Description of Capital Stock
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EX-4.10 2 exhibit410-description.htm EX-4.10 Document
Exhibit 4.10
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
GoDaddy Inc. (“we,” “our,” or “us”) has one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended - our Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share. Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the definitions set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Authorized Capital Stock
The following description summarizes the most important terms of our capital stock and provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, each previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this Exhibit 4.10 is a part. For a complete description of our capital stock, you should refer to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and the applicable provisions of Delaware law.
Our authorized capital stock consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share, 500,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 50,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share. Our board of directors is authorized, without stockholder approval except as required by the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, to issue additional shares of our capital stock.
Common Stock
We have two classes of common stock: Class A and Class B, each of which has one vote per share. The Class A and Class B common stock will generally vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Class A Common Stock
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences that may apply to any shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available if our board of directors, in its discretion, determines to issue dividends and then only at the times and in the amounts that our board of directors may determine. See “Dividend Policy” for more information.
Voting Rights
Holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. We have not provided for cumulative voting for the election of directors in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
No Preemptive or Similar Rights
Our Class A common stock is not entitled to preemptive rights, and is not subject to conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions.
Right to Receive Liquidation Distributions
If we become subject to a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, the assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders would be distributable ratably among the holders of our Class A common stock and any participating preferred stock outstanding at that time, subject to prior satisfaction of all outstanding debt and liabilities and the preferential rights of and the payment of liquidation preferences, if any, on any outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Class B Common Stock
Dividend Rights
Holders of our Class B common stock do not have any rights to receive dividends.
Voting Rights
Holders of our Class B common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. In connection with our IPO, shares of Class B common stock were issued to existing owners of LLC Units of Desert Newco, LLC (the “Continuing LLC Owners”). Accordingly, such Continuing LLC Owners, by virtue of their Class B common stock, collectively have a number of votes in GoDaddy Inc. that is equal to the aggregate number of LLC Units that they hold. When an LLC Unit is exchanged by a Continuing LLC owner, a corresponding share of Class B common stock held by the exchanging owner is also exchanged and will be cancelled. We have not provided for cumulative voting for the election of directors in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
No Preemptive or Similar Rights
Our Class B common stock is not entitled to preemptive rights, and is not subject to conversion, redemption, or sinking fund provisions.
Right to Receive Liquidation Distributions
Holders of our Class B common stock do not have any rights to receive a distribution upon a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up.
Transferability
Shares of Class B common stock are not transferable except (i) for no consideration to us or Desert Newco, LLC, in each case upon which transfer such shares shall automatically be retired, or (ii) together with the transfer of an identical number of LLC Units to the transferee of such LLC Units.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors is authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law, to issue preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series, and to fix the designation, powers, preferences, and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions, in each case without further vote or action by our stockholders. Our board of directors can also increase or decrease the number of shares of any series of preferred stock, but not below the number of shares of that series then outstanding, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of our Class A common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in our control of our company and might adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A and Class B common stock. We have no current plan to issue any shares of preferred stock.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and the DGCL contain provisions, which are summarized in the following paragraphs, that are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our board of directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened acquisition of our company. These provisions are intended to avoid costly takeover battles, reduce our vulnerability to a hostile change in control or other unsolicited acquisition proposal, and enhance the ability of our board of directors to maximize stockholder value in connection with any unsolicited offer to acquire us. However, these provisions may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a merger or acquisition of our company by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or other takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the prevailing market price for the shares of Class A common stock held by stockholders.
Classified board of directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that our board of directors is classified into three classes of directors. A third party may be discouraged from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us as it is more difficult and time consuming for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors on a classified board of directors.
Business combinations. We have opted out of Section 203 of the DGCL; however, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains similar provisions providing that we may not engage in certain “business combinations” with any “interested stockholder” for a three year period following the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:
•prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;
•upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the votes of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding certain shares; or
•at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and by the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the votes of our outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.
Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with that person’s affiliates and associates, owns, or within the previous three years owned, 15% or more of the votes of our outstanding voting stock. For purposes of this provision, “voting stock” means any class or series of stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.
Under certain circumstances, this provision will make it more difficult for a person who would be an “interested stockholder” to effect various business combinations with our company for a three year period. This provision may encourage companies interested in acquiring our company to negotiate in advance with our board of directors because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction that results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our board of directors and may make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Removal of directors. Under the DGCL, unless otherwise provided in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, directors serving on a classified board may be removed by the stockholders only for cause. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that directors may only be removed for cause, and only by the affirmative vote of holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of all outstanding shares of stock of our company entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class. The stockholder agreement provides that, in connection with votes for removal of a director, the Voting Parties will vote their shares in accordance with the board composition requirements of the stockholder agreement. See “Management—Board of Directors.”
Vacancies. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that any newly created directorship on the board of directors that results from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancy occurring in the board of directors may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director (and not by the stockholders). Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the board of directors may increase the number of directors by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors.
Quorum. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that at any meeting of the board of directors, a majority of the total number of directors then in office constitutes a quorum for all purposes, provided that so long as there is at least one KKR Director on the board, a quorum shall also require a KKR Director for all purposes, and so long as there is at least one Silver Lake Director on the board, a quorum shall also require a Silver Lake Director for all purposes.
No cumulative voting. Under Delaware law, the right to vote cumulatively does not exist unless the certificate of incorporation specifically authorizes cumulative voting. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not authorize cumulative voting.
Special stockholder meetings. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that special meetings of our stockholders may be called at any time only by or at the direction of the board of directors or the chairman of the board of
directors. Our amended and restated bylaws also provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called at any time by two directors of the board of directors. Our amended and restated bylaws prohibit the conduct of any business at a special meeting other than as specified in the notice for such meeting. These provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying or discouraging hostile takeovers or changes in control or in management of our company.
Requirements for advance notification of director nominations and stockholder proposals. Our amended and restated bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals 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. In order for any matter to be properly brought before a meeting of our stockholders, a stockholder will have to comply with advance notice requirements and provide us with certain information. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days or more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Our amended and restated bylaws also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. Our amended and restated bylaws allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the stockholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings, which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may also deter, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to influence or obtain control of our company.
Stockholder action by written consent. Pursuant to Section 228 of the DGCL, any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of our stock entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation precludes stockholder action by written consent.
Supermajority provisions. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that the board of directors is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend, change, add to, rescind or repeal, in whole or in part, our bylaws without a stockholder vote in any matter not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Delaware or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Any amendment, alteration, rescission or repeal of certain provisions of our bylaws by our stockholders will require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of all outstanding shares of stock of our company entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.
The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of votes of the outstanding shares entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, unless the certificate of incorporation requires a greater percentage.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended, altered, repealed or rescinded only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of all outstanding shares of stock of our company entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class:
•the provisions providing for a classified board of directors (the election and term of our directors);
•the provisions regarding resignation and removal of directors, quorum, special meetings and committees;
•the provisions regarding corporate opportunities;
•the provisions regarding entering into business combinations with interested stockholders;
•the provisions regarding stockholder action by written consent;
•the provisions regarding calling special meetings of stockholders;
•the provisions regarding filling vacancies on our board of directors and newly created directorships;
•the provisions eliminating monetary damages for breaches of fiduciary duty by a director; and
•the amendment provision requiring that the above provisions be amended only with a 66 2/3% supermajority vote.
The combination of the classification of our board of directors, the lack of cumulative voting and the supermajority voting requirements make it more difficult for our existing stockholders to replace our board of directors as well as for another party to obtain control of us by replacing our board of directors. Because our board of directors has the power to retain and
discharge our officers, these provisions could also make it more difficult for existing stockholders or another party to effect a change in management.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Class A common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219, and its telephone number is (718) 921‑8206.
Listing
Our Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “GDDY.”