EX-3.1 2 exhibit31.htm EX-3.1 Document

AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.
ARTICLE I
The name of the Corporation (the “Corporation”) is Vonage Holdings Corp.
ARTICLE II
The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 108 Lakeland Ave, Kent County, Dover, Delaware 19901. The name of its registered agent at such address is Capitol Services, Inc.
ARTICLE III
The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) as the same exists or may hereafter be amended; provided, however, that the Corporation shall not have the power or authority, and shall be unable and not permitted (whether by operation of law, as a result of or in connection with a transaction or otherwise, or whether by, through, relating to or in connection with any action, omission, contract, acquiescence, undertaking, understanding, license, release, covenant, representation, warranty, indemnity, lien, encumbrance or commitment of any kind), (i) to grant or release (on behalf of itself, any direct or indirect holder or beneficial owner of any equity or other securities of the Corporation, or any affiliate of the Corporation or of any such holder or beneficial owner) any rights, property, assets or claims of any kind, (ii) to bind any person or entity (including itself, any direct or indirect holder or beneficial owner of any equity or other securities of the Corporation, or any affiliate of the Corporation or of any such holder or beneficial owner) to any liabilities or obligations of any kind or (iii) to assume (on behalf of itself, any direct or indirect holder or beneficial owner of any equity or other securities of the Corporation, or any affiliate of the Corporation or of any such holder or beneficial owner) any liabilities or obligations of any kind, in each case, under clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), that relate to or involve in any way any intellectual property rights of any kind, including any rights relating to patents or patent applications, of any direct or indirect holder or beneficial owner of any of equity or other securities of the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation or of any such holder or beneficial owner (in all cases other than to the extent solely relating to or involving such intellectual property rights of the Corporation and its subsidiaries), for any reason or in any way and whether or not by virtue of, in connection with or as a result of the status of such holder, beneficial owner or affiliate as an affiliate of the Corporation or otherwise; provided further that the preceding proviso shall not restrict the power, authority, ability and right of the Corporation to (A) grant or release rights, property, assets or claims that are owned or held directly by the Corporation or its subsidiaries (and not by any of its affiliates other than its subsidiaries) or (B) bind or assume liabilities or obligations on behalf of itself and its subsidiaries (and not any of its affiliates other than its subsidiaries). For purposes of this Article III, (1) “affiliate” shall mean, with respect to any person or entity, any other person or entity that, directly or indirectly, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such person or entity (as used in this definition, “control” (including, with its correlative meanings, “controlled by” and “under common control with”) shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies of a person or entity, whether through the ownership of securities or partnership or other ownership interests, by contract or otherwise); and (2) “subsidiary” shall mean , with respect to any person or entity, any entity of which (I) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned by such party, or (II) such person or entity or any subsidiary of such person or



entity is a general partner (excluding partnerships in which such person or entity or any subsidiary of such person or entity does not have a majority of the voting interests in such partnership).
ARTICLE IV
The total number of shares of stock that the Corporation shall have authority to issue is one hundred (100), consisting of one hundred (100) shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share.
ARTICLE V
In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors of the Corporation is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VI
Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless otherwise provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VII
The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.
ARTICLE VIII
The Corporation shall provide indemnification as follows:
a)Actions, Suits and Proceedings Other than by or in the Right of the Corporation. The Corporation shall indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the request of the Corporation, as a director, officer, partner, employee, fiduciary, agent or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including any employee benefit plan) (all such persons being referred to hereafter as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, partner, employee, fiduciary, agent or trustee, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines, ERISA taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or not



opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
b)Actions or Suits by or in the Right of the Corporation. The Corporation shall indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the request of the Corporation, as a director, officer, partner, employee, fiduciary, agent or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including any employee benefit plan), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, partner, employee, fiduciary, agent or trustee, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, except that no indemnification shall be made under this paragraph (b) in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation, unless, and only to the extent, that the Court of Chancery of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of such liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) which the Court of Chancery of Delaware or such other court shall deem proper.
c)Indemnification for Expenses of Successful Party. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Article VIII, to the extent that an Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Article VIII, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, or on appeal from any such action, suit or proceeding, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection therewith. Without limiting the foregoing, if any action, suit or proceeding is disposed of, on the merits or otherwise (including a disposition without prejudice), without (i) the disposition being adverse to Indemnitee, (ii) an adjudication that Indemnitee was liable to the Corporation, (iii) a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by Indemnitee, (iv) an adjudication that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and (v) with respect to any criminal proceeding, an adjudication that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful, Indemnitee shall be considered for the purposes hereof to have been wholly successful with respect thereto.
d)Notification and Defense of Claim. As a condition precedent to an Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified, such Indemnitee must notify the Corporation in writing as soon as practicable of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation involving such Indemnitee for which indemnity will or could be sought. With respect to any action, suit, proceeding or investigation of which the Corporation is so notified, the Corporation will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense and/or to assume the defense thereof at its own expense, with legal counsel reasonably acceptable to Indemnitee. After notice from the Corporation to Indemnitee of its election so to assume such



defense, the Corporation shall not be liable to Indemnitee for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit, proceeding or investigation, other than as provided below in this paragraph (d). Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his or her own counsel in connection with such action, suit, proceeding or investigation, but the fees and expenses of such counsel incurred after notice from the Corporation of its assumption of the defense thereof shall be at the expense of Indemnitee unless (i) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been authorized by the Corporation, (ii) counsel to Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest or position on any significant issue between the Corporation and Indemnitee in the conduct of the defense of such action, suit, proceeding or investigation or (iii) the Corporation shall not in fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding or investigation, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel for Indemnitee shall be at the expense of the Corporation, except as otherwise expressly provided by this Article VIII. The Corporation shall not be entitled, without the consent of Indemnitee, to assume the defense of any claim brought by or in the right of the Corporation or as to which counsel for Indemnitee shall have reasonably made the conclusion provided for in clause (ii) above. The Corporation shall not be required to indemnify Indemnitee under this Article VIII for any amounts paid in settlement of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation effected without its written consent. The Corporation shall not settle any action, suit, proceeding or investigation in any manner which would impose any penalty or limitation on Indemnitee without Indemnitee’s written consent. Neither the Corporation nor Indemnitee will unreasonably withhold or delay its consent to any proposed settlement.
e)Advance of Expenses. In the event of any threatened or pending action, suit, proceeding or investigation of which the Corporation receives notice under this Article VIII, any expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in defending an action, suit, proceeding or investigation or any appeal therefrom shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such matter; provided, however, that the payment of such expenses incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in advance of the final disposition of such matter shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of Indemnitee to repay all amounts so advanced in the event that it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Article VIII. Such undertaking shall be accepted without reference to the financial ability of Indemnitee to make such repayment. Any advances or undertakings to repay pursuant to this paragraph (e) shall be unsecured and interest-free.
f)Procedure for Indemnification. In order to obtain indemnification or advancement of expenses pursuant to paragraphs (a), (b), (c) or (e) of this Article VIII, an Indemnitee shall submit to the Corporation a written request. Any such indemnification or advancement of expenses shall be made as soon as practicable after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Corporation, and in any event within (i) in the case of indemnification under paragraph (c) (Indemnification for Expenses of Successful Party) or paragraph (e) (Advancement of Expenses), 20 business days after receipt by the Corporation, of the written request of Indemnitee, or (ii) in the case of all other indemnification, 45 business days after receipt by the Corporation of the written request of Indemnitee, unless with respect to requests under this clause (ii), the Corporation (y) has assumed the defense pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Article VIII (and none of the circumstances described in paragraph (d) of this Article VIII that would nonetheless entitle Indemnitee to indemnification for the fees and expenses of separate counsel have occurred) or (z) determine, by clear and convincing



evidence, within such 45 business day period referred to above that Indemnitee did not meet the applicable standard of conduct. Such determination, and any determination that advanced expenses must be repaid to the Corporation, shall be made in each instance (a) by a majority vote of the directors of the Corporation consisting of persons who are not at that time parties to the action, suit or proceeding in question (“disinterested directors”), whether or not a quorum, (b) by a committee of disinterested directors designated by majority vote of disinterested directors, whether or not a quorum, (c) if there are no disinterested directors, or if the disinterested directors so direct, by independent legal counsel (who may, to the extent permitted by law, be regular legal counsel to the Corporation) in a written opinion, or (d) by the stockholders of the Corporation.
g)Remedies. The right to indemnification or advancement of expenses as granted by this Article VIII shall be enforceable by Indemnitee in any court of competent jurisdiction. Neither the failure of the Corporation to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Corporation pursuant to paragraph (f) of this Article VIII that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct. In any suit brought by Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification, or brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article VIII or otherwise shall be on the Corporation. Indemnitee’s expenses (including attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred in connection with any action instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret its right to indemnification, in whole or in part, shall also be indemnified by the Corporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, unless as a part of such action a court having jurisdiction over such action makes a final judicial determination (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed) that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action was not made in good faith or was frivolous; provided, however, that until such final judicial determination is made, Indemnitee shall be entitled under paragraph (e) of this Article VIII to advancement of expenses with respect to such action.
h)Limitations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article VIII, except as set forth in paragraph (g) of this Article VIII, the Corporation shall not indemnify an Indemnitee pursuant to this Article VIII in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such Indemnitee unless the initiation thereof was approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article VIII, the Corporation shall not indemnify an Indemnitee to the extent such Indemnitee is reimbursed from the proceeds of insurance, and in the event the Corporation makes any indemnification payments to an Indemnitee and such Indemnitee is subsequently reimbursed from the proceeds of insurance, such Indemnitee shall promptly refund indemnification payments to the Corporation to the extent of such insurance reimbursement.
i)Subsequent Amendment. No amendment, termination or repeal of this Article VIII or of the relevant provisions of the DGCL or any other applicable laws shall adversely affect or diminish in any way the rights of any Indemnitee to indemnification under the provisions hereof with respect to any action, suit, proceeding or investigation arising out of or relating to any actions, transactions or facts occurring prior to the final adoption of such amendment, termination or repeal.



j)Other Rights. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by this Article VIII shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which an Indemnitee seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any law (common or statutory), agreement or vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee’s official capacity and as to action in any other capacity while holding office for the Corporation, and shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director or officer, and shall inure to the benefit of the estate, heirs, executors and administrators of Indemnitee. Nothing contained in this Article VIII shall be deemed to prohibit, and the Corporation is specifically authorized to enter into, agreements with officers and directors providing indemnification rights and procedures different from those set forth in this Article VIII. In addition, the Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by its Board of Directors, grant indemnification rights to other employees or agents of the Corporation or other persons serving the Corporation and such rights may be equivalent to, or greater or less than, those set forth in this Article VIII.
k)Partial Indemnification. If an Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Article VIII to indemnification by the Corporation for some or a portion of the expenses (including attorneys’ fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines, ERISA taxes or penalties or amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or investigation and any appeal therefrom but not, however, for the total amount thereof, the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such expenses (including attorneys’ fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines, ERISA taxes or penalties or amounts paid in settlement to which Indemnitee is entitled.
l)Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including any employee benefit plan) against any expense, liability or loss incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.
m)Savings Clause. If this Article VIII or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each Indemnitee as to any expenses (including attorneys’ fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines, ERISA taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal or administrative, including an action by or in the right of the Corporation, to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article VIII that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
n)Definitions. Terms used in this Article VIII and defined in Section 145(h) and Section 145(i) of the DGCL shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in such Section 145(h) and Section 145(i).
o)Subsequent Legislation. If the DGCL is amended after adoption of this Article VIII to expand further the indemnification permitted to Indemnitees, then the Corporation shall indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.