EX-3.1 4 d939445dex31.htm EX-3.1 EX-3.1

Exhibit 3.1

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

MONTAUK RENEWABLES, INC.

Montauk Renewables, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”) hereby certifies as follows:

 

  1.

The name of the Company is Montauk Renewables, Inc., formerly incorporated as Montauk Energy, Inc. The Company’s original Certificate of Incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 21, 2020 (the “Certificate”);

 

  2.

This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, has been duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware by the directors and stockholders of the Company;

 

  3.

This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation amends and restates the Certificate in its entirety, reads in its entirety as set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto and is incorporated herein by reference; and

 

  4.

This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation shall be effective on the date of filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank.]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be executed by the undersigned duly authorized officer on this 4th day of January, 2021.

 

MONTAUK RENEWABLES, INC.

By:

 

/s/ Scott Loughman

 

Name: Scott Loughman

 

Title:   Chief Executive Officer

[Signature Page to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation - Montauk Renewables, Inc.]

 

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EXHIBIT A

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

MONTAUK RENEWABLES, INC.

ARTICLE I

The name of the corporation is Montauk Renewables, Inc. (the “Company”).

ARTICLE II

The address of the Company’s registered office in the State of Delaware is Corporation Service Company, 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, County of New Castle, DE, 19808. The name of the Company’s registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company. The Company may have such other offices, either within or without the State of Delaware, as the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) may designate or as the business of the Company may from time to time require.

ARTICLE III

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, as amended (the “DGCL”).

ARTICLE IV

Section 1. Authorized Capital Stock. The Company is authorized to issue two classes of capital stock, designated Common Stock and Preferred Stock. The total number of shares of capital stock that the Company is authorized to issue is 700,000,000 shares, consisting of 690,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share.

Section 2. Preferred Stock. The Preferred Stock may be issued in one or more series. The Board is hereby authorized to issue the shares of Preferred Stock in such series and to fix from time to time before issuance the number of shares to be included in any such series and the designation, powers, preferences and relative participating, optional or other rights, if any, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof. The authority of the Board with respect to each such series will include, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the determination of any or all of the following:

(a) the number of shares of any series and the designation to distinguish the shares of such series from the shares of all other series;

(b) the voting powers, if any, and whether such voting powers are full or limited in such series;

(c) the redemption provisions, if any, applicable to such series, including the redemption price or prices to be paid;

 

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(d) whether dividends, if any, will be cumulative or noncumulative, the dividend rate of such series, and the dates and preferences of dividends on such series;

(e) the rights of such series upon the voluntary or involuntary dissolution of, or upon any distribution of the assets of, the Company;

(f) the provisions, if any, pursuant to which the shares of such series are convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes or of any other series of the same or any other class or classes of stock, or any other security, of the Company or any other corporation or other entity, and the rates or other determinants of conversion or exchange applicable thereto;

(g) the right, if any, to subscribe for or to purchase any securities of the Company or any other corporation or other entity;

(h) the provisions, if any, of a sinking fund applicable to such series; and

(i) any other relative, participating, optional, or other special powers, preferences or rights and qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof;

all as may be determined from time to time by the Board and stated or expressed in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of such Preferred Stock (collectively, a “Preferred Stock Designation”).

Section 3. Common Stock. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, the holders of Common Stock will be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder as of the record date for such meeting.

ARTICLE V

The Board may make, amend, and repeal the Bylaws of the Company. Any Bylaw made by the Board under the powers conferred hereby may be amended or repealed by the Board (except as specified in any such Bylaw so made or amended) or by the stockholders in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing and anything contained in this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws to the contrary, prior to the conclusion of the Transition Time (as defined below), Bylaws 15(b), 17 and 38 may not be amended or repealed by the stockholders, and no provision inconsistent therewith may be adopted by the stockholders, without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the outstanding Voting Stock (as defined below), voting together as a single class. The Company may in its Bylaws confer powers upon the Board in addition to the foregoing and in addition to the powers and authorities expressly conferred upon the Board by applicable law. For the purposes of this Certificate of Incorporation, “Voting Stock” means stock of the Company of any class or series entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate of Incorporation to the contrary, prior to the Transition Time, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, is required to amend or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article V.

 

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ARTICLE VI

Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock:

(a) any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders may be taken only at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders or without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote by means of a consent in writing, setting forth the action to be so taken, signed by all of the holders of outstanding stock of the Company and delivered to the Company’s registered office, its principal place of business or an officer or agent of the Company having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded; and

(b) special meetings of stockholders may be called only (i) by the Chairman of the Board (the “Chairman”), (ii) by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “Chief Executive Officer”), or (iii) by the Secretary of the Company (the “Secretary”) acting at the request of the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer or a majority of the total number of directors then authorized.

At any annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders, only such business will be conducted or considered as has been brought before such meeting in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the Company.

ARTICLE VII

Section 1. Number, Election, and Terms of Directors.

(a) Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under circumstances specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, the Board shall consist of such number of the directors as shall be determined from time to time solely by resolution adopted by a majority of the directors then in office; provided, however, that the directors then in office are not less than 33 1/3 % of the total number of directors then authorized.

(b) The directors, other than those who may be elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, will be classified until the conclusion of the 2030 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Transition Time”) with respect to the time for which they severally hold office into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, designated Class I, Class II, and Class III. At any meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected, the number of directors elected may not exceed the greatest number of directors then in office in any class of directors. The directors first appointed to Class I will hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2021; the directors first appointed to Class II will hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2022; and the directors first appointed to Class III will hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2023, with the members of each class to hold office until their successors are elected and qualified. At each succeeding annual meeting until the 2028 annual meeting of stockholders, the successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a three-year term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election and until their successors are elected and qualified. In order to transition from classified

 

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directors, at the 2028 annual meeting of stockholders, the directors elected at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a one-year term expiring at the 2029 annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualified; at the 2029 annual meeting of stockholders, the directors elected at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a one-year term expiring at the 2030 annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualified; at the 2030 annual meeting of stockholders, the directors elected at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a one-year term expiring at the 2031 annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualified, at which point all of the directors will cease to be classified; and at each annual meeting of stockholders thereafter, all directors shall be elected to hold office for a one-year term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders and until such director’s successor shall have been elected and qualified.

(c) Each person to be elected as a director will be elected as such by plurality vote of all votes properly cast by stockholders upon his or her election at a meeting for the election of directors at which a quorum is present. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under circumstances specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, directors may be elected by the stockholders only at an annual meeting of stockholders. Election of directors of the Company need not be by written ballot unless requested by the presiding officer or by the holders of a majority of the Voting Stock present in person or represented by proxy at a meeting of the stockholders at which directors are to be elected. If authorized by the Board, such requirement of a written ballot shall be satisfied by a ballot submitted by electronic transmission, provided that any such electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the stockholder or proxy holder.

Section 2. Nomination of Director Candidates. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors must be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the Company.

Section 3. Newly Created Directorships and Vacancies. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under circumstances specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on the Board resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal, or other cause will be filled solely by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board, or by a sole remaining director. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence will hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred, if applicable, and until such director’s successor has been elected and qualified. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board may shorten the term of any incumbent director.

Section 4. Removal.

(a)    Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under circumstances specified in a Preferred Stock Designation and except as otherwise provided by law, prior to the Transition Time, any director may be removed from office by the stockholders only for cause and only in the manner provided in this Article VII, Section 4(a). At any annual meeting or special

 

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meeting of the stockholders prior to the Transition Time, the notice of which states that the removal of a director or directors is among the purposes of the meeting and identifies the director or directors proposed to be removed, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the outstanding Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, may remove such director or directors for cause.

(b) Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under circumstances specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, except as otherwise provided by law, after the Transition Time, any director may be removed from office by the stockholders with or without cause and only in the manner provided in this Article VII, Section 4(b). At any annual meeting or special meeting of the stockholders after the Transition Time, the notice of which states that the removal of a director or directors is among the purposes of the meeting and identifies the director or directors proposed to be removed, the affirmative vote of the holders of majority of the voting power of the outstanding Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, may remove such director or directors with or without cause.

Section 5. Amendment, Repeal, Etc. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate of Incorporation to the contrary, prior to the Transition Time, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the outstanding Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, is required to amend or repeal, or adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article VII.

ARTICLE VIII

To the full extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law and any other applicable law currently or hereafter in effect, no director of the Company will be personally liable to the Company or its stockholders for or with respect to any breach of fiduciary duty or other act or omission as a director of the Company. No repeal or modification of this Article VIII will adversely affect the protection of any director of the Company provided hereby in relation to any breach of fiduciary duty or other act or omission as a director of the Company occurring prior to the effectiveness of such repeal or modification.

ARTICLE IX

Section 1. Right to Indemnification. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise subject to or involved in any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or an officer of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another company or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (an “Indemnitee”), whether the basis of such Proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee or agent, shall be indemnified by the Company to the fullest extent permitted or required by the Delaware General Corporation Law and any other applicable law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Company to provide broader indemnification rights than such law permitted the Company to provide prior to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or

 

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suffered by such Indemnitee in connection therewith (“Indemnifiable Losses”); provided, however, that, except as provided in Section 4 of this Article IX with respect to Proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification, the Company shall indemnify any such Indemnitee pursuant to this Section 1 in connection with a Proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such Indemnitee only if such Proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board.

Section 2. Right to Advancement of Expenses. The right to indemnification conferred in Section 1 of this Article IX shall include the right to advancement by the Company of any and all expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred in defending any such Proceeding in advance of its final disposition (an “Advancement of Expenses”); provided, however, that, if the Delaware General Corporation Law so requires, an Advancement of Expenses incurred by an Indemnitee in his or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such Indemnitee, including without limitation service to an employee benefit plan) shall be made pursuant to this Section 2 only upon delivery to the Company of an undertaking (an “Undertaking”), by or on behalf of such Indemnitee, to repay, without interest, all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal (a “Final Adjudication”) that such Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Section 2. An Indemnitee’s right to an Advancement of Expenses pursuant to this Section 2 is not subject to the satisfaction of any standard of conduct and is not conditioned upon any prior determination that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under Section 1 of this Article IX with respect to the related Proceeding or the absence of any prior determination to the contrary.

Section 3. Contract Rights. The rights to indemnification and to the Advancement of Expenses conferred in Sections 1 and 2 of this Article IX shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the Indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators.

Section 4. Right of Indemnitee to Bring Suit. If a claim under Section 1 or 2 of this Article IX is not paid in full by the Company within 60 calendar days after a written claim has been received by the Company, except in the case of a claim for an Advancement of Expenses, in which case the applicable period shall be 20 calendar days, the Indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Company to recover the unpaid amount of the claim. If successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Company to recover an Advancement of Expenses pursuant to the terms of an Undertaking, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to the fullest extent permitted or required by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Company to provide broader reimbursements of prosecution or defense expenses than such law permitted the Company to provide prior to such amendment), to be paid also the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. In (i) any suit brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to an Advancement of Expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) any suit brought by the Company to recover an Advancement of Expenses pursuant to the terms of an Undertaking, the Company shall be entitled to recover such expenses, without interest, upon a Final Adjudication that, the Indemnitee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law. Neither the failure of the Company (including the Board or a committee thereof, its stockholders or independent legal counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the Indemnitee has

 

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met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law, nor an actual determination by the Company (including the Board or a committee thereof, its stockholders or independent legal counsel) that the Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit brought by the Indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by an Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an Advancement of Expenses hereunder, or brought by the Company to recover an Advancement of Expenses hereunder pursuant to the terms of an Undertaking, the burden of proving that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such Advancement of Expenses, shall be on the Company.

Section 5. Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights to indemnification and to the Advancement of Expenses conferred in this Article IX shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. Nothing contained in this Article IX shall limit or otherwise affect any such other right or the Company’s power to confer any such other right.

Section 6. Insurance. The Company may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

Section 7. No Duplication of Payments. The Company shall not be liable under this Article IX to make any payment to an Indemnitee in respect of any Indemnifiable Losses to the extent that the Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (net of any expenses incurred in connection therewith and any repayment by the Indemnitee made with respect thereto) under any insurance policy or from any other source in respect of such Indemnifiable Losses.

Section 8. Amendment, Repeal, Etc. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate of Incorporation to the contrary, prior to the conclusion of the Transition Time, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, is required to amend or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article IX.

ARTICLE X

Section 1. Forum.

(a) Unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws (as either may be amended from time to time), or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, shall be the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware). If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of the

 

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preceding sentence is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the preceding sentence and (ii) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder. This Article X, Section 1(a) will not apply to any claim arising under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

(b) Unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the sole and exclusive forum for any action asserting a claim arising under the Securities Act of 1933.

(c) Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Article X.

Section 2. Enforceability. If any provision of this Article X shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provision in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article X (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Article X containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities or circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

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