EX-3.1 3 a80257ex3-1.txt EXHIBIT 3.1 EXHIBIT 3.1 CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF BANCWEST CORPORATION (EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 20, 2001) FIRST: The name of the corporation is BancWest Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the "Corporation"). SECOND: The address of the Corporation's registered office in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle 19801. The name and address of its resident agent is The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801. THIRD: The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of Delaware. FOURTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation is authorized to issue is 150,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock and the par value of each of such shares is $0.01. FIFTH: The following provisions are inserted for the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders: (1) The number of directors of the Corporation shall be such as from time to time shall be fixed by, or in the manner provided in, the by-laws. Election of directors need not be by ballot unless the by-laws so provide. (2) The Board of Directors shall have powers without the assent or vote of the stockholders to make, alter, amend, change, add to or repeal the by-laws of the Corporation; to fix and vary the amount to be reserved for any proper purpose; to authorize and cause to be executed mortgages and liens upon all or any part of the property of the Corporation; to determine the use and disposition of any surplus or net profits; and to fix the times for the declaration and payment of dividends. (3) The directors in their discretion may submit any contract or act for approval or ratification at any annual meeting of the stockholders or at any meeting of the stockholders called for the purpose of considering any such act or contract, and any contract or act that shall be approved or be ratified by the vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation which is represented in person or by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote thereat (provided that a lawful quorum of stockholders be there represented in person or by proxy) shall be as valid and as binding upon the Corporation and upon all the stockholders as though it had been approved or ratified by every stockholder of the Corporation, whether or not the contract or act would otherwise be open to legal attack because of directors' interest, or for any other reason. A-1 (4) In addition to the powers and authorities herein before or by statute expressly conferred upon them, the directors are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation; subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the statutes of Delaware, of this certificate, and to any by-laws from time to time made by the stockholders; provided, however, that no by-laws so made shall invalidate any prior act of the directors which would have been valid if such by-law had not been made. SIXTH: To the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law as it exists or may hereafter be amended, a director of the Corporation shall not be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of a fiduciary duty as a director. SEVENTH: Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between the Corporation and its creditors or any class of them and/or between the Corporation and its stockholders or any class of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of Delaware, may, on the application in a summary way of the Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the application of any receiver or receivers appointed for the Corporation under the provisions of section 291 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for the Corporation under the provisions of section 279 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code, order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of the Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court directs. If a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of the Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of the Corporation as consequence of such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of stockholders, of the Corporation, as the case may be, and also on the Corporation. EIGHTH: The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this certificate of incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by law, and all rights and powers conferred herein on stockholders, directors and officers are subject to this reserved power. A-2