Preferred Stock
Under the terms of our Certificate of Incorporation, our board of directors is authorized to direct us to issue shares of preferred stock in
one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the discretion to determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and
liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.
The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock
and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions, future financings and
other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or could discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock. There are no shares of preferred stock
outstanding, and we have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of
Incorporation and Bylaws
Some provisions of Delaware law, our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws could make the following
transactions more difficult: an acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; an acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or the removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it
more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interest, including transactions which provide for payment of a premium over the market price for our
shares.
These provisions, summarized below, are intended to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These
provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of the increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of
an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
Undesignated Preferred Stock. The ability of our board of directors, without action by the stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000
shares of undesignated preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences as designated by our board of directors could impede the success of any attempt to effect a change in control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of
deferring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.
Stockholder Meetings. Our Bylaws provide
that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by our chairperson of the board, chief executive officer or president (in the absence of a chief executive officer), or by a resolution adopted by a majority of our board of directors.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals. Our Bylaws establish advance notice procedures with
respect to stockholder proposals to be brought before a stockholder meeting and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the board of directors or a committee of the board of
directors.
Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent. Our Certificate of Incorporation eliminates the right of
stockholders to act by written consent without a meeting.
Staggered Board. Our board of directors is divided into three classes.
The directors in each class will serve for a three-year term, one class being elected each year by our stockholders. This system of electing and removing directors may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise
attempting to obtain control of us, because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.
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