EX-3.1 2 a18-42091_1ex3d1.htm EX-3.1

Exhibit 3.1

 

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.

 

FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

 

ARTICLE I
OFFICES

 

Section 1.01                             PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The principal office of SL Green Realty Corp. (the “Corporation”) shall be located at such place or places as the Board of Directors may designate.

 

Section 1.02                             ADDITIONAL OFFICES. The Corporation may have additional offices at such places as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

 

ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section 2.01                             PLACE. All meetings of stockholders shall be held at the principal office of the Corporation or at such other place within the United States as shall be stated in the notice of the meeting.

 

Section 2.02                             ANNUAL MEETING. An annual meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Corporation shall be held on a date and at the time set by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2.03                             SPECIAL MEETINGS. The president, chief executive officer or Board of Directors may call special meetings of the stockholders. Special meetings of stockholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Corporation upon the written request of the holders of shares entitled to cast not less than 25% of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting. Such request shall be signed and dated by each stockholder submitting such request, shall state the purpose of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at such meeting and shall be accompanied by a notice containing the information and other documents required by Section 2.12(a)(3) of these Bylaws submitted by the Soliciting Person(s). For purposes of this Section 2.03, “Soliciting Person” shall mean (i) if the number of stockholders signing the special meeting request is ten or fewer, each stockholder signing such special meeting request, and (ii) if the number of stockholders signing the special meeting request is more than ten, each person who either was a participant in any solicitation of such request or, at the time of the delivery of such request to the Corporation, had engaged or intended to engage in any solicitation of proxies for use at such meeting (other than a solicitation of proxies on behalf of the Corporation). The secretary shall inform the stockholders submitting the special meeting request of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing notice of the meeting and, upon payment to the Corporation by such stockholders of such costs, the secretary shall give notice to each stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting. Unless requested by the stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting, a special meeting need not be called to consider any matter which is substantially the same as a matter voted on at any special meeting of the stockholders held during the preceding twelve months.

 


 

Section 2.04                             NOTICE. Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of stockholders, the secretary shall give to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each stockholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting written or printed notice, or notice by electronic transmission, stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called. Such notice may be given by mail, by presenting it to such stockholder personally, by leaving it at his residence or usual place of business, by electronic transmission or by any other means permitted by Maryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the stockholder at his post office address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to be given when transmitted to the stockholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number of the stockholder at which the stockholder receives electronic transmissions. The Corporation may give a single notice to all stockholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as to any stockholder at such address, unless a stockholder objects to receiving such single notice or revokes a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to any one or more stockholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.

 

Section 2.05                             SCOPE OF NOTICE. Any business of the Corporation may be transacted at an annual meeting of stockholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of stockholders except as specifically designated in the notice.

 

Section 2.06                             ORGANIZATION. At every meeting of stockholders, the chairman of the board, if there be one, shall conduct the meeting or, in the case of vacancy in office or absence of the chairman of the board, one of the following officers present, shall conduct the meeting in the order stated: the vice chairman of the board, if there be one, the President, the Vice Presidents in their order of rank and seniority, or a chairman chosen by the stockholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes which all stockholders present in person or by proxy are entitled to cast, shall act as chairman of the meeting, and the secretary, or, in his absence, an assistant secretary, or in the absence of both the secretary and assistant secretaries, a person appointed by the chairman shall act as secretary of the meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chairman and without any action by the stockholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to stockholders of record of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the  chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments; (e) determining when and for how long the polls should be opened and when the polls should be closed; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) concluding a meeting or recessing

 

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or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time and at a place announced at the meeting; and (h) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security. Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

 

Section 2.07                             QUORUM. At any meeting of stockholders, the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the charter of the Corporation (the “Charter”) for the vote necessary for the adoption of any measure. If, however, such quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting, or the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting, present in person or by proxy, shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

 

Section 2.08                             VOTING.

 

(a)                                 Election of Directors. Except as otherwise permitted with respect to directors to be elected by the holders of any class or series of preferred stock of the Corporation or as otherwise provided by Section 3.10 of these Bylaws, each director shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast with respect to that director’s election at any meeting of stockholders for the election of directors duly called and at which a quorum is present; provided, however, that if the secretary of the Corporation determines that the number of nominees or proposed nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected at such meeting as of the seventh day preceding the date the Corporation files its definitive proxy statement for such meeting with the Securities and Exchange Commission (regardless of whether or not thereafter revised or supplemented), then directors shall be elected at such meeting by a plurality of the votes cast. If the directors are to be elected by a plurality of the votes cast pursuant to the provisions of the immediately preceding sentence, stockholders shall not be permitted to vote “against” any one or more nominees but shall only be permitted to vote “for” one or more nominees or withhold their votes with respect to one or more nominees. For purposes of the election of directors, a majority of the votes cast means the number of votes cast “for” a nominee must exceed the number of votes cast “against” such nominee, with abstentions and broker non-votes not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” such nominee. Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted. Stockholders are not entitled to cumulative voting in the election of directors.

 

(b)                                 Other Matters. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute, the Charter or these Bylaws. For purposes this Section 2.08(b), a majority of the votes cast means the number of votes cast “for” a matter must exceed the number of votes cast “against” such matter, with abstentions and broker non-votes not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” such matter. Unless otherwise provided in the Charter, each outstanding share, regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders.

 

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Section 2.09                             PROXIES. A stockholder may vote the stock owned of record by him, either in person or by proxy executed by the stockholder or by his duly authorized agent or attorney in fact in writing or in any other manner permitted by law. Such proxy or evidence of authorization shall be filed with the secretary of the Corporation before or at the time of the meeting. No proxy shall be valid after eleven months from the date of its execution, unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

 

Section 2.10                             VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS. Stock of the Corporation registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, a general partner or trustee thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such stock pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such stock. Any director or other fiduciary may vote stock registered in his name as such fiduciary, either in person or by proxy.

 

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

 

The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a stockholder may certify in writing to the Corporation that any shares of stock registered in the name of the stockholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the stockholder. The resolution shall set forth the class of stockholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date or closing of the stock transfer books, the time after the record date or closing of the stock transfer books within which the certification must be received by the Corporation; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board of Directors considers necessary or desirable. On receipt of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the stockholder of record of the specified stock in place of the stockholder who makes the certification.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter or these Bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the Corporations and Associations Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (or any successor statute) shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation. This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.

 

Section 2.11                             INSPECTORS. At any meeting of stockholders, the chairman of the meeting may, or upon the request of any stockholder shall, appoint one or more persons as inspectors for such meeting. Such inspectors shall ascertain and report the number of shares represented at the meeting based upon their determination of the validity and effect of proxies,

 

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count all votes, report the results and perform such other acts as are proper to conduct the election and voting with impartiality and fairness to all the stockholders.

 

Each report of an inspector shall be in writing and signed by him or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.

 

Section 2.12                             NOMINATIONS AND STOCKHOLDER BUSINESS.

 

(a)                                 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

 

(1)                       The proposal of business to be considered by the stockholders (except for nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors, which may only be made in accordance with Section 2.12(a)(2), and stockholder proposals included in the proxy materials pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 2.12(a), who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.12(a).

 

(2)                       Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 2.12(a), who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.12(a) or (iii) by any Eligible Stockholder (as defined in Section 2.13(d) of these Bylaws) who complies with the procedures set forth in Section 2.13 of these Bylaws.

 

(3)                       In addition to any other applicable requirements, for nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (iii) of Section 2.12(a)(1) or clause (ii) of Section 2.12(a)(2), as applicable, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, such stockholder’s notice shall contain the information and other documents required under this Section 2.12(a)(3) and shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting or special meeting in lieu thereof; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within 25 days before or after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the earlier of the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made or the day on which notice of the meeting is first distributed to stockholders. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth or be accompanied by (i) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or

 

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reelection as a director (a “Proposed Nominee”) (A) all information relating to such Proposed Nominee, the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (including such Proposed Nominee’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected) and (B) such Proposed Nominee’s representation and agreement as required by Section 2.14 of these Bylaws; (ii) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and of any Stockholder Associated Person; and (iii) as to the stockholder giving the notice, any Proposed Nominee and any Stockholder Associated Person, (A) the current name, business address and residence address of such stockholder and any such Stockholder Associated Person or Proposed Nominee (and, if applicable, the name and address of such person as they appear on the Corporation’s books), (B) as of the date of the notice, the number of shares, if any, of each class of stock or other security of the Corporation or any affiliate thereof (the “Company Securities”) which are owned beneficially and/or of record by such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person, the date on which each such Company Security was acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, and (C) as of the date of the notice, whether and the extent to which, such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person is subject to, or during the past six months has, directly or indirectly (through brokers, nominees or otherwise), engaged in any hedging, derivative or other transaction or series of transactions or entered into any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short interest, any borrowing or lending of securities or any proxy or voting agreement), the effect or intent of which is (x) for any such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person, to mitigate loss to or manage risk or benefit from changes in the price of Company Securities or (y) to increase or decrease, disproportionately to the economic interest, the voting power of any such stockholder, Proposed Nominee or Stockholder Associated Person in the Corporation or any affiliate thereof.

 

(4)                       Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of Section 2.12(a)(3) to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased and there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors made by the Corporation at least 85 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 2.12(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

 

(5)                       For purposes of this Section 2.12, “Stockholder Associated Person” of any stockholder shall mean: (i) any person acting in concert with such stockholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of Company Securities owned of record or beneficially by such stockholder (other than a stockholder that is a depositary) and (iii) any person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person.

 

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(b)                                 Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (ii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such special meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 2.12(b), who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.12(b). In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, if a stockholder’s notice containing the information and other documents required by Section 2.12(a)(3) shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the earlier of the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting or the day on which notice of the meeting is first distributed to stockholders. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

(c)                                  General.

 

(1)                       Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.12 or the procedures set forth in Section 2.13 of these Bylaws shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.12. Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.13 of these Bylaws, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.12 and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with this Section 2.12, to declare that such defective nomination or proposal be disregarded, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.12 and unless otherwise required by law, if the stockholder giving a notice of a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to this Section 2.12 (or a qualified representative thereof) does not appear at the meeting to present the nomination or other proposed business, such nomination or other proposed business shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation.

 

(2)                       In addition to the information required or requested pursuant to this Section 2.12 or any other provision of these Bylaws, the Corporation may require any Proposed Nominee to furnish any other information (i) that may reasonably be requested by the Corporation to determine whether the Proposed Nominee would be independent under the rules and listing standards of the securities exchanges upon which the Corporation’s stock is listed or traded, any applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any publicly disclosed standards used by the Board of Directors in determining and disclosing the

 

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independence of the Corporation’s Directors (collectively, the “Independence Standards”), (B) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such Proposed Nominee or (C) that may reasonably be requested by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such Proposed Nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation.

 

(3)                       If any information provided pursuant to this Section 2.12 by any stockholder proposing nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors or the proposal of business to be considered by stockholders, or by any Proposed Nominee of such stockholder, is not, when provided, true and correct in all material respects or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, such information shall be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 2.12. Any such stockholder or Proposed Nominee, as the case may be, shall notify the secretary of the Corporation of any such inaccuracy or of any change in any previously provided information that causes such information to cease to be true and correct in all material respects promptly (but no later than two business days) after becoming aware of such inaccuracy or change in any such information. In addition, any person providing any information to the Corporation pursuant to this Section 2.12 shall further update and supplement such, if necessary, so that the information provided shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five business days following the later of the record date for the meeting and the date notice of the record date is first publicly disclosed. For the avoidance of doubt, no notification, update or supplement provided pursuant to this Section 2.12(c)(3) or otherwise shall be deemed to cure any defect in any previously provided information or limit the remedies available to the Corporation relating to any such defect.

 

(4)                       For purposes of this Section 2.12, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(5)                       Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.12, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 2.12. Nothing in this Section 2.12 shall be deemed to affect any rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

 

Section 2.13                             PROXY ACCESS FOR DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS.

 

(a)                                 Information to be Included in the Corporation’s Proxy Materials. Whenever the Board of Directors solicits proxies with respect to the election of directors at an annual meeting of stockholders (following the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders), subject to the provisions of this Section 2.13, the Corporation shall include in its proxy statement for such annual meeting, in addition to any persons nominated for election by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, the name, together with the Required Information (as defined below), of any person nominated for election to the Board of Directors by an Eligible Stockholder pursuant to

 

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and in accordance with this Section 2.13 (a “Stockholder Nominee”). For purposes of this Section 2.13, the “Required Information” that the Corporation will include in its proxy statement is (i) the information provided to the secretary of the Corporation concerning the Stockholder Nominee and the Eligible Stockholder that is required to be disclosed in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and (ii) if the Eligible Stockholder so elects, a Supporting Statement (as defined in Section 2.13(h)). For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 2.13 shall limit the Corporation’s ability to solicit votes against any Stockholder Nominee or include in its proxy materials the Corporation’s own statements or other information relating to any Eligible Stockholder or Stockholder Nominee, including any information provided to the Corporation pursuant to this Section 2.13. Subject to the provisions of this Section 2.13, the name of any Stockholder Nominee included in the Corporation’s proxy statement for an annual meeting of stockholders shall also be set forth on the form of proxy distributed by the Corporation in connection with such annual meeting.

 

(b)                                 Notice Period. In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be made by an Eligible Stockholder pursuant to this Section 2.13, the Eligible Stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing (a “Notice of Proxy Access Nomination”) to the secretary of the Corporation and must expressly request in the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination to have such nominee included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.13. To be timely, the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination shall contain the information, statements, representations, agreements and other documents required under Section 2.13(f) and shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than 120 days nor more than 150 days prior to the first anniversary of the date that the Corporation first distributed its proxy statement to stockholders for the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination pursuant to this Section 2.13.

 

(c)                                  Permitted Number of Stockholder Nominees. The maximum number of Stockholder Nominees nominated by all Eligible Stockholders that will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders shall not exceed the greater of (i) two or (ii) 20% of the number of directors in office as of the last day on which a Notice of Proxy Access Nomination may be delivered pursuant to and in accordance with this Section 2.13 (the “Final Proxy Access Nomination Date”) or, if such amount is not a whole number, the closest whole number below 20% (such greater number, as it may be adjusted pursuant to this Section 2.13(c), the “Permitted Number”). In the event that one or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the Board of Directors after the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date but before the date of the annual meeting and the Board of Directors resolves to reduce the size of the Board of Directors in connection therewith, the Permitted Number shall be calculated based on the number of directors in office as so reduced. In addition, the Permitted Number shall be reduced by (i) the number of individuals who will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials as nominees recommended by the Board of Directors pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or other understanding with a stockholder or group of stockholders (other than any such agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of stock from the Corporation by such stockholder or group of stockholders) and (ii) the number of directors in office as of the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date who were

 

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included in the Corporation’s proxy materials as Stockholder Nominees for any of the two preceding annual meetings of stockholders (including any persons counted as Stockholder Nominees pursuant to the immediately succeeding sentence) and whose re-election at the upcoming annual meeting is being recommended by the Board of Directors. For purposes of determining when the Permitted Number has been reached, any individual nominated by an Eligible Stockholder for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.13 whose nomination is subsequently withdrawn or whom the Board of Directors decides to nominate for election to the Board of Directors shall be counted as one of the Stockholder Nominees. Any Eligible Stockholder submitting more than one Stockholder Nominee for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.13 shall rank such Stockholder Nominees based on the order in which the Eligible Stockholder desires such Stockholder Nominees to be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials in the event that the total number of Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2.13 exceeds the Permitted Number. In the event that the number of Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2.13 exceeds the Permitted Number, the highest ranking Stockholder Nominee who meets the requirements of this Section 2.13 from each Eligible Stockholder will be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials until the Permitted Number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of shares of common stock of the Corporation each Eligible Stockholder disclosed as Owned in its Notice of Proxy Access Nomination. If the Permitted Number is not reached after the highest ranking Stockholder Nominee who meets the requirements of this Section 2.13 from each Eligible Stockholder has been selected, then the next highest ranking Stockholder Nominee who meets the requirements of this Section 2.13 from each Eligible Stockholder will be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials, and this process will continue as many times as necessary, following the same order each time, until the Permitted Number is reached. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.13, the Corporation shall not be required to include any Stockholder Nominees in its proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.13 for any meeting of stockholders for which the secretary of the Corporation receives a notice (whether or not subsequently withdrawn) that a stockholder intends to nominate one or more persons for election to the Board of Directors pursuant to the advance notice requirements for stockholder nominees set forth in Section 2.12 of these Bylaws.

 

(d)                                 Eligible Stockholder. An “Eligible Stockholder” is a stockholder or group of no more than 20 stockholders (counting as one stockholder, for this purpose, any two or more funds that are part of the same Qualifying Fund Group (as defined below)) that (i) has Owned (as defined in Section 2.13(e)) continuously for at least three years (the “Minimum Holding Period”) a number of shares of common stock of the Corporation that represents at least three percent of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation as of the date the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation in accordance with this Section 2.13 (the “Required Shares”), (ii) continues to Own the Required Shares through the date of the annual meeting and (iii) meets all other requirements of this Section 2.13. A “Qualifying Fund Group” means two or more funds that are (A) under common management and investment control, (B) under common management and funded primarily by the same employer or (C) a “group of investment companies” as such term is defined in Section 12(d) (1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Whenever the Eligible Stockholder consists of a group of stockholders (including a group of funds that are part of the same Qualifying Fund Group), (1) each provision in this Section 2.13

 

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that requires the Eligible Stockholder to provide any written statements, representations, undertakings, agreements or other instruments or to meet any other conditions shall be deemed to require each stockholder (including each individual fund) that is a member of such group to provide such statements, representations, undertakings, agreements or other instruments and to meet such other conditions (except that the members of such group may aggregate the shares that each member has Owned continuously for the Minimum Holding Period in order to meet the three percent Ownership requirement of the “Required Shares” definition) and (2) a breach of any obligation, agreement or representation under this Section 2.13 by any member of such group shall be deemed a breach by the Eligible Stockholder. No stockholder may be a member of more than one group of stockholders constituting an Eligible Stockholder with respect to any annual meeting.

 

(e)                                  Definition of Ownership. For purposes of this Section 2.13, a stockholder shall be deemed to “Own” only those outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation as to which the stockholder possesses both (i) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares and (ii) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit from and risk of loss on) such shares; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (i) and (ii) shall not include any shares (A) sold by such stockholder or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed, (B) borrowed by such stockholder or any of its affiliates for any purposes or purchased by such stockholder or any of its affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell, or (C) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, or other derivative or similar instrument or agreement entered into by such stockholder or any of its affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares or with cash based on the notional amount or value of shares of outstanding common stock of the Corporation, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of (1) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such stockholder’s or its affiliates’ full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares and/or (2) hedging, offsetting or altering to any degree any gain or loss realized or realizable from maintaining the full economic ownership of such shares by such stockholder or affiliate. A stockholder shall “Own” shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the stockholder retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of directors and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. A stockholder’s Ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which (i) the stockholder has loaned such shares, provided that the stockholder has the power to recall such loaned shares on five business days’ notice and includes in the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination an agreement that it (A) will promptly recall such loaned shares upon being notified that any of its Stockholder Nominees will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials and (B) will continue to hold such recalled shares through the date of the annual meeting or (ii) the stockholder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney or other instrument or arrangement which is revocable at any time by the stockholder. The terms “Owned,” “Owning” and other variations of the word “Own” shall have correlative meanings. Whether outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation are “Owned” for these purposes shall be decided by the Board of Directors.

 

(f)                                   Form of Notice. The Notice of Proxy Access Nomination shall set forth or be accompanied by the following:

 

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(1)                       a statement by the Eligible Stockholder (i) setting forth and certifying as to the number of shares it Owns and has Owned continuously for the Minimum Holding Period, (ii) agreeing to continue to Own the Required Shares through the date of annual meeting and (iii) indicating whether it intends to continue to own the Required Shares for at least one year following the annual meeting;

 

(2)                       one or more written statements from the record holder of the Required Shares (and from each intermediary through which the Required Shares are or have been held during the Minimum Holding Period) verifying that, as of a date within seven calendar days prior to the date the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is delivered to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, the Eligible Stockholder Owns, and has Owned continuously for the Minimum Holding Period, the Required Shares, and the Eligible Stockholder’s agreement to provide, within five business days following the later of the record date or the date notice of the record date is first publicly disclosed, one or more written statements from the record holder and such intermediaries verifying the Eligible Stockholder’s continuous Ownership of the Required Shares through the record date;

 

(3)                       a copy of the Schedule 14N that has been or is concurrently being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as required by Rule 14a-18 under the Exchange Act;

 

(4)                       the information and other documents required by Section 2.12(a)(3) of these Bylaws (and for such purposes, references to the “stockholder giving the notice” shall be deemed to refer to the “Eligible Stockholder,” including each stockholder that is a member of a group of stockholders together constituting the Eligible Stockholder);

 

(5)                       a representation that the Eligible Stockholder (i) acquired the Required Shares in the ordinary course of business and not with the intent to change or influence control of the Corporation, and does not presently have such intent, (ii) has not nominated and will not nominate for election to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting any person other  than the Stockholder Nominee(s) it is nominating pursuant to this Section 2.13, (iii) has not engaged and will not engage in, and has not and will not be a “participant” in another person’s, “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act in support of the election of any individual as a director at the annual meeting other than its Stockholder Nominee(s) or a nominee of the Board of Directors, (iv) has not distributed and will not distribute to any stockholder of the Corporation any form of proxy for the annual meeting other than the form distributed by the Corporation, (v) has complied and will comply with all laws and regulations applicable to solicitations and the use, if any, of soliciting material in connection with the annual meeting and (vi) has provided and will provide facts, statements and other information in all communications with the Corporation and its stockholders that are or will be true and correct in all material respects and do not and will not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(6)                       an undertaking that the Eligible Stockholder agrees to (i) assume all liability stemming from any legal or regulatory violation arising out of the Eligible Stockholder’s communications with the stockholders of the Corporation or out of the information that the

 

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Eligible Stockholder provided to the Corporation, (ii) indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation and each of its directors, officers and employees individually against any liability, loss or damages in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the Corporation or any of its directors, officers or employees arising out of any nomination submitted by the Eligible Stockholder pursuant to this Section 2.13 or any solicitation or other activity in connection therewith and (C) file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any solicitation or other communication with the stockholders of the Corporation relating to the meeting at which its Stockholder Nominee(s) will be nominated, regardless of whether any such filing is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act or whether any exemption from filing is available for such solicitation or other communication under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act;

 

(7)                       in the case of a nomination by an Eligible Stockholder consisting of a group of stockholders, the designation by all group members of one member of the group that is authorized to receive communications, notices and inquiries from the Corporation and to act on behalf of all members of the group with respect to all matters relating to the nomination under this Section 2.13 (including withdrawal of the nomination); and

 

(8)                       in the case of a nomination by an Eligible Stockholder consisting of a group of stockholders in which two or more funds are intended to be treated as one stockholder for purposes of qualifying as an Eligible Stockholder, documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation that demonstrates that the funds are part of the same Qualifying Fund Group.

 

(g)                                  Additional Information. In addition to the information required or requested pursuant to Section 2.13(f) or any other provision of these Bylaws, (i) the Corporation may require any proposed Stockholder Nominee to furnish any other information (A) that may reasonably be requested by the Corporation to determine whether the Stockholder Nominee would be independent under the Independence Standards, (B) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such Stockholder Nominee or (C) that may reasonably be requested by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such Stockholder Nominee to be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.13 or to serve as a director of the Corporation, and (ii) the Corporation may require the Eligible Stockholder to furnish any other information that may reasonably be requested by the Corporation to verify the Eligible Stockholder’s continuous Ownership of the Required Shares for the Minimum Holding Period and through the date of the annual meeting.

 

(h)                                 Supporting Statement. The Eligible Stockholder may, at its option, provide to the secretary of the Corporation, at the time the Notice of Proxy Access Nomination is provided, a written statement, not to exceed 500 words, in support of its Stockholder Nominee(s)’ candidacy (a “Supporting Statement”). Only one Supporting Statement may be submitted by an Eligible Stockholder (including any group of stockholders together constituting an Eligible Stockholder) in support of its Stockholder Nominee(s). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.13, the Corporation may omit from its proxy materials any information or Supporting Statement (or portion thereof) that it, in good faith, believes would violate any applicable law, rule or regulation.

 

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(i)                                     Correction of Defects; Updates and Supplements. In the event that any information or communications provided by an Eligible Stockholder or a Stockholder Nominee to the Corporation or its stockholders, is not, when provided, or thereafter ceases to be true and correct in all material respects or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, such Eligible Stockholder or Stockholder Nominee, as the case may be, shall notify the secretary of the Corporation of any such defect and of the information that is required to correct any such defect promptly (but no later than two business days) after becoming aware of such defect. Without limiting the forgoing, an Eligible Stockholder shall provide immediate notice to the Corporation if the Eligible Stockholder ceases to Own any of the Required Shares prior to the date of the annual meeting. In addition, any person providing any information to the Corporation pursuant to this Section 2.13 shall further update and supplement such information, if necessary, so that all such information shall be true and correct as of the record date for the annual meeting, and such update and supplement shall be received by the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five business days following the later of the record date or the date notice of the record date is first publicly disclosed. For the avoidance of doubt, no notification, update or supplement provided pursuant to this Section 2.13(i) or otherwise shall be deemed to cure any defect in any previously provided information or communications or limit the remedies available to the Corporation relating to any such defect (including the right to omit a Stockholder Nominee from its proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.13).

 

(j)                                    Stockholder Nominee Eligibility. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.13, the Corporation shall not be required to include in its proxy materials, pursuant to this Section 2.13, any Stockholder Nominee (i) who would not be an independent director under the Independence Standards, (ii) whose election as a member of the Board of Directors would cause the Corporation to be in violation of these Bylaws, the Charter, the rules and listing standards of the securities exchanges upon which the Corporation’s stock is listed or traded, or any applicable law, rule or regulation, (iii) who is or has been, within the past three years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined in Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, (iv) who is a named subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses) or has been convicted in such a criminal proceeding within the past ten years, (v) who is subject to any order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (vi) who shall have provided any information to the Corporation or its stockholders that was untrue in any material respect or that omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.

 

(k)                                 Invalid Nominations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, if (i) a Stockholder Nominee and/or the applicable Eligible Stockholder breaches any of its agreements or representations or fails to comply with any of its obligations under this Section 2.13 or (ii) a Stockholder Nominee otherwise becomes ineligible for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.13, or dies, becomes disabled or otherwise becomes ineligible or unavailable for election at the annual meeting, in each case as determined by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the annual meeting, (A) the Corporation may omit or, to the extent feasible, remove the information concerning such Stockholder Nominee and the related Supporting Statement from its proxy materials and/or otherwise communicate to its stockholders that such Stockholder Nominee will not be eligible for election

 

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at the annual meeting, (B) the Corporation shall not be required to include in its proxy materials any successor or replacement nominee proposed by the applicable Eligible Stockholder or any other Eligible Stockholder and (C) the chairman of the annual meeting shall declare such nomination to be invalid and such nomination shall be disregarded notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. In addition, if the Eligible Stockholder (or a qualified representative thereof) does not appear at the annual meeting to present any nomination pursuant to this Section 2.13, such nomination shall be declared invalid and disregarded as provided in clause (C) above.

 

(l)                                     Restrictions on Re-Nominations. Any Stockholder Nominee who is included in the Corporation’s proxy materials for a particular annual meeting of stockholders but either (i) withdraws from or becomes ineligible or unavailable for election at the annual meeting, or (ii) does not receive at least 25% of the votes cast in favor of such Stockholder Nominee’s election, will be ineligible to be a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.13 for the next two annual meetings of stockholders. For the avoidance of doubt, the immediately preceding sentence shall not prevent any stockholder from nominating any person to the Board of Directors pursuant to and in accordance with Section 2.12 of these Bylaws.

 

(m)                             General.

 

(1)                       For purposes of this Section 2.13, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(2)                       This Section 2.13 provides the exclusive method for a stockholder to include nominees for election to the Board of Directors in the Corporation’s proxy materials.

 

Section 2.14                             DIRECTOR NOMINEE REPRESENTATION AND AGREEMENT. In order to be eligible for election or re-election as a director of the Corporation, a person must deliver to the secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation a written representation and agreement that such person (i)  is not and will not become a party to (A) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such person, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation in such representation and agreement or (B) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such person’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such person’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (ii) 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, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with such person’s nomination or service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation in such representation and agreement, (iii) would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the Corporation, and will comply with the Corporation’s code of ethics, governance principles, stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines, and any other policies or guidelines of the Corporation applicable to directors, and (iv) will make such other acknowledgments, enter into such agreements and provide such information as the Board of Directors requires of all directors, including promptly

 

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submitting all completed and signed questionnaires required of the Corporation’s directors. The written representation and agreement provided for in this Section 2.14 shall be in addition to any notices, agreements, certifications and information which a person seeking election or re-election as a director of the Corporation must deliver or submit to the Corporation or any officer of the Corporation under any other provision of these Bylaws, the Charter or any applicable law, rule or regulation.

 

Section 2.15                             VOTING BY BALLOT. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the chairman of the meeting shall order or any stockholder shall demand that voting be by ballot.

 

ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS

 

Section 3.01                             GENERAL POWERS; QUALIFICATIONS. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.02                             NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board of Directors may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than the minimum number required by the Maryland General Corporation Law, nor more than 15, and further provided that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors.

 

Section 3.03                             ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS. An annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders, no notice other than this Bylaw being necessary. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place, either within or without the State of Maryland, for the holding of regular meetings of the Board of Directors without other notice than such resolution.

 

Section 3.04                             SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the chairman of the board (or any co-chairman of the board if more than one), president or by a majority of the directors then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Directors may fix any place, either within or without the State of Maryland, as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board of Directors called by them.

 

Section 3.05                             NOTICE. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be delivered personally or by telephone, facsimile transmission, electronic transmission, United States mail or courier to each director at his business or residence address. Notice by personal delivery, by telephone or a facsimile transmission or electronic transmission shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting. Notice by mail shall be given at least five days prior to the meeting and shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the director is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which he is a party. Facsimile transmission and electronic transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon

 

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completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Corporation by the director and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.

 

Section 3.06                             QUORUM. A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, provided that, if less than a majority of such directors are present at said meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to the Charter or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority of a particular group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority of such group.

 

The Board of Directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and convened may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough directors to leave less than a quorum.

 

Section 3.07                             VOTING. The action of the majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable statute, the Charter or these Bylaws.

 

Section 3.08                             TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

Section 3.09                             INFORMAL ACTION BY DIRECTORS. Any action required or permitted to be  taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent to such action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each director and such consent is filed in paper or electronic form with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.10                             VACANCIES. If for any reason any or all the directors cease to be directors, such event shall not terminate the Corporation or affect these Bylaws or the powers of the remaining directors hereunder (even if fewer than three directors remain). Except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of stock, any and all vacancies on the Board of Directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which such vacancy occurred and until his or her successor is elected and qualifies.

 

Section 3.11                             COMPENSATION. Directors shall not receive any stated salary for their services as directors but, by resolution of the Board of Directors, may receive fixed sums per year and/or per meeting and/or per visit to real property owned or to be acquired by the Corporation and for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors. Directors may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting

 

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of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with each property visit and any other service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any directors from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

 

Section 3.12                             LOSS OF DEPOSITS. No director shall be liable for any loss which may occur by reason of the failure of the bank, trust company, savings and loan association, or other institution with whom moneys or stock have been deposited.

 

Section 3.13                             SURETY BONDS. Unless required by law, no director shall be obligated to give any bond or surety or other security for the performance of any of his duties.

 

Section 3.14                             RELIANCE. Each director, officer, employee and agent of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his duties with respect to the Corporation, be fully justified and protected with regard to any act or failure to act in reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation, upon an opinion of counsel or upon reports made to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees or by the adviser, accountants, appraisers or other experts or consultants selected by the Board of Directors or officers of the Corporation, regardless of whether such counsel or expert may also be a director.

 

Section 3.15                             CERTAIN RIGHTS OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS. The directors shall have no responsibility to devote their full time to the affairs of the Corporation. Any director or officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, in his personal capacity or in a capacity as an affiliate, employee, or agent of any other person, or otherwise, may have business interests and engage in business activities similar to or in addition to or in competition with those of or relating to the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES

 

Section 4.01                             APPOINTMENT; NUMBER; TENURE. The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and other committees, composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 4.02                             POWERS. The Board of Directors may delegate to committees appointed under Section 4.01 of this Article any of the powers of the Board of Directors, except as prohibited by law.

 

Section 4.03                             MEETINGS. Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Directors. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Board of Directors may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or any two members of any committee may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide. In the absence of any member of any such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute

 

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quorum, may appoint another director to act in the place of such absent member. Each committee shall keep minutes of its proceedings.

 

Section 4.04                             TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Members of a committee of the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

Section 4.05                             INFORMAL ACTION BY COMMITTEES. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent to such action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each member of the committee and such consent is filed in paper or electronic form with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.

 

Section 4.06                             VACANCIES. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill all vacancies, to designate alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.

 

ARTICLE V
OFFICERS

 

Section 5.01                             GENERAL PROVISIONS. The officers of the Corporation shall include a chief executive officer, a president, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a chairman of the board (or one or more co-chairmen of the board), a vice chairman of the board, one or more executive vice presidents, one or more senior vice presidents, one or more vice  presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, a treasurer, one or more assistant secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers. In addition, the Board of Directors may from time to time appoint such other officers with such powers and duties as they shall deem necessary or desirable. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at the first meeting of the Board of Directors held after each annual meeting of stockholders, except that the chief executive officer may appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers. If the election of officers shall not be held at such meeting, such election shall be held as soon thereafter as may be convenient. Each officer shall hold office until his successor is elected and qualifies or until his death, resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person. In its discretion, the Board of Directors may leave unfilled any office except that of president, treasurer and secretary. Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Corporation and such officer or agent.

 

Section 5.02                             REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. Any officer or agent of the Corporation may be removed by the Board of Directors if in its judgment the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by giving written notice of his resignation to the Board of Directors, the chairman of the board (or any co-chairman of the board if more than one), the president or the secretary. Any

 

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resignation shall take effect at any time subsequent to the time specified therein or, if the time when it shall become effective is not specified therein, immediately upon its receipt. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Corporation.

 

Section 5.03                             VACANCIES. A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Directors for the balance of the term.

 

Section 5.04                             CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief executive officer. In the absence of such designation, the chairman of the board (or, if more than one, the co-chairmen of the board in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation. The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Corporation, as determined by the Board of Directors, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation.

 

Section 5.05                             CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief operating officer. The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

 

Section 5.06                             CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief financial officer. The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

 

Section 5.07                             CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. The Board of Directors shall designate a chairman of the board (or one or more co-chairmen of the board). The chairman of  the board shall preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the stockholders at which he shall be present. If there be more than one, the co-chairmen designated by the Board of Directors will perform such duties. The chairman of the board shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or them by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 5.08                             CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD EMERITUS. The directors may elect by a majority vote, from time to time, a chairman of the board emeritus (or one or more co-chairmen of the board emeritus). The chairman of the board emeritus shall be an honorary position and shall have no vote on any matter considered by the directors. The chairman of the board emeritus shall serve for such term as determined by the Board of Directors and may be removed by a majority role of directors with or without cause.

 

Section 5.09                             PRESIDENT. The president or chief executive officer, as the case may be, shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Corporation. In the absence of a designation of a chief operating officer by the Board of Directors, the president shall be the chief operating officer. He may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident

 

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to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.

 

Section 5.10                             VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the president or by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president or as vice president for particular areas of responsibility.

 

Section 5.11                             SECRETARY. The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the stockholders, the Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such stockholder; (e) have general charge of the share transfer books of the Corporation; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 5.12                             TREASURER. The treasurer shall have the custody of the funds and securities of the Corporation and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors. In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Corporation.

 

The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the president and Board of Directors, at the regular meetings of the Board of Directors or whenever it may so require, an account of all his transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.

 

If required by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of his office and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of his death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, moneys and other property of whatever kind in his possession or under his control belonging to the Corporation.

 

Section 5.13                             ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS. The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the president or the Board of Directors. The assistant treasurers shall, if required by the Board of Directors,

 

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give bonds for the faithful performance of their duties in such sums and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors.

 

Section 5.14                             SALARIES. The salaries and other compensation of the officers shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such salary or other compensation by reason of the fact that he is also a director.

 

ARTICLE VI
CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

 

Section 6.01                             CONTRACTS. The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document executed by one or more of the directors or by an authorized person shall be valid and binding upon the Board of Directors and upon the Corporation when authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 6.02                             CHECKS AND DRAFTS. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Corporation in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 6.03                             DEPOSITS. All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors may designate.

 

ARTICLE VII
STOCK

 

Section 7.01                             CERTIFICATES. The shares of the Corporation’s stock may be certificated or uncertificated, as provided under the General Corporation Law of the State of Maryland. Each stockholder, upon written request to the transfer agent or registrar of the Corporation, shall be entitled to a certificate or certificates which shall represent and certify the number of shares of each class of stock held by him in the Corporation. Any certificate issued shall be signed by the chief executive officer, the president or a vice president and countersigned by the secretary or an assistant secretary or the treasurer or an assistant treasurer and may be sealed with the seal, if any, of the Corporation. The signatures may be either manual or facsimile. Certificates shall be consecutively numbered; and if the Corporation shall, from time to time, issue several classes of stock, each class may have its own number series. A certificate is valid and may be issued whether or not an officer who signed it is still an officer when it is issued. Each issued certificate representing shares which are restricted as to their transferability or voting powers, which are preferred or limited as to their dividends or as to their allocable portion of the assets upon liquidation or which are redeemable at the option of the Corporation, shall have a statement of such restriction, limitation, preference or redemption provision, or a summary thereof, plainly stated on the certificate. If the Corporation has authority to issue stock of more than one class, the certificate shall contain on the face or back a full statement or summary of the designations and any preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers,

 

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restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of each class of stock and, if the Corporation is authorized to issue any preferred or special class in series, the differences in the relative rights and preferences between the shares of each series to the extent they have been set and the authority of the Board of Directors to set the relative rights and preferences of subsequent series. In lieu of such statement or summary, the certificate may state that the Corporation will furnish a full statement of such information to any stockholder upon request and without charge. If any class of stock is restricted by the Corporation as to transferability, the certificate shall contain a full statement of the restriction or state that the Corporation will furnish information about the restrictions to the stockholder on request and without charge.

 

Section 7.02                             TRANSFERS. Upon surrender to the Corporation or the transfer agent of the Corporation of a stock certificate duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, it shall be the duty of the Corporation to issue a new certificate or evidence of the issuance of uncertificated shares to the person entitled thereto, cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books.

 

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

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of certificated and uncertificated shares of any class of stock will be subject in all respects to the Charter and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.

 

Section 7.03                             REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE. Any officer designated by the Board of Directors may direct to be issued (i) a new certificate or certificates of stock or (ii) uncertificated shares in place of any certificate previously issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed. When authorizing the issuance of a new certificate or uncertificated shares, an officer designated by the Board of Directors may, in his discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or the owner’s legal representative to advertise the same in such manner as he shall require and/or to give bond, with sufficient surety, to the Corporation to indemnify it against any loss or claim which may arise as a result of the issuance of new certificated or uncertificated shares.

 

Section 7.04                             CLOSING OF TRANSFER BOOKS OR FIXING OF RECORD DATE. The Board of Directors may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or determining stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose. Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, not less than ten days, before the

 

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date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of stockholders of record is to be held or taken.

 

In lieu of fixing a record date, the Board of Directors may provide that the stock transfer books shall be closed for a stated period but not longer than 20 days. If the stock transfer books are closed for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders, such books shall be closed for at least ten days before the date of such meeting.

 

If no record date is fixed and the stock transfer books are not closed for the determination of stockholders, (a) the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day on which the notice of meeting is mailed or the 30th day before the meeting, whichever is the closer date to the meeting; and (b) the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive payment of a dividend or an allotment of any other rights shall be the close of business on the day on which the resolution of the directors, declaring the dividend or allotment of rights, is adopted.

 

When a determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof, except when (i) the determination has been made through the closing of the transfer books and the stated period of closing has expired or (ii) the meeting is adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the record date fixed for the original meeting, in either of which case a new record date shall be determined as set forth herein.

 

Section 7.05                             STOCK LEDGER. The Corporation shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate share ledger containing the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of each class held by such stockholder.

 

Section 7.06                             FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNITS. The Board of Directors may issue fractional stock or provide for the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as they may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may issue units consisting of different securities of the Corporation. Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Corporation, except that the Board of Directors may provide that for a specified period securities of the Corporation issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Corporation only in such unit.

 

ARTICLE VIII
ACCOUNTING YEAR

 

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

 

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ARTICLE IX
DISTRIBUTIONS

 

Section 9.01                             AUTHORIZATION. Dividends and other distributions upon the stock of the Corporation may be authorized and declared by the Board of Directors, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter.

 

Section 9.02                             CONTINGENCIES. Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Corporation available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Directors may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends or other distributions, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall determine to be in the best interest of the Corporation, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.

 

ARTICLE X
INVESTMENT POLICY

 

Subject to the provisions of the Charter, the Board of Directors may from time to time adopt, amend, revise or terminate any policy or policies with respect to investments by the Corporation as it shall deem appropriate in its sole discretion.

 

ARTICLE XI
SEAL

 

Section 11.01                      SEAL. The Board of Directors may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Corporation. The seal shall contain the name of the Corporation and the year of its incorporation and the words “Corporate Seal Maryland.” The Board of Directors may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.

 

Section 11.02                      AFFIXING SEAL. Whenever the Corporation is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE XII
INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCES FOR EXPENSES

 

To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, the Corporation shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any individual who is a present or former director or officer of the Corporation and who is made a party to the proceeding by reason of his service in that capacity or (b) any individual who, while a director of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee of such

 

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corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made a party to the proceeding by reason of his service in that capacity. The Corporation may, with the approval of its Board of Directors, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to a person who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation.

 

Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article XII, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Bylaws or Charter inconsistent with this Article XII, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.

 

ARTICLE XIII
WAIVER OF NOTICE

 

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

 

ARTICLE XIV
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

 

The Board of Directors shall have the power to alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to adopt new Bylaws. In addition, the stockholders may, at any meeting of the stockholders, either annual or special, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and adopt new Bylaws if any such alteration, repeal or adoption is approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.

 

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