EX-3.1 3 w26622a2exv3w1.htm FORM OF AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF THE REGISTRANT exv3w1
 

Exhibit 3.1
FORM OF
AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
HFF, INC.
The present name of the corporation is HFF, Inc. (the “Company”). The Company was incorporated under the name “HFF, Inc.” by the filing of its original certificate of incorporation (the “Original Certificate of Incorporation”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 2, 2006. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, which both restates and further amends the provisions of the Original Certificate of Incorporation, was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The Original Certificate of Incorporation of the Company is hereby amended and restated to read in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE I
Section 1.1. Name. The name of the Company is HFF, Inc. (the “Company”).
ARTICLE II
Section 2.1. Address. The registered office of the Company in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19801; and the name of the Company’s registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.
ARTICLE III
Section 3.1. Purpose. The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).
ARTICLE IV
Section 4.1. Capitalization. The total number of shares of all classes of stock that the Company is authorized to issue is [] shares, consisting of (i) [] shares of Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share (“Preferred Stock”), (ii) [] shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (“Class A Common Stock”), and (iii) 1 share of Class B Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (“Class B Common Stock” and, together with the Class A Common Stock, the “Common Stock”). The number of authorized shares of any of the Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock of the Company entitled to vote thereon irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL (or any successor provision thereto), and no vote of the holders of any of the Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Preferred Stock voting separately as a class shall be required therefor.
Section 4.2. Preferred Stock.

 


 

(A) The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) is hereby expressly authorized, by resolution or resolutions, to provide, out of the unissued shares of Preferred Stock, for series of Preferred Stock and, with respect to each such series, to fix the number of shares constituting such series and the designation of such series, the voting powers (if any) of the shares of such series, and the powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, if any, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of the shares of such series. The powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights of each series of Preferred Stock, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, may differ from those of any and all other series at any time outstanding.
(B) Except as otherwise required by law, holders of a series of Preferred Stock, as such, shall be entitled only to such voting rights, if any, as shall expressly be granted thereto by this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to such series).
Section 4.3. Common Stock.
(A) Voting Rights.
(1) Each holder of Class A Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to one vote for each share of Class A Common Stock held of record by such holder on all matters on which stockholders generally are entitled to vote; provided, however, that to the fullest extent permitted by law, holders of Class A Common Stock, as such, shall have no voting power with respect to, and shall not be entitled to vote on, any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL.
(2) Each holder of Class B Common Stock shall be entitled, as such, without regard to the number of shares of Class B Common Stock (or fraction thereof) held by such holder, to a number of votes that is equal to the number of shares of Class A Common Stock into which the Partnership Units (defined below) held of record by such holder are then exchangeable pursuant to Article V of this Certificate of Incorporation on all matters on which stockholders are generally entitled to vote; provided, however, that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, holders of Class B Common Stock, as such, shall have no voting power with respect to, and shall not be entitled to vote on, any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL. Subject to the above, when casting its votes at any meeting of the Company, each holder of Class B Common Stock shall be entitled to cast all or any portion of the number of votes to which the Class B Common Share shall be entitled for or against, or to abstain all or any portion of the number of votes to which the Class B Common Stock shall be entitled from voting on, any proposed matter, and shall be entitled in voting on any single matter to vote a portion of such votes for, a portion of such votes against and/or abstain

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a portion of such votes from voting on, such matter, in such number and proportions as the holder sees fit. “Partnership Unit” means collectively a partnership unit in each of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and HFF Securities L.P., or any successor entities thereto, issued under their respective partnership agreements, as amended (“Partnership Agreements”).
(3) Except as otherwise required in this Certificate of Incorporation or by applicable law, the holders of Common Stock shall vote together as a single class on all matters (or, if any holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote together with the holders of Common Stock, as a single class with such holders of Preferred Stock).
(B) Dividends. Subject to applicable law and the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock or any class or series of stock having a preference over or the right to participate with the Class A Common Stock with respect to the payment of dividends, dividends may be declared and paid on the Class A Common Stock out of the assets of the Company that are by law available therefor at such times and in such amounts as the Board in its discretion shall determine. Dividends shall not be declared or paid on the Class B Common Stock.
(C) Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of the Company and of the preferential and other amounts, if any, to which the holders of Preferred Stock shall be entitled, the holders of all outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock shall be entitled to receive the remaining assets of the Company available for distribution ratably in proportion to the number of shares held by each such stockholder. The holders of shares of Class B Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to receive any assets of the Company in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company.
(D) Retirement of Class B Common Stock. In the event that any outstanding share of Class B Common Stock shall cease to be held by a holder of Partnership Units, such share shall automatically and without further action on the part of the Company or any holder of Class B Common Stock be transferred to the Company and thereupon shall be retired. In the event that the Class B Common Stock is no longer entitled to any votes at any meeting or action under Section 4.3(A)(2) above, all shares of such Class B Common Stock shall automatically and without further action on the part of the Company or any holder of Class B Common Stock be transferred to the Company and thereupon shall be retired.
ARTICLE V
Section 5.1. Partnership Units.
(A) Exchange of Partnership Units.
(1) Subject to adjustment as provided in this Article V and subject to the provisions of the Partnership Agreements, each holder of a Partnership Unit (other than the Company) shall be entitled to exchange, at any time and from time to time, any or all of such holder’s Partnership Units, on a one-for-one basis, for the same number of shares of Class A Common Stock (the number of shares of Class A Common Stock for which a Partnership Unit is entitled to be exchanged referred to herein as the

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Exchange Rate”). Such right shall be exercised by a written notice to the Company from the holder of such Partnership Units stating that such holder desires to exchange a stated number of Partnership Units into an equal number of shares of Class A Common Stock, accompanied by instruments of transfer to the Company, in form satisfactory to the Company and to the Company’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”), duly executed by such holder or such holder’s duly authorized attorney, and transfer tax stamps or funds therefor, if required pursuant to this Article V, in respect of the Partnership Units to be exchanged, in each case delivered during normal business hours at the principal executive offices of the Company or at the office of the Transfer Agent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no holder of a Partnership Unit shall be entitled to exchange such Partnership Unit for a share of Class A Common Stock if such exchange would be prohibited under applicable federal or state securities laws or regulations.
(2) As promptly as practicable following the surrender for exchange of Partnership Units in the manner provided in this Article V and the payment in cash of any amount required by the provisions of this Article V, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered at the principal executive offices of the Company or at the office of the Transfer Agent the number of shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon such exchange, issued in such name or names as such holder may direct. Upon the date any such Partnership Units are surrendered for exchange, all rights of the holder of such Partnership Units as such holder shall cease, and the person or persons in whose name or names the shares of Class A Common Stock are to be issued shall be treated for all purposes as having become the record holder or holders of such shares of Class A Common Stock.
(B) Stock Splits, Stock Dividends and Reclassifications. The Exchange Rate shall be adjusted accordingly if there is: (1) any subdivision (by any unit split, unit distribution, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse unit split, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) of the Partnership Units that is not accompanied by an identical subdivision or combination of the Class A Common Stock; or (2) any subdivision (by any stock split, stock dividend, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse stock split, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) of the Class A Common Stock that is not accompanied by an identical subdivision or combination of the Partnership Units. In the event of a reclassification or other similar transaction as a result of which the shares of Class A Common Stock are converted into another security, then a holder of Partnership Units shall be entitled to receive upon exchange the amount of such security that such holder would have received if such exchange had occurred immediately prior to the effective date of such reclassification or other similar transaction. Except as may be required in the immediately preceding sentence, no adjustments in respect of dividends shall be made upon the exchange of any Partnership Unit; provided, however, that if a Partnership Unit shall be exchanged subsequent to the record date for the payment of a dividend or other distribution on Partnership Units but prior to the date of such payment, then the registered holder of such Partnership Unit at the close of business on such record date shall be entitled to receive the dividend or other distribution payable on such Partnership Unit on such payment date notwithstanding the exchange thereof or the default in payment of the dividend or distribution due on such payment date.

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(C) Shares Reserved for Issuance. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued shares of Class A Common Stock, solely for the purpose of issuance upon exchange of the Partnership Units, such number of shares of Class A Common Stock that shall be issuable upon the exchange of all such outstanding Partnership Units; provided, that nothing contained herein shall be construed to preclude the Company from satisfying its obligations in respect of the exchange of the Partnership Units by delivery of purchased shares of Class A Common Stock which are held in the treasury of the Company. The Company covenants that if any shares of Class A Common Stock require registration with or approval of any governmental authority under any federal or state law before such shares of Class A Common Stock may be issued upon exchange, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such shares to be duly registered or approved, as the case may be. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to list the shares of Class A Common Stock required to be delivered upon exchange prior to such delivery upon each national securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system upon which the outstanding Class A Common Stock may be listed or traded at the time of such delivery. The Company covenants that all shares of Class A Common Stock that shall be issued upon exchange of the Partnership Units will, upon issue, be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
(D) Taxes. The issuance of shares of Class A Common Stock upon exchange of Partnership Units shall be made without charge to the holders of such Partnership Units for any stamp or other similar tax in respect of such issuance; provided, however, that if any such shares to be issued in a name other than that of the holder of the Partnership Units exchanged, then the person or persons requesting the issuance thereof shall pay to the Company the amount of any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in such issuance or shall establish to the satisfaction of the Company that such tax has been paid or is not payable.
Section 5.2. Amendment of Article V. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, and in addition to any other vote required by the DGCL or this Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority in voting power of the Class B Common Stock, voting separately as a class, shall be required to alter, amend or repeal this Article V or to adopt any provision inconsistent therewith.
ARTICLE VI
Section 6.1. Bylaws. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the DGCL, the Board is expressly authorized to make, amend, alter, change, add to or repeal the bylaws of the Company without the assent or vote of the stockholders in any manner not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Delaware or this Certificate of Incorporation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Company entitled to vote generally

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in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required for the stockholders to make, amend, alter, change, add to or repeal any provision of the bylaws of the Company.
ARTICLE VII
Section 7.1. Board of Directors.
(A) The business and affairs of the Company shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board, with the exact number of directors to be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by affirmative vote of a majority of the Board.
(B) Subject to the rights, if any, of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, the directors shall be divided into three classes, designated Class I, Class II and Class III. The initial Class I directors are [], [] and [], the initial Class II directors are [], [] and [], and the initial Class III directors are [], [] and []. The number of directors in each class shall be the whole number contained in the quotient arrived at by dividing the authorized number of directors by three, and if a fraction is also contained in such quotient then if such fraction is one-third (1/3) the extra director shall be a member of Class III and if the fraction is two-thirds (2/3) one of the extra directors shall be a member of Class III and the other shall be a member of Class II. Directors shall serve for staggered terms of three years each, except that initially the Class I directors will serve until the Company’s 2007 annual meeting of stockholders, the Class II directors will serve until the Company’s 2008 annual meeting and the Class III directors will serve until the Company’s 2009 annual meeting. At each annual meeting of stockholders following the first annual meeting of stockholders, directors shall be elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election. All directors shall hold office until the annual meeting of stockholders for the year in which their term expires and until their successors are duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal.
(C) Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock issued by the Company shall have the right, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, removal and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) applicable thereto. The number of directors that may be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the number fixed pursuant to Section 7.1(A) hereof.
(D) Directors of the Company need not be elected by written ballot unless the bylaws of the Company shall so provide.
ARTICLE VIII
Section 8.1. Meetings of Stockholders. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of stock of the Company must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of such holders and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such holders; provided, however, that any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of Class B Common Stock, voting separately as a

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class, or, to the extent expressly permitted by the certificate of designation relating to one or more series of Preferred Stock, by the holders of such series of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more other such series, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant class or series having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Company by delivery to its registered office in Delaware, its principal place of business, or to an officer or agent of the Company having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Except as otherwise required by law and subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Company may be called only by or at the direction of the Board, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
ARTICLE IX
Section 9.1. Advance Notice. Advance notice of new business and stockholder nomination for the election of directors shall be given in the manner and to the extent provided in the bylaws of the Company or any amendment thereof.
ARTICLE X
Section 10.1. Limited Liability of Directors. No director of the Company will have any personal liability to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or hereafter may be amended. Neither the amendment nor the repeal of this Article X shall eliminate or reduce the effect thereof in respect of any matter occurring, or any cause of action, suit or claim that, but for this Article X, would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment or repeal.
ARTICLE XI
Section 11.1. Indemnification. To the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, the Company shall indemnify any person (and such person’s heirs, executors or administrators) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (brought in the right of the Company or otherwise), whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, and whether formal or informal, including appeals, by reason of the fact that such person, or a person for whom such person was the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Company or, while a director or officer of the Company, is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company, nonprofit entity or other enterprise, for and against all loss and liability suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement reasonably incurred by such person or such heirs, executors or administrators in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, including appeals. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 11.3 hereof, the Company shall be required to indemnify a person described in such sentence in connection with any action, suit or proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such person only if the commencement of such action, suit or proceeding (or part thereof) by such person was authorized by the Board.

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Section 11.2. Advance of Expenses. To the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Company shall promptly pay expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by any person described in Section 11.1 hereof in appearing at, participating in or defending any action, suit or proceeding in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, including appeals, upon presentation of an undertaking on behalf of such person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article XI or otherwise. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 11.3 hereof, the Company shall be required to pay expenses of a person described in such sentence in connection with any action, suit or proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such person only if the commencement of such action, suit or proceeding (or part thereof) by such person was authorized by the Board.
Section 11.3. Unpaid Claims. If a claim for indemnification (following the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding) or advancement of expenses under this Article XI is not paid in full within thirty (30) days after a written claim therefor by any person described in Section 11.1 has been received by the Company, such person may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim. In any such action the Company shall have the burden of proving that such person is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.
Section 11.4. Insurance. To the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Company may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person described in Section 11.1 against any liability asserted against such person, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this Article XI or otherwise.
Section 11.5. Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The provisions of this Article XI shall be applicable to all actions, claims, suits or proceedings made or commenced after the adoption hereof, whether arising from acts or omissions to act occurring before or after its adoption. The provisions of this Article XI shall be deemed to be a contract between the Company and each director or officer (or legal representative thereof) who serves in such capacity at any time while this Article XI and the relevant provisions of the laws of the State of Delaware and other applicable law, if any, are in effect, and any alteration, amendment or repeal hereof shall not affect any rights or obligations then existing with respect to any state of facts or any action, suit or proceeding then or theretofore existing, or any action, suit or proceeding thereafter brought or threatened based in whole or in part on any such state of facts. If any provision of this Article XI shall be found to be invalid or limited in application by reason of any law or regulation, it shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions hereof. The rights of indemnification provided in this Article XI shall neither be exclusive of, nor be deemed in limitation of, any rights to which any person may otherwise be or become entitled or permitted by contract, this Certificate of Incorporation, the bylaws of the Company, vote of stockholders or directors or otherwise, or as a matter of law, both as to actions in such person’s official capacity and actions in any other capacity, it being the policy of the Company that indemnification of any person whom the Company is obligated to indemnify pursuant to Section 11.1 hereof shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law.
For purposes of this Article XI, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans;

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references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries.
This Article XI shall not limit the right of the Company, to the extent and in the manner permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to, and purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of, persons other than persons described in Section 11.1 hereof.
ARTICLE XII
Section 12.1. Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Company to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service to or for the benefit of the Company to the fullest extent permitted by law.
ARTICLE XIII
Section 13.1. Amendment. The Company reserves the right to amend or repeal any provisions contained in this Certificate of Incorporation or any amendment thereof from time to time and at any time in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by the laws of the State of Delaware, and all rights conferred upon stockholders and directors are granted subject to such reservation; provided, however, that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary elsewhere contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, any amendment or repeal of Articles VI, VII, VIII, IX and XIII, shall not be amended, altered or repealed without the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than 66-2/3% of the then outstanding stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by John H. Pelusi, Jr., its Chief Executive Officer, this       day of           , 2007.
         
HFF, INC.    
 
       
By:
       
 
       
 
  Name: John H. Pelusi, Jr.    
 
  Title: Chief Executive Officer    

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