cpss8k090720.htm
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON
DC 20549
FORM
8-K
CURRENT
REPORT
PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of
Report (Date of earliest event reported) July 14, 2009
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CONSUMER
PORTFOLIO SERVICES, INC.
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(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
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CALIFORNIA
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1-11416
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33-0459135
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(State
or Other Jurisdiction
of
Incorporation)
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(Commission
File
Number)
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(IRS
Employer
Identification
No.)
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19500
Jamboree Road, Irvine, CA 92612
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(Address
of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
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Registrant's
telephone number, including area code (949) 753-6800
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16355
Laguna Canyon Road, Irvine, CA 92618
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(Former
name or former address, if changed since last report)
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Check the
appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously
satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following
provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
o Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
230.425)
o Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
o Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.13e-4(c))
ITEM
5.03 AMENDMENTS
TO ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OR BYLAWS; CHANGE IN FISCAL YEAR.
On July
14, 2009, the board of directors of the registrant amended the bylaws to
decrease the authorized number of directors from eight to six.
One
exhibit is filed herewith:
3.3 Bylaws
(as of July 14, 2009).
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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CONSUMER
PORTFOLIO SERVICES, INC.
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Dated:
July 20,
2009
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By:
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/s/ Mark A. Creatura
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Mark
A. Creatura
Senior
vice president and Secretary
Signing
on behalf of the registrant
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cpssexhibit33.htm
AMENDED
and RESTATED
BYLAWS
OF
CONSUMER
PORTFOLIO SERVICES, INC.
(a
California corporation)
ARTICLE
I
OFFICES
Section
1. Principal Offices. The board of directors shall
fix the location of the principal executive office of the corporation at any
place within or outside the State of California. If the principal
executive office is located outside this state, and the corporation has one or
more business offices in this state, the board of directors shall fix and
designate a principal business office in the State of California.
Section 2. Other
Offices. The board of directors may establish other business
offices at any place or places where the corporation is qualified to do
business.
ARTICLE
II
MEETINGS
OF SHAREHOLDERS
Section 1. Place
of Meetings. Meetings of shareholders shall be held at any
place within or outside the State of California designated by the board of
directors. In the absence of any such designation, shareholders'
meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the
corporation.
Section 2. Annual
Meeting. The annual meetings of shareholders shall be held
each year on the third Tuesday of May unless another date shall be designated by
the board of directors. At each annual meeting directors shall be
elected, and any other proper business may be transacted.
Section
3. Special Meeting. A special meeting of the
shareholders may be called at any time by the board of directors, or by the
chairman of the board, or by the president, or by one or more shareholders
holding shares in the aggregate entitled to cast not less than 10% of the votes
at the meeting.
If a special meeting is called by
any person or persons other than the board of directors, the request shall be in
writing, specifying the time of such meeting and the general nature of the
business proposed to be transacted, and shall be delivered personally or sent by
registered mail or by telegraphic or other facsimile transmission to the
chairman of the board, the president, any vice president, or the secretary of
the corporation. The officer receiving the request shall cause notice
to be promptly given to the shareholders entitled to vote, in accordance with
the provisions of Section 4 and 5 of this Article II, that a meeting will be
held at the time requested by the person or persons calling the meeting, not
less than thirty-five (35) nor more than sixty (60) days after the receipt of
the request. If the notice is not given within twenty (20) days after
receipt of the request, the person or persons requesting the meeting may give
the notice. Nothing construed
as
limiting, fixing or affecting the time when a meeting of shareholders is called
by action of the board of directors may be held.
Section 4. Notice
of Shareholders' Meeting. All notices of meetings of
shareholders shall be sent or otherwise given in accordance with Section 5 of
this Article II not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the
date of the meeting. The notice shall specify the place, date and
hour of the meeting. The notice shall specify the place, date and
hour of the meeting and (i) in the case of a special meeting, the general nature
of the business to be transacted, or (ii) in the case of an annual meeting,
those matters which the board of directors, at the time of giving the notice,
intends to present for action by the shareholders. The notice of any
meeting at which directors are to be elected shall include the name of any
nominee or nominees whom, at the time of the notice, management intends to
present for election.
If action is proposed to be taken at
any meeting for approval of (i) a contract or transaction in which a director
has a direct or indirect financial interest, pursuant to Section 310 of the
Corporations Code of California, (ii) an amendment of the articles of
incorporation, pursuant to Section 902 of that Code, (iii) a reorganization of
the corporation, pursuant to Section 1201 of that Code, (iv) a voluntary
dissolution of the corporation, pursuant to Section 1900 of that Code, with the
rights of outstanding preferred shares, pursuant to Section 2007 of that Code,
the notice shall also state the general nature of that proposal.
Section 5. Manner
of Giving Notice; Affidavit of Notice. Notice of any meeting
of shareholders shall be given either personally or by first-class mail or
telegraphic or other written communication, charges prepaid, addressed to the
shareholder at the address of that shareholder appearing on the books of the
corporation or given by the shareholder to the corporation for the purpose of
notice. If no such address appears on the corporation's books or is
given, notice shall be deemed to have been given if sent to that shareholder by
first-class mail or telegraphic or other written communication to the
corporation's principal executive office, or if published at least once in a
newspaper of general circulation in the county where that office is
located. Notice shall be deemed to have given at the time when
delivered personally or deposited in the mail or sent by telegram or the means
of written communication.
If any notice addressed to a
shareholder at the address of that shareholder appearing on the books of the
corporation is returned to the corporation by the United States Postal Service
marked to indicate that the United States Postal Service is unable to deliver
the notice to the shareholder at that address, all future notices or reports
shall be deemed to have been duly given without further mailing if these shall
be available to the shareholder on written demand of the shareholder at the
principal executive office of the corporation for a period of one year from the
date of the giving of the notice.
An affidavit of the mailing or other
means of giving any notice of any shareholders' meeting shall be executed by the
secretary, assistant secretary, or any transfer agent of the corporation giving
the notice, and shall be filed and maintained in the minute book of the
corporation.
Section
6. Quorum. The presence in person or by proxy of
the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at any meeting of
shareholders shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business. The shareholders present may continue to do business until
adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough shareholders to leave less
than a quorum, if any action taken (other than adjournment) is approved by at
least a majority of the shares required to constitute a quorum.
Section
7. Adjourned Meeting; Notice. Any shareholders'
meeting, annual or special, whether or not a quorum is present, may be adjourned
from time to time by the vote of a majority of the shares represented at that
meeting, either in person or by proxy, but in the absence of a quorum, no other
business may be transacted at that meeting, except as provided in Section 6 of
this Article II.
When any meeting of the
shareholders, either annual or special, is adjourned to another time or place,
notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time and place are
announced at a meeting at which the adjournment is taken, unless a new record
date for the adjourned meeting is fixed, or unless the adjournment is for more
than forty-five (45) days from the date set for the original meeting, in which
case the board of directors shall set a new record date. Notice of
any such adjourned meeting shall be given to each shareholder of record entitled
to vote at the adjourned meeting in accordance with the provisions of Sections 4
and 5 of this Article II. At any adjourned meeting the corporation
may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original
meeting.
Section
8. Voting. The shareholders entitled to vote at any
meeting of shareholders shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of
Section 11 of this Article II, subject to the provisions of Section 702 to 704,
inclusive, of the Corporations Code of California (relating to voting shares
held by a fiduciary, in the name of a corporation, or in joint
ownership). The shareholders' vote may be by voice vote or by ballot;
provided, however, that any election for directors must be by ballot if demanded
by any shareholder before the voting has begun. On any matter other
than elections of directors, any shareholder may vote part of the shares in
favor of the proposal and refrain from voting the remaining shares or vote them
against the proposal, but, if the shareholder fails to specify the number of
shares which the shareholder is voting affirmatively, it will be conclusively
presumed that the shareholder's approving vote is with respect to all shares
that the shareholder is entitled to vote. If a quorum is present, the
affirmative vote of the majority of the shares represented at the meeting and
entitled to vote on any matter (other than the election of directors) shall be
the act of the shareholders, unless the vote of a greater number or voting by
classes is required by California General Corporation Law or by the Articles of
Incorporation.
Section 9. Waiver
of Notice or Consent by Absent Shareholders. The transactions
of any meeting of shareholders, either annual or special, however called and
noticed, and wherever held, shall be as valid as though had at a meeting duly
held after regular call and notice, if a quorum be present either in person or
entitled to vote, who was not present in person or by proxy, signs a written
waiver of notice or a consent to the holding of the meeting, or an approval of
the minutes. The waiver of notice of consent need not specify either
the business to be transacted or the
purpose
of any annual or special meeting of shareholders, except that if action is taken
or proposed to be taken for approval of any of those matters specified in the
second paragraph of Section 4 of this Article II, the waiver of notice or
consent shall state the general nature of the proposal. All such
waivers, consents or approvals shall be filed with the corporate records or made
a part of the minutes of the meeting.
Attendance by a person at a meeting
shall also constitute a waiver of notice of that meeting, except when the person
objects, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business
because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened, and except that
attendance at a meeting is not a waiver of any right to object to the
consideration of matters not included in the notice of the meeting if that
objection is expressly made at the meeting.
Section
10. Shareholder Action By Written Consent Without a
Meeting. Any action which may be taken at any annual or
special meeting of shareholders may be taken without a meeting and without prior
notice, if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, signed by
the holders of outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of
votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting at
which all shares entitled to vote on that action were present and
voted. In the case of election of directors, such a consent shall be
effective only if signed by the holders of all outstanding shares entitled to
vote for the election of directors; provided, however, that a director may be
elected at any time to fill a vacancy on the board of directors that has not
been filled by the directors, by the written consent of the holders of a
majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of
directors. All such consents shall be filed with the secretary of the
corporation and shall be maintained in the corporate records. Any
shareholder giving a written consent, or the shareholder's proxy holders, or a
transferee of the shares or a personal representative of the shareholder or
their respective proxy holders, may revoke the consent by a writing received by
the secretary of the corporation before written consents of the number of shares
required to authorize the proposed action have been filed with the
secretary.
If the consents of all shareholders
entitled to vote have not been solicited in writing, and if the unanimous
written consent of all such shareholders shall not have been received, the
secretary shall give prompt notice of the corporate action approved by the
shareholders without a meeting. This notice shall be given in the
manner specified in Section 5 of this Article II. In the case of
approval of (i) contracts or transactions in which a director has a direct or
indirect financial interest, pursuant to Section 310 of the Corporations Code of
California, (ii) Section 317 of that Code, (iii) a reorganization of the
corporation, pursuant to Section 1201 of that Code, and (iv) a distribution in
dissolution other than in accordance with the rights of outstanding preferred
shares, pursuant to Section 2007 of that Code, the notice shall be given at
least ten (10) days before the consummation of any action authorized by that
approval.
Section
11. Record Date for Shareholder Notice, Voting, and Giving
Consents. For purposes of determining the shareholders
entitled to notice of any meeting or to vote or entitled to give consent to
corporate action without a meeting, the board of directors may fix, in advance,
a record date, which shall not be more than sixty (60) days nor less than ten
(10) days before the date of any such meeting nor more than sixty (60) days
before any such action without a meeting,
and in
this event only shareholders of record on the date so fixed are entitled to
notice and to vote or give consents, as the case may be, notwithstanding any
transfer of any shares on the books of the corporation after the record date,
except as otherwise provided in the California General Corporation
Law.
If the board of directors does not
so fix a record date: (a) the record date for determining
shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of shareholders shall
be at the close of business on the business day next preceding the day on which
notice is given or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the
business day next preceding the day on which the meeting was held; (b) the
record date for determining shareholders entitled to give consent to corporate
action in writing without a meeting, (i) when no prior action by the board has
been taken, shall be the day on which the first written consent is given, or
(ii) when prior action of the board has been taken, shall be at the close of
business on the day on which the board adopts the resolution relating to that
action, or the sixtieth (60th) day before the date of such other action,
whichever is later.
Section
12. Proxies. Every person entitled to vote for
directors or any other matter shall have the right to do so either in person or
by one or more agents authorized by a written proxy signed by the person and
filed with the secretary of the corporation. A proxy shall be deemed
signed if the shareholder's name is placed on the proxy (whether by manual
signature, typewriting, telegraphic transmission, or otherwise) by the
shareholder or shareholder's attorney in fact. A validly executed
proxy which does not state that unless (i) revoked by the person executing it,
before the vote pursuant to that proxy, by a writing delivered to the
corporation stating that the proxy is revoked, or by a subsequent proxy executed
by, or attendance at the meeting and voting in person by, the person executing
the proxy; or (ii) written notice of the death or incapacity of the make of the
proxy is received by the corporation before the vote pursuant to that proxy is
counted; provided, however, that no proxy shall be valid after the expiration of
eleven (11) months from the date of the proxy, unless otherwise provided in the
proxy. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is
irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 705(e) and 705(f) of
the Corporations Code of California.
Section
13. Inspectors of Election. Before any meeting of
shareholders, the Board of Directors may appoint any persons other than nominees
for office to act as inspectors of election at the meeting or its
adjournment. If no inspectors of election are so appointed, the
chairman of the meeting may, and on the request of any shareholder or
shareholder's proxy shall, appoint inspectors of election at the
meeting. The number of inspectors shall be either one (1) or three
(3). If inspectors are appointed at a meeting on the request of one
or more shareholders or proxies, the holders of a majority of shares or their
proxies present at the meeting shall determine whether one (1) or three (3)
inspectors are to be appointed. If any person appointed as inspector
fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, the chairman of the meeting may, and
upon the request of any shareholder or a shareholder's proxy shall, appoint a
person to fill that vacancy.
These inspectors shall (a) determine
the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the shares
represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, and the authenticity,
validity, and effect of proxies; (b) receive votes, ballots, or consents; (c)
hear and determine all
challenges
and questions in any way arising in connection with the right to vote; (d) count
and tabulate all votes or consents; (e) determine when the polls shall close;
and (f) do any other acts that may be proper to conduct the election or vote
with fairness to all shareholders.
ARTICLE
III
DIRECTORS
Section
1. Powers. Subject to any provision of the
California General Corporation Law and any limitations in the articles of
incorporation and these bylaws relating to action required to be approved by the
shareholders or by the outstanding shares, the business and affairs of the
corporation shall be managed and all corporate powers shall be exercised by or
under the direction of the board of directors.
Section 2. Number
and Qualification of Directors. The authorized number of
directors of this corporation shall be not less than five nor more than
nine. The exact number of authorized Directors shall be six until
changed, within the limits specified above, by a bylaw amending this Section 2,
duly adopted by the Board of Directors or by the Shareholders.
Section
3. Election and Term of Office of
Directors. Directors shall be elected at each annual meeting
of the shareholders to hold office until the next annual
meeting. Each director, including a director elected to fill a
vacancy, shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which elected
and until a successor has been elected and qualified.
Section
4. Vacancies. Vacancies in the board of directors
may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors, though less than a
quorum, or by a sole remaining director, except that a vacancy created by the
removal of a director by the vote or written consent of the shareholders or by
court order may be filled only by the vote of a majority of the shares entitled
to vote represented at a duly held meeting at which a quorum is present, or by
the written consent of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled
to vote. Each director so elected shall hold office until the next
annual meeting of the shareholders and until a successor has been elected and
qualified.
A vacancy or vacancies in the board
of directors shall be deemed to exist in event of the death, resignation or
removal of any director, or if the board of directors by resolution declares
vacant the office of a director who has been declared of unsound mind by an
order of court or convicted of a felony, or if the authorized number of
directors is increased, or if any director or directors are elected, to elect
the number of directors to be voted for at that meeting.
The shareholders may elect a
director or directors at any time to fill any vacancy or vacancies not filled by
the directors, but any such election by written consent shall require the
consent of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote.
Any director may resign effective
upon giving written notice to the chairman of the board, the president, the
secretary or the board of directors of the corporation, unless the notice
specifies a later time for the effectiveness of such resignation. If
the resignation of a director is effective at
a future
time, the board of directors may elect a successor to take office when the
resignation becomes effective.
No reduction of the authorized
number of directors shall have the effect or removing any director prior to the
expiration of his term of office.
Section 5. Place
of Meetings and Meetings by Telephone. Regular meetings of the
board of directors may be held at any place within or outside the State of
California that has been designated from time to time by resolution of the
board. In the absence of such a designation, regular meetings shall
be held at the principal executive office of the corporation. Special
meetings of the board may be held at any place within or outside the State of
California that has been designated in the notice of meeting, or, if not stated
in the notice or there is no notice, at the principal executive office of the
corporation. Any meeting, regular or special, may be held by
conference telephone or similar communication equipment, so long as all
directors participating in the meeting can hear one another, and all such
directors shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting.
Section 6. Annual
Meeting. Immediately following each annual meeting of
shareholders, the board of directors shall hold a regular meeting for the
purpose of organization, any desired election of officers, and the transaction
of other business. Notice of this meeting shall not be
required.
Section 7. Other
Regular Meetings. Other regular meetings of the board of
directors shall be held without call at such time as shall from time to time be
fixed by the board of directors. Such regular meetings may be held
without notice.
Section
8. Special Meetings. Special Meetings of the board
of directors for any purpose of purposes shall be called at any time by the
chairman of the board or the president or any vice president or the secretary or
any two directors.
Notice of the time and place of
special meetings shall be delivered personally or by telephone to each director
or sent by first-class mail or telegram, charges prepaid, addressed to each
director at that director's address as it is shown on the records of the
corporation. In case the notice is mailed, it shall be deposited in
the United States mail at least four (4) days before the time of the holding of
the meeting. In case the notice is delivered personally, or be
telephone or telegram, it shall be personally or by telephone to the telegraph
company at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time of the holding of the
meeting. Any oral notice given personally or by telephone may be
communicated either to the director or to a person at the office of the director
who the person giving the notice has reason to believe will promptly communicate
it to the director. The notice need not specify the purpose of the
meeting nor the place if the meeting is to be held at the principal executive
office of the corporation.
Section
9. Quorum. A majority of the authorized number of
directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except to
adjourn as provided in Section 11 of this Article III. Every act or
decision done or made by a majority of the directors present at a meeting duly
held at
which a quorum is present shall be regarded as the act of the board of
directors, subject to the provisions of Section 310 of the Corporations Code of
California (as to approval of contracts or transactions in which a director has
a direct or indirect material financial interest), and Section 317(e) of that
Code (as to indemnification of directors). A meeting at which a
quorum is initially present may continue to transact business notwithstanding
the withdrawal of directors, if any action taken is approved by at least a
majority of the required quorum for that meeting.
Section
10. Waiver of Notice. The transactions of any
meeting of the board of directors, however called and noticed or wherever held,
shall be as valid as though had at a meeting duly held after regular call and
notice if a quorum is present and if, either before or after the meeting, each
of the directors not present signs a written waiver of notice, a consent to
holding the meeting or an approval of the minutes. The waiver of
notice or consent need not specify the purpose of the meeting. All
such waivers, consents, and approvals shall be filed with the corporate records
or made a part of the minutes of the meeting. Notice of a meeting
shall also be deemed given to any director who attends the meeting without
protesting before or at its commencement, the lack of notice to that
director.
Section
11. Adjournment. A majority of the directors
present, whether or not constituting a quorum, may adjourn any meeting to
another time and place.
Section
12. Notice of Adjournment. Notice of the time and
place of holding an adjourned meeting need not be given, unless the meeting is
adjourned for more than twenty-four hours, in which case notice of the time and
place meeting is adjourned for more than twenty-four house, in which case notice
of the time and place shall be given before the time of the adjourned meeting,
in the manner specified in Section 8 of this Article III, to the directors who
were not present at the time of the adjournment.
Section
13. Action Without Meeting. Any action required or
permitted to be taken by board of directors may be taken without a meeting, if
all members of the board shall individually or collectively consent in writing
to that action. Such action by written consent shall have the same
force and effect as a unanimous vote of the board of directors. Such
written consent or consents shall be filled with the minutes of the proceedings
of the board.
Section 14. Fees
and Compensation of Directors. Directors and members of
committees may receive such compensation, if any, for their services, and such
reimbursement of expenses, as may be fixed or determined by resolution of the
board. This Section 14 shall not be construed to preclude any
director from serving the corporation in any other capacity as an officer,
agent, employee, or otherwise, and receiving compensation for those
services.
ARTICLE
IV
COMMITTEES
Section
1. Committees of Directors. The board of directors
may, by resolution adopted by a majority of the authorized number of directors,
designate one or more committees, each consisting of two or more directors, to
serve at the pleasure of the board. The board may designate one or
more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any
absent
member at any meeting of the committee. Any committee, to the extent
provided in the resolution of the board, shall have all the authority of the
board, except with respect to:
(a) the approval of any
action which, under the General Corporation Law of California, also requires
shareholders' approval of the outstanding shares;
(b) the filling of vacancies
on the board of directors for serving on the board or on any
committee;
(c) the fixing of
compensation of the directors for serving on the board or on any
committee;
(d) the amendment or repeal
of bylaws or the adoption of new bylaws;
(e) the amendment or repeal
of any resolution of the board of directors which by its express terms is not so
amendable or repealable;
(f) a distribution to the
shareholders of the corporation, except at a rate or in a periodic amount or
within a price range determined by the board of directors; or
(g) the appointment of any
other committees of the board of directors or the members of these
committees.
Section
2. Meetings and Action of Committees. Meetings and
action of committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance
with, the provisions of Article III of these Bylaws, Section 5 (Place of
Meeting), 7 (Regular Meetings), 8 (Special Meetings and Notice), 9 (Quorum), 10
(Waiver of Notice), 11 (Adjournment), 12 (Notice of Adjournment), and 13 (Action
Without Meeting), with such changes in the context of those bylaws as are
necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the board of directors
and its members, except that the time of regular meetings of committees may be
determined either by resolution of the board of directors or by resolution of
the committee; special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution
of the board of directors; and notice of all special meetings of committees
shall also be given to all alternate members, who shall have the right to attend
all meetings of the committee. The board of directors may adopt rules
for the government of any committee not inconsistent with the provisions of
these bylaws.
ARTICLE
V
OFFICERS
Section
1. Officers. The officers of the corporation shall
be a president and secretary, and a treasurer and chief financial
officer. The corporation may also have, at the discretion of the
board of directors, a chairman of the board, one or more vice presidents, one or
more assistant secretaries, one or more assistant treasurers, and such other
officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of
this Article. Any number of offices may be held by the same
person.
Section
2. Election of Officers. The officers of the
corporation, except such officers as may be appointed in accordance with the
provisions of Section 3 or Section 5 of this Article V, shall be chosen by the
board of directors, and each shall serve at the pleasure of the
board.
Section
3. Subordinate Officers. The board of directors may
appoint, and may empower the president to appoint, such other officers as the
business of corporation may require, each of
whom
shall hold office, such period, have such authority and perform such duties as
provided in the bylaws or as the board of directors from time to time
determine.
Section
4. Removal and Resignation of Officers. Subject to
the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer
may be removed, either without cause, by the board of directors, at any or
special meeting of the board, or, except in case of an officer chosen by the
board of directors, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be
conferred by the board of directors.
Any officer may resign at any time
by giving written notice to the corporation. Any such resignation
shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time
specified in that notice; and, unless otherwise specified in that notice, the
acceptance of the resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the
corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.
Section
5. Vacancies in Offices. A vacancy in any office
because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or any other cause
shall be filled in the manner prescribed in these bylaws for regular
appointments to that office.
Section
6. Chairman of the Board. The chairman of the
board, if such an officer be elected, shall, if present, preside at meetings of
the board of directors and exercise and perform such other powers and duties as
may be from time to time assigned to him by the board of directors or prescribed
by the bylaws. If there is no president, the chairman of the board
shall in addition be the chief executive officer of the corporation and shall
have the powers and duties prescribed in Section 7 of this Article
V.
Section
7. President. Subject to such supervisory powers,
if any, as may be given by the board of directors to the chairman of the board,
if there be such an officer, and in the absence of any other specifically named
chief executive officer of the corporation, the president shall be the chief
executive officer of the corporation and shall, subject to the control of the
board of directors, have general supervision, direction and control of the
business and officers of the corporation. He shall preside at all
meetings of the shareholders and, in the absence of the chairman of the board,
or if there be none, at all meetings of the board of
directors. Subject to the authority granted to any specifically
designated chief executive officer, the president shall have the general powers
and duties of management usually vested in the office of president of a
corporation, and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by
the board of directors or the bylaws.
Section 8. Vice
President. In the absence or disability of the president, the
vice presidents, if any, in order of their rank as fixed by the board of
directors or, if not ranked, a vice president designated by the board of
directors shall perform all the duties of the president, and when so acting
shall have all the powers of, and be subject to all the restrictions upon, the
president. The vice presidents shall have such other powers and
perform such other duties as from time to time may be prescribed for them
respectively by the board of directors or the bylaws, and the president, or the
chairman of the board. A vice president may, if the board of
directors so elects, be designated as the chief executive officer of the
corporation.
Section
9. Secretary. The secretary shall keep or cause to
be kept, at the principal executive office or such other place as the board of
directors, committees or directors may elect,
a book of
minutes of all meetings and actions of directors, committees of directors, and
shareholders, with the time and place of holding, whether regular or special,
and, if special, how authorized, the notice given, the names of those present at
directors' meetings, the number of shares present or represented at
shareholders' meetings, and the proceedings.
The secretary shall keep, or cause
to be kept, at the principal executive office or at the office of the
corporation's transfer agent or registrar, a share register, or a duplicate
share register, showing the names of the shareholders and their addresses, the
number and classes of shares held by each, the number and date of certificates
issued for the same, and the number and date of cancellation of every
certificate surrendered for cancellation.
The secretary shall give, or cause
to be given, notice of all the meetings of the shareholders and of the board of
directors required by the bylaws or by law to be given, and he shall keep the
seal of the corporation if one be adopted, in safe custody, and shall have such
other and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the board of
directors or by the bylaws.
Section 10. Chief
Financial Officer. The chief financial officer shall keep and
maintain, or cause to be kept and maintained, adequate and correct books and
records of accounts of the properties and business transactions of the
corporation, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts,
disbursements, gains, losses, capital, retained earnings, and
shares. The books of account shall at all reasonable times be open to
inspection by any director.
The chief financial officer shall
deposit all monies and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the
corporation with such depositories as may be designated by the board of
directors. He shall disburse the funds of the corporation as may be
ordered by the board of directors, shall render to the president and directors,
whenever they request it, on account of all of his transactions as chief
financial officer and of the financial condition of the corporation, and shall
have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the
board of directors or the bylaws.
Section
11. Disallowance of Compensation and Expense
Deductions. Any payments made to an officer of the
corporation, such as salary, commission, bonus, interest, rent, travel or
entertainment expense incurred by such officer, which shall be disallowed in
whole or in part as a deductible expense by the Internal Revenue Service or the
California Franchise Tax Board, shall be reimbursed by such officer to the
corporation to the full extent of such disallowance. It shall be the
duty of the directors, as a board, to enforce payment of such amount
disallowed. In lieu of payment by the officer, subject to the
determination of the directors, proportionate amounts may be withheld from his
future compensation payments until the amount owed to the corporation has been
recovered.
ARTICLE
VI
INDEMNIFICATION
OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS,
EMPLOYEES,
AND OTHER AGENTS
Section
1. Agents, Proceedings, and Expenses. For the
purposes of this Article, "agent" means any person who is or was a director,
officer, employee, or other agent of this corporation, or is or was serving at
the request of this corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of
another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other enterprise, or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of a foreign or
domestic corporation which was a
predecessor
corporation of this corporation or of another enterprise at the request of such
predecessor corporation; "proceeding" means any threatened, pending or completed
action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative;
and "expenses" includes, without limitation, attorneys' fees and any expenses of
establishing a right to indemnification under Section 4 or Section 5(c) of this
Article.
Section
2. Actions Other than by the Corporation. This
corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened
to be made a party, to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right
of this corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent
of this corporation, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other
amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such proceeding if
that person acted in good faith and in a manner that person reasonably believed
to be in the best interests of this corporation and, in the case of a criminal
proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of that person was
unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order,
settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent
shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good
faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in the best
interests of this corporation or that the person had reasonable cause to believe
that the person's conduct was unlawful.
Section
3. Actions by the Corporation. This corporation
shall indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a
party, to any threatened, pending or completed action by or in the right of this
corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that person
is or was an agent of this corporation, against expenses actually and reasonably
incurred by that person in connection with the defense or settlement of that
action if that person acted in good faith, in a manner that person believed to
be in the best interests of this corporation and with such case, including
reasonable inquiry, as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use
under similar circumstances. No indemnification shall be made under
this Section 3:
(a) In respect of any claim,
issue or matter as to which that person shall have been adjudged to be liable to
this corporation in the performance of that person's duty to this corporation,
unless and only to the extent that the court in which that action was brought
shall determine upon application that, in view of all the circumstances of the
case, that person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the
expenses which the court shall determine;
(b) Of amounts paid in
settling or otherwise disposing of a threatened or action, with or without court
or pending approval;
(c) Of expenses incurred in
defending a threatened or pending action which is settled or otherwise disposed
of without court approval.
Section
4. Successful Defense by Agent. To the extent that
an agent of this corporation has been successful on the merits in defense of any
proceeding referred to in Sections 2 or 3 of this Article, or in defense of any
claim, issue, or matter therein, the agent shall be indemnified against expenses
actually and reasonable incurred by the agent in connection
therewith.
Section
5. Required Approval. Except as provided in Section
4 of this Article, any indemnification under this Article shall be made by this
corporation only if authorized in the specific case on a determination the
indemnification of the agent is proper in the circumstances
because
the agent has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 2 or 3
of this Article, by:
(a) A majority vote of a
quorum consisting of directors who are not parties to the
proceeding;
(b) Approval by the
affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of this corporation entitled to
vote represented at a duly held meeting at which a quorum is present or by the
written consent of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to
vote. For this purpose, the shares owned by the person to be
indemnified shall not be considered outstanding or entitled to vote thereon;
or
(c) The court in which the
proceeding is or was pending, on application made by this corporation or the
agent of the attorney or other person rendering services in connection with the
defense, whether or not such application by the agent, attorney, or other person
is opposed by this corporation.
Section
6. Advance of Expenses. Expenses incurred in
defending any proceeding may be advanced by this corporation before the final
disposition of the proceeding on receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of
the agent to repay the amount of the advance unless it shall be determined
ultimately that the agent is entitled to be indemnified as authorized in this
Article.
Section 7. Other
Contractual Rights. Nothing contained in this Article shall
affect any right to indemnification to which persons other than directors and
officers of this corporation or any subsidiary hereof may be entitled by
contract or otherwise.
Section
8. Limitations. No indemnification or advance shall
be made under this Article, except as provided in Section 4 or Section 5(c), in
any circumstance where it appears:
(a) That it would be
inconsistent with a provision of the articles, a resolution of the shareholders,
or an agreement in effect at the time of the accrual of the alleged cause of
action asserted in the proceeding in which the expenses were incurred or other
amounts were paid, which prohibits or otherwise limits indemnification;
or
(b) That it would be
inconsistent with any condition expressly imposed by a court in approving a
settlement.
Section
9. Insurance. Upon and in the event of a
determination by the board of directors of this corporation to purchase such
insurance, this corporation shall purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of
any agent of the corporation against any liability asserted against or incurred
by the agent in such capacity or arising out of the agent's status as such
whether or not this corporation would have the power to indemnify the agent
against that liability under the provisions of this Section.
Section
10. Fiduciaries of Corporate Employee Benefit
Plan. This Article does not apply to any proceeding against
any trustee, investment manager, or other fiduciary of any employee benefit plan
in that person's capacity as such, even though that person may also be an agent
of the corporation as defined in Section 1 of this Article. Nothing
contained in this Article shall limit any right to indemnification to which such
a trustee, investment manager, or other fiduciary may be entitled by contract or
otherwise, which shall be enforceable to the extent permitted by applicable law
other than this Article.
ARTICLE
VII
RECORDS
AND REPORTS
Section
1. Maintenance and Inspection of Share
Register. The corporation shall keep at its principal
executive office, or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar, if either
be appointed and as determined by resolution of the board of directors, a record
of its shareholders, giving the names and addresses of all shareholders and the
number and class of shares held by each shareholder.
Shareholder or shareholders of the
corporation holding at least five percent (5%) in the aggregate of the
outstanding voting shares of the corporation may (i) inspect and copy the
records of shareholders' names and addresses and shareholdings during usual
business hours on five (5) days' prior written demand on the corporation, and
(ii) obtain from the transfer agent of the corporation, on written demand and on
the tender of such transfer agent's usual charges for such list, a list of the
shareholders' names and addresses who are entitled to vote for the election of
directors, and their shareholdings, as of the most recent record date for which
that list has been compiled or as of a date specified by the shareholder after
the date of demand. This list shall be made available to any such
shareholder by the transfer agent on or before the later of five (5) days after
the demand is received or the date specified in the demand as the date as of
which the list is to be compiled. The record of shareholders shall
also be open to inspection on the written demand of any shareholder or holder of
a voting trust certificate, at any time during usual business hours, for a
purpose reasonably related to the holder's interests as a shareholder of a
voting trust certificate. Any inspection and copying under this
Section 1 may be made in person or by an agent or attorney of the shareholder or
holder of a voting trust certificate making the demand.
Section
2. Maintenance and Inspection of Bylaws. The
corporation shall keep at its principal executive office, or if its principal
executive office is not in the State of California, at its principal business
office in this state, the original or a copy of the bylaws as amended to date,
which shall be open to inspection by the shareholders at all reasonable times
during office hours. If the principal executive office of the
corporation is outside the State of California and the corporation has no
principal business office in this state, the secretary shall, upon the written
request of any shareholder, furnish to that shareholder a copy of the bylaws as
amended to date.
Section
3. Maintenance and Inspection of Other Corporate
Records. The accounting books and records and minutes of
proceedings of the shareholders and the board of directors and any committee or
committees of the board of directors shall be kept at such place or places
designated by the board of directors, or, in the absence of such designation, at
the principal executive office of the corporation. The minutes shall
be kept in written form and the accounting books and records shall be kept
either in written form or in any other form capable of being converted into
written form. The minutes and accounting books and records shall be
open to inspection upon the written demand of any shareholder or holder of a
voting trust certificate, at any reasonable time during usual business hours,
for a purpose reasonably related to the holder's interests as a shareholder or
as the holder of a voting trust certificate. The inspection may be
made in person or by an agent or attorney, and shall include the right to copy
and make extracts. These rights of inspection shall extend to the
records of each subsidiary corporation of the corporation.
Section
4. Inspection by Directors. Every director shall
have the absolute right at any reasonable time to inspect and copy all books,
records and documents of every kind and the physical properties of the
corporation and each of its subsidiary corporations. This inspection
by a director may be made in person or by agent or attorney and the right of
inspection includes the right to copy and make extracts of
documents.
Section 5. Annual
Report to Shareholders. The board of directors shall cause an
annual report to be sent to the shareholders not later than one hundred twenty
(120) days after the close of the fiscal year adopted by the
corporation. This report shall be sent at least fifteen (15) days
before the annual meeting of shareholders to be held during the next fiscal year
and in the manner specified in this Section 5 of Article II of the bylaws for
giving notice to shareholders of the corporation. The annual report
shall contain a balance sheet as of the end of the fiscal year and an income
statement and statement of changes in financial position for the fiscal year,
accompanied by any report of independent accounts or, if there is no such
report, the certificate of an authorized officer of the corporation that the
statements were prepared without audit from the books and records of the
corporation.
Section
6. Financial Statements. A copy of any annual
financial statement and any income statement of the corporation for each
quarterly period of each fiscal year, and any accompanying balance sheet of the
corporation as of the end of each such period, that has been prepared by the
corporation shall be kept on file in the principal executive office of the
corporation for twelve (12) months and each such statement shall be exhibited at
all reasonable times to any shareholder demanding an examination of any such
statement or a copy shall be mailed to any such shareholder.
If a shareholder or shareholders
holding at least five percent (5%) of the outstanding shares of any class of
stock of the corporation makes a written request to the corporation for an
income statement of the corporation for the three-month, six-month or nine-month
period of the then current fiscal year ended more than thirty (30) days before
the date of the request, and a balance sheet of the corporation as of the end of
that period, the chief financial officer shall cause that statement to be
prepared, if not already prepared, and shall deliver personally or mail that
statement or statements to the person making the request within thirty (30) days
after the receipt of the old request. If the corporation has not sent
to the shareholders its annual report for the last fiscal year, this report
shall likewise be delivered or mailed to the shareholder or shareholders within
thirty (30) days after the request.
The corporation shall also, on the
written request of any shareholder, mail to the shareholder a copy of the last
annual, semi-annual, or quarterly income statement which it has prepared, and a
balance sheet as of the end of that period.
The quarterly income statements and
balance sheets referred to in this section shall be accompanied by the report,
if any, of any independent accountants engaged by the corporation or the
certificate of an authorized officer of the corporation that the financial
statements were prepared without audit from the books and records of the
corporation.
Section 7. Annual
Statement of General Information. The corporation shall,
during the period commencing on March 1 ending on August 31 of each year, file
with the Secretary of State of the State of California, on the prescribed form,
a statement setting forth the authorized number of directors, the names and
complete business address or residence address of all
incumbent
directors, the names and complete business or residence addresses of the chief
executive officer, secretary, and chief financial officer, the street address of
its principal executive office and principal business office in the state, and
the general type of business constituting the principal business activity of the
corporation, together with a designation of the agent of the corporation for the
purpose of service of process, all in compliance with Section 1502 of the
Corporations Code of California.
ARTICLE
VIII
GENERAL
CORPORATE MATTERS
Section 1. Record
Date for Purposes Other Than Notice and Voting. For purposes
of determining the shareholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or
other dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or entitled to
exercise any rights in respect of any other lawful action (other than action by
shareholders by written consent without a meeting), which shall not be more than
sixty (60) days before any such action, and in that case only shareholders of
record on the date so fixed are entitled to receive the dividend, distribution,
or allotment of rights or to exercise the rights, as the case may be,
notwithstanding any transfer of any shares on the books of the corporation after
the record date so fixed, except as otherwise provided in the California General
Corporation Law.
If the board of directors does not so
fix a record date, the record date for determining shareholders for any such
purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the board adopts
the applicable resolution or the sixtieth (60th) day before the date of that
action, whichever is later.
Section
2. Checks, Drafts, Evidences of Indebtedness. All
checks, drafts or other orders for payment of money, notes or other evidences of
indebtedness, issued in the name of or payable to the corporation, shall be
signed or endorsed by such person or persons and in such manner as, from time to
time, shall be determined by resolution of the board of directors.
Section
3. Corporate Contracts and Instruments; How
Executed. The board of directors, except as otherwise provided
in these bylaws, may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to
enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf
of the corporation, and this authority may be general or confined to specific
instances; and, unless so authorized or ratified by the board of directors or
within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have
any power or authority to bind the corporation by any contract or engagement or
to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any
amount.
Section
4. Certificate for Shares. A certificate or
certificates for shares of the capital stock of the corporation shall be issued
to each shareholder when any of these shares are fully paid, and the board of
directors may authorize the issuance of certificates of shares as party paid
provided that these certificates shall state the amount of the consideration to
be paid for them and the amount paid. All certificates shall be
signed in the name of the corporation by the chairman of the board or vice
chairman of the board or the president or vice president and by the chief
financial officer or an assistant treasurer or the secretary or any assistant
secretary, certifying the number of shares and the class or series owned by the
shareholder. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be
facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent, or registrar who has
signed or
whose facsimile signature has been placed on a certificate shall have ceased to
be that officer, transfer agent, or registrar before that certificate is issued,
it may be issued by the corporation with the same effect as if that person were
an officer, transfer agent, or registrar at the date of issue.
Section 5. Lost
Certificates. Except as provided in this Section 5, no new
certificates for shares shall be issued to replace an old certificate unless the
latter is surrendered to the corporation and canceled at the same
time. The board of directors may, in case any share certificate or
certificate for any other security is lost, stolen, or destroyed, authorize the
issuance of a replacement certificate on such terms and conditions as the board
may require, including provision for indemnification of the corporation secured
by a bond or other adequate security sufficient to protect the corporation
against any claim that may be made against it, including any expense or
liability, on account of the alleged loss, theft, or destruction of the
certificate or the issuance of the replacement certificate.
Section
6. Representation of Shares of Other
Corporation. The chairman of the board, the president, or any
vice president, or any other person authorized by resolution of the board of
directors or by any of the foregoing designated officers, is authorized to vote
on behalf of the corporation any and all shares of any other corporation or
corporations, foreign or domestic, standing in the name of the
corporation. The authority granted to these officers to vote or
represent on behalf of the corporation any and all shares held by the
corporation in any other corporation or corporations may be exercised either by
such officers in person or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy duly
executed by these officers.
Section
7. Construction and Definitions. Unless the context
requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction, and
definitions in the California General Corporation Law shall govern the
construction of these bylaws. Without limiting the generality of this
provision, the singular, and the term "person" includes both a corporation and a
natural person.
ARTICLE
IX
AMENDMENTS
Section
1. Amendment by Shareholders. New bylaws may be
adopted or these bylaws may be amended or repealed by the vote or written
consent of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote;
provided, however, that if the articles of incorporation of the corporation set
forth the number of authorized directors of the corporation, the authorized
number of directors may be changed only by an amendment of the articles of
incorporation.
Section
2. Amendment by Directors. Subject to the right of
shareholders as provided in Section 1 of this Article IX, to adopt, amend, or
repeal by laws, bylaws may be adopted, amended, or repealed by the board of
directors, provided, however, that the board of directors may adopt a bylaw or
amendment of a bylaw changing the authorized number of directors only for the
purpose of fixing the exact number of directors within the limits specified in
the articles of incorporation or in Section 2 of Article III of these
bylaws.