As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 21, 2024
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
GRAIL, Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 86-3673636 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
1525 OBrien Drive Menlo Park, California |
94025 | |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
2024 Incentive Award Plan
2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
(Full Title of the Plans)
Abram Barth
General Counsel and Secretary
GRAIL, Inc.
1525 OBrien Drive
Menlo Park, California 94025
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
(833) 694-2553
(Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
W. Alex Voxman
Andrew Clark
Ross McAloon
Alexa Berlin
Latham & Watkins LLP
355 South Grand Avenue, Suite 100
Los Angeles, California 90071
(213) 485-1234
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, and emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||
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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is being filed by GRAIL, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Registrant), with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) for the purpose of registering (i) 12,000,000 shares of the Registrants common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the Common Stock), that may be offered or issued under the Registrants 2024 Incentive Award Plan (the 2024 Plan), and (ii) 500,000 shares of Common Stock that may be offered or issued under the Registrants 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the ESPP). The number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the 2024 Plan will be subject to an annual increase on the first day of each calendar year beginning on and including January 1, 2025 and ending on and including January 1, 2034, equal to (A) 5% of the aggregate number of shares of the Registrants Common Stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year or (B) such smaller number of shares as is determined by the Registrants board of directors. The number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the ESPP will be annually increased on January 1 of each calendar year beginning on and including January 1, 2025 and ending on and including January 1, 2034 by an amount equal to (a) 1% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year or (b) such smaller number of shares as is determined by the Registrants board of directors.
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
Item 1. | Plan Information |
Not required to be filed with this Registration Statement.
Item 2. | Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information |
Not required to be filed with this Registration Statement.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. | Incorporation of Documents by Reference |
The following documents or designated portions thereof filed by the Registrant with the Commission are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:
(1) | The Registrants effective Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 001-42045) filed with the Commission on June 3, 2024 (the Form 10); |
(2) | The Registrants Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on June 3, 2024 (as amended by the Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed by the Registrant on June 6, 2024) and filed on June 12, 2024; and |
(3) | The description of the Registrants Common Stock contained in the Information Statement filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the Form 10, including any amendments or supplements thereto. |
All reports and documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) (other than Current Reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that relate to such items) on or after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement that indicates that all securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such reports and documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
Item 4. | Description of Securities |
Not applicable.
Item 5. | Interests of Named Experts and Counsel |
Not applicable.
Item 6. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers |
The Registrant is governed by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the Delaware General Corporation Law). Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any threatened, pending, or completed actions, suits, or proceedings in which such person is made a party by reason of such person being or having been a director, officer, employee, or agent to the Registrant. The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that Section 145 is not exclusive of other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise. The Registrants certificate of incorporation provides for indemnification by the Registrant of its directors, officers, and employees to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law. The Registrant has entered, or will enter, into indemnification agreements with each of its current directors, executive officers, and certain other officers to provide these directors and officers additional contractual assurances regarding the scope of the indemnification set forth in the Registrants certificate of incorporation and bylaws, and to provide additional procedural protections.
Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director or officer of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except for liability (i) for any breach of the directors or officers duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) in the case of directors, for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases, redemptions, or other distributions, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit, provided that officers may not be indemnified for actions by or in the right of the corporation. The Registrants certificate of incorporation provides for such limitation of liability.
The Registrant maintains standard policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (a) to its directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act and (b) to the Registrant with respect to payments that may be made by the Registrant to such officers and directors pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law.
See also the Undertakings set forth in the response to Item 9 herein.
Item 7. | Exemption from Registration Claimed |
Not applicable.
Item 8. | Exhibits |
Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description |
Form | Incorporated by Reference Date |
Number | Filed Herewith |
|||||||||||||
4.1 | Certificate of Incorporation of GRAIL, Inc. | X | ||||||||||||||||
4.2 | Bylaws of GRAIL, Inc. | X | ||||||||||||||||
5.1 | Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP | X | ||||||||||||||||
23.1 | Consent of Ernst & Young LLP | X | ||||||||||||||||
23.2 | Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) | X | ||||||||||||||||
24.1 | Power of Attorney (included on signature page) | |||||||||||||||||
99.1 | Form of 2024 Incentive Award Plan | 10-12B/A | 05/29/2024 | 10.8 | ||||||||||||||
99.2 | Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement | X | ||||||||||||||||
99.3 | Form of Stock Option Agreement | 10-12B/A | 05/29/2024 | 10.10 | ||||||||||||||
99.4 | Form of 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan | 10-12B/A | 05/29/2024 | 10.12 | ||||||||||||||
107.1 | Registration Fee Table | X |
Item 9. | Undertakings |
(a) The Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the Calculation of Filing Fee Tables or Calculation of Registration Fee table, as applicable, in the effective registration statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Registrant pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(b) The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrants annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plans annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Menlo Park, State of California, on this 21st day of June, 2024.
GRAIL, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Robert Ragusa | |
Name: Robert Ragusa | ||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below does hereby constitute and appoint Robert Ragusa, Abram Barth and Donald Lang, and each of them, with full power of substitution and full power to act without the other, as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act for him in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file this Registration Statement, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in order to effectuate the same as fully, to all intents and purposes, as they or he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature | Title | Date | ||
/s/ Robert Ragusa Robert Ragusa |
Director and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
June 21, 2024 | ||
/s/ Aaron Freidin Aaron Freidin |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
June 21, 2024 | ||
/s/ William (Bill) Chase |
Director | June 21, 2024 | ||
William (Bill) Chase | ||||
/s/ Steve Mizell Steve Mizell |
Director | June 21, 2024 | ||
/s/ Gregory Summe Gregory Summe |
Director | June 21, 2024 |
Exhibit 4.1
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
GRAIL, INC.
ARTICLE I
The name of the corporation is GRAIL, Inc. (the Corporation).
ARTICLE II
The address of the Corporations registered office in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19801, and the name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company. The name and mailing address of the incorporator are as follows:
Name |
Address | |
Charles Dadswell | 5200 Illumina Way San Diego, CA 92122 |
ARTICLE III
The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL) as it now exists or may hereafter be amended and supplemented. The Corporation is being incorporated in connection with the conversion of GRAIL, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the LLC), to the Corporation, and this Certificate of Incorporation is being filed simultaneously with the Certificate of Conversion of the LLC (the Certificate of Conversion) to the Corporation.
ARTICLE IV
The Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, Common Stock and Preferred Stock. The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 1,550,000,000. The total number of shares of Common Stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 1,500,000,000, having a par value of $0.001 per share, and the total number of shares of Preferred Stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 50,000,000, having a par value of $0.001 per share.
Upon the effectiveness of the Certificate of Conversion and this Certificate of Incorporation (the Effective Time), all limited liability company interests in the LLC outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be deemed to be 31,049,147 issued and outstanding, fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock, without any action required on the part of the Corporation or the former holder of such limited liability company interests.
ARTICLE V
The designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation are as follows:
A. COMMON STOCK.
1. General. The voting, dividend, liquidation, and other rights and powers of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of any series of Preferred Stock as may be designated by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the Board of Directors) and outstanding from time to time.
2. Voting. Except as otherwise provided herein or expressly required by law, each holder of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to vote on each matter submitted to a vote of stockholders and shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote on such matter. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (this Certificate) (including any Certificate of Designation (as defined below)) that relates solely to the rights, powers, preferences (or the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof) or other terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation) or pursuant to the DGCL.
Subject to the rights of any holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, the number of authorized shares of Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.
3. Dividends. Subject to applicable law and the rights and preferences of any holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, the holders of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to the payment of dividends on the Common Stock when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors in accordance with applicable law.
4. Liquidation. Subject to the rights and preferences of any holders of any shares of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, the funds and assets of the Corporation that may be legally distributed to the Corporations stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of the then outstanding Common Stock pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder.
B. PREFERRED STOCK
Shares of Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such terms as stated or expressed herein and in the resolution or resolutions providing for the creation and issuance of such series adopted by the Board of Directors as hereinafter provided.
Authority is hereby expressly granted to the Board of Directors from time to time to issue the Preferred Stock in one or more series, and in connection with the creation of any such series, by adopting a resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of the shares thereof and by filing a certificate of designation relating thereto in accordance with the DGCL (a Certificate of Designation), to determine and fix the number of shares of such series and such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation thereof, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, and to increase or decrease (but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding) the number of shares of any series as shall be stated and expressed in such resolutions, all to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolution or resolutions providing for the creation and issuance of any series of Preferred Stock may provide that such series shall be superior or rank equally or be junior to any other series of Preferred Stock to the extent permitted by law and this Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation). Except as otherwise required by law, holders of any series of Preferred Stock shall be entitled only to such voting rights, if any, as shall expressly be granted thereto by this Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation).
The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.
ARTICLE VI
For the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation it is further provided that:
A. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the directors of the Corporation shall be classified with respect to the time for which they severally hold office into three classes, designated as Class I, Class II and Class III. The initial Class I directors shall serve for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of the stockholders following the initial registration of the Corporations Common Stock pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; the initial Class II directors shall serve for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of the stockholders following such registration; and the initial Class III directors shall serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting following such registration. At each annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation beginning with the first annual meeting of stockholders following the Effective Time, subject to any special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the successors of the class of directors whose term expires at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election. Each director shall hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. The Board of Directors is authorized to assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to Class I, Class II and Class III.
B. Except as otherwise expressly provided by the DGCL or this Certificate, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. The number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be fixed exclusively by one or more resolutions adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors.
C. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the Board of Directors or any individual director may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at an election of directors.
D. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, except as otherwise provided by law, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, retirement, removal or other causes and any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors shall be filled exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director (other than any directors elected by the separate vote of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock), and shall not be filled by the stockholders. Any director appointed in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office until the expiration of the term of the class to which such director shall have been appointed or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, or removal.
E. Whenever the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, removal and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article VI, the number of directors that may be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the number fixed pursuant to paragraph B of this Article VI, and the total number of directors constituting the whole Board of Directors shall be automatically adjusted accordingly. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Designation(s) in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect additional directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such Certificate of Designation(s), the terms of office of all such additional directors elected by the holders of such series of Preferred Stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate (in which case each such director thereupon shall cease to be qualified as, and shall cease to be, a director) and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be reduced accordingly.
F. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal Bylaws of the Corporation. In addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by applicable law or by this Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock) or the Bylaws of the Corporation, the adoption, amendment or repeal of the Bylaws of the Corporation by the stockholders of the Corporation shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in an election of directors.
G. The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws so provide.
ARTICLE VII
A. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, and shall not be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more other such series, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, to the extent expressly so provided by the applicable Certificate of Designation relating to such series of Preferred Stock, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant series of Preferred Stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL.
B. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called, for any purpose or purposes, at any time only by or at the direction of the Chief Executive Officer, the Board of Directors, or the Chairperson of the Board of Directors or the Lead Independent Director, and shall not be called by any other person or persons.
C. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of other business proposed to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VIII
No director or officer of the Corporation shall have any personal liability to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or hereafter may be amended. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article VIII, or the adoption of any provision of the Certificate inconsistent with this Article VIII, shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of the Corporation with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, repeal, modification or adoption. If the DGCL is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article VIII to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, then the liability of a director or officer of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended.
ARTICLE IX
The Corporation shall have the power to provide rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses to its current and former officers, directors, employees and agents and to any person who is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.
ARTICLE X
Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum,
(a) the Court of Chancery (the Chancery Court) of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or stockholder of the Corporation to the Corporation or to the Corporations stockholders, (iii) any action, suit or proceeding arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the bylaws of the Corporation or this Certificate (as either may be amended from time to time) or (iv) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine; and (b) subject to the preceding provisions of this Article X, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause or causes of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including all causes of action asserted against any defendant to such complaint. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence is filed in a court other than the courts in the State of Delaware (a Foreign Action) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the provisions of clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence and (y) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholders counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.
Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Article X. This Article X is intended to benefit and may be enforced by the Corporation, its officers and directors, the underwriters to any offering giving rise to such complaint, and any other professional or entity whose profession gives authority to a statement made by that person or entity and who has prepared or certified any part of the documents underlying the offering. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Article X shall not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any other claim for which the federal courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction.
If any provision or provisions of this Article X shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever, (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article X (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Article X containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
ARTICLE XI
A. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate to the contrary, in addition to any vote required by applicable law, the following provisions in this Certificate may be amended, altered, repealed or rescinded, in whole or in part, or any provision inconsistent therewith or herewith may be adopted, only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class: Part B of Article V, Article VI, Article VII, Article VIII, Article IX, Article X, and this Article XI.
B. If any provision or provisions of this Certificate shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Certificate (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Certificate containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (ii) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the provisions of this Certificate (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Certificate containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service to or for the benefit of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned incorporator has executed this Certificate for the purpose of forming a corporation pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as of the 21st day of June, 2024.
BY | /s/ Charles Dadswell | |
Name: Charles Dadswell | ||
Title: Incorporator |
[Signature Page to GRAIL, Inc. Certificate of lncorporation]
Exhibit 4.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws of
GRAIL, Inc.
(a Delaware corporation)
as of June 21, 2024
Table of Contents
Page | ||||||
Article I - Corporate Offices |
1 | |||||
1.1 |
Registered Office | 1 | ||||
1.2 |
Other Offices | 1 | ||||
Article II - Meetings of Stockholders |
1 | |||||
2.1 |
Place of Meetings | 1 | ||||
2.2 |
Annual Meeting | 1 | ||||
2.3 |
Special Meeting | 1 | ||||
2.4 |
Notice of Business to be Brought before a Meeting | 2 | ||||
2.5 |
Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board of Directors | 6 | ||||
2.6 |
Additional Requirements for Valid Nomination of Candidates to Serve as Director and, if Elected, to be Seated as Directors | 9 | ||||
2.7 |
Notice of Stockholders Meetings | 10 | ||||
2.8 |
Quorum | 10 | ||||
2.9 |
Adjourned Meeting; Notice | 11 | ||||
2.10 |
Conduct of Business | 11 | ||||
2.11 |
Voting | 11 | ||||
2.12 |
Record Date for Stockholder Meetings and Other Purposes | 12 | ||||
2.13 |
Proxies | 12 | ||||
2.14 |
List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote | 13 | ||||
2.15 |
Inspectors of Election | 13 | ||||
2.16 |
Delivery to the Corporation | 14 | ||||
Article III - Directors |
14 | |||||
3.1 |
Powers | 14 | ||||
3.2 |
Number of Directors | 14 | ||||
3.3 |
Election, Qualification and Term of Office of Directors | 14 | ||||
3.4 |
Resignation and Vacancies | 14 | ||||
3.5 |
Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone | 15 | ||||
3.6 |
Regular Meetings | 15 | ||||
3.7 |
Special Meetings; Notice | 15 | ||||
3.8 |
Quorum | 15 | ||||
3.9 |
Board Action without a Meeting | 16 | ||||
3.10 |
Fees and Compensation of Directors | 16 | ||||
Article IV - Committees |
16 | |||||
4.1 |
Committees of Directors | 16 | ||||
4.2 |
Committee Minutes | 16 | ||||
4.3 |
Meetings and Actions of Committees | 16 | ||||
4.4 |
Subcommittees | 17 | ||||
Article V - Officers |
17 | |||||
5.1 |
Officers | 17 | ||||
5.2 |
Appointment of Officers | 17 |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page | ||||||
5.3 |
Subordinate Officers | 18 | ||||
5.4 |
Removal and Resignation of Officers | 18 | ||||
5.5 |
Vacancies in Offices | 18 | ||||
5.6 |
Representation of Shares of Other Corporations | 18 | ||||
5.7 |
Authority and Duties of Officers | 18 | ||||
5.8 |
Compensation | 18 | ||||
Article VI - Records |
19 | |||||
Article VII - General Matters |
19 | |||||
7.1 |
Execution of Corporate Contracts and Instruments | 19 | ||||
7.2 |
Stock Certificates | 19 | ||||
7.3 |
Special Designation of Certificates. | 20 | ||||
7.4 |
Lost Certificates | 20 | ||||
7.5 |
Shares Without Certificates | 20 | ||||
7.6 |
Construction; Definitions | 20 | ||||
7.7 |
Dividends | 20 | ||||
7.8 |
Fiscal Year | 21 | ||||
7.9 |
Seal | 21 | ||||
7.10 |
Transfer of Stock | 21 | ||||
7.11 |
Stock Transfer Agreements | 21 | ||||
7.12 |
Registered Stockholders | 21 | ||||
7.13 |
Waiver of Notice | 21 | ||||
Article VIII - Notice |
22 | |||||
8.1 |
Delivery of Notice; Notice by Electronic Transmission | 22 | ||||
Article IX - Indemnification |
23 | |||||
9.1 |
Indemnification of Directors and Officers | 23 | ||||
9.2 |
Indemnification of Others | 23 | ||||
9.3 |
Prepayment of Expenses | 23 | ||||
9.4 |
Determination; Claim | 23 | ||||
9.5 |
Non-Exclusivity of Rights | 24 | ||||
9.6 |
Insurance | 24 | ||||
9.7 |
Other Indemnification | 24 | ||||
9.8 |
Continuation of Indemnification | 24 | ||||
9.9 |
Amendment or Repeal; Interpretation | 24 | ||||
Article X - Amendments |
25 | |||||
Article XI - Definitions |
25 |
ii
Amended and Restated Bylaws of
GRAIL, Inc.
Article I - Corporate Offices
1.1 Registered Office.
The address of the registered office of GRAIL, Inc. (the Corporation) in the State of Delaware, and the name of its registered agent at such address, shall be as set forth in the Corporations certificate of incorporation, as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time (the Certificate of Incorporation).
1.2 Other Offices.
The Corporation may have additional offices at any place or places, within or outside the State of Delaware, as the Corporations board of directors (the Board) may from time to time establish or as the business of the Corporation may require.
Article II - Meetings of Stockholders
2.1 Place of Meetings.
Meetings of stockholders shall be held at such place, if any within or outside the State of Delaware, designated by the Board. The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL). In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders meetings shall be held at the Corporations principal executive offices.
2.2 Annual Meeting.
The Board shall designate the date and time of the annual meeting. At the annual meeting, directors shall be elected and other proper business properly brought before the meeting in accordance with Section 2.4 of these amended and restated bylaws of the Corporation (the Bylaws) may be transacted. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled annual meeting of stockholders.
2.3 Special Meeting.
Special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by such persons and only in such manner as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation.
No business may be transacted at any special meeting of stockholders other than the business specified in the notice of such meeting. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders.
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2.4 Notice of Business to be Brought before a Meeting.
a) At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (i) specified in a notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board, (ii) if not specified in a notice of meeting, otherwise brought before the meeting by the Board or the Chairperson of the Board or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder present in person who (A) (1) was a record owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.4 and at the time of the meeting, (2) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (3) has complied with this Section 2.4 in all applicable respects or (B) properly made such proposal in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the Exchange Act). The foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders. The only matters that may be brought before a special meeting are the matters specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling the meeting pursuant to Section 2.3, and stockholders shall not be permitted to propose business to be brought before a special meeting of the stockholders. For purposes of this Section 2.4 and Section 2.5 of these Bylaws, present in person shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the annual meeting of the Corporation, or a qualified representative of such proposing stockholder, appears at such annual meeting. A qualified representative of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders. Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the Board must comply with Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 of these Bylaws and this Section 2.4 shall not be applicable to nominations except as expressly provided in Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 of these Bylaws.
b) Without qualification, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.4. To be timely, a stockholders notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting which, in the case of the first annual meeting of stockholders following the completion of the Corporations spin-off transaction and listing of its common stock on a national stock exchange, the date of the preceding years annual meeting shall be deemed to be June 3rd; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not more than the hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than (i) the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, (ii) if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made by the Corporation (such notice within such time periods, Timely Notice). In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of Timely Notice as described above.
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c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.4, a stockholders notice to the Secretary shall set forth:
i. | As to each Proposing Person (as defined below), (A) the name and address of such Proposing Person (including, if applicable, the name and address that appear on the Corporations books and records); (B) the class or series and number of shares of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by such Proposing Person, except that such Proposing Person shall in all events be deemed to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future; (C) the date or dates such shares were acquired; (D) the investment intent of such acquisition and (E) any pledge by such Proposing Person with respect to any of such shares (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (E) are referred to as Stockholder Information); |
ii. | As to each Proposing Person, (A) the material terms and conditions of any derivative security (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) that constitutes a call equivalent position (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) or a put equivalent position (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) or other derivative or synthetic arrangement in respect of any class or series of shares of the Corporation (Synthetic Equity Position) that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by, held for the benefit of, or involving such Proposing Person, including, without limitation, (i) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, future or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the Corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, (ii) any derivative or synthetic arrangement having the characteristics of a long position or a short position in any class or series of shares of the Corporation, including, without limitation, a stock loan transaction, a stock borrow transaction, or a share repurchase transaction or (iii) any contract, derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions designed to (x) produce economic benefits and risks that correspond substantially to the ownership of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, (y) mitigate any loss relating to, reduce the economic risk (of ownership or otherwise) of, or manage the risk of share price decrease in, any class or series of shares of the Corporation, or (z) increase or decrease the voting power in respect of any class or series of shares of the Corporation of such Proposing Person, including, without limitation, due to the fact that the value of such contract, derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions is determined by reference to the price, value or volatility of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument, contract or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of shares of the Corporation, through the delivery of cash or other property, or otherwise, and without regard to whether the holder thereof may have entered into transactions that hedge or mitigate the economic effect of such instrument, contract or right, or any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the price or value of any class or series of shares of the Corporation; provided that, for the purposes of the definition of Synthetic Equity Position, the term derivative security shall also include any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a derivative security as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence, in which case the determination of the amount of securities into which such security or instrument would be convertible or exercisable shall be made assuming that such security or instrument is immediately convertible or exercisable at the time of such determination; and, provided, further, that any Proposing Person satisfying the requirements of Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (other than a Proposing Person that so satisfies Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act solely by reason of Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)) shall not be |
3
required to disclose any Synthetic Equity Position that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by, held for the benefit of, or involving such Proposing Person as a hedge with respect to a bona fide derivatives trade or position of such Proposing Person arising in the ordinary course of such Proposing Persons business as a derivatives dealer, (B) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (C) any material pending or threatened legal proceeding in which such Proposing Person is a party or material participant involving the Corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the Corporation, (D) any other material relationship between such Proposing Person, on the one hand, and the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation, on the other hand, (E) any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement of such Proposing Person with the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement), (F) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or a Synthetic Equity Position held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership, limited liability company or similar entity in which any such Proposing Person (1) is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner of such general or limited partnership or (2) is the manager, managing member or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in the manager or managing member of such limited liability company or similar entity; (G) a representation that such Proposing Person intends or is part of a group that intends to deliver a proxy statement or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporations outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such proposal and (H) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (H) are referred to as Disclosable Interests); provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and |
iii. | As to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (A) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person, (B) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the Bylaws, the language of the proposed amendment), (C) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings (x) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (y) between or among any Proposing Person and any other person or entity (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder, and (D) 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 Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that the disclosures required by this Section 2.4 (iii) shall not include any disclosures with respect to any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner. |
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For purposes of this Section 2.4, the term Proposing Person shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A) with such stockholder in such solicitation.
d) The Board may request that any Proposing Person furnish such additional information as may be reasonably required by the Board. Such Proposing Person shall provide such additional information within ten (10) days after it has been requested by the Board.
e) A Proposing Person shall update and supplement its notice to the Corporation of its intent to propose business at an annual meeting, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.4 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporations rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders.
f) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at an annual meeting that is not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4. The presiding officer of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that the business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.
g) This Section 2.4 is expressly intended to apply to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders other than any proposal made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and included in the Corporations proxy statement. In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.4 with respect to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, each Proposing Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such business. Nothing in this Section 2.4 shall be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporations proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.
h) For purposes of these Bylaws, public disclosure shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
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2.5 Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board of Directors.
a) Nominations of any person for election to the Board at an annual meeting or at a special meeting (but only if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting) may be made at such meeting only (i) by or at the direction of the Board, including by any committee or persons authorized to do so by the Board or these Bylaws, or (ii) by a stockholder present in person who (A) was a record owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.5 and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (C) has complied with this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 as to such notice and nomination. For purposes of this Section 2.5, present in person shall mean that the stockholder nominating any person for election to the Board at the meeting of the Corporation, or a qualified representative of such stockholder, appear at such meeting. A qualified representative of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders. The foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting or special meeting.
b) (i) Without qualification, for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting, the stockholder must (1) provide Timely Notice (as defined in Section 2.4) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation, (2) provide the information, agreements and questionnaires with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required to be set forth by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 and (3) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6.
(ii) Without qualification, if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling a special meeting, then for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at a special meeting, the stockholder must (i) provide timely notice thereof (such notice, the Special Meeting Nomination Timely Notice) in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (ii) provide the information with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 and (iii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5. To be a Special Meeting Nomination Timely Notice, a stockholders notice for nominations to be made at a special meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of the date of such special meeting was first made.
(iii) In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholders notice as described above.
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(iv) In no event may a Nominating Person provide Timely Notice or a Special Meeting Nomination Timely Notice, as the case may be, with respect to a greater number of director candidates than are subject to election by stockholders at the applicable meeting. If the Corporation shall, subsequent to such notice, increase the number of directors subject to election at the meeting, such notice as to any additional nominees shall be due on the later of (i) the conclusion of the time period for Timely Notice or Special Meeting Nomination Timely Notice, as the case may be, (ii) the date set forth in Section 2.5(b)(ii) or (iii) the tenth day following the date of public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of such increase.
c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.5, a stockholders notice to the Secretary shall set forth:
i. | As to each Nominating Person (as defined below), the Stockholder Information (as defined in Section 4(c)(i), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5 the term Nominating Person shall be substituted for the term Proposing Person in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(i)); |
ii. | As to each Nominating Person, any Disclosable Interests (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(ii), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5 the term Nominating Person shall be substituted for the term Proposing Person in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(ii) and the disclosure with respect to the business to be brought before the meeting in Section 2.4(c)(ii) shall be made with respect to the election of directors at the meeting); and provided that, in lieu of including the information set forth in Section 2.4(c)(ii)(G), the Nominating Persons notice for purposes of this Section 2.5 shall include a representation as to whether the Nominating Person intends or is part of a group which intends to deliver a proxy statement and 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 director nominees other than the Corporations nominees in accordance with Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act; and |
iii. | As to each candidate whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, (A) all information relating to such candidate for nomination that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including such candidates written consent to being named in a proxy statement and accompanying proxy card relating to the Corporations next meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected and to serving as a director for a full term if elected), (B) a description of any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement between or among any Nominating Person, on the one hand, and each candidate for nomination or his or her respective associates or any other participants in such solicitation, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the registrant for purposes of such rule and the candidate for nomination were a director or executive officer of such registrant (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) and (B) are referred to as Nominee Information), and (C) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as provided in Section 2.6(a). |
For purposes of this Section 2.5, the term Nominating Person shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A) with such stockholder in such solicitation.
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d) The Board may request that any Nominating Person furnish such additional information as may be reasonably required by the Board. Such Nominating Person shall provide such additional information within ten (10) days after it has been requested by the Board.
e) A stockholder providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporations rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any nomination or to submit any new nomination.
f) In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.5 with respect to any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting, each Nominating Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such nominations. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.5, unless otherwise required by law, (i) no Nominating Person shall solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Corporations nominees unless such Nominating Person has complied with Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act in connection with the solicitation of such proxies, including the provision to the Corporation of notices required thereunder in a timely manner and (ii) if any Nominating Person (1) provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) subsequently fails to comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(2) and Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act, including the provision to the Corporation of notices required thereunder in a timely manner, or fails to timely provide reasonable evidence sufficient to satisfy the Corporation that such Nominating Person has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act in accordance with the following sentence, then the nomination of each such proposed nominee shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that the nominee is included as a nominee in the Corporations proxy statement, notice of meeting or other proxy materials for any annual meeting (or any supplement thereto) and notwithstanding that proxies or votes in respect of the election of such proposed nominees may have been received by the Corporation (which proxies and votes shall be disregarded). If any Nominating Person provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act, such Nominating Person shall deliver to the Corporation, no later than seven (7) business days prior to the applicable meeting, reasonable evidence that it has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act.
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2.6 Additional Requirements for Valid Nomination of Candidates to Serve as Director and, if Elected, to be Seated as Directors.
a) To be eligible to be a candidate for election as a director of the Corporation at an annual or special meeting, a candidate must be nominated in the manner prescribed in Section 2.5 and the candidate for nomination, whether nominated by the Board or by a stockholder of record, must have previously delivered (in accordance with the time period prescribed for delivery in a notice to such candidate given by or on behalf of the Board), to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (i) a completed written questionnaire (in the form provided by the Corporation upon written request of any stockholder of record therefor) with respect to the background, qualifications, stock ownership and independence of such proposed nominee and (ii) a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Corporation upon written request of any stockholder of record therefor) that such candidate for nomination (A) is not and, if elected as a director during his or her term of office, will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given and will not give any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a Voting Commitment) or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominees ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such proposed nominees fiduciary duties under applicable law, (B) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation or reimbursement for service as a director that has not been disclosed therein or to the Corporation, (C) if elected as a director of the Corporation, will comply with all applicable corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality, stock ownership and trading and other policies and guidelines of the Corporation applicable to directors and in effect during such persons term in office as a director (and, if requested by any candidate for nomination, the Secretary of the Corporation shall provide to such candidate for nomination all such policies and guidelines then in effect), and (D) if elected as director of the Corporation, intends to serve the entire term until the next meeting at which such candidate would face re-election.
b) The Board may also require any proposed candidate for nomination as a director to furnish such other information as may reasonably be requested by the Board in writing prior to the meeting of stockholders at which such candidates nomination is to be acted upon. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Board may request such other information in order for the Board to determine the eligibility of such candidate for nomination to be an independent director of the Corporation or to comply with the director qualification standards and additional selection criteria in accordance with the Corporations Corporate Governance Guidelines, including but not limited to reference and background checks. Such other information shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (or any other office specified by the Corporation in any public announcement) not later than five (5) business days after the request by the Board has been delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Nominating Person.
c) A candidate for nomination as a director shall further update and supplement the materials delivered pursuant to this Section 2.6, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided pursuant to this Section 2.6 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (or any other office specified by the Corporation in any public announcement) not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporations rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder,
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extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any nomination or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders.
d) No candidate shall be eligible for nomination as a director of the Corporation unless such candidate for nomination and the Nominating Person seeking to place such candidates name in nomination has complied with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6, as applicable. The presiding officer at the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that a nomination was not properly made in accordance with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6, and, if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare such determination to the meeting, the defective nomination shall be disregarded and any ballots cast for the candidate in question (but in the case of any form of ballot listing other qualified nominees, only the ballots cast for the nominee in question) shall be void and of no force or effect.
e) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no candidate for nomination shall be eligible to be seated as a director of the Corporation unless nominated and elected in accordance with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6.
2.7 Notice of Stockholders Meetings.
Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be sent or otherwise given in accordance with Section 8.1 of these Bylaws not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date for determining stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting. The notice shall specify the place, if any, date and time of the meeting, the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.
2.8 Quorum.
Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the stockholders. A quorum, once established at a meeting, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum. If, however, a quorum is not present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, then either (i) the person presiding over the meeting or (ii) a majority in voting power of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall have power to recess the meeting or adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 2.9 of these Bylaws until a quorum is present or represented. At any recessed or adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed.
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2.9 Adjourned Meeting; Notice.
When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, unless these Bylaws otherwise require, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time, place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken or are provided in any other manner permitted by the DGCL. At any adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business that might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board shall fix as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date so fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting.
2.10 Conduct of Business.
The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the person presiding over the meeting. The Board may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board, the person presiding over any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to recess and/or adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures (which need not be in writing) and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such presiding person, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the person presiding over the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present (including, without limitation, rules and procedures for removal of disruptive persons from the meeting); (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the person presiding over the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. The presiding person at any meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting (including, without limitation, determinations with respect to the administration and/or interpretation of any of the rules, regulations or procedures of the meeting, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the person presiding over the meeting), shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a matter of business was not properly brought before the meeting and if such presiding person should so determine, such presiding person shall so declare to the meeting and any such matter or business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted or considered. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the person presiding over the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
2.11 Voting.
Except as may be otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or the DGCL, each stockholder shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder.
Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, at all duly called or convened meetings of stockholders at which a quorum is present, for the election of directors, a plurality of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect a director. Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, or applicable law or pursuant to any regulation applicable to the Corporation or its securities, each other matter presented to the stockholders at a duly called or convened meeting at which a quorum is present shall be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes) on such matter.
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2.12 Record Date for Stockholder Meetings and Other Purposes.
In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) days nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be the close of business on the next day preceding the day on which notice is first given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting; and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned meeting.
In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment or any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of capital stock, or for the purposes of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.
2.13 Proxies.
Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy authorized by an instrument in writing or by a transmission permitted by law, including Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212 of the DGCL. A proxy may be in the form of an electronic transmission which sets forth or is submitted with information from which it can be determined that the transmission was authorized by the stockholder.
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.
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2.14 List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote.
The Corporation shall prepare, no later than the tenth day before each meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, that if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. The Corporation shall not be required to include electronic mail addresses or other electronic contact information on such list. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of ten (10) days ending on the day before the meeting date: (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (ii) during ordinary business hours, at the Corporations principal executive offices. In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. Such list shall presumptively determine the identity of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and the number of shares held by each of them. Except as otherwise provided by law, the stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the list of stockholders required by this Section 2.14 or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.
2.15 Inspectors of Election.
Before any meeting of stockholders, the Corporation shall appoint an inspector or inspectors of election to act at the meeting or its adjournment and make a written report thereof. The Corporation may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If any person appointed as inspector or any alternate fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, then the person presiding over the meeting shall appoint a person to fill that vacancy.
Such inspectors shall:
(i) determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the number of shares represented at the meeting and the validity of any proxies and ballots;
(ii) count all votes or ballots;
(iii) count and tabulate all votes;
(iv) determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspector(s); and
(v) certify its or their determination of the number of shares represented at the meeting and its or their count of all votes and ballots.
Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of inspector, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspection with strict impartiality and according to the best of such inspectors ability. Any report or certificate made by the inspectors of election is prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein. The inspectors of election may appoint such persons to assist them in performing their duties as they determine.
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2.16 Delivery to the Corporation.
Whenever this Article II requires one or more persons (including a record or beneficial owner of stock) to deliver a document or information to the Corporation or any officer, employee or agent thereof (including any notice, request, questionnaire, revocation, representation or other document or agreement), such document or information shall be in writing exclusively (and not in an electronic transmission) and shall be delivered exclusively by hand (including, without limitation, overnight courier service) or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, and the Corporation shall not be required to accept delivery of any document not in such written form or so delivered. For the avoidance of doubt, the Corporation expressly opts out of Section 116 of the DGCL with respect to the delivery of information and documents to the Corporation required by this Article II.
Article III - Directors
3.1 Powers.
Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation or the DGCL, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board.
3.2 Number of Directors.
Subject to the Certificate of Incorporation, the total number of directors constituting the Board shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before that directors term of office expires.
3.3 Election, Qualification and Term of Office of Directors.
Except as provided in Section 3.4 of these Bylaws, and subject to the Certificate of Incorporation, each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship, shall hold office until the expiration of the term of the class, if any, for which elected and until such directors successor is elected and qualified or until such directors earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. Directors need not be stockholders. The Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws may prescribe qualifications for directors.
3.4 Resignation and Vacancies.
Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation. The resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein or upon the happening of an event specified therein, and if no time or event is specified, at the time of its receipt. When one or more directors so resigns and the resignation is effective at a future date or upon the happening of an event to occur on a future date, a majority of the directors then in office, including those who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such vacancy or vacancies, the vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or resignations shall become effective, and each director so chosen shall hold office as provided in Section 3.3.
Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of any director, and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors shall be filled solely by a majority of the directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and shall not be filled by the stockholders unless the Board determines that such newly created directorship or vacancy will be filled by the stockholders.
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3.5 Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone.
The Board may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or outside the State of Delaware.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, members of the Board, or any committee designated by the Board, may participate in a meeting of the Board, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting pursuant to these Bylaws shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
3.6 Regular Meetings.
Regular meetings of the Board may be held within or outside the State of Delaware and at such time and at such place as which has been designated by the Board and publicized among all directors, either orally or in writing, by telephone, including a voice-messaging system or other system designed to record and communicate messages, facsimile, or by electronic mail or other means of electronic transmission. No further notice shall be required for regular meetings of the Board.
3.7 Special Meetings; Notice.
Special meetings of the Board for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the chairperson of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Secretary or a majority of the total number of directors constituting the Board.
Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be:
(i) delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone;
(ii) sent by United States first-class mail, postage prepaid;
(iii) sent by facsimile or electronic mail; or
(iv) sent by other means of electronic transmission,
directed to each director at that directors address, telephone number, facsimile number or electronic mail address, or other address for electronic transmission, as the case may be, as shown on the Corporations records.
If the notice is (i) delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone, (ii) sent by facsimile or electronic mail, or (iii) sent by other means of electronic transmission, it shall be delivered or sent at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is sent by U.S. mail, it shall be deposited in the U.S. mail at least four (4) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. The notice need not specify the place of the meeting (if the meeting is to be held at the Corporations principal executive offices) nor the purpose of the meeting.
3.8 Quorum.
At all meetings of the Board, unless otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, a majority of the total number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board, then the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.
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3.9 Board Action without a Meeting.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission. After an action is taken, the consent or consents relating thereto shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board, or the committee thereof, in the same paper or electronic form as the minutes are maintained. Such action by written consent or consent by electronic transmission shall have the same force and effect as a unanimous vote of the Board.
3.10 Fees and Compensation of Directors.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board shall have the authority to fix the compensation, including fees and reimbursement of expenses, of directors for services to the Corporation in any capacity.
Article IV - Committees
4.1 Committees of Directors.
The Board may designate one (1) or more committees, each committee to consist, of one (1) or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board may designate one (1) or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board or in these Bylaws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers that may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority to (i) approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter (other than the election or removal of directors) expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, or (ii) adopt, amend or repeal any bylaw of the Corporation.
4.2 Committee Minutes.
Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board when required.
4.3 Meetings and Actions of Committees.
Meetings and actions of committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of:
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(i) Section 3.5 (place of meetings; meetings by telephone);
(ii) Section 3.6 (regular meetings);
(iii) Section 3.7 (special meetings; notice);
(iv) Section 3.9 (board action without a meeting); and
(v) Section 7.13 (waiver of notice),
with such changes in the context of those Bylaws as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board and its members. However:
(i) the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the Board or by resolution of the committee;
(ii) special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the Board or the chairperson of the applicable committee; and
(iii) the Board may adopt rules for the governance of any committee to override the provisions that would otherwise apply to the committee pursuant to this Section 4.3, provided that such rules do not violate the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law.
4.4 Subcommittees.
Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or the resolutions of the Board designating the committee, a committee may create one (1) or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one (1) or more members of the committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee.
Article V - Officers
5.1 Officers.
The officers of the Corporation shall include a Chief Executive Officer, a President and a Secretary. The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board, a Chairperson of the Board, a Vice Chairperson of the Board, a Chief Financial Officer, a Treasurer, one (1) or more additional Presidents, one (1) or more Senior Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Treasurers, one (1) or more Assistant Secretaries, and any such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. No officer need be a stockholder or director of the Corporation.
5.2 Appointment of Officers.
The Board shall appoint the officers of the Corporation, except such officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 of these Bylaws.
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5.3 Subordinate Officers.
The Board may appoint, or empower the Chief Executive Officer or, in the absence of a Chief Executive Officer, the President(s) or Chief Financial Officer, to appoint, such other officers and agents as the business of the Corporation may require. Each of such officers and agents shall hold office for such period, have such authority, and perform such duties as are provided in these bylaws or as the Board may from time to time determine.
5.4 Removal and Resignation of Officers.
Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board or, except in the case of an officer chosen by the Board, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board.
Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice. Unless otherwise specified in the notice of resignation, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.
5.5 Vacancies in Offices.
Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board or as provided in Section 5.2.
5.6 Representation of Shares of Other Corporations.
The Chairperson of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, or the President of this Corporation, or any other person authorized by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President, is authorized to vote, represent and exercise on behalf of this Corporation all rights incident to any and all shares or voting securities of any other corporation or other person standing in the name of this Corporation. The authority granted herein may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by such person having the authority.
5.7 Authority and Duties of Officers.
All officers of the Corporation shall respectively have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the business of the Corporation as may be provided herein or designated from time to time by the Board and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board.
5.8 Compensation.
The compensation of the officers of the Corporation for their services as such shall be fixed from time to time by or at the direction of the Board. An officer of the Corporation shall not be prevented from receiving compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also a director of the Corporation.
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Article VI - Records
A stock ledger consisting of one or more records in which the names of all of the Corporations stockholders of record, the address and number of shares registered in the name of each such stockholder, and all issuances and transfers of stock of the corporation are recorded in accordance with Section 224 of the DGCL shall be administered by or on behalf of the Corporation. Any records administered by or on behalf of the Corporation in the regular course of its business, including its stock ledger, books of account, and minute books, may be kept on, or by means of, or be in the form of, any information storage device, or method, or one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases), provided that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible paper form within a reasonable time and, with respect to the stock ledger, that the records so kept (i) can be used to prepare the list of stockholders specified in Sections 219 and 220 of the DGCL, (ii) record the information specified in Sections 156, 159, 217(a) and 218 of the DGCL, and (iii) record transfers of stock as governed by Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in the State of Delaware.
Article VII - General Matters
7.1 Execution of Corporate Contracts and Instruments.
The Board, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, may authorize any officer or officers, or agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation; such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
7.2 Stock Certificates.
The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board by resolution may provide that some or all of the shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation shall be uncertificated. Certificates for the shares of stock, if any, shall be in such form as is consistent with the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law. Every holder of stock represented by a certificate shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, any two officers authorized to sign stock certificates representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. The Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, the President, Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation shall be specifically authorized to sign stock certificates. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.
The Corporation may issue the whole or any part of its shares as partly paid and subject to call for the remainder of the consideration to be paid therefor. Upon the face or back of each stock certificate issued to represent any such partly paid shares, or upon the books and records of the Corporation in the case of uncertificated partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor and the amount paid thereon shall be stated. Upon the declaration of any dividend on fully paid shares, the Corporation shall declare a dividend upon partly paid shares of the same class, but only upon the basis of the percentage of the consideration actually paid thereon.
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7.3 Special Designation of Certificates.
If the Corporation is authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, then the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or on the back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock (or, in the case of uncertificated shares, set forth in a notice provided pursuant to Section 151 of the DGCL); provided, however, that except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the DGCL, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face of back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock (or, in the case of any uncertificated shares, included in the aforementioned notice) a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
7.4 Lost Certificates.
Except as provided in this Section 7.4, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace a previously issued certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the Corporation and cancelled at the same time. The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owners legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares.
7.5 Shares Without Certificates
The Corporation may adopt a system of issuance, recordation and transfer of its shares of stock by electronic or other means not involving the issuance of certificates, provided the use of such system by the Corporation is permitted in accordance with applicable law.
7.6 Construction; Definitions.
Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction and definitions in the DGCL shall govern the construction of these Bylaws. Without limiting the generality of this provision, the singular number includes the plural and the plural number includes the singular.
7.7 Dividends.
The Board, subject to any restrictions contained in either (i) the DGCL or (ii) the Certificate of Incorporation, may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of its capital stock. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property or in shares of the Corporations capital stock.
The Board may set apart out of any of the funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve. Such purposes shall include but not be limited to equalizing dividends, repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, and meeting contingencies.
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7.8 Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board and may be changed by the Board.
7.9 Seal.
The Corporation may adopt a corporate seal, which shall be adopted and which may be altered by the Board. The Corporation may use the corporate seal by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.
7.10 Transfer of Stock.
Shares of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these Bylaws. Shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferred on the books of the Corporation only by the holder of record thereof or by such holders attorney duly authorized in writing, upon surrender to the Corporation of the certificate or certificates representing such shares endorsed by the appropriate person or persons (or by delivery of duly executed instructions with respect to uncertificated shares), with such evidence of the authenticity of such endorsement or execution, transfer, authorization and other matters as the Corporation may reasonably require, and accompanied by all necessary stock transfer stamps. No transfer of stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing the names of the persons from and to whom it was transferred.
7.11 Stock Transfer Agreements.
The Corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes or series of stock of the Corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the Corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.
7.12 Registered Stockholders.
The Corporation:
(i) shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends and to vote as such owner; and
(ii) shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of another person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Delaware.
7.13 Waiver of Notice.
Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a written waiver, signed by the person entitled to notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders need be specified in any written waiver of notice or any waiver by electronic transmission unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.
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Article VIII - Notice
8.1 Delivery of Notice; Notice by Electronic Transmission.
Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provisions of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these Bylaws may be given in writing directed to the stockholders mailing address (or by electronic transmission directed to the stockholders electronic mail address, as applicable) as it appears on the records of the Corporation and shall be given (1) if mailed, when the notice is deposited in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid, (2) if delivered by courier service, the earlier of when the notice is received or left at such stockholders address or (3) if given by electronic mail, when directed to such stockholders electronic mail address unless the stockholder has notified the Corporation in writing or by electronic transmission of an objection to receiving notice by electronic mail. A notice by electronic mail must include a prominent legend that the communication is an important notice regarding the Corporation.
Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice or electronic transmission to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, the Corporation may give a notice by electronic mail in accordance with the first paragraph of this section without obtaining the consent required by this paragraph.
Any notice given pursuant to the preceding paragraph shall be deemed given:
(i) | if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice; |
(ii) | if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and |
(iii) | if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a notice may not be given by an electronic transmission from and after the time that (1) the Corporation is unable to deliver by such electronic transmission two (2) consecutive notices given by the Corporation and (2) such inability becomes known to the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation or to the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice, provided, however, the inadvertent failure to discover such inability shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.
An affidavit of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or of the transfer agent or other agent of the Corporation that the notice has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.
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Article IX - Indemnification
9.1 Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any director or officer of the Corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a Proceeding) by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans (a covered person), against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys fees, judgments, fines ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 9.4, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify a person in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such person only if the Proceeding was authorized in the specific case by the Board.
9.2 Indemnification of Others.
The Corporation shall have the power to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any employee or agent of the Corporation and any other person serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, who is not a covered person but who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding.
9.3 Prepayment of Expenses.
The Corporation shall to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law pay the expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred by any covered person, and may pay the expenses incurred by any employee or agent of the Corporation, in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article IX or otherwise.
9.4 Determination; Claim.
If a claim for indemnification (following the final disposition of such Proceeding) under this Article IX is not paid in full within sixty (60) days, or a claim for advancement of expenses under this Article IX is not paid in full within thirty (30) days, after a written claim therefor has been received by the Corporation the claimant may thereafter (but not before) file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law. In any such action the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the claimant was not entitled to the requested indemnification or payment of expenses under applicable law.
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9.5 Non-Exclusivity of Rights.
The rights conferred on any person by this Article IX shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.
9.6 Insurance.
The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust enterprise or non-profit entity against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of the DGCL.
9.7 Other Indemnification.
The Corporations obligation, if any, to indemnify or advance expenses to any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit enterprise.
9.8 Continuation of Indemnification.
The rights to indemnification and to prepayment of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article IX shall continue notwithstanding that the person has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of the estate, heirs, executors, administrators, legatees and distributees of such person.
9.9 Amendment or Repeal; Interpretation.
The provisions of this Article IX shall constitute a contract between the Corporation, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, each individual who serves or has served as a director or officer of the Corporation (whether before or after the adoption of these Bylaws), in consideration of such persons performance of such services, and pursuant to this Article IX the Corporation intends to be legally bound to each such current or former director or officer of the Corporation. With respect to current and former directors and officers of the Corporation, the rights conferred under this Article IX are present contractual rights and such rights are fully vested, and shall be deemed to have vested fully, immediately upon adoption of theses Bylaws. With respect to any directors or officers of the Corporation who commence service following adoption of these Bylaws, the rights conferred under this provision shall be present contractual rights and such rights shall fully vest, and be deemed to have vested fully, immediately upon such director or officer commencing service as a director or officer of the Corporation. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article IX shall not adversely affect any right or protection (i) hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification or (ii) under any agreement providing for indemnification or advancement of expenses to an officer or director of the Corporation in effect prior to the time of such repeal or modification.
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Any reference to an officer of the Corporation in this Article IX shall be deemed to refer exclusively to the Chief Executive Officer, President, and Secretary, or other officer of the Corporation appointed by (x) the Board pursuant to Article V of these Bylaws or (y) an officer to whom the Board has delegated the power to appoint officers pursuant to Article V of these Bylaws, and any reference to an officer of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be deemed to refer exclusively to an officer appointed by the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of such other entity pursuant to the certificate of incorporation and bylaws (or equivalent organizational documents) of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise. The fact that any person who is or was an employee of the Corporation or an employee of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise has been given or has used the title of Vice President or any other title that could be construed to suggest or imply that such person is or may be an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall not result in such person being constituted as, or being deemed to be, an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for purposes of this Article IX.
Article X - Amendments
The Board is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation. The stockholders also shall have power to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that such action by stockholders shall require, in addition to any other vote required by the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation with the power to vote generally in an election of directors, voting together as a single class.
Article XI - Definitions
As used in these Bylaws, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
An electronic transmission means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, including the use of, or participation in, one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases), that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.
An electronic mail means an electronic transmission directed to a unique electronic mail address (which electronic mail shall be deemed to include any files attached thereto and any information hyperlinked to a website if such electronic mail includes the contact information of an officer or agent of the Corporation who is available to assist with accessing such files and information).
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An electronic mail address means a destination, commonly expressed as a string of characters, consisting of a unique user name or mailbox (commonly referred to as the local part of the address) and a reference to an internet domain (commonly referred to as the domain part of the address), whether or not displayed, to which electronic mail can be sent or delivered.
The term person means any individual, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, business trust, joint stock company, joint venture, unincorporated association, cooperative or association or any other legal entity or organization of whatever nature, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
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Exhibit 5.1
355 South Grand Avenue, Suite 100 | ||||||
Los Angeles, California 90071-1560 | ||||||
Tel: +1.213.485.1234 Fax: +1.213.891.8763 | ||||||
www.lw.com | ||||||
FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES | ||||||
Austin | Milan | |||||
Beijing | Munich | |||||
Boston | New York | |||||
Brussels | Orange County | |||||
Century City | Paris | |||||
June 21, 2024 | Chicago | Riyadh | ||||
Dubai | San Diego | |||||
Düsseldorf | San Francisco | |||||
Frankfurt | Seoul | |||||
Hamburg | Silicon Valley | |||||
Hong Kong | Singapore | |||||
Houston | Tel Aviv | |||||
London | Tokyo | |||||
Los Angeles | Washington, D.C. | |||||
Madrid |
GRAIL, Inc.
1525 OBrien Drive
Menlo Park, California 94205
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8
To the addressee set forth above:
We have acted as special counsel to GRAIL, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), in connection with the preparation and filing by the Company on the date hereof with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) of a registration statement (the Registration Statement) on Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act), relating to the issuance of up to 12,500,000 shares (the Shares) of common stock of the Company, $0.001 par value per share, which may be issued pursuant to the Companys 2024 Incentive Award Plan (the 2024 Plan) and the Companys 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the ESPP). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or related prospectus, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issue of the Shares.
As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL), and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.
Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the recipients thereof, and have been issued by the Company for legal consideration of not less than par value in the circumstances contemplated by the 2024 Plan or the ESPP, as applicable, assuming in each case that the individual issuances, grants or awards under the 2024 Plan or ESPP, as applicable, are duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and duly issued, granted or awarded and exercised
June 21, 2024
Page 2
in accordance with the requirements of law and the 2024 Plan or the ESPP, as applicable (and the agreements duly adopted thereunder and in accordance therewith), the issue and sale of the Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and such Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the DGCL.
This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Sincerely, |
/s/ Latham & Watkins LLP |
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the 2024 Incentive Award Plan and the 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan of GRAIL, Inc. of our report dated March 8, 2024, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of GRAIL, LLC incorporated by reference in its Form 10 (File No. 001-42045) for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
San Diego, California
June 21, 2024
Exhibit 99.2
GRAIL, INC.
2024 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT GRANT NOTICE
GRAIL, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), has granted to the participant listed below (Participant) the Restricted Stock Units (the RSUs) described in this Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice (this Grant Notice), subject to the terms and conditions of the Grail, Inc. 2024 Incentive Award Plan (as amended from time to time, the Plan) and the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A (the Agreement), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference. Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Grant Notice or the Agreement have the meanings given to them in the Plan.
Participant: | [____] | |
Grant Date: | [____] | |
Number of RSUs: | [____] | |
Vesting Commencement Date: | [____] | |
Vesting Schedule: | [To be specified] |
By accepting (whether in writing, electronically or otherwise) the RSUs, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan and the Agreement. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.
GRAIL, INC. | PARTICIPANT | |||||
By: |
|
| ||||
Name: | [Participant Name] | |||||
Title: |
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT
Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (this Agreement) have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.
ARTICLE I.
GENERAL
1.1 Award of RSUs and Dividend Equivalents.
(a) The Company has granted the RSUs to Participant effective as of the Grant Date set forth in the Grant Notice (the Grant Date). Each RSU represents the right to receive one Share as set forth in this Agreement. Participant will have no right to the distribution of any Shares until the time (if ever) the RSUs have vested.
(b) Each RSU granted hereunder is hereby granted in tandem with a corresponding Dividend Equivalent right that shall, while it remains outstanding, and to the extent that dividends are paid on Common Stock and subject to the terms set forth below, entitle the Participant to a cash payment in the amount of any such dividend(s) paid by the Company in respect of a share of Common Stock. The Dividend Equivalent right shall remain outstanding from the Grant Date through the earlier to occur of (i) the termination or forfeiture for any reason of the RSU to which such Dividend Equivalent right corresponds, or (ii) the delivery to the Participant of the share of Common Stock (or other payment) in respect of the RSU to which such Dividend Equivalent right corresponds (in any case, the RSU Termination Date). Each Dividend Equivalent right will entitle the Participant to a cash payment in the amount of any dividend(s) paid by the Company in respect of a share of Common Stock to the extent that such dividend(s) are declared and have ex dividend date(s), in each case, that occur on or after the applicable Grant Date and on or prior to the applicable RSU Termination Date, payable upon the Payment Date in respect of the RSU to which such Dividend Equivalent right corresponds; provided, that with respect to any dividends meeting such criteria that are paid after the RSU Termination Date, the applicable Dividend Equivalent payment will be made if and when the Company pays the underlying dividend or, if later, on the Payment Date (but in no event later than March 15th of the year following the year in which the applicable ex dividend date occurs). For the avoidance of doubt, (x) if a RSU does not ultimately vest hereunder, no Dividend Equivalent payments shall be made with respect to such unvested RSU, and (y) in no event shall a Dividend Equivalent payment be made that would result in the Participant receiving both the Dividend Equivalent payment (in respect of a dividend) and the actual dividend with respect to the same RSU and corresponding share of Common Stock. Dividend Equivalent rights and any amounts that may become distributable in respect thereof shall be treated separately from the RSUs and the rights arising in connection therewith for purposes of the designation of time and form of payments required by Section 409A of the Code (together with any Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, Section 409A). The Company will establish a Dividend Equivalent bookkeeping account (a Dividend Equivalent Account) to track any Dividend Equivalents and credit the Dividend Equivalent Account (without interest) on the applicable dividend payment date with the amount of any such cash dividend.
1.2 Incorporation of Terms of Plan. The RSUs are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control. For clarity, the foregoing sentence shall not limit the applicability of any additive language contained in this Agreement which provides supplemental or additional terms not inconsistent with the Plan.
1.3 Unsecured Promise. The RSUs and Dividend Equivalents will at all times prior to settlement represent an unsecured Company obligation payable only from the Companys general assets.
ARTICLE II.
VESTING; FORFEITURE AND SETTLEMENT
2.1 Vesting; Forfeiture. The RSUs will vest according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice except that any fraction of an RSU that would otherwise be vested will be accumulated and will vest only when a whole vested RSU has accumulated. In the event of Participants Termination of Service for any reason, all unvested RSUs will immediately and automatically be cancelled and forfeited, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided in a binding written agreement between Participant and the Company (after taking into consideration any accelerated vesting which may occur in connection with such Termination of Service, if any). Dividend Equivalents (including any Dividend Equivalent Account balance) will vest upon the vesting of the RSUs with respect to which the Dividend Equivalent (including the Dividend Equivalent Account) relates.
2.2 Settlement.
(a) The RSUs that vest will be paid in Shares (to the extent sufficient Shares remain available under the Overall Share Limit at the time of settlement, or cash if insufficient Shares remain available under the Overall Share Limit at settlement, and (ii) Dividend Equivalents (including any Dividend Equivalent Account balance) will, to the extent vested, be paid in cash or Shares (as determined by the Administrator), as soon as administratively practicable after the vesting of the applicable RSU, but in no event later than March 15 of the year following the year in which the RSUs vesting date occurs.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may delay any payment under this Agreement that the Company reasonably determines would violate Applicable Law or an applicable provision of the Plan until the earliest date the Company reasonably determines the making of the payment will not cause such a violation (in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(7)(ii)); provided the Company reasonably believes the delay will not result in the imposition of excise taxes under Section 409A.
(c) If a Dividend Equivalent is paid in Shares, the number of Shares paid with respect to the Dividend Equivalent will equal the quotient, rounded down to the nearest whole Share, of the Dividend Equivalent Account balance divided by the Fair Market Value of a Share on the day immediately preceding the payment date.
ARTICLE III.
TAXATION AND TAX WITHHOLDING
3.1 Representation. Participant represents to the Company that Participant has reviewed with Participants own tax advisors the tax consequences of this award of RSUs and Dividend Equivalents (the Award) and the transactions contemplated by the Grant Notice and this Agreement. Participant is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.
3.2 Tax Withholding.
(a) Unless the Administrator otherwise determines, the Company shall withhold, or cause to be withheld, Shares otherwise vesting or issuable under this Award (including the RSUs) in satisfaction of any applicable withholding tax obligations, in accordance with the Plan.
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(b) The number of Shares which may be so withheld or surrendered shall be limited to the number of Shares which have a Fair Market Value on the date of withholding no greater than the aggregate amount of such liabilities based on the maximum individual statutory withholding rates in Participants applicable jurisdictions for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to such taxable income, in accordance with Section 9.5 of the Plan.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may in its discretion elect to satisfy applicable withholding tax obligations by any of the following means:
(i) Cash or check;
(ii) In whole or in part by delivery of Shares, including Shares delivered by attestation (which may include Shares retained from the Award), valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of delivery; or
(iii) Subject to Sections 9.5 and 9.10 of the Plan, delivery (including electronically or telephonically to the extent permitted by the Company) of an irrevocable and unconditional instruction by Participant to a broker acceptable to the Company placing a market sell order with such broker with respect to Shares then-issuable upon settlement of the Award and instructing the broker to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to satisfy the tax withholding obligations.
(d) Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the RSUs and Dividend Equivalent, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax withholding obligations that arise in connection with the RSUs and Dividend Equivalent. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or payment of the RSUs or the Dividend Equivalent or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and its Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the RSUs or Dividend Equivalent to reduce or eliminate Participants tax liability.
(e) Participant represents to the Company that Participant has reviewed with Participants own tax advisors the tax consequences of this Award and the transactions contemplated by the Grant Notice and this Agreement. Participant is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER PROVISIONS
4.1 Adjustments. Participant acknowledges that the RSUs and the Shares subject to the RSUs and Dividend Equivalent are subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.
4.2 Clawback. The Award and the Shares issuable hereunder shall be subject to any clawback or recoupment policy in effect on the Grant Date or as may be adopted or maintained by the Company following the Grant Date, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder.
4.3 Notices. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Companys stock plan administrator at stockadmin@grailbio.com . Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant (or, if Participant is then deceased, to the Designated Beneficiary) at Participants last known mailing address, email address or facsimile number in the Companys personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given when actually received, when sent by email, when sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company or upon receipt of a facsimile transmission confirmation.
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4.4 Titles. Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.
4.5 Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.
4.6 Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to a single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.
4.7 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement and the RSUs and Dividend Equivalent will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.
4.8 Entire Agreement; Amendment. The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof. To the extent permitted by the Plan, this Agreement may be wholly or partially amended or otherwise modified, suspended or terminated at any time or from time to time by the Administrator or the Board; provided, however, that except as may otherwise be provided by the Plan, no amendment, modification, suspension or termination of this Agreement shall materially and adversely affect the Participants rights under the Award without the prior written consent of Participant.
4.9 Severability. If any portion of the Grant Notice or this Agreement or any action taken under the Grant Notice or this Agreement, in any case is held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity will not affect the remaining parts of the Grant Notice and/or this Agreement (as applicable), and the Grant Notice and/or this Agreement (as applicable) will be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provisions had been excluded, and the illegal or invalid action will be null and void.
4.10 Limitation on Participants Rights. Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the RSUs, and rights no greater than the right to receive cash or the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the RSUs, as and when settled pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
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4.11 Not a Contract of Employment or Service. Nothing in the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement confers upon Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or interferes with or restricts in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or a Subsidiary and Participant.
4.12 Counterparts. The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Law, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.
4.13 Governing Law. The Grant Notice and this Agreement will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, disregarding any states choice-of-law principles requiring the application of a jurisdictions laws other than the State of [Delaware].
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Exhibit 107.1
Calculation of Filing Fee Table
Form S-8
(Form Type)
GRAIL, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Table 1: Newly Registered Securities
Security Type | Security Class Title |
Fee Calculation Rule |
Amount Registered(1) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Unit(2) |
Maximum Aggregate Offering Price |
Fee Rate |
Amount of Registration Fee | |||||||
Equity | Common stock, $0.001 par value per share | Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h) | 12,000,000(3) | $19.87 | $238,440,000 | $147.60 per $1,000,000 |
$35,194 | |||||||
Equity | Common stock, $0.001 par value per share | Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h) | 500,000(4) | $19.87 | $9,935,000 | $147.60 per $1,000,000 |
$1,467 | |||||||
Total Offering Amounts | $248,312,500 | $36,661.00 | ||||||||||||
Total Fee Offsets | $ | |||||||||||||
Net Fee Due | $36,661.00 |
(1) Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, this Registration Statement covers (i) such additional number of shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of GRAIL, Inc. (Common Stock) issuable upon stock splits, stock dividends, reclassifications, recapitalizations, combinations or similar events or (ii) such reduced number of shares of Common Stock in respect of any reverse stock splits, stock dividends, reclassifications, recapitalizations, combinations or similar events, in each case with respect to the shares of Common Stock being registered pursuant to this Registration Statement that may become issuable under (a) the GRAIL, Inc. 2024 Incentive Award Plan and (b) the GRAIL, Inc. 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
(2) Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act on the basis of the average of the high and low sales prices per share of the common stock on the when-issued trading market as reported on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC on June 20, 2024.
(3) Consists of 12,000,000 shares of Common Stock estimated to be reserved for future issuance pursuant to awards granted under the GRAIL, Inc. 2024 Incentive Award Plan.
(4) Consists of 500,000 shares of Common Stock estimated to be reserved for future issuance pursuant to awards granted under the GRAIL, Inc. 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.