EX-4.3 2 fti-123119x10kex43xdes.htm EX 4.3
EXHIBIT 4.3
DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK
The authorized capital stock of FTI Consulting, Inc., a Maryland corporation, consists of 75,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”), and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”). As of February 17, 2020, there were 37,493,897 shares of Common Stock outstanding and no shares of Preferred Stock outstanding. Holders of our Common Stock have no preemptive rights and no right to convert their Common Stock into any other securities. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our Common Stock. All outstanding shares of Common Stock are fully-paid and nonassessable. Our Common Stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FCN.”
Dividends
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Common Stock are entitled to receive those dividends authorized from time to time by the board of directors and declared by us out of funds legally available therefore.
Voting Rights
The holders of our Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including, without limitation, the election of our board of directors. Our stockholders have no right to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. Pursuant to our bylaws, nominees for director in uncontested elections are elected upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the total votes cast for and against such nominee at a duly called meeting of stockholders. However, directors are elected by a plurality of votes cast at a meeting of stockholders at which a quorum is present when (i) the secretary receives notice that a stockholder has nominated an individual for election as a director in compliance with the requirements of advance notice of stockholder nominees for director as set forth in the bylaws and (ii) such nomination has not been withdrawn by such stockholder on or before the close of business on the tenth day before the date of filing of the definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and, as a result of which, the number of nominees is greater than the number of directors to be elected at the meeting.
Rights upon Liquidation
In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our Common Stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and the liquidation preference of any outstanding shares of Preferred Stock.
Anti-Takeover Effects of our Charter and Bylaws
Certain provisions of Maryland law and our charter and bylaws could make the following more difficult:

| • |  | the acquisition of us by means of a tender offer;

| • |  | acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or

| • |  | the removal of our incumbent officers and directors.

The provisions summarized below are expected to discourage certain types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. The provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors.
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Election and Removal of Directors. Our bylaws provide that subject to the rights of the holders of any class of stock separately entitled to elect one or more directors, a majority of the remaining directors, whether or not sufficient to constitute a quorum, may fill a vacancy on the board of directors which results from any cause except an increase in the number of directors, and a majority of the entire board of directors may fill a vacancy which results from an increase in the number of directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our stockholders have the concurrent right to fill any vacancy resulting from the removal of a director. Pursuant to the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”), a director may be removed, with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors.
Stockholder Meetings. Under our bylaws and pursuant to Maryland law, annual meetings of stockholders will be held each year at a date and at the time and place determined by our board of directors. Special meetings of stockholders may be called by our board of directors, the chairman of our board of directors, our president or our chief executive officer. Additionally, subject to the provisions of our bylaws, special meetings of the stockholders to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of stockholders must be called by our secretary upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting. Any such request for a special meeting must be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in, including the information and certification requirements of, our bylaws. Only matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered and acted upon at such a meeting. Our secretary will inform the requesting stockholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and delivering the notice of meeting (including our proxy materials), and the requesting stockholder must pay such estimated cost before our secretary may prepare and deliver the notice of the special meeting.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals.
Our bylaws provide that:

| • |  | with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of individuals for election to our board of directors and the proposal of business to be considered by stockholders at the annual meeting may be made only:

| • |  | pursuant to our notice of the meeting;

| • |  | by or at the direction of our board of directors; or

| • |  | by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of the notice of the meeting and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated or on such other business and who has complied with the advance notice procedures set forth in, and provided the information and certifications required by, our bylaws; and

| • |  | with respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our company’s notice of meeting may be brought before the special meeting of stockholders, and nominations of individuals for election to our board of directors may be made only:

| • |  | by or at the direction of our board of directors;
| • |  | by a stockholder that has requested a special meeting be called for the purpose of electing directors; or

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| • |  | if the special meeting has been called in accordance with our bylaws for the purpose of electing directors, by a stockholder who is a stockholder of record at the time of provision of notice and at the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated and who has complied with the advance notice provisions set forth in, and provided the information and certifications required by, our bylaws.

The purpose of requiring stockholders to give advance notice of nominations and other proposals is to afford our board of directors and our stockholders the opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees or the advisability of the other proposals and, to the extent considered necessary by our board of directors, to inform stockholders and make recommendations regarding the nominations or other proposals. Although our bylaws do not give our board of directors the power to disapprove timely stockholder nominations and proposals, our bylaws may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of directors or proposals for other action if the proper procedures are not followed, and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors to our board of directors or to approve its own proposal.
Anti-Takeover Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law
Business Combinations. Under the MGCL, certain “business combinations” (including a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or, in certain circumstances specified under the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities) between a Maryland corporation and any interested stockholder, or an affiliate of such an interested stockholder, are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Maryland law defines an interested stockholder as:

| • |  | any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock; or

| • |  | an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock of the corporation.

A person is not an interested stockholder under the MGCL if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. In approving a transaction, the board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of the approval, with any terms and conditions determined by it.
After such five-year period, any such business combination must be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:

| • |  | 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation, voting together as a single voting group; and

| • |  | two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares held by the interested stockholder with whom (or with whose affiliate) the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder, voting together as a single voting group.

These supermajority approval requirements do not apply if, among other conditions, the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price (as defined in the MGCL) for their shares and the consideration is received in cash or in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares.
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These provisions of the MGCL do not apply, however, to business combinations that are approved or exempted by a corporation’s board of directors prior to the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. We generally remain subject to the provisions of this statute.
Control Share Acquisitions. The MGCL provides that “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a “control share acquisition” have no voting rights other than those voting rights approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding shares owned by the acquiror or by the corporation’s officers or directors who are employees of the corporation. “Control shares” are shares of voting stock that, if aggregated with all other shares of stock previously acquired, would entitle the acquiror to exercise voting power in electing directors within any one of the following ranges of voting power:

| • |  | one-tenth or more but less than one-third;

| • |  | one-third or more but less than a majority; or

| • |  | a majority or more of all voting power.

Control shares do not include shares of stock an acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A “control share acquisition” generally means the acquisition of, ownership of or the power to direct the exercise of voting power with respect to control shares. A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel the board of directors to call a special meeting of stockholders to consider the voting rights of the control shares, but only if such acquiring person made or proposes to make a control share acquisition, under specified conditions, including an undertaking to pay expenses. The meeting of stockholders must be held within 50 days of the acquiring person’s demand. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any meeting of stockholders.
If voting rights of control shares are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an “acquiring person statement” as required by the statute, the corporation generally may redeem any or all of the control shares, except those control shares for which stockholders have previously approved voting rights. This redemption of shares must be for fair value, determined without regard to the absence of voting rights as of the date of the last control share acquisition or, if a meeting of stockholders is held at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not approved, as of the date of such meeting. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a meeting of stockholders and the acquiror becomes entitled to vote at least a majority of all shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares for purposes of such appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid in the control share acquisition. The limitations and restrictions otherwise applicable to the exercise of dissenters’ rights do not apply in the context of a control share acquisition.
The control share acquisition statute does not apply to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction, nor does it apply to acquisitions previously approved or exempted by a provision in the charter or bylaws of the corporation. As permitted by the MGCL, our bylaws contain a provision exempting us from the control share acquisition statute. Our board of directors may, without the consent of any of our stockholders, amend or eliminate this bylaw provision at any time, which means that we would then become subject to the Maryland control share acquisition statute, and there can be no assurance that such provision will not be amended or eliminated by our board of directors at any time in the future.
Subtitle 8. Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL permits a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act and at least three independent directors to elect, by provision in its charter or bylaws or a resolution of its board of directors and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the charter or bylaws, to be subject to any or all of the following five provisions:
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| • |  | a classified board;

| • |  | a two-thirds vote requirement for removing a director;

| • |  | a requirement that the number of directors be fixed only by vote of the directors;

| • |  | a requirement that a vacancy on the board be filled only by a vote of the remaining directors (whether or not they constitute a quorum) and for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies; or

| • |  | a majority requirement for the calling of a special meeting of stockholders.

We have not elected to be subject to any of the provisions of Subtitle 8, including the provisions that would permit us to classify our board of directors without stockholder approval. Through provisions in our charter and bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8, we (1) vest in our board of directors the exclusive power to fix the number of directors and (2) require, unless called by our chairman of the board of directors, our chief executive officer, our president or our board of directors, the request of stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting to call a special meeting of stockholders. The provisions of Subtitle 8 expressly provide that Subtitle 8 does not limit the power of a Maryland corporation, by provision in its charter, to confer on the holders of any class or series of preferred stock the right to elect one or more directors or designate the terms and voting powers of directors, which may vary among directors.
Amendment to Our Charter and Bylaws
Except as provided in the MGCL with regard to certain ministerial amendments, amendments to our charter must be advised by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of our stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our board of directors generally has the power to amend our bylaws without the approval or consent of stockholders; provided, that any modification to the bylaws made by the board of directors may be repealed by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our Common Stock then entitled to vote. Additionally, our bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our Common Stock then entitled to vote.
Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision eliminating the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment and is material to the cause of action. Our charter contains such a provision that eliminates such liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
The MGCL requires a Maryland corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The MGCL permits a Maryland corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to or in which they may be made or are threatened to be made a party or witness by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that:
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| • |  | the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and:

| • |  | was committed in bad faith; or

| • |  | was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty;

| • |  | the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or

| • |  | in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.

However, under the MGCL, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify a director or officer for an adverse judgment in a suit by or on behalf of the corporation or if the director or officer was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, unless, in either case, a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. A court may order indemnification for expenses if it determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, even though the director or officer did not meet the prescribed standard of conduct or was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received.
In addition, the MGCL permits a Maryland corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of:

| • |  | a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation; and

| • |  | a written undertaking, which may be unsecured, by the director or officer or on the director or officer’s behalf to repay the amount paid if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct was not met.

Our charter and bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding without requiring a preliminary determination of the director’s or officer’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification to:

| • |  | any present or former director or officer who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, a proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity; or

| • |  | any individual who, while a director or officer of our company and at our request, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, member, manager, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity.

Our charter and bylaws also permit us, with the approval of our board of directors, to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of ours in any of the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of our company or a predecessor of our company.
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Indemnification Agreements
We are party to indemnification agreements with each of our directors and reporting officers. These agreements require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Maryland law and our charter against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act [confirm defined term] may be permitted to directors or executive officers, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy and is therefore unenforceable.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
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