Description of Common Stock
Exhibit 4.1
DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK
We are a corporation formed under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Delaware General Corporation Law”) pursuant to our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and restated on June 2, 2023 (the “Certificate of Incorporation”). The following is a description of the material terms of our common stock. This description does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the Delaware General Corporation Law and our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, as amended and restated on March 7, 2024 (the “Bylaws”), as they may be further amended from time to time. Our Certificate of Incorporation has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as Exhibit 3.1, and a copy of our Bylaws has been filed as Exhibit 3.2, to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this Exhibit 4.1 is a part.
Common Stock
We have the authority to issue 3,083,333 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share.
Holders of common stock have one vote per share and have no preemption rights. Holders of common stock have the right to participate ratably in all distributions, whether of dividends or assets in liquidation, dissolution or winding up, subject to any superior rights of holders of preferred stock outstanding at the time. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. Holders of our common stock are not liable under our Certificate of Incorporation for further calls or to assessment by us.
Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock. Their address is P.O. Box 505000, Louisville, KY 40233-5000 and their telephone number is ###-###-####.
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which, subject to certain exceptions, prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combination with any interested stockholder for a period of three years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:
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In general, Section 203 defines “business combination” to include the following:
In general, Section 203 defines “interested stockholder” as an entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation or any entity or person who is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and was the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation at any time within the three-year period immediately prior to the date on which it is determined whether such person is an interested stockholder, and the affiliates or associates of such person.
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws include a number of provisions that may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying or preventing changes in control or our management. For example, our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share. Our board of directors has the authority, without approval of the stockholders, to issue and determine the rights and preferences of series of preferred stock. The ability to authorize and issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with super voting, special approval, dividend or other rights or preferences on a discriminatory basis that could impede the success of any attempt to acquire us.
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws also provide that our board of directors is divided into three classes, each serving staggered three-year terms ending at the annual meeting of our stockholders in the third year of their term. All directors elected to our classified board of directors will serve until the election and qualification of their respective successors or their earlier resignation or removal. Members of the board of directors may only be removed for cause and only by the affirmative vote of 75% of our outstanding voting stock. These provisions are likely to increase the time required for stockholders to change the composition of our board of directors.
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that a meeting of stockholders may only be called by our board of directors, the chairman of our board of directors or our chief executive officer. Our Bylaws also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. The provisions may delay or preclude stockholders from calling a meeting of stockholders, bringing matters before a meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at a stockholders’ meeting, which could delay or deter takeover attempts or changes in management. Our Certificate of Incorporation also does not provide for cumulative voting. The absence of cumulative voting may make it more difficult for stockholders owning less than a majority of our stock to elect any directors to our board of directors.
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Our Bylaws provide that any matter to be voted upon when a quorum is present, other than an adjournment and the election of directors to be voted upon by the stockholders at a meeting of stockholders, shall be decided based on the majority of votes cast, except where a different vote is otherwise required by the Bylaws, applicable law or our Certificate of Incorporation. The Bylaws further provide that directors shall be elected by a plurality of votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election; provided, however that in an uncontested election, a director who receives a majority “withhold” vote shall be required to tender his or her resignation for consideration by the board of directors. The Bylaws provide that a decision to adjourn a meeting may be made by a majority of votes cast, regardless of whether a quorum is present, or if no stockholder is present, by any officer entitled to preside at or act as secretary of the meeting.
Our Bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware or, if the Superior Court of the State of Delaware does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (in each such case, unless the Court of Chancery (or such other state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, as applicable) has dismissed a prior action by the same plaintiff asserting the same claims because such court lacked personal jurisdiction over an indispensable party named as a defendant therein) will be the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a breach of a fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim arising against the corporation or any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of the corporation arising out of or relating to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws; any action or proceeding to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, including any right, obligation or remedy thereunder; or any action asserting a claim against the corporation or any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of the corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Additionally, if the subject matter of any action within the scope of the preceding sentence is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “foreign action”), in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the preceding sentence and (ii) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such stockholder. In addition, our Bylaws also provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, shall be the federal district courts of the United States of America.
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