Form 8-K - Current report

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 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): September 27, 2024

 

AEROVIRONMENT, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware		001-33261		95-2705790
(State or other jurisdiction of		(Commission File Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)

 

241 18th Street South, Suite 650
Arlington, Virginia		22202
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: [phone]

 

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):

 

¨    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.0001 par value	AVAV	The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

 

At the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on September 27, 2024 (the “Annual Meeting”) of AeroVironment, Inc. (the “Company”), the stockholders of the Company approved amendments to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Restated Certificate”) to (1) provide for the phased-in declassification of the Board of Directors and the annual election of directors and (2) eliminate the personal liability of officers for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as an officer. (collectively, the “Amendments”).

 

The Amendments to the Restated Certificate took effect on October 1, 2024 upon the Company’s filing of an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation incorporating the Amendments with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation dated October 1, 2024”). The foregoing descriptions of the Amendments to the Restated Certificate are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation dated October 1, 2024, which is attached as Exhibit 3.1 to this Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

As a result of the approval of the Amendments by the Company’s stockholders, actions by the Board of Directors to amend and restate the Company’s bylaws also became effective on October 1, 2024 upon the Company’s filing of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation dated October 1, 2024 with the State of Delaware (such amended and restated bylaws, the “Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws”). The substantive amendments to the bylaws provide that, following declassification of the Board of Directors, stockholders may remove a director with or without cause upon the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the total voting power of all outstanding securities of the Company then entitled to vote, in addition to any other vote required by law. The foregoing description of the amendments to the bylaws is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the “Restated Bylaws”), a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 3.2 to this Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

 

A brief description of matters voted upon at the Annual Meeting and the final voting results are set forth below:

 

Proposal 1 — Election of Directors

 

The Company’s stockholders elected the three persons nominated by the Board of Directors as Class III directors for a three-year term as follows:

 

		Number of Shares
Name of Director		For		Against		Abstain		Broker Non-Votes
Wahid Nawabi		21,150,784		627,798		23,562		2,402,301
Cindy Lewis		17,342,833		3,103,702		1,355,609		2,402,301
Joseph Votel		21,407,107		369,020		26,017		2,402,301

 

Each of the above directors shall serve for a term of three years, ending at the Company 2027 annual meeting of stockholders, and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified.

 

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Proposal 2 — Ratification of Company’s Independent Auditors

 

The Audit Committee selected Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2025. The Company’s stockholders ratified the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as follows:

 

Number of Shares
For		Against		Abstain
24,140,987		24,063		39,395

 

Proposal 3 — Advisory Vote on the Compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers

 

The Company’s stockholders approved, by an advisory vote, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in the proxy statement, by the following vote:

 

Number of Shares
For		Against		Abstain		Broker Non-Votes
21,504,056		248,938		49,150		2,402,301

 

Proposal 4 — Management Proposal to Amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to Provide for Annual Election of All Directors

 

The stockholders approved the proposal to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to provide for annual election of all directors by the following vote:

 

Number of Shares
For		Against		Abstain		Broker Non-Votes
21,396,398		338,058		67,688		2,402,301

 

Proposal 5 — Management Proposal to Amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to Provide for Officer Exculpation

 

The stockholders approved the proposal to amend the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to provide for officer exculpation, eliminating the personal liability of officers for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as an officer, by the following vote:

 

Number of Shares
For		Against		Abstain		Broker Non-Votes
20,429,993		1,331,675		40,476		2,402,301

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

(d)  Exhibits.

 

Exhibit Number		Description
3.1		Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation dated October 1, 2024
3.2		Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws of AeroVironment, Inc.
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

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SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

	AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
Date: October 3, 2024	By:	/s/ Melissa Brown
		Melissa Brown
		Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer & Corporate Secretary

 

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Exhibit 3.1

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF

AEROVIRONMENT, INC.

 

AeroVironment, Inc., a corporation incorporated on June 27, 2006 under the name AeroVironment, Inc., (the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

 

1.            The name of the Corporation is AeroVironment, Inc. A Certificate of Merger whereby AeroVironment, Inc., a California corporation, was merged with and into the corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 6, 2006.

 

2.            That by action taken by the Board of Directors at a meeting held on December 15, 2006 resolutions were duly adopted setting forth a proposed amendment and restatement of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, declaring said amendment and restatement to be advisable and directing its officers to submit said amendment and restatement to the stockholders of the Corporation for consideration thereof. The resolution setting forth the proposed amendment and restatement is as follows:

 

“THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows, subject to the required consent of the stockholders of the Corporation:

 

FIRST:                The name of the Corporation (hereinafter the “Corporation”) is AeroVironment, Inc.

 

SECOND:          The address, including street, number, city and county, of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE, County of New Castle, 19808; and the name of the Registered Agent of the Corporation at such address is Corporation Service Company.

 

THIRD:              The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).

 

FOURTH:          The Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”) and Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Preferred Stock”). The total number of shares the Corporation shall have the authority to issue is one hundred ten million (110,000,000) shares, one hundred million (100,000,000) shares of which shall be Common Stock and ten million (10,000,000) shares of which shall be Preferred Stock.

 

(1)        Common Stock. The voting, dividend and liquidation rights of the holders of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock of any series as may be designated by the Board of Directors upon any issuance of the Preferred Stock or any series. The holders of the Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held at all meetings of stockholders. There shall be no cumulative voting. Dividends may be declared and paid on the Common Stock from funds lawfully available therefor as and when determined by the Board of Directors and subject to any preferential dividend rights of any then outstanding Preferred Stock. Upon the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of the Corporation will be entitled to receive ratably all assets of the Corporation available for distribution to stockholders, subject to any preferential rights of any then outstanding Preferred Stock.

 

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(2)       Preferred Stock. Shares of Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such terms as stated in the resolution or resolutions providing for the establishment of such series adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation as hereinafter provided. Authority is hereby expressly granted to the Board of Directors of the Corporation to issue, from time to time, shares of Preferred Stock in one or more series, and, in connection with the establishment of any such series by resolution or resolutions, to determine and fix such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such other powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, if any, including, without limitation, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, as shall be stated in such resolution or resolutions, all to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolution or resolutions providing for the establishment of any series of Preferred Stock may, to the extent permitted by law, provide that such series shall be superior to, rank equally with or be junior to the Preferred Stock of any other series. The powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights of each series of Preferred Stock, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, may be different from those of any and all other series at any time outstanding. Except as otherwise expressly provided in the resolution or resolutions providing for the establishment of any series of Preferred Stock, no vote of the holders of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock shall be a prerequisite to the issuance of any shares of any series of the Preferred Stock authorized by and complying with the conditions of this Certificate of Incorporation.

 

FIFTH:               (1)         The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of a Board of Directors having that number of directors set out in the Bylaws of the Corporation as adopted or as set forth from time to time by a duly adopted amendment thereto by the Board of Directors or stockholders of the Corporation.

 

(2)       For so long as the Board of Directors is classified, no director (other than directors elected by one or more series of Preferred Stock) may be removed from office by the stockholders except for cause and, in addition to any other vote required by law, upon the affirmative vote of not less than 66⅔% of the total voting power of all outstanding securities of the Corporation then entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. After the Board of Directors is declassified, directors may be removed from office with or without cause by the stockholders and, in addition to any other vote required by law, upon the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the total voting power of all outstanding securities of the Corporation then entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

(3)       Until the election of directors at the 2027 annual meeting of stockholders, the directors of the Corporation, other than directors elected by one or more series of Preferred Stock, shall be divided into three classes, designated Class I, Class II and Class III, and each class shall consist, as nearly as may be possible, of one-third of the total number of directors (other than directors elected by one or more series of Preferred Stock) constituting the entire Board of Directors. Each director at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders shall serve for a term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders. Each director elected at the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders shall serve for a term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting of stockholders. At the 2027 annual meeting of stockholders and at each annual meeting of stockholders thereafter, all directors shall serve for a term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders. Each director shall hold office until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal. Prior to the 2027 annual meeting of stockholders, if the number of directors (other than directors elected by one or more series of Preferred Stock) is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned among the classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, but in no event will a decrease in the number of directors shorten the term of any incumbent director. Vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from the death, resignation, removal of a director and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors (other than directors elected by one or more series of Preferred Stock) may be filled solely by a vote of a majority of the directors then in office (although less than a quorum) or by a sole remaining director, and each director so elected shall hold office for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor in office, or in the case of a director filling a vacancy resulting from a newly created directorship, a term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders. Whenever the holders of one or more classes or series of Preferred Stock shall have the right, voting separately as a class or series, to elect directors, the nomination, election, term of office, filling of vacancies, removal and other features of such directorships shall not be governed by this Article FIFTH unless otherwise provided for in the certificate of designation for such classes or series.

 

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SIXTH:               The Corporation is to have perpetual existence.

 

SEVENTH:       The following provisions are inserted for the management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation and for the further definition of the powers of the Corporation and its directors and stockholders:

 

(1)       The Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, adopt, amend, alter, rescind or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the stockholders may adopt, amend, alter, rescind or repeal the Bylaws with, in addition to any other vote required by law, the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than 66⅔% of the total voting power of all outstanding securities of the Corporation then entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

(2)       Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation so provide.

 

(3)       Any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders may be taken only upon the vote of stockholders at an annual or special meeting duly noticed and called in accordance with the DGCL and may not be taken by written consent of stockholders without a meeting.

 

(4)       Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer or at the written request of a majority of the members of the Board of Directors and may not be called by any other person; provided, however, that if and to the extent that any special meeting of stockholders may be called by any other person or persons specified in any provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or any amendment thereto or any certificate filed under Section 151(g) of the DGCL, then such special meeting may also be called by the person or persons, in the manner, at the times and for the purposes so specified.

 

EIGHTH:           (1)       Subject to Article EIGHTH (3), the Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless any person who is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or 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 he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

 

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(2)       Subject to Article EIGHTH (3), the Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless any person who is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation; except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or such other court shall deem proper.

 

(3)       Any indemnification under this Article EIGHTH (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director or officer or other person entitled to indemnification under this Article EIGHTH is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Article EIGHTH (1) or Article EIGHTH (2), as the case may be. Such determination shall be made, with respect to an officer or director, (i) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even if constituting less than a quorum, (ii) by a committee of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding even if constituting less than a quorum, (iii) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion or (iv) by the stockholders. To the extent, however, that a present or former director or officer of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Article EIGHTH (1) or Article EIGHTH (2), or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith, without the necessity of authorization in the specific case.

 

(4)       Notwithstanding any contrary determination in the specific case under Article EIGHTH (3), and notwithstanding the absence of any determination thereunder, any present or former director or officer of the Corporation may apply to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware for indemnification to the extent otherwise permissible under Article EIGHTH (1) and Article EIGHTH (2). The basis of such indemnification by a court shall be a determination by such court that indemnification of such person is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standards of conduct set forth in Article EIGHTH (1) or Article EIGHTH (2), as the case may be. Neither a contrary determination in the specific case under Article EIGHTH (3) nor the absence of any determination thereunder shall be a defense to such application or create a presumption that such person seeking indemnification has not met any applicable standard of conduct. Notice of any application for indemnification pursuant to this Article EIGHTH (4) shall be given to the Corporation promptly upon the filing of such application. If successful, in whole or in part, such person seeking indemnification in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall also be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such application.

 

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(5)       Expenses incurred by a person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation in defending or investigating a threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Article EIGHTH.

 

(6)        The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by or granted pursuant to this Article EIGHTH shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, contract, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or pursuant to the direction (howsoever embodied) of any court of competent jurisdiction or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, it being the policy of the Corporation that indemnification of the persons specified in Article EIGHTH (1) and Article EIGHTH (2) shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law. The provisions of this Article EIGHTH shall not be deemed to preclude the indemnification of any person who is not specified in Article EIGHTH (1) or Article EIGHTH (2) but whom the Corporation has the power or obligation to indemnify under the provisions of the DGCL or otherwise.

 

(7)       The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power or the obligation to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of this Article EIGHTH or Section 145 of the DGCL.

 

(8)        For purposes of this Article EIGHTH, references to “the Corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had the power and authority to indemnify its directors or officers, so that any person who is or was a director or officer of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article EIGHTH with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as he or she would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued. For purposes of this Article EIGHTH, references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such person with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation” as referred to in this Article EIGHTH. For purposes of any determination under Article EIGHTH (3), a person shall be deemed to have acted in good faith in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, to have had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful, if his or her action is based on the records or books of account of the Corporation or another enterprise, or on information supplied to him or her by the officers of the Corporation or another enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Corporation or another enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Corporation or another enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Corporation or another enterprise. The term “another enterprise” as used in this Article EIGHTH (8) shall mean any other corporation or any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which such person is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent. The provisions of this Article EIGHTH (8) shall not be deemed to be exclusive, or to limit in any way, the circumstances in which a person may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Article EIGHTH (1) or (2), as the case may be.

 

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(9)       The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article EIGHTH shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

 

(10)     Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article EIGHTH to the contrary, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification (which shall be governed by Article EIGHTH (4)), the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any person in connection with a proceeding (or part, thereof) initiated by such person unless such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized or consented to by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

 

(11)     The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, provide rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to employees and agents of the Corporation similar to those conferred in this Article EIGHTH to directors and officers of the Corporation.

 

NINTH:              A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that this Article shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of his or her duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.

 

If the DGCL is hereafter amended to authorize corporate action further limiting or eliminating the personal liability of directors, then the liability of the director to the Corporation shall be limited or eliminated to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended from time to time. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article shall be prospective only, and shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation under this Article NINTH in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment, repeal or modification.

 

TENTH:             Each reference in this Certificate of Incorporation to any provision of the DGCL refers to the specified provision of the DGCL, as the same now exists or as it may hereafter be amended or superseded.

 

ELEVENTH:      The Corporation reserves the right at any time and from time to time to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by the laws of the State of Delaware; and all rights conferred on stockholders, directors or any other persons herein are granted subject to this reservation; provided, however, that no amendment, alteration, change or repeal may be made to Article FIFTH, SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH or ELEVENTH without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66⅔% of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation, voting together as a single class.”

 

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TWELFTH.       An officer of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as an officer, except to the extent such exemption from liability, or limitation thereof, is not permitted under the DGCL.

 

If the DGCL is hereafter amended to authorize corporate action further limiting or eliminating the personal liability of officers, then the liability of the officer to the Corporation shall be limited or eliminated to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended from time to time. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article shall be prospective only, and shall not adversely affect any right or protection of an officer of the Corporation under this Article TWELFTH in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment, repeal or modification.

 

3.            That said Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been consented to and authorized by the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote in accordance with the provisions of Section 228 of the DGCL.

 

4.            That said Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the DGCL.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, AeroVironment, Inc. has caused this Certificate to be signed by Wahid Nawabi, its Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer and Kevin McDonnell, its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, this 1^st day of October 2024.

 

	AeroVironment, Inc., a Delaware corporation
	By:	/s/ Wahid Nawabi
		Name:	Wahid Nawabi

 

ATTEST
By:	/s/ Kevin McDonnell
Name:	Kevin McDonnell
Title:	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

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Exhibit 3.2

 

FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

BYLAWS

 

OF

 

AEROVIRONMENT, INC.

 

Amended as of October 1, 2024

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PAGE

 

ARTICLE I. OFFICES		3
Section 1.	REGISTERED OFFICES	3
Section 2.	OTHER OFFICES	3
ARTICLE II. MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS		3
Section 1.	PLACE OF MEETINGS	3
Section 2.	ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS	3
Section 3.	QUORUM; ADJOURNED MEETINGS AND NOTICE THEREOF	3
Section 4.	VOTING	4
Section 5.	PROXIES	4
Section 6.	SPECIAL MEETINGS	4
Section 7.	NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS	4
Section 8.	FIXING DATE FOR DETERMINATION OF STOCKHOLDERS  OF RECORD	5
Section 9.	NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDER BUSINESS AND NOMINATIONS	5
Section 10.	INCLUSION OF STOCKHOLDER DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS IN THE CORPORATION’S PROXY MATERIALS	12
Section 11.	MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF STOCKHOLDER LIST	19
Section 12.	STOCKHOLDER ACTION BY CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING	20
ARTICLE III. DIRECTORS		20
Section 1.	THE NUMBER OF DIRECTORS	20
Section 2.	ELECTION OF DIRECTORS	20
Section 3.	VACANCIES	20
Section 4.	POWERS	21
Section 5.	PLACE OF DIRECTORS’ MEETINGS	21
Section 6.	REGULAR MEETINGS	21
Section 7.	SPECIAL MEETINGS	21
Section 8.	QUORUM	21
Section 9.	ACTION WITHOUT MEETING	21
Section 10.	TELEPHONIC MEETINGS	21
Section 11.	BOARD LEADERSHIP	22
Section 12.	COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS	22
Section 13.	MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS	22

 

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Section 14.	COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS	22
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS		23
Section 1.	OFFICERS	23
Section 2.	ELECTION OF OFFICERS	23
Section 3.	SUBORDINATE OFFICERS	23
Section 4.	COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS	23
Section 5.	TERM OF OFFICE; REMOVAL AND VACANCIES	23
Section 6.	POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS	23
ARTICLE V. INDEMNIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS		24
ARTICLE VI. CERTIFICATES OF STOCK		24
Section 1.	FORM AND EXECUTION OF CERTIFICATES	24
Section 2.	SIGNATURES ON CERTIFICATES	24
Section 3.	STATEMENT OF STOCK RIGHTS, PREFERENCES,  PRIVILEGES	24
Section 4.	LOST CERTIFICATES	25
Section 5.	TRANSFERS OF STOCK	25
Section 6.	REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS	25
ARTICLE VII. GENERAL PROVISIONS		25
Section 1.	CHECKS	25
Section 2.	FISCAL YEAR	25
Section 3.	CORPORATE SEAL	25
Section 4.	MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE	25
Section 5.	WAIVER OF NOTICE	25
Section 6.	EXCLUSIVE FORUM	26
ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS		26

 

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FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

BYLAWS

OF

AEROVIRONMENT, INC.

 

ARTICLE I.

OFFICES

 

Section 1.              REGISTERED OFFICES. The registered office shall be in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, State of Delaware.

 

Section 2.              OTHER OFFICES. The corporation may also have offices at such other places both within and without the State of Delaware as the Board of Directors (the “Board”) may from time to time determine or the business of the corporation may require.

 

ARTICLE II.

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section 1.              PLACE OF MEETINGS. Meetings of stockholders shall be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware designated by the Board (and may also be held solely by means of remote communication as designated by the Board). In the absence of any such designation, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the corporation.

 

Section 2.              ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS. The annual meeting of stockholders shall be held each year on a date and time designated by the Board. At each annual meeting directors shall be elected, and any other proper business may be transacted.

 

Section 3.              QUORUM; ADJOURNED MEETINGS AND NOTICE THEREOF. A majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders, the holders of which are present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business except as otherwise provided by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws. A quorum, once established, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum, and the votes present may continue to transact business until adjournment. If, however, such quorum shall not be present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, a majority of the voting stock represented in person or by proxy may adjourn the meeting from time to time, as may the Chairman of the Board or the chairman of the meeting, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present or represented. 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 stockholders may be adjourned from time to time to another date, time and place by the (a) Chairman of the Board or (b) the chairman of such meeting, whether or not there is a quorum and for any reason. No notice of time and place, if any, of adjourned meetings need be given except as required by applicable law.

 

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Section 4.              VOTING. When a quorum is present at any meeting, in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding stock having voting power present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on a particular question shall decide such question brought before such meeting, unless the question is one upon which by express provision of the statutes, the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or the rules and regulations of any stock exchange or other regulatory body applicable to the corporation or any of its securities, a different vote is required in which case such express voting threshold shall govern and control the decision of such question. Directors shall be elected in accordance with Article III, Section 2 hereof.

 

Section 5.              PROXIES. At each meeting of the stockholders, each stockholder having the right to vote may vote in person or may authorize another person or persons to act for him or her by proxy appointed by an instrument in writing subscribed by such stockholder and bearing a date not more than three years prior to said meeting, unless said instrument provides for a longer period. All proxies must be filed with the Secretary of the corporation at the beginning of each meeting in order to be counted in any vote at the meeting. Each stockholder shall have one vote for each share of stock having voting power, registered in his name on the books of the corporation on the record date set by the Board as provided in Article II, Section 8 hereof. Any stockholder directly or indirectly soliciting proxies from other stockholders must use a proxy card color other than white, which shall be reserved for exclusive use by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 6.              SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation, may be called by the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer and shall be called by the Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary at the request in writing of a majority of the members of the Board. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the purposes stated in the notice.

 

Section 7.              NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS. Whenever stockholders are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a notice of the meeting shall be given, which notice shall state the place, if any, date and hour of the meeting, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. If mailed, notice is deemed given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at his address as it appears on the records of the corporation. If notice is given by electronic transmission, such notice shall be deemed to be given at the times provided in the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Meetings may be held without notice if all stockholders entitled to vote are present, or if notice is waived by those not present in accordance with Article VII, Section 5 hereof. Any previously scheduled meeting of the stockholders may be postponed, and (unless the Certificate of Incorporation otherwise provides) any special meeting of the stockholders may be cancelled, by resolution of the Board upon public notice given prior to the date previously scheduled for such meeting of stockholders.

 

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Section 8.              FIXING DATE FOR DETERMINATION OF STOCKHOLDERS OF RECORD. In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which record date shall not be more than 60 nor less than 10 days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of, or to vote at, a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

 

In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

Section 9.              NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDER BUSINESS AND NOMINATIONS.

 

(a)           Annual Meetings.

 

(i)             Nominations of persons for election to the Board of the corporation and the proposal of business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (A) pursuant to the corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto), (B) by or at the direction of the Board or (C) by any stockholder of the corporation who (I) was a stockholder of record (and, with respect to any beneficial owner, if different, on whose behalf such nomination or business is proposed, only if such beneficial owner was the beneficial owner of shares of the corporation) both at the time the notice provided for in this Section 9 is given to the Secretary of the corporation and at the time of the meeting, (II) is entitled to vote at the meeting and (III) has either complied with this Section 9 as to such nomination or other business, or, to the extent eligible and qualifying thereunder, pursuant to (and in compliance with) the procedures and requirements set forth in Section 10 hereof. Except for proposals properly made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the “Exchange Act”), and included in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board, the foregoing clause (C) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be considered or to propose any nominations of persons for election to the Board of the corporation at an annual meeting of the stockholders.

 

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(ii)            For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (C) of paragraph (a)(i) of this Section 9, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the corporation and must provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 9. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than the close of business on the ninetieth day nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty days before or more than sixty days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth day following the earlier of (A) the day on which notice of the meeting was mailed or (B) the date public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the corporation (such notice within such time periods, “Timely Notice”). In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the public announcement thereof commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of Timely Notice as described above. For the avoidance of doubt, a stockholder shall not be entitled to make additional or substitute nominations following the expiration of the time periods set forth in these Bylaws.

 

(iii)           To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 9, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary with respect to proposals of business shall set forth:

 

(A)             As to each Proposing Person (as defined below) and any persons that are acting in concert therewith, (I) the name and address of any such persons ; (including, if applicable, the name and address that appear on the corporation’s books and records); and (II) the class or series and number of shares of the corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by such persons, except that such persons shall in all events be deemed to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of the corporation as to which such person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future and whether or not subject to conditions (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (I) and (II) are referred to as “Stockholder Information”);

 

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(B)             As to each Proposing Person and any persons that are acting in concert therewith, (I) any derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions engaged in, directly or indirectly, by any such persons, the purpose or effect of which is to give such person economic risk similar to ownership of shares of any class or series of the corporation, including due to the fact that the value of such derivative, swap or other transactions are determined by reference to the price, value or volatility of any shares of any class or series of the corporation, or which derivative, swap or other transactions provide, directly or indirectly, the opportunity to profit from any increase in the price or value of shares of any class or series of the corporation (“Synthetic Equity Interests”), which Synthetic Equity Interests shall be disclosed without regard to whether (x) the derivative, swap or other transactions convey any voting rights in such shares to such person, (y) the derivative, swap or other transactions are required to be, or are capable of being, settled through delivery of such shares or (z) such person may have entered into other transactions that hedge or mitigate the economic effect of such derivative, swap or other transactions, (II) any proxy (other than a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14A), agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship pursuant to which such person has or shares a right to vote any shares of any class or series of the corporation, (III) any agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship, including any repurchase or similar so- called “stock borrowing” agreement or arrangement, engaged in, directly or indirectly, by such person, the purpose or effect of which is to mitigate loss to, reduce the economic risk (of ownership or otherwise) of shares of any class or series of the corporation by, manage the risk of share price changes for, or increase or decrease the voting power of, such person with respect to the shares of any class or series of the corporation, or which provides, directly or indirectly, the opportunity to profit from any decrease in the price or value of the shares of any class or series of the corporation (“Short Interests”), (IV) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of the corporation owned beneficially by such person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the corporation, (V) any proportionate interest in securities of the corporation or Synthetic Equity Interests held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership or similar entity in which such person is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner or is the manager or managing member or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns any interest in the manager or managing member of such general or limited partnership or similar entity, (VI) any performance-related fees (other than an asset based fee) that such person is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the price or value of shares of any class or series of the corporation, or any Synthetic Equity Interests or Short Interests, if any, (VII) any direct or indirect interest, including significant equity interests or any Synthetic Equity Interests or Short Interests in any principal competitor of the corporation held by such person, (VIII) if any such persons intend to engage in a solicitation, a statement disclosing the name of each participant in such solicitation (as defined in Item 4 of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act) and a representation that such Proposing Person, therewith intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at least sixty-seven percent (67%) of the outstanding stock entitled to vote to the extent involving a nomination of director(s), or such other percentage required under applicable law, to approve or adopt the proposal, (IX) a certification that such persons have complied with all applicable federal, state and other legal requirements in connection with its acquisition of shares or other securities of the corporation and such person’s acts or omissions as a stockholder of the corporation, (X) all information that would be required to be set forth in a Schedule 13D filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(a) or an amendment pursuant to Rule 13d-2(a) regardless if such a statement were required to be filed under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by such person, and (XI) any other information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such person with respect to the election of directors at the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (I) through (XI) are referred to as “Disclosable Information”); provided, however, that Disclosable Information shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person or person acting in concert therewith solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and

 

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(C)             As to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (I) a reasonably brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person and any persons that are acting in concert therewith, (II) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration), and (III) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings (x) between or among any of the Proposing Persons and any persons that are acting in concert therewith; or (y) between or among any Proposing Person and any other person or entity (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder.

 

For purposes of this Section 9, the term “Proposing Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, and (iii) any affiliate or associate (each within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act for purposes of these Bylaws) of such stockholder or beneficial owner.

 

(iv)          To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 9, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary with respect to nominations of persons for election to the Board of the corporation shall set forth:

 

(A)            As to each Nominating Person (as defined below) and any persons that are acting in concert therewith, the Stockholder Information (as defined in Section 9(a)(iii)(A), except that for purposes of this Section 9(a)(iv) the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 9(a)(iii)(A));

 

(B)             As to each Nominating Person and any persons that are acting in concert therewith, any Disclosable Information (as defined in Section 9(a)(iii)(B), except that for purposes of this Section 9(a)(iv) the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 9(a)(iii)(B) and the disclosure in clause (XI) of Section 9(a)(iii)(B) shall be made with respect to the election of directors at the meeting);

 

(C)             As to each person whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, (I) all information with respect to such proposed nominee that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice pursuant to this Section 9 if such proposed nominee were a Nominating Person, (II) all information relating to such proposed nominee that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including such proposed nominee’s written consent to being named in a proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected), (III) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships, between or among any Nominating Person or any persons that are acting in concert therewith, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee, his or her respective affiliates and associates, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the proposed nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (I) through (III) are referred to as “Nominee Information”), and (IV) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as provided in Section 9(c)(iii); and

 

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(D)             The corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information (I) as may reasonably be required by the corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an “independent director” or “audit committee financial expert” of the corporation in accordance with applicable law, securities exchange rule or regulation, or with the corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines or (II) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence or lack of independence of such proposed nominee.

 

For purposes of this Section 9, the term “Nominating Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting is made and (iii) any affiliate or associate of such stockholder or beneficial owner.

 

(b)           Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the corporation’s notice of meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the corporation’s notice of meeting (i) by or at the direction of the Board or (ii) provided that the Board has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the corporation who (A) was a stockholder of record (and, with respect to any beneficial owner, if different, on whose behalf such business is proposed, only if such beneficial owner was the beneficial owner of shares of the corporation) both at the time the notice provided for in this Section 9 is given to the Secretary of the corporation and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting and (C) has complied with this paragraph (b) and paragraph (a)(iv) (including the procedures to update and supplement such notice) of this Section 9 as to such nominations. In the event the corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board, any such stockholder entitled to vote in such election of directors may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position(s) as specified in the corporation’s notice of meeting, if (x) the stockholder’s notice required shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of (i) the ninetieth day prior to such special meeting or (ii) the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board to be elected at such meeting, (y) such stockholder’s notice includes the information required to be provided in paragraph (a)(iv) of this Section 9 and (z) such stockholder shall have provided any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 9. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of a special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. For the avoidance of doubt, for a stockholder to bring nominations before a special meeting of stockholders, such stockholder must comply with the notice and other procedures set forth in this Section 9 and this shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to bring such nominations properly before a special meeting.

 

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(c)           General. (i)        Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 9 (and, as applicable, Section 10) shall be eligible to be elected at an annual or special meeting of stockholders of the corporation to serve as directors, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 9. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 9 (and, as applicable, Section 10) and, if such proposed nomination or business is deemed not to have been properly made, to declare that such nomination or proposal has not been properly brought before the meeting and shall be disregarded and declared to be out of order, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the corporation.

 

(ii)            A stockholder providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made or business to be considered at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 9 shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). The obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business and or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders. In addition, if the stockholder giving the notice has delivered to the corporation a notice relating to the nomination of directors, the stockholder giving the notice shall deliver to the corporation no later than five (5) business days prior to the date of the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment, recess, rescheduling or postponement thereof (or, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned, recessed, rescheduled, or postponed) reasonable evidence that it has complied with the requirements of Rule 14a-19 of the Exchange Act.

 

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(iii)            To be eligible to be a nominee for election as a director of the corporation, the proposed nominee must deliver (in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under this Section 9) to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the corporation a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such proposed nominee (which questionnaire shall be provided to the Nominating Shareholder by the Secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in form provided by the Secretary to the Nominating Shareholder upon written request) that such proposed nominee (A) is not and will not become a party to (I) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the corporation or (II) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the corporation, with such proposed nominee’s duties under applicable law, (B) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the corporation and (C) in such proposed nominee’s individual capacity and on behalf of the stockholder (or the beneficial owner, if different) on whose behalf the nomination is made, would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the corporation, and will comply with applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the corporation.

 

(iv)            The Board shall be entitled to make such rules or regulations for the conduct of meetings of stockholders as it shall deem necessary, appropriate or convenient. Subject to such rules and regulations of the Board, if any, the chairman of the meeting shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are necessary, appropriate or convenient for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (A) establishing an agenda or order of business for the meeting, (B) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present, (C) limitations on participation in the meeting to stockholders of record of the corporation, their duly authorized and constituted proxies and such other persons as the chairman shall permit, (D) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof, (E) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants and regulation of the opening and closing of the polls for balloting and matters which are to be voted on by ballot and (F) restricting the use of cell phones, audio or video recording devices and similar devices at the meeting. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board, the Chairman of the Board or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure. For the avoidance of doubt, any previously scheduled meeting of the stockholders may be rescheduled, postponed or cancelled by resolution of the Board upon public notice given on or prior to the date previously scheduled for such meeting of stockholders.

 

(v)            For purposes of this Section 9, “public announcement” shall include disclosure in a press release reported by PRNewswire, Business Wire, the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news or wire service or in a document publicly filed by the corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(vi)            Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 9, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 9 (and, as applicable, Section 10). This Section 9 is expressly intended to apply to any business proposed to be brought before a meeting of stockholders other than any proposal made pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

 

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Nothing in this Section 9 shall be deemed to affect any rights (A) of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (B) of the holders of any series of preferred stock of the corporation to elect directors pursuant to any applicable provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

Section 10.             INCLUSION OF STOCKHOLDER DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS IN THE CORPORATION’S PROXY MATERIALS

 

(a)           Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in these Bylaws, the corporation shall include in its proxy materials for an annual meeting of stockholders the name, together with the Required Information (as defined below), of any person nominated for election (the “Stockholder Nominee”) to the Board by a stockholder or group of stockholders that satisfy the requirements of this Section 10, including qualifying as an Eligible Stockholder (as defined in paragraph (e) below) and that expressly elects at the time of providing the written notice required by this Section 10 (a “Proxy Access Notice”) to have its nominee included in the corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 10.

 

(b)           For purposes of this Section 10, the “Required Information” that the corporation will include in its proxy statement is: (i) the information concerning the Stockholder Nominee and the Eligible Stockholder that the corporation determines is required to be disclosed in the corporation’s proxy statement by the regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act; and (ii) if the Eligible Stockholder so elects, a Statement (as defined in paragraph (g) below). The corporation shall also include the name of the Stockholder Nominee in its proxy card. For the avoidance of doubt, and any other provision of these Bylaws notwithstanding, the corporation may in its sole discretion solicit against, and include in the proxy statement (and other proxy materials) its own statements or other information relating to, any Eligible Stockholder and/or Stockholder Nominee, including any information provided to the corporation with respect to the foregoing.

 

(c)           To be timely, a stockholder’s Proxy Access Notice must be delivered to the principal executive offices of the corporation within the time periods applicable to stockholder notices of nominations pursuant to Section 9(a)(ii) of these Bylaws. In no event shall any adjournment, recess, rescheduling or postponement of an annual meeting, the date of which has been announced by the corporation, commence a new time period for the giving of a Proxy Access Notice.

 

(d)           The number of Stockholder Nominees (including Stockholder Nominees that were submitted by an Eligible Stockholder for inclusion in the corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 10 but either are subsequently withdrawn or that the Board decides to nominate as Boards’ nominees) appearing in the corporation’s proxy materials with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders shall not exceed the greater of (x) two (2) and (y) the largest whole number that does not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the number of directors in office as of the last day on which a Proxy Access Notice may be delivered in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 10 (such greater number, the “Permitted Number”); provided, however, that the Permitted Number shall be reduced by:

 

(i)             the number of such director candidates for which the corporation shall have received one or more valid stockholder notices nominating director candidates pursuant to Section 9 (but not this Section 10) of these Bylaws;

 

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(ii)             the number of directors in office or director candidates that in either case will be included in the corporation’s proxy materials with respect to such annual meeting as an unopposed (by the corporation) nominee pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or other understanding with a stockholder or group of stockholders (other than any such agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of voting stock, by such stockholder or group of stockholders, from the corporation), other than any such director referred to in this clause who at the time of such annual meeting will have served as a director continuously, as a nominee of the Board, for at least one full term, but only to the extent the Permitted Number after such reduction with respect to this clause equals or exceeds one; and

 

(iii)           the number of directors in office that will be included in the corporation’s proxy materials with respect to such annual meeting, or whose term of office will continue beyond the date of such annual meeting, regardless of the outcome of such meeting, for whom access to the corporation’s proxy materials was previously provided pursuant to this Section 10, other than any such director referred to in this clause who at the time of such annual meeting will have served as a director continuously, as a nominee of the Board, for at least one (1) full term;

 

provided, further, that in the event the Board resolves to reduce the size of the Board effective on or prior to the date of the annual meeting, the Permitted Number shall be calculated based on the number of directors in office as so reduced. An Eligible Stockholder submitting more than one Stockholder Nominee for inclusion in the corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to this Section 10 shall rank such Stockholder Nominees based on the order that the Eligible Stockholder desires such Stockholder Nominees to be selected for inclusion in the corporation’s proxy statement and include such specified rank in its Proxy Access Notice. If the number of Stockholder Nominees pursuant to this Section 10 for an annual meeting of stockholders exceeds the Permitted Number, then the highest ranking qualifying Stockholder Nominee from each Eligible Stockholder will be selected by the corporation for inclusion in the proxy statement until the Permitted Number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of the ownership position as disclosed in each Eligible Stockholder’s Proxy Access Notice. If the Permitted Number is not reached after the highest ranking Stockholder Nominee from each Eligible Stockholder has been selected, this selection process will continue as many times as necessary, following the same order each time, until the Permitted Number is reached.

 

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(e)           An “Eligible Stockholder” is one or more stockholders of record who own and have owned, or are acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners who own and have owned (in each case as defined above), in each case continuously for at least three (3) years as of both the date that the Proxy Access Notice is received by the corporation pursuant to this Section 10, and as of the record date for determining stockholders eligible to vote at the annual meeting, at least three percent (3%) of the aggregate voting power of the voting stock (the “Proxy Access Request Required Shares”), and who continue to own the Proxy Access Request Required Shares at all times between the date such Proxy Access Notice is received by the corporation and the date of the applicable annual meeting; provided that the aggregate number of stockholders, and, if and to the extent that a stockholder is acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners, of such beneficial owners, whose stock ownership is counted for the purpose of satisfying the foregoing ownership requirement shall not exceed fifty (50). Two (2) or more collective investment funds that are part of the same family of funds by virtue of being under common management and investment control, under common management and sponsored primarily by the same employer or a “group of investment companies” (as such term is defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) (a “Qualifying Fund”) shall be treated as one stockholder for the purpose of determining the aggregate number of stockholders in this paragraph (e); provided that each fund included within a Qualifying Fund otherwise meets the requirements set forth in this Section 10. No shares may be attributed to more than one group constituting an Eligible Stockholder under this Section 10 (and, for the avoidance of doubt, no stockholder may be a member of more than one group constituting an Eligible Stockholder). A record holder acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners will not be counted separately as a stockholder with respect to the shares owned by beneficial owners on whose behalf such record holder has been directed in writing to act, but each such beneficial owner will be counted separately, subject to the other provisions of this paragraph (e), for purposes of determining the number of stockholders whose holdings may be considered as part of an Eligible Stockholder’s holdings. For the avoidance of doubt, Proxy Access Request Required Shares will qualify as such if and only if the beneficial owner of such shares as of the date of the Proxy Access Notice has itself individually beneficially owned such shares continuously for the three-year period ending on that date and through the other applicable dates referred to above (in addition to the other applicable requirements being met).

 

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For purposes of this Section 10, a stockholder shall be deemed to “own” only those shares as to which the stockholder itself possesses: (i) the full voting rights pertaining to the shares; (ii) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares; and (iii) the full power to dispose of or direct the disposition of such shares. The number of shares calculated in accordance with the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) shall be deemed not to include (and to the extent any of the following arrangements have been entered into by affiliates of the stockholder (or of any Constituent Holder), shall be reduced by) any shares (x) sold by such stockholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates) in any transaction that has not been settled or closed, including any short sale, (y) borrowed by such stockholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates) for any purposes or purchased by such stockholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates) pursuant to an agreement to resell, or (z) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar instrument, agreement or understanding entered into by such stockholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates), whether any such instrument, agreement or understanding is to be settled with shares or with cash based on the notional amount or value of voting stock, in any such case which instrument, or agreement or understanding has, or is intended to have, or if exercised by either party thereto would have, the purpose or effect of: (i) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such stockholder’s or Constituent Holder’s (or either’s affiliate’s) full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares; and/or (ii) hedging, offsetting or altering to any degree gain or loss arising from the full economic ownership of such shares by such stockholder or Constituent Holder (or either’s affiliate), other than any such arrangements solely involving a national or multi-national market index. A stockholder (including any Constituent Holder) shall “own” shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the stockholder itself (or such Constituent Holder itself) retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of directors and the right to direct the disposition thereof and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. A stockholder’s (including any Constituent Holder’s) ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which such person has (A) loaned such shares provided that such person has the power to recall such loaned shares on not more than five (5) business days’ notice or (B) delegated any voting power over such shares by means of a proxy, power of attorney or other instrument or arrangement which in all such cases is revocable at any time by the stockholder without any condition. The terms “owned,” “owning” and other variations of the word “own” shall have correlative meanings.

 

(f)            No later than the final date when a Proxy Access Notice pursuant to this Section 10 may be timely delivered to the Secretary, an Eligible Stockholder, including each stockholder, collective investment fund included within a Qualifying Fund or beneficial holder whose stock ownership is counted for the purpose of qualifying as holding the Proxy Access Request Required Shares or qualifying as an Eligible Stockholder (a “Constituent Holder”), must provide the following information in writing to the Secretary:

 

(i)             with respect to each Constituent Holder, the name and address of, and number of shares of voting stock owned by, such person;

 

(ii)            one or more written statements from the record holder of the shares (and from each intermediary through which the shares are or have been held during the requisite three-year (3-year) holding period) verifying that, as of a date within seven (7) days prior to the date the Proxy Access Notice is delivered to the corporation, such person owns, and has owned continuously for the preceding three (3) years, the Proxy Access Request Required Shares, and such person’s agreement to provide:

 

(A)             within ten (10) days after the record date for the annual meeting, written statements from the record holder and intermediaries verifying such person’s continuous ownership of the Proxy Access Request Required Shares through the record date, together with any additional information reasonably requested to verify such person’s ownership of the Proxy Access Request Required Shares; and

 

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(B)             immediate notice if the Eligible Stockholder ceases to own any of the Proxy Access Request Required Shares prior to the date of the applicable annual meeting of stockholders;

 

(iii)           the information, representations and agreements contemplated by Section 9(a)(iii)(A), Section 9(a)(iii)(B), Section 9(a)(iv)(C) and Section 9(a)(iv)(D) of these Bylaws (with references to a Proposing Person, Nominating Person, or stockholder therein to include such Eligible Stockholder (including each Constituent Holder));

 

(iv)          a representation that such person:

 

(A)             acquired the Proxy Access Request Required Shares in the ordinary course of business and neither the Eligible Stockholder nor the Stockholder Nominee nor their respective affiliates and associates or any person acting in concert with any of the foregoing acquired or is holding any securities of the corporation with the intent to change or influence control of the corporation;

 

(B)             has not nominated and will not nominate for election to the Board at the annual meeting any person other than the Stockholder Nominee(s) being nominated pursuant to this Section 10;

 

(C)             has not engaged and will not engage in, and has not been and will not be a “participant” in another person’s, “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act in support of the election of any individual as a director at the annual meeting other than its Stockholder Nominee(s) or a nominee of the Board;

 

(D)             will not distribute to any stockholder any form of proxy for the annual meeting other than the form distributed by the corporation; and

 

(E)             will provide facts, statements and other information in all communications with the corporation and its stockholders that are and will be true and correct in all material respects and do not and will not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and will otherwise comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in connection with any actions taken pursuant to this Section 10.

 

(v)            in the case of a nomination by a group of stockholders that together is such an Eligible Stockholder, the designation by all group members of one group member that is authorized to act on behalf of all members of the nominating stockholder group with respect to the nomination and matters related thereto, including withdrawal of the nomination; and

 

(vi)          an undertaking that such person agrees to:

 

(A)            assume all liability stemming from, and indemnify and hold harmless the corporation and each of its directors, officers, and employees individually against any liability, loss or damages in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the corporation or any of its directors, officers or employees arising out of any legal or regulatory violation arising out of the Eligible Stockholder’s communications with the stockholders of the corporation or out of the information that the Eligible Stockholder (including such person) provided to the corporation;

 

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(B)             promptly provide to the corporation such other information as the corporation may reasonably request; and

 

(C)             file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any solicitation by the Eligible Stockholder of stockholders of the corporation relating to the annual meeting at which the Stockholder Nominee will be nominated.

 

In addition, no later than the final date when a nomination pursuant to this Section 10 may be delivered to the corporation, a Qualifying Fund whose stock ownership is counted for purposes of qualifying as an Eligible Stockholder must provide to the Secretary documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Board that demonstrates that the funds included within the Qualifying Fund satisfy the definition thereof. In order to be considered timely, any information required by this Section 10 to be provided to the corporation must be supplemented (by delivery to the Secretary): (1) no later than ten (10) days following the record date for the applicable annual meeting, to disclose the foregoing information as of such record date; and (2) no later than eight (8) days before the annual meeting, to disclose the foregoing information as of the date that is no earlier than ten (10) days prior to such annual meeting. For the avoidance of doubt, the requirement to update and supplement such information shall not permit any Eligible Stockholder or other person to change or add any proposed Stockholder Nominee or be deemed to cure any defects or limit the remedies (including, without limitation, under these Bylaws) available to the corporation relating to any defect.

 

(g)           The Eligible Stockholder may provide to the Secretary, at the time the information required by this Section 10 is originally provided, a written statement for inclusion in the corporation’s proxy statement for the annual meeting, not to exceed five hundred (500) words, in support of the candidacy of such Eligible Stockholder’s Stockholder Nominee (the “Statement”).

 

(h)           Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 10, the corporation may omit from its proxy materials any information or Statement that it, in good faith, believes is untrue in any material respect (or omits a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading), or would violate any applicable law, rule, regulation or listing standard.

 

(i)            No later than the final date when a nomination pursuant to this Section 10 may be delivered to the corporation, each Stockholder Nominee must provide the completed and signed questionnaire, representation, and agreement required by Section 9(c)(iii) of these Bylaws and:

 

(A)             provide an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board or its designee (which form shall be provided by the corporation reasonably promptly upon written request of a stockholder), that such Stockholder Nominee consents to being named in the corporation’s proxy statement and form of proxy card as a nominee and intends to serve as a director of the corporation for the entire term if elected;

 

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(B)             complete, sign and submit all questionnaires, representations and agreements required by Section 9(c)(iii) of these Bylaws or of the corporation’s directors generally; and

 

(C)             provide such additional information as necessary to permit the Board to determine: (a) if any of the matters referred to in paragraph (k) below apply; (b) if such Stockholder Nominee has any direct or indirect relationship with the corporation other than those relationships that have been deemed categorically immaterial pursuant to the corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines; or (c) is or has been subject to any event specified in Rule 506(d)(1) of Regulation D (or any successor rule) under the Securities Act of 1933 or Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K (or any successor rule) under the Exchange Act, without reference to whether the event is material to an evaluation of the ability or integrity of such Stockholder Nominee.

 

In the event that any information or communications provided by the Eligible Stockholder (or any Constituent Holder) or the Stockholder Nominee to the corporation or its stockholders ceases to be true and correct in all material respects or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, each Eligible Stockholder or Stockholder Nominee, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Secretary of any defect in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct any such defect; it being understood for the avoidance of doubt that providing any such notification shall not be deemed to cure any such defect or limit the remedies (including, without limitation, under these Bylaws) available to the corporation relating to any such defect.

 

(j)             Any Stockholder Nominee who is included in the corporation’s proxy materials for a particular annual meeting of stockholders but withdraws from or becomes G) ineligible or unavailable for election at that annual meeting (other than by reason of such Stockholder Nominee’s disability or other health reason) will be ineligible to be a Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 10 for the next two annual meetings. Any Stockholder Nominee who is included in the corporation’s proxy statement for a particular annual meeting of stockholders, but subsequently is determined not to satisfy the eligibility requirements of this Section 10 or any other provision of these Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation or any applicable regulation any time before the annual meeting of stockholders, will not be eligible for election at the relevant annual meeting of stockholders.

 

(k)            The corporation shall not be required to include, pursuant to this Section 10, a Stockholder Nominee  in its proxy materials for any annual meeting of stockholders, or, if the proxy statement already has been filed, to allow the nomination of (or vote with respect to) a Stockholder Nominee (and may declare such nomination ineligible), notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the corporation:

 

(i)             who is not independent under the listing standards of the principal U.S. exchange upon which the common stock of the corporation is listed, any applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and any publicly disclosed standards used by the Board in determining and disclosing independence of the corporation’s directors, who is not a “non-employee director” for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule), in each case as determined by the Board;

 

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(ii)            whose service as a member of the Board would violate or cause the corporation to be in violation of these Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation, the rules and listing standards of the principal U.S. exchange upon which the common stock of the corporation is traded, or any applicable law, rule or regulation;

 

(iii)           who is or has been, within the past three (3) years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined in Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, as amended, or who is a subject of a pending criminal proceeding, has been convicted in a criminal proceeding within the past ten (10) years or is subject to an order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act;

 

(iv)           if the Eligible Stockholder (or any Constituent Holder) or applicable Stockholder Nominee otherwise breaches or fails to comply in any material respect with its obligations pursuant to this Section 10 or any agreement, representation or undertaking required by this Section; or

 

(v)            if the Eligible Stockholder ceases to be an Eligible Stockholder for any reason, including, but not limited to, not owning the Proxy Access Request Required Shares through the date of the applicable annual meeting.

 

Clauses (1), (2) and (3) and, to the extent related to a breach or failure by the Stockholder Nominee, clause (4), will result in the exclusion from the proxy materials pursuant to this Section 10 of the specific Stockholder Nominee to whom the ineligibility applies, or, if the proxy statement already has been filed, the ineligibility of such Stockholder Nominee to be nominated; provided, however, that clause (5) and, to the extent related to a breach or failure by an Eligible Stockholder (or any Constituent Holder), clause (4) will result in the voting stock owned by such Eligible Stockholder (or Constituent Holder) being excluded from the Proxy Access Request Required Shares (and, if as a result the Proxy Access Notice shall no longer have been filed by an Eligible Stockholder, the exclusion from the proxy materials pursuant to this Section 10 of all of the applicable stockholder’s Stockholder Nominees from the applicable annual meeting of stockholders or, if the proxy statement has already been filed, the ineligibility of all of such stockholder’s Stockholder Nominees to be nominated).

 

(1)           Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10, if the Eligible Stockholder giving the Proxy Access Notice (or a qualified representative thereof) does not appear at the annual meeting of stockholders of the corporation to present a nomination or proposed business, such nomination shall be disregarded and such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the corporation.

 

Section 11.            MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF STOCKHOLDER LIST. The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, for a period of at least ten days prior to the meeting: (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (ii) during ordinary business hours, at the principal place of business of the corporation.

 

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Section 12.             STOCKHOLDER ACTION BY CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the corporation, or any action which may be taken at any annual or special meeting of such stockholders, may not be taken without a meeting.

 

ARTICLE III.

DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.              THE NUMBER OF DIRECTORS. The number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board shall be not less than three nor more than thirteen. The actual number of directors shall be fixed from time to time solely by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors. The directors need not be stockholders. The directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of the stockholders, except as provided in Section 2 of this Article, and each director elected shall hold office until his successor is elected and qualified; provided, however, that for so long as the Board is classified, any director or the entire Board may be removed, for cause, from the Board at any meeting of stockholders by not less than 66 2/3% of the outstanding stock of the corporation, and after the Board is declassified, a director may be removed from office with or without cause by the stockholders and, in addition to any other vote required by law, upon the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the total voting power of all outstanding securities of the corporation then entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

Section 2.               ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. Except as otherwise provided by express provision of the statutes, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, each director shall be elected by the vote of the majority of the votes cast with respect to that director’s election at any meeting for the election of directors at which a quorum is present, provided that if, as of the record date for a meeting of stockholders for which directors are to be elected, the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected, the nominees receiving a plurality of the votes cast by holders of shares entitled to vote in the election at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be elected. For purposes of this Section 2, a majority of votes cast shall mean that the number of votes cast “for” a director’s election exceeds the number of votes cast “against” that director’s election (with “abstentions” and “broker non-votes” not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” that director’s election).

 

Section 3.              VACANCIES. Vacancies on the Board by reason of the death, resignation or removal of a director and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled solely by a vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and each director so elected shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of the class to which such director shall have been elected, or in the case of a director filling a vacancy resulting from a newly created directorship, the next annual meeting of stockholders. If there are no directors in office, then an election of directors may be held in the manner provided by statute. If, at the time of filling any vacancy or any newly created directorship, the directors then in office shall constitute less than a majority of the whole Board (as constituted immediately prior to any such increase), the Court of Chancery may, upon application of any stockholder or stockholders holding at least ten percent of the total number of the shares at the time outstanding having the right to vote for such directors, summarily order an election to be held to fill any such vacancies or newly created directorships, or to replace the directors chosen by the directors then in office.

 

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Section 4.              POWERS. The property and business of the corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of its Board. In addition to the powers and authorities by these Bylaws expressly conferred upon them, the Board may exercise all such powers of the corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by statute, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws directed or required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.

 

Section 5.              PLACE OF DIRECTORS’ MEETINGS. The directors may hold their meetings, have one or more offices and keep the books of the corporation outside of the State of Delaware.

 

Section 6.              REGULAR MEETINGS. Regular meetings of the Board may be held without notice at such time and place as shall from time to time be determined by the Board.

 

Section 7.              SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Chairman of the Board or the President on forty-eight hours’ notice to each director, either personally, by mail, electronic mail or by any other means of electronic communication; special meetings shall be called by the President or the Secretary in like manner and on like notice on the written request of two directors, unless the Board consists of only one director, in which case special meetings shall be called by the President or Secretary in like manner or on like notice on the written request of the sole director.

 

Section 8.               QUORUM. At all meetings of the Board a majority of the authorized number of directors shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws. If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the Board, the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present. If only one director is authorized, such sole director shall constitute a quorum.

 

Section 9.               ACTION WITHOUT MEETING. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic communications.

 

Section 10.            TELEPHONIC MEETINGS. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, members of the Board, or any committee designated by the Board, may participate in a meeting of the Board, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

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Section 11.           BOARD LEADERSHIP.

 

(a)           Chairman of the Board. The Board shall annually elect one of its members to serve as Chairman of the Board and shall fill any vacancy in the position at such time and in such manner as the Board shall determine. The Chairman of the Board shall preside, when present, over all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board, other than meetings of the independent directors, which shall be presided over by the Lead Independent Director. The Chairman of the Board shall have such other duties and powers as set forth in these Bylaws or as may from time to time be assigned or required by the Board.

 

(b)           Lead Independent Director. The Board shall annually designate an independent director to serve as the Lead Independent Director on the Board and shall fill any vacancy in the position of Lead Independent Director, when applicable, at such time and in such manner as the independent directors of the Board shall determine, provided that the Lead Independent Director may only be selected from among the independent directors. The Lead Independent Director shall serve at the pleasure of the Board and may be removed by the Board at any time with or without cause. The Lead Independent Director shall preside, when present, at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board at which the Chairman of the Board is not present and at all meetings of the independent directors of the Board. The Lead Independent Director shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as the Board may from time to time delegate.

 

Section 12.            COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS. The Board may, by resolution passed by the Board, designate one or more committees, each such committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the corporation. The Board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he, she or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the corporation and may authorize the seal of the corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee shall have the authority with respect to: (i) approving or adopting, or recommending to the stockholders, any action or matter (other than the election or removal of directors) expressly required by the General Corporation Law of Delaware to be submitted to stockholders for approval or (ii) adopting, amending, or repealing any bylaw of the corporation.

 

Section 13.            MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS. Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board when required.

 

Section 14.            COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors. The directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board and may be paid a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the Board or a stated salary as director. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. Members of special or standing committees may be allowed like compensation for attending committee meetings.

 

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ARTICLE IV.

OFFICERS

 

Section 1.              OFFICERS. The executive officers of this corporation shall be chosen by the Board and shall include a Chief Executive Officer, President, a Secretary and a Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer and such other executive officers as shall be appointed by the Board from time to time. The corporation may also have such other non-executive officers as are desired, as may be appointed by the President and Chief Executive Officer, from time to time, including one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers and such other officers with such titles as shall be approved by the Board for appointment by the President and Chief Executive Officer or another executive officer. In the event there are two or more Vice Presidents, then one or more may be designated as Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or other similar or dissimilar title. The directors may by resolution determine the order of the rank of executive and other officers. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, unless the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws otherwise provide.

 

Section 2.               ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The Board, at its first meeting after each annual meeting of stockholders, shall choose the executive officers of the corporation.

 

Section 3.              SUBORDINATE OFFICERS. The Board may appoint such other officers and agents as it shall deem necessary who shall hold their offices for such terms and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board.

 

Section 4.              COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS. The salaries of all executive officers (within the meaning of Rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act) and agents of the corporation shall be fixed by the Board.

 

Section 5.              TERM OF OFFICE; REMOVAL AND VACANCIES. The officers of the corporation shall hold office until their successors are chosen and qualify in their stead. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board. If the office of any officer or officers becomes vacant for any reason, the vacancy shall be filled by the Board.

 

Section 6.               POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS. The officers of the corporation shall have such powers and duties in the management of the corporation as may be prescribed in a resolution by the Board and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board.

 

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ARTICLE V.

INDEMNIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS

 

The corporation may indemnify every person who is or was a party or is or was threatened to be made a party to any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was an employee or agent of the corporation or, while an employee or agent of the corporation, is or was serving at the request of the corporation as an employee or agent or trustee of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, against expenses (including counsel fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

 

ARTICLE VI.

CERTIFICATES OF STOCK

 

Section 1.              FORM AND EXECUTION OF CERTIFICATES. Shares of the corporation’s stock may be certificated or uncertificated, as provided under Delaware law. Certificates for the shares of stock of the corporation shall be in such form as is consistent with the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law. Every holder of stock of the corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the corporation by any two authorized officers of the corporation, in addition to any officers delegated the authority to sign stock certificates by the Board of Directors, the President, a Vice President, the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the corporation, certifying the number of shares owned by such stockholder in the corporation.

 

Section 2.              SIGNATURES ON CERTIFICATES. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

Section 3.              STATEMENT OF STOCK RIGHTS, PREFERENCES, PRIVILEGES. If the corporation shall be authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualification, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificate which the corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, provided that, except as otherwise provided in section 202 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate which the corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.

 

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Section 4.               LOST CERTIFICATES. The Board may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen or destroyed. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or certificates, the Board may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or certificates, or his legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as it shall require and/or to give the corporation a bond in such sum as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.

 

Section 5.              TRANSFERS OF STOCK. Transfers of record of shares of stock of the corporation shall be made only upon its books by the holders thereof, in person or by attorney duly authorized, and, in the case of stock represented by a certificate, upon the surrender to the corporation, or the transfer agent of the corporation, of a certificate or certificates for shares duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignation or authority to transfer for a like number of shares.

 

Section 6.              REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS. The corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share or shares of stock as the holder in fact thereof and accordingly shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim or interest in such share on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as expressly provided by the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

ARTICLE VII.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

Section 1.              CHECKS. All checks or demands for money and notes of the corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers as the Board may from time to time designate.

 

Section 2.              FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year of the corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board.

 

Section 3.              CORPORATE SEAL. The corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the corporation and shall be in such form as may be approved from time to time by the Board.

 

Section 4.              MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE. Whenever, under the law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, notice is required to be given to any director or stockholder, it shall not be construed to mean personal notice, but such notice may be given in writing, by mail, addressed to such director or stockholder, at his address as it appears on the records of the corporation, with postage thereon prepaid, and such notice shall be deemed to be given at the time when the same shall be deposited in the United States mail. Notice to directors may also be given by email or other means of communication permitted by law.

 

Section 5.              WAIVER OF NOTICE. Whenever any notice is required to be given under the law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a waiver thereof via electronic mail transmission or in writing, given by the person or persons entitled to said notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent thereto. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any regular or special meeting of the stockholders, directors or members of a committee of directors need be specified in any waiver of notice.

 

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Section 6.              EXCLUSIVE FORUM

 

(a)           Unless the corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the corporation; (ii) any action asserting a claim for or based on a breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director or officer or other employee of the corporation to the corporation or to the corporation’s stockholders, including a claim alleging the aiding and abetting of such a breach of fiduciary duty; (iii) any action asserting a claim against the corporation or any current or former director or officer or other employee of the corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws (as either may be amended, restated, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time); (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws of the corporation; (v) any action asserting a claim related to or involving the corporation that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine; or (vi) any action asserting an “internal corporate claim” as that term is defined in Section 115 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware shall be a state court located within the State of Delaware (or, if no state court located within the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal court for the District of Delaware).

 

(b)           Unless the corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933 against the corporation or any director or officer of the corporation.

 

ARTICLE VIII.

AMENDMENTS

 

These Bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed or new Bylaws may be adopted by the stockholders or by the Board in accordance with the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation. If the power to adopt, amend or repeal Bylaws is conferred upon the Board by the Certificate of Incorporation, it shall not divest or limit the power of the stockholders to adopt, amend or repeal Bylaws.

 

* * * * *

 

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Cover	Sep. 27, 2024
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 27, 2024
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--04-30
Entity File Number	001-33261
Entity Registrant Name	AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001368622
Entity Tax Identification Number	95-2705790
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Address, Address Line One	241 18th Street South
Entity Address, Address Line Two	Suite 650
Entity Address, City or Town	Arlington
Entity Address, State or Province	VA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	22202
City Area Code	805
Local Phone Number	520-8350
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.0001 par value
Trading Symbol	AVAV
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false

---