spectrum_8ka.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM
8-K/A
CURRENT
REPORT
Pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
Date
of Report:
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December
4, 2007
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(Date
of earliest event reported)
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SPECTRUM
BRANDS, INC.
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(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
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Wisconsin
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001-13615
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22-2423556
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(State
or other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
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(Commission
File No.)
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(IRS
Employer Identification No.)
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Six
Concourse Parkway, Suite 3300, Atlanta, Georgia
30328
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(Address
of principal executive offices, including zip
code)
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(770)
829-6200
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(Registrant's
telephone number, including area code)
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N/A
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(Former
Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
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Check
the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously
satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the following
provisions:
□
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Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
CFR
230.425)
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Soliciting
material
pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)
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Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
Act
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(17
CFR 240.14d-2(b))
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Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
Act
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(17
CFR 240.13e-4(c))
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EXPLANATORY
NOTE
This
Amendment No. 1 on Form 8-K/A
amends Spectrum Brands, Inc.'s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission on November 9, 2007 (the
"8-K"). Inadvertently, a copy of Spectrum Brands,
Inc.’s Amended and Restated By-Laws was not attached as an exhibit to the
8-K. A copy of Spectrum Brands, Inc.'s Amended and Restated By-Laws
is attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1.
ITEM
5.03. AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OR BY-LAWS; CHANGE IN
FISCAL YEAR
On
November 6, 2007, the Board of
Directors of Spectrum Brands, Inc. (the “Company”) further amended and
restated the Company's Amended and Restated By-Laws (as further amended and
restated, the “Amended and Restated By-Laws”). The Board of Directors
made changes to Article VI of the Amended and Restated By-Laws to clarify that
the Company may issue shares of its stock in uncertificated form. The Company’s
ability to issue shares of its stock in uncertificated form is necessary to
satisfy the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") requirement for the Company,
as an NYSE listed company, to be eligible to participate in a direct
registration system operated by a securities depository. DRS eligibility does
not require the company to issue uncertificated shares. The Board of Directors
also amended Article IV of the Amended and Restated By-Laws to revise certain
of
the powers and duties of the Company’s officer positions to conform more closely
to the Company’s current organizational structure and to provide increased
flexibility for future organizational structures. In addition, the Board of
Directors amended certain other sections of the Amended and Restated By-Laws
to
make conforming and ministerial changes.
A
copy of the Company's Amended and
Restated By-Laws is attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1 and is incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety.
ITEM
9.01
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
(d)
Exhibits
3.1 Amended
and Restated By-Laws
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto
duly authorized.
Date: December
4, 2007
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SPECTRUM
BRANDS, INC.
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By:
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/s/
John T. Wilson
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Name:
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John
T. Wilson
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Title:
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Vice
President, Secretary
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and
General Counsel
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EXHIBIT
INDEX
Exhibit
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Description
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3.1
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Amended
and Restated By-Laws
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spectrum_ex3-1.htm
Exhibit
3.1
AMENDED
AND RESTATED
BY-LAWS
OF
SPECTRUM
BRANDS,
INC.
(hereinafter
called the “Corporation”)
ARTICLE
I. OFFICES
I.1
Principal
and Business
Offices. The
Corporation may have such principal and other business offices,
either within or without
the State of Wisconsin, as the Board of Directors may designate or as the
business of the Corporation may require from time to time.
I.2
Registered
Office. The registered
office of the
Corporation required by the Wisconsin Business Corporation Law to be
maintained in the
State of Wisconsin may be, but need not be, identical with the principal office
in the State of Wisconsin, and the address of the registered office may be
changed from time to time by the Board of Directors or by the
registered agent. The business office
of the registered agent of the Corporation shall be identical to such registered
office.
ARTICLE
II.
SHAREHOLDERS
II.1
Annual
Meeting. The annual meeting
of shareholders
shall be held on such date and at such time as shall be designated
from time
to time by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting,
at
which meeting the shareholders shall elect directors, and transact such other
business as may properly be brought before the meeting. Written
notice of the annual meeting
stating the place, date and hour of the meeting shall be given to each
shareholder entitled to vote at such meeting not less than ten nor more than
sixty days before the date of the meeting.
II.2
Special
Meeting. Special
meetings of the shareholders, for
any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by statute or the Articles
of Incorporation, may be called only by (i) the Chairman of the Board of
Directors, if there be one, (ii) the President, (iii) any Vice President,
if there be one, (iv) the
Secretary or (v) any Assistant Secretary, if there be one, and shall be called
by any such officer at the request in writing of a majority of the Board of
Directors. Shareholders shall not be entitled to call a Special Meeting
of the shareholders, nor to
require the Board of Directors to call such a special meeting. Special meetings
of the shareholders may be held on any date, at any time and at any place within
or without the State of Wisconsin as shall be determined by
the Board of Directors. Written notice
of a special meeting stating the place, date and hour of the meeting and the
purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called shall be given not less
than
ten nor more than sixty days before the date of the meeting
to each shareholder entitled to vote
at such meeting.
II.3
Place
of Meeting. The Board of Directors
may designate
any place, either within or without the State of Wisconsin, as the place of
meeting for any annual meeting or for any special meeting called by the Board of
Directors. A
waiver of notice signed by all shareholders entitled to vote at a meeting may
designate any place, either within or without the State of Wisconsin, as the
place for the holding of such meeting. If no designation is made, or
if a special meeting be otherwise
called, the place of meeting shall be the principal business office of the
Corporation in the State of Wisconsin or such other suitable place in the county
of such principal office as may be designated by the person calling
such meeting, but any meeting may
be adjourned to reconvene at any place designated by the holders of a majority
of the votes represented thereat.
II.4
Closing
of Transfer Books or Fixing
of Record Date. For the
purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice
of or to vote at
any meeting of shareholders or any adjournment thereof, or shareholders entitled
to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination of
shareholders for any other
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proper
purpose, the Board of Directors may
provide that the
stock transfer books shall be closed for a stated period but not to exceed,
in
any case, fifty days. If the stock transfer books shall be closed for the
purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice of or to
vote at a meeting of shareholders, such
books shall be closed for at least ten days immediately preceding such meeting.
In lieu of closing the stock transfer books, the Board of Directors may fix
in
advance a date as the record date for any such determination
of shareholders, such date in any
case to be not more than fifty days and, in case of a meeting of shareholders,
not less than ten days prior to the date on which the particular action,
requiring such determination of shareholders, is to be taken. If the
stock transfer books are not closed
and no record date is fixed for the determination of shareholders entitled
to
notice of or to vote at a meeting of shareholders, or shareholders entitled
to
receive payment of a dividend, the close of business on the
date on which notice of the meeting is
mailed or on the date on which the resolution of the Board of Directors
declaring such dividend is adopted, as the case may be, shall be the record
date
for such determination of shareholders. When a determination of
shareholders entitled to vote at any
meeting of shareholders has been made as provided in this section, such
determination shall be applied to any adjournment thereof except where the
determination has been made through the closing of the stock transfer
books
and the stated period of closing
has expired.
II.5
Voting
Records. The officer or
agent having charge of
the stock transfer books for shares of the Corporation shall, before each
meeting of shareholders, make a complete record of the shareholders entitled to vote at
such meeting, or
any adjournment thereof, arranged in alphabetical order, and indicating the
address of each shareholder, the number of shares of each class of capital
stock
of the Corporation entitled to vote registered in the name of
such shareholder and the total number
of votes to which each shareholder is entitled. Such record shall be produced
and kept open at the time and place of the meeting and shall be subject to
the
inspection of any shareholder during the whole time of the meeting
for any purpose germane to the
meeting.
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The
original stock transfer books shall
be prima facie evidence as to who are the shareholders entitled to examine
such
record or transfer books or to vote at any meeting of shareholders.
Failure to comply with the
requirements of this section shall not affect the validity of any action taken
at such meeting.
II.6
Quorum.
Except as otherwise provided in the
Articles of Incorporation, a quorum shall exist at a meeting of shareholders
if
shares of the Corporation
holding a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting are
represented in person or by proxy at such meeting of shareholders, but in no
event shall a quorum consist of less than one-third of the shares entitled
to
vote at the
meeting. If a quorum is present, the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes represented at the
meeting in person or by proxy voting together as a single class shall be the
act
of the shareholders, unless the vote of a greater number
or voting by classes is required by law
or the Articles of Incorporation. If a quorum shall fail to attend any meeting,
the presiding officer at the meeting may adjourn the meeting to another place,
date or time. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum
shall be present or represented, any
business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting
as
originally notified.
II.7
Conduct
of Meeting. The Chairman of
the Board, and in
the Chairman of the
Board's absence, the
Chief
Executive Officer,
and in their absence, any
President,
and in their absence, any
person chosen by
the shareholders present shall call the meeting of the shareholders to order
and
shall act as chairman of the meeting, and the Secretary of the Corporation
shall
act as secretary of all
meetings of the shareholders, but, in the absence of the Secretary, the
presiding officer may appoint any other person to act as secretary of the
meeting.
II.8
Proxies.
At all meetings of shareholders, a
shareholder entitled to vote may vote in person
or by proxy
appointed in writing by the shareholder or by such shareholder's
duly authorized attorney in fact. Such
proxy shall be filed with the Secretary of the Corporation before or at the
time
of the meeting. Unless otherwise provided in the proxy, a
proxy may be
revoked
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at
any time before it is voted, either
by written notice filed with the Secretary or the acting secretary of the
meeting or by oral notice given by the shareholder to the presiding officer
during the meeting. The
presence of a shareholder who has filed his or her proxy
shall not of itself constitute a
revocation. No proxy shall be valid after eleven months from the date of its
execution, unless otherwise provided in the proxy. The Board of Directors
shall have the power
and
authority to make rules establishing presumptions as to the validity and
sufficiency of proxies.
II.9
Voting
of Shares. Each outstanding
share shall be
entitled to one vote upon each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of
shareholders, except
to the
extent that voting rights of the shares of any class or classes are enlarged,
limited or denied by the Articles of Incorporation.
II.10
Voting
of Shares by Certain
Holders.
(a) Other
Corporations. Shares
standing in the name of
another corporation may be voted either in person or by proxy, by the president
of such corporation or any other officer appointed by such president. A proxy
executed by any principal officer of such other corporation or assistant thereto
shall be
conclusive evidence of the
signer’s
authority to act, in the absence of
express notice to this Corporation, given in writing to the Secretary of this
Corporation, of the designation of some other person by the board of directors
or the bylaws of such other
corporation.
(b) Legal
Representatives and Fiduciaries. Any
administrator, executor, guardian,
conservator, trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, or assignee for
creditors who holds
shares may vote
such
shares, either in person or
by proxy, without a
transfer of such shares
into his or her
name
provided that there is
filed with the Secretary before or at the time of meeting proper evidence of
his or her
incumbency and the number of shares
held. Shares standing in the name of a fiduciary may be voted by such
fiduciary, either in person or
by proxy. A proxy
executed by a fiduciary, shall be conclusive evidence of the signer’s
authority to act, in the absence of
express
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notice
to this Corporation, given in
writing to the Secretary of this Corporation, that such manner
of voting is
expressly prohibited or otherwise directed by the document creating the
fiduciary relationship.
(c) Pledgees.
A shareholder whose shares are pledged
shall be entitled to vote such shares until the shares have been transferred into the
name of the
pledgee, and thereafter the pledgee shall be entitled to vote the shares so
transferred.
(d) Treasury Stock and
Subsidiaries. Neither
treasury shares, nor shares held by another corporation if a majority of the
shares entitled to vote for
the election of directors of such other corporation is held by this Corporation,
shall be voted at any meeting or counted in determining the total number of
votes represented at such a meeting, but shares of its own issue held by
this
Corporation in a fiduciary capacity,
or held by such other corporation in a fiduciary capacity, may be voted and
shall be counted in determining the total number of votes represented at such
a
meeting.
(e) Minors.
Shares held by a minor may be
voted by such minor in
person or by proxy and no such vote shall be subject to disaffirmance or
avoidance, unless prior to such vote the Secretary of the Corporation has
received written notice or has actual knowledge that such shareholder is a
minor.
(f) Incompetents and
Spendthrifts. Shares
held by an incompetent or spendthrift may be voted by such incompetent or
spendthrift in person or by proxy and no such vote shall be subject to
disaffirmance or avoidance, unless prior to such vote the Secretary of
the Corporation has actual
knowledge that such shareholder has been adjudicated an incompetent or
spendthrift or actual knowledge of filing of judicial proceedings for
appointment of a guardian.
(g) Joint
Tenants. Shares
registered in the names of two or more individuals who
are named in the
registration as joint tenants may be voted in person or by proxy signed by
any
one or more of such individuals
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if
either (i) no other such individual
or such
individual's legal
representative is present
and claims the right to participate in the voting of such shares or prior to
the
vote files with the Secretary of the Corporation a contrary written voting
authorization or direction or written denial of authority of the individual
present or signing the
proxy proposed to be voted or (ii) all
such other individuals are deceased and the Secretary of the Corporation has
no
actual knowledge that the survivor has been adjudicated not to be the successor
to the interests of those deceased.
II.11
Waiver
of Notice by
Shareholders. Whenever
any notice whatsoever is required to be given to any shareholder of the
Corporation under the Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws or any provision
of
law, a waiver thereof in writing, signed at any time, whether before
or after the time of the
meeting, by the shareholder entitled to such notice, shall be deemed equivalent
to the giving of such notice; provided that such waiver in respect to any matter
of which notice is required under any provision of the Wisconsin
Business
Corporation Law, shall contain the
same information as would have been required to be included in such notice,
except the time and place of meeting.
II.12
No
Action by Consent of Shareholders
in Lieu of Meeting. Any
action required or permitted to be taken by the shareholders
of the
Corporation must be effected at a duly constituted annual or special meeting
of
such shareholders and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such
shareholders.
II.13
Nomination
of
Directors. Only persons
who are nominated in
accordance with the following procedures shall be eligible for election as
directors of the Corporation. Nominations of persons for election as directors
of the Corporation may be made at a meeting of shareholders only (i) by or
at
the direction
of the Board of Directors, (ii)
by any nominating committee or person appointed by the Board of Directors or
(iii) by any shareholder of the Corporation entitled to vote for the election
of
directors at the meeting who complies with the notice procedures
set forth in this Section 2.13.
Such nominations, other than those made by or at the
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direction
of the Board of Directors or
by any nominating committee or person appointed by the Board of Directors,
shall
be made pursuant to timely notice in writing to the
Secretary of the
Corporation. To be timely, a shareholder’s
notice shall be delivered to or mailed
and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less
than
50 days nor more than 75 days prior to the meeting at
which directors will be elected;
provided, however, that in the event that less than 65 days’
notice or prior public disclosure of
the date of the meeting is given or made to shareholders, notice by the
shareholder to be timely must be so received not later
than the close of business on the
15th day following the day on which such notice of the date of the meeting
was
mailed or such public disclosure was made, whichever first occurs. Such
shareholder’s
notice to the Secretary shall set
forth (a) as to each
person whom the shareholder proposes
to nominate for election or re-election as a director, (i) the name, business
address and residence of the person, (ii) the principal occupation or employment
of the person, (iii) the class and number of shares of capital
stock of the Corporation that are
beneficially owned by the person and (iv) any other information relating to
the
person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations for proxies for
election of directors pursuant to the applicable rules
under
the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as now
or hereafter amended; and (b) as to the shareholder giving the notice, (i)
the
name and record address of such shareholder and (ii) the class and number of
shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are beneficially
owned by such shareholder. The
Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information
as may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility
of
such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation.
No person shall be eligible for
election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with
the procedures set forth herein.
The
presiding officer at the meeting
shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a nomination was
not made in
accordance with the foregoing procedures, and if the
presiding
officer should so determine,
the
presiding officer shall so declare to
the meeting and
such nomination shall be disregarded.
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II.14
Other
Business.
To be properly brought before a
meeting of shareholders, business must be either (a) specified in the notice
of
meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board
of
Directors, (b) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction
of the Board of
Directors or (c) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a shareholder.
In addition to any other applicable requirements, for business to be properly
brought before a meeting by a shareholder, the shareholder
must have given timely notice thereof
in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a
shareholder’s
notice must be delivered to or mailed
and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, not less
than 50 days nor more than
75 days prior to the meeting;
provided, however, that in the event that less than 65 days’
notice or prior public disclosure of
the date of the meeting is given or made to shareholders, notice by the
shareholder to be timely must be so received not later
than the close of business on the
15th day following the day on which such notice of the date of the meeting
was
mailed or such public disclosure was made, whichever first occurs. A
shareholder’s
notice to the Secretary shall set
forth with respect to each
matter the shareholder proposes to
bring before the meeting, (i) a brief description of the business desired to
be
brought before the meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at
the
meeting, (ii) the name and record address of the shareholder
proposing such business, (iii) the
class and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are
beneficially owned by such shareholder and others known by such shareholder
to
support the proposal of such business and (iv) any material interest
of such shareholder and other
supporters referred to in the preceding clause (iii) in such proposed
business.
Notwithstanding
anything in the By-Laws
to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at any meeting except in
accordance with the procedures set forth in this
Section 2.14,
provided, however, that nothing in this Section 2.14 shall be deemed to preclude
discussion by any shareholder of any business properly brought before any
meeting.
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The
presiding officer at the meeting
shall, if the facts
warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that the business was not properly
brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Section
2.14, and if the
presiding officer should so determine,
the
presiding officer shall
so declare to the meeting, and any
such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be
transacted.
ARTICLE
III. BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
III.1
General
Powers and
Number. The business
and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by its Board of Directors.
The number of
directors shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors, but in
no
event shall the number be greater than twelve (12) nor fewer than five
(5).
III.2
Tenure
and
Qualifications. Each
director shall serve for a
term ending on the date of the third annual meeting of shareholders following
the annual meeting at which such director was elected and until such director's
successor is duly elected and duly
qualified, or until such
director's prior death,
resignation or removal from
office. A director may be removed from office as a director, but only for cause,
by the affirmative vote of holders of at least two-thirds (66
2/3%)
of the voting power of shares
entitled to vote at an election of directors. A director may resign at any
time
by filing a written resignation with the Secretary of the Corporation. Directors
need not be residents of the State of Wisconsin or shareholders of the
Corporation. A director, other than the Chairman of the Board, who is an officer
of the Corporation and who shall retire or otherwise terminate employment as
such officer shall automatically be retired as a director of the Corporation
and
thereafter shall not be eligible for re-election as a director.
III.3
Meetings.
The Board of Directors of the Corporation
may hold
meetings, both regular and special, either within or without the State of
Wisconsin. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such time
and at such place as may from time to time be determined by the Board
of Directors and, unless required
by resolution of the Board of Directors, without notice. Special meetings of
the
Board of Directors may be called
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by
the Chairman of the Board of
Directors, the Vice Chairman, if there be one, the Chief
Executive Officer, so long as the
Chief Executive Officer is also a member of the Board of Directors, or
a majority of the directors then in
office. Notice thereof stating the place, date and hour of the meeting shall
be
given to each director either by mail not less than forty-eight
(48)
hours before the date of the meeting, by telephone, facsimile or telegram on
twenty-four (24) hours’
notice, or on such shorter notice as
the person or persons calling such meeting may deem necessary or appropriate
in
the
circumstances.
III.4
Quorum.
Except as otherwise provided by law or
by the Articles of Incorporation or these By-Laws, a majority of the directors
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of
the
Board of Directors, but a
majority of the directors present (though less than such quorum) may adjourn
the
meeting from time to time without further notice.
III.5
Manner
of Acting. The act of the
majority of the
directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the
Board of
Directors, unless the act of a greater number is required by law or by the
Articles of Incorporation or these By-Laws.
III.6
Conduct
of Meetings. The Chairman of
the Board, and in
the Chairman of the
Board's absence,
any director chosen by
the
directors present, shall call meetings of the Board of Directors to order and
shall act as chairman of the meeting. The Secretary of the Corporation shall
act
as secretary of all meetings of the Board of Directors but in the
absence
of the Secretary, the presiding
officer may appoint any Assistant Secretary or any director or other persons
present to act as secretary of the meeting.
III.7
Vacancies.
If the number of directors is changed,
any increase or decrease shall be apportioned among the classes
so as to
maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible,
and
any additional director of any class elected to fill a vacancy resulting from
an
increase in such class shall hold office for a term that shall
coincide with the remaining term of
that class, but in no case will a decrease in the number of directors shorten
the term of
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any
incumbent director. A director shall
hold office until the annual meeting for the year in which such director's
term expires and until such director's
successor shall be duly elected and
shall duly qualify, subject, however, to prior death, resignation, retirement,
disqualification or removal from office. Any vacancy on the Board of Directors
that results from an
increase in the number of directors may be filled by a majority of the directors
then in office, provided that a quorum is present, and any other vacancy
occurring in the Board of Directors may be filled by a majority of the directors
then in office, even
if less than a quorum, or by a sole
remaining director; provided that in case of a vacancy created by the removal
of
a director by vote of the shareholders, the shareholders shall have the right
to
fill such vacancy at the same meeting or any adjournment
thereof in accordance with the Articles
of Incorporation.
III.8
Compensation.
The Board of Directors, by affirmative
vote of a majority of the directors then in office, and irrespective of any
personal interest of any of its members, may establish reasonable compensation
of all directors
for services to the Corporation as directors, officers or otherwise, or may
delegate such authority to an appropriate committee. The Board of Directors
also
shall have authority to provide for or delegate authority to
an appropriate committee to provide for
reasonable pensions, disability or death benefits, and other benefits or
payments, to directors, officers and employees and to their estates, families,
dependents or beneficiaries on account of prior services rendered
by such directors, officers and
employees to the Corporation.
III.9
Presumption
of Assent. A director of the
Corporation who is
present at a meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee thereof of which
such director
is a member at which action on any corporate matter
is taken shall
be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless such director's
dissent shall be entered in the minutes
of the meeting or unless such director shall
file his or her
written dissent to such action with the
person acting as the
secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such
dissent by registered mail to the Secretary of the Corporation immediately
after
the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a
director
who voted in favor of such
action.
12
III.10
Committees.
The Board of Directors by resolution
adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the number of directors then
in
office may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of three or more
directors
elected by the Board of Directors, which, to the extent provided in said
resolution as initially adopted, and as thereafter supplemented or amended
by
further resolution adopted by a like vote, shall have and may
exercise,
when the Board of Directors is not in
session, the powers of the Board of Directors in the management of the business
and affairs of the Corporation, except action in respect to dividends to
shareholders, election of the principal officers or the filling of
vacancies in the Board of Directors
or committees created pursuant to this section. The Board of Directors may
elect
one or more of its members as alternate members of any such committee who may
take the place of any absent member or members at any meeting
of such committee, upon request by
the Chairman of the Board or upon request by the chairman of such meeting.
Each
such committee shall fix its own rules governing the conduct of its activities
and shall make such reports to the Board of Directors of its
activities as the Board of Directors
may request.
III.11
Unanimous
Consent Without
Meeting. Any action
required or permitted by the Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws or any
provision of law to be taken by the Board of Directors at a meeting or
by resolution may be taken
without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken,
shall be signed by all of the directors then in office.
III.12
Telephonic
Meetings. Unless otherwise
provided by the
Articles
of Incorporation or these By-Laws, members
of the Board of
Directors of the Corporation, or any committee designated by the Board of
Directors, may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or such
committee by means of a conference telephone or similar
communications
equipment by means of which all persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting
pursuant to this Section 3.12
shall constitute presence in person at
such meeting.
13
ARTICLE
IV. OFFICERS
IV.1
Number.
The principal officers of the
Corporation shall be a Chairman of the Board, a Chief Executive Officer,
a
number
of Presidents and
Vice Presidents as shall be determined
by the Board of Directors from time to time, a Secretary, and a Treasurer,
each
of whom shall be elected
by
the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may from time to time elect
or
appoint such other
officers
and assistant
officers as may be deemed necessary. Any number of offices may be held by the
same person.
IV.2
Election
and Term of Office.
The officers of the Corporation to be
elected by the Board of Directors shall be elected annually by the Board of
Directors at the first meeting of the Board of Directors held after each annual
meeting of the shareholders. If the election of officers shall not
be held at such
meeting, then such
election shall be held as soon
thereafter as conveniently may be. Each officer shall hold office until
the officer's successor
shall be duly elected or until
the officer's
prior death, resignation or removal. Any officer
may resign at any
time upon written notice to the Corporation. Failure to elect officers shall
not
dissolve or otherwise affect the Corporation.
IV.3
Removal.
Any officer or agent may be removed by
the Board of Directors at any time by the affirmative
vote of a
majority of the Board of Directors, but such removal shall be without prejudice
to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Election or
appointment shall not of itself create contract rights.
IV.4
Vacancies.
A vacancy in any principal office
because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, shall
be
filled by the Board of Directors for the unexpired portion of the
term.
IV.5
Chairman
of the Board. The Chairman of
the Board shall
be elected or appointed
by,
and from the membership of
the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board shall, when
14
present,
preside at all meetings of the
shareholders and of the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board
shall
perform such other duties and
functions as
shall be assigned to the
Chairman of the Board from
time to time by the Board of Directors or in these By-Laws. Except where by
law
the signature of the Chief
Executive Officer of the
Corporation is required, the Chairman of the Board shall
possess the same
power and authority to sign, execute and acknowledge, on behalf of the
Corporation, all deeds, mortgages, bonds, stock certificates, contracts, leases,
reports and all other documents or instruments necessary or proper
to be executed in the course of the
Corporation’s
regular business, or which shall be
authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors; and except as otherwise
provided by law or by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board
may authorize the Chief
Executive Officer or any President or
other officer or
agent of the Corporation to sign, execute and acknowledge such documents or instruments
in the
Chairman of the Board's
place and stead. During the absence or disability of the Chief Executive Officer,
or while that office is vacant, the
Chairman of the Board shall exercise all of the powers and discharge all of
the
duties of the Chief
Executive Officer.
IV.6
Chief
Executive
Officer. The
Chief
Executive Officer
shall be the principal
executive officer of the Corporation
and, subject
to the control of the Board of Directors, shall in general determine the
direction and goals of the Corporation and supervise and control all of the
business, operations and affairs of the Corporation. The
Chief Executive Officer
shall have authority, subject to such
rules as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors, to appoint such agents
and
employees of the Corporation as the Chief Executive Officer
may deem necessary, to prescribe their
powers, duties and compensation, and to delegate
authority to
them. Such agents and employees shall hold office at the discretion of the
Chief Executive
Officer. The
Chief Executive Officer shall have authority,
co-equal with the
Chairman of the Board, to sign, execute and acknowledge, on behalf of the
Corporation, all
deeds, mortgages, bonds, stock certificates, contracts, leases, reports and
all
other documents or instruments necessary or proper to be executed in the course
of the Corporation’s
regular business, or which shall
be
authorized by resolution of the Board
of Directors; and, except as otherwise provided by law or by the Board of
Directors, the
Chief
Executive Officer may authorize any President
or Vice President or any
15
other
officer or agent of the
Corporation to sign,
execute and acknowledge such documents or instruments in the Chief Executive
Officer's place and stead.
In general, the
Chief
Executive Officer shall perform all duties
incident to the
office of chief executive officer and such other duties as may be prescribed
by the Board of
Directors from time to time.
IV.7
President.
The
President shall assist the Chief
Executive Officer in exercising general supervision over the business and
affairs of the Corporation
and shall be responsible for
the administration and
management of such
areas of the business and affairs of
the Corporation as may be
designated from time to
time by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors
or the Chief
Executive Officer may add an appropriate descriptive
designation to
such President's title to reflect such President's duties. In the absence of the
Chairman of the
Board and the Chief
Executive Officer or in the
event of their deaths, inability or refusal to act, or in the event for
any reason it shall be
impracticable for the Chairman of the Board or Chief Executive Officer
to
act personally, the President (or in
the event there
is more than one President,
then the
Presidents in the order designated
by the Board of Directors, or in the absence of any designation,
then in
the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the Chairman of the
Board and/or Chief
Executive Officer (as the
case may be), and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject
to
all the restrictions upon
the Chairman of the Board or Chief Executive Officer
(as
the case may be). Any
President may sign, with the
Secretary or Assistant Secretary, certificates for shares of the Corporation;
and shall perform such other duties and have such authority as from time to time
may be delegated
or assigned to such
President by the Chairman
of the Board, Chief
Executive Officer or Board
of Directors. The execution of any instrument of the Corporation by any
President shall be conclusive evidence, as to third parties, of such
President's authority to act in
the stead of the
Chairman of the Board and/or the Chief Executive Officer.
IV.8
Vice
President. A Vice
President shall be responsible for
the administration and management of such divisions or departments of the Corporation and
such other
duties as may be prescribed
from time to time by the Board of Directors,
the
Chief Executive Officer or any President.
Any
Vice President may sign, with the
Secretary or Assistant Secretary, certificates for shares of the Corporation. The execution
of any instrument of the Corporation by any Vice President shall be conclusive
evidence, as to third parties, of such Vice President's authority to act and
execute such instrument. One
or more of the Vice Presidents may
be designated as Executive
Vice President or Senior Vice President.
IV.9
Secretary.
The Secretary shall: (a) keep the
minutes of the meetings
of the shareholders and minutes
of the meetings of and records of the
actions taken without a meeting of the Board of
Directors (including any committees
thereof) in one or more
books or other appropriate
manner of storing and
recording provided for that
purpose; (b) attest instruments to be filed with the Secretary of State; (c)
see
that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions
of these
By-Laws or as required by law; (d) be custodian of the corporate records; (e)
keep or arrange for the keeping of a register of the post office address of
each
shareholder which shall be furnished to the Secretary by such
shareholders; (f) sign with the
Chairman of the Board, the
Chief Executive Officer, any President
or any Vice President, certificates for shares
of the
Corporation, the issuance of which shall have been
16
authorized
by resolution of the
Board of Directors; (g)
have general charge of the stock transfer books of the Corporation; and (h)
in
general perform all duties incident to the office of the Secretary and have
such
other duties and exercise such authority as from time to time may be
delegated
or assigned to the Secretary
by the Chairman of the Board,
the Chief Executive Officer
or any President or by the
Board of Directors.
IV.10
Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall: (a) have charge
and custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the Corporation;
(b) receive and
give receipts from moneys due and payable to the Corporation from any source
whatsoever, and deposit all such moneys in the name of the Corporation in such
banks, trust companies or other depositories as shall be selected
by the Corporation; and (c) in
general perform all of the duties and exercise such other authority as from
time
to time may be delegated or assigned to the Treasurer
by the Chairman of the Board, the
Chief Executive
Officer or any
President or by the Board of Directors.
If required by the
Board of Directors, the Treasurer shall give a bond for the faithful discharge
of his or her duties
in such sum and with such surety
or sureties as the Board of Directors shall determine.
IV.11
Assistant
Secretaries and Assistant
Treasurers. There shall
be such number of Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers as the Board
of
Directors or the Chief
Executive Officer may from
time to time authorize. The Assistant Secretaries may sign with the Chairman
of
the Board,
the Chief Executive Officer,
any President
or any Vice President, certificates for shares
of the
Corporation the issuance of which shall have been authorized by a resolution
of
the Board of Directors. The Assistant Treasurers shall respectively,
if required by the Board
of
Directors, give bonds for the faithful discharge of their duties in such sums
and with such sureties as the Board of Directors shall determine. The Assistant
Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers, in general, shall perform such
duties
and have such authority as shall
from time to time be delegated or assigned to them by the Secretary or the
Treasurer, respectively, or by the Chairman of the Board, the President or
by
the Board of Directors.
17
IV.12
Other
Assistants; Acting Officers;
Other
Officers. The Board of
Directors shall have the power to appoint any person to act as assistant to
any
officer, or as agent for the Corporation in his or her
stead, or to perform the duties of such
officer whenever for any reason it is impracticable for such
officer to act
personally, and such assistant or acting officer or other agent so appointed
by
the Board of Directors shall have the power to perform all the duties of the
office to which he or she
is
so appointed to be an
assistant, or as to which
he or she
is so appointed to act, except as such
power may be otherwise defined or restricted by the Board of Directors. Such
other officers as the Board of Directors may choose shall perform such duties
and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned
to them by the
Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may delegate to any other officer
of
the Corporation the power to choose such other officers and to prescribe their
respective duties and powers.
IV.13
Salaries.
The salaries of the principal
officers shall be
fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors or by a duly authorized
committee thereof, and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such salary
by reason of the fact that such officer
is also a director of the Corporation.
ARTICLE
V. CONTRACTS; SPECIAL CORPORATE
ACTS
V.1
Contracts.
The Board of Directors may authorize
any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute
or deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation,
and such
authorization may be general or confined to specific instances. In the absence
of other designation, all deeds, mortgages and instruments of assignment or
pledge made by the Corporation shall be executed in the name of the Corporation
by the Chairman of the
Board or
the Chief Executive Officer,
President or one of the
Vice Presidents and by the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer
or
an Assistant Treasurer; and when so executed no other party to such instrument
or any third party shall
be
required to make any inquiry into the authority of the signing officer of
officers.
18
V.2
Voting
of Securities Owned by this
Corporation. Powers of
attorney, proxies, waivers of notice of meeting, consents and other instruments relating
to securities owned
by the Corporation may be executed in the name of and on behalf of the
Corporation by the Chief
Executive Officer, any President or any Vice
President and any
such officer may, in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, 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 corporation in which the Corporation 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
Corporation might have exercised and possessed if present. The Board of
Directors may, by resolution, from time to time confer like powers upon
any
other person or
persons.
ARTICLE
VI. SHARES AND THEIR
TRANSFER
VI.1
Form
of Shares. Shares of the Corporation
shall be in such form, certificated or uncertificated, consistent with law,
as
shall be determined by the Board of Directors, provided that the Corporation
may not issue
uncertificated shares in place of shares already represented by certificates
until such certificates are surrendered to the Corporation. For any
class or series of shares for which the Corporation shall issue
certificates,
such certificates shall be signed by
the Chairman of the Board,
the Chief Executive Officer, any President or any Vice President and by the Secretary
or an Assistant
Secretary and such certificates shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise
identified. The
name and address of the person to whom the shares represented thereby are
issued, with the number of shares and date of issue, shall be entered on the
stock transfer books of the Corporation.
For
any class or series of shares for
which the Corporation shall
issue shares without certificates, the Corporation shall keep accounts upon
the
books of the Corporation for the registered owners of such shares, who shall
be
deemed, for purposes hereunder, to be the owner of such shares as if they had
received
certificates therefor and shall be
held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms
hereof. Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of
uncertificated shares, the Corporation shall send to the owner (and in the
case
of a valid transfer,
the transferee owner) a written
statement of the information required on share certificates by Section 180.0625
(1) and (2) and, if applicable, Section 180.0627 of the Wisconsin Business
Corporation Law or any respective successor statutes. All
certificates
surrendered to the
Corporation for transfer shall be cancelled and no new certificate shall be
issued until the former certificate for a like number of shares shall have
been
surrendered and cancelled, except as provided in
Section
6.5.
VI.2 Facsimile
Signatures and
Seal. The
signature of the Chairman of the
Board, the
Chief Executive Officer, any
President or any Vice President and of
the
Secretary or Assistant Secretary
upon a certificate may be facsimiles if the certificate is manually
signed on behalf of a
transfer agent, or a registrar, other than the Corporation itself or an employee
of the Corporation. The Corporation shall have a corporate
seal.
19
VI.3
Signature
by Former
Officers. In
case any officer, who has signed or
whose facsimile signature
has been placed upon any certificate for shares, shall have ceased to be such
officer before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation
with the same effect as if such former officer were such officer at the
date
of its issue.
VI.4
Transfer
of Shares. At
any time prior to due presentment of
shares for registration of transfer, the Corporation may treat the registered
owner of such shares as the person exclusively entitled to vote, to receive
notifications and otherwise
to have and exercise all the rights and powers of an owner. Where
shares are presented to the Corporation with a request to register for transfer,
the Corporation shall not be liable to the owner or any other person suffering
loss as a result
of such registration of transfer if (a)
there were on or with the certificate, if any, or instrument of transfer the
necessary endorsements, and (b) the Corporation had no duty to inquire into
adverse claims or has discharged any such duty. The
Corporation
may require reasonable assurance that
said endorsements are genuine and effective and in compliance with such other
regulations as may be prescribed by or under the authority of the Board of
Directors.
VI.5
Lost,
Destroyed or Stolen
Certificates.
Where
the owner claims that such owner's
certificate for shares has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, a new
certificate shall be issued in place thereof if the owner (a) so requests before
the Corporation has notice that such shares have been acquired
by a bona fide purchaser, and (b)
files with the Corporation a sufficient indemnity bond, and (c) satisfies such
other reasonable requirements as may be prescribed by or under the authority
of
the Board of Directors.
VI.6
Consideration
for
Shares.
The shares of the Corporation
may be
issued for such consideration as shall be fixed from time to time by the Board
of Directors, provided that any shares having a par value shall not be issued
for a consideration less than the par value thereof. The consideration
to be paid for shares may be
paid in whole or in part, in money, in other
20
property,
tangible or intangible, or in
labor or services actually performed for the Corporation. When payment of the
consideration for which shares are to be issued shall have been
received by the
Corporation, such shares shall be deemed to be fully paid and nonassessable
by
the Corporation. No share shall be issued until such share is fully
paid.
VI.7
Stock
Regulations.The
Board of Directors shall have
the power and authority
to
make all such further rules and regulations not inconsistent with the statutes
of the State of Wisconsin as it may deem expedient concerning the issue,
transfer and registration of shares of the Corporation.
ARTICLE
VII. AMENDMENTS
VII.1
By
Shareholders. Except as otherwise
provided in the
Articles of Incorporation, these By-Laws may be altered, amended or repealed
and
new By-Laws may be adopted by the shareholders by affirmative vote of not less
than a majority of the votes represented in person
or by proxy
entitled to be cast therefor at any annual or special meeting of the
shareholders at which a quorum is in attendance.
VII.2
By
Directors. Except as otherwise
provided in the
Articles of Incorporation, these By-Laws may also be altered,
amended or
repealed and new By-Laws may be adopted by the Board of Directors by affirmative
vote of a majority of the number of directors present at any meeting at which
a
quorum is in attendance; but no By-Law adopted by the shareholders
shall be amended or repealed by
the Board of Directors if the By-Law so adopted so provides.
VII.3
Implied
Amendments. Any action taken
or authorized by the
shareholders or by the Board of Directors, which would be inconsistent with
the
By-Laws then in effect but
is taken or authorized by affirmative vote of not less than the number of shares
or the number of directors required to amend the By-Laws so that the By-Laws
would be consistent with such action, shall be given the same effect as
though the
By-Laws had been temporarily amended
or suspended so far, but only so far, as is necessary to permit the specific
action so taken or authorized.
21
ARTICLE
VIII.
INDEMNIFICATION
VIII.1
Certain
Definitions. All capitalized
terms used
in this Article VIII and
not otherwise hereinafter defined in this Section 8.1 shall have the meaning
set
forth in Section 180.042 of the Statute. The following capitalized terms
(including any plural forms thereof) used in this Article VIII shall be
defined
as follows:
(a) “Affiliate”
shall include, without limitation, any
corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other
enterprise that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries,
controls or is controlled by, or is under common control
with, the
Corporation.
(b) “Authority”
shall mean the entity selected by the
Director or Officer to determine his or her right to indemnification pursuant
to
Section 8.4.
(c) “Board”
shall mean the entire then elected
and serving board of
directors of the Corporation, including all members thereof who are Parties
to
the subject Proceeding or any related Proceeding.
(d) “Breach of
Duty” shall mean the
Director or Officer breached or failed to perform his or her duties to the Corporation
and his or her
breach of or failure to perform those duties is determined, in accordance with
Section 8.4, to constitute misconduct under Section 180.044(2)(a) 1, 2, 3 or
4
of the Statute.
(e) “Corporation”
as used herein and as defined in the Statute
and incorporated
by reference into the definitions of certain other capitalized terms used
herein, shall mean this Corporation, including, without limitation, any
successor corporation or entity to this Corporation by way of
merger, consolidation
or acquisition of all or
substantially all of the capital stock or assets of this
Corporation.
22
(f) “Director or
Officer” shall have the
meaning set forth in the Statute; provided, that, for purposes of this Article
VIII, it shall be
conclusively presumed that any Director or Officer serving as a director,
officer, partner, trustee, member of any governing or decision-making committee,
employee or agent of an Affiliate shall be so serving at the request of the
Corporation.
(g) “Disinterested
Quorum” shall mean a quorum
of the Board who
are not Parties to the subject Proceeding or any related
Proceeding.
(h) “Party”
shall have the meaning set forth in the
Statute; provided, that, for purposes of this Article VIII, the term “Party”
shall also include any Director or
Officer who is or was a witness in a Proceeding at a time when he or she has
not
otherwise been formally named a Party thereto.
(i) “Proceeding”
shall have the meaning set forth in the
Statute; provided, that,
for purposes of this Article VIII, the term “Proceeding”
shall also include all Proceedings (i)
brought under (in whole or in part) the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, their respective state
counterparts,
and/or any rule or regulation
promulgated under any of the foregoing; (ii) brought before an Authority or
otherwise to enforce rights hereunder; (iii) any appeal from a Proceeding;
and
(iv) any Proceeding in which the Director or Officer is a plaintiff
or petitioner because he or she is a
Director or Officer; provided, however, that such Proceeding is authorized
by a
majority vote of a Disinterested Quorum.
(j) “Statute”
shall mean Sections 180.042 through
180.059, inclusive, of the Wisconsin Business Corporation Law,
Chapter 180 of
the Wisconsin Statutes, as the same shall then be in effect, including any
amendments thereto, but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent
such amendment permits or requires the Corporation to provide broader
23
indemnification
rights than the Statute
permitted or required the Corporation to provide prior to such
amendment.
VIII.2
Mandatory
Indemnification. To the
fullest extent permitted or required by the Statute, the Corporation
shall indemnify a Director
or Officer against all Liabilities incurred by or on behalf of such Director
or
Officer in connection with a Proceeding in which the Director or Officer is
a
Party because he or she is a Director or Officer.
VIII.3
Procedural
Requirements.
(a) A Director or Officer who seeks indemnification under Section 8.2 shall
make
a written request therefor to the Corporation. Subject to Section 8.3(b), within
sixty days of the Corporation’s
receipt of such request, the
Corporation shall pay or
reimburse the Director or Officer for the entire amount of Liabilities incurred
by the Director or Officer in connection with the subject Proceeding (net of
any
Expenses previously advanced pursuant to Section 8.5).
(b) No indemnification shall be required to be paid
by the
Corporation pursuant to Section 8.2 if, within such sixty-day period, (i) a
Disinterested Quorum, by a majority vote thereof, determines that the Director
or Officer requesting indemnification engaged in misconduct constituting
a Breach of Duty or (ii) a
Disinterested Quorum cannot be obtained.
(c) In either case of nonpayment pursuant to Section 8.3(b), the Board shall
immediately authorize by resolution that an Authority, as provided in Section
8.4, determine whether the
Director’s
or Officer’s
conduct constituted a Breach of Duty
and, therefore, whether indemnification should be denied
hereunder.
(d) (i) If the Board does not authorize an Authority to determine the
Director’s
or Officer’s
right to indemnification hereunder within such
sixty-day period
and/or (ii) if indemnification of the requested
24
amount
of Liabilities is paid by the
Corporation, then it shall be conclusively presumed for all purposes that a
Disinterested Quorum has determined that the Director or Officer
did not engage
in misconduct constituting a Breach of Duty and, in the case of subsection
(i)
above (but not subsection (ii)), indemnification by the Corporation of the
requested amount of Liabilities shall be paid to the Director or
Officer
immediately.
VIII.4
Determination
of
Indemnification.
(a) If the Board authorizes an Authority to determine a Director’s
or Officer’s
right to indemnification pursuant to
Section 8.3, then the Director or Officer requesting indemnification shall have the absolute
discretionary authority to select one of the following as such
Authority:
(i) An independent legal counsel; provided, that such counsel shall be mutually
selected by such Director or Officer and by a majority vote of a Disinterested Quorum or,
if a Disinterested
Quorum cannot be obtained, then by a majority vote of the
Board;
(ii) A panel of three arbitrators selected from the panels of arbitrators of
the
American Arbitration Association in Madison, Wisconsin; provided, that (A) one arbitrator
shall be
selected by such Director or Officer, the second arbitrator shall be selected
by
a majority vote of a Disinterested Quorum or, if a Disinterested Quorum cannot
be obtained, then by a majority vote of the Board, and the third
arbitrator shall be selected by the
two previously selected arbitrators, and (B) in all other respects, such panel
shall be governed by the American Arbitration Association’s
then existing Commercial Arbitration
Rules; or
(iii) A court pursuant to
and in accordance with Section 180.051 of the Statute.
25
(b) In any such determination by the selected Authority there shall exist a
rebuttable presumption that the Director’s
or Officer’s
conduct did not constitute a Breach of
Duty and that indemnification against
the requested
amount of Liabilities is required. The burden of rebutting such a presumption
by
clear and convincing evidence shall be on the Corporation or such other party
asserting that such indemnification should not be allowed.
(c) The Authority shall make its determination within sixty days of being
selected and shall submit a written opinion of its conclusion simultaneously
to
both the Corporation and the Director or Officer.
(d) If the Authority determines that indemnification is required
hereunder, the
Corporation shall pay the entire requested amount of Liabilities (net of any
Expenses previously advanced pursuant to Section 8.5), including interest
thereon at a reasonable rate, as determined by the Authority, within
ten days of receipt of the
Authority’s
opinion; provided, that, if it is
determined by the Authority that a Director or Officer is entitled to
indemnification as to some claims, issues or matters, but not as to other
claims, issues or matters, involved in
the subject Proceeding, the
Corporation shall be required to pay (as set forth above) only the amount of
such requested Liabilities as the Authority shall deem appropriate in light
of
all of the circumstances of such Proceeding.
(e) The determination by
the Authority that indemnification is required hereunder shall be binding upon
the Corporation regardless of any prior determination that the Director or
Officer engaged in a Breach of Duty.
(f) All Expenses incurred in the determination process under this Section 8.4
by either the
Corporation or the Director or Officer, including, without limitation, all
Expenses of the selected Authority, shall be paid by the
Corporation.
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VIII.5
Mandatory
Allowance of
Expenses.
(a) The Corporation shall
pay or reimburse, within ten days after the receipt of the Director’s
or Officer’s
written request therefor, the
reasonable Expenses of the Director or Officer as such Expenses are incurred;
provided, the following conditions are satisfied:
(i) The Director or Officer furnishes to the Corporation an executed written
certificate affirming his or her good faith belief that he or she has not
engaged in misconduct which constitutes a Breach of Duty;
and
(ii) The Director or Officer furnishes to the Corporation
an unsecured
executed written agreement to repay any advances made under this Section 8.5
if
it is ultimately determined by an Authority that he or she is not entitled
to be
indemnified by the Corporation for such Expenses pursuant to
Section 8.4.
(b) If the Director or Officer must repay any previously advanced Expenses
pursuant to this Section 8.5, such Director or Officer shall not be required
to
pay interest on such amounts.
VIII.6
Indemnification
and Allowance of
Expenses of Certain
Others.
(a) The Corporation shall indemnify a director or officer of an Affiliate (who
is not otherwise serving as a Director or Officer) against all Liabilities,
and
shall advance the reasonable Expenses, incurred by such director or
officer in a Proceeding
to
the same extent hereunder as if such director or officer incurred such
Liabilities because he or she was a Director or Officer, if such director or
officer is a Party thereto because he or she is or was a director or officer
of
the Affiliate.
(b) The Board may, in its sole and absolute discretion as it deems appropriate,
pursuant to a majority vote thereof, indemnify against Liabilities
27
incurred
by, and/or provide for the
allowance of reasonable Expenses of, an employee or authorized
agent of the
Corporation acting within the scope of his or her duties as such and who is
not
otherwise a Director or Officer.
VIII.7
Insurance.
The Corporation may purchase and
maintain insurance on behalf of a Director or Officer or any individual who
is or was an
employee or authorized agent of the Corporation against any Liability asserted
against or incurred by such individual in his or her capacity as such or arising
from his or her status as such, regardless of whether the Corporation
is required or permitted to
indemnify against any such Liability under this Article
VIII.
VIII.8
Notice
to the
Corporation. A Director
or Officer shall promptly notify the Corporation in writing when he or she
has
actual knowledge of a Proceeding which may result
in a claim of
indemnification against Liabilities or allowance of Expenses hereunder, but
the
failure to do so shall not relieve the Corporation of any liability to the
Director or Officer hereunder unless the Corporation shall have
been irreparably prejudiced by such
failure (as determined by an Authority selected pursuant to Section
8.4(a)).
VIII.9
Severability.
If any provision of this Article VIII
shall be deemed invalid or inoperative, or if a court of competent
jurisdiction determines
that any of the provisions of this Article VIII contravene public policy, this
Article VIII shall be construed so that the remaining provisions shall not
be
affected, but shall remain in full force and effect, and any such provisions
which are
invalid or inoperative or which
contravene public policy shall be deemed, without further action or deed by
or
on behalf of the Corporation, to be modified, amended and/or limited, but only
to the extent necessary to render the same valid and enforceable.
VIII.10
Nonexclusivity
of Article
VIII. The rights of a
Director or Officer (or any other person) granted under this Article VIII shall
not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to indemnification against
Liabilities or advancement of Expenses which the Director
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or
Officer (or such other person) may be
entitled to under any written agreement, Board resolution, vote of shareholders
of the Corporation or otherwise, including, without limitation, under the
Statute. Nothing contained in this Article VIII shall
be deemed to
limit the Corporation’s
obligations to indemnify against
Liabilities or advance Expenses to a Director or Officer under the
Statute.
VIII.11
Contractual
Nature of Article VIII;
Repeal or Limitation of Rights. This Article
VIII shall be deemed to be a
contract between the Corporation and each Director and Officer and any repeal
or
other limitation of this Article VIII or any repeal or limitation of the Statute
or any other applicable law shall not limit any rights of
indemnification against Liabilities or
allowance of Expenses then existing or arising out of events, acts or omissions
occurring prior to such repeal or limitation, including, without limitation,
the
right to indemnification against Liabilities or allowance
of Expenses for Proceedings commenced
after such repeal or limitation to enforce this Article VIII with regard to
acts, omissions or events arising prior to such repeal or
limitation.
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