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Exhibit 3.4
BYLAWS
OF
NEPTUNE ACQUISITION, INC.
ARTICLE I
Stockholders
Section 1.1. Annual Meetings. An annual meeting of
stockholders shall be held for the election of directors at such date, time and
place either within or without the State of Delaware as may be designated by the
Board of Directors from time to time. Any other proper business may be
transacted at the annual meeting.
Section 1.2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of
stockholders may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board, if any, the
Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, the President or the Board of Directors, to
be held at such date, time and place either within or without the State of
Delaware as may be stated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 1.3. Notice of Meetings. Whenever stockholders are
required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a written notice of the
meeting shall be given which shall state the place, date and hour of the
meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for
which the meeting is called. Unless otherwise provided by law, the written
notice of any meeting shall be given not less than ten nor more than sixty days
before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such
meeting. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in
the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such
stockholder's address as it appears on the records of the Corporation.
Section 1.4. Adjournments. Any meeting of stockholders, annual
or special, may be adjourned from time to time, to reconvene at the same or some
other place, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the
time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is
taken. At the adjourned meeting the Corporation may transact any business which
might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for
more than thirty days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed
for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to
each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.
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Section 1.5. Quorum. At each meeting of stockholders, except
where otherwise provided by law or the certificate of incorporation or these
bylaws, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to
vote on a matter at the meeting, present in person or represented by proxy,
shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum of the holders of any
class of stock entitled to vote on a matter, the holders of such class so
present or represented may, by majority vote, adjourn the meeting of such class
from time to time in the manner provided by Section 1.4 of these bylaws until a
quorum of such class shall be so present or represented. Shares of its own
capital stock belonging on the record date for the meeting to the Corporation or
to another corporation, if a majority of the shares entitled to vote in the
election of directors of such other corporation is held, directly or indirectly,
by the Corporation, shall neither be entitled to vote nor be counted for quorum
purposes; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not limit the right of the
Corporation to vote stock, including but not limited to its own stock, held by
it in a fiduciary capacity.
Section 1.6. Organization. Meetings of stockholders shall be
presided over by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the absence of the
Chairman of the Board by the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the
absence of the Vice Chairman of the Board by the President, or in the absence of
the President by a Vice President, or in the absence of the foregoing persons by
a chairman designated by the Board of Directors, or in the absence of such
designation by a chairman chosen at the meeting. The Secretary, or in the
absence of the Secretary an Assistant Secretary, shall act as secretary of the
meeting, but in the absence of the Secretary and any Assistant Secretary the
chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the
meeting.
Section 1.8. Voting; Proxies. Unless otherwise provided in the
certificate of incorporation, each stockholder entitled to vote at any meeting
of stockholders shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock held by
such stockholder which has voting power upon the matter in question. Each
stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent
or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize
another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such
proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the
proxy provides for a longer period. A duly executed proxy shall be irrevocable
if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled
with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power, regardless
of whether the interest with which it is coupled is an interest in the stock
itself or an interest in the Corporation generally. A stockholder may revoke any
proxy which is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or
by filing an instrument in writing revoking the proxy or another duly executed
proxy bearing a later date with the Secretary of the Corporation. Voting at
meetings of stockholders need not be by written ballot and need not be conducted
by inspectors unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of all
classes of stock entitled to vote thereon present in person or represented by
proxy at such meeting shall so determine. Directors shall be elected by a
plurality of the votes of the shares present in
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person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the
election of directors. In all other matters, unless otherwise provided by law or
by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, the affirmative vote of the
holders of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at
the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the
stockholders. Where a separate vote by class or classes is required, the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of such class or
classes present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting shall be the
act of such class or classes, except as otherwise provided by law or by the
certificate of incorporation or these bylaws.
Section 1.9. Fixing Date for Determination of Stockholders of
Record. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to
notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof,
the Board of Directors 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 of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than sixty nor
less than ten days before the date of such meeting. If no record date is fixed
by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled
to notice of or 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 of Directors may fix a new
record date for the adjourned meeting.
In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders
entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board
of Directors 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 of
Directors, and which date shall not be more than ten days after the date upon
which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of
Directors. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors, the
record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action
in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is
required by law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent
setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the
Corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its
principal place of business, or an officer or agent of the Corporation having
custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are
recorded. Delivery made to the Corporation's registered office shall be by hand
or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. If no record date
has been fixed by the Board of Directors and prior action by the Board of
Directors is required by law, the record date for determining stockholders
entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be at
the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the
resolution taking such prior action.
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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 of Directors 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 sixty 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 of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.
Section 1.10. List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote. The
Secretary 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, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least
ten days prior to the meeting, either at a place within the city where the
meeting is to be held, which place shall be specified in the notice of the
meeting, or, if not so specified, at the place where the meeting is to be held.
The list shall also be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting
during the whole time thereof and may be inspected by any stockholder who is
present.
Section 1.11. Consent of Stockholders in Lieu of Meeting.
Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by law, any
action required by law 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 be taken without a meeting, without
prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting
forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding stock
having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to
authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote
thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation by
delivery to (a) its registered office in the State of Delaware by hand or by
certified mail or registered mail, return receipt requested, (b) its principal
place of business, or (c) an officer or agent of the Corporation having custody
of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Every
written consent shall bear the date of signature of each stockholder who signs
the consent and no written consent shall be effective to take the corporate
action referred to therein unless, within sixty days of the earliest dated
consent delivered in the manner required by this bylaw to the Corporation,
written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take action are
delivered to the Corporation by delivery to (a) its registered office in the
State of Delaware by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt
requested, (b) its principal place of business, or (c) an officer or agent of
the Corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of
stockholders are recorded. Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate
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action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall be given
to those stockholders who have not consented in writing and who, if the action
had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting
if the record date for such meeting had been the date that written consents
signed by a sufficient number of stockholders to take the action were delivered
to the Corporation as provided in this Section 1.11.
ARTICLE II
Board of Directors
Section 2.1. Powers; Number; Qualifications. The business and
affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the
Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise provided by law or in the
certificate of incorporation. The Board of Directors shall consist of one or
more members, the number thereof to be determined from time to time by the
Board. Directors need not be stockholders.
Section 2.2. Election; Term of Office; Resignation; Removal;
Vacancies. Each director shall hold office until his or her successor is elected
and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal. Any director
may resign at any time upon written notice to the Board of Directors or to the
President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall take
effect at the time specified therein, and unless otherwise specified therein no
acceptance of such resignation shall be necessary to make it effective. Any
director or the entire Board of Directors may be removed, with or without cause,
by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election
of directors. Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or
these bylaws, vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any
increase in the authorized number of directors elected by all of the
stockholders having the right to vote as a single class or from any other cause
may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than
a quorum, or by the sole remaining director. Any director elected or appointed
to fill a vacancy shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the
stockholders and his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or
her earlier resignation or removal.
Section 2.3. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board
of Directors may be held at such places within or without the State of Delaware
and at such times as the Board may from time to time determine, and if so
determined notice thereof need not be given.
Section 2.4. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board
of Directors may be held at any time or place within or without the State of
Delaware whenever called
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by the Chairman of the Board, if any, by the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any,
by the President or by any two directors. Reasonable notice thereof shall be
given by the person or persons calling the meeting.
Section 2.5. Participation in Meetings by Conference Telephone
Permitted. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or
these bylaws, members of the Board of Directors, or any committee designated by
the Board, may participate in a meeting of the Board or of such committee, as
the case may be, by means of conference telephone or similar communications
equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear
each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this bylaw shall
constitute presence in person at such meeting.
Section 2.6. Quorum; Vote Required for Action. At all meetings
of the Board of Directors one-third of the entire Board shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. The vote of a majority of the directors
present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board
unless the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws shall require a vote of
a greater number. In case at any meeting of the Board a quorum shall not be
present, the members of the Board present may adjourn the meeting from time to
time until a quorum shall be present.
Section 2.7. Organization. Meetings of the Board of Directors
shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the absence
of the Chairman of the Board by the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, or in
the absence of the Vice Chairman of the Board by the President, or in their
absence by a chairman chosen at the meeting. The Secretary, or in the absence of
the Secretary an Assistant Secretary, shall act as secretary of the meeting, but
in the absence of the Secretary and any Assistant Secretary the chairman of the
meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.
Section 2.8. Action by Directors Without a 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 of
Directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all
members of the Board or of such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto
in writing, and the writing or writings are filed with the minutes of
proceedings of the Board or committee.
Section 2.9. Compensation of Directors. Unless otherwise
restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, the Board of
Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors.
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ARTICLE III
Committees
Section 3.1. Committees. The Board of Directors may designate
one or more committees, each 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 such member or members 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 of Directors or
in these bylaws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the
Board of Directors 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 power or
authority in reference to the following matters: (i) approving or adopting, or
recommending to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by law
to be submitted to stockholders for approval, (ii) adopting, amending or
repealing these Bylaws or (iii) removing or indemnifying directors.
Section 3.2. Committee Rules. Unless the Board of Directors
otherwise provides, each committee designated by the Board may adopt, amend and
repeal rules for the conduct of its business. In the absence of a provision by
the Board or a provision in the rules of such committee to the contrary, a
majority of the entire authorized number of members of such committee shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, the vote of a majority of
the members present at a meeting at the time of such vote if a quorum is then
present shall be the act of such committee, and in other respects each committee
shall conduct its business in the same manner as the Board conducts its business
pursuant to Article II of these bylaws.
ARTICLE IV
Officers
Section 4.1. Officers; Election. As soon as practicable after
the annual meeting of stockholders in each year, the Board of Directors shall
elect a President and a Secretary, and it may, if it so determines, elect from
among its members a Chairman of the Board and a Vice Chairman of the Board. The
Board may also elect one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Vice
Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries, a Treasurer and one or more
Assistant Treasurers and such other officers as the Board may
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deem desirable or appropriate and may give any of them such further designations
or alternate titles as it considers desirable. Any number of offices may be held
by the same person unless the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws
otherwise provide.
Section 4.2. Term of Office; Resignation; Removal; Vacancies.
Unless otherwise provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors electing
any officer, each officer shall hold office until his or her successor is
elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal. Any
officer may resign at any time upon written notice to the Board or to the
President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall take
effect at the time specified therein, and unless otherwise specified therein no
acceptance of such resignation shall be necessary to make it effective. The
Board may remove any officer with or without cause at any time. Any such removal
shall be without prejudice to the contractual rights of such officer, if any,
with the Corporation, but the election of an officer shall not of itself create
contractual rights. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation by
death, resignation, removal or otherwise may be filled by the Board at any
regular or special meeting.
Section 4.3. Powers and Duties. The officers of the
Corporation shall have such powers and duties in the management of the
Corporation as shall be stated in a resolution of the Board of Directors which
is not inconsistent with these bylaws and, to the extent not so stated, as
generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the
Board. The Secretary shall have the duty to record the proceedings of the
meetings of the stockholders, the Board of Directors and any committees in a
book to be kept for that purpose. The Board may require any officer, agent or
employee to give security for the faithful performance of his or her duties.
ARTICLE V
Stock
Section 5.1. Certificates. Every holder of stock in the
Corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by or in the name of
the Corporation by the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, if
any, or the President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer or an Assistant
Treasurer, or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Corporation,
representing the number of shares of stock in the Corporation owned by such
holder. If such certificate is manually signed by one officer or manually
countersigned by a transfer agent or by a registrar, any other signature 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 such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of
issue.
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Section 5.2. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Stock Certificates;
Issuance of New Certificates. The Corporation may issue a new certificate of
stock in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have
been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the
lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owner's legal representative, to
give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that
may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of
any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate.
ARTICLE VI
Miscellaneous
Section 6.1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation
shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 6.2. Seal. The Corporation may have a corporate seal
which shall have the name of the Corporation inscribed thereon and shall be in
such form as may be approved from time to time by the Board of Directors. The
corporate seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed
or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.
Section 6.3. Waiver of Notice of Meetings of Stockholders,
Directors and Committees. Whenever notice is required to be given by law or
under any provision of the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, a
written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to notice, whether before
or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice.
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 written waiver of notice unless so required by the certificate of
incorporation or these bylaws.
Section 6.4. Indemnification of Directors, Officers and
Employees. The Corporation shall indemnify to the full extent permitted by law
any person made or threatened to be made a party to any action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason
of the fact that such person or such person's testator or intestate is or was a
director, officer or employee of the Corporation or serves or served at the
request of the Corporation any other enterprise as a director, officer or
employee. Expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred by any such person in
defending any such action, suit or proceeding shall be paid or reimbursed by the
Corporation promptly upon receipt by it of an undertaking of such person to
repay such expenses if it
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shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be
indemnified by the Corporation. The rights provided to any person by this bylaw
shall be enforceable against the Corporation by such person who shall be
presumed to have relied upon it in serving or continuing to serve as a director,
officer or employee as provided above. No amendment of this bylaw shall impair
the rights of any person arising at any time with respect to events occurring
prior to such amendment. For purposes of this bylaw, the term "Corporation"
shall include any predecessor of the Corporation and any constituent corporation
(including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed by the Corporation in a
consolidation or merger; the term "other enterprise" shall include any
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or employee benefit plan; service
"at the request of the Corporation" shall include service as a director, officer
or employee of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by,
such director, officer or employee with respect to an employee benefit plan, its
participants or beneficiaries; any excise taxes assessed on a person with
respect to an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to be indemnifiable
expenses; and action by a person with respect to an employee benefit plan which
such person reasonably believes to be in the interest of the participants and
beneficiaries of such plan shall be deemed to be action not opposed to the best
interests of the Corporation.
Section 6.5. Interested Directors; Quorum. No contract or
transaction between the Corporation and one or more of its directors or
officers, or between the Corporation and any other corporation, partnership,
association or other organization in which one or more of its directors or
officers are directors or officers, or have a financial interest, shall be void
or voidable solely for this reason, or solely because the director or officer is
present at or participates in the meeting of the Board of Directors or committee
thereof which authorizes the contract or transaction, or solely because his or
her or their votes are counted for such purpose, if: (1) the material facts as
to his or her relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are
disclosed or are known to the Board or the committee, and the Board or committee
in good faith authorizes the contract or transaction by the affirmative votes of
a majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested
directors be less than a quorum; or (2) the material facts as to his or her
relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or
are known to the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or
transaction is specifically approved in good faith by vote of the stockholders;
or (3) the contract or transaction is fair as to the Corporation as of the time
it is authorized, approved or ratified, by the Board, a committee thereof or the
stockholders. Common or interested directors may be counted in determining the
presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or of a committee
which authorizes the contract or transaction.
Section 6.6. Form of Records. Any records maintained by the
Corporation in the regular course of its business, including its stock ledger,
books of account and minute books, may be kept on, or be in the form of, punch
cards, magnetic tape, photographs, microphotographs or any other information
storage device, provided
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that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible form within a
reasonable time. The Corporation shall so convert any records so kept upon the
request of any person entitled to inspect the same.
Section 6.7. Amendment of Bylaws. These bylaws may be amended
or repealed, and new bylaws adopted, by the Board of Directors, but the
stockholders entitled to vote may adopt additional bylaws and may amend or
repeal any bylaw whether or not adopted by them.
