Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board shall individually or collectively consent in writing to such action. Such consent or consents shall have the same effect as a unanimous vote of the Board and shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board.
Every director shall have the absolute right at any reasonable time to inspect and copy all books, records and documents of every kind and to inspect the physical properties of the corporation and also of its subsidiary corporations, domestic or foreign. Such inspection by a director may be made in person or by agent or attorney and includes the right to copy and obtain extracts.
The Board may appoint one or more committees, each consisting of two or more directors, and delegate to such committees any of the authority of the Board except with respect to:
Any such committee must be designated, and the members or alternate members thereof appointed, by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of directors and any such committee may be designated an Executive Committee or by such other name as the Board shall specify. Alternate members of a committee may replace any absent member at any meeting of the committee. The Board shall have the power to prescribe the manner in which proceedings of any such committee shall be conducted. In the absence of any such prescription, such committee shall have the power to prescribe the manner in which its proceedings shall be conducted. Unless the Board or such committee shall otherwise provide, the regular and special
meetings and other actions of any such committee shall be governed by the provisions of this Article applicable to meetings and actions of the Board. Minutes shall be kept of each meeting of each committee.
ARTICLE IV OFFICERS
The officers of the corporation shall be a President, a Secretary and a Chief Financial Officer. The corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board, a Chairman of the Board, one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries, one or more Assistant Treasurers, and such other officers as may be elected or appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of this Article.
The officers of the corporation, except such officers as may be elected or appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 or Section 5 of this Article, shall be chosen annually by, and shall serve at the pleasure of, the Board, and shall hold their respective offices until their resignation, removal, or other disqualification from service, or until their respective successors shall be elected.
Section 3. | SUBORDINATE OFFICERS. |
The Board may elect, and may empower the President to appoint, such other officers as the business of the corporation may require, each of whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as are provided in these Bylaws or as the Board may from time to time determine.
Section 4. | REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. |
Any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board at any time or, except in the case of an officer chosen by the Board, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board. Any such removal shall be without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the officer under any contract of employment of the officer.
Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the corporation, but without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party. Any such resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of such notice or at any later time specified therein and, unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or any other cause shall be filled in the manner prescribed in these Bylaws for regular election or appointment to such office.
Section 6. | CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. |
The Chairman of the Board, if there shall be such an officer, shall, if present, preside at all meetings of the Board and exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may be from time to time assigned by the Board.
Subject to such powers, if any, as may be given by the Board to the Chairman of the Board, if there be such an officer, the President is the general manager and chief executive officer of the corporation and has, subject to the control of the Board, general supervision, direction and control of the business and officers of the corporation. The President shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders and, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board, or if there be none, at all meetings of the Board. The President has the general powers and duties of management usually vested in the office of president and general manager of a corporation and such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board.
Section 8. | VICE PRESIDENTS. |
In the absence or disability of the President, the Vice Presidents in order of their rank as fixed by the Board or, if not ranked, the Vice President designated by the Board, shall perform all the duties of the President and, when so acting, shall have all the powers of, and be subject to all the restrictions upon, the President. The Vice Presidents shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as from time to time may be prescribed for them respectively by the Board.
The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept, at the principal executive office and such other place as the Board may order, a book of minutes of all meetings of shareholders, the Board and its committees, with the time and place of holding, whether regular or special, and if special, how authorized, the notice thereof given, the names of those present at Board and committee meetings, the number of shares present or represented at shareholders’ meetings, and the proceedings thereof. The Secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, a copy of the Bylaws of the corporation at the principal executive office or business office in accordance with Section 213 of the California General Corporation Law.
The Secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, at the principal executive office or at the office of the corporation’s transfer agent or registrar, if one be appointed, a share register, or a duplicate share register, showing the names of the shareholders and their addresses, the number and classes of shares held by each, the number and date of certificates issued for the same, and the number and date of cancellation of every certificate surrendered for cancellation.
The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the shareholders and of the Board and any committees thereof required by these Bylaws or by law to be given, shall keep the seal of the corporation in safe custody, and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board.
Section 10. | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. |
The Chief Financial Officer of the corporation shall keep and maintain, or cause to be kept and maintained, adequate and correct accounts of the properties and business transactions of the corporation, and shall send or cause to be sent to the shareholders of the corporation such financial statements and reports as are by law or these Bylaws required to be sent to them. The books of account shall at all times be open to inspection by any director.
The Chief Financial Officer shall deposit all moneys and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the corporation with such depositaries as may be designated by the Board. The Chief Financial Officer shall disburse the funds of the corporation as may be ordered by the Board, shall render to the President and the directors, whenever they request it, an account of all transactions as Chief Financial Officer and of the financial condition of the corporation, and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board.
ARTICLE V OTHER PROVISIONS
Section 1. | INSPECTION OF CORPORATE RECORDS. |
| (a) | A shareholder or shareholders holding at least five percent in the aggregate of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation or who hold at least one percent of such voting shares and have filed a Schedule 14A with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission shall have an absolute right to do either or both of the following: |
| (i) | Inspect and copy the record of shareholders’ names and addresses and shareholdings during usual business hours upon five business days’ prior written demand upon the corporation; or |
| (ii) | Obtain from the transfer agent, if any, for the corporation, upon written demand and upon the tender of its usual charges for such a list (the amount of which charges shall be stated to the shareholder by the transfer agent upon request), a list of the shareholders’ names and addresses who are entitled to vote for the election of directors and their shareholdings, as of the most recent record date for which it has been compiled or as of a date specified by the shareholder subsequent to the date of demand. The list shall be made available on or before the later of five business days after the demand is received or the date specified therein as the date as of which the list is to be compiled. |
| (b) | The record of shareholders shall also be open to inspection and copying by any shareholder or holder of a voting trust certificate at any time during usual business hours upon written demand on the corporation, for a purpose reasonably related to such holder’s interest as a shareholder or holder of a voting trust certificate. |
| (c) | The accounting books and records and minutes of proceedings of the shareholders and the Board and committees of the Board shall be open to inspection upon |
written demand on the corporation of any shareholder or holder of voting trust certificate at any reasonable time during usual business hours, for a purpose reasonably related to such holder’s interests as a shareholder or as a holder of such voting trust certificate.
| (d) | Any inspection and copying under this Article may be made in person or by agent or attorney. |
Section 2. | INSPECTION OF BYLAWS. |
The corporation shall keep in its principal executive office in the State of California, or if its principal executive office is not in such State at its principal business office in such State, the original or a copy of these Bylaws as amended to date, which shall be open to inspection by shareholders at all reasonable times during office hours. If the principal executive office of the corporation is located outside the State of California and the corporation has no principal business office in such state, it shall upon the written request of any shareholder furnish to such shareholder a copy of these Bylaws as amended to date.
Section 3. | ENDORSEMENT OF DOCUMENTS; CONTRACTS. |
Subject to provisions of applicable law, any note, mortgage, evidence of indebtedness, contract, share certificate, conveyance or other instrument in writing and any assignment or endorsements thereof executed or entered into between the corporation and any other person, when signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President or any Vice President and the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Chief Financial Officer or any Assistant Chief Financial Officer of the corporation is not invalidated as to the corporation by any lack of authority of the signing officers in the absence of actual knowledge on the part of the other person that the signing officers had no authority to execute the same. Any such instruments may be signed by any other person or persons and in such manner as from time to time shall be determined by the Board, and, unless so authorized by the Board, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or amount.
Section 4. | CERTIFICATES OF STOCK. |
The shares of capital stock of the corporation shall be represented by a certificate, unless and until the Board of Directors of the corporation adopts a resolution permitting shares to be uncertificated as well. Notwithstanding the adoption of any such resolution providing for uncertificated shares, every holder of capital stock of the corporation theretofore represented by certificates and, upon request, every holder of uncertificated shares, shall be entitled to have a certificate for shares of capital stock of the corporation signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, (a) the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, the President or any Executive Vice President, and (b) the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, certifying the number of shares owned by such stockholder in the corporation. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be facsimile. If any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased
to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the corporation with the same effect as if such person were an officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.
Certificates for shares may be issued prior to full payment under such restrictions and for such purposes as the Board may provide; provided, however, that on any certificate issued to represent any partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor and the amount paid thereon shall be stated.
Except as provided in this Section, no new certificate for shares shall be issued in lieu of an old one unless the latter is surrendered and cancelled at the same time. The Board may, however, if any certificate for shares is alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, authorize the issuance of a new certificate in lieu thereof, and the corporation may require that the corporation be given a bond or other adequate security sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it (including expense or liability) on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate.
Section 5. | REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER CORPORATIONS. |
The President or any other officer or officers authorized by the Board or the President are each authorized to vote, represent and exercise on behalf of the corporation all rights incident to any and all shares of any other corporation or corporations standing in the name of the corporation. The authority herein granted may be exercised either by any such officer in person or by any other person authorized so to do by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by said officer.
Section 6. | STOCK PURCHASE PLANS. |
The corporation may adopt and carry out a stock purchase plan or agreement or stock option plan or agreement providing for the issue and sale for such consideration as may be fixed of its unissued shares, or of issued shares acquired or to be acquired, to one or more of the employees or directors of the corporation or of a subsidiary or to a trustee on their behalf and for the payment for such shares in installments or at one time, and may provide for aiding any such persons in paying for such shares by compensation for services rendered, promissory notes or otherwise.
Any such stock purchase plan or agreement or stock option plan or agreement may include, among other features, the fixing of eligibility for participation therein, the class and price of shares to be issued or sold under the plan or agreement, the number of shares which may be subscribed for, the method of payment therefor, the reservation of title until full payment therefor, the effect of the termination of employment, an option or obligation on the part of the corporation to repurchase the shares upon termination of employment (subject to the provisions of Chapter 5 of the California General Corporation Law), restrictions upon transfer of the shares, the time limits of and termination of the plan, and any other matters, not in violation of applicable law, as may be included in the plan as approved or authorized by the Board or any committee of the Board.
Section 7. | CONSTRUCTION AND DEFINITIONS. |
Unless the context otherwise requires, the general provisions, rules of construction and definitions contained in the General Provisions of the California Corporations Code and in the California General Corporation Law shall govern the construction of these Bylaws.
These Bylaws may be amended or repealed either by approval of the outstanding shares (as defined in Section 152 of the California General Corporation Law) or by the approval of the Board; provided, however, that after the issuance of shares, a bylaw specifying or changing a fixed number of directors or the maximum or minimum number or changing from a fixed to a variable number of directors or vice versa may be adopted only by approval of the outstanding shares, and a bylaw reducing the fixed number or the minimum number of directors to a number less than five shall be subject to the provisions of Section 212 (a) of the California General Corporation Law.
ARTICLE VI INDEMNIFICATION
For the purposes of this Article, “agent” means any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or other agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or was a director, officer, employee or agent of a foreign or domestic corporation which was a predecessor corporation of the corporation or of another enterprise at the request of such predecessor corporation; “proceeding” means any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative; and “expenses” includes without limitation attorneys fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under Sections 4 or 5 (d) of this Article.
Section 2. | INDEMNIFICATION IN ACTIONS BY THIRD PARTIES. |
The corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor) by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of the corporation, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements, and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and, in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of such person was unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the corporation or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.
Section 3. | INDEMNIFICATION IN ACTIONS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE CORPORATION. |
The corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of the corporation, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action if such person acted in good faith, in a manner such person believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and its shareholders.
No indemnification shall be made under this Section 3:
| (a) | In respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation in the performance of such person’s duty to the corporation and its shareholders, unless and only to the extent that the court in which such proceeding is or was pending shall determine upon application that, in view of all the circumstance of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses which such court shall determine; |
| (b) | Of amounts paid in settling or otherwise disposing of a pending action, without court approval; or |
| (c) | Of expenses incurred in defending a pending action which is settled or otherwise disposed of without court approval. |
Section 4. | INDEMNIFICATION AGAINST EXPENSES. |
To the extent that an agent of the corporation has been successful on the merits in defense of any proceeding referred to in Sections 2 or 3 of this Article or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the agent shall be indemnified against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the agent in connection therewith.
Section 5. | REQUIRED DETERMINATIONS. |
Except as provided in Section 4 of this Article, any indemnification under this Article shall be made by the corporation only if authorized in the specific case, upon a determination that indemnification of the agent is proper in the circumstances because the agent has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Sections 2 or 3 of this Article, by:
| (a) | A majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who are not parties to such proceeding; |
| (b) | If such a quorum of directors is not obtainable, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion; |
| (c) | Approval of the shareholders, with the shares owned by the person to be indemnified not being entitled to vote thereon; or |
| (d) | The court in which such proceeding is or was pending upon application made by the corporation or the agent or the attorney or other person rendering services in connection with the defense, whether or not such application by the agent, attorney or other person is opposed by the corporation. |
Section 6. | ADVANCE OF EXPENSES. |
Expenses incurred in defending any proceeding may be advanced by the corporation prior to the final disposition of such proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the agent to repay such amount if it shall be determined ultimately that the agent is not entitled to be indemnified as authorized in this Article.
Section 7. | OTHER INDEMNIFICATION. |
No provision made by the corporation to indemnify its or its subsidiary’s directors or officers for the defense of any proceeding, whether contained in the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, a resolution of shareholders or directors, an agreement or otherwise, shall be valid unless consistent with this Article. Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any right to indemnification to which persons other than such directors and officers may be entitled by contract or otherwise.
Section 8. | FORMS OF INDEMNIFICATION NOT PERMITTED. |
No indemnification or advance shall be made under this Article, except as provided in Sections 4 or 5 (d), in any circumstance where it appears:
| (a) | That it would be inconsistent with a provision of the Articles of Incorporation, these Bylaws, a resolution of the shareholders or an agreement in effect at the time of the accrual of the alleged cause of action asserted in the proceeding in which the expenses were incurred or other amounts were paid, which prohibits or otherwise limits indemnification; or |
| (b) | That it would be inconsistent with any condition expressly imposed by a court in approving a settlement. |
The corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any agent of the corporation against any liability asserted against or incurred by the agent in such capacity or arising out of the agent’s status as such whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the agent against such liability under the provisions of this Article.
Section 10. | NONAPPLICABILITY TO FIDUCIARIES OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS. |
This Article does not apply to any proceeding against any trustee, investment manager or other fiduciary of an employee benefit plan in such person’s capacity as such, even though such
person may also be an agent of the corporation as defined in Section 1 of this Article. The corporation shall have power to indemnify such trustee, investment manager or other fiduciary to the extent permitted by subdivision (f) of Section 207 of the California General Corporation Law.
Section 11. | INDEMNIFICATION MANDATORY. |
The corporation shall indemnify each director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation to the fullest extent that the corporation has power to indemnify such persons under applicable provisions of California law and the Articles of Incorporation of the corporation with respect to any matter which might be subject to indemnification under this Article VI. Any repeal or modification of the provisions of this Article VI shall not adversely affect any rights or protections of any director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.
ACTION WITH RESPECT TO BYLAWS
At a meeting of the Board of Directors (“Board”) of Quality Systems, Inc., a California corporation (the “Corporation”), duly held on May 31, 2007, and in accordance with Article V, Section 8 of the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Bylaws (“Bylaws”), the Board approved revisions to the Corporate Governance Provisions contained in Exhibit A to the Bylaws. Accordingly, an amended and restated Exhibit A to the Bylaws is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
The remainder of the Corporation’s Bylaws, as amended to date, remain in full force and effect.
CERTIFICATE OF SECRETARY
| The undersigned certifies that: |
(1) The undersigned is the duly elected and acting Secretary of the Corporation; and
(2) The foregoing Action with Respect to Bylaws (“Action”) describes an action taken with respect to the Corporation’s Bylaws, as duly adopted and approved at a meeting of the Board on May 31, 2007.
| IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my name on June 14, 2007. |
EXHIBIT A
Quality Systems, Inc.
Corporate Governance Provisions
(as made part of Bylaws)
1. | At least a majority of the members of the board of directors (the “Board”) shall be independent directors as defined below. |
An “independent director” means a person other than an executive officer or employee of the Company or any other individual having a relationship which, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The following persons shall not be considered independent:
| (a) | a director who is, or at any time during the past three years was, employed by the Company; |
| (b) | a director who accepted or who has a family member who accepted any compensation from the Company in excess of $100,000 during any period of twelve consecutive months within the three years preceding the determination of independence, other than the following: |
| (i) | compensation for Board or Board committee service; |
| (ii) | compensation paid to a family member who is an employee (other than an executive officer) of the Company; or |
| (iii) | benefits under a tax-qualified retirement plan, or non-discretionary compensation. |
Provided, however, that in addition to the requirements contained in this paragraph (b), audit committee members are also subject to additional, more stringent requirements under Nasdaq Rule 4350(d).
| (c) | a director who is a family member of an individual who is, or at any time during the past three years was, employed by the Company as an executive officer; |
| (d) | a director who is, or has a family member who is, a partner in, or a controlling shareholder or an executive officer of, any organization to which the Company made, or from which the Company received, payments for property or services in the current or any of the past three fiscal years that exceed 5% of the recipient’s consolidated gross revenues for that year, or $200,000, whichever is more, other than the following: |
| (i) | payments arising solely from investments in the Company’s securities; or |
| (ii) | payments under non-discretionary charitable contribution matching programs. |
| (e) | a director of the Company who is, or has a family member who is, employed as an executive officer of another entity where at any time during the past three years any of the executive officers of the Company served on the compensation committee of such other entity; or |
| (f) | a director who is, or has a family member who is, a current partner of the Company’s outside auditor, or was a partner or employee of the Company’s outside auditor who worked on the Company’s audit at any time during any of the past three years. |
A “family member” for these purposes means a person’s spouse, parents, children and siblings, whether by blood, marriage or adoption, or anyone residing in such person’s home.
2. | There shall be an Audit Committee of the Board, composed entirely of independent directors, which shall oversee the Company’s financial reporting process and internal controls, review compliance with laws and accounting standards, recommend the appointment of public accountants, and provide a direct channel of communication to the Board for public accountants, internal auditors and finance officers. The Audit Committee shall be responsible for reviewing all related-party transactions involving the Company. |
3. | There shall be a Nominating Committee of the Board, composed entirely of independent directors, which shall be responsible for the evaluation and nomination of Board members. |
4. | There shall be a Compensation Committee of the Board, composed entirely of independent directors, which shall be responsible for (i) ensuring that senior management will be accountable to the Board through the effective application of compensation policies, and (ii) monitoring the effectiveness of both senior management and the Board (including committees thereof). The Compensation Committee shall establish compensation policies applicable to the Company’s executive officers. A fair summary of such policies and the relationship of corporate performance to executive compensation, including the factors and criteria upon which the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation was based, shall be disclosed to shareholders in the Company’s proxy statement for the annual meeting. |
5. | There shall be a Transaction Committee of the Board, composed entirely of independent directors, which shall be responsible for considering and making recommendations to the full Board with respect to all proposals involving (i) a change in control, or (ii) the purchase or sale of assets constituting more than 10% of the Company’s total assets. Additionally, the Transaction Committee shall be responsible for reviewing all transactions or proposed transactions that trigger the Company’s Shareholder Rights Plan, if any. |
6. | If at any time the Chairman of the Board shall be an executive officer of the Company, or for any other reason shall not be an independent director, a non-executive Lead Director |
shall be selected by the independent directors. The Lead Director shall be one of the independent directors, shall be a member of the Audit Committee and of the Executive Committee, if there is such a committee, and shall be responsible for coordinating the activities of the independent directors. He shall assist the Board in assuring compliance with these corporate governance procedures and policies, and shall coordinate, develop the agenda for, and moderate executive sessions of the Board’s independent directors. Such executive sessions shall be held immediately following each regular meeting of the Board, and may be held at other times as designated by the Lead Director. The Lead Director shall approve, in consultation with the other Independent Directors, the retention of consultants who report directly to the Board. If at any time the Chairman of the Board is one of the independent directors, then he or she shall perform the duties of the Lead Director.
7. | The foregoing provisions are adopted as part of the Bylaws of the Company and cannot be amended or repealed without either (a) approval by the shareholders of the Company, or (b) approval by a two-thirds majority of all the authorized number of directors of the Company including two-thirds of the independent directors. Any inconsistent provisions of the Bylaws are hereby modified to be consistent with these provisions. The foregoing provisions, insofar as they establish eligibility to serve as a director or as a committee member, shall not have the effect of removing any director or committee member from office but shall be given effect at the next election of directors and the next selection of committee members, as the case may be. The foregoing provisions shall not be construed to limit or restrict the effective exercise of statutory cumulative voting rights by any shareholder, but the Nominating Committee shall not nominate candidates for election to the Board except as may be consistent with such provisions, and no corporate funds may be expended for the solicitation of proxies which are inconsistent with the foregoing provisions. |