EX-3.1 2 ex31articlesofincorporation.htm EX-3.1 Ex. 3.1 Articles of Incorporation



EXHIBIT 3.1

RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
CATERPILLAR INC.

Caterpillar Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, hereby certifies as follows:

1.
The name of the corporation is Caterpillar Inc. The date of filing its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State was March 12, 1986.

2.
This Restated Certificate of Incorporation restates and integrates and further amends the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation and has been duly adopted by the stockholders of the corporation in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware.

3.
The text of the Certificate of Incorporation is amended and restated to read as herein set forth in full:

FIRST: The name of this corporation is Caterpillar Inc.

SECOND: The address of the registered office of the corporation in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, and the name of its registered agent at that address is The Corporation Trust Company.

THIRD: The purpose of the corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of Delaware.

FOURTH: (a) The corporation is authorized to issue two classes of shares to be designated, respectively, "common stock" and "preferred stock." The total number of such shares shall be two billion and five million (2,005,000,000), all of which shares shall have a par value of $1.00 per share. The total number of shares of common stock authorized to be issued shall be two billion (2,000,000,000) and the total number of shares of preferred stock authorized to be issued shall be five million (5,000,000).

(b) The shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. The Board of Directors is hereby authorized to establish from time to time by resolution or resolutions the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including but not limited to the fixing or alteration of the dividend rights, dividend rate or rates, conversion rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions), the redemption price or prices, and the liquidation preferences of any wholly unissued series of shares of preferred stock, and the number of shares constituting any such series and the designation thereof, or any or all of them; and to increase or decrease the number of shares of any series subsequent to the issue of shares of that series, but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding. In case the number of shares of any series shall be so decreased, the shares constituting such decrease shall resume the status which they had prior to the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of such series.

FIFTH: In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors shall have power to make, alter, amend and repeal the bylaws (except so far as the bylaws adopted by the stockholders shall otherwise provide). Any bylaws made by the Board of Directors under the powers conferred hereby may be altered, amended or repealed by the Board of Directors or by the stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing and anything contained in this Certificate of Incorporation to the contrary, Sections 1(b)(ii), 1(c) and 3(f) of Article II, and Section 1 of Article III of the bylaws shall not be altered, amended or repealed, and no provisions inconsistent therewith shall be adopted, without the affirmative vote





of the holders of not less than a majority of the outstanding stock of the corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class (it being understood that for the purposes of this Article FIFTH, each share shall have one vote except as otherwise provided in accordance with Article FOURTH).

SIXTH: (a) The number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors of this corporation shall be as specified in the bylaws of the corporation, subject to the provisions of Article FIFTH herein and this Article SIXTH.

(b) At each annual meeting of stockholders, directors shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the next annual meeting of stockholders, with each director to serve until his successor is duly elected and qualified or until his death, resignation or removal.

(c) No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

(d) Newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal or other cause shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office (and not by stockholders), even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until such director's successor shall have been elected and qualified.

(e) Any director may be removed from office without cause but only by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the outstanding stock of the corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class (it being understood that for the purpose of this Article SIXTH, each share shall have one vote except as otherwise provided in accordance with Article FOURTH).

(f) Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the holders of any one or more classes or series of stock issued by this corporation having a preference over the common stock as to dividends or upon liquidation, shall have the right, voting separately by class or series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, filling of vacancies, terms of removal and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of Article FOURTH and the resolution or resolutions establishing such class or series adopted pursuant thereto.

SEVENTH: (a) Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the corporation 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.

(b) Special meetings of the stockholders of this corporation for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the Secretary or by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of the entire Board of Directors, but such special meetings may not be called by any other person or persons, except as otherwise provided in the bylaws of this corporation.

(c) Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors shall be given in the manner provided in the bylaws of this corporation.

(d) Election of directors need not be by written ballot unless the bylaws of this corporation shall so provide.

EIGHTH: The corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute and this Certificate of Incorporation, and all rights conferred on stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the total voting power of





all outstanding shares of stock in this corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors voting together as a single class (it being understood that for the purposes of this Article EIGHTH, each share shall have one vote except as otherwise provided in accordance with Article FOURTH) shall be required to alter, amend or repeal, or adopt any provisions inconsistent with the provisions set forth in Articles FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, and this Article EIGHTH.

NINTH: No director shall be personally liable to the corporation or any stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for any matter in respect of which such director shall be liable under Section 174 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code (relating to the Delaware General Corporation Law) or any amendment thereto or any successor provision thereto or shall be liable by reason that, in addition to any and all other requirements for such liability, such director (i) shall have breached the duty of loyalty to the corporation of its stockholders, (ii) shall not have acted in good faith, or, in failing to act, shall not have acted in good faith, (iii) shall have acted in a manner involving intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law or, in failing to act, shall have acted in a manner involving intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, or (iv) shall have derived an improper personal benefit. Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article NINTH, nor the adoption of any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article NINTH, shall eliminate or reduce the effect of this Article NINTH in respect of any matter occurring, or any cause of action, suit or claim that, but for this Article NINTH would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, said Caterpillar Inc. has caused this certificate to be signed by Douglas R. Oberhelman, its Chief Executive Officer, and attested by Christopher M. Reitz, its Secretary, this 13th day of June 2012.


 
Caterpillar Inc.
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Douglas R. Oberhelman
 
 
Name: Douglas R. Oberhelman
 
 
Title: Chief Executive Officer


ATTEST:

 
By:
/s/ Chrisopher M. Reitz
 
Name: Christopher M. Reitz
 
Title: Secretary