such person to repay all amounts advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Article VI or otherwise.
(b) With respect to any person made or threatened to be made a party to any proceeding, by reason of the fact that such person is or was an associate or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as an employee or agent of another enterprise, the Corporation may, in its discretion and upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the Corporation deems appropriate, pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by such person in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition.
Section 3. Actions Initiated Against the Corporation. Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 1(a) or Section 2(a) of this Article VI to the contrary, and except as provided in Section 5(b) of this Article VI with respect to a proceeding initiated against the Corporation by a director or officer of the Corporation (or by a person serving at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of another enterprise), the Corporation shall not be required to indemnify or to advance expenses (including attorneys’ fees) to such person in connection with prosecuting the proceeding (or part thereof) or in defending any counterclaim, cross-claim, affirmative defense or like claim of the Corporation in such proceeding (or part thereof) unless the proceeding was authorized by the Board.
Section 4. Contract Rights. With respect to any person made or threatened to be made a party to any proceeding, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of another enterprise, the rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in Sections 1(a) and 2(a) of this Article VI shall be contract rights. Any amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption of any provision inconsistent with this Article VI shall not adversely affect any right to indemnification or advancement of expenses granted to any person pursuant to this Article VI with respect to any act or omission of the person occurring prior to the time of such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption (regardless of whether the proceeding relating to such acts or omissions is commenced before or after the time of such amendment, repeal, modification, or adoption).
Section 5. Claims. (a) If a claim under Section 1(a) of this Article VI with respect to any right to indemnification is not paid in full by the Corporation within 60 days after a written demand has been received by the Corporation or a claim under Section 2(a) of this Article VI with respect to any right to the advancement of expenses is not paid in full by the Corporation within 20 days after a written demand has been received by the Corporation, then the person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses may at any time thereafter bring a lawsuit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim.
(b) If successful in whole or in part in any lawsuit brought pursuant to Section 5(a) of this Article VI, or in a lawsuit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses, the person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or an advancement of expenses or the person from whom the Corporation sought to recover an advancement of expenses shall be entitled to be paid by the Corporation the reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) of prosecuting or defending such lawsuit.
(c) In any lawsuit brought by a person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification (but not a lawsuit brought by a person seeking to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses), it shall be a defense that the person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification has not met any applicable standard for indemnification under applicable law. With respect to any lawsuit brought by a person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or right to advancement of expenses, or any lawsuit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses, neither the failure of the Corporation to have made a determination prior to commencement of such lawsuit that indemnification of such person is proper in the circumstances because such person has met the applicable standards of conduct under applicable law, nor an actual determination by the Corporation that such person has not met such applicable standards of conduct, shall create a presumption that such person has not met the applicable standards of conduct or, in a case brought by such person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification, be a defense to such lawsuit.
(d) In any lawsuit brought by a person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses or by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses, the burden shall be on the Corporation to prove that the person seeking to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses or the person from whom the Corporation seeks to recover an advancement of expenses is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such an advancement of expenses, under this Article VI or otherwise.
Section 6. Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification. Any indemnification required or permitted under this Article VI (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, associate, or agent is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met all applicable standards of conduct set forth in this Article VI and Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer of the Corporation at the time of the determination: (1) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, lawsuit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum; (2) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote
of such directors, even though less than a quorum; (3) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion; or (4) by the stockholders. Such determination shall be made, with respect to any person who is not a director or officer of the Corporation at the time of such determination, in the manner determined by the Board (including in such manner as may be set forth in any general or specific action of the Board applicable to indemnification claims by such person) or in the manner set forth in any agreement to which such person and the Corporation are parties.
Section 7. Non-Exclusive Rights. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided in this Article VI shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which any person may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such director, officer, associate, or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, and administrators of such person.
Section 8. Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, associate, or agent of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this Article VI or otherwise.
Section 9. Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Article VI shall be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (1) the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Article VI (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph or clause containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired; and (2) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Article VI (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph or clause containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable.
ARTICLE VII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Dividends. Dividends upon or distributions with respect to the capital stock of the Corporation may be declared by the Board or by a Board committee designated by the Board, pursuant to and in accordance with applicable law. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, in shares of capital stock or evidences of indebtedness of the Corporation. Before the Corporation pays any dividend on or makes any distribution in respect of the capital stock of the Corporation, there may be set aside out of any funds available for dividends and distribution of such sum or sums as the Board, in its absolute discretion, approves as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of
the Corporation, or for any other purpose that the Board determines is conducive to the interests of the Corporation, and the Board may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.
Section 2. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall end on January 31 of each year unless changed by resolution of the Board.
Section 3. Corporate Seal. The corporate seal shall have inscribed the name of the Corporation, the year of its organization and the words “Corporate Seal, Delaware.” The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile to be impressed, affixed or otherwise reproduced.
Section 4. Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records. Except as provided by applicable law, each director and each member of a Board committee shall, in the performance of his or her duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Corporation by any of its officers, associates or Board committees or by any other person as to matters that the director reasonably believes are within such person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation.
Section 5. Electronic Transmissions. For purposes of these Bylaws, “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such recipient through an automated process.
Section 6. Waivers of Notice. Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a written waiver of that notice, signed by the person entitled to that notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to that notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of that meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of that meeting, to the transaction of any business because that meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of any regular or special meeting of the stockholders, Board, or Board committee need be specified in any written waiver of notice or any waiver by electronic transmission.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed, or new Bylaws may be adopted, by the stockholders or by the Board.