Exhibit 99.3
TERRITORY OF THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT
(CAP. 291)
AMENDED AND RESTATED
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
LJ INTERNATIONAL INC.
(Adopted by Resolutions on June 28, 2012)
PRELIMINARY
| 1. | In these Articles, if not inconsistent with the subject or context, the words and expressions standing in the first column of the following table shall bear the meanings set opposite them respectively in the second column thereof. |
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| Words | | Meaning |
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capital | | The sum of the aggregate par value of all outstanding shares with par value of the Company and shares with par value held by the Company as treasury shares plus |
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| | (a) the aggregate of the amounts designated as capital of all outstanding shares without par value of the Company and shares without par value held by the Company as treasury shares, and |
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| | (b) the amounts as are from time to time transferred from surplus to capital by a resolution of directors. |
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Exchange Act | | The United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. |
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member | | A person who holds shares in the Company. |
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person | | An individual, a corporation, a trust, the estate of a deceased individual, a partnership or an unincorporated association of persons. |
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resolution of directors | | (a) A resolution approved at a duly convened and constituted meeting of directors of the Company or of a committee of directors of the Company by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the directors present at the meeting who voted and did not abstain; or (b) a resolution consented to in writing by all directors or of all members of the committee, as the case may be; |
| | except that where a director is given more than one vote, he shall be counted by the number of votes he casts for the purpose of establishing a majority. |
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resolution of members | | A resolution approved at a duly convened and constituted meeting of the members of the Company by the affirmative vote of |
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| | (i) a simple majority of the votes of the shares entitled to vote thereon which were present at the meeting and were voted and not abstained, or (ii) a simple majority of the votes of each class or series of shares which were present at the meeting and entitled to vote thereon as a class or series and were voted and not abstained and of a simple majority of the votes of the remaining shares entitled to vote thereon which were present at the meeting and were voted and not abstained. |
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securities | | Shares and debt obligations of every kind, and options, warrants and rights to acquire shares, or debt obligations. |
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surplus | | The excess, if any, at the time of the determination of the total assets of the Company over the aggregate of its total liabilities, as shown in its books of account, plus the Company’s capital. |
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the Act | | The International Business Companies Act (Cap. 291) including any modification, extension, re-enactment or renewal thereof and any regulations made thereunder. |
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the Memorandum | | The Memorandum of Association of the Company as originally framed or as from time to time amended. |
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the Seal | | Any Seal which has been duly adopted as the Seal of the Company. |
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these Articles | | These Articles of Association as originally framed or as from time to time amended. |
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treasury shares | | Shares in the Company that were previously issued but were repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired by the Company and not cancelled. |
| 2. | “Written” or any term of like import includes words typewritten, printed, painted, engraved, lithographed, photographed or represented or reproduced by any mode of reproducing words in a visible form, including telex, facsimile, telegram, cable or other form of writing produced by electronic communication. |
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| 3. | Save as aforesaid any words or expressions defined in the Act shall bear the same meaning in these Articles. |
| 4. | Whenever the singular or plural number, or the masculine, feminine or neuter gender is used in these Articles, it shall equally, where the context admits, include the others. |
| 5. | A reference in these Articles to voting in relation to shares shall be construed as a reference to voting by members holding the shares except that it is the votes allocated to the shares that shall be counted and not the number of members who actually voted and a reference to shares being present at a meeting shall be given a corresponding construction. |
| 6. | A reference to money in these Articles is, unless otherwise stated, a reference to the currency in which shares in the Company shall be issued according to the provisions of the Memorandum. |
REGISTERED SHARES
| 7. | Every member holding registered shares in the Company shall be entitled to a certificate signed by a director or officer of the Company and under the seal specifying the share or shares held by him and the signature of the director or officer and the Seal may be facsimile. |
| 8. | Any member receiving a share certificate for registered shares shall indemnify and hold the Company and its directors and officers harmless from any loss or liability which it or they may incur by reason of any wrongful or fraudulent use or representation made by any person by virtue of the possession thereof. If a share certificate for registered shares is worn out or lost it may be renewed on production of the worn out certificate or on satisfactory proof of its loss together with such indemnity as may be required by a resolution of directors. |
| 9. | If several persons are registered as joint holders of any shares, any one of such persons may give an effectual receipt for any dividend payable in respect of such shares. |
BEARER SHARES
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| 15. | [Intentionally left blank] |
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SHARES, AUTHORISED CAPITAL, CAPITAL AND SURPLUS
| 20. | Subject to the provisions of these Articles and any resolution of members, the unissued shares of the Company shall be at the disposal of the directors who may, without limiting or affecting any rights previously conferred on the holders of any existing shares or class or series of shares, offer, allot, grant options over or otherwise dispose of shares to such persons, at such times and upon such terms and conditions as the Company may by resolution of directors determine. |
| 21. | No share in the Company may be issued until the consideration in respect thereof is fully paid, and when issued the share is for all purposes fully paid and non-assessable save that a share issued for a promissory note or other written obligation for payment of a debt may be issued subject to forfeiture in the manner prescribed in these Articles. |
| 22. | Shares in the Company shall be issued for money, services rendered, personal property, an estate in real property, a promissory note or other binding obligation to contribute money or property or any combination of the foregoing as shall be determined by a resolution of directors. |
| 23. | Shares in the Company may be issued for such amount of consideration as the directors may from time to time by resolution of directors determine, except that in the case of shares with par value, the amount shall not be less than the par value, and in the absence of fraud the decision of the directors as to the value of the consideration received by the Company in respect of the issue is conclusive unless a question of law is involved. The consideration in respect of the shares constitutes capital to the extent of the par value and the excess constitutes surplus. |
| 24. | A share issued by the Company upon conversion of, or in exchange for, another share or a debt obligation or other security in the Company, shall be treated for all purposes as having been issued for money equal to the consideration received or deemed to have been received by the Company in respect of the other share, debt obligation or security. |
| 25. | Treasury shares may be disposed of by the Company on such terms and conditions (not otherwise inconsistent with these Articles) as the Company may by resolution of directors determine. |
| 26. | The Company may issue fractions of a share and a fractional share shall have the same corresponding fractional liabilities, limitations, preferences, privileges, qualifications, restrictions, rights and other attributes of a whole share of the same class or series of shares. |
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| 27. | Upon the issue by the Company of a share without par value, if an amount is stated in the Memorandum to be authorised capital represented by such shares then each share shall be issued for no less than the appropriate proportion of such amount which shall constitute capital, otherwise the consideration in respect of the share constitutes capital to the extent designated by the directors and the excess constitutes surplus, except that the directors must designate as capital an amount of the consideration that is at least equal to the amount that the share is entitled to as a preference, if any, in the assets of the Company upon liquidation of the Company. |
| 28. | The Company may purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire and hold its own shares but only out of surplus or in exchange for newly issued shares of equal value. |
| 29. | Subject to provisions to the contrary in |
| | (a) | the Memorandum or these Articles; |
| | (b) | the designations, powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions with which the shares were issued; or |
| | (c) | the subscription agreement for the issue of the shares, the company may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire its own shares without the consent of members whose shares are to be purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired. |
| 30. | No purchase, redemption or other acquisition of shares shall be made unless the directors determine that immediately after the purchase, redemption or other acquisition the Company will be able to satisfy its liabilities as they become due in the ordinary course of its business and the realizable value of the assets of the Company will not be less than the sum of its total liabilities, other than deferred taxes, as shown in the books of account, and its capital and, in the absence of fraud, the decision of the directors as to the realizable value of the assets of the Company is conclusive, unless a question of law is involved. |
| 31. | A determination by the directors under the preceding Regulation is not required where shares are purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired |
| | (a) | pursuant to a right of a member to have his shares redeemed or to have his shares exchanged for money or other property of the Company; |
| | (b) | by virtue of a transfer of capital pursuant to Regulation 59; |
| | (c) | by virtue of the provisions of Section 83 of the Act; |
| | (d) | or pursuant to an order of the Court. |
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| 32. | Shares that the Company purchases, redeems or otherwise acquires pursuant to the preceding Regulation may be cancelled or held as treasury shares except to the extent that such shares are in excess of 80 percent of the issued shares of the Company in which case they shall be cancelled but they shall be available for reissue. |
| 33. | Where shares in the Company are held by the Company as treasury shares or are held by another company of which the Company holds, directly or indirectly, shares having more than 50 percent of the votes in the election of directors of the other company, such shares of the Company are not entitled to vote or to have dividends paid thereon and shall not be treated as outstanding for any purpose except for purposes of determining the capital of the Company. |
| 34. | The Company may purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire its shares at a price lower than the fair value if permitted by, and then only in accordance with, the terms of |
| | (a) | the Memorandum or these Articles; or |
| | (b) | a written agreement for the subscription for the shares to be purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired. |
| 35. | The Company may by a resolution of directors include in the computation of surplus for any purpose the unrealized appreciation of the assets of the Company, and, in the absence of fraud, the decision of the directors as to the value of the assets is conclusive, unless a question of law is involved. |
MORTGAGES AND CHARGES OF REGISTERED SHARES
| 36. | Members may mortgage or charge their registered shares in the Company and upon satisfactory evidence thereof the Company shall give effect to the terms of any valid mortgage or charge except insofar as it may conflict with any requirements herein contained for consent to the transfer of shares. |
| 37. | In the case of the mortgage or charge of registered shares there may be entered in the share register of the Company at the request of the registered holder of such shares |
| | (a) | a statement that the shares are mortgaged or charged; |
| | (b) | the name of the mortgagee or chargee; and |
| | (c) | the date on which the aforesaid particulars are entered in the share register. |
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| 38. | Where particulars of a mortgage or charge are registered, such particulars shall be cancelled |
| | (a) | with the consent of the named mortgagee or chargee or anyone authorised to act on his behalf; or |
| | (b) | upon evidence satisfactory to the directors of the discharge of the liability secured by the mortgage or charge and the issue of such indemnities as the directors shall consider necessary or desirable. |
| 39. | Whilst particulars of a mortgage or charge are registered, no transfer of any share comprised therein shall be effected without the written consent of the named mortgagee or chargee or anyone authorized to act on his behalf. |
FORFEITURE
| 40. | When shares issued for a promissory note or other written obligation for payment of a debt have been issued subject to forfeiture, the provisions set forth in the following four regulations shall apply. |
| 41. | Written notice specifying a date for payment to be made and the shares in respect of which payment is to be made shall be served on the member who defaults in making payment pursuant to a promissory note or other written obligations to pay a debt. |
| 42. | The written notice specifying a date for payment shall |
| | (a) | name a further date not earlier than the expiration of 14 days from the date of service of the notice on or before which payment required by the notice is to be made; and |
| | (b) | contain a statement that in the event of nonpayment at or before the time named in the notice the shares, or any of them, in respect of which payment is not made will be liable to be forfeited. |
| 43. | Where a written notice has been issued and the requirements have not been complied with within the prescribed time, the directors may at any time before tender of payment forfeit and cancel the shares to which the notice relates. |
| 44. | The Company is under no obligation to refund any moneys to the member whose shares have been forfeited and cancelled pursuant to these provisions. Upon forfeiture and cancellation of the shares the member is discharged from any further obligation to the Company with respect to the shares forfeited and cancelled. |
LIEN
| 45. | The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on every share issued for a promissory note or for any other binding obligation to contribute money or property or any combination thereof to the Company, and the Company shall also have a first and paramount lien on every share standing registered in the name of a member, whether singly or jointly with any other person or persons, for all the debts and liabilities of such member or his estate to the Company, whether the same shall have been incurred before or after notice to the Company of any interest of any person other than such member, and whether the time for the payment or discharge of the same shall have actually arrived or not, and notwithstanding that the same are joint debts or liabilities of such member or his estate and any other person, whether a member of the Company or not. The Company’s lien on a share shall extend to all dividends payable thereon. The directors may at any time either generally, or in any particular case, waive any lien that has arisen or declare any share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Regulation. |
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| 46. | In the absence of express provisions regarding sale in the promissory note or other binding obligation to contribute money or property, the Company may sell, in such manner as the directors may by resolution of directors determine, any share on which the Company has a lien, but no sale shall be made unless some sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable nor until the expiration of twenty one days after a notice in writing, stating and demanding payment of the sum presently payable and giving notice of the intention to sell in default of such payment, has been served on the holder for the time being of the share. |
| 47. | The net proceeds of the sale by the Company of any shares on which it has a lien shall be applied in or towards payment of discharge of the promissory note or other binding obligation to contribute money or property or any combination thereof in respect of which the lien exists so far as the same is presently payable and any residue shall (subject to a like lien for debts or liabilities not presently payable as existed upon the share prior to the sale) be paid to the holder of the share immediately before such sale. For giving effect to any such sale the directors may authorise some person to transfer the share sold to the purchaser thereof. The purchaser shall be registered as the holder of the share and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the sale. |
TRANSFER OF SHARES
| 48. | Subject to any limitations in the Memorandum, registered shares in the Company may be transferred by a written instrument of transfer signed by the transferor and containing the name and address of the transferee, but in the absence of such written instrument of transfer the directors may accept such evidence of a transfer of shares as they consider appropriate. |
| 49. | The Company shall not be required to treat a transferee of a registered share in the Company as a member until the transferee’s name has been entered in the share register. |
| 50. | Subject to any limitations in the Memorandum, the Company must on the application of the transferor or transferee of a registered share in the Company enter in the share register the name of the transferee of the share save that the registration of transfers may be suspended and the share register closed at such times and for such periods as the Company may from time to time by resolution of directors determine provided always that such registration shall not be suspended and the share register closed for more than 60 days in any period of 12 months. |
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TRANSMISSION OF SHARES
| 51. | The executor or administrator of a deceased member, the guardian of an incompetent member or the trustee of a bankrupt member shall be the only person recognized by the Company as having any title to his share but they shall not be entitled to exercise any rights as a member of the Company until they have proceeded as set forth in the next following three regulations. |
| 52. | The production to the Company of any document which is evidence of probate of the will, or letters of administration of the estate, or confirmation as executor, of a deceased member or of the appointment of a guardian of an incompetent member or the trustee of a bankrupt member shall be accepted by the Company even if the deceased incompetent or bankrupt member is domiciled outside the British Virgin Islands if the document evidencing the grant of probate or letters of administration confirmation as executor, appointment as guardian or trustee in bankruptcy is issued by a foreign court which had competent jurisdiction in the matter. For the purpose of establishing whether or not a foreign court had competent jurisdiction in such a matter the directors may obtain appropriate legal advice. The directors may also require an indemnity to be given by the executor, administrator, guardian or trustee in bankruptcy. |
| 53. | Any person becoming entitled by operation of law or otherwise to a share or shares in consequence of the death, incompetence or bankruptcy of any member may be registered as a member upon such evidence being produced as may reasonably be required by the directors. An application by any such person to be registered as a member shall for all purposes be deemed to be a transfer of shares of the deceased, incompetent or bankrupt member and the directors shall treat it as such. |
| 54. | Any person who has become entitled to a share or shares in consequence of the death, incompetence or bankruptcy of any member may, instead of being registered himself, request in writing that some person to be named by him be registered as the transferee of such share or shares and such request shall likewise be treated as if it were a transfer. |
| 55. | What amounts to incompetence on the part of a person is a matter to be determined by the court having regard to all the relevant evidence and the circumstances of the case. |
REDUCTION OR INCREASE IN AUTHORISED CAPITAL OR CAPITAL
| 56. | The Company may by a resolution of directors amend the Memorandum to increase or reduce its authorised capital and in connection therewith the Company may in respect of any unissued shares increase or reduce the number of such shares, increase or reduce the par value of any such shares or effect any combination of the foregoing. |
| 57. | The Company may amend the Memorandum to |
| | (a) | divide the shares, including issued shares, of a class or series into a larger number of shares of the same class or series; or |
| | (b) | combine the shares, including issued shares, of a class or series into a smaller number of shares of the same class or series, |
provided, however, that where shares are divided or combined under (a) or (b) of this Regulation, the aggregate par value of the new shares must be equal to the aggregate par value of the original shares.
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| 58. | The capital of the Company may by a resolution of directors be increased by transferring an amount of the surplus of the Company to capital. |
| 59. | Subject to the provisions of the two next succeeding Regulations, the capital of the Company may by resolution of directors be reduced by transferring an amount of the capital of the Company to surplus. |
| 60. | No reduction of capital shall be effected that reduces the capital of the Company to an amount that immediately after the reduction is less than the aggregate par value of all outstanding shares with par value and all shares with par value held by the Company as treasury shares and the aggregate of the amounts designated as capital of all outstanding shares without par value and all shares without par value held by the Company as treasury shares that are entitled to a preference if any, in the assets of the Company upon liquidation of the Company. |
| 61. | No reduction of capital shall be effected unless the directors determine that immediately after the reduction the Company will be able to satisfy its liabilities as they become due in the ordinary course of its business and that the realisable assets of the Company will not be less than its total liabilities, other than deferred taxes, as shown in the books of the Company and its remaining capital, and, in the absence of fraud, the decision of the directors as to the realisable value of the assets of the Company is conclusive, unless a question of law is involved. |
MEETINGS AND CONSENTS OF MEMBERS
| 62. | The directors of the Company may convene meetings of the members of the Company for the election of directors and for any other purpose at such times and in such manner and places within or outside the British Virgin Islands, as the directors consider necessary or desirable. |
| 63. | Unless otherwise prescribed by law, special meetings of members of the Company, for any purpose or purposes, may be called by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and shall be called by either such officer or the Secretary at the request in writing of a majority of the directors, but such special meetings may not be called by any other person or persons. Such request shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting. |
| 64. | The directors shall give not less than 7 days notice of meetings of members to those persons whose names on the date the notice is given appear as members in the share register of the Company and are entitled to vote at the meeting. |
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| 65. | No business may be transacted at a meeting of members, other than business that is either (a) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof), (b) otherwise properly brought before a meeting of members by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof) or (c) otherwise properly brought before a meeting of members by any member of the Company who is a member of record on the date of the giving of the notice provided for in Article 66 and on the record date for the determination of members entitled to vote at such meeting of members and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in Article 66, or in the case of nominations for the election of directors, who complies with the notice procedures set forth in Article 87. |
| 66. | In addition to any other applicable requirements, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting of members by a member, such member must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the Secretary of the Company. To be timely, a member’s notice to the Secretary must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Company no later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day, nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day, prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of members; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting of members is called for a date that is not within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, notice by the member in order to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on the fifth (5th) day following the day on which such public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting of members was made. In no event shall the public disclosure of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting of members commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a member’s notice as described above. |
To be in proper written form, a member’s notice to the Secretary must set forth: (a) as to each matter such member proposes to bring before the annual meeting of members, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting of members, the 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 Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association, the language of the proposed amendment), the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting of members and any material interest in such business of such member and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; (b) as to the member giving the notice or, if the notice is given on behalf of a beneficial owner on whose behalf the proposal is made, as to such beneficial owner, (i) the name and record address of such member, and the name and address of such beneficial owner, (ii) the class or series and number of shares of the Company which are owned beneficially and/or of record by such member and such beneficial owner as of the date of the notice, and a representation that the member will notify the Company in writing within five (5) business days after the record date for the annual meeting of members of the class or series and number of shares of the Company owned beneficially and/or of record by the member and such beneficial owner as of the record date for the annual meeting of members, (iii) a description of any
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agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profits interests, options, warrants, convertible securities, share appreciation or similar rights, hedging transactions and borrowed or loaned shares) that has been entered into in connection with the proposal of such business between or among such member or beneficial owner and any other person or persons (including their names), including without limitation any agreements that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 5 or Item 6 of Schedule 13D of the Exchange Act (regardless of whether the requirement to file a Schedule 13D is applicable to the member or beneficial owner) and a representation that the member will notify the Company in writing within five (5) business days after the record date for such meeting of any such agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profits interests, options, warrants, convertible securities, share appreciation or similar rights, hedging transactions and borrowed or loaned shares) in effect as of the record date for the meeting, (iv) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profit interests, options, hedging transactions, and borrowed or loaned shares) that has been entered into as of the date of the member’s notice by, or on behalf of, such member or beneficial owner, whether or not such instrument or right shall be subject to settlement in underlying shares of the Company, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, manage risk or benefit from changes in the share price of any class of the Company’s shares or increase or decrease the voting power of the member or beneficial owner with respect to shares of the Company, and a representation that the member will notify the Company in writing within five (5) business days after the record date for the annual meeting of members of any such agreement, arrangement or understanding in effect as of the record date for the meeting, (v) a representation that the member is a record holder of shares of the Company entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual meeting of members to bring such business before the meeting, (vi) a representation as to whether the member or the beneficial owner, if any, intends or is part of a group that intends to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Company’s outstanding shares required to approve or adopt the business, and/or otherwise to solicit proxies or votes from members in support of such business and (vii) any other information relating to such member and beneficial owner, if any, required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for the approval or adoption of the business pursuant to the applicable laws.
The foregoing notice requirements shall apply to all proposals made by members. No business shall be conducted at the annual meeting of members except business brought before the annual meeting of members in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Article 66, or in the case of nominations for the election of directors, who complies with the notice procedures set forth in Article 87; provided, however, that, once business has been properly brought before the annual meeting of members in accordance with such procedures, nothing in this Article 66 shall be deemed to preclude discussion by any member of any such business; provided further, that, for any business properly brought before the annual meeting of members in accordance with such procedures after the notice of meeting is given, the directors shall, no less than one (1) day before the annual meeting of members, give a supplemental notice of meeting in respect of such business to
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members to those persons whose names on the date the notice is given appear as members in the share register of the Company and are entitled to vote at the meeting of members. If the Chairman of the Board determines that business was not properly brought before the annual meeting of members in accordance with the foregoing procedures, the Chairman of the meeting of members shall declare to the meeting that the business was not properly brought before the meeting and such business shall not be transacted. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article 66, unless otherwise required by law, if the member does not provide the information required under this Article 66 to the Company within five (5) business days following the record date for the annual meeting of members or if the member does not appear in person or through a legally qualified representative at the annual meeting of members to present proposed business, such business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that members may have already submitted proxies to the Company in respect of such business in accordance with this Article 66.
For purposes of this Article 66 and Article 87, “public disclosure” shall include disclosure in a press release reported by any national news service of the United States of America or in a document publicly filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
| 67. | The directors may fix the date notice is given of a meeting of members as the record date for determining those shares that are entitled to vote at the meeting. |
| 68. | A meeting of members may be called on short notice: |
| | (a) | if members holding not less than 90 percent of the total number of shares entitled to vote on all matters to be considered at the meeting, or 90 percent of the votes of each class or series of shares where members are entitled to vote thereon as a class or series together with not less than a 90 percent majority of the remaining votes, have agreed to short notice of the meeting, or |
| | (b) | if all members holding shares entitled to vote on all or any matters to be considered at the meeting have waived notice of the meeting and for this purpose presence at the meeting shall be deemed to constitute waiver. |
| 69. | The inadvertent failure of the directors to give notice of a meeting to a member, or the fact that a member has not received notice, does not invalidate the meeting. |
| 70. | A member may be represented at a meeting of members by a proxy who may speak and vote on behalf of the member. |
| 71. | The instrument appointing a proxy shall be produced at the place appointed for the meeting before the time for holding the meeting at which the person named in such instrument proposes to vote. |
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| 72. | An instrument appointing a proxy shall be in substantially the following form or such other form as the Chairman of the meeting shall accept as properly evidencing the wishes of the member appointing the proxy. |
(Name of Company)
I/We being a member of the above Company with shares HEREBY APPOINT of or failing him of to be my/our proxy to vote for me/us at the meeting of members to be held on the day of and at any adjournment thereof.
(Any restrictions on voting to be inserted here.)
Signed this day of
Member
| 73. | The following shall apply in respect of joint ownership of shares: |
| | (a) | if two or more persons hold shares jointly each of them may be present in person or by proxy at a meeting of members and may speak as a member; |
| | (b) | if only one of the joint owners is present in person or by proxy he may vote on behalf of all joint owners; and |
| | (c) | if two or more of the joint owners are present in person or by proxy they must vote as one. |
| 74. | A member shall be deemed to be present at a meeting of members if he participates by telephone or other electronic means and all members participating in the meeting are able to hear each other. |
| 75. | A meeting of members is duly constituted if, at the commencement of the meeting, there are present in person or by proxy not less than 50 percent of the votes of the shares or class or series of shares entitled to vote on resolutions of members to be considered at the meeting. If a quorum be present, notwithstanding the fact that such quorum may be represented by only one person then such person may resolve any matter and a certificate signed by such person accompanied where such person be a proxy by a copy of the proxy form shall constitute a valid resolution of members. |
| 76. | If within two hours from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of members, shall be dissolved; in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the next business day at the same time and place or to such other time and place as the directors may determine, and if at the adjourned meeting there are present within one hour from the time appointed for the meeting in person or by proxy not less than one third of the votes of the shares or each class or series of shares entitled to vote on the resolutions to be considered by the meeting, those present shall constitute a quorum but otherwise the meeting shall be dissolved. |
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| 77. | At every meeting of members, the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall preside as Chairman of the meeting. If there is no Chairman of the Board of Directors or if the Chairman of the Board of Directors is not present at the meeting, the members present shall choose some one of their number to be the Chairman. If the members are unable to choose a Chairman for any reason, then the person representing the greatest number of voting shares present in person or by prescribed form of proxy at the meeting shall preside as chairman failing which the oldest individual member or representative of a member present shall take the chair. |
| 78. | The Chairman may, with the consent of the meeting, adjourn any meeting from time to time, and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. |
| 79. | At any meeting of the members the Chairman shall be responsible for deciding in such manner as he shall consider appropriate whether any resolution has been carried or not and the result of his decision shall be announced to the meeting and recorded in the minutes thereof. If the Chairman shall have any doubt as to the outcome of any resolution put to the vote, he shall cause a poll to be taken of all votes cast upon such resolution, but if the Chairman shall fail to take a poll then any member present in person or by proxy who disputes the announcement by the Chairman of the result of any vote may immediately following such announcement demand that a poll be taken and the Chairman shall thereupon cause a poll to be taken. If a poll is taken at any meeting, the result thereof shall be duly recorded in the minutes of that meeting by the Chairman. |
| 80. | Any person other than an individual shall be regarded as one member and subject to the specific provisions hereinafter contained for the appointment of representatives of such persons the right of any individual to speak for or represent such member shall be determined by the law of the jurisdiction where, and by the documents by which, the person is constituted or derives its existence. In case of doubt, the directors may in good faith seek legal advice from any qualified person and unless and until a court of competent jurisdiction shall otherwise rule, the directors may rely and act upon such advice without incurring any liability to any member. |
| 81. | Any person other than an individual which is a member of the Company may by resolution of its directors or other governing body authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class of members of the Company, and the person so authorized shall be entitled to exercise the same power on behalf of the person which he represents as that person could exercise if it were an individual member of the Company. |
| 82. | The Chairman of any meeting at which a vote is cast by proxy or on behalf of any person other than an individual may call for a notarially certified copy of such proxy or authority which shall be produced within 7 days of being so requested or the votes cast by such proxy or on behalf of such person shall be disregarded. |
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| 83. | Directors of the Company may attend and speak at any meeting of members of the Company and at any separate meeting of the holders of any class or series of shares in the Company. |
| 84. | No action that is required or permitted to be taken by members at a meeting may be effected by written consent of members in lieu of a meeting. |
DIRECTORS
| 85. | The first directors of the Company shall be appointed by the subscriber to the Memorandum and thereafter, the directors shall be elected by a resolution of members for such term as provided in Articles 89 and 92, as the case may be. |
| 86. | Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the following procedures shall be eligible for election as directors of the Company, except as provided in Article 85 with respect to the first directors. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at any annual meeting of members, or at any special meeting of members called for the purpose of electing directors, (a) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof) or (b) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any member of the Company who is a member of record at the time the notice required by Article 87 is delivered to the Secretary of the Company, who is entitled to vote at such meeting and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in Article 87. |
| 87. | In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be made by a member, such member must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the Secretary of the Company. To be timely, a member’s notice to the Secretary must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Company (a) in the case of an annual meeting of members, no later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of members; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting of members is called for a date that is not within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, notice by the member in order to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on the fifth (5th) day following the day on which such public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting of members was made; and (b) in the case of a special meeting of members called for the purpose of electing directors, not later than the close of business on the fifth (5th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of the special meeting of members was made. Notwithstanding anything in the previous sentence to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Company is increased effective at the annual meeting of members and there is no public disclosure by the Company naming the nominees for the additional directorships at least one hundred (100) days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of members, a member’s notice required by |
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| | this Article 87 shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for the additional directorships, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Company at the principal executive offices of the Company not later than the close of business on the fifth (5th) day following the day on which such public disclosure is first made by the Company. In no event shall the public disclosure of an adjournment or postponement of an annual or special meeting of members commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a member’s notice as described above. |
To be in proper written form, a member’s notice to the Secretary must set forth: (a) as to each person whom the member proposes to nominate for election as a director (i) the name, age, business address and residence address of the person, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of the person, (iii) the class or series and number of shares of the Company which are owned beneficially and/or of record by the person, (iv) any other information relating to the person that would be 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 and in accordance with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, (v) such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected; and (vi) such other information as the Company may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Company, including, but not limited to, requiring the proposed nominee to respond to a questionnaire providing information about the candidate’s background and qualifications, to represent that he or she has no agreements with any third party as to voting or compensation in connection with his or her service as a director, and to agree to abide by applicable confidentiality, governance, conflicts, share ownership and trading policies of the Company; (b) as to the member giving the notice or, if the notice is given on behalf of a beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, as to such beneficial owner (i) the name and record address of such member and the name and address of such beneficial owner, (ii) the class or series and number of shares of the Company that are owned beneficially and/or of record by such member or beneficial owner as of the date of the notice, and a representation that the member will notify the Company in writing within five (5) business days after the record date for such meeting of the class or series and number of shares of the Company beneficially owned by such member or beneficial owner as of the record date for the meeting, (iii) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profits interests, options, warrants, convertible securities, share appreciation or similar rights, hedging transactions and borrowed or loaned shares) with respect to the nomination between or among such member or beneficial owner and any other person or persons (including their names), including without limitation any agreements that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 5 or Item 6 of Schedule 13D of the Exchange Act (regardless of whether the requirement to file a Schedule 13D is applicable to the member or beneficial owner) and a representation that the member will notify the Company in writing within five (5) business days after the record date for such meeting of any such agreement, arrangement or understanding in effect as of the record date for the meeting, (iv) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profits interests, options, hedging transactions, and borrowed or loaned shares) that has been entered into as of the date of the member’s notice by, or on behalf
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of, such member or beneficial owner, whether or not such instrument or right shall be subject to settlement in underlying shares of the Company, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, manage risk or benefit from changes in the share price of any class of the Company’s shares, or increase or decrease the voting power of the member or beneficial owner with respect to shares of the Company, and a representation that the member will notify the Company in writing within five (5) business days after the record date for such meeting of any such agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profits interests, options, warrants, convertible securities, share appreciation or similar rights, hedging transactions and borrowed or loaned shares) in effect as of the record date for the meeting, (v) a representation that such member is a holder of record of shares of the Company entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the persons named in its notice, (vi) a representation as to whether the member or the beneficial owner, if any, intends or is part of a group that intends to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Company’s outstanding share capital required to elect the nominee, and/or otherwise to solicit proxies or votes from members in support of such nomination, and (vii) any other information relating to such member and beneficial owner, if any, required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for the approval of the nomination pursuant to and in accordance with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
No person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Company unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Article 87. If the Chairman of the Board determines that a nomination was not made in accordance with the foregoing procedures, the chairman of the meeting shall declare to the meeting that the nomination was defective and such defective nomination shall be disregarded, provided, that, for any nomination properly made in accordance with such procedures after the notice of meeting is given, the directors shall, no less than one (1) day before the meeting of members, give a supplemental notice of meeting in respect of such nomination to members to those persons whose names on the date the notice is given appear as members in the share register of the Company and are entitled to vote at the meeting of members. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article 87, unless otherwise required by law, if the member does not provide the information required under clauses (b)(i)-(iv) of this Article 87 to the Company within five (5) business days following the record date for the meeting or if the member does not appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to present the nomination, such nomination shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Company.
Except as otherwise provided by law, the chairman of the meeting of members shall have the power and duty:
| | (a) | to determine whether a nomination proposed to be brought before a meeting of members was made in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Article 87 (including whether the member or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made solicited (or is part of a group which solicited) or did not so solicit, as the case may be, proxies or votes in support of such member’s nominee in compliance with such member’s representation as required by this Article 87); and |
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| | (b) | if any proposed nomination was not made in compliance with this Article 87, to declare that such nomination shall be disregarded. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article 87, unless otherwise required by law, if the member (or a qualified representative of the member) does not appear at the annual meeting of members of the Company to present a nomination, such nomination shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Company. For purposes of this Article 87, to be considered a qualified representative of the member, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such member or must be authorized by a writing executed by such member or an electronic transmission delivered by such member to act for such member as proxy at the meeting of members and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of members. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article 87, a member shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Article 87; provided however, that any references in these Articles to the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit any requirements applicable to nominations to be considered pursuant to this Article 87, and compliance with Article 87 shall be the exclusive means for a member to make nominations. Nothing in this Article 87 shall be deemed to affect any rights of members to request inclusion of proposals in the Company’s proxy statement pursuant to applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act or of the holders of any series of preferred shares, if any, to elect directors pursuant to any applicable provisions of the Memorandum of Association.
| 88. | The total number of directors constituting the entire Board of Directors of the Company shall not be less than 3 nor more than 7, with the then-authorized number of directors fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall be and is divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, designated: Class I, Class II and Class III. In case of any increase or decrease, from time to time, in the number of directors, the number of directors in each class shall be apportioned as nearly equal as possible. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. |
| 89. | Each director shall serve for a term ending on the date of the third annual meeting following the meeting of members at which such director was elected; provided, that each director initially appointed to Class I shall serve for an initial term expiring at the Company’s first annual meeting of members following the effectiveness of this provision; each director initially appointed to Class II shall serve for an initial term expiring at the Company’s second annual meeting of members following the effectiveness of this provision; and each director initially appointed to Class III shall serve for an initial term expiring at the Company’s third annual meeting of members following the effectiveness |
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| | of this provision; provided further, that the term of each director shall continue until the election and qualification of a successor and be subject to such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal. As soon as practicable following the effectiveness of these Articles, the directors then in office shall by resolution of directors select which of such directors shall be Class I directors, Class II directors and Class III directors. Directors added to the Board of Directors between annual meetings of members by reason of an increase in the authorized number of directors shall belong to the class designated by the Board of Directors; provided however that the number of board seats designated to belong to Class I, Class II and Class III must be as nearly equal in number as possible. |
| 90. | Any director may be removed from office only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of the Company entitled to vote in any annual election of directors or class of directors, voting together as a single class. |
| 91. | A director may resign his office by giving written notice of his resignation to the Company and the resignation shall have effect from the date the notice is received by the Company or from such later date as may be specified in the notice. |
| 92. | The directors may at any time appoint any person to be a director either to fill a vacancy or as an addition to the existing directors. A director elected to fill a vacancy or a newly created directorship shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such director shall have been chosen, subject to the election and qualification of a successor and to such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal. A vacancy occurs through the death, resignation or removal of a director but a vacancy or vacancies shall not be deemed to exist where one or more directors shall resign after having appointed his or their successor or successors. |
| 93. | The Company may determine by resolution of directors to keep a register of directors containing |
| | (a) | the names and addresses of the persons who are directors of the Company; |
| | (b) | the date on which each person whose name is entered in the register was appointed as a director of the Company; and |
| | (c) | the date on which each person named as a director ceased to be a director of the Company. |
| 94. | If the directors determine to maintain a register of directors, a copy thereof shall be kept at the registered office of the Company and the Company may determine by resolution of directors to register a copy of the register with the Registrar of Companies. |
| 95. | With the prior or subsequent approval by a resolution of members, the directors may, by a resolution of directors, fix the emoluments of directors with respect to services to be rendered in any capacity to the Company. |
| 96. | A director shall not require a share qualification, and may be an individual or a company. |
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POWERS OF DIRECTORS
| 97. | The business and affairs of the Company shall be managed by the directors who may pay all expenses incurred preliminary to and in connection with the formation and registration of the Company and may exercise all such powers of the Company as are not by the Act or by the Memorandum or these Articles required to be exercised by the members of the Company, subject to any delegation of such powers as may be authorised by these Articles and to such requirements as may be prescribed by a resolution of members; but no requirement made by a resolution of members shall prevail if it be inconsistent with these Articles nor shall such requirement invalidate any prior act of the directors which would have been valid if such requirement had not been made. |
| 98. | The directors may, by a resolution of directors, appoint any person, including a person who is a director, to be an officer or agent of the Company. The resolution of directors appointing an agent may authorize the agent to appoint one or more substitutes or delegates to exercise some or all of the powers conferred on the agent by the Company. |
| 99. | Every officer or agent of the Company has such powers and authority of the directors, including the power and authority to affix the Seal, as are set forth in these Articles or in the resolution of directors appointing the officer or agent, except that no officer or agent has any power or authority with respect to the matters requiring a resolution of directors under the Act. |
| 100. | Any director which is a body corporate may appoint any person its duly authorised representative for the purpose of representing it at meetings of the Board of Directors or with respect to unanimous written consents. |
| 101. | The continuing directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, save that if their number is reduced to their knowledge below the number fixed by or pursuant to these Articles as the necessary quorum for a meeting of directors, the continuing directors or director may act only for the purpose of appointing directors to fill any vacancy that has arisen or summoning a meeting of members. |
| 102. | The directors may by resolution of directors exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertakings and property or any part thereof, to issue debentures, debenture stock and other securities whenever money is borrowed or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party. |
| 103. | All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable instruments and all receipts for moneys paid to the Company, shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed, as the case may be, in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of directors. |
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| 104. | The Company may determine by resolution of directors to maintain at its registered office a register of mortgages, charges and other encumbrances in which there shall be entered the following particulars regarding each mortgage, charge or other encumbrance: |
| | (c) | the name and address of the mortgagee, chargee or other encumbrancer; |
| | (d) | the date of creation of the mortgage, charge or other encumbrance; and |
| | (e) | the date on which the particulars specified above in respect of the mortgage, charge or other encumbrance are entered in the register. |
| 105. | The Company may further determine by a resolution of directors to register a copy of the register of mortgages, charges or other encumbrances with the Registrar of Companies. |
PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS
| 106. | The directors of the Company or any committee thereof may meet at such times and in such manner and places within or outside the British Virgin Islands as the directors may determine to be necessary or desirable. |
| 107. | A director shall be deemed to be present at a meeting of directors if he participates by telephone or other electronic means and all directors participating in the meeting are able to hear each other. |
| 108. | A director shall be given not less than 3 days notice of meetings of directors, but a meeting of directors held without 3 days notice having been given to all directors shall be valid if all the directors entitled to vote at the meeting who do not attend, waive notice of the meeting and for this purpose, the presence of a director at a meeting shall constitute waiver on his part. The inadvertent failure to give notice of a meeting to a director, or the fact that a director has not received the notice, does not invalidate the meeting. |
| 109. | A director may by a written instrument appoint an alternate who need not be a director and an alternate is entitled to attend meetings in the absence of the director who appointed him and to vote or consent in place of the director. |
| 110. | A meeting of directors is duly constituted for all purposes if at the commencement of the meeting there are present in person or by alternate not less than one half of the total number of directors, unless there are only 2 directors in which case the quorum shall be 2. |
| 111. | If the Company shall have only one director the provisions herein contained for meetings of the directors shall not apply but such sole director shall have full power to represent and act for the Company in all matters as are not by the Act or the Memorandum or these Articles required to be exercised by the members of the Company and in lieu of minutes of a meeting shall record in writing and sign a note or memorandum of all matters requiring a resolution of directors. Such a note or memorandum shall constitute sufficient evidence of such resolution for all purposes. |
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| 112. | At every meeting of the directors the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall preside as Chairman of the meeting. If there is no Chairman of the Board of Directors or if the Chairman of the Board of Directors is not present at the meeting the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors shall preside. If there is no Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors or if the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors is not present at the meeting the directors present shall choose some one of their number to be Chairman of the meeting. |
| 113. | An action that may be taken by the directors or a committee of directors at a meeting may also be taken by a resolution of directors or a committee of directors consented to in writing or by telex, telegram, cable, facsimile or other written electronic communication by all directors or all members of the committee as the case may be, without the need for any notice. The consent may be in the form of counterparts, each counterpart being signed by one or more directors. |
| 114. | The directors shall cause the following corporate records to be kept: |
| | (a) | minutes of all meetings of directors, members, committee of directors, committees of officers and committees of members; |
| | (b) | copies of all resolutions consented to by directors, members, committees of directors, committees of officers and committees of members; and |
| | (c) | such other accounts and records as the directors by resolution of directors consider necessary or desirable in order to reflect the financial position of the Company. |
| 115. | The books, records and minutes shall be kept at the registered office of the Company, its principal place of business or at such other place as the directors determine. |
| 116. | The directors may, by resolution of directors, designate one or more committees, each consisting of one or more directors. |
| 117. | Each committee of directors has such powers and authorities of the directors, including the power and authority to affix the Seal, as are set forth in the resolution of directors establishing the committee, except that no committee has any power or authority to amend the Memorandum or these Articles, to appoint directors or fix their emoluments, or to appoint officers or agents of the Company. |
| 118. | The meetings and proceedings of each committee of directors consisting of 2 or more directors shall be governed mutatis mutandis by the provisions of these Articles regulating the proceedings of directors so far as the same are not superseded by any provisions in the resolution establishing the committee. |
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OFFICERS
| 119. | The Company may by resolution of directors appoint officers of the Company at such times as shall be considered necessary or expedient. Such officers may consist of a Chairman of the Board of Directors, a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, a President and one or more Vice Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers and such other officers as may from time to time be deemed desirable. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. |
| 120. | The officers shall perform such duties as shall be prescribed at the time of their appointment subject to any modification in such duties as may be prescribed thereafter by resolution of directors or resolution of members, but in the absence of any specific allocation of duties it shall be the responsibility of the Chairman of the Board of Directors to preside at meetings of directors and members, the Vice Chairman to act in the absence of the Chairman, the President to manage the day to day affairs of the Company, the Vice Presidents to act in order of seniority in the absence of the President but otherwise to perform such duties as may be delegated to them by the President, the Secretaries to maintain the share register, minute books and records (other than financial records) of the Company and to ensure compliance with all procedural requirements imposed on the Company by applicable law, and the Treasurer to be responsible for the financial affairs of the Company. |
| 121. | The emoluments of all officers shall be fixed by resolution of directors. |
| 122. | The officers of the Company shall hold office until their successors are duly elected and qualified, but any officer elected or appointed by the directors may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by resolution of directors. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Company may be filled by resolution of directors. |
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
| 123. | No agreement or transaction between the Company and one or more of its directors or any person in which any director has a financial interest or to whom any director is related, including as a director of that other person, is void or voidable for this reason only or by reason only that the director is present at the meeting of directors or at the meeting of the committee of directors that approves the agreement or transaction or that the note or consent of the director is counted for that purpose the material facts of the interest of each director in the agreement or transaction and his interest in or relationship to any other party to the agreement or transaction are disclosed in good faith or are known by the other directors. |
| 124. | A director who has an interest in any particular business to be considered at a meeting of directors or members may be counted for purposes of determining whether the meeting is duly constituted. |
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INDEMNIFICATION
| 125. | Subject to the limitations hereinafter provided the Company may indemnify against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings any person who |
| | (a) | is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, an officer or a liquidator of the Company; or |
| | (b) | is or was, at the request of the Company, serving as a director, officer or liquidator of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another company or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise. |
| 126. | The Company may only indemnify a person if the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. |
| 127. | The decision of the directors as to whether the person acted honestly and in good faith and with a view to the best interests of the Company and as to whether the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful, is, in the absence of fraud, sufficient for the purposes of these Articles, unless a question of law is involved. |
| 128. | The termination of any proceedings by any judgment, order, settlement, conviction or the entering of a nolle prosequi does not, by itself, create a presumption that the person did not act honestly and in good faith and with a view to the best interests of the Company or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. |
| 129. | If a person to be indemnified has been successful in defence of any proceedings referred to above the person is entitled to be indemnified against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the proceedings. |
| 130. | The Company may purchase and maintain insurance in relation to any person who is or was a director, an officer or a liquidator of the Company, or who at the request of the Company is or was serving as a director, an officer or a liquidator of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another company or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against the person and incurred by the person in that capacity, whether or not the Company has or would have had the power to indemnify the person against the liability or proved in these Articles. |
SEAL
| 131. | The Company may have more than one Seal and references herein to the Seal shall be references to every Seal which shall have been duly adopted by resolution of directors. The directors shall provide for the safe custody of the Seal and for an imprint thereof to |
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| | be kept at the Registered office. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein the Seal when affixed to any written instrument shall be witnessed and attested to by the signature of a director or any other person so authorised from time to time by resolution of directors. Such authorisation may be before or after the seal is affixed may be general or specific and may refer to any number of sealings. The Directors may provide for a facsimile of the Seal and of the signature of any director or authorised person which may be reproduced by printing or other means on any instrument and it shall have the same force and validity as if the Seal had been affixed to such instrument and the same had been signed as hereinbefore described. |
DIVIDENDS
| 132. | The Company may by a resolution of directors declare and pay dividends in money, shares, or other property, but dividends shall only be declared and paid out of surplus. In the event that dividends are paid in specie the directors shall have responsibility for establishing and recording in the resolution of directors authorising the dividends, a fair and proper value for the assets to be so distributed. |
| 133. | The directors may from time to time pay to the members such interim dividends as appear to the directors to be justified by the profits of the Company. |
| 134. | The directors may, before declaring any dividend, set aside out of the profits of the Company such sum as they think proper as a reserve fund, and may invest the sum so set apart as a reserve fund upon such securities as they may select. |
| 135. | No dividend shall be declared and paid unless the directors determine that immediately after the payment of the dividend the Company will be able to satisfy its liabilities as they become due in the ordinary course of its business and the realisable value of the assets of the Company will not be less than the sum of its total liabilities, other than deferred taxes, as shown in its books of account, and its capital. In the absence of fraud, the decision of the directors as to the realisable value of the assets of the Company is conclusive, unless a question of law is involved. |
| 136. | Notice of any dividend that may have been declared shall be given to each member in manner hereinafter mentioned and all dividends unclaimed for 3 years after having been declared may be forfeited by resolution of directors for the benefit of the Company. |
| 137. | No dividend shall bear interest as against the Company and no dividend shall be paid on treasury shares or shares held by another company of which the Company holds, directly or indirectly, shares having more than 50 percent of the vote in electing directors. |
| 138. | A share issued as a dividend by the Company shall be treated for all purposes as having been issued for money equal to the surplus that is transferred to capital upon the issue of the share. |
| 139. | In the case of a dividend of authorised but unissued shares with par value, an amount equal to the aggregate par value of the shares shall be transferred from surplus to capital at the time of the distribution. |
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| 140. | In the case of a dividend of authorised but unissued shares without par value, the amount designated by the directors shall be transferred from surplus to capital at the time of the distribution, except that the directors must designate as capital an amount that is at least equal to the amount that the shares are entitled to as a preference, if any, in the assets of the Company upon liquidation of the Company. |
| 141. | A division of the issued and outstanding shares of a class or series of shares into a larger number of shares of the same class or series having a proportionately smaller par value does not constitute a dividend of shares. |
ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT
| 142. | The Company may by resolution of members call for the directors to prepare periodically a profit and loss account and a balance sheet. The profit and loss account and balance sheet shall be drawn up so as to give respectively a true and fair view of the profit or loss of the Company for the financial period and a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company as at the end of the financial period. |
| 143. | The Company may by resolution of members call for the accounts to be examined by auditors. |
| 144. | The first auditors shall be appointed by resolution of directors; subsequent auditors shall be appointed by a resolution of members. |
| 145. | The auditors may be members of the Company but no director or other officer shall be eligible to be an auditor of the Company during his continuance in office. |
| 146. | The remuneration of the auditors of the Company |
| | (a) | in the case of auditors appointed by the directors, may be fixed by resolution of directors; |
| | (b) | subject to the foregoing, shall be fixed by resolution of members or in such manner as the Company may by resolution of members determine. |
| 147. | The auditors shall examine each profit and loss account and balance sheet required to be served on every member of the Company or laid before a meeting of the members of the Company and shall state in a written report whether or not |
| | (a) | in their opinion the profit and loss account and balance sheet give a true and fair view respectively of the profit or loss for the period covered by the accounts, and of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of that period, and |
| | (b) | all the information and explanations required by the auditors have been obtained. |
| 148. | The report of the auditors shall be annexed to the accounts and shall be read at the meeting of members at which the accounts are laid before the Company or shall be served on the members. |
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| 149. | Every auditor of the Company shall have a right of access at all times to the books of account and vouchers of the Company, and shall be entitled to require from the directors and officers of the Company such information and explanations as he thinks necessary for the performance of the duties of the auditors. |
| 150. | The auditors of the Company shall be entitled to receive notice of, and to attend any meetings of members of the Company at which the Company’s profit and loss account and balance sheet are to be presented. |
NOTICES
| 151. | Any notice, information or written statement to be given by the Company to members may be served in the case of members holding registered shares in any way by which it can reasonably be expected to reach each member or by mail addressed to each member at the address shown in the share register and in the case of members holding shares issued to bearer, in the manner provided in the Memorandum. |
| 152. | Any summons, notice, order, document, process, information or written statement to be served on the Company may be served by leaving it, or by sending it by registered mail addressed to the Company, at its registered office, or by leaving it with, or by sending it by registered mail to, the registered agent of the Company. |
| 153. | Service of any summons, notice, order, document, process, information or written statement to be served on the Company may be proved by showing that the summons, notice, order, document, process, information or written statement was delivered to the registered office or the registered agent of the Company or that it was mailed in such time as to admit to its being delivered to the registered office or the registered agent of the Company in the normal course of delivery within the period prescribed for service and was correctly addressed and the postage was prepaid. |
PENSION AND SUPERANNUATION FUNDS
| 154. | The directors may establish and maintain or procure the establishment and maintenance of any non-contributory or contributory pension or superannuation funds for the benefit of, and give or procure the giving of donations, gratuities, pensions, allowances or emoluments, to any persons who are or were at any time in the employment or service of the Company or any company which is a subsidiary of the Company or is allied to or associated with the Company or with any such subsidiary, or who are or were at any time directors or officers of the Company or of any such other company as aforesaid or who hold or held any salaried employment or office in the Company or such other company, or any persons in whose welfare the Company or any such other company as aforesaid is or has been at any time interested, and to the wives, widows, families and dependents of any such person, and may make payments for or towards the insurance of any such persons as aforesaid, and may do any of the matters aforesaid either alone or in conjunction with any such other company as aforesaid. Subject always to the proposal being approved by resolution of members, a director holding any such employment, or office shall be entitled to participate in and retain for his own benefit any such donation, gratuity, pension allowance or emolument. |
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ARBITRATION
| 155. | Except with respect to claims made under the U.S. federal securities laws, whenever any difference arises between the Company on the one hand and any of the members or their executors, administrators or assigns on the other hand, touching the true intent and construction or the incidence or consequences of these Articles or of the Act, touching anything done or executed, omitted or suffered in pursuance of the Act or touching any breach or alleged breach or otherwise relating to the premises or to these Articles, or to any Act or ordinance affecting the Company or to any of the affairs of the Company such difference shall, unless the parties agree to refer the same to a single arbitrator, be referred to 2 arbitrators one to be chosen by each of the parties to the difference and the arbitrators shall before entering on the reference appoint an umpire. |
| 156. | If either party to the reference makes default in appointing an arbitrator either originally or by way for substitution (in the event that an appointed arbitrator shall die, be incapable of acting or refuse to act, for 10 days after the other party has given him notice to appoint the same, such other party may appoint an arbitrator to act in the place of the arbitrator of the defaulting party. |
VOLUNTARY WINDING UP AND DISSOLUTION
| 157. | The Company may voluntarily commence to wind up and dissolve by a resolution of members but if the Company has never issued shares it may voluntarily commence to wind up and dissolve by resolution of directors. |
CONTINUATION
| 158. | The Company may by resolution of members or by a resolution passed unanimously by all directors of the Company continue as a company incorporated under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the British Virgin Islands in the manner provided under those laws. |
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