DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following description of our capital stock is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, copies of which have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Our authorized capital stock consists of 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 200,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 400,000,000 shares of Class C common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock.
As of December 31, 2019, 56,429,825 shares of our Class A common stock, 7,803,364 shares of our Class B common stock and 13,568,665 shares of our Class C common stock were outstanding. We had no shares of preferred stock outstanding as of December 31, 2019.
Common Stock
Class A Common Stock
The holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders.
The holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to receive dividends (including dividends payable in shares of our Class A common stock or in rights, options, warrants or other securities convertible or exercisable into or exchangeable for shares of Class A common stock paid proportionally with respect to each outstanding share of our Class A common stock), if declared by our board of directors, out of funds legally available therefor, subject to any statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any restrictions on the payment of dividends imposed by the terms of any outstanding preferred stock.
The holders of our Class A common stock do not have preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights.
Class B Common Stock
The holders of our Class B common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders.
Our employee-partners as the holders of the Class B common units of Artisan Partners Holdings are currently the holders of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Class B common stock. In general, upon the termination of the employment of an employee-partner, the employee-partner’s vested Class B common units and the associated Class B common stock are automatically exchanged for Class E common units and Class C common stock, respectively.
The holders of our Class B common stock do not have any right to receive dividends (other than dividends payable in shares of our Class B common stock or in rights, options, warrants or other securities convertible or exercisable into or exchangeable for shares of Class B common stock paid proportionally with respect to each outstanding share of our Class B common stock) or to receive a distribution upon the dissolution, liquidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets.
The holders of our Class B common stock do not have preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights.
Class C Common Stock
The holders of our Class C common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders.
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