Exhibit 3.1
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
OF
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
OF
ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.
(Pursuant to Section 151 of the Delaware General Corporation Law)
Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. (the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of the Delaware, as amended (the “DGCL”), hereby certifies that, pursuant to the authority granted by Article 4 of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended (the “Restated Certificate of Incorporation”), and in accordance with Section 151 of the DGCL, the Board of Directors of the Corporation (hereinafter being referred to as the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”), at a meeting duly called and held on January 8, 2018, has adopted the following resolution with respect to the designations, number of shares, preferences, voting powers and other rights and the restrictions and limitations thereof, of the Series A Junior Participating Stock:
RESOLVED, that, pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the designations, number of shares, preferences, voting powers and other rights and the restrictions and limitations thereof of the Series A Junior Participating Stock are as follows:
1.Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred Stock shall be 145,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors prior to issuance;provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of the Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into the Series A Preferred Stock;provided, further, that if more than a total of 145,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be issuable upon the exercise of Rights (the “Rights”) issued pursuant to the Section 382 Tax Benefits Preservation Plan, dated as of January 8, 2018, by and between the Corporation and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent, the Board of Directors of the Corporation, pursuant to Section 151(g) of the DGCL, shall direct by resolution or resolutions that a certificate be properly executed, acknowledged, filed and recorded, in accordance with the provisions of Section 103 of the DGCL, providing for the total number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock authorized to be issued to be increased (to the extent that the Restated Certificate of Incorporation then permits) to the largest number of whole shares (rounded up to the nearest whole number) issuable upon exercise of such Rights.
2.Dividends and Distributions.
(a) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation (the “Preferred Stock”) (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”) and of any other stock of the Corporation ranking junior to the Series A Preferred Stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds of the Corporation legally available for the payment of dividends, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day of each fiscal quarter of the Corporation in each year, or such other dates as the Board of Directors shall approve (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of the Series A Preferred Stock (the “Issue Date”), in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (i) $1.00 or (ii) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Issue Date (A) declare and pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or (B) effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock payable in shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Series A Preferred Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (ii) of the first sentence of this Section 2(a) shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding immediately after such event.
(b) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section 2 immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); and the Corporation shall pay such dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock before the dividend or distribution declared on the Common Stock is paid or set
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apart;provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable, when, as and if declared, on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(c) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative, whether or not declared, on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
3.Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(a) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth and except as otherwise provided in the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or required by law, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters upon which the holders of the Common Stock of the Corporation are entitled to vote. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Issue Date (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or (ii) effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock payable in shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Series A Preferred Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding immediately after such event.
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(b) Except as otherwise provided herein, in the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, and except as otherwise required by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
(c) (i) If at any time dividends on any Series A Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly dividends thereon, the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate series from all other series of Preferred Stock and classes of capital stock, shall be entitled to elect two members of the Board in addition to any Directors elected by any other series, class or classes of securities and the authorized number of Directors will automatically be increased by two. Promptly thereafter, the Board of the Corporation shall, as soon as may be practicable, call a special meeting of holders of Series A Preferred Stock for the purpose of electing such members of the Board. Such special meeting shall in any event be held within 45 calendar days of the occurrence of such arrearage.
(ii) During any period when the holders of Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate series, shall be entitled and shall have exercised their right to elect two Directors, then, and during such time as such right continues, (a) the then authorized number of Directors shall be increased by two, and the holders of Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate series, shall be entitled to elect the additional Directors so provided for, and (b) each such additional Director shall serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders for the election of Directors, or until his or her successor shall be elected and shall qualify, or until his or her right to hold such office terminates pursuant to the provisions of this Section 3(c).
(iii) A Director elected pursuant to the terms hereof may be removed with or without cause by the holders of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to vote in an election of such Director.
(iv) If, during any interval between annual meetings of stockholders for the election of Directors and while the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to elect two Directors, there is no such Director in office by reason of resignation, death or removal, then, promptly thereafter, the Board shall call a special meeting of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock for the purpose of filling such vacancy and such vacancy shall be filled at such special meeting. Such special meeting shall in any event be held within 45 calendar days of the occurrence of such vacancy.
(v) At such time as the arrearage is fully cured, and all dividends accumulated and unpaid on any shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding are paid, and, in addition thereto, at least one regular dividend has been paid subsequent to curing such arrearage, the term of office of any Director elected pursuant to this Section 3(c), or his successor, shall automatically terminate, and the authorized number of Directors shall automatically decrease by two, the rights of the holders of the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock to vote as provided in this Section 3(c) shall cease, subject to renewal from time to time upon the same terms and conditions, and the holders of shares of the Series A Preferred Stock shall have only the limited voting rights elsewhere herein set forth.
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(d) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
4.Certain Restrictions.
(a) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 hereof are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock,provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock or rights, warrants or options to acquire such junior stock; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(b) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (a) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
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5.Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued, without designation as to series until such shares are once more designated as part of a particular series of Preferred Stock by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.
6.Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(a) Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (i) to the holders of the Common Stock or of shares of any other stock of the Corporation ranking junior, either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received $1,000 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment;provided that the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (ii) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up with the Series A Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Preferred Stock liquidation preference and the liquidation preferences of all other classes and series of stock of the Corporation, if any, that rank on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock in respect thereof, then the assets available for such distribution shall be distributed ratably to the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of such parity shares in the proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Issue Date (A) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or (B) effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (i) of this Section 6(a) shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock payable in shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Series A Preferred Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (i) of this Section 6(a) shall
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be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding immediately after such event.
(b) Neither the merger, consolidation or other business combination of the Corporation into or with another entity nor the merger, consolidation or other business combination of any other entity into or with the Corporation (nor the sale, lease, exchange or conveyance of all or substantially all of the property, assets or business of the Corporation) shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 6.
7.Consolidation, Merger, etc. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, in case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are converted into, exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), then in any such case each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly converted into, exchanged for or changed into an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is converted or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Issue Date (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or (ii) effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) of the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the conversion, exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock payable in shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Series A Preferred Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the first sentence of this Section 7 with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding immediately after such event.
8.No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable from any holder.
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9.Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, junior to all series of any other class of the Preferred Stock issued either before or after the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise, and shall rank senior to the Common Stock.
10.Amendment. At such time as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, if any proposed amendment to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including this Certificate of Designation) would materially alter, change or repeal any of the preferences, powers or special rights given to the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect the Series A Preferred Stock adversely, then the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to vote separately as a class upon such amendment, and the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, voting separately as a single class, shall be necessary for the adoption thereof, in addition to such other vote as may be required by the DGCL.
11.Fractional Shares. Series A Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Preferred Stock.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have signed and attested this Certificate of Designation on the 8th day of January 2018.
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| ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC. |
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| By: | | /s/ Leonard Steinberg |
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| Name: Leonard Steinberg |
| Title: SVP, Corporate Secretary |
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| Attest: |
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/s/ Lars Danner |
| Lars Danner |
| Assistant Secretary |
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