Exhibit 3.1
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
TO THE
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
RUTH’S HOSPITALITY GROUP, INC.
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Adopted in accordance with the provisions
of §242 of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware
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The undersigned, on behalf of Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), DOES HEREBY CERTIFY as follows:
FIRST: That the Corporation filed its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Delaware Secretary of State on May 11, 2005 under the name of RC Merger Sub, Inc., filed a Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Delaware Secretary of State on May 19, 2005, filed an Amended and Restated Certificate to the Certificate of Incorporation with the Delaware Secretary of State on August 1, 2005, filed a Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Delaware Secretary of State on May 23, 2008 and filed an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Delaware Secretary of State on February 9, 2010 (as so amended and restated, the “Certificate of Incorporation”).
SECOND: ThatSection 2 ofArticle Six of the Certificate of Incorporation is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:
Section 2.Election and Term of Office. Each director shall hold office until a successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.Except as provided inSection 3 of thisArticle Six, a nominee for director shall be elected to the Board of Directors at a duly called meeting of the stockholders at which a quorum is present if the votes of shares of capital stock of the Corporation present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote in the election of directors cast “for” such nominee’s election exceed the votes of shares of capital stock of the Corporation present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote in the election of directors cast “against” such nominee’s election (with “abstentions” and “broker non-votes” not counted as votes cast either “for” or “against” that nominee’s election); provided, however, that directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at any duly called meeting of the stockholders for which (i) the secretary of the Corporation receives a notice that a stockholder has nominated a person for election to the Board of Directors in compliance with the advance notice requirements for stockholder nominees for director set forth in the Bylaws of the Corporation; and (ii) such nomination has not been withdrawn by such stockholder on or prior to the tenth (10th) day preceding the date the Corporation first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to the stockholders. If directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast, stockholders shall not be permitted to vote against a nominee. Directors need not be stockholders.
If an incumbent director is not elected by a majority of votes cast (unless, pursuant to the immediately preceding paragraph, the director election standard is a plurality), the incumbent director shall promptly tender his or her resignation to the Board of Directors for consideration. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Directors on whether to accept or reject the director’s resignation, or whether other action should be taken. The Board of Directors will act on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation and publicly disclose its decision within ninety (90) days from the date of the certification of the election results. An incumbent director who tenders his or her resignation for consideration will not participate in the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s or the Board of Directors’ recommendation or decision, or any deliberations related thereto.
If a director’s resignation is accepted by the Board of Directors pursuant to thisSection 2, or if a nominee for director is not elected and the nominee is not an incumbent director, then the Board of Directors may fill the resulting vacancy pursuant to the provisions ofSection 3 of thisArticle Six or may decrease the size of the Board of Directors pursuant toSection 1 of thisArticle Six. If a director’s resignation is not accepted by the Board of Directors pursuant to thisSection 2, such director will continue to serve until such director’s successor has been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal as hereinafter provided.
THIRD: That the terms and provisions of this Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation were duly adopted by the Board of Directors and the stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with Section242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned on behalf of the Corporation for the purpose of restating the Certificate of Incorporation pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, under penalties of perjury does hereby declare and certify that this is the act and deed of the Corporation and the facts stated herein are true, and accordingly has hereunto signed this Certificate of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation this 3rd day of June, 2015.
Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation
By: /s/ John F. McDonald, III
Name: John F. McDonald, III
Title: Vice President - General Counsel
Chief Compliance Officer