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ARTICLE I - STOCKHOLDER MEETINGS
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PLACE OF STOCKHOLDER MEETINGS
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| Section 1 - |
All meetings of the stockholders of the corporation shall be held at such place or places, within or without the State of Delaware, as may from time to time be fixed by the Board of Directors of the corporation (the "Board"), or as shall be specified or fixed in the respective notices or waivers of notice thereof. |
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ANNUAL MEETING
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| Section 2 - |
The Annual Meeting of Stockholders shall be held on such date and at such time as may be fixed by the Board and stated in the notice thereof, for the purposes of electing directors and for the transaction of only such other business as is properly brought before the meeting in accordance with these By-Laws. |
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SPECIAL MEETING
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| Section 3 - |
Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock, par value $.01 per share, of the corporation (the "Preferred Stock") to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, special meetings of the stockholders shall be called by the Board. The business transacted at a special meeting shall be confined to the purposes specified in the notice thereof. Special meetings shall be held at such date and at such time as the Board may designate. |
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NOTICE OF MEETING
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| Section 4 - |
Written notice of each meeting of stockholders, stating the place, date and hour of the meeting, and the purpose or purposes thereof, shall be mailed not less than ten nor more than sixty days before the date of such meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote thereat. |
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QUORUM
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| Section 5 - |
Unless otherwise provided by statute, the holders of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting, present either in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at such meeting. The Secretary of the corporation or in his absence an Assistant Secretary or an appointee of the presiding officer of the meeting, shall act as the Secretary of the meeting. |
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VOTING
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| Section 6 - |
Except as otherwise provided by law or the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, each stockholder entitled to vote at any meeting shall be entitled to one vote, in person or by proxy, for each share held of record on the record date fixed as provided in Section 4 of Article V of these By-Laws for determining the stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting.
At all meetings of stockholders for the election of directors, each director shall be elected by the vote of the majority of the votes cast with respect to that director's election, provided that if, as of the 10th day preceding the date the Corporation first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to the stockholders of the Corporation, the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected (a "Contested Election"), the directors shall be elected by the vote of a plurality of the votes cast. For purposes of this Section 6, a majority of votes cast shall mean that the number of votes cast "for" a director's election exceeds the number of votes cast "against" that director's election (with "abstentions" and "broker nonvotes" not counted as a vote cast either "for" or "against" that director's election).
All matters other than the election of directors shall, unless otherwise provided by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the corporation, or applicable law or pursuant to any regulation applicable to the corporation or its securities, be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of stock of the corporation which are present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon.
Elections of directors need not be by written ballot; provided, however, that by resolution duly adopted, a vote by written ballot may be required. |
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PROXIES
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| Section 7 - |
Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize another person or persons to act for him by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A stockholder may revoke any proxy which is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by filing an instrument revoking the proxy or by delivering a proxy in accordance with applicable law bearing a later date to the Secretary of the corporation. In order to be exercised at a meeting of stockholders, proxies shall be delivered to the Secretary of the corporation or his representative at or before the time of such meeting. |
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INSPECTORS
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| Section 8 - |
At each meeting of the stockholders the polls shall be opened and closed; the proxies and ballots shall be received and be taken in charge, and all questions touching the qualification of voters and the validity of proxies and the acceptance or rejection of votes shall be decided by at least one Inspector. The Inspector or Inspectors for each such meeting shall be appointed by the Board before the meeting, or in default thereof by the presiding officer at the meeting, and shall be sworn to the faithful performance of their duties. If any of the Inspectors previously appointed shall fail to attend or refuse or be unable to serve, substitutes shall be appointed by the presiding officer. In the event there is more than one Inspector for any meeting, a majority of the Inspectors for that meeting shall have power to make any decision of the Inspectors. |
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CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
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| Section 9 - |
The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the chairman of the meeting. The Board may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board, the chairman of any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the chairman of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting, (ii) rules and procedures for
maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present, (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders of record of the corporation, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the chairman of the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants; and (vi) adjournment of the meeting either by the chairman of the meeting or by vote of the shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure. |
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ADVANCE NOTICE
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| Section 10 - |
A - |
(1) |
Nominations of persons for election to the Board and the proposal of business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders only (a) pursuant to the corporation's notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto), (b) by or at the direction of the Board or (c) by any stockholder of the corporation who was a stockholder of record of the corporation at the time the notice provided for in this Section 10 is delivered to the Secretary of the corporation, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 10. |
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(2) |
For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (c) of paragraph (A)(1) of this Section 10, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the corporation and any such proposed business other than the nominations of persons for election to the Board must constitute a proper matter for stockholder action. To be timely, a stockholder's notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than the close of business on the ninetieth day nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year's annual meeting (provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty days before or more than seventy days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder must be so
delivered not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the corporation). In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder's notice as described above. Such stockholder's notice shall set forth: (a) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director, all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and
Rule 14a-11 thereunder (and such person's written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected); (b) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the By-Laws of the corporation, the language of the proposed amendment), the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; and (c) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made (i) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the corporation's books, and of such
beneficial owner, (ii) the class and number of shares of capital stock of the corporation which are owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, (iii) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of stock of the corporation entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business or nomination, and (iv) a representation whether the stockholder or the beneficial owner, if any, intends or is part of a group which intends (a) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the corporation's outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or elect the nominee and/or (b) otherwise to solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such proposal or nomination. The corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such
proposed nominee to serve as a director of the corporation. |
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(3) |
Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of paragraph (A)(2) of this Section 10 to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of the corporation at an annual meeting is increased and there is no public announcement by the corporation naming the nominees for the additional directorships at least one hundred days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year's annual meeting, a stockholder's notice required by this Section 10 shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for the additional directorships, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the corporation. |
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B - |
Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the corporation's notice of meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the corporation's notice of meeting (1) by or at the direction of the Board or (2) provided that the Board has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time the notice provided for in this Section 10 is delivered to the Secretary of the corporation, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and upon such election and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 10. In the event the corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board, any such stockholder entitled to
vote in such election of directors may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position(s) as specified in the corporation's notice of meeting, if the stockholder's notice required by paragraph (A)(2) of this Section 10 shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment or postponement of a special meeting commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder's notice as described above. |
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C - |
(1) |
Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 10 shall be eligible to be elected at an annual or special meeting of stockholders of the corporation to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 10. Except as otherwise provided by law, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty (a) to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 10 (including whether the stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made, solicited (or is part of a group which solicited) or did not so solicit, as the case may be, proxies in support of such stockholder's nominee or proposal in compliance with such stockholder's representation as required by clause (A)(2)(c)(iv) of this Section 10) and (b) if any proposed nomination or business was not made or proposed in compliance with this Section 10, to declare that such nomination shall be disregarded or that such proposed business shall not be transacted. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual or special meeting of stockholders of the corporation to present a nomination or business, such nomination shall be disregarded and such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the corporation. |
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(2) |
For purposes of this Section 10, "public announcement" shall include disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. |
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(3) |
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 10. Nothing in this Section 10 shall be deemed to affect any rights (a) of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the corporation's proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (b) of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors pursuant to any applicable provisions of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation. |
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