Exhibit 1.24
BYLAWS
OF
CORPORATE
EXPRESS, INC.
ARTICLE I
OFFICES AND AGENTS
1. Principal Office.
The principal office of the Corporation shall be located in Broomfield,
Colorado, or elsewhere within or without the State of Colorado, as may be
subsequently designated by the Board of Directors. The Corporation may have other offices and
places of business at such places within or without the State of Colorado as
shall be determined by the directors or as the business of the Corporation may
require from time to time.
2. Registered Office.
The registered office of the Corporation required by the Colorado
Business Corporation Act must be continually maintained in the State of
Colorado, and it may be, but need not be, identical with the principal office,
if located in the State of Colorado. The
address of the registered office of the Corporation may be changed from time to
time as provided by the Colorado Business Corporation Act.
3. Registered Agent.
The corporation shall maintain a registered agent in the State of
Colorado as required by the Colorado Business Corporation Act. Such registered agent may be changed from
time to time as provided by the Colorado Business Corporation Act.
ARTICLE II
SHAREHOLDERS MEETINGS
1. Annual Meetings.
The annual meeting of the shareholders shall be held for the purpose of
electing directors and transacting such other corporate business as may come
before the meeting. The date, time and
place of the annual meeting shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors. If the election of directors is not held as
provided herein at any annual meeting of the shareholders, or at any
adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors shall cause the election to be held
at a special meeting of the shareholders as soon thereafter as it may
conveniently be held.
Notice of an annual meeting need not include a description of the
purpose or purposes of the meeting except when the purpose of the meeting is to
consider (i) an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation,
(ii) a merger or share exchange in which the Corporation is a party and, with
respect to a share exchange, in which the Corporations shares will be
acquired, (iii) the sale, lease, exchange or other disposition, other than in
the usual and regular course of business, of all or substantially all of the
property of the Corporation or of another entity which the Corporation
controls, in each case with or without goodwill, (iv) the
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dissolution of the Corporation or (v) any other purpose for which a
statement of purpose is required by the Colorado Business Corporation Act.
2. Special Meetings.
Unless otherwise prescribed by the Colorado Business Corporation Act,
special meetings of the shareholders of the Corporation may be called at any
time by the chairman of the Board of Directors, by the chief executive officer,
by the president, by resolution of the Board of Directors or upon receipt of
one or more written demands for a meeting, stating the purpose or purposes for
which it is to be held, signed and dated by the holders of at least ten percent
(10%) of all votes entitled to be cast on any issue proposed to be considered
at the meeting. Notice of a special
meeting shall include a description of the purpose or purposes for which the
meeting is called.
3. Place of Meeting.
The annual meeting of the shareholders of the Corporation may be held at
any place, either within or without the state of Colorado, as may be designated
by the Board of Directors. Except as
limited by the following sentence, the person or persons calling any special
meeting of the shareholders may designate any place, within or without the
State of Colorado, as the place for the meeting. If no designation is made or if a special
meeting shall be called other than by the Board of Directors, the chairman of
the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer or the president, the place
of meeting shall be the principal office of the Corporation. A waiver of notice signed by all shareholders
entitled to vote at a meeting may designate any place as the place for holding
much meeting.
4. Notice of Meeting.
Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws or by the Colorado Business
Corporation Act, notice stating the date, time and place of the meeting shall
be given no fewer than ten (10) and no more than sixty (60) days before the
date of the meeting, except that if the number of authorized shares is to be
increased, at least thirty (30) days notice shall be given. Notice shall be given personally or by mail,
private carrier, telephone (if reasonable under the circumstances), telegraph,
teletype, electronically transmitted facsimile or other form of wire or
wireless communication by or at the direction of the chief executive officer,
the president, the secretary, or the officer or other person calling the
meeting to each shareholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting. If mailed and if in a comprehensible form,
such notice shall be deemed to be given and effective when deposited in the
United States mail, addressed to the shareholder at his or her address as it
appears in the Corporations current record of shareholders, with postage
prepaid. If notice is given other than
by mail, and provided that the notice is in comprehensible form, the notice is
given and effective on the date received by the shareholder. No notice need be sent to any shareholder if
three successive notices mailed to the last known address of such shareholder
have been returned as undeliverable until such time as another address for such
shareholder is made known to the Corporation by such shareholder.
When a meeting is adjourned to a different date, time or place, notice
need not be given of the new date, time or place if the new date, time or place
is announced at the meeting before adjournment.
At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business
which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 120 days,
or if a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a new notice of the
adjourned meeting shall be given to each shareholder of record entitled to vote
at the meeting as of the new record date.
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5. Waiver of Notice.
Any shareholder, either before, or after any shareholders meeting, may
waive in writing notice of the meeting, and his waiver shall be deemed the
equivalent of giving notice. By
attending a meeting, a shareholder waives his right to object to lack of notice
or to a defective notice unless the shareholder objects to the holding of such
meeting or the transacting of business at such meeting at the beginning of such
meeting, and waives his right to object to consideration at such meeting of a
particular matter not within the purpose or purposes described in the meeting
notice, unless such shareholder objects to considering the matter when it is
presented.
6. Fixing of Record Date.
The Board of Directors of the Corporation may provide that the stock
transfer books shall be closed for a stated period, but not to exceed, in any
case, fifty (50) days. If the stock
transfer books shall be closed for the purpose of determining shareholders
entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of shareholders such books shall
be closed for at least ten (10) days immediately preceding said meeting. The Board of Directors may fix in advance a
date as the record date for the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to
notice of or to vote at any meeting of shareholders or any adjournment thereof,
or shareholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or in order to make
a determination of shareholders for any other proper purpose, such date in any
case to be not more than seventy (70) days and, in case of a meeting of
shareholders, not less than ten (10) days prior to the date on which the
particular action requiring such determination of shareholders is to be
taken. If no record date is fixed for
the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting
of shareholders or shareholders entitled to receive payment of a dividend, the
date in which notice of the meeting is mailed or the date on which the
resolution of the Board of Directors declaring such dividend is adopted, as the
case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of
shareholders. When a determination of
shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders has been made as
provided in this Section such determination shall apply to any adjournment
thereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the record date for determining the
shareholders entitled to take action without a meeting or entitled to be given
notice of action so taken shall be the date a writing upon which the action is
taken is first received by the Corporation.
The record date for determining shareholders entitled to demand a
special meeting shall be the date of the earliest of the demands pursuant to
which the meeting is called.
7. Voting List.
The officer or agent having charge of the stock transfer books for share
of the Corporation shall make, at least ten (10) days before each meeting of
shareholders, a complete list of the shareholders entitled to vote at such
meeting (or any adjournment thereof) arranged in alphabetical order by voting
groups and within each voting group by class or series, with the address of and
the number of shares held by each, which list, for a period of ten (10) days
prior to such meeting, shall be kept on file at the principal office of the
Corporation, whether within or without the State of Colorado. A shareholder, his agent or attorney may
inspect and copy the list during regular business hours and during the period
it is available for inspection, provided, (i) the shareholder has been a
shareholder for at least three (3) months immediately preceding the demand or
holds at least five percent (5%) of all outstanding shares of any class of
shares as the date of the demand, (ii) the demand is made in good faith and for
a purpose reasonably related to the demanding shareholders interest as a shareholder,
(iii) the shareholder describes with reasonable particularity the purpose
and records the
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shareholder desires to inspect, (iv) the records are directly connected
with the described purpose and (v) the shareholder pays a reasonable charge
covering the costs of labor and material for such copies, not to exceed the
cost of production and reproduction.
Such list shall also be produced and kept open at the time and place of
the meeting and shall be subject to the inspection of any shareholder for any
purpose germane to the meeting during the whole time of the meeting. The original stock transfer books shall be
prima facie evidence as to who are the shareholders entitled to examine such
list or transfer books or to vote at any meeting of shareholders.
8. Proxies.
At all meetings of shareholders, a shareholder may vote by proxy by
signing an appointment form either personally or by his duly authorized
attorney-in-fact. A shareholder may also
appoint a proxy by transmitting or authorizing the transmission of a telegram,
teletype, or other electronic transmission providing a written statement of the
appointment to the proxy, to a proxy solicitor, proxy support service
organization or other person duly authorized by the proxy to receive
appointments as agent for the proxy, or to the Corporation. The transmitted appointment shall set forth
or be transmitted with written evidence from which it can be determined that
the shareholder transmitted or authorized the transmission of the
appointment. The proxy appointment form
shall be filed with the Secretary of the Corporation by or at the time of the
meeting. The appointment of a proxy is
effective when received by the Corporation and is valid for eleven (11) months
unless a different period is expressly provided in the appointment form.
Any complete copy, including an electronically transmitted facsimile,
of an appointment of a proxy may be substituted for or used in lieu of the
original appointment for any purpose for which the original appointment could
be used.
Revocation of a proxy does not affect the right of the Corporation to
accept the proxys appointment unless (i) the Corporation had notice that the
appointment was coupled with an interest and notice that the interest is
extinguished is received by the Secretary or other officer or agent authorized
to tabulate votes before the proxy exercises his authority under the
appointment or (ii) other notice of the revocation of the appointment is received
by the Secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes before
the proxy exercises his authority under the appointment. Other notice of revocation may, in the
discretion of the Corporation, be deemed to include the appearance at a shareholders
meeting of the shareholder who granted the proxy appointment and his voting in
person on any matter subject to a vote at such meeting.
The death or incapacity of the shareholder appointing a proxy does not
affect the right of the Corporation to accept the proxys authority unless
notice of the death or incapacity is received by the Secretary or other officer
or agent authorized to tabulate votes before the proxy exercised his authority
under the appointment.
The Corporation shall not be required to recognize an appointment made
irrevocable if it has received a writing revoking the appointment signed by the
shareholder either personally or by the shareholders attorney-in-fact,
notwithstanding that the revocation may be a breach of an obligation of the
shareholder to another person not to revoke the appointment.
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A transferee for value of shares subject to an irrevocable appointment
may revoke the appointment if the transferee did not know of its existence when
he acquired the shares and the irrevocable appointment was not noted on the
certificate representing the shares.
Subject to the provisions of Article II, Section 10 below or
any express limitation on the proxys authority appearing on the appointment
form, a corporation is entitled to accept the proxys vote or other action as
that of the shareholder making the appointment.
9. Voting Rights.
Except to the extent that the voting rights of the shares of any class
or series are otherwise established, limited or denied by the Articles of
Incorporation and except as otherwise required by law, each outstanding share,
regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote and each fractional share is
entitled to a corresponding fractional vote on each matter submitted to a vote
at a meeting of shareholders.
At each election for directors every shareholder of record entitled to
vote at such election shall have the right to vote in person or by proxy the
number of votes to which such shareholder is entitled for as many persons as
there are directors to be elected and for whose election he has a right to
vote. Cumulative voting shall not be
permitted for any purpose.
Shares held by another corporation, if the majority of shares entitled
to vote for the election of directors of such other corporation are held by the
Corporation, shall be voted at any meeting or counted in determining the total
number of outstanding shares entitled to vote at any given time. Except as provided in the preceding sentence,
shares standing in the name of another corporation, domestic or foreign, may be
voted by such officer, agent or proxy as the Bylaws of such corporation may
prescribe or, in the absence of such provision, as the Board of Directors of
such corporation may determine, or in the absence of such determination, by the
chief executive officer of such corporation.
If shares having voting power stand of record in the names of two or
more persons, whether fiduciaries, members of a partnership, joint tenants,
tenants in common, tenants by the entirety or otherwise, or if two or more
persons have the same fiduciary relationship respecting the same shares, voting
with respect to the shares shall have the following effect: (i) if only one person votes, his act
binds all; (ii) if two or more persons vote, but the vote is evenly split on
any particular matter, each faction may vote the shares in question
proportionately, or any person voting the shares of a beneficiary, if any, may
apply to any court of competent jurisdiction in the State of Colorado to
appoint an additional person to act with the persons voting the shares. The shares shall then be voted as determined
by a majority of such persons and the person appointed by the court. If a tenancy is held in unequal interests, a
majority or even split for the purpose of this subsection shall be a
majority or even split in interest, except that the effects of voting stated
above shall not be applicable if the secretary of the Corporation is given
written notice of alternative voting provisions and is furnished with a copy of
the instrument or order wherein the alternate voting provisions are stated.
Shares held by an administrator, executor, guardian or conservator may
be voted by him, either in person or by proxy, without a transfer of such
shares into his name. Shares standing in
the name of a trustee may be voted by him, either in person or by proxy, but no
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trustee shall be entitled to vote shares held by him without a transfer
of such shares into his name.
Shares standing in the name of a receiver may be voted by such
receiver, and shares held by or under the control of a receiver may be voted by
such receiver without the transfer thereof into his name if authority so to do
be contained in an appropriate order of the court by which such receiver was
appointed.
10. Corporations Acceptance of Votes.
If the name signed on a vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment, or
proxy appointment revocation corresponds to the name of a shareholder, the
Corporation, if acting in good faith, is entitled to accept the vote, consent,
waiver, proxy appointment, or proxy appointment revocation and to give it
effect as the act of the shareholder. If
the name signed on a vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment, or proxy
appointment revocation does not correspond to the name of a shareholder, the
Corporation, if acting in good faith, is nevertheless entitled to accept the
vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment, or proxy appointment revocation and
to give it effect as the act of the shareholder if:
(a) The shareholder is an entity and the
name signed purports to be that of an officer or agent of the entity;
(b) The name signed purports to be that
of an administrator, executor, guardian, or conservator representing the
shareholder and, if the Corporation requests, evidence of fiduciary status
acceptable to the Corporation has been presented with respect to the vote,
consent, waiver, proxy appointment or proxy appointment revocation;
(c) The name signed purports to be that
of a receiver or trustee in bankruptcy of the shareholder and, if the
Corporation requests, evidence of this status acceptable to the Corporation has
been presented with respect to the vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment or
proxy appointment revocation;
(d) The name signed purports to be that
of a pledgee, beneficial owner, or attorney-in-fact of the shareholder and, if
the Corporation requests, evidence acceptable to the Corporation of the
signatorys authority to sign for the shareholder has been presented with
respect to the vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment or proxy appointment
revocation;
(e) Two or more persons are the
shareholder as cotenants or fiduciaries and the name signed purports to be the
name of at least one of the cotenants or fiduciaries and the person signing
appears to be acting on behalf of all the cotenants or fiduciaries; or
(f) The acceptance of the vote, consent,
waiver, proxy appointment or proxy appointment revocation is otherwise proper
under rules established by the Corporation that are not inconsistent with the
provisions of this Section 10.
The Corporation is entitled to reject a vote, consent, waiver, proxy
appointment, or proxy appointment revocation if the secretary or other officer
or agent authorized to tabulate
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votes, acting in good faith, has reasonable basis for doubt about the
validity of the signature on it or about the signatorys authority to sign for
the shareholder.
The Corporation and its officer or agent who accepts or rejects a vote,
consent, waiver, proxy appointment or proxy appointment revocation in good
faith and in accordance with the standards of this Section 10 are not
liable in damages for the consequences of the acceptance or rejection.
11. Quorum and Voting Requirements.
Except as otherwise provided in the Articles of Incorporation, the
presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the shares
outstanding and entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the
shareholders. If a quorum is present,
the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented at the meeting and
entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the shareholders
unless the vote of a greater number or voting by classes is required by the
Colorado Business Corporation Act or the Articles of Incorporation. In the event any shareholders withdraw from a
duly organized meeting at which a quorum was initially present, the remaining
shares represented shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of continuing to
do business, and the affirmative vote of the majority of the remaining shares
represented at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be
the act of the shareholders unless the vote of a greater number or voting by
classes is required by the Colorado Business Corporation Act or the Articles of
Incorporation.
12. Adjournments.
If less than a quorum of shares entitled to vote is represented at any
meeting of the shareholders, a majority of the shares so represented may
adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, for a period not
to exceed one hundred twenty (120) days at any one adjournment. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum
shall be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might
have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified. Any meeting of the shareholders may adjourn
from time to time until its business is completed.
13. Action by Shareholders Without
Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken
at a shareholders meeting maybe taken without a meeting if all of the
shareholders entitled to vote thereon consent to such action in writing. Action taken under this Section 13 shall
be effective as of the date the last writing necessary to effect the action is
received by the Corporation, unless all of the writings necessary to effect the
action specify a later date as the effective date of the action, in which case
such later date shall be the effective data of the action. If the Corporation received writings
describing and consenting to the action signed by all of the shareholders
entitled to vote with respect to the action, the effective data of the action
may be any date that is specified in all of the writings as the effective date
of the action. Any such writings may be
received by the Corporation by electronically transmitted facsimile or other
form of wire or wireless communication providing the Corporation with a
complete copy thereof, including a copy of the signature thereto. Action taken under this Section 13 has
the same effect as action taken at a meeting of shareholders and may be
described as such in any document.
Any shareholder who has signed a writing describing and consenting to
action taken pursuant to this Section 13 may revoke such consent by a
writing signed by the shareholder
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describing the action and stating that the shareholders prior consent
thereto is revoked, but only if such writing is received by the Corporation
before the effectiveness of the action.
14. Meetings by Telecommunication.
Any or all of the shareholders may participate in an annual or special
shareholders meeting by, or the meeting may be conducted through the use of,
any means of communication by which all persons participating in the meeting
may hear each other during the meeting.
A shareholder participating in a meeting by this means is deemed to be
present in person at the meeting.
ARTICLE III
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1. Number, Qualifications and Term of
Office. Except as otherwise provided in the Articles
of Incorporation or the Colorado Business Corporation Act, the business and
affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by a Board of Directors, consisting
of five members. Each director shall be
a natural person of the age of eighteen years or older, but does not need to be
a resident of the state of Colorado or a shareholder of the Corporation. The Board of Directors, by resolution, may
increase or decrease the number of directors from time to time. Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws,
each director shall be elected at each annual meeting of shareholders and shall
hold such office until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until his successor
shall be elected and shall qualify. No
decrease in the number of directors shall have the effect of shortening the
term of any incumbent director.
2. Performance of Duties.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Colorado Business Corporation Act, a director
shall perform his duties as a director, including his duties as a member of any
committee of the Board upon which he may serve, in good faith, in a manner he
reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the Corporation, and with
such care as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under
similar circumstances.
3. Vacancies.
Any director may resign at any time by giving written notice to the
chairman of the Board of Directors and to the chief executive officer,
president or secretary of the Corporation.
A resignation of a director is effective when the notice is received by
the Corporation unless the notice specifies a later effective date. Unless otherwise specified in the notice, the
acceptance of such resignation by the Corporation shall not be necessary to
make it effective. Any vacancy on the
Board of Directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the
remaining Board of Directors even if less than a quorum is remaining in
office. A director elected to fill a
vacancy shall be elected for the unexpired term of his predecessor in
office. Any directorship to be filled by
reason of an increase in the number of directors shall be filled by the
affirmative vote of a majority of the directors than in office or by an
election at an annual meeting or special meeting of shareholders called for
that purpose. A director elected to fill
a position resulting from an increase in the number of directors shall hold
office until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until his or her
successor has been elected and qualified.
4. Removal.
At a meeting of shareholders called expressly for that purpose, the
entire Board of Directors or any individual directors may be removed from
office without
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assignment of cause by the vote of the majority of the shares entitled
to vote an election of directors.
5. Removal of Directors by Judicial
Proceeding. A director may be removed by the District
Court of the Colorado county where the principal office is located or if the
Corporation has no principal office in the State of Colorado, by the District
Court of the Colorado county in which its registered office is located, upon a
finding by the District Court that the director engaged in fraudulent or
dishonest conduct or gross abuse of authority or discretion with respect to the
Corporation and that removal is in the best interests of the Corporation. The judicial proceeding may be commenced
either by the Corporation or by shareholders holding at least ten percent (10%)
of the outstanding shares of any class.
6. Compensation.
By resolution of the Board of Directors, any director may be paid any
one or more of the following: his
expenses, if any, of attendance at meetings; a fixed sum for attendance at each
meeting; a stated salary as director; or such other compensation as the
Corporation and the director may reasonably agree upon. No such payment shall preclude any director
from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation
therefor.
ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS OF THE BOARD
1. Place of Meeting.
The regular or special meetings of the Board of Directors or of any
committee designated by the Board shall be held at the principal office of the
Corporation or at any other place within or without the State of Colorado that
a majority of the Board of Directors or of any such committee, as the case may
be, may designate from time to time by resolution.
2. Regular Meetings.
The Board of Directors shall meet each year immediately before or after
and at the same place as the annual meeting of the shareholders for the purpose
of electing officers and transacting such other business as may come before the
meeting. The Board of Directors or any
committee designated by the Board may provide, by resolution, for the holding
of additional regular meetings without other notice than such resolution.
3. Special Meetings.
Special meetings of the Board of Directors or of any committee
designated by the Board may be called at any time by the chairman of the Board,
if any, by the chief executive officer, or by three or more members of the
Board of Directors or of any such committee, as the case may be, provided that
if any such committee consists of less than four members, then a special
meeting of such committee may be called by a majority of the members thereof.
4. Notice of Meetings.
Notice of the regular meetings of the Board of Directors or of any
committee designated by the Board need not be given. Except as otherwise provided by these Bylaws
or the laws of the State of Colorado, written notice of each special meeting of
the Board of Directors or of any such committee setting forth the time and the
place of the meeting shall be given to each director not less than one (1) day
prior to the date and time
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fixed for the meeting. Notice of
any special meeting may be either personally delivered or mailed to each
director at his business address, by telephone (if reasonable under the
circumstances) or by notice transmitted by telegraph, telex, electronically
transmitted facsimile or other form of wire or wireless communication. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be
given and to be effective on the earlier of (i) three (3) days after such
notice is deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage
prepaid, or (ii) the date shown on the return receipt if mailed by registered
or certified mail return receipt requested.
If notice be given by telephone (if reasonable under the circumstances),
telex, electronically transmitted facsimile or other similar form of wire or
wireless communication, such notice shall be deemed to be given and to be
effective when sent, and with respect to a telegram, such notice shall be
deemed to be given and to be effective when the telegram is delivered to the
telegraph company. If a director has
designated in writing one or more reasonable addresses or facsimile numbers for
delivery of notice to him, notice sent by mail, telegraph, telex,
electronically transmitted facsimile or other form of wire or wireless
communication shall not be deemed to have been given or to be effective unless
sent to such addresses or facsimile numbers, as the case may be. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor
the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need
be specified in the notice or waiver of notice of such meeting.
5. Waiver of Notice.
A director may, in writing, waive notice of any special meeting of the Board
of Directors or of any committee designated by the Board either before, at, or
after the meeting and his waiver shall be deemed the equivalent of giving
notice. Such waiver shall be delivered
to the Corporation for filing with the corporate records. Attendance or participation of a director at
a meeting waives any required notice of that meeting unless at the beginning of
the meeting or promptly upon the directors arrival, the director objects to
holding the meeting or transacting business at the meeting because of lack of
notice or defective notice and does not thereafter vote for or assent to action
taken at the meeting.
6. Quorum.
At meetings of the Board of Directors or of any committee designated by
the Board a majority of the number of directors fixed by these Bylaws, or a
majority of the members of any such committee, as the case may be, shall be
necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If the number of directors is not fixed, then
a majority of the number in office immediately before the meeting begins, shall
constitute a quorum. If a quorum is
present, the act of the majority of directors present shall be the act of the
Board of Directors or of any such committee, as the case may be, unless the act
of a greater number is required by these Bylaws, the Articles of Incorporation
or the Colorado Business Corporation Act.
7. Presumption of Assent.
A director who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors or a
committee thereof when action is taken is deemed to have assented to the action
taken unless:
(a) the director objects at the
beginning of such meeting or promptly upon his arrival, to the holding of the
meeting or the transacting of business at the meeting and does not thereafter
vote for or assent to any action taken at the meeting;
(b) the director contemporaneously
requests that his dissent or abstention as to any specific action taken be
entered in the minutes of such meeting; or
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(c) the director causes written notice
of his dissent or abstention as to any specific action to be received by the
chairman of the Board, if any, or the presiding officer of such meeting before
its adjournment or to the secretary within 15 minutes after adjournment of such
meeting.
The right of dissent or abstention as to a specific action taken in a
meeting of a Board or a committee thereof is not available to a director who
votes in favor of the action taken.
8. Executive Committee; Other
Committees. The Board of Directors may, by a resolution
adopted by a majority of the full Board of Directors, designate one (1) or more
of its members to constitute an executive committee and one or more other
committees, each of which shall have and may exercise all of the authority of
the Board of Directors or such lesser authority as may be set forth in said
resolution; except that no such committee shall have the authority of the Board
of Directors to: (i) declare dividends
or distributions; (ii) approve or recommend to shareholders actions or
proposals required by the Colorado Business Corporation Act to be approved by
shareholders; (iii) fill vacancies on the Board of Directors or any committee
thereof; (iv) amend these Bylaws; (v) approve a plan of merger not requiring
shareholder approval; (vi) reduce earned or capital surplus; (vii) authorize or
approve the reacquisition of shares unless pursuant to a general formula method
specified by the Board of Directors; or (viii) authorize or approve the
issuance or sale of, or any contract to issue or sell, shares or designate the
terms of a series of a class of shares and except that the Board of Directors,
having acted regarding general authorization for the issuance or sale of shares
or any contract therefor, may pursuant to a general formula or method specified
by the Board of Directors by resolution or by adoption of a stock option or
other plan, authorize a committee to fix the terms of any contract for the sale
of the shares and to fix the terms upon which such shares may be issued or
sold, including, without limitation, the price, the dividend rate, provisions
for redemption, sinking fund, conversion, or voting or preferential rights, and
provisions for other features of a class of shares or a series of a class of
shares, with full power in such committee to adopt any final resolution setting
forth all terms thereof and to authorize the statement of the terms of a series
for filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Colorado under the
Colorado Business Corporation Act. If any
such delegation of the authority of the Board of Directors is made as provided
herein, all references to the Board of Directors contained in these Bylaws, the
Articles of Incorporation, the Colorado Business Corporation Act or any other
applicable law or regulation relating to the authority so delegated shall be
deemed to refer to such committee.
Neither the designation of any such committee, the delegation of
authority to such committee, nor any action by such committee pursuant to its
authority shall alone constitute compliance by any member of the Board of
Directors, not a member of the committee in question, with his responsibility
to act in good faith, in a manner he reasonably believes to be in the best
interests of the Corporation, and with such care as an ordinarily prudent
person in a like position would use under similar circumstances.
If the Board of Directors designates an executive or other committee,
so long as that certain Voting Agreement dated as of December 23, 1991 is
in effect, at least one member of the executive committee must be director
designated by one or more of the Designating Investors
11
or their Board representative as defined in and pursuant to the Voting
Agreement. This provision shall
terminate ab initio effective upon the
termination of the Voting Agreement.
9. Informal Action by Directors.
Any action required or permitted be taken at a Board of Directors
meeting or a meeting of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if
all members thereof consent to such action in writing and such writing is
delivered to the secretary of the Corporation for inclusion in the minutes or
for filing with the corporate records.
Action taken under this Section 9 is effective at the time the last
director signs a writing describing the action taken unless the directors
establish a different effective date, and unless, before such time, a director
has revoked his consent by a writing signed by the director and received by the
chief executive officer and secretary.
Action taken pursuant to this section 9 has the same effect as
action taken at a meeting of the directors or committee members and may be
described as such in any document.
10. Telephonic Meetings.
One or more members of the Board of Directors or any committee
designated by the Board may participate in a regular or special meeting by or
conduct the meeting through the use of any means of communication by which all
directors participating may hear each other during the meeting. A director participating in a meeting by this
means is deemed to be present in person at the meeting.
ARTICLE V
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
In discharging his duties, a director or officer is entitled to rely on
information, opinions, reports, or statements, including financial statements
and other financial data, if prepared or presented by (i) one or more
officers or employees of the Corporation whom the director or officer
reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented,
(ii) legal counsel, a public accountant, or other person as to matters
which the director or officer reasonably believes to be within such persons
professional or expert competence, or (iii) in the case of a director, a
committee of the Board of Directors of which the director is not a member if
the director reasonably believes the committee merits confidence.
A director or officer is not liable as such to the Corporation or its
shareholders for any action he takes or omits to take as a director or officer,
as the case may be, if, in connection with such action or omission, he
performed the duties of the position in compliance with this Article V.
ARTICLE VI
OFFICERS AND AGENTS
1. General.
The officers of the Corporation shall consist of a chairman of the
Board, a chief executive officer, a president and a secretary and, in the
discretion of the Board, a treasurer; in addition, one or more vice presidents,
and such other officers, assistant officers, agents and employees that the
Board of Directors may from time to time deem necessary may be elected by the
Board of Directors or be appointed in a manner prescribed by the Board. Two or
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more offices may be held by the same person. Officers shall hold office until their
successors are chosen and have qualified, unless they are sooner removed from
office as provided in these Bylaws. All
officers of the Corporation shall be natural persons of the age of eighteen years
or older. Officers of the Corporation
need not be residents of the State of Colorado or directors or shareholders of
the Corporation.
2. General Duties.
All officers and agents of the Corporation, as between themselves and
the Corporation, shall have such authority and shall perform such duties in the
management of the Corporation as may be provided in these Bylaws or as may be
determined by resolution of the Board of Directors not inconsistent with these
Bylaws. In all cases where the duties of
any officer, agent or employee are not prescribed by the Bylaws or by the Board
of Directors, such officer, agent or employee shall follow the orders and
instructions of the chief executive officer.
3. Vacancies.
When a vacancy occurs in one of the executive offices by reason of
death, resignation or otherwise, it shall however be filled by a resolution of
the Board of Directors. The officer so
selected shall hold office until his successor is chosen and qualified.
4. Salaries.
The salaries of the officers, agents and employees of the Corporation
may be fixed by the Board of Directors, or by any committee designated by the
Board or, in the absence of contrary resolution or action by the Board, by the
chief executive officer.
5. Resignation.
An officer may resign at any time by giving written notice of
resignation to the chief executive officer of the Corporation. A resignation of an officer is effective when
the notice is received by the Corporation unless the notice specifies a later
effective date. If a resignation is made
effective at a later date, the Board of Directors may permit the officer to
remain in office until the effective date and may fill the pending vacancy
before the effective date if the Board of Directors provides that the successor
does not take office until the effective date, or the Board of Directors may
remove the officer at any time before the effective date and may fill the
resulting vacancy.
6. Removal.
Any officer, agent or employee of this Corporation may be removed by the
Board of Directors or the chief executive officer whenever in its judgment the
best interests of the Corporation may be served thereby, but such removal shall
be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so
removed. Election or appointment of an
officer, agent or employee shall not, of itself, create contract rights.
7. Chairman of the Board.
The chairman of the Board, if any, shall preside as chairman at meetings
of the shareholders and the Board of Directors.
He shall, in addition, have such other duties as the Board may prescribe
that he perform. At the request of the
chief executive officer, the chairman of the Board may, in the case of the
chief executive officers absence or inability to act, temporarily act in his
place. In the case of death of the chief
executive officer or in the case of his absence or inability to act without
having designated the chairman of the Board to act temporarily in his place,
the chairman of the Board shall perform the duties of the chief executive
officer, unless the Board of Directors, by resolution, provides
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otherwise. If the chairman of
the Board shall be unable to act in place of the chief executive officer, the
president may exercise such powers and perform such duties as provided below.
8. Chief Executive Officer.
The chief executive officer shall, subject to the direction and
supervision of the Board of Directors, be the most senior officer of the
Corporation and shall have primary, general and active control of its affairs
and business and general supervision of its officers, agents and
employees. He shall have authority to
expend Corporation funds, to incur debt on behalf of the Corporation, and to
acquire and dispose of property, real and personal, tangible and intangible. In the event the position of chairman of the
Board shall not be occupied or the chairman shall be absent or otherwise unable
to act, the chief executive officer shall preside at meetings of the
shareholders and directors and shall discharge the duties of the presiding
officer. He shall, unless otherwise
directed by the Board of Directors, attend in person or by substitute appointed
by him, or shall execute on behalf of the Corporation written instruments
appointing a proxy or proxies to represent the Corporation at all meetings of
the shareholders of any other corporation in which the Corporation shall hold
any stock. He may, on behalf of the
Corporation, in person or by substitute or by proxy, execute written waivers of
notice and consents with respect to any such meetings. At all such meetings and otherwise, the chief
executive officer, in person or by substitute or by proxy as aforesaid, may
vote the stock so held by the Corporation and may execute written consents and
other instruments with respect to such stock and may exercise any and all
rights and powers incident to the ownership of said stock, subject however to
the instructions, if any, of the Board of Directors. The chief executive officer shall have custody
of the treasurers bond, if any.
9. President.
The president shall assist the chief executive officer, as directed by
the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer, and shall perform such
duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board of Directors or
the chief executive officer. If the
office of chief executive officer is vacant, the president shall have the
powers and perform the duties of chief executive officer until such vacancy is
filled by the Board of Directors.
10. Vice Presidents.
Each vice president shall have such powers and perform such duties as
the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe or as the chief
executive officer may from time to time delegate to him. At the request of the chief executive
officer, in the case of the presidents absence or inability to act, any vice
president may temporarily act in the presidents place. In the case of the death of the president, or
in the case of his absence or inability to act without having designated a vice
president or vice presidents to act temporarily in his place, the Board of
Directors, by resolution, may designate a vice president or vice presidents, to
perform the duties of the president.
11. Secretary.
The secretary shall keep or cause to be kept in books, provided for that
purpose, the minutes of the meetings of the shareholders, executive committee,
if any, and any other committees, and of the Board of Directors; shall see that
all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws
and as required by law; shall be custodian of the records and of the seal of
the Corporation and see that the seal is affixed to all documents, the
execution of which on behalf of the Corporation under its seal is duly
authorized and in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws; and, in
general, shall perform all duties incident to the office of secretary and such
other duties as may, from time to time, be assigned to him by
14
the Board of Directors or by the president. In the absence of the secretary or his
inability to act, the assistant secretaries, if any, shall act with the same
powers and shall be subject to the same restrictions as are applicable to the
secretary.
12. Treasurer.
The treasurer shall have custody of corporate funds and securities. He shall keep full and accurate accounts of
receipts and disbursements and shall deposit all corporate monies and other
valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in the
depository or depositories of the Corporation, and shall render an account of
his transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation
to the chief executive officer, president and/or the Board of Directors upon
request. Such power given to the
treasurer to deposit and disburse funds shall not, however, preclude any other
officer or employee of the Corporation from also depositing and disbursing
funds when authorized to do so by the Board of Directors. The treasurer shall, if required by the Board
of Directors, give the Corporation a bond in such amount and with such surety
or sureties as may be ordered by the Board of Directors for the faithful
performance of the duties of his office.
The treasurer shall have such other powers and perform such other duties
as may be from time to time prescribed by the Board of Directors or the chief
executive officer or such other person appointed from time to time by the chief
executive officer. In the absence of the
treasurer or his inability to act, the assistant treasurers, if any, shall act
with the same authority and shall be subject to the same restrictions as are
applicable to the treasurer.
13. Delegation of Duties.
Whenever an officer is absent, or whenever, for any reason, the Board of
Directors may deem it desirable, the Board may delegate the powers and duties
of an officer to any other officer or officers or to any director or directors.
ARTICLE VII
CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS
No contract or other transaction between the Corporation and one or
more of its directors, or any other corporation, partnership, association or
other organization in which one or more of its directors or officers is a
director or officer or is financially interested shall be either void or
voidable solely for that reason or solely because such director or officer is
present at or participates in the meeting of the Board of Directors or a
committee thereof that authorizes, approves, or ratifies such contract or
transaction or solely because their votes are counted for such purpose if:
(A) The material facts of such
relationship, interest, contract or transaction are disclosed to or known by
the Board of Directors or committee thereof, that in good faith authorizes,
approves, or ratifies the contract or transaction by the affirmative vote of a
majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested
directors are less than a quorum;
(B) The material facts of such
relationship, interest, contract or transaction are disclosed to or known by
the shareholders entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or transaction is
specifically authorized, approved or ratified in good faith by vote of the
shareholders; or
15
(C) The contract or transaction is fair
as to the corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved or ratified by
the Board of Directors, a committee thereof, or the shareholders.
Common or interested directors may be counted in determining the
presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee
thereof which authorizes, approves or ratifies such contract or transaction.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND
OTHERS
1. Definitions.
Unless the context of this Article VIII indicates otherwise,
initially capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings given in
Section 7-109-101 of the Colorado Business Corporation Act.
2. Standards for Indemnification.
A. General.
Except as provided in Subsection B(4) below, the Corporation shall
indemnify against Liability, to the fullest extent authorized by the Colorado
Business Corporation Act, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but,
in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment
permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than permitted
prior thereto), incurred in any Proceeding by an individual made a Party to the
Proceeding because he is or was a Director or officer of the Corporation or any
subsidiary of the Corporation (an Indemnitee) if: (a) he conducted himself in good faith;
(b) he reasonably believed: (i) in
the case of conduct in his Official capacity with the Corporation, that his
conduct was in the Corporations best interests; or (ii) that in all other
cases, that his conduct was at least not opposed to the Corporations best
interests; and (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, he had no reasonable
cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.
B. Employee Benefit Plans.
An Indemnitees conduct with respect to an employee benefit plan for a
purpose he reasonably believed to be in the interests of the participants in or
beneficiaries of the plan is conduct that satisfies the requirements of clause
(b)(ii) of Subsection B(1) above.
An Indemnitees conduct with respect to an employee benefit plan for a
purpose that he did not reasonably believe to be in the interests of the
participants in or beneficiaries of the plan shall be deemed not to satisfy the
requirements of clause (i) of Subsection B(1) above.
C. Termination of a Proceeding.
The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, or
conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, is not of
itself determinative that the individual did not meet the standard of conduct
set forth in Subsection B(1) above.
D. Cases in Which Indemnification is
Prohibited. The Corporation may not indemnify an
Indemnitee under this Section B either (a) in connection with a Proceeding
by or in the right of the corporation in which the Indemnitee was adjudged
liable to the Corporation; or (b) in connection with any Proceeding charging
improper personal benefit to the Indemnitee,
16
whether or not involving action in his Official capacity, in which he
was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received
by him.
E. Seasonable Expenses Only.
Indemnification permitted under this Section E in connection with a
Proceeding by or in the right of the Corporation is limited to reasonable
expenses incurred in connection with the Proceeding.
F. Application of Indemnification
Obligations. The indemnity and prepayment obligations of
the Corporation and the standards for indemnification set forth in this
Article VIII shall apply in all cases, even if the conduct, act or
omission in question occurred prior to the date that such indemnity and
prepayment obligations were adopted by the Corporation by amendment to these
Bylaws.
3. Mandatory Indemnification.
Unless limited by these Bylaws, the Corporation shall be required to
indemnify an Indemnitee who was wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise,
in defense of any Proceeding to which he was a Party, against reasonable
expenses incurred by him in connection with the Proceeding.
4. Court Ordered Indemnification.
Unless limited by these Bylaws, an Indemnitee who is or was a Party to a
Proceeding may apply for indemnification to the court conducting the Proceeding
or to another court of competent jurisdiction.
On receipt of an application, the
court, after giving any notice the court considers necessary, may order
indemnification in the following manner:
A. Mandatory Indemnification.
If it determines the Indemnitee is entitled to mandatory indemnification
under Section C above, the court shall order indemnification, in which
case the court shall also order the Corporation to pay the Indemnitees
reasonable expenses incurred to obtain court-ordered indemnification.
B. Indemnification Where Regardless of
Meeting Standard of Conduct. If it
determines that the Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances, whether or not he
met the standard of conduct set forth in Subsection B(1) of this
Article VIII or was adjudged liable in the circumstances described in
Subsection B(4) of this Article, the court may order such indemnification
as the court deems proper; except that the indemnification with respect to any
Proceeding in which liability shall have been adjudged in the circumstances
described in said Subsection B(4) is limited to reasonable expenses
incurred.
5. Indemnification Procedure.
A. Authorization of Indemnification
Required. The Corporation may not indemnify an
Indemnitee under Section B of this Article VIII unless authorized in
the specific case after a determination has been made that indemnification of
the Indemnitee is permissible in the circumstances because he has met the
standard of conduct set forth in Subsection B(1).
B. Determination by the Board of
Director. The determination required to be made by
Subsection E(1) shall be made: (a)
by the Corporations Board of Directors by a majority Vote of a quorum, which
quorum shall consist of directors not parties to the Proceeding;
17
or (b) if a quorum cannot be obtained, by a majority vote of a
committee of the Board designated by the Board, which committee shall consist
of two or more directors not parties to the proceeding; except that directors
who are parties to the proceeding may participate in the designation of directors
for the committee.
C. Determination by Body Other Than the
Board at Directors. If the quorum cannot be obtained or the
committee cannot be established under Subsection E(2), or even if a quorum
is obtained or a committee designated if such quorum or committee so directs,
the determination required to be made by Subsection 2(1) shall be
made: (a) by independent legal counsel
selected by a vote of the Corporations Board of Directors or the committee in
the manner specified in clause (a) or (b) of Subsection E(2) or, if a
quorum of the full Board cannot be obtained and a committee cannot be
established, by independent legal counsel selected by a majority vote of the
full Board; or.(b) by the shareholders.
D. Standard for Authorizing
Indemnification. Authorization of indemnification and
evaluation as to reasonableness of expenses shall be made in the same manner as
the determination that indemnification is permissible; except that, if the
determination that indemnification is permissible is made by independent legal
counsel, authorization of indemnification and evaluation as to reasonableness
of expenses shall be made by the body that selected said counsel.
6. Pre-Payment or Reimbursement of
Expenses.
A. General.
The Corporation shall pay for or reimburse the reasonable expenses
incurred by an Indemnitee who is a Party to a Proceeding because he is or was a
Director or officer of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation, in
advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding if: (a) the Indemnitee furnishes the Corporation
a written affirmation of his good-faith belief that he has met the standard of
conduct described in clause (a) of Subsection B(1); (b) the Indemnitee
furnishes the Corporation a written undertaking, executed personally or on his
behalf, to repay the advance if it is determined that he did not meet such
standard of conduct; and (c) a determination is made that the facts then known
to those making the determination would not preclude indemnification under this
Section F.
B. Undertaking.
The undertaking required by clause (b) of Subsection F(1) shall be
an unlimited general obligation of the Indemnitee, but need not be secured and
may be accepted without reference to financial ability to make repayment.
C. Authorization of Pre-Payments.
Determinations and authorizations of payments under this Section F
shall be made in the manner specified in Section E of this
Article VIII.
7. Expenses Incurred as a Witness.
The Corporation shall pay or reimburse Expenses incurred by an Indemnitee
in connection with his appearance, or preparation for his appearance, as a
witness in a Proceeding or at a deposition related to a Proceeding, at a time
when he has not been made a named defendant or respondent in the Proceeding. If the Indemnitee is not an officer or
Director of the Company at the time his appearance is required at a Proceeding
or deposition related to a Proceeding, the Company shall pay the Indemnitee
18
$500.00 for each day (or part thereof) that the Indemnitee is required
to attend such Proceeding or deposition.
8. Employees and Agents.
Unless limited by these Bylaws:
A. Indemnification and Advancement of
Expenses. The Corporation may indemnify and advance
expenses, pursuant to Sections B, C and F of this Article VIII to an
employee or agent of the Corporation who is not an Indemnitee, in defense of
any Proceeding to which he was a Party by reason of his employment by or
relationship with the Corporation, to the same extent as an Indemnitee; and
B. Greater Rights of Indemnification
Permitted. The Corporation may indemnify and advance
expenses to an employee or agent of the corporation who is not an Indemnitee to
a greater extent if consistent with law, these Bylaws, the Articles of
Amendment and Restatement of the Corporation, resolution of the shareholders or
directors, or in a contract.
9. Insurance.
The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of a
person who is or was a Director, officer, employee, fiduciary or agent of the
Corporation, or any subsidiary of the Corporation, or who, while a Director,
officer, employee, fiduciary or agent of the Corporation or any subsidiary of
the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director,
officer, partner, trustee, employee, fiduciary or agent of any other foreign or
domestic corporation or of any partnership, joint venture, trust, other
enterprise or employee benefit plan against any liability asserted against or
incurred by him in any such capacity or arising out of his Status as such,
whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him against
such liability under the provisions of this Article VIII. Any such insurance may be procured from any
insurance company designated by the Board of Directors of the Corporation,
whether such insurance company is formed under the laws of Colorado or any
other jurisdiction of the United States or elsewhere, including any insurance
company in which the Corporation has equity or any other interest, through
stock ownership or otherwise.
10. Report to Shareholders.
Any indemnification of or advance of expenses to a Director in
accordance with this Article VIII, if arising out of a proceeding by or on
behalf of the Corporation, shall be reported in writing to the shareholders
with or before the notice of the next shareholders meeting.
11. Governing Law.
This Article VIII shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with Section 7-109-101 of the Colorado Business Corporation Act, as
amended from time to time.
12. Non-Exclusivity
of Rights. The rights to
indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in this
Article VIII shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person
may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, the Corporations Articles of
Amendment and Restatement, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested
directors or otherwise. To the extent
that the rights to indemnification granted by these Bylaws are inconsistent
with those granted by the Corporations Articles of Amendment and Restatement,
the provisions of these Articles of Amendment and Restatement shall govern.
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ARTICLE I
SHARE CERTIFICATES AND THE TRANSFER OF SHARES
1. Certificates Representing Shares.
The shares may but need not be represented by certificates. Unless the Colorado Business Corporation Act
or another law expressly provides otherwise, the fact that the shares are not
represented by certificates shall have no effect on the rights and obligations
of shareholders of the Corporation. If
the shares are represented by certificates, such certificates shall be in a
form approved by the Board of Directors, consecutively numbered, and signed in
the name of the Corporation by the chairman or vice chairman of the Board of
Directors or by the chief executive officer, the president or a vice president
and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer or by the secretary or an
assistant secretary, and shall be sealed with the seal of the Corporation or a
facsimile thereof. Any or all of the
signatures upon a certificate may be facsimiles if the certificate is
countersigned by a transfer agent or registered by a registrar other than the
Corporation itself or an employee of the corporation. In case any officer who has signed such
certificate shall have ceased to be such officer before such certificate is
issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he were
such officer at the date of its issue.
2. Shares Without Certificates.
Unless the Articles of Incorporation provide otherwise, the Board of
Directors of the Corporation may authorize the issuance of any of its classes
of series, if any, of shares without certificates. Such authorization shall not affect shares
already represented by certificates until they are surrendered to the
Corporation. Within a reasonable time
after the issuance or transfer of shares without certificates, the Corporation
shall send to the shareholder a written statement of the information required
by the Colorado Business Corporation Act.
3. Issuance of Shares.
Except as provided in the Articles of Incorporation, the Board of
Directors may authorize the issuance of shares for consideration consisting of
any tangible, intangible property or benefit to the Corporation, including
cash, promissory notes, services performed and other securities of the
Corporation. The Board of Directors
shall determine that the consideration received or to be received for the
shares to be issued is adequate. Such
determination, in the absence of fraud, is conclusive insofar as the adequacy
of such consideration relates to whether the shares are validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable. The promissory
note of a subscriber or an affiliate of a subscriber for shares shall not
constitute consideration for the shares unless the note is negotiable and is
secured by collateral other than the shares, having a fair market value at
least equal to the principal amount of the note. For the purposes of this Section 3,
promissory note means a negotiable instrument on which there is an obligation
to pay independent of collateral and does not include a nonrecourse note. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Articles
of Incorporation, shares having a par value may be issued for less than the par
value.
4. Lost Certificates.
The Board of Directors may direct a new certificate to be issued in
place of a certificate alleged to have been destroyed or lost if the owner
makes an affidavit or affirmation of that fact and produces such evidence of
loss or destruction as the Board may require.
The Board, in its discretion, may as a condition precedent to the
issuance of a new certificate require the owner to give the Corporation a bond
in such form and amount and
20
with each surety as it may determine as indemnity against any claim
that may be made against the Corporation relating to the certificate allegedly
destroyed or lost.
5. Transfer of Shares.
(a) Shares of the Corporation shall only
be transferred on the stock transfer books of the Corporation by the holder of
record thereof upon the surrender to the Corporation of the share certificates
duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or
authority to transfer and such documentary stamps as may be required by
law. In that event, the surrendered
certificates shall be cancelled, new certificates issued to the persons
entitled to them, and the transaction recorded on the books of the Corporation.
6. Registered Shareholders.
The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the registered holder of any
shares of the Corporation as the owner thereof for all purposes, and the
Corporation shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to, or
interest in, such shares or rights deriving from such shares on the part of any
person other than the registered holder, including without limitation any
purchaser, assignee or transferee of such shares or rights deriving from such
shares, unless and until such other person becomes the registered holder of
such shares, whether or not the Corporation shall have either actual or
constructive notice of the claimed interest of such other person.
The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution a procedure whereby a
shareholder may certify in writing to the Corporation that all or a portion of
the shares registered in the name of such shareholder are held for the account
of a specified person or persons. Such
resolution shall set forth: (i) the classification
of shareholder who may certify; (ii) the purpose or purposes for which the
certification may be made; (iii) the form of certification and information to
be contained therein; (iv) if the certification is with respect to a record
date or closing of the stock transfer books within which the certification must
be received by the Corporation; and (v) such other provision with respect to
the procedure as are deemed necessary or desirable. Upon receipt by the Corporation of a
certification complying with the procedure, the persons specified in the
certification shall be deemed, for the purpose or purposes set forth in the
certification, to be the holders of record of the number of shares specified in
place of the shareholder making the certification.
7. Stock Ledger.
An appropriate stock journal and ledger shall be kept by the secretary
or such registrars or transfer agents as the directors by resolution may
appoint in which all transactions in the shares of stock of the Corporation
shall be recorded.
8. Notice of Restriction on Transfer.
Notice of any restriction on the transfer of the stock of the
Corporation shall be placed on each certificate of stock issued.
ARTICLE II
INSURANCE
By action of the Board of Directors, notwithstanding any interest of
the directors in the action, the Corporation may purchase and maintain
insurance, in such scope and amounts
21
as the Board of Directors deems appropriate, on behalf of any person
who is or was a director, officer, employee, fiduciary or agent of the
Corporation, or who, while a director, officer, employee, fiduciary or agent of
the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a
director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, fiduciary or agent of any other
foreign or domestic corporation or of any partnership, joint venture, trust,
profit or nonprofit unincorporated association, limited liability company or
other enterprise or employee benefit plan, against any liability asserted
against, or incurred by, him in that capacity or arising out of his status as
such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him
against such liability under the provisions of the Colorado Business
Corporation Act. Any such insurance may
be procured from any insurance company designated by the Board of Directors of
the Corporation, whether such insurance company is formed under the laws of the
State of Colorado or any company in which the Corporation has an equity
interest or any other interest, through stock ownership or otherwise.
ARTICLE III
SEAL AND FISCAL YEAR
1. Seal.
The Corporation shall have a seal in the form impressed to the left of
this paragraph of the Bylaws.
2. Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be determined by the Board of
Directors. Said fiscal year may be
changed from time to time by the Board of Directors in its discretion.
ARTICLE IV
DIVIDENDS
Dividends shall be declared and paid out of the net profits and surplus
of the Corporation as often and at such times as the Board of Directors may
determine, taking into account reserve, capital and other needs of the
Corporation. No unclaimed dividend shall
bear interest against the Corporation.
Dividends of capital stock may also be declared when, in the judgment of
the Board of Directors, it is considered proper and in the interests of the
Corporation.
ARTICLE V
AMENDMENTS
Subject to repeal or change by action of the shareholders, the Board of
Directors may amend, supplement or repeal these Bylaws or adopt new Bylaws, and
all such changes shall affect and be binding upon the holders of all shares
heretofore as well as hereafter authorized, subscribed for or offered.
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ARTICLE VI
MISCELLANEOUS
1. Gender.
Whenever required by the context, the singular shall include the plural,
the plural the singular, and one gender shall include all genders.
2. Invalid Provision.
The invalidity or unenforceability of any particular provision of these
Bylaws shall not affect the other provisions herein, and these Bylaws shall be
construed in all respects as if such invalid or unenforceable provision was
omitted.
3. Governing Law.
These Bylaws shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws
of the State of Colorado.
I, Gary M. Jacobs, as Secretary of Corporate Express, Inc., hereby
certify that the foregoing Bylaws were adopted by the Board of Directors of the
Corporation effective as of September 22, 1994.
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CORPORATE EXPRESS, INC.
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By:
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/s/ Gary M. Jacobs
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Gary M. Jacobs, Secretary
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