Description of the Registrant's Securities

EX-4.1 2 d889705dex41.htm EX-4.1 EX-4.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
AUBURN NATIONAL
 
BANCORPORATION,
 
INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
EXHIBIT 4.1
DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE
 
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
The following summarizes the terms of certain securities of Auburn National Bancorporation,
 
Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the “Company”). The Company’s
 
common stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act
 
of 1934,
as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The following summary does not
 
purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety
by reference to the Company’s Certificate of
 
Incorporation (as amended, the “Charter”) and Amended and
 
Restated Bylaws
(as amended, the “Bylaws”), each previously filed with the U.S. Securities and
 
Exchange Commission, as well as reference
to federal and state banking laws and regulations and the Delaware General
 
Corporations Law (the “DGCL”).
Authorized Capital
The Company’s authorized
 
capital stock consists of 8,500,000 shares of common stock, $.01 par value per share
 
and
200,000 shares of preferred stock, $.01 par value per share.
 
Common Stock
Voting
 
Rights.
 
Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters on which
 
our
shareholders are entitled to vote. Directors are elected by a majority vote, and no
 
shareholder has the right to cumulative
voting with respect to the election of directors.
Dividend Rights.
 
Subject to the prior rights of holders of any then-outstanding shares of preferred
 
stock, each share of
common stock has equal rights to participate in dividends when, as and if
 
declared by the board of directors out of funds
legally available therefor.
Liquidation Rights.
 
Subject to the prior rights of creditors and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference
 
granted to the
holders of any outstanding shares of preferred stock, if any,
 
in the event of a liquidation, the holders of common stock will
be entitled to share ratably in any assets remaining after payment of all debts and other
 
liabilities.
Other.
 
Holders of common stock have no redemption or subscription,
 
conversion or preemptive rights.
Exchange and Trading Symbol.
 
The common stock is listed for trading on the NASDAQ Global Market under
 
the symbol
“AUBN.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar.
 
The transfer agent and registrar for the common stock is Computershare Investor
 
Services
LLC.
Preferred Stock
Shares of preferred stock may be issued for any purpose and in any
 
manner permitted by law, in
 
one or more distinctly
designated series, including as a dividend or for such consideration as the
 
board of directors may determine by resolution or
resolutions adopted from time to time. The board of directors is expressly authorized
 
to fix and state, by resolution or
resolutions adopted from time to time prior to the issuance of any shares of a particular
 
series of preferred stock, the
designations, voting powers (if any), preferences, and relative, participating,
 
optional or other special rights, and
qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof. The rights of the holders
 
of the common stock will generally be subject to
the rights of the holders of any existing outstanding shares of preferred stock
 
with respect to dividends, liquidation
preferences and other matters.
As of the date hereof, the Company has no shares of preferred stock designated
 
or outstanding.
 
 
Anti-takeover Effects
Certain provisions of the Charter and Bylaws could make a merger,
 
tender offer or proxy contest more difficult,
 
even if
such events were perceived by many of shareholders as beneficial to their
 
interests. These provisions include (1) requiring,
under certain circumstances, that a “Business Combination” (as defined
 
in the Charter) be approved by (i) holders of at
least 80% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, and (ii) by a majority of shares held
 
by persons other than “Related
Persons” (as defined in the Charter), (2) prohibiting shareholders from removing
 
directors without cause, and, in order to
remove a director for cause, requiring approval of (i) at least 80% of the outstanding
 
shares entitled to vote and (ii) a
majority of shares held by persons other than “Related Persons,” (3) advance notice
 
for nominations of directors and
shareholders’ proposals, and (4) authority to issue “blank check” preferred
 
stock with such designations, rights and
preferences as may be determined from time to time by the board of directors. In
 
addition, as a Delaware corporation, the
Company is subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation
 
Law which, in general, prevents an “interested
shareholder,” defined generally as a person
 
owning 15% or more of a corporation’s
 
outstanding voting stock, from
engaging in a business combination with the corporation for three years
 
following the date that person became an interested
shareholder unless certain specified conditions are satisfied.
Restrictions on Ownership
The ability of a third party to acquire the Company is limited under applicable U.S. banking
 
laws and regulations. The
Bank Holding Company Act, or BHC Act, requires any bank holding
 
company to obtain Federal Reserve approval prior to
acquiring, directly or indirectly,
 
5% or more of any class of voting securities of the bank holding company.
 
Any “company”
(as defined in the BHC Act) other than a bank holding company would be required
 
to obtain Federal Reserve approval
before acquiring “control” of a bank holding company.
 
“Control” generally means (i) the ownership or control of 25% or
more of a class of voting securities, (ii) the ability to elect a majority of the directors or
 
(iii) the ability otherwise to exercise
a controlling influence over management and policies. A holder of 25% or more of
 
the outstanding common stock of a bank
holding company, other
 
than an individual, is subject to regulation and supervision as a bank holding company under
 
the
BHC Act. On January 30, 2020, the Federal Reserve adopted new rules, effective
 
September 30, 2020 simplifying
determinations of control of banking organizations for BHC
 
Act purposes.
In addition, under the Change in Bank Control Act of 1978, as amended,
 
and the Federal Reserve’s regulations
 
thereunder,
any person, either individually or acting through or in concert with one or more persons,
 
is required to provide notice to the
Federal Reserve prior to acquiring, directly or indirectly,
 
10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of a bank
holding company,
 
and receive nonobjection from the Federal Reserve.