Section 7. Contractual Nature. The provisions of this Article VII shall be applicable to all Proceedings commenced after its adoption, whether such Proceedings arise out of events, acts or omissions which occurred prior or subsequent to such adoption, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer or Delegate and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and legal representatives of such person. This Article VII shall be deemed to be a contract between the corporation and each person who, at any time that this Article VII is in effect, serves or agrees to serve in any capacity which entitles him to indemnification hereunder and any repeal or other modification of this Article VII or any repeal or modification of the DGCL or any other applicable law shall not limit any rights of indemnification then existing or arising out of events, acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification, including, without limitation, the right to indemnification for Proceedings commenced after such repeal or modification to enforce this Article VII with regard to acts, omissions or events arising prior to such repeal or modification.
Section 8. Severability. If this Article VII or any portion hereof shall be invalidated or held to be unenforceable on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, the decision of which shall not have been reversed on appeal, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the other provisions hereof, and this Article VII shall be construed in all respects as if such invalid or unenforceable provisions had been omitted therefrom.
Section 9. Definitions. As used in this Article VII:
(1) “Delegate” of the corporation shall mean any person when (A) serving as a director or officer (or in a substantially similar capacity) of an entity or enterprise (x) in which the corporation and its subsidiaries collectively own a 10% or greater equity interest or (y) the principal function of which is to service or benefit the corporation or a subsidiary of the corporation; (B) serving as a trustee or fiduciary of an employee benefit plan of the corporation or any entity or enterprise referred to in clause (A); or (C) acting at the request of the board of directors in any capacity with any entity or enterprise other than the corporation (including, but not limited to, service with respect to employee benefit plans).
(2) “Expenses” shall mean all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other reasonable disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding, including, in the case of an appeal resulting from any Proceeding, the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement or the amount of judgments, fines or penalties.
(3) A “Proceeding” is any threatened or pending action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other threatened or actual proceeding (whether formal or informal, whether brought in the right of the corporation or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative nature), and any appeal therefrom.
ARTICLE VIII
CERTIFICATES OF STOCK
Section 1. Generally. Every holder of stock in the corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by or in the name of the corporation by the chief executive officer, president or a vice president (or by the chairman or the vice-chairman of the board of directors) and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer or the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation, certifying the number of shares owned by him in the corporation.
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Section 2. Facsimile Signatures. Where a certificate is countersigned (a) by a transfer agent other than the corporation or its employee, or (b) by a registrar other than the corporation or its employee, any other signature on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case 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 he were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.
Section 3. Lost Certificates. The board of directors may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen or destroyed. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or certificates, the board of directors may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or certificates, or his legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as it shall require and/or to give the corporation a bond in such sum as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.
Section 4. Transfers of Certificated Stock. Upon surrender to the corporation or the transfer agent of the corporation of a certificate for shares duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, it shall be the duty of the corporation to issue a new certificate to the person entitled thereto (if so requested by that person), cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books. The board of directors shall have power and authority to make such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or proper concerning the issue, transfer and registration of certificates for shares of stock of the corporation.
Section 5. Uncertificated Ownership. Unless requested by the owner of stock of the corporation, the corporation is not required to issue certificates evidencing the ownership of stock of the corporation, and may instead maintain stock ownership information in the books and records of the corporation or of a registrar or stock transfer agent selected by the board of directors.
Section 6. Registered Stockholders. Prior to the surrender to the corporation of a share or shares of stock with a request to record the transfer of such share or shares, the corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books and records (or those of the registrar or stock transfer agent selected by the board of directors) as the owner of shares entitled to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, to receive notifications and otherwise to exercise all the rights and powers of an owner. The corporation shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not the corporation shall have express or other notice thereof.
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ARTICLE IX
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Dividends. Dividends upon the capital stock of the corporation, subject to the provisions of the certificate of incorporation, if any, may be declared from time to time by the board of directors at any regular or special meeting, pursuant to the DGCL. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the capital stock, subject to the provisions of the certificate of incorporation and the DGCL. Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the board of directors from time to time, in its absolute discretion, thinks proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the corporation, or for such other purpose as the board determines to be conducive to the interest of the corporation; and the board may thereafter modify or abolish any such reserve.
Section 2. Record Dates. So that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, or to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting (including by electronic transmission in accordance with these by-laws and the DGCL), or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the board of directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which shall not be more than 60 nor less than 10 days before the date of such meeting, nor more than 60 days prior to any other action. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, that the board of directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
Section 3. Checks. All checks or demands for money and notes of the corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers or such other person or persons as the board of directors may from time to time designate.
Section 4. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the corporation shall begin on each August 1 and shall end on the next following July 31, or shall be such other period as the board of directors may from time to time determine.
Section 5. Seal. The corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the corporation, the year of its organization and the words “Corporate Seal, Delaware.” The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the use of the corporate seal is not mandatory.
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Section 6. Voting Securities Owned by the Corporation. Voting securities in any entity owned or otherwise held by the corporation shall be voted by the chairman of the board, chief executive officer or president, unless the board of directors specifically confers authority to vote with respect thereto, which authority may be general or confined to specific instances, upon some other person or officer. Any person authorized to vote securities shall have the power to appoint proxies, with general power of substitution.
Section 7. Inspection of Books and Records. The board of directors shall have power from time to time to determine to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions and regulations the accounts and books of the corporation, or any of them, shall be open to the inspection of the stockholders; and no stockholder shall have any right to inspect any account or book or document of the corporation, except as conferred by the DGCL, unless and until authorized so to do by resolution of the board of directors or of the stockholders of the corporation.
Section 8. Construction. Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction and definitions in the DGCL shall govern the construction of these by-laws. Without limiting the generality of the immediately preceding sentence, (a) the singular number includes the plural, (b) the plural number includes the singular, (c) the masculine includes the feminine and the gender neutral and (d) the term “person” includes an entity and an organization as well as a natural person. Section headings in these by-laws are for convenience of reference only and shall not be given any substantive effect in limiting or otherwise construing any provision herein.
Section 9. Amendments. These by-laws may be altered, amended or repealed and new by-laws may be adopted by the board of directors. The fact that such power has been so conferred upon the board shall not divest the stockholders of the power, nor limit their power, to adopt, amend or repeal these by-laws.
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