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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 1, 2023

 

 

Paramount Group, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maryland

001-36746

32-0439307

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1633 Broadway, Suite 1801

New York, New York

10019

(Address of Principal Executive offices)

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 237-3100

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2.):

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

 

 

 

Title of each Class

Trading Symbol

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common stock of Paramount Group, Inc., $0.01 par value per share

PGRE

New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging Growth Company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

 


 

 

Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

 

 

On August 1, 2023, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Paramount Group, Inc. (the “Company”) amended and restated the Company’s Sixth Amended and Restated Bylaws (as so amended and restated the “Seventh Amended and Restated Bylaws” or “Bylaws”), to, among other things:

address the universal proxy rules adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, by clarifying that no person may solicit proxies in support of a director nominee other than the Board’s nominees unless such person has complied with Rule 14a-19 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including applicable notice and solicitation requirements;
enhance procedural mechanics and disclosure requirements in connection with stockholder nominations of directors and submissions of proposals regarding other business at stockholder meetings, including requiring additional background information and disclosures regarding proposing stockholders, proposed nominees and business, and other persons related to a stockholder’s solicitation of proxies; and
outline the procedures for announcing the date, time and place of a reconvened meeting of stockholders in the event a meeting of stockholders is adjourned.

 

The Bylaws also include certain technical, modernizing and clarifying changes, including updates to provisions relating to virtual meetings to align with changes to the Maryland General Corporation Law.

 

The foregoing description of the Seventh Amended and Restated Bylaws does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Bylaws, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit
Number

Description

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.1

 

 

Seventh Amended and Restated Bylaws of Paramount Group, Inc., effective August 1, 2023.

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

PARAMOUNT GROUP, INC.

 

 

 

Date: August 4, 2023

     By:

/s/ Gage Johnson

 

     Name:

Gage Johnson

 

     Title

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 


Exhibit 3.1

SEVENTH AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

OF

PARAMOUNT GROUP, INC.

 

article I
- OFFICES
1.1
Principal Office. The principal office of Paramount Group, Inc. (the “Corporation”) in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Corporation’s Board of Directors may designate.
1.2
Additional Offices. The Corporation may have additional offices, including a principal executive office, and places of business at such other places, within or without the State of Maryland, as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.
article II
- MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
2.1
Place. All meetings of stockholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation or at such other place as shall be set in accordance with these bylaws and designated in the notice of the meeting. The Board of Directors is authorized to determine that a meeting of stockholders not be held at any place, but instead may be held partially or solely by means of remote communication. In accordance with these bylaws and subject to any guidelines and procedures adopted by the Board of Directors, stockholders and proxy holders may participate in any meeting of stockholders held by means of remote communication and may vote at such meeting as permitted by Maryland law. Participation in a meeting by these means constitutes presence in person at the meeting.
2.2
Annual Meeting. An annual meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any other business which may properly come before such meeting shall be held at such time and place and on such date as may be set by the Board of Directors. Failure to hold an annual meeting does not invalidate the Corporation’s existence or affect any otherwise valid act of the Corporation.
2.3
Special Meetings.
2.3.1
General. The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or Board of Directors may call a special meeting of the stockholders. Except as provided in subsection 2.3.2(d) of this Section 2.3, a special meeting of stockholders shall be held on the date and at the time and place set by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or Board of Directors, whoever has called the meeting. Subject to subsection 2.3.2 of this Section 2.3, a special meeting of stockholders shall also be called by the Secretary of the Corporation to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of stockholders upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting.

 

 

 


 

2.3.2
Stockholder-Requested Special Meeting.
(a)
Any stockholder of record seeking to have stockholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the Secretary (the “Record Date Request Notice”) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Directors to fix a record date to determine the stockholders entitled to request a special meeting (the “Request Record Date”). The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more stockholders of record as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the Record Date Request Notice), shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or such agent) and shall set forth all information and certifications relating to each such stockholder, each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director and each matter proposed to be acted on at the meeting that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of directors (or the election of each such individual, if applicable) in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such a solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”). Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Directors may fix a Request Record Date. The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten days after the close of business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors, within ten days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the tenth day after the first date on which the Record Date Request Notice is received by the Secretary. The Record Date Request Notice shall be subject to the requirements of subsections (c), (d) and (f) of Section 2.11.1.
(b)
In order for any stockholder to request a special meeting to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of stockholders, one or more written requests for a special meeting (collectively, the “Special Meeting Request”) signed by stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the request) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting (the “Special Meeting Percentage”) shall be delivered to the Secretary. In addition, the Special Meeting Request shall (i) set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to those lawful matters set forth in the Record Date Request Notice received by the Secretary), (ii) bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or such agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, (iii) set forth (A) the name and address, as they appear in the Corporation’s books, of each stockholder signing such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed), (B) the class, series and number of all shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned (beneficially or of record) by each such stockholder, and (C) the nominee holder for, and number of, shares of stock of the Corporation owned beneficially but not of record by each such stockholder, (iv) be sent to the Secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and (v) be received by the Secretary within 60 days after the Request Record Date. Any requesting stockholder (or agent duly authorized in a writing accompanying the revocation of the Special Meeting Request) may revoke such stockholder’s request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the Secretary.

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(c)
The Secretary shall inform the requesting stockholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing or delivering the notice of the meeting (including the Corporation’s proxy materials). The Secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon stockholder request and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (b) of this Section 2.3.2, the Secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the preparation and mailing or delivery of such notice of the meeting.
(d)
Except as provided in the next sentence, any special meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that the date of any special meeting called by the Secretary upon the request of stockholders (a “Stockholder-Requested Meeting”) shall be not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the “Meeting Record Date”); provided, further, that if the Board of Directors fails to designate, within ten days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the Secretary (the “Delivery Date”), a date and time for a Stockholder-Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m., local time in the location of the Corporation’s principal executive office (“Local Time”) on the 90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; provided, further, that in the event that the Board of Directors fails to designate a place for a Stockholder-Requested Meeting within ten days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation. In fixing a date for any special meeting, the Board of Directors may consider such factors as it deems relevant, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for the meeting and any plan of the Board of Directors to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Stockholder-Requested Meeting, if the Board of Directors fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date. The Board of Directors may revoke the notice for any Stockholder-Requested Meeting in the event that the requesting stockholders fail to comply with the provisions of paragraph (c) of this Section 2.3.2.
(e)
If written revocations of the Special Meeting Request have been delivered to the Secretary by requesting stockholders and the result is that stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage have delivered, and not revoked, requests for a special meeting on the matter to the Secretary: (i) if the notice of meeting has not already been delivered, the Secretary shall refrain from delivering the notice of the meeting and send to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked such requests written notice of any revocation of a request for a special meeting on the matter or (ii) if the notice of meeting has been delivered and if the Secretary first sends to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked requests for a special meeting on the matter written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting and written notice of the Corporation’s intention to revoke the notice of the meeting, or for the chairman of the meeting to adjourn the meeting without action on the matter, then (A) the Secretary may revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten days before the commencement of the meeting or (B) the chairman of the meeting may call the meeting to order and adjourn the meeting without acting on the matter. Any request for a special meeting

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received after a revocation by the Secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new special meeting.
(f)
The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or Board of Directors may appoint regionally or nationally recognized independent inspectors of elections to act as the agent of the Corporation for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special Meeting Request received by the Secretary. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported Special Meeting Request shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Secretary until the earlier of (i) five Business Days after receipt by the Secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Corporation that the valid requests received by the Secretary represent, as of the Request Record Date, stockholders of record entitled to cast not less than the Special Meeting Percentage. Nothing contained in this paragraph (f) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Corporation or any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any request, whether during or after such five Business Day period, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).
(g)
For purposes of these bylaws, “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
2.4
Notice. Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of stockholders, the Secretary shall give to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each stockholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting notice in writing or by electronic transmission stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called, by mail, by presenting it to such stockholder personally, by leaving it at the stockholder’s residence or usual place of business or by any other means permitted by Maryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to be given when transmitted to the stockholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number of the stockholder at which the stockholder receives electronic transmissions. The Corporation may give a single notice to all stockholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as to any stockholder at such address, unless a stockholder objects to receiving such single notice or revokes a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to one or more stockholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II, or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.

Subject to Section 2.11.1 of this Article II, any business of the Corporation may be transacted at an annual meeting of stockholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of stockholders except as specifically designated in the notice. The Corporation may postpone or cancel a meeting of stockholders by making a public announcement (as defined in Section 2.11.3(d) of this Article II) of such postponement or

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cancellation prior to the meeting. Notice of the date, time and place to which the meeting is postponed shall be given not less than ten days prior to such date and otherwise in the manner set forth in this section.

2.5
Organization and Conduct. Every meeting of stockholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Directors to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment or appointed individual, by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, one of the following officers present at the meeting in the following order: the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, if there be one, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Vice Presidents in their order of rank and seniority, the Secretary, or, in the absence of such officers, a chairman chosen by the stockholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present in person or by proxy. The Secretary, or, in the Secretary’s absence, an Assistant Secretary, or in the absence of both the Secretary and Assistant Secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or, in the absence of such appointment, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting shall act as secretary. In the event that the Secretary presides at a meeting of the stockholders, an Assistant Secretary, or, in the absence of all Assistant Secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chairman and without any action by the stockholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to stockholders of record of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments; (e) determining when and for how long the polls should be opened and when the polls should be closed; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any stockholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting; (h) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting, whether or not a quorum is present, to a later date and time and at a place either (i) announced at the meeting or (ii) provided at a future time through means announced at the meeting subject to applicable notice requirements, if any; and (i) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security. Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

 

2.6
Quorum. At any meeting of stockholders, the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting on any matter shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any statute, the charter of the Corporation or these bylaws for the vote necessary for the approval of any matter. If, however, such quorum shall not be established at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting may adjourn the meeting sine die or from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than

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announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

The stockholders present at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough stockholders to leave fewer than would be required to establish a quorum.

2.7
Voting. A nominee for director shall be elected to the Board of Directors if the votes cast for such nominee’s election exceed the votes cast against such nominee’s election; provided, however, that directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at any meeting of stockholders for which (i) the Secretary of the Corporation receives a notice that a stockholder has nominated a person for election to the Board of Directors in compliance with the charter and these bylaws, to the extent applicable, and applicable law and (ii) such nomination has not been withdrawn by such stockholder on or before the tenth day before the Corporation first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to the stockholders. If directors are to be elected by a plurality of the votes cast, stockholders shall not be permitted to vote against a nominee. Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted, without any right to cumulative voting. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute, the charter or these bylaws. Unless otherwise provided in the charter or these bylaws or expressly required by the Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”), each share of stock of the Corporation outstanding shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders.
2.8
Proxies. A stockholder may cast the votes that the stockholder is entitled to cast either in person or by proxy that is (a) executed by the stockholder or by the stockholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law, (b) compliant with Maryland law and these bylaws and (c) filed in accordance with the procedures established by the Corporation. Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the record of the proceedings of the meeting. No proxy shall be valid after eleven months from its date, unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

Any stockholder directly or indirectly soliciting proxies from other stockholders must use a proxy card color other than white, which shall be reserved for the exclusive use by the Board of Directors.

2.9
Voting of Stock by Certain Holders. Stock of the Corporation registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, a general partner, a managing member, trustee or other duly authorized officer or agent thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals. The Corporation may request such documentation as it deems necessary to establish the authority of any such individual to vote such stock. Any director or other fiduciary may vote stock registered in his or her name in such capacity, either in person or by proxy.

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Shares of stock of the Corporation directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.

2.10
Inspectors. The Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting may appoint, before or at the meeting, one or more inspectors for the meeting and any successor thereto. The inspectors, if any, shall (a) determine the number of shares of stock represented at the meeting, in person or by proxy, and the validity and effect of proxies, (b) receive and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, (c) report such tabulation to the chairman of the meeting, (d) hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, and (e) do such acts as are proper to fairly conduct the election or vote. Each such report shall be in writing and signed by the inspector or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.
2.11
Nominations and Proposals by Stockholders.
2.11.1
Annual Meetings of Stockholders.
(a)
Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may only be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by the stockholder as provided for in this Section 2.11.1 and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated or on any such other business and who has complied with this Section 2.11.1, (iii) by any Eligible Stockholder (as defined in Section 2.15(a)(i) of this Article II) who has complied with the procedures set forth in Section 2.15 of this Article II, or (iv) to the extent required by other applicable law by the persons and subject to the applicable requirements provided for therein.
(b)
For any nomination or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (ii) of Section 2.11.1(a), the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation and, in the case of such other business, must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the stockholders. A stockholder’s notice shall be timely, including pursuant to Rule 14a-19 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act, if it sets forth all information required under this Section 2.11.1 and is delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 150th day nor later than 5:00 p.m., Local Time, on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the notice for the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, notice by the

 

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stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Local Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting, as originally convened, or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

(c)
Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth:
(i)
as to each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director (each, a “Proposed Nominee”), all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a director in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act;
(ii)
as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, (A) a description of such business (including the text of any proposal), the stockholder’s reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below), individually or in the aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the stockholder or the Stockholder Associated Person therefrom and (B) any other information relating to such item of business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) of the Exchange Act;
(iii)
as to the stockholder giving the notice, any Proposed Nominee and any Stockholder Associated Person,
(A)
the class, series and number of all shares of stock or other securities of the Corporation (collectively, the “Company Securities”), if any, which are owned (beneficially or of record) by such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person, the date on which each such Company Security was acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, and any short interest (including any opportunity to profit or share in any benefit from any decrease in the price of such stock or other security) in any Company Securities of any such person,
(B)
the nominee holder for, and number of, any Company Securities owned beneficially but not of record by such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person,
(C)
any substantial interest, direct or indirect (including, without limitation, any existing or prospective commercial, business or contractual relationship with the Corporation), by security holdings or otherwise, of such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated

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Person, individually or in the aggregate, in the Corporation, other than an interest arising from the ownership of Company Securities where such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person receives no extra or special benefit not shared on a pro rata basis by all holders of the same class or series, and
(D)
whether and the extent to which such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person is subject to or during the last six months has, directly or indirectly (through brokers, nominees or otherwise), engaged in any hedging, derivative or other transaction or series of transactions or entered into any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short interest, any borrowing or lending of securities or any proxy or voting agreement), the effect or intent of which is to manage risk or benefit of changes in the price of Company Securities for such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person or to increase or decrease the voting power of such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person in the Corporation disproportionately to such person’s economic interest in the Company Securities;
(iv)
as to the stockholder giving the notice, any Stockholder Associated Person with an interest or ownership referred to in clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (c) of this Section 2.11.1 and any Proposed Nominee;
(A)
the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s stock ledger, and the current name and business address, if different, of each such Stockholder Associated Person and any Proposed Nominee, and
(B)
the investment strategy or objective, if any, of such stockholder and each such Stockholder Associated Person who is not an individual and a copy of the prospectus, offering memorandum or similar document, if any, provided to investors or potential investors in such stockholder and each such Stockholder Associated Person;
(v)
to the extent known by the stockholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other stockholder supporting any Proposed Nominee or the proposal of other business on the date of such stockholder’s notice;
(vi)
if the stockholder is proposing one or more Proposed Nominees (other than Proposed Nominees submitted as Stockholder Nominees by an Eligible Stockholder pursuant to a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination pursuant to Section 2.15), a representation that such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person intends or is part of a group which intends to solicit the holders of shares representing at least 67% of the voting power of shares entitled to vote on the election of directors in support of each Proposed Nominee in accordance with Rule 14a-19 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act;

 

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(vii)
an undertaking that the stockholder will appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate any Proposed Nominees or to bring such business before the meeting, as applicable, and an acknowledgement that if the stockholder does not so appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate such Proposed Nominees or bring such business before the meeting, as applicable, the Corporation need not bring such Proposed Nominee or such business for a vote at such meeting and any proxies or votes cast in favor of the election of any such Proposed Nominee or of any proposal related to such other business need not be counted or considered; and
(viii)
all other information regarding the stockholder giving the notice and each Stockholder Associated Person that would be required to be disclosed by the stockholder in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such a solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act.
(d)
Such stockholder’s notice shall, with respect to any Proposed Nominee, be accompanied by:
(i)
a written undertaking executed by the Proposed Nominee:
(A)
that such Proposed Nominee (I) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation, (II) will serve as a director of the Corporation if elected and will notify the Corporation simultaneously with the notification to the stockholder of the Proposed Nominee’s actual or potential unwillingness or inability to serve as a director and (III) does not need any permission or consent from any third party to serve as a director of the Corporation, if elected, that has not been obtained, including any employer or any other board or governing body on which such Proposed Nominee serves;
(B)
attaching copies of any and all requisite permissions or consents; and
(C)
attaching a completed Proposed Nominee questionnaire (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Corporation, upon request, to the stockholder providing the notice and shall include all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of the Proposed Nominee as a director in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder, or would be required pursuant to the rules of any national securities exchange on which any securities of the Corporation are traded or over-the-counter market on which any securities of the Corporation are traded); and

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(ii)
unless such Proposed Nominee is submitted as a Stockholder Nominee by an Eligible Stockholder pursuant to a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination pursuant to Section 2.15, a certificate executed by the stockholder certifying that such stockholder will:
(A)
comply with Rule 14a-19 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act in connection with such stockholder’s solicitation of proxies in support of any Proposed Nominee and, except to the extent otherwise agreed to by the Corporation in writing, maintain the confidentiality of any information provided by the Corporation to the stockholder pursuant to Rule 14a-19(d) (or any successor provision) until such information has been made public by the Corporation;
(B)
notify the Corporation as promptly as practicable of any determination by the stockholder to no longer solicit proxies for the election of any Proposed Nominee as a director at the annual meeting;
(C)
no later than five Business Days prior to the annual meeting, deliver in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation, evidence, sufficient in the judgment of the Board of Directors, to demonstrate that such stockholder has satisfied the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act; and
(D)
furnish such other or additional information as the Corporation may request for the purpose of determining whether the requirements of this Section 2.11.1 have been complied with and of evaluating any nomination or other business described in the stockholder’s notice.
(e)
Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (e) of this Section 2.11.1 to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased, and there is no public announcement of such action at least 130 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the notice for the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 2.11.1 shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than 5:00 p.m., Local Time, on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement to stockholders is first made by the Corporation.
(f)
For purposes of this Section 2.11.1, “Stockholder Associated Person” of any stockholder means (i) any person acting in concert with such stockholder or another Stockholder Associated Person or who is otherwise a participant (as defined in Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act) in the solicitation, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of stock of the Corporation owned of record or beneficially by such stockholder (other than a stockholder that is a depositary) and (iii) any person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such stockholder or such Stockholder Associated Person.

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2.11.2
Special Meetings of Stockholders. 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 individuals for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which one or more directors are to be elected only (a) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (b) by a stockholder that has requested that a special meeting be called for the election of one or more directors in compliance with Section 2.3 of this Article II, but only with respect to an individual identified as a proposed nominee in the Record Date Request Notice submitted with respect to such special meeting.
2.11.3
General.
(a)
If any information or certification submitted pursuant to this Section 2.11 by any stockholder proposing a nominee for election as a director or any proposal for other business at a meeting of stockholders, including any certification from a Proposed Nominee, shall be inaccurate in any material respect, such information may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 2.11. Any such stockholder shall notify the Corporation of any inaccuracy or change (within two Business Days of becoming aware of such inaccuracy or change) in any such information or certification. Upon written request by the Secretary of the Corporation or the Board of Directors, any such stockholder or Proposed Nominee shall provide, within five Business Days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), (i) written verification, satisfactory, in the discretion of the Board of Directors or any authorized officer of the Corporation, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 2.11, (ii) a written update of any information (including, if requested by the Corporation, written confirmation by such stockholder that it continues to intend to bring such nomination or other business proposal before the meeting and, if applicable, satisfy the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act) submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 2.11 as of an earlier date and (iii) an updated certification by each Proposed Nominee that such individual will serve as a director of the Corporation if elected. If a stockholder or Proposed Nominee fails to provide such written verification, update or certification within such period, the information as to which such written verification, update or certification was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 2.11.
(b)
Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Section 2.11 or Section 2.15, as applicable, shall be eligible for election by stockholders 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 this Section 2.11. A stockholder proposing a Proposed Nominee shall have no right to (i) nominate a number of Proposed Nominees that exceed the number of directors to be elected at the meeting or (ii) substitute or replace any Proposed Nominee unless such substitute or replacement is nominated in accordance with this Section 2.11 (including the timely provision of all information and certifications with respect to such substitute or replacement Proposed Nominee in accordance with the deadlines set forth in this Section 2.11) and the nomination of each Proposed Nominee being substituted or replaced has been withdrawn by written notice to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation prior to, or concurrently with, such stockholder’s delivery of

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notice of the nomination of any substitute or replacement Proposed Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.11. If the Corporation provides notice to a stockholder that the number of Proposed Nominees proposed by such stockholder exceeds the number of directors to be elected at a meeting, the stockholder must provide written notice to the Corporation within five Business Days stating the names of the Proposed Nominees that have been withdrawn so that the number of Proposed Nominees proposed by such stockholder no longer exceeds the number of directors to be elected at a meeting. If any individual who is nominated in accordance with this Section 2.11 becomes unwilling or unable to serve on the Board of Directors, then the nomination with respect to such individual shall no longer be valid and no votes may validly be cast for such individual. The chairman of the meeting shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 2.11 or Section 2.15, as applicable.
(c)
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.11, the Corporation shall disregard any proxy authority granted in favor of, or votes for, nominees for election or reelection as a director, other than the nominees made by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or a Proposed Nominee submitted as a Stockholder Nominee by an Eligible Stockholder pursuant to a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination pursuant to Section 2.15, if the stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person (each, a “Soliciting Stockholder”) soliciting proxies in support of such director nominees abandons the solicitation or does not (i) comply with Rule 14a-19 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act, including any failure by the Soliciting Stockholder to (A) provide the Corporation with any notices required thereunder in a timely manner or (B) comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(2) and Rule 14a-19(a)(3) (or any successor provisions) under the Exchange Act or (ii) timely provide sufficient evidence in the determination of the Board of Directors sufficient to satisfy the Corporation that such Soliciting Stockholder has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act. Furthermore, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.11, no stockholder will be entitled to nominate a Proposed Nominee for election or reelection as a director or propose other business for consideration at an annual or special meeting if such stockholder or such Proposed Nominee, to the extent applicable, fails to comply with any applicable provision of this Section 2.11 or any agreement, representation or undertaking required by this Section 2.11, including, without limitation, those set forth in any undertaking or certificate delivered or required to be delivered pursuant to this Section 2.11.1, and, in the absence of such nomination or proposal fully complying with this Section 2.11, no votes may be cast for such Proposed Nominee or with respect to such other business at the meeting.
(d)
Public announcement” shall mean disclosure (i) in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Business Wire, PR Newswire or other widely circulated news or wire service or (ii) in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act.
(e)
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.11, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 2.11. Nothing in this Section 2.11 shall be deemed to affect any right of a stockholder to request inclusion of a proposal in, nor the right

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of the Corporation to omit a proposal from, the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act.
(f)
Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, in order for a stockholder that has otherwise satisfied the advanced notice and other requirements of this Section 2.11 to nominate a Proposed Nominee for election or reelection as a director or propose other business for consideration at an annual or special meeting, such stockholder must, except as otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, appear in person or by proxy at such annual or special meeting and nominate each of such stockholder’s Proposed Nominees for election or reelection as a director or propose such other business as set forth in such notice, and if such stockholder does not do so, then, except as otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, such Proposed Nominees shall not be nominated and such other business shall not be considered at the meeting and no votes may be cast for any such Proposed Nominees or with respect to such other business at the meeting.
(g)
Nothing in this Section 2.11 shall require disclosure of revocable proxies received by the stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person pursuant to a solicitation of proxies after the filing of an effective Schedule 14A under Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act.
2.12
Control Share Acquisition Act. Notwithstanding any other provision of the charter or these bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the MGCL (or any successor statute) shall not apply to any and all acquisitions by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation.
2.13
Voting by Ballot. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the chairman of the meeting shall order or any stockholder shall demand that voting be by ballot.
2.14
Business Combinations. By virtue of resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors prior to or at the time of adoption of these bylaws, any business combination (as defined in Section 3-601(e) of the MGCL) between the Corporation and any of its present or future stockholders, or any affiliates or associates of the Corporation or any present or future stockholder of the Corporation, or any other person or entity or group of persons or entities, is exempt from the provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the MGCL, including, but not limited to, the provisions of Section 3-602 of such Subtitle. The Board of Directors may not revoke, alter or amend such resolution or otherwise adopt any resolution that is inconsistent with a prior resolution of the Board of Directors that exempts any business combination (as defined in Section 3-601(e) of the MGCL) between the Corporation and any other person, whether identified specifically, generally or by type from the provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the MGCL without the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the matter by the holders of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation.

2.15 Proxy Access Rights.

 

(a)
Proxy Access Nomination

 

(i)
Whenever the Board of Directors solicits proxies with respect to the election of directors at an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors at such annual meeting may be made by

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a stockholder or group of no more than 20 stockholders that satisfy the requirements of this Section 2.15 (as further qualified by the provisions of this Section 2.15, any such individual or group, including as the context requires each member thereof, being hereinafter referred to as an “Eligible Stockholder”). The nomination provisions set forth in this Section 2.15 are separate from, and in addition to, the nomination provisions set forth in Section 2.11 of this Article II. Subject to the provisions of this Section 2.15 and to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Corporation shall include in its proxy materials for such annual meeting, in addition to any persons nominated for election by, or at the direction of, a majority of the Board of Directors, the name, together with the Required Information (as defined below), of any person nominated for election (each such person being hereinafter referred to as a “Stockholder Nominee”) to the Board of Directors by an Eligible Stockholder pursuant to this Section 2.15.

 

(ii)
For purposes of this Section 2.15, the “Required Information” that the Corporation will include in its proxy materials is (A) the information concerning the Stockholder Nominee and the Eligible Stockholder that is required to be disclosed in the Corporation’s proxy statement by the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act, by these bylaws, by the charter and/or by the listing standards of each principal U.S. exchange upon which the common stock of the Corporation is listed; and (B) the written statement, if any, consisting of 500 words or less delivered by the Eligible Stockholder pursuant to Section 2.15(d)(iv) in support of the Stockholder Nominee’s candidacy that is clearly and specifically identified as the written statement that the Eligible Stockholder requests the Corporation to include in its proxy materials and does not include any references to any other statements or written materials in support of the Stockholder Nominee’s candidacy or any website or other locations where any such statements or written materials may be found (the “Statement”). If the Eligible Stockholder has not provided to the Secretary of the Corporation a Statement within the time period specified in this Section 2.15 for delivering the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination, the Eligible Stockholder will be deemed to have not provided the Statement and the Required Information will not include the Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.15, the Corporation may omit from its proxy materials any information or Statement (or portion thereof) if the Corporation believes that (A) such information is not true in all material respects or omits a material statement necessary to make the statements made not misleading; (B) such information directly or indirectly impugns the character, integrity or personal reputation of, or directly or indirectly makes charges concerning improper, illegal or immoral conduct or associations, without factual foundation, with respect to, any person; or (C) the inclusion of such information in the proxy statement would otherwise violate the Securities and Exchange Commission proxy rules or any other applicable law, rule or regulation.

 

(b)
Notice Requirements

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(i)
In order to nominate a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.15, an Eligible Stockholder must, in addition to satisfying the other requirements of Section 2.15, provide to the Secretary of the Corporation, a written notice expressly nominating its Stockholder Nominee(s) and electing to have its Stockholder Nominee(s) included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.15 that complies with the requirements set forth in this Section 2.15 (a “Notice of Proxy Access Nomination”) within the time period set forth below. In order for an Eligible Stockholder to nominate a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.15, the Eligible Stockholder’s Notice of Proxy Access Nomination must be received by the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 150th day nor later than 5:00 p.m., Local Time, on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the notice for the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, Notice of Proxy Access Nomination by the Eligible Stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Local Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting, as originally convened, or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. In no event shall an adjournment, postponement or rescheduling of any previously scheduled meeting of stockholders, or the public announcement thereof, commence a new time period for the giving of a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination under this Section 2.15. For purposes of this Section 2.15, “public announcement” shall have the meaning given to such term in 2.11.3(d) of this Article II.

 

(ii)
In order to nominate a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.15, an Eligible Stockholder providing the Required Information within the time period specified in Section 2.15(b)(i) for delivering the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination must further update and supplement such Required Information, if necessary, so that all such information provided or required to be provided shall be true and correct as of the close of business on the record date for purposes of determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such annual meeting and as of the date that is ten Business Days prior to such annual meeting, and such update and supplement (or a written notice stating that there is no such update or supplement) must be delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than 5:00 p.m., Local Time, on the fifth Business Day after the record date for purposes of determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date), and not later than 5:00 p.m., Local Time, on the fifth Business Day prior to the date for the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten Business Days prior to the meeting).

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(iii)
In the event that any of the information or communications provided by the Eligible Stockholder or the Stockholder Nominee to the Corporation or its stockholders ceases to be true and correct in all material respects or omits a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, each Eligible Stockholder or Stockholder Nominee, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Secretary of the Corporation of any defect in such previously provided information or communications and of the information that is required to correct any such defect.

 

(c)
Maximum Number of Stockholder Nominees

 

(i)
The maximum number of Stockholder Nominees nominated by all Eligible Stockholders that will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials with respect to an annual meeting shall not exceed the greater of (i) two or (ii) 20% of the number of directors in office as of the last day on which a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination may be timely delivered pursuant to and in accordance with this Section 2.15 (the “Final Proxy Access Nomination Date”), or if such amount is not a whole number, the closest whole number below 20%; provided, that the maximum number of Stockholder Nominees that will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials with respect to an annual meeting will be reduced by (i) the number of Stockholder Nominees who the Board of Directors itself decides to nominate for election at such annual meeting; (ii) the number of individuals who will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials as nominees recommended by the Board of Directors pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or other understanding with a stockholder or group of stockholders entered into after February 18, 2022 (other than any such agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of shares from the Corporation by such stockholder or group of stockholders) and (iii) the number of individuals that the Board of Directors decides to nominate for re-election who were previously elected to the Board of Directors with respect to any of the preceding two annual meetings based on a nomination by one or more stockholders pursuant to Section 2.11 or this Section 2.15.

 

(ii)
Any Eligible Stockholder submitting more than one Stockholder Nominee for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.15 shall rank such Stockholder Nominees based on the order that the Eligible Stockholder desires such Stockholder Nominees to be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement in the event that the total number of Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2.15 exceeds the maximum number of Stockholder Nominees provided for in Section 2.15(c)(i) (including by operation of Section 2.15(c)(iii)). In the event that the number of Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2.15 for an annual meeting exceeds the maximum number of Stockholder Nominees provided for in

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Section 2.15(c)(i) (including by operation of Section 2.15(c)(iii)), the highest ranking Stockholder Nominee who meets the requirements of this Section 2.15 from each Eligible Stockholder (with such determination and the determination of whether a stockholder or group of stockholders constitutes an Eligible Stockholder to be based on compliance with the provisions of this Section 2.15 as of the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date) will be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials until the maximum number is reached, going in order from the largest to the smallest of such Eligible Stockholders based on the number of shares of common stock of the Corporation each Eligible Stockholder disclosed as owned by such Eligible Stockholder in the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination submitted to the Corporation hereunder. If the maximum number of Stockholder Nominees provided for in this Section 2.15 is not reached after the highest ranking Stockholder Nominee who meets the requirements of this Section 2.15 from each Eligible Stockholder determined in the manner set forth above has been selected, this selection process will continue as many times as necessary, following the same order each time, until the maximum number of Stockholder Nominees provided for in this Section 2.15 is reached. The Stockholder Nominees initially selected in accordance with this Section 2.15(c)(ii) will be the only Stockholder Nominees eligible to be nominated or included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.15. The Notices of Proxy Access Nomination and nominations of all of the remaining Stockholder Nominees not initially selected pursuant to this Section 2.15(c)(ii) will be deemed to have been withdrawn by each of the applicable stockholders as of the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date, and, following such initial selection, if any one or more of the Stockholder Nominees so selected are (A) nominated by the Board of Directors or (B) not included in the Corporation’s proxy materials or are not submitted for election for any reason, including, without limitation, a subsequent failure to comply with this Section 2.15 by the Eligible Stockholder or the Eligible Stockholder’s withdrawal of the nomination, then, in each case, no additional Stockholder Nominees will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials or otherwise submitted for stockholder election pursuant to this Section 2.15.

 

(iii)
If for any reason one or more vacancies occur on the Board of Directors after the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date but before the date of the applicable annual meeting and the Board of Directors resolves to reduce the size of the Board of Directors in connection therewith, the maximum number of Stockholder Nominees eligible to be nominated or included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.15 shall be calculated based on the number of directors in office as so reduced. The Notices of Proxy Access Nomination and nominations of any Stockholder Nominees who cease to be eligible to be nominated or included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.15 as a result of the operation of this Section 2.15(c)(iii) will be deemed to have been withdrawn by each of the applicable Eligible Stockholders as of the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date.

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(d)
Stockholder Eligibility

 

(i)
For purposes of this Section 2.15, an Eligible Stockholder shall be deemed to “own” only those outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation as to which the Eligible Stockholder possesses both (A) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares and (B) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit from and risk of loss on) such shares; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (A) and (B) (x) shall not include any shares (I) borrowed by such Eligible Stockholder for any purposes or purchased by such Eligible Stockholder pursuant to an agreement to resell, (II) sold by such Eligible Stockholder or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed or (III) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar agreement entered into by such Eligible Stockholder or any of its affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares or with cash based on the notional amount or value of shares of outstanding common stock of the Corporation, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of (1) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such Eligible Stockholder’s or its affiliates’ full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares by such Eligible Stockholder or any of its affiliates and/or (2) hedging, offsetting or altering to any degree any gain or loss realized or realizable from maintaining the full economic ownership of such shares by such Eligible Stockholder or affiliate, and (y) shall be reduced by the notional amount of shares of common stock of the Corporation subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar agreement entered into by such Eligible Stockholder or any of its affiliates, whether or not any such instrument is to be settled with shares or with cash, to the extent the number of shares owned by the Eligible Stockholder was not already reduced by such amount pursuant to clause (x)(III) above, and a number of shares of common stock of the Corporation equal to the net “short” position in the common stock of the Corporation held by such Eligible Stockholder’s affiliates, whether through short sales, options, warrants, forward contracts, swaps, contracts of sale, other derivatives or similar agreements or any other agreement or arrangement. An Eligible Stockholder shall “own” shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the Eligible Stockholder retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of directors and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. An Eligible Stockholder’s ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Stockholder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney or other instrument or arrangement which is unconditionally revocable at any time by the Eligible Stockholder. The terms “owned,” “owning” and other variations of the word “own” shall have correlative meanings. Whether outstanding shares of the common stock of the Corporation are “owned” for these purposes shall be determined by the Board

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of Directors or any committee thereof. For purposes of this Section 2.15, the term “affiliate” or “affiliates” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto under the General Rules and Regulations of the Exchange Act.

 

(ii)
In order to make a nomination pursuant to this Section 2.15, an Eligible Stockholder must have owned the Required Ownership Percentage (as defined below) of the Corporation’s outstanding common stock (the “Required Shares”) continuously for the Minimum Holding Period (as defined below) or longer as of both the date the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is required to be received by the Corporation in accordance with this Section 2.15 and the close of business on the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote at the applicable annual meeting, and must continue to own the Required Shares through the applicable meeting date (and any postponement or adjournment thereof); provided, that, up to, but not more than, 20 individual stockholders who otherwise meet all of the requirements to be an Eligible Stockholder may aggregate their stockholdings in order to meet the Required Ownership Percentage, but not the Minimum Holding Period, of the Required Shares. For purposes of this Section 2.15, the “Required Ownership Percentage” is 3% or more of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding common stock, and the “Minimum Holding Period” is three years.

 

(iii)
Whenever the Eligible Stockholder consists of a group of more than one stockholder, each provision in this Section 2.15 that requires the Eligible Stockholder to provide any written statements, representations, undertakings, agreements or other instruments or to meet any other conditions shall be deemed to require each stockholder that is a member of such group to provide such statements, representations, undertakings, agreements or other instruments and to meet such other conditions. In determining the aggregate number of stockholders in a group, a “group of investment companies,” as such term is defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (a “Qualifying Fund Family”) shall be treated as one stockholder. Not later than the deadline for delivery of the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination pursuant to this Section 2.15, a Qualifying Fund Family whose stock ownership is counted for purposes of determining whether a stockholder or group of stockholders qualifies as an Eligible Stockholder shall provide to the Secretary of the Corporation such documentation as is reasonably satisfactory to the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, that demonstrates that the funds comprising the Qualifying Fund Family satisfy the definition hereof. When an Eligible Stockholder is comprised of a group, a violation of any provision of these bylaws by any member of the group shall be deemed a violation by the entire Eligible Stockholder group. No person may be a member of more than one group of persons constituting an Eligible Stockholder with respect to any annual meeting.

 

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(iv)
In addition to providing the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination in accordance with Section 2.15(b)(i) above, in order to nominate a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.15, an Eligible Stockholder or the Stockholder Nominee, as applicable, must provide the following information in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation within the time period specified in this Section 2.15 for delivering the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination:

 

(A)
one or more written statements from the record holders of the Required Shares or from the intermediaries through which the Required Shares are or have been held during the Minimum Holding Period verifying that, as of a date within seven Business Days prior to the date the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is received by the Secretary of the Corporation, the Eligible Stockholder owns, and has owned continuously for the Minimum Holding Period, the Required Shares, and the Eligible Stockholder’s agreement to provide the updates and supplements (or written notices stating that there are no such updates or supplements) described in Section 2.15(b)(ii) within the time periods set forth therein;

 

(B)
a copy of the Schedule 14N filed or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (and, if not included in such Schedule 14N, the details of any relationship that existed within the past three years and that would have been described pursuant to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14N (or any successor item) if it existed on the date of submission of the Schedule 14N);

 

(C)
the Required Information (with the Statement, if any, clearly and specifically identified as such) and all other information, representations and agreements that are required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice, or provided to the Corporation in order to nominate an individual for election as a director, pursuant to Section 2.11 of this Article II (except for Section 2.11.1(c)(vi));

 

(D)
the written consent of each Stockholder Nominee to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected;

 

(E)
in the case of a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination that is submitted by an Eligible Stockholder that is comprised of a group of stockholders, the designation by all of such stockholders of one of such stockholders that is authorized to act on behalf of all of such stockholders with respect to all matters relating to the nomination or inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials of the Stockholder Nominee(s) nominated by such Eligible Stockholder, including, without limitation, the withdrawal of such nomination;

 

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(F)
an agreement by each Stockholder Nominee, upon such Stockholder Nominee’s election, to make such acknowledgements, enter into such agreements and provide such information as the Board of Directors requires of all directors at such time, including without limitation, agreeing to be bound by the Corporation’s code of ethics, insider trading policies and procedures and other similar policies and procedures;

 

(G)
an irrevocable resignation of the Stockholder Nominee, which shall become effective upon a determination in good faith by the Board of Directors or any committee thereof that the information provided to the Corporation by such individual pursuant to this Section 2.15 was untrue in any material respect or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(H)
a representation (in the form provided by the Secretary of the Corporation upon written request) that the Eligible Stockholder (I) acquired the Required Shares in the ordinary course of business and not with the intent to change or influence control at the Corporation, and that the Eligible Stockholder does not presently have such intent, (II) has not nominated and will not nominate for election to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting (or any postponement or adjournment thereof) any person other than the Stockholder Nominee(s) being nominated pursuant to this Section 2.15, (III) has not engaged and will not engage in, and has not and will not be a “participant” in, another person’s “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act in support of the election of any individual as a director at the annual meeting other than its Stockholder Nominee(s) or a nominee of the Board of Directors, (IV) will not distribute to any stockholder any form of proxy for the annual meeting other than the form of proxy distributed by the Corporation, (V) agrees to comply with all other laws and regulations applicable to any solicitation in connection with the annual meeting, including, without limitation, Rule 14a-9 promulgated under the Exchange Act, (VI) will not make any solicitation relating to the annual meeting at which the Stockholder Nominee will be nominated, other than a solicitation to which Rule 14a-19 (or any successor) under the Exchange Act does not apply, (VII) meets the requirements set forth in this Section 2.15 and (VIII) has provided and will continue to provide facts, statements and other information in all communications with the Corporation and its stockholders in connection with the nomination hereunder that is or will be true and correct in all material respects and does not and will not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and

 

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(I)
a written undertaking (in the form provided by the Secretary of the Corporation upon written request) that the Eligible Stockholder agrees to (I) assume all liability stemming from any legal or regulatory violation arising out of the communications with stockholders of the Corporation by the Eligible Stockholder, its affiliates and associates, or their respective agents or representatives, either before or after the furnishing of the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination, or out of the facts, statements or information that the Eligible Stockholder or its Stockholder Nominee(s) has provided or will provide to the Corporation or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, (II) indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation and each of its directors, officers, agents, employees, affiliates, control persons or other persons acting on behalf of the Corporation individually against any liability, loss or damages in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the Corporation or any of its directors, officers, agents, employees, affiliates, control persons or other persons acting on behalf of the Corporation arising out of any nomination of a Stockholder Nominee submitted by the Eligible Stockholder pursuant to this Section 2.15, and (III) promptly provide to the Corporation such additional information as requested pursuant to this Section 2.15.

 

In connection with Section 2.15(d)(iv)(A), if any intermediary which verifies the Eligible Stockholder’s ownership of the Required Shares for the Minimum Holding Period is not the record holder of such shares, a Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participant or an affiliate of a DTC participant, then the Eligible Stockholder will also need to provide a written statement as required by Section 2.15(d)(iv)(A) from the record holder of such shares, a DTC participant or an affiliate of a DTC participant that can verify the holdings of such intermediary.

 

(e)
Stockholder Nominee Requirements

 

(i)
Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, the Corporation shall not be required to include, pursuant to this Section 2.15, any Stockholder Nominee in its proxy materials (and no such Stockholder Nominee may be nominated pursuant to this Section 2.15) for any annual meeting of stockholders (A) for which the Secretary of the Corporation receives a notice that the Eligible Stockholder or any other stockholder of the Corporation has nominated one or more persons for election to the Board of Directors pursuant to the advance notice requirements for nominees for director set forth in Section 2.11 of this Article II, (B) if the Eligible Stockholder who has nominated such Stockholder Nominee has engaged in or is currently engaged in, or has been or is a “participant” in another person’s “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act, in support of the election of any individual as a director at the annual meeting other than its Stockholder Nominee(s) or a nominee of the Board of Directors, (C) if such

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Stockholder Nominee is or becomes a party to any compensatory, payment or other financial agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation, or is receiving or will receive any such compensation or other payment from any person or entity other than the Corporation, in each case, in connection with service as a director of the Corporation, (D) who is not independent under the listing standards of each principal U.S. exchange upon which the common stock of the Corporation is listed, any applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and any publicly disclosed standards used by the Board of Directors in determining and disclosing independence of the Corporation’s directors, in each case, as determined by the Board of Directors or any committee thereof, (E) who does not meet the audit committee and compensation committee independence requirements under the rules of the primary stock exchange on which the shares of common stock of the Corporation are listed; (F) who is not a “non-employee director” for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule), (G) whose election as a member of the Board of Directors would cause the Corporation to be in violation of these bylaws, the charter, the rules and listing standards of the principal U.S. exchanges upon which the common stock of the Corporation is listed or over-the-counter market on which any securities of the Corporation are traded, or any applicable state or federal law, rule or regulation, (H) who provides any information to the Corporation or its stockholders required or requested pursuant to any provision of these bylaws that is not accurate, truthful and complete in all material respects, or that otherwise contravenes any of the agreements, representations or undertakings made by the Stockholder Nominee in connection with the nomination, (I) who is or has been, within the past three years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined in Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, (J) who is a defendant in or named subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations) or has been convicted or has pleaded nolo contendere in such a criminal proceeding within the past ten (10) years, (K) is subject to any order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (L) if such Stockholder Nominee or the applicable Eligible Stockholder shall have provided information to the Corporation in respect of such nomination that was untrue in any material respect or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, as determined by the Board of Directors or any committee thereof or (M) the Eligible Stockholder or applicable Stockholder Nominee fails to comply with its obligations pursuant to this Section 2.15.

 

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(ii)
Any Stockholder Nominee who is included in the Corporation’s proxy materials for a particular annual meeting of stockholders but either (A) withdraws from or becomes ineligible or unavailable for election to the Board of Directors at such annual meeting, or (B) does not receive a number of “for” votes equal to at least 25% of the number of shares present and entitled to vote for the election of directors, will be ineligible for nomination or inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials as a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.15 for the next two annual meetings of stockholders.

 

(iii)
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, if the Board of Directors or a designated committee thereof determines that any stockholder nomination was not made in accordance with the terms of this Section 2.15 or that the information provided in a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination does not satisfy the informational requirements of this Section 2.15 in any material respect, then such nomination shall not be considered at the applicable annual meeting. If neither the Board of Directors nor such committee makes a determination as to whether a nomination was made in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.15, the presiding officer of the annual meeting shall determine whether a nomination was made in accordance with such provisions. If the presiding officer determines that any stockholder nomination was not made in accordance with the terms of this Section 2.15 or that the information provided in a stockholder’s notice does not satisfy the informational requirements of this Section 2.15 in any material respect, then such nomination shall not be considered at the applicable annual meeting. Additionally, such nomination will not be considered at the annual meeting in question if the Eligible Stockholder (or a qualified representative thereof) does not appear at the applicable annual meeting to present any nomination of the Stockholder Nominee(s) included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.15. For purposes of this Section 2.15, to be considered a qualified representative of a stockholder, a person must be duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as its proxy at the annual meeting and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction thereof, at such annual meeting. If the Board of Directors, a designated committee thereof or the presiding officer determines that a nomination was made in accordance with the terms of this Section 2.15, the presiding officer shall so declare at the applicable annual meeting and ballots shall be provided for use at such meeting with respect to such Stockholder Nominee.

 

(f)
This Section 2.15 provides the exclusive method for stockholders to include nominees for director in the Corporation’s proxy materials. A stockholder’s compliance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.15 will not also be deemed to constitute compliance with the procedures set forth in, or notice pursuant to, Section 2.11 of this Article II.

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(g)
For the avoidance of doubt, the Corporation may solicit against, and include in the proxy statement its own statement relating to, any Stockholder Nominee.

 

(h)
For purposes of this Section 2.15, any determination to be made by the Board of Directors may be made by the Board of Directors, a committee of the Board of Directors or any officer of the Corporation designated by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors, and any such determination shall be final and binding on the Corporation, any Eligible Stockholder, Stockholder Nominee and any other person so long as made in good faith (without any further requirements). The chairman of any annual meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall have the power and duty to determine whether a Stockholder Nominee has been nominated in accordance with the requirements of this Section 2.15 and, if not so nominated, shall direct and declare at the meeting that such Stockholder Nominee shall not be considered.
article III
- DIRECTORS
3.1
General Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Directors.
3.2
Outside Activities. A director who is not also an officer of the Corporation shall have no responsibility to devote his or her full time to the affairs of the Corporation. Any director or officer of the Corporation, in his or her personal capacity or in a capacity as an affiliate, employee, or agent of any other person, or otherwise, may have business interests and engage in business activities similar to or in addition to or in competition with those relating to the Corporation.
3.3
Number and Tenure. The number of directors shall initially be two. A majority of the entire Board of Directors may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors; provided, however, that the number thereof shall never be less than the minimum number required by the MGCL nor, except as set forth below and in the charter, more than ten; provided, further, that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors and, following the removal of a director, the Board of Directors may reduce the number of directors to eliminate the directorship previously held by such director. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt, if the number of directors of the Corporation is decreased as of the end of the then current term of one or more directors, then any such directors who are not reelected for subsequent terms shall cease to be directors of the Corporation as of the end of the current term; provided that if the total number of directors elected for a subsequent term is less than the total number of directorships up for election, then the terms of the directors who were not reelected will continue until their successors are elected; provided further that the number of directors who were not reelected whose terms will continue as set forth above may not exceed the difference obtained by subtracting the total number of directors elected for a subsequent term from the total number of directorships up for election, and if the number of directors who were not reelected exceeds such difference, then only the terms of such directors who were nominated by the Board of Directors for reelection will continue. During any period when the holders of one or more classes or series of preferred stock of the

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Corporation shall have the right, voting separately or together with holders of one or more other classes or series of preferred stock of the Corporation, to elect additional directors as provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article V of the charter, then upon commencement and for the duration of the period during which such right continues: (a) the then otherwise total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be increased by such specified number of directors, and the holders of such stock shall be entitled to elect the additional directors so provided for or fixed pursuant to said provisions and (b) each such additional director shall serve until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until such director’s right to hold such office terminates pursuant to said provisions, whichever occurs earlier, subject to such director’s earlier death, disqualification, resignation or removal. Except as otherwise provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article V of the charter, whenever the holders of any such classes or series of preferred stock of the Corporation having such right to elect additional directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such stock, the terms of office of all such additional directors shall automatically terminate and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall be reduced accordingly.
3.4
Annual and Regular Meetings. An annual meeting of the Board of Directors may be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders, with no notice other than this bylaw provision being necessary. In the event such meeting is not so held, the meeting may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place, either within or without the State of Maryland, for the holding of regular meetings of the Board of Directors without other notice than such resolution.
3.5
Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or a majority of the directors then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Directors may fix any place, either within or without the State of Maryland, as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board of Directors called by them. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of special meetings of the Board of Directors without other notice than such resolution.
3.6
Notice. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be delivered personally or by telephone, facsimile transmission, electronic mail, United States mail, with postage thereon prepaid, or courier to each director at his or her business or residence address. Notice by personal delivery, by telephone, facsimile transmission or electronic mail shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least five days prior to the meeting and shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting and shall be deemed to be given when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the director is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which he or she is a party. Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Corporation by the director and receipt of a completed answer back indicating receipt. Electronic mail notice shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Corporation by the

27

 


 

director. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these bylaws.
3.7
Quorum. A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors; provided, however, that, if less than a majority of such directors is present at such meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice; provided, further, that if, pursuant to applicable law, the charter or these bylaws, the vote of a majority or other percentage of a particular group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority or, if greater, the other percentage of such group.

The directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough directors to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum.

3.8
Voting. The action of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a lesser or greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the charter or these bylaws. If enough directors have withdrawn from a meeting to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of that number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum at such meeting shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the charter or these bylaws.
3.9
Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall designate a Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall be a director and may, but need not be, an officer of the Corporation. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall preside, when present, at all meetings of the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall have such other powers and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by these bylaws or the Board of Directors.
3.10
Conduct of Meetings. All meetings of the Board of Directors shall be called to order and presided over by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or, in the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, if any, or in the absence of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, by a member of the Board of Directors selected by the members present. An individual designated by the presiding officer of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment or appointed individual, the Secretary or, in his or her absence, an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation shall act as Secretary at all meetings of the Board of Directors.
3.11
Telephone Meetings. Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

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3.12
Consent by Directors Without a Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each director and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors.
3.13
Resignations. Any director may resign from the Board of Directors or any committee thereof at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the Secretary. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, which may be on or after the time of the resignation, or if no time be specified, at the time of the receipt of such resignation by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the Secretary. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.
3.14
Vacancies. If for any reason any or all of the directors cease to be directors, such event shall not terminate the Corporation or affect these bylaws or the powers of the remaining directors hereunder. Except as may be provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article V of the charter with respect to directors that the holders of one or more classes or series of preferred stock of the Corporation shall have the right to elect, any and all vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from any cause, including, without limitation (i) the death, retirement, resignation or removal of a director or (ii) an increase in the number of directors on the Board of Directors pursuant to these bylaws may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any such director elected to fill such a vacancy shall serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies.
3.15
Compensation. Directors may receive compensation for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors. Directors may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with any other service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors; and nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any directors from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
3.16
Reliance. Each director and officer of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Corporation, be entitled to rely on any information, opinion, report or statement, including any financial statement or other financial data, prepared or presented by an officer or employee of the Corporation or any subsidiary thereof whom the director or officer reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, by a lawyer, certified public accountant or other person, as to a matter which the director or officer reasonably believes to be within the person’s professional or expert competence, or, with respect to a director, by a committee of the Board of Directors on which the director does not serve, as to a matter within its designated authority, if the director reasonably believes the committee to merit confidence.
3.17
Ratification. The Board of Directors or the stockholders may ratify any act, omission, failure to act or determination made not to act (an “Act”) by the Corporation or its officers to the extent that the Board of Directors or the stockholders could have originally authorized the Act and, if so ratified, such Act shall have the same force and effect as if originally duly authorized,

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and such ratification shall be binding upon the Corporation and its stockholders. Any Act questioned in any proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of a director, officer or stockholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, the application of improper principles or practices of accounting or otherwise, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by the Board of Directors or by the stockholders, and such ratification shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned Act.
3.18
Emergency Provisions. Notwithstanding any other provision in the charter or these bylaws, this Section 3.18 shall apply during the existence of any catastrophe, or other similar emergency condition, as a result of which a quorum of the Board of Directors under Article III of these bylaws cannot readily be obtained (an “Emergency”). During any Emergency, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, (a) a meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee thereof may be called by any director or officer by any means feasible under the circumstances; (b) notice of any meeting of the Board of Directors during such an Emergency may be given less than 24 hours prior to the meeting to as many directors and by such means as may be feasible at the time, including publication, television or radio; and (c) the number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum shall be one-third of the entire Board of Directors.
article IV
- COMMITTEES
4.1
Number, Tenure and Qualifications. The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, an Executive Committee, an Investment Committee and other committees, composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.
4.2
Powers. The Board of Directors may delegate to committees appointed under Section 4.1 any of the powers of the Board of Directors, except as prohibited by law, the charter, or these bylaws.
4.3
Meetings. Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Directors. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Board of Directors may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the Committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board of Directors shall otherwise provide.
4.4
Telephone Meetings. Members of a committee of the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

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4.5
Consent by Committees Without a Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each member of the committee and such consent is filed with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.
4.6
Vacancies. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill any vacancy, to designate an alternate member to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.
article V
- OFFICERS
5.1
General Provisions. The officers of the Corporation shall include a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer and may include a Chief Executive Officer, one or more Vice Presidents, a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, one or more Assistant Secretaries, one or more Assistant Treasurers and such other officers with such titles, powers and duties as are determined from time to time. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected or appointed by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer. Each officer shall hold office until his or her death, resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except President and Vice President may be held by the same person. Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Corporation and such officer or agent. In the event of the absence or disability of any officer, the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may designate another officer to act temporarily in place of such absent or disabled officer.
5.2
Removal and Resignation. Any officer or agent of the Corporation may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer (except that the Chief Financial Officer may only be removed by the Board of Directors), if, in his, her or its judgment, the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary. Any resignation shall take effect at any time subsequent to the time specified therein or, if the time when it shall become effective is not specified therein, immediately upon its receipt. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Corporation or such officer.
5.3
Vacancies. A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer.
5.4
Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors may designate a Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Corporation, as determined by the Board of Directors, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation. The Chief Executive Officer may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these bylaws to

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some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of Chief Executive Officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.
5.5
Chief Operating Officer. The Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer may designate a Chief Operating Officer. The Chief Operating Officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer.
5.6
Chief Financial Officer. The Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer may designate a Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer.
5.7
President. In the absence of a Chief Executive Officer, the President shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Corporation. The President may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of President and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer from time to time.
5.8
Vice Presidents. In the absence of the President or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the Vice President (or in the event there be more than one Vice President, the Vice Presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform 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; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more Vice Presidents as Executive Vice President, as Senior Vice President, or as Vice President for particular areas of responsibility.
5.9
Secretary. The Secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the stockholders, the Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to the Secretary by such stockholder; (e) have general charge of the share transfer books of the Corporation; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Board of Directors.
5.10
Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have the custody of the funds and securities of the Corporation and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer and in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to the Treasurer by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Board

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of Directors. In the absence of a designation of a Chief Financial Officer by the Board of Directors, the Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation.

The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper voucher for such disbursements, and shall render to the Chief Executive Officer, the President and the Board of Directors, whenever it may so require, an account of all his or her transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.

5.11
Assistant Secretaries; Assistant Treasurers. The Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers, (a) shall have the power to perform and shall perform all the duties of the Secretary and the Treasurer, respectively, in such respective officer’s absence and (b) shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the Secretary or Treasurer, respectively, or by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Board of Directors.
5.12
Compensation. The salaries and other compensation of the officers shall be fixed from time to time by or under the authority of the Board of Directors and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such salary or other compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also a director.
article VI
- CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS
6.1
Contracts. The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Corporation if authorized or ratified, generally or specifically, by action of the Board of Directors and executed by an authorized person.
6.2
Checks and Drafts. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Corporation in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.
6.3
Deposits. All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited or invested from time to time to the credit of the Corporation as the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, or any other officer designated by the Board of Directors may determine.
article VII
- STOCK
7.1
Certificates. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, stockholders of the Corporation are not entitled to certificates representing the shares of stock held by them. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock represented by certificates, such certificates shall be in such form as prescribed by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized officer, shall contain the statements and information required by the MGCL and shall be signed by the officers of the Corporation in the manner permitted by the MGCL. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock without certificates, to the extent then required by the MGCL, the Corporation shall provide to the record holders of such shares a written statement of

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the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates. There shall be no differences in the rights and obligations of stockholders based on whether or not their shares are represented by certificates.
7.2
Transfers. All transfers of shares of stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation, by the holder of the shares of stock, in person or by his or her attorney, in such manner as the Board of Directors or any officer of the Corporation may prescribe and, if such shares of stock are certificated, upon surrender of certificates duly endorsed. The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer of certificated shares of stock is subject to the determination of the Board of Directors that such shares of stock shall no longer to be represented by certificates. Upon the transfer of uncertificated shares of stock, to the extent then required by the MGCL, the Corporation shall provide to the record holders of such shares of stock a written statement of the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates.

The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of stock as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of stock will be subject in all respects to the charter and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.

7.3
Replacement Certificate. Any officer of the Corporation 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, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated; provided, however, if such shares of stock have ceased to be certificated, no new certificate shall be issued unless requested in writing by such stockholder and the Board of Directors has determined that such certificates may be issued. Unless otherwise determined by an officer of the Corporation, the owner of such lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, shall be required, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, to give the Corporation a bond in such sums as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation.
7.4
Fixing of Record Date. The Board of Directors may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or determining stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose. Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of stockholders of record is to be held or taken.

 

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When a record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been set as provided in this Section 7.4, such record date shall continue to apply to the meeting if adjourned or postponed, except if the meeting is adjourned or postponed to a date more than 120 days after the record date originally fixed for the meeting, in which case a new record date for such meeting may be determined as set forth herein.

7.5
Stock Ledger. The Corporation shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate stock ledger containing the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of each class held by such stockholder.
7.6
Fractional Stock; Issuance of Units. The Board of Directors may authorize the Corporation to issue fractional stock or scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as they may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the charter or these bylaws, the Board of Directors may issue units consisting of different securities of the Corporation. Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Corporation, except that the Board of Directors may provide that for a specified period securities of the Corporation issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Corporation only in such unit.
article VIII
- ACCOUNTING YEAR

The Board of Directors shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Corporation by a duly adopted resolution.

article IX
- DISTRIBUTIONS
9.1
Authorization. Dividends and other distributions upon the stock of the Corporation may be authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by the Corporation, subject to the provisions of applicable law and the charter. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of applicable law and the charter.
9.2
Contingencies. Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside (but there is no duty to set aside) out of any assets of the Corporation available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Directors may from time to time, in its absolute discretion think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends or other distributions, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall determine, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve.
article X
- SEAL
10.1
Seal. The Board of Directors may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Corporation. The Board of Directors may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.

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10.2
Affixing Seal. Whenever the Corporation is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Corporation.
article XI
- INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES
11.1
Indemnification to the Extent Permitted by Law.
(a)
The Corporation shall, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law as in effect from time to time, subject to Section 11.1(c), indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses (including legal fees) in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to, (i) any individual who is a present or former director of the Corporation and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (ii) any individual who, while a director of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, member, manager, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding, by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The rights to indemnification and advance of expenses provided by the charter and these bylaws shall vest immediately upon election of a director.
(b)
In addition to and not in limitation of the provisions of Section 11.1(a), the Corporation may, with the approval of the Board of Directors, provide such indemnification and advancement of expenses to (i) an individual who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a)(i) or (a)(ii) above, (ii) any officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries or a predecessor of the Corporation or (iii) any officer, employee or agent who, at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served in any of the capacities described in (a)(ii) above. For purposes of this Article XI, each individual entitled to indemnification and advancement of expenses as set forth in Sections 11.1(a)(i) or (a)(ii), or, as set forth in this Section 11.1(b), each individual the Corporation may, with the approval of the Board of Directors, provide with indemnification and advancement of expenses, is referred to as an “Indemnitee.”
(c)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article XI, Section 11.1(a) shall not entitle an Indemnitee to indemnification for any judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement in a proceeding described in Section 11.1(a), in whole or in part, for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by the Indemnitee of securities of the Corporation within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; provided, however, the Corporation shall pay expenses, as described Section 11.1(a), incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with any such proceeding.
(d)
Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article XI, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the bylaws or charter inconsistent with this Article XI, shall eliminate or reduce the protection afforded by this Article XI with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.

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11.2
Insurance. The Corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any Indemnitee against any liability, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability.
11.3
Non-Exclusive Right to Indemnify; Heirs and Personal Representatives. The indemnification and payment or reimbursement of expenses provided in these bylaws shall not be deemed exclusive of or limit in any way the rights to which any person seeking indemnification or reimbursement of expenses may become entitled to under any bylaw, regulation, insurance agreement or otherwise. The rights to indemnification set forth in this Article XI are in addition to all rights which any Indemnitee may be entitled as a matter of law, and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and personal representatives of each Indemnitee.
11.4
No Limitation. In addition to any indemnification permitted by these bylaws, the Board of Directors shall, in its sole discretion, have the power to grant such indemnification as it deems in the interest of the Corporation to the full extent permitted by law. This Article XI shall not limit the Corporation’s power to indemnify against liabilities not arising from a person’s serving the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent.
article XII
- WAIVER OF NOTICE

Whenever any notice of any meeting is required to be given pursuant to the charter or these bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing or by electronic transmission, given by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any such meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

article XIII
- AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

The Board of Directors shall have the power to alter, amend or repeal these bylaws or any altered or new bylaws adopted in the future and to adopt new bylaw provisions, provided that Sections 2.12 and 2.14 of Article II of these bylaws and this proviso may not be altered, amended or repealed by the Board of Directors unless it shall also obtain the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the matter by the holders of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present. In addition, to the extent permitted by law, the stockholders of the Corporation, by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, may alter, amend or repeal any provision of these bylaws or any altered or new bylaws adopted in the future and adopt new bylaw provisions pursuant to a binding proposal that is submitted to the stockholders for approval at a duly called annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders by a stockholder (that provides a timely notice of such proposal which satisfies the notice procedures and all other relevant provisions of, with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, Section 2.11 of Article II of these bylaws or, with respect to a special meeting of stockholders, Section 2.3 of Article II of these bylaws (the “Notice of Bylaw Amendment Proposal”)) (i) that owned shares of common stock of the Corporation in the amount and for the duration of time specified in Rule 14a-8 under

37

 


 

the Exchange Act on the date the Notice of Bylaw Amendment Proposal is delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation in accordance with Section 2.3 and Section 2.11 of Article II of these bylaws, as applicable; and (ii) continuously owns such shares of common stock of the Corporation through the date of such annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders (and any postponement or adjournment thereof).

 

As used in this Article XIII, the term “owned” shall have the meaning given thereto in Section 2.15(d)(i) of Article II of these bylaws, except that any reference to an “Eligible Stockholder” in the definition of “owned” shall be deemed to be a reference to the applicable stockholder referred to in this Article XIII. Whether outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation are “owned” for these purposes shall be determined by the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion.

article XIV
- MISCELLANEOUS
14.1
Severability. If any provision of these bylaws shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such holding shall apply only to the extent of any such invalidity or unenforceability and shall not in any manner affect, impair or render invalid or unenforceable any other provision of these bylaws in any jurisdiction.
14.2
Voting Stock in Other Companies. Stock of other corporations or associations, registered in the name of the Corporation, may be voted by the Chief Executive Officer, the President, a Vice President, or a proxy appointed by any of them. The Board of Directors, however, may by resolution appoint some other person to vote such shares, in which case such person shall be entitled to vote such shares upon the production of a certified copy of such resolution.
14.3
Execution of Documents. A person who holds more than one office in the Corporation may not act in more than one capacity to execute, acknowledge, or verify an instrument required by law to be executed, acknowledged, or verified by more than one officer.
article XV
EXCLUSIVE FORUM FOR CERTAIN LITIGATION

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that Court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for:

(a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, other than actions arising under federal securities laws;

(b) any Internal Corporate Claim, as such term is defined in the MGCL, or any successor provision thereof, including, without limitation, (i) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or to the stockholders of the Corporation, or (ii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL, the charter of the Corporation or these bylaws; or

38

 


 

(c) any other action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine.

None of the foregoing actions, claims or proceedings may be brought in any court sitting outside the State of Maryland unless the Corporation consents in writing to such court.

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

As the Corporation would be irreparably harmed by any action filed in violation of this ARTICLE XV and could not be adequately compensated by monetary damages alone, the Corporation shall be entitled to specific performance of this ARTICLE XV and to temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to specifically enforce the terms of this ARTICLE XV and to prevent any breaches thereof.

 

 

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v3.23.2
Document and Entity Information
Aug. 01, 2023
Cover [Abstract]  
Entity Address, State or Province NY
Amendment Flag false
Entity Central Index Key 0001605607
Document Type 8-K
Document Period End Date Aug. 01, 2023
Entity Registrant Name Paramount Group, Inc.
Entity Incorporation State Country Code MD
Entity File Number 001-36746
Entity Tax Identification Number 32-0439307
Entity Address, Address Line One 1633 Broadway
Entity Address, Address Line Two Suite 1801
Entity Address, City or Town New York
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 10019
City Area Code 212
Local Phone Number 237-3100
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre Commencement Tender Offer false
Pre Commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Security 12b Title Common stock of Paramount Group, Inc., $0.01 par value per share
Trading Symbol PGRE
Security Exchange Name NYSE
Entity Emerging Growth Company false
Current Fiscal Year End Date --12-31

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