EX-3.3 5 ea023484101ex3-3_usarare.htm BYLAWS OF USA RARE EARTH, INC

Exhibit 3.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

USA Rare Earth, Inc.

 

BYLAWS

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

STOCKHOLDERS MEETINGS 1
     
1. Time and Place of Meetings 1
     
2. Annual Meetings 1
     
3. Special Meetings 1
     
4. Notice of Meetings 1
     
5. Inspectors 1
     
6. Quorum 2
     
7. Voting; Proxies 2
     
8. Order of Business 2
     
9. Notice of Stockholder Proposals 2
     
10. Notice of Director Nominations 5
     
11. Additional Provisions Relating to the Notice of Stockholder Business and Director Nominations 7
     
12. Record Dates 9
     
13. Recesses and Adjournments 9
     
DIRECTORS 9
     
14. Function 9
     
15. Number, Election and Terms 9
     
16. Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships 9
     
17. Removal 10
     
18. Resignation 10
     
19. Regular Meetings 10
     
20. Special Meetings 10
     
21. Quorum; Voting 10
     
22. Participation in Meetings by Remote Communications 10
     
23. Committees 10
     
24. Compensation 11
     
25. Rules 11
     
26. Chairman of the Board 11
     
27. Indemnification 11

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

NOTICES 14
     
28. Generally 14
     
29. Waivers 14
     
OFFICERS 15
     
30. Generally 15
     
31. Compensation 16
     
32. Succession 16
     
33. Authority and Duties 16
     
STOCK 16
     
34. Certificates 16
     
35. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates 17
     
TRANSFERS 17
     
36. Transfers Generally 17
     
37. Lock-Up. 17
     
GENERAL 21
     
38. Fiscal Year 21
     
39. Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records 21
     
40. Amendments 21
     
41. Certain Defined Terms 21

 

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STOCKHOLDERS MEETINGS

 

1. Time and Place of Meetings. All meetings of stockholders will be held at such time and place, within or without the State of Delaware, as may be designated by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of USA Rare Earth, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), from time to time in such manner as set forth in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders will not be held at any place, but may instead be held by means of remote communications in accordance with Section 211(a)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended (the “DGCL”), subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board may adopt from time to time. The Board may cancel or reschedule to an earlier or later date any previously scheduled annual or special meeting of stockholders.

 

2. Annual Meetings. At each annual meeting of stockholders, the stockholders will elect the directors from the nominees for director and will transact such other business, in such case as may properly be brought before the meeting in accordance with Sections 8, 9, 10 and 11.

 

3. Special Meetings.

 

(a) General. A special meeting of stockholders may be called only by such persons and only in such manner as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation, in each case to transact only such business as is specified in the notice of such meeting.

 

(b) Meetings of Preferred Stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 3, special meetings of holders of any outstanding Preferred Stock may be called in the manner and for the purposes provided in the applicable Preferred Stock Designation.

 

4. Notice of Meetings. Notice of every meeting of stockholders, stating the place, if any, date and time thereof, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, will be given, in a form permitted by Section 28 or by the DGCL, not less than ten nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting, except as otherwise provided by law. When a meeting is recessed or adjourned to another place, date, or time, notice need not be given of the recessed or adjourned meeting if the place, if any, date and time thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such recessed or adjourned meeting, are (a) announced at the meeting at which the recess or adjournment is taken (b) displayed, during the time scheduled for the meeting, on the same electronic network used to enable stockholders and proxy holders to participate in the meeting by means of remote communication or (c) set forth in the notice of meeting; provided, however, that if the recess or adjournment is for more than 30 days, or if after the recess or adjournment a new record date is fixed for the recessed or adjourned meeting, written notice of the place, if any, date and time thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such recessed or adjourned meeting, must be given in conformity herewith.

 

5. Inspectors. The Board will, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting and make a written report thereof. The Board may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate is able to act at a meeting of stockholders, the presiding officer of the meeting will appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting.

 

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6. Quorum. Except as otherwise provided by law or in a Preferred Stock Designation, the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum at a meeting of stockholders for the transaction of business thereat. A quorum, once established, will not be broken by the subsequent withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum. If, however, such a quorum shall not be present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, the presiding officer of the meeting shall have the power to recess or adjourn the meeting from time to time, in the manner provided in Section 13, until a quorum is present or represented.

 

7. Voting; Proxies.

 

(a) General. Except as otherwise provided by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation, or in a Preferred Stock Designation, each stockholder will be entitled at every meeting of the stockholders to one vote for each share of stock having voting power standing in the name of such stockholder on the books of the Company on the record date for the meeting and such votes may be cast either in person or by proxy. Every proxy must be authorized in a manner permitted by Section 212 of the DGCL (or any successor provision) and may be documented, signed and delivered in accordance with Section 116 of the DGCL (or any successor provision) provided that such authorization shall set forth, or be delivered with, information enabling the Company to reasonably determine the identity of the stockholder granting such authorization.

 

(b) Vote Required for Stockholder Action. When a quorum is present at any meeting of stockholders, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes properly cast on the matter (excluding any abstentions or broker non-votes) will be the act of the stockholders with respect to all matters other than the election of directors (who will be elected by a plurality of all votes properly cast), except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation, a Preferred Stock Designation, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, or by law.

 

8. Order of Business. The Chairman, or an officer of the Company designated from time to time by a majority of the total number of directors that the Company would have if there were no vacancies on the Board of Directors (the “Whole Board”), will call meetings of stockholders to order and will act as presiding officer thereof. Unless otherwise determined by the Board prior to the meeting, the presiding officer of any meeting of stockholders will also determine the order of business and have the authority in his or her sole discretion to determine the rules of procedure and regulate the conduct of the meeting, including without limitation by: (a) imposing restrictions on the persons (other than stockholders of the Company or their duly appointed proxy holders) that may attend the meeting; (b) ascertaining whether any stockholder or his or her proxy holder may be excluded from the meeting based upon any determination by the presiding officer, in his or her sole discretion, that any such person has disrupted or is likely to disrupt the proceedings thereat; (c) determining the circumstances in which any person may make a statement or ask questions at the meeting; (d) ruling on all procedural questions that may arise during or in connection with the meeting; (e) determining whether any nomination or business proposed to be brought before the meeting has been properly brought before the meeting; and (f) determining the time or times at which the polls for voting at the meeting will be opened and closed.

 

9. Notice of Stockholder Proposals.

 

(a) Business to Be Conducted at Annual Meeting. At an annual meeting of stockholders, only such business may be conducted as has been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business (other than the nomination of a person for election as a director, which is governed by Section 10, and, to the extent applicable, Section 11), must be (i) specified in the notice of such meeting (or any supplement or amendment thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board or any authorized committee of the Board, (ii) otherwise brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder who (A) has complied with all applicable requirements of this Section 9 and Section 11 in relation to such business, (B) was a stockholder of record of the Company at the time of giving the notice required by Section 11(a) and is a stockholder of record of the Company at the time of the annual meeting, and (C) is entitled to vote at the annual meeting. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing clause (iii) will be the exclusive means for a stockholder to submit business before an annual meeting of stockholders.

 

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(b) Required Form for Stockholder Proposals. To be in proper form, regardless of whether the subject matter is already the subject of any notice to stockholders from the Board, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth in writing, on the form provided to the stockholder upon written request to the Secretary and verification that the requesting party is a stockholder or is acting on behalf of a stockholder, the following information, which must be updated and supplemented, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided will be true and correct on the record date of the annual meeting and as of such date that is ten business days prior to the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof; which update shall be delivered to the Secretary no later than five business days after the record date for the Annual Meeting and not later than eight business days prior to the date of the Annual Meeting.

 

(i) Information Regarding the Proposing Person. As to each Proposing Person (as such term is defined in Section 11(d)(ii)):

 

(A) the name and address of such Proposing Person, as they appear on the Company’s stock transfer book;

 

(B) the class, series and number of shares of the Company directly or indirectly beneficially owned or held of record by such Proposing Person (including any shares of any class or series of the Company as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time);

 

(C) a representation (1) that the stockholder giving the notice is a holder of record of stock of the Company entitled to vote at the annual meeting and intends to appear at the annual meeting to bring such business before the annual meeting and (2) as to whether any Proposing Person intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of shares of the Company entitled to vote and required to approve the proposal and, if so, identifying such Proposing Person;

 

(D) a description of any (1) option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right or similar right or interest (including any derivative securities, as defined under Rule 16a-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) or other synthetic arrangement having characteristics of a long position), assuming for purposes of these Bylaws presently exercisable, with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement or payment mechanism at a price related to any class or series of securities of the Company or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of securities of the Company, whether or not such instrument or right is subject to settlement in whole or in part in the underlying class or series of securities of the Company or otherwise, directly or indirectly held of record or owned beneficially by such Proposing Person and whether or not such Proposing Person may have entered into transactions that hedge or mitigate the economic effects of such security or instrument and (2) each other direct or indirect right or interest that may enable such Proposing Person to profit or share in any profit derived from, or to manage the risk or benefit from, any increase or decrease in the value of the Company’s securities, in each case regardless of whether (x) such right or interest conveys any voting rights in such security to such Proposing Person, (y) such right or interest is required to be, or is capable of being, settled through delivery of such security, or (z) such Proposing Person may have entered into other transactions that hedge the economic effect of any such right or interest (any such right or interest referred to in this clause (D) being a “Derivative Interest”);

 

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(E) any proxy, contract, agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship pursuant to which the Proposing Person has a right to vote any shares of the Company or which has the effect of increasing or decreasing the voting power of such Proposing Person;

 

(F) any contract, agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship including any repurchase or similar so called “stock borrowing” agreement or arrangement, the purpose or effect of which is to mitigate loss, reduce economic risk or increase or decrease voting power with respect to any capital stock of the Company or which provides any party, directly or indirectly, the opportunity to profit from any decrease in the price or value of the capital stock of the Company;

 

(G) any material pending or threatened legal proceeding involving the Company, any affiliate of the Company or any of their respective directors or officers, to which such Proposing Person or its affiliates is a party;

 

(H) any rights directly or indirectly held of record or beneficially by the Proposing Person to dividends on the shares of the Company that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Company;

 

(I) any equity interests, including any convertible, derivative or short interests, in any principal competitor of the Company;

 

(J) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) to which the Proposing Person or any affiliate or immediate family member of the Proposing Person may be entitled as a result of any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Company or Derivative Interests;

 

(K) a representation whether the stockholder, the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or other business proposal is being made, any control person, or any other participant (as defined in Item 4 of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act) will engage in a solicitation with respect to such nomination or other business proposal and, if so, the name of each participant in such solicitation; and a statement: (1) confirming whether, the stockholder, beneficial owner, or any control person intends, or is part of a group that (x) in the case of a nomination, intends to solicit proxies or votes in support of such director nominees or nomination in accordance with Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act, including but not limited to, delivering a proxy statement and form of proxy and soliciting at least the percentage of the voting power of all of the shares of the stock of the Company required by Rule 14a-19(a)(3) and by applicable law to elect the nominee, and (y) in the case of a business proposal, intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy and solicit at least the percentage of voting power of all of the shares of stock of the Company required under applicable law to approve the proposal; and (2) whether or not any such stockholder, beneficial owner, or any control person intends to otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such nomination or other business proposal;

 

(L) reasonable evidence provided to the Company, promptly following the solicitation of proxies described in the foregoing section (K) and no later than five business days before the meeting, that the stockholder has (x) in the case of a nomination, solicited proxies or votes in support of such director nominees or nomination in accordance with Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act, including but not limited to, having delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy and solicited at least the percentage of the voting power of all of the shares of the stock of the Company required by Rule 14a-19(a)(3) and by applicable law to elect the nominee, or (y) in the case of a business proposal, has delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy and solicited at least the percentage of voting power of all of the shares of stock of the Company required under applicable law to approve the proposal; and

 

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(M) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act to be made in connection with a general solicitation of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting.

 

(ii) Information Regarding the Proposal: As to each item of business that the stockholder giving the notice proposes to bring before the annual meeting:

 

(A) a description in reasonable detail of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons why such stockholder or any other Proposing Person believes that the taking of the action or actions proposed to be taken would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders;

 

(B) a description in reasonable detail of any material interest of any Proposing Person in such business and a description in reasonable detail of all agreements, arrangements and understandings among the Proposing Persons or between any Proposing Person and any other person or entity (including their names) in connection with the proposal; and

 

(C) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration).

 

(c) No Right to Have Proposal Included. A stockholder is not entitled to have its proposal included in the Company’s proxy statement and form of proxy solely as a result of such stockholder’s compliance with the foregoing provisions of this Section 9.

 

(d) Requirement to Attend Annual Meeting. If a stockholder does not appear at the annual meeting to present its proposal, such proposal will be disregarded (notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such proposal may have been solicited, obtained or delivered).

 

10. Notice of Director Nominations.

 

(a) Nomination of Directors. Subject to the rights, if any, of any series of Preferred Stock to nominate or elect directors under circumstances specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 10 will be eligible to serve as directors. Nominations of persons for election as directors of the Company may be made only at an annual meeting of stockholders and only (i) by or at the direction of the Board or (ii) by a stockholder who (A) has complied with all applicable requirements of this Section 10 and Section 11 in relation to such nomination, (B) was a stockholder of record of the Company at the time of giving the notice required by Section 11(a) and is a stockholder of record of the Company at the time of the annual meeting, (C) is entitled to vote at the annual meeting and (D) subject to Section 11, has nominated a number of nominees that does not exceed the number of directors that will be elected at such meeting.

 

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(b) Required Form for Director Nominations. To be in proper form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth in writing, substantially in the form provided to the stockholder upon written request to the Secretary, which form shall be provided only upon the receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Secretary verifying that the requesting party is a stockholder or is acting on behalf of a stockholder:

 

(i) Information Regarding the Nominating Person. As to each Nominating Person (as such term is defined in Section 11(d)(iii)), the information set forth in Section 9(b)(i) (except that for purposes of this Section 10, the term “Nominating Person” will be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places where it appears in Section 9(b)(i) and any reference to “business” or “proposal” therein will be deemed to be a reference to the “nomination” contemplated by this Section 10).

 

(ii) Information Regarding the Nominee: As to each person whom the stockholder giving notice proposes to nominate for election as a director:

 

(A) all information with respect to such proposed nominee that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice pursuant to Section 9(b)(i) if such proposed nominee were a Nominating Person;

 

(B) all information relating to such proposed nominee that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act to be made in connection with a general solicitation of proxies for an election of directors in a contested election (including such proposed nominee’s written consent to be named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serve as a director if elected);

 

(C) a reasonably detailed description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements or understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships, between or among such Nominating Person and its affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee and his or her affiliates, associates or others acting in concert therewith, on the other hand, including all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Items 403 and 404 under Regulation S-K if the stockholder giving the notice or any other Nominating Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the proposed nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant;

 

(D) a completed questionnaire (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) with respect to the identity, background, qualifications and independence of the proposed nominee and the background of any other person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made; and

 

(E) a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that the proposed nominee (1) is qualified and if elected intends to serve as a director of the Company until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified, (2) is not and will not become a party to (x) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how the proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Company, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Company or (y) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with the proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Company, with the proposed nominee’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (3) is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Company with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed therein, and (4) has read and, if elected as a director of the Company, the proposed nominee would be in compliance and will comply, with all applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, ethics, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the Company.

 

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The Company may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may be reasonably required by the Company to determine the qualifications and eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director.

 

(c) No Right to Have Nominees Included. A stockholder is not entitled to have its nominees included in the Company’s proxy statement solely as a result of such stockholder’s compliance with the foregoing provisions of this Section 10.

 

(d) Requirement to Attend Annual Meeting. If a stockholder does not appear at the annual meeting to present its nomination, such nomination will be disregarded (notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such nomination may have been solicited, obtained or delivered).

 

11. Additional Provisions Relating to the Notice of Stockholder Business and Director Nominations.

 

(a) Timely Notice. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice required by Section 9(a) or Section 10(a) must be delivered to or mailed and received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Company not less than 120 nor more than 150 days prior to the first anniversary of the date on which the Company’s definitive proxy statement was first sent to stockholders in connection with the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders (which date shall, for purposes of the Corporation’s annual meeting of stockholders in the year of the closing of the transactions contemplated in the Business Combination Agreement be deemed to have occurred on June 1 of such year); provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is scheduled for a date more than 30 days prior to or more than 60 days after the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not later than the close of business on the later of the 120th day prior to such annual meeting and the 10th day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made. In no event will a recess or adjournment of an annual meeting (or any announcement of any such recess or adjournment) commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the number of directors to be elected to the Board at the annual meeting is increased by the Board, and there is no public announcement by the Company naming the nominees for the additional directors at least 100 days prior to the first anniversary of the date on which the Company held the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders, a stockholder’s notice pursuant to Section 10(a) will be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for the additional directorships, if it is delivered to or mailed and received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Company not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Company.

 

(b) Updating Information in Notice. A stockholder providing notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting pursuant to Section 9 or notice of any nomination to be made at an annual meeting pursuant to Section 10 must further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to Section 9 or Section 10, as applicable, is true and correct as of the record date for notice of the meeting and as of the date that is ten days prior to the meeting or any recess, adjournment or postponement thereof. Any such update and supplement must be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Company, as promptly as practicable.

 

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(c) Determinations of Form, Effect of Noncompliance, Etc.

 

(i) The presiding officer of any annual meeting will, if the facts warrant, determine that a proposal was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by Section 9 and this Section 11 or that a nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by Section 10 and this Section 11, and if he or she should so determine, he or she will so declare to the meeting and the defective proposal or nomination, as applicable, will be disregarded. Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary: (A) no nominations shall be made or business shall be conducted at any annual meeting or special meeting except in accordance with the procedures set forth in Sections 9, 10 and 11, and (B) unless otherwise required by law, if a Proposing Person intending to propose business or a Nominating Person intending to make nominations at an annual meeting or special meeting pursuant to Sections 9, 10 and 11, as applicable, does not provide the information required under Sections 9, 10 and 11 to the Company in accordance with the applicable timing requirements set forth in these Bylaws, or the Proposing Person or Nominating Person (or a qualified representative thereof) does not appear at the meeting to present the proposed business or nominations, such business or nominations shall not be considered, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such business or nominations may have been received by the Company.

 

(ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9, 10 and 11 and unless otherwise required by law, if any Proposing Person (A) provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) under the Exchange Act with respect to any nomination or business proposal and (B) subsequently fails to comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act (or fails to timely provide reasonable evidence sufficient to satisfy the Company that such Proposing Person has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) under the Exchange Act), then each applicable nomination or business proposal shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that the applicable nominee is included as a nominee in the Company’s proxy statement, notice of meeting or other proxy materials for any annual meeting (or any supplement thereto) and notwithstanding that proxies or votes in respect of the election of such proposed nominees may have been received by the Company (which proxies and votes shall be disregarded).

 

(d) Certain Definitions.

 

(i) For purposes of Section 9 and Section 10 and this Section 11, “public disclosure” means disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Bloomberg, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Exchange Act or furnished by the Company to stockholders.

 

(ii) For purposes of Section 9 and this Section 11, “Proposing Person” means (A) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (B) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is given, and (C) any Affiliate or Associate (each within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) of such stockholder or beneficial owner.

 

(iii) For purposes of Section 10 and this Section 11, “Nominating Person” means (A) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed made to be at an annual meeting, (B) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of nomination proposed to be made at the annual meeting is given, and (C) any Affiliate or Associate (each within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) of such stockholder or beneficial owner.

 

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12. Record Dates.

 

(a) Voting Record Dates. In order that the Company may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders, the Board may fix a record date, which will not precede the date upon which the Board resolution fixing the same is adopted and will not be more than 60 nor less than 10 days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders will be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the stockholders will apply to any recess or adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the recessed or adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to such notice of such recessed or adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this Section 12(a) at the recessed or adjourned meeting.

 

(b) Payment Record Dates. In order that the Company may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which record date will not be more than 60 days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose will be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

(c) Identity of Registered Holder. The Company will be entitled to treat the person in whose name any share of its stock is registered as the owner thereof for all purposes, and will not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to, or interest in, such share on the part of any other person, whether or not the Company has notice thereof, except as expressly provided by applicable law.

 

13. Recesses and Adjournments. A meeting of stockholders may be recessed or adjourned from time to time by the presiding officer of the meeting. Upon any recessed or adjourned meeting being reconvened, any business may be transacted which properly could have been transacted in the absence of such recess or adjournment.

 

DIRECTORS

 

14. Function. The business and affairs of the Company will be managed under the direction of the Board.

 

15. Number, Election and Terms. Subject to the rights, if any, of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors under circumstances specified in a Preferred Stock Designation, and to the minimum and maximum number of authorized directors provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, the authorized number of directors may be fixed from time to time only by a resolution adopted by a majority of the Whole Board. The term that each director shall serve will be in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

16. Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships. 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 authorized number of directors and any vacancies on the Board resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal or other cause may be filled only 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 until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified. No decrease in the authorized number of directors will shorten the term of any incumbent director.

 

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17. Removal. Except as prohibited by applicable law or the Certificate of Incorporation and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, any director may be removed from office at any time, with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority in voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the election of such director, voting together as a single class.

 

18. Resignation. Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Chairman or the Secretary. Any resignation is effective when the resignation is delivered to the Company unless the resignation specifies a later effective date or an effective date that is contingent upon the occurrence or non-occurrence of one or more specified events.

 

19. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board may be held immediately after the annual meeting of the stockholders and at such other time and place either within or without the State of Delaware as may from time to time be determined by the Board. Notice of regular meetings of the Board need not be given.

 

20. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Chairman on one day’s notice to each director by whom such notice is not waived, given in a manner permitted by Section 28 or by the DGCL, and will be called by the Chairman, in like manner and on like notice, upon the request of a majority of the Whole Board. The time and place of any such special meeting shall be as specified in the notice of such meeting.

 

21. Quorum; Voting. At all meetings of the Board, a majority of the Whole Board will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Except for action to be taken by committees of the Board as provided in Section 23, and except for actions required by these Bylaws or the Certificate of Incorporation to be taken by a majority of the Whole Board, the act of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum will be the act of the Board. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board, the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time to another place, time, or date, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present. Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws or in the Certificate of Incorporation or as required by applicable law, the vote of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or applicable law, any action required to be taken at a meeting of the Board or any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all directors or members of such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission and any consent may be documented, signed and delivered in any manner permitted by Section 116 of the DGCL. After an action is taken by unanimous written consent, such consent shall be filed with the minutes of proceedings for the Board or committee in accordance with applicable law.

 

22. Participation in Meetings by Remote Communications. Members of the Board or any committee designated by the Board may participate in a meeting of the Board or any such committee, as the case may be, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting will constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

23. Committees. The Board may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors. The Board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board, or in these Bylaws, will have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Company, and may authorize the seal of the Company to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee will have the power or authority in reference to the following matters: (a) approving or adopting, or recommending to the stockholders, any action or matter (other than the election or removal of directors) expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval or (b) making, adopting, amending or repealing any provision of these Bylaws. Unless the Board provides otherwise, each committee designated by the Board may make, alter and repeal rules and procedures for the conduct of its business. In the absence of such rules and procedures, each committee shall conduct its business in the same manner as the Board conducts its business. Any resolution of the Board establishing or directing any committee of the Board or establishing or amending the charter of any such committee may establish requirements or procedures relating to the governance and/or operation of such committee that are different from, or in addition to, those set forth in these Bylaws and, to the extent that there is any inconsistency between these Bylaws and any such resolution or charter, the terms of such resolution or charter shall be controlling.

 

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24. Compensation. The Board may establish the compensation of directors, including without limitation compensation for membership on the Board and on committees of the Board, attendance at meetings of the Board or committees of the Board, and for other services provided to the Company or at the request of the Board.

 

25. Rules. The Board may adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings and the oversight of the management of the affairs of the Company.

 

26. Chairman of the Board. The Board, by a majority vote of the Whole Board, shall elect a Chairman from among the members of the Board. The Chairman shall not be considered an officer of the Company in his or her capacity as such. The Chairman may be removed from that capacity by a majority vote of the Whole Board. The Chairman shall preside at meetings of the Board and of the stockholders of the Company and exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her by the Board or as may be prescribed by these Bylaws. In the absence of the Chairman, such other director of the Company designated by the Chairman or by the Board shall act as chairman of any such meeting. The Chairman or the Board may appoint a Vice Chairman of the Board to exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her by the Chairman or by the Board.

 

27. Indemnification.

 

(a) Right to Indemnification. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (hereinafter a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or an officer of the Company or, while serving as a director or officer of the Company, is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (hereinafter an “indemnitee”), whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, if permitted, 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) actually and reasonably incurred or suffered by such indemnitee in connection therewith; provided, however, that, except with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses or with respect to any compulsory counterclaim brought by such indemnitee, the Company shall indemnify any such indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board. Any reference to an officer of the Company in this Section 27 shall be deemed to refer exclusively to the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of the Company, as applicable, appointed pursuant to these Bylaws, and to any Vice President, Assistant Secretary, Assistant Treasurer or other officer of the Company appointed by the Board pursuant to these Bylaws, including, without limitation, any “executive officer” for purposes of Rule 3b-7 of the Exchange Act or “officer” for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and any reference to an officer of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be deemed to refer exclusively to an officer appointed by the board of directors or equivalent governing body of such other entity pursuant to the certificate of incorporation and bylaws or equivalent organizational documents of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise. The fact that any person who is or was an employee of the Company or an employee of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, but not an officer thereof as described in the preceding sentence, has been given or has used the title of “Vice President” or any other title that could be construed to suggest or imply that such person is or may be such an officer of the Company or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall not result in such person being constituted as, or being deemed to be, such an officer of the Company or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for purposes of this Section 27.

 

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(b) Right to Advancement of Expenses. In addition to the right to indemnification conferred in Section 27(a), an indemnitee shall also have the right to be paid by the Company, to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law, the expenses (including attorney’s fees) incurred by indemnitee in appearing at, participating in or defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition or in connection with a proceeding brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Section 27 (which shall be governed by Section 27(c) (hereinafter an “advancement of expenses”)); provided, however, that, if the DGCL requires or in the case of an advancement of expenses made in a proceeding brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification or advancement of expenses, an advancement of expenses incurred by an indemnitee in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the Company (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 solely upon delivery to the Company of an undertaking (hereinafter an “undertaking”), by or on behalf of such indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal (hereinafter a “final adjudication”) that such indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified under Section 27(a) and Section 27(b) or otherwise.

 

(c) Right of Indemnitee to Bring Suit. If a claim under Section 27(a) or Section 27(b) is not paid in full by the Company within (a) sixty (60) days after a written claim for indemnification has been received by the Company or (b) thirty (30) days after a claim for an advancement of expenses has been received by the Company, the indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Company to recover the unpaid amount of the claim or to obtain advancement of expenses, as applicable. To the fullest extent permitted by law, 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 be paid also the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. In any suit brought by the 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 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, under this Section 27 or otherwise shall be on the Company.

 

(d) Indemnification Not Exclusive.

 

(i) The provision of indemnification to or the advancement of expenses and costs to any indemnitee under this Section 27, or the entitlement of any indemnitee to indemnification or advancement of expenses and costs under this Section 27, shall not limit or restrict in any way the power of the Company to indemnify or advance expenses and costs to such indemnitee in any other way permitted by law or be deemed exclusive of, or invalidate, any right to which any indemnitee seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses and costs may be entitled under any law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such indemnitee’s capacity as an officer, director, employee or agent of the Company and as to action in any other capacity.

 

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(ii) Given that certain jointly indemnifiable claims (as defined below) may arise due to the service of the indemnitee as a director and/or officer of the Company at the request of the indemnitee-related entities (as defined below), the Company shall be fully and primarily responsible for the payment to the indemnitee in respect of indemnification or advancement of all expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws of the Company (or any other agreement between the Company and such persons, as applicable) in connection with any such jointly indemnifiable claims, pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of this Section 27, irrespective of any right of recovery the indemnitee may have from the indemnitee-related entities. Any obligation on the part of any indemnitee-related entities to indemnify or advance expenses to any indemnitee shall be secondary to the Company’s obligation and shall be reduced by any amount that the indemnitee may collect as indemnification or advancement from the Company. The Company irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the indemnitee-related entities from any and all claims it may have against the indemnitee-related entities for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. Under no circumstance shall the Company be entitled to any right of subrogation or contribution by the indemnitee-related entities and no right of advancement or recovery the indemnitee may have from the indemnitee-related entities shall reduce or otherwise alter the rights of the indemnitee or the obligations of the Company hereunder. In the event that any of the indemnitee-related entities shall make any payment to the indemnitee in respect of indemnification or advancement of expenses with respect to any jointly indemnifiable claim, the indemnitee-related entity making such payment shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the indemnitee against the Company, and the indemnitee shall execute all papers reasonably required and shall do all things that may be reasonably necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of such documents as may be necessary to enable the indemnitee-related entities effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights. Each of the indemnitee-related entities shall be third-party beneficiaries with respect to this Section 27(d)(ii), entitled to enforce this Section 27(d)(ii).

 

For purposes of this Section 27(d)(ii), the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

(A) The term “indemnitee-related entities” means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise (other than the Company or any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for which the indemnitee has agreed, on behalf of the Company or at the Company’s request, to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent and which service is covered by the indemnity described herein) from whom an indemnitee may be entitled to indemnification or advancement of expenses with respect to which, in whole or in part, the Company may also have an indemnification or advancement obligation (other than as a result of obligations under an insurance policy).

 

(B) The term “jointly indemnifiable claims” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, any action, suit or proceeding for which the indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnification or advancement of expenses from both the indemnitee-related entities and the Company pursuant to Delaware law, any agreement or certificate of incorporation, bylaws, partnership agreement, operating agreement, certificate of formation, certificate of limited partnership or comparable document or agreement.

 

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(e) Corporate Obligations; Reliance. The rights granted pursuant to the provisions of this Section 27 shall vest at the time a person becomes a director or officer of the Company and shall be deemed to create a binding contractual obligation on the part of the Company to the persons who from time to time are elected as officers or directors of the Company, and such persons in acting in their capacities as officers or directors of the Company or any subsidiary shall be entitled to rely on such provisions of this Section 27 without giving notice thereof to the Company. Such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Section 27 that adversely affects any right of an indemnitee or its successors shall be prospective only and shall not limit, eliminate, or impair any such right with respect to any proceeding involving any occurrence or alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that took place prior to such amendment or repeal.

 

(f) Insurance. The Company may purchase and 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 DGCL.

 

(g) Indemnification of Employees and Agents of the Company and Others. The Company may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to any employee or agent of the Company and to any person (in addition to an indemnitee) serving at the request of the Company as an officer, director, employee or agent of any other enterprise to the fullest extent of the provisions of this Section 27 with respect to the indemnification and advancement of expenses of indemnitees hereunder.

 

NOTICES

 

28. Generally.

 

(a) Form of Notices. Except as otherwise provided by law, these Bylaws, or the Certificate of Incorporation, whenever by law or under the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws notice is required to be given to any director or stockholder, it will not be construed to require personal notice, but such notice may be given in writing, by mail or courier service or, to the extent permitted by the DGCL, by electronic transmission, addressed to such director or stockholder. Any notice sent to stockholders by mail or courier service shall be sent to the address of such stockholder as it appears on the records of the Company, with postage thereon prepaid, and such notice will be deemed to be given at the time when the same is deposited in the United States mail or with the courier service. Notices sent by electronic transmission shall be deemed effective as set forth in Section 232 of the DGCL. For purposes of this Section 28, “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

 

(b) Notices to Directors. Notices to directors may be given by mail or courier service, telephone, electronic transmission or as otherwise may be permitted by these Bylaws.

 

29. Waivers. Whenever any notice is required to be given by law or under the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person entitled to such notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, will be deemed equivalent to such notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting will constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

 

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OFFICERS

 

30. Generally.

 

(a) The officers of the Company will be elected by the Board and will consist of officers with titles and duties as determined by the Board, but in any case shall include a Chief Executive Officer (which may be the President), a Treasurer and a Secretary. The Board may also choose one or more Vice Presidents (who may be given particular designations with respect to authority, function, or seniority), one or more Assistant Secretaries, one or more Assistant Treasurers and such other officers as the Board may from time to time determine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may authorize the Chief Executive Officer to appoint any person to any office other than the Secretary or Treasurer. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. Any of the offices may be left vacant from time to time as the Board may determine. In the case of the absence or disability of any officer of the Company or for any other reason deemed sufficient by a majority of the Board, the Board may delegate the absent or disabled officer’s powers or duties to any other officer or to any director.

 

(b) Chief Executive Officer. Unless the Board has designated another person as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, the President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The Chief Executive Officer shall have general charge and supervision of the business of the Company, subject to the direction of the Board, and shall perform all duties and have all powers that are commonly incident to the office of chief executive or that are delegated to such officer by the Board. The President, if such exists, shall perform such other duties and shall have such other powers as the Board or the Chief Executive Officer (if the President is not the Chief Executive Officer) may from time to time prescribe.

 

(c) Vice Presidents. Each Vice President shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be assigned to him or her from time to time by the Board or the Chief Executive Officer (or the President if there is no Chief Executive Officer). The Board or the Chief Executive Officer (or the President if there is no Chief Executive Officer) may assign to any Vice President the title of Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or any other title selected by the Board.

 

(d) Secretary; Assistant Secretary. The Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, shall attend all sessions of the Board and all meetings of the stockholders and record all votes and the minutes of all proceedings in a book to be kept for that purpose, and shall perform like duties for committees when required. He or she shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and meetings of the Board, and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board. The Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, shall keep in safe custody the seal of the Company and have authority to affix the seal to all documents requiring it and attest to the same.

 

(e) Treasurer; Assistant Treasurer. The Treasurer, or an Assistant Treasurer, shall have the custody of the corporate funds and other property of the Company, except as otherwise provided by the Board, and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Company and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Company in such depositories as may be designated by the Board. The Treasurer, or an Assistant Treasurer, shall disburse the funds of the Company as may be ordered by the Board, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and whenever requested by the Board, shall render an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Company, and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board.

 

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(f) Delegation of Authority. The Board may from time to time delegate the powers or duties of any officer to any other officer or agent, notwithstanding the provisions herein.

 

(g) Voting Securities Owned by the Company. Powers of attorney, proxies, waivers of notice of meeting, consents and other instruments relating to securities owned by the Company may be executed in the name of and on behalf of the Company by the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President or any other officer authorized to do so by the Board and any such officer may, in the name of and on behalf of the Company, take all such action as any such officer may deem advisable to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of security holders of any company in which the Company may own securities and at any such meeting shall possess and may exercise any and all rights and power incident to the ownership of such securities and which, as the owner thereof, the Company might have exercised and possessed if present. The Board may, by resolution, from time to time confer like powers upon any other person or persons.

 

(h) Chairman of the Board. The Board, in its discretion, may choose a Chairman (who shall be a director but need not be elected as an officer). The Chairman of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and all meetings of the Board. The Chairman of the Board shall perform such other duties and may exercise such other powers as may from time to time be assigned by these Bylaws or by the Board.

 

31. Compensation. The compensation of all directors and the executive officers of the Company will be fixed by the Board or by a committee of the Board. The Board may fix or delegate the power to fix, the compensation of other officers and agents of the Company to an officer of the Company.

 

32. Succession. The officers of the Company will hold office until their successors are elected and qualified or until such officer’s earlier death, resignation or removal. Any officer may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Whole Board. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Company may be filled by the Board or by the Chairman as provided in Section 30. Any officer of the Company may resign at any time by giving written notice of his or her resignation to the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Secretary. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless such notice provides that the resignation is effective at some later time or upon the occurrence of some later event.

 

33. Authority and Duties. Each of the officers of the Company will have such authority and will perform such duties as are customarily incident to their respective offices or as may be specified from time to time by the Board.

 

STOCK

 

34. Certificates. The Board may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of the stock of the Company shall be uncertificated shares. Certificates, if any, representing shares of stock of the Company will be in such form as is determined by the Board, subject to applicable legal requirements. Each such certificate shall be numbered and shall be signed by, or in the name of the Company by, the Chairman, or Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer, and by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary. Any or all of the signatures on a certificate may be a facsimile signature. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Company with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

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35. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates. The Secretary may direct a new certificate or certificates or uncertificated shares to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Company alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact, satisfactory to the Secretary, by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen or destroyed. As a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, the Secretary may require the owners of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or certificates to give the Company a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as the Secretary may direct as indemnity against any claims that may be made against the Company with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed or the issuance of the new certificate or uncertificated shares.

 

TRANSFERS

 

36. Transfers Generally.

 

(a) Transfers of shares shall be made (i) upon the books of the Company only by the holder of record thereof, or by a duly authorized agent, transferee or legal representative of such holder, and (ii) in the case of certificated shares, upon the surrender to the Company of the certificate or certificates for such shares. No transfer shall be made that is inconsistent with the provisions of applicable law.

 

(b) The Company shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes or series of stock of the corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the corporation of any one or more classes or series owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.

 

37. Lock-Up.

 

(a) Subject to Section 37, the holders of Lock-Up Shares (the “Lock-Up Holders”), and their permitted transferees in accordance with this Section 37, may not effect any Transfer of any Lock-up Shares until the expiration of the Lock-Up Period.

 

(b) Permitted Transfers. The restrictions set forth in Section 37(a) shall not apply to Transfers permitted by this Section 37(b) or Transfers by any Lock-Up Holder following the expiration of the Lock-Up Period. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in these Bylaws, the Transfer restrictions set forth in Section 37(a), during the Lock-Up Period, shall not apply to:

 

(i) in the case of an entity, Transfers to a stockholder, partner, member, equityholder or affiliate of such entity;

 

(ii) in the case of an individual, Transfers by gift to members of the individual’s immediate family (as defined below) or an affiliate of such individual or to a trust, the sole owner of which affiliate or the beneficiary of which trust is a member of one of the individual’s immediate family;

 

(iii) Transfers to a charitable organization;

 

(iv) Transfers to any investment funds or vehicles controlled or managed by such Lock-Up Holder or any of his, her or its affiliates;

 

(v) in the case of an individual, Transfers by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual;

 

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(vi) in the case of an individual, Transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order;

 

(vii) in the case of an entity, Transfers by virtue of the laws of the jurisdiction of the entity’s organization and the entity’s organizational documents upon dissolution of the entity;

 

(viii) the exercise of any options or warrants to purchase shares of common stock of the Company (which exercises may be effected on a cashless basis to the extent the instruments representing such options or warrants permit exercises on a cashless basis), provided that the Lock-Up Holder shall comply with the Transfer restrictions set forth in this Section 37 applicable to such underlying shares of common stock of the Company;

 

(ix) Transfers to the Company to satisfy tax withholding obligations pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans or arrangements;

 

(x) Transfers to the Company pursuant to any contractual arrangement in effect at the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Business Combination Agreement (such time is referred to in this Section 37 as, the “Closing”) that provides for the repurchase by the Company or forfeiture of the Lock-Up Holder’s shares in the Company or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares in the Company in connection with the termination of the Lock-Up Holder’s service to the Company;

 

(xi) the entry, by the Lock-Up Holder, at any time after the Closing, into any trading plan providing for the sale of Lock-Up Shares by the Lock-Up Holder, which trading plan meets the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c) under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that such plan does not provide for, or permit, the sale of any Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period and no public announcement or filing is voluntarily made or required regarding such plan during the Lock-Up Period;

 

(xii) transactions in the event of completion of a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their Lock-Up Shares for cash, securities or other property; and

 

(xiii) transactions approved by the Board in its sole discretion to satisfy any U.S. federal, state, or local income tax obligations of the Lock-Up Holder (or its direct or indirect owners) arising from a change in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or the U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder after the date on which the Business Combination Agreement was executed by the parties thereto, and such change prevents such transaction from qualifying as a “reorganization” pursuant to Section 368 or as a transaction that qualifies for tax deferral under Section 351 of the Code (and such transaction does not qualify for similar tax-free treatment pursuant to any successor or other provision of the Code or Regulations taking into account such changes), in each case, solely and to the extent necessary to cover any tax liability as a direct result of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement;

 

providedhowever, that (x) in the case of clauses (i) through (vii), such Transfer does not involve a disposition for value and (y) in the case of clauses (i) through (vii), the permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Board (it being understood that any references to “immediate family” in the agreement executed by such transferee shall expressly refer only to the immediate family of the Lock-Up Holder and not to the immediate family of the transferee), agreeing to be bound by the Transfer restrictions set forth in this Section 37.

 

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(c) Authority.

 

(i) Notwithstanding the other provisions set forth in this Section 37, the Board may, in its sole discretion, determine to waive, amend, release or repeal the Lock-Up obligations set forth herein, in whole or in part (including, without limitation, any waiver, amendment, release or repeal, in connection with any agreement, investment, or otherwise); provided, that, any such waiver, amendment or repeal of any Lock-Up obligations set forth herein shall require, in addition to any other vote of the members of the Board required to take such action pursuant to these Bylaws or applicable law, the affirmative vote of the majority of the disinterested directors; provided, however, that, to the extent the applicable Lock-Up Holder is a stockholder or other person is party to a contractual lock-up, standoff, or similar agreement (a “Lock-Up Agreement”), no waiver, amendment or repeal of the Lock-Up obligations set forth herein by the Board shall affect any provisions, rights, obligations or restrictions applicable to such Lock-Up Holder in such Lock-Up Agreement, which provisions, rights, obligations and restrictions in the Lock-Up Agreement shall continue to apply to such Lock-Up Holder and Lock-Up Shares held by such Lock-Up Holder in accordance with the terms of such Lock-Up Agreement. In the event there is any conflict between these Bylaws and a Lock-Up Agreement, the terms of the Lock-Up Agreement shall prevail.

 

(d) Miscellaneous Provisions Relating to Transfers of Lock-Up Shares.

 

(i) The Company shall place customary restrictive legends on the certificates or book entries representing the Lock-Up Shares, in addition to any legends required by applicable law or these Bylaws, and remove such restrictive legends reasonably promptly after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period.

 

(ii) Any attempt to Transfer any Lock-Up Shares that is not in compliance with this Section 37 shall be null and void ab initio, and the Company shall not, and shall cause any transfer agent not to, give any effect in the Company’s stock records to such attempted Transfer, and the purported transferee in any such purported Transfer shall not be treated as the owner of such Lock-Up Shares for purposes of these Bylaws (provided that this Section 37 shall continue to apply to such Lock-Up Shares).

 

(iii) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 37, the Lock-Up Shares, in each case, beneficially owned (as defined in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) by a Lock-Up Holder shall remain subject to any restrictions on Transfer under applicable federal, state, local or foreign securities laws, including all applicable holding periods under the Securities Act of 1933 and other rules of the Securities Exchange Commission, and, as applicable, these Bylaws and the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

(e) Definitions. For purposes of this Section 37:

 

(i) the term “affiliate” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

 

(ii) The term “Former USARE Stockholders” means the stockholders of the Company, excluding the Inflection Point Entities, following the Closing that were formerly members of USA Rare Earth, LLC immediately prior to the Closing (and for the avoidance of doubt, shall include those stockholders that were issued shares of common stock of the Company as consideration pursuant to, and in accordance with, the Business Combination Agreement) and any stockholders of the Company with respect to shares of common stock of the Company that are received pursuant to the permitted transfers under Section 37(b);

 

(iii) the term “immediate family” shall mean a spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchild or other lineal descendant (including by adoption), father, mother, brother or sister of the Lock-Up Holder;

 

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(iv) the term “Inflection Point Entities” shall mean, collectively, Inflection Point Asset Management LLC, Kingstown Capital Management L.P., Newtyn Management, LLC, and their respective affiliates (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the funds any of them manage) and permitted transferees.

 

(v) the term “Lock-Up” shall refer to the restrictions on the Transfers of Lock-Up Shares set forth in Section 37(a).

 

(vi) the term “Lock-Up Period” means the period beginning on the date of Closing and ending on the date that is twelve (12) months after the date of Closing.

 

(vii) the term “Lock-Up Shares” means any shares of common stock of the Company that are or will be issued or are or will be issuable to the Former USARE Stockholders in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, excluding any (i) shares of common stock of the Company issuable upon conversion of any shares of the Company’s Preferred Stock and (ii) shares of common stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of any warrants that are or will be issued or are or will be issuable to the Former USARE Stockholders in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement; provided, however, (A) that after the expiration of six months following the date of Closing, fifty percent (50%) of the Lock-Up Shares of any Former USARE Stockholder that is subject to the Lock-Up shall cease to be Lock-Up Shares, and (B) that after the expiration of six months following the date of Closing, if at any time, the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the national securities exchange on which such securities are listed equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (subject to adjustment for any stock splits or stock dividends with respect to the Company’s common stock) for any 20 trading days within any 30 trading day period (such 30 trading day period to commence no earlier than the expiration of six months following the date of Closing), the remaining Lock-Up Shares shall cease to be Lock-Up Shares.

 

(viii) The term “Transfer” or “Transfers” means any action to (i) sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder, any Lock-Up Shares, any Lock-Up Shares issuable upon the exercise of any options or warrants to purchase Lock-Up Shares, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Lock-Up Shares, (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any of such Lock-up Shares or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Lock-Up Shares, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise or (iii) publicly announce any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (i) or (ii).

 

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GENERAL

 

38. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Company will end on December 31 of each calendar year or such other date as may be fixed from time to time by the Board.

 

39. Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records. Each director, each member of a committee designated by the Board, and each officer of the Company will, in the performance of his or her duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Company and upon such information, opinions, reports, or statements presented to the Company by any of the Company’s officers or employees, or committees of the Board, or by any other person or entity as to matters the director, committee member, or officer believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Company.

 

40. Amendments. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Bylaws, any alteration, amendment or repeal of these Bylaws, or the adoption of new Bylaws, shall require the approval of the Board or the stockholders of the Corporation as provided by the Certificate of Incorporation (including any applicable Preferred Stock Designation) and applicable law.

 

41. Certain Defined Terms.

 

(a) Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined have the meanings given to them in the Certificate of Incorporation. The use of the term “days” within these Bylaws, other than when referred to as “business days”, shall mean calendar days. The use of “business days” shall mean days other than Saturday, Sunday, and any day designated as a federal holiday as observed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The use of “including” shall mean, including without limitation.

 

(b) “Business Combination Agreement” shall mean that certain Business Combination Agreement, dated as of August 21, 2024, by and among the Company, USA Rare Earth, LLC, and IPXX Merger Sub, LLC, as may be subsequently amended.

 

 

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