EXHIBIT 3.1
COMPOSITE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
AMEDISYS, INC.
ARTICLE I
The name of the Corporation is Amedisys, Inc.
ARTICLE II
The address of the Corporation's registered office in the State of
Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, in the City of
Wilmington, County of New Castle, and the name of its registered agent at such
address is the Corporation Trust Company.
ARTICLE III
The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or
activity for which corporations may be organized under the Delaware General
Corporation Law.
ARTICLE IV
The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation shall have
authority to issue is 35,000,000 shares consisting of 30,000,000 shares of
common stock, par value $.001 per share ("Common Stock"), and 5,000,000 shares
of preferred stock, par value $.001 per share ("Preferred Stock").
Shares of Preferred Stock of the Corporation may be issued from time to
time in one or more classes or series, each of which class or series shall have
such distinctive designation or title as shall be determined by the Board of
Directors of the Corporation ("Board of Directors") prior to the issuance of any
shares thereof. Each such class or series of Preferred Stock shall have such
voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such preferences and
relative, participating, optional or other special rights and such
qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, and shall be stated in such
resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such class or series of
Preferred Stock as may be adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors
prior to the issuance of any shares thereof pursuant to the authority hereby
expressly vested in it, all in accordance with the laws of the State of
Delaware.
Subject to all of the rights of the Preferred Stock or any series
thereof described in appropriate certificates of designation, the holders of the
Common Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as, and if declared by the
Board of Directors, out of funds legally available therefor, the dividends
payable in cash, Common Stock, or otherwise.
No stockholder of the Corporation shall have the right of cumulative
voting at any election of Directors of the Corporation.
ARTICLE V
Names the Incorporators
ARTICLE VI
Names the Directors
ARTICLE VII
The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or
under the direction of the Board of Directors consisting of not less than three
nor more than 15 directors, the exact number of directors to be determined from
time to time by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors. The number of
directors may be increased or decreased, but in no case will a decrease in the
number of directors shorten the term of any incumbent director. A director shall
hold office until his successor is elected and qualified, subject, however to
prior death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal from office.
Any vacancy on the Board of Directors howsoever resulting, may be filled by a
majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a
sole remaining director.
ARTICLE VIII
Elections of directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders
shall be by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation shall otherwise
provide.
ARTICLE IX
Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation for any purpose
or purposes may be called at any time by the Board of Directors or a committee
thereof, the Chairman of the Board, President, or by the holders of at least 30%
of all the shares entitled to vote at the proposed special meeting.
ARTICLE X
No director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the
Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary
duty by such director as a director. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, a
director shall be liable to the extent provided by applicable law (i) for any
breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders,
(ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional
misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) for any transaction from which such
director derived an improper personal benefit. No amendment to or repeal of this
Article X shall apply to or have any effect on the liability or alleged
2
liability of any director of the Corporation for or with respect to any acts or
omissions of such director occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.
ARTICLE XI
(a) The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or
is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
(other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the
fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the
Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a
director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys'
fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably
incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted
in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to
the best interests of the Corporation and, with respect to any criminal action
or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. The
termination of any action, suit or 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 in which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
(b) The Corporation shall indemnify any person or was or is a party or
is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action
or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor
by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent
of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a
director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys' fees)
actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or
settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any
claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be
liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of
Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine
upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all
the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court
shall deem proper.
(c) To the extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of the
Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any
action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this
Article, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he shall be
indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably
incurred by him in connection therewith.
(d) Any indemnification under subsections (a) and (b) of this Article
(unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized
in the specific case upon a
3
determination that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent
is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of
conduct set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this Article. Such determination
shall be made (1) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of quorum
consisting of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding,
or (2) if such quorum is not obtainable, or, even if obtainable a quorum of
disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written
opinion, or (3) by the stockholders.
(e) Expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred by an officer or
director in defending in a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the Corporation in advance of the
final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an
undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if
it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by
the Corporation as authorized by this Article. Such expenses (including
attorneys' fees) incurred by other employees and agents may be so paid upon such
terms and conditions, if any, as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.
(f) The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or
granted pursuant to, the other subsections of this Article shall not be deemed
exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or
advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of
stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his
official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such
office.
(g) The Corporation shall have the power to purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation
as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against
him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as
such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him
against such liability under this Article.
(h) For purposes of this section references to "the Corporation" shall
include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation
(including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or
merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and
authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that
any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such
constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent
corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same
position under this Article with respect to the resulting or surviving
corporation as he would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its
separate existence had continued.
(i) The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or
granted pursuant to, this Article shall, unless otherwise provided when
authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director,
officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs,
executors and administrators of such a person.
4
ARTICLE XII
Whenever the Corporation shall be authorized to issue only one class of
stock, each outstanding share shall entitle the holder thereof to notice of, and
the right to vote at any meeting of stockholders. Whenever the Corporation shall
be authorized to issue more than one class of stock, no outstanding share of any
class of stock which is denied voting power under the provisions of the
Certificate of Incorporation, or a designation thereunder, shall entitle the
holder thereof to the right to vote at any meeting of stockholders, except as
the provisions of the law shall otherwise require.
Notwithstanding the foregoing and except as otherwise provided by law
or in the resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors providing for the
issuance of any particular series of Preferred Stock, the holders of Common
Stock shall have the exclusive right to vote for the election of Directors and
for all other purposes except that, with respect to any amendment of any
provision of the Certificate of Incorporation which consists of a series
designation, or portion thereof, for any series of Preferred Stock, the holders
of Common Stock shall not be entitled to any vote. Except as otherwise provided
by law or in the resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors providing
for the issuance of any particular series of Preferred Stock, the holders of
Common Stock and any other capital stock of the corporation at the time entitled
thereto shall vote together as one class.
ARTICLE XIII
Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between this
Corporation and its creditors or any class of them and/or between this
Corporation and its stockholders or any class of them, any court of equitable
jurisdiction within the State of Delaware may, on the application in a summary
way of this Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the
application of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under
Section 291 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code or on the application of trustees in
dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under
Section 279 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code order a meeting of the creditors or
class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this
Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court
directs. If a majority in number representing three fourths in value of the
creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of
stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or
arrangement and to any reorganization of this Corporation as consequence of such
compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said
reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application
has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class or creditors, and/or on
all the stockholders or class of stockholders, of this Corporation, as the case
may be, and also on this Corporation.
ARTICLE XIV
In furtherance of, and not in limitation of the powers conferred by
statute, the stockholders or the Board of Directors are expressly authorized to
adopt, repeal, alter, amend or rescind the Bylaws of the Corporation.
5