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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): April 16, 2020

 

Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

Bermuda

 

001-15259

 

98-0214719

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

110 Pitts Bay Road

Pembroke HM 08

Bermuda

 

P.O. Box HM 1282

Hamilton HM FX

Bermuda

(Address, Including Zip Code, of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(Mailing Address)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (441) 296-5858

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

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:

  Written communication 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 communication pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

  Pre-commencement communication 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, par value of $1.00 per share

 

ARGO

 

New York Stock Exchange

Guarantee of Argo Group U.S., Inc. 6.500% Senior Notes due 2042

 

ARGD

 

New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

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

On April 16, 2020, at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual General Meeting”) of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (the “Company”), the Company’s shareholders approved amendments to the Company’s Amended and Restated Bye-Laws (the “Bye-Laws”) to (i) immediately declassify the Board of Directors, (ii) provide a range in the size of the Board of Directors of 3 to 11 directors, with the exact number to be determined by the Board of Directors, and (iii) modify certain provisions relating to the voting of equity securities of Company subsidiaries. Each of these amendments are further described in the Company’s definitive proxy statement dated March 16, 2020, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Proxy Statement”). The Bye-Laws, as amended, are attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1.

Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

At the Annual General Meeting, the Company’s shareholders considered six proposals set forth below, each of which is described in more detail in the Proxy Statement. Each director nominee was elected and every proposal was approved by the Company’s shareholders. The number of votes cast for and against each matter, as well as the number of abstentions and broker non-votes, were as follows:

            

 

For

   

Against

   

Abstentions

   

Broker
Non-Vote

 

Proposal 1

 

Approval of an amendment to the Bye-Laws to declassify the Board of Directors

   

30,725,745

     

55,069

     

135,059

     

1,747,377

 
                                     

Proposal 2

 

Election of directors for an annual term until the next annual general meeting:

   

     

     

     

 

 

Bernard C. Bailey

   

29,431,956

     

1,348,433

     

135,484

     

1,747,377

 

 

Thomas A. Bradley

   

29,157,208

     

1,623,117

     

135,548

     

1,747,377

 

 

Fred R. Donner

   

30,099,294

     

679,737

     

136,842

     

1,747,377

 

 

Anthony P. Latham

   

29,784,904

     

996,289

     

134,680

     

1,747,377

 

 

Dymphna A. Lehane

   

29,792,555

     

990,879

     

132,439

     

1,747,377

 

 

Samuel G. Liss

   

28,809,120

     

1,948,513

     

158,240

     

1,747,377

 

 

Carol A. McFate

   

30,038,488

     

748,376

     

129,009

     

1,747,377

 

 

Kathleen A. Nealon

   

30,301,471

     

487,118

     

127,284

     

1,747,377

 

 

Al-Noor Ramji

   

30,278,995

     

499,054

     

137,824

     

1,747,377

 

 

Kevin J. Rehnberg

   

30,072,270

     

710,332

     

133,271

     

1,747,377

 

 

John H. Tonelli

   

30,661,425

     

118,363

     

136,085

     

1,747,377

 
                                     

Proposal 3

 

Approval, on an advisory, non-binding basis, of our executive compensation

   

17,791,855

     

12,984,416

     

139,602

     

1,747,377

 
                                     

Proposal 4

 

Approval of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020 and to refer the determination of its remuneration to the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors

   

31,589,882

     

928,957

     

144,411

     

 
                                     

Proposal 5

 

Approval of an amendment to the Bye-Laws to provide a range in the size of the Board of Directors of 3 to 11 directors, with the exact number to be determined by the Board of Directors

   

32,316,539

     

121,572

     

225,139

     

 
                                     

Proposal 6

 

Approval of an amendment to the Bye-Laws to modify certain provisions relating to the voting of equity securities of Company subsidiaries

   

30,080,968

     

680,047

     

154,858

     

1,747,377

 


Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits:

No.

   

Exhibit

         
 

3.1

   

Amended and Restated Bye-Laws of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd.

         
 

104

   

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).


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.

Dated: April 20, 2020

 

 

ARGO GROUP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD.

             

 

 

By:

 

/s/ Jay S. Bullock

 

 

Name:

 

Jay S. Bullock

 

 

Title:

 

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 3.1

ARGO GROUP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD.

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYE-LAWS

 

 

INTERPRETATION

1. (1) In these Bye-Laws, unless the context otherwise requires, the words standing in the first column of the following table shall bear the meaning set opposite them respectively in the second column.

 

WORD    MEANING
“Act”    The Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda, as amended from time to time.
“Attribution Percentage”    with respect to a Member, the percentage of the Member’s shares that are treated as Controlled Shares of a Tentative 9.5% U.S. Member.
“Auditor”    the Auditor of the Company for the time being and may include any individual or partnership.
“Bye-Laws”    these Bye-Laws in their present form or as supplemented or amended from time to time.

“Board” or the

“Directors” or the

“Board of Directors”

   the Board of Directors of the Company or the Directors (including alternate Directors).
“capital”    the share capital from time to time of the Company.
“Clear Days”    in relation to the period of a Notice, that period excluding the day when the Notice is given or served or deemed to be given or served and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect.
“Code”    the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, of the United States.
“Common Shares”    has the meaning assigned to it in Bye-Law 2.
“Company”    the company incorporated in Bermuda under the name of PXRE Group Ltd. on 1 June 1999.

“competent

regulatory

Authority”

   a competent regulatory authority in the jurisdiction or place where the shares of the Company are listed or quoted on a stock exchange.
“Controlled Shares”    all shares of the Company directly, indirectly or constructively owned by a person as determined pursuant to sections 957 and 958 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Designated Stock Exchange”    a stock exchange which is an appointed stock exchange for the purposes of the Act in respect of which the shares of the Company are listed or quoted.
“dollars” and “$”    dollars, the legal currency of the United States.
“Exchange Act”    the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, of the United States.
“General Meeting”    any meeting of the Members of the Company. The General Meeting convened once in every calendar year in compliance with the Act, shall be known as the “Annual General Meeting”. Any General Meeting other than an Annual General Meeting, shall be known as a “Special General Meeting”.
“indirect”    when referring to a holder or owner of shares, ownership of shares within the meaning of section 958(a)(2) of the Code.


“Member”    a duly registered holder from time to time of the shares in the capital of the Company.
“month”    a calendar month.
“9.5% U.S. Member”    a U.S. Person whose Controlled Shares constitute nine and one half percent (9.5%) or more of the voting power of all issued shares of the Company and who generally would be required to recognize income with respect to the Company under section 951(a)(1) of the Code, if the Company were a controlled foreign corporation as defined in section 957 of the Code and if the ownership threshold under section 951(b) of the Code were 9.5%.
“Notice”    as defined in Byelaw 37 of these Bye-Laws.
“Office”    the registered office of the Company for the time being.
“Officer”    any individual appointed by the Board pursuant to these Bye-Laws or by another officer to hold an office of the Company.
“paid up”    paid up or credited as paid up.
“Person”    any individual, general or limited partnership, corporation, association, trust, estate, company (including a limited liability company) or any other entity or organization, including a government, a political subdivision or agency or instrumentality thereof.
“Preferred Shares”    has the meaning assigned to it in Bye-Law 2.
“Register”    the principal register of Members and, where applicable, any branch register of Members of the Company to be kept pursuant to the provisions of the Act.
“Registration Office”    in respect of any class or series of share capital, such place as the Board may from time to time determine to keep a branch register of Members in respect of that class or series of share capital and where (except in cases where the Board otherwise directs) the transfers or other documents of title for such class or series of share capital are to be delivered for registration.
“Seal”    common seal or any one or more duplicate seals of the Company (including a securities seal) for use in Bermuda or in any place outside Bermuda.
“Secretary”    any Person appointed by the Board to perform any of the duties of secretary of the Company and includes any assistant, deputy, temporary or acting secretary.
“Securities Act”    the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of the United States.
“shares”    the Common Shares or Preferred Shares of the Company, as the case may be.
“Subsidiary”    any entity in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, shares representing at least fifty percent (50%) of the voting power or fifty percent (50%) of the value of such entity.
“Tentative 9.5% U.S. Member”    a U.S. Person that, but for adjustments or restrictions on exercise of the voting power of shares pursuant to Bye-Law 20, would be a 9.5% U.S. Member.
“treasury share”    as defined in the Act.
“year”    a calendar year.
“U.S. Person”    (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation or partnership that is, as to the United States, a domestic


   corporation or partnership, (iii) an estate that is subject to United States federal income tax on its income, regardless of its source, (iv) a “U.S. Trust;” a U.S. Trust is any trust (A) if and only if (i) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust, and (ii) one or more U.S. trustees have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has otherwise validly elected to be treated as a domestic trust under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations; or (v) any person that is treated as one of the foregoing for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

(2) In these Bye-Laws, where not inconsistent with the context:

 

  (a)

words denoting the singular include the plural and vice versa;

 

  (b)

words denoting a gender include every gender;

 

  (c)

words describing Persons include companies, associations and bodies of Persons whether corporate or not;

 

  (d)

the word:

 

  (i)

“may” shall be construed as permissive; and

 

  (ii)

“shall” or “will” shall be construed as imperative;

 

  (e)

expressions referring to writing shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as including printing, lithography, photography, facsimile, computer generated and electronic records;

 

  (f)

references to any act, ordinance, statute or statutory provision (whether in Bermuda or elsewhere) shall be interpreted as relating to any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force;

 

  (g)

unless otherwise provided herein words and expressions defined in the Act shall bear the same meanings in these Bye-Laws if not inconsistent with the context;

 

  (h)

a resolution shall be a “Special Resolution when it has been passed by the affirmative vote of Members holding not less than sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the voting power of the then outstanding shares entitled to vote, cast by such Members in person or, in the case of such Members as are corporations, by their respective duly authorized representative or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy, at a General Meeting of which not less than twenty-one (21) Clear Days’ Notice, specifying (without prejudice to the power contained in these Bye-Laws to amend the same) the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution, has been duly given;

 

  (i)

a resolution shall be an “Ordinary Resolution” when it has been passed by a simple majority of votes cast by the Members, in person, by a representative or by proxy, at a General Meeting of which not less than twenty-one (21) Clear Days’ Notice has been duly given;

 

  (j)

a Special Resolution shall be effective for any purpose for which an Ordinary Resolution is expressed to be required under any provision of these Bye-Laws or the Act;

 

  (k)

headings used in these Bye-Laws are for convenience only and are not to be used or relied upon in the construction of these Bye-Laws;

 

  (l)

a reference to anything being done by electronic means includes it being done by means of any electronic or other communications equipment or facilities and reference to any communication being delivered or received, or being delivered or received at a particular place, includes the transmission of an electronic record to a recipient identified in such manner or by such means as the Board may from time to time approve or prescribe, either generally or for a particular purpose; and

 

  (m)

a reference to a signature or to anything being signed or executed include such forms of electronic signature or other means of verifying the authenticity of an electronic record as the Board may from time to time approve or prescribe, either generally or for a particular purpose.


(3) In these Bye-Laws, in calculating whether a resolution has been passed by a particular majority or whether a particular number of shares is represented at a General Meeting and, generally, for all purposes, in calculating the total number of votes cast or votes represented, as the case may be, the provisions of Bye-Law 20 hereof shall be taken into account in all cases in computing the number of votes cast or votes represented, as the case may be.

SHARES AND SHARE CAPITAL

2. (1) The authorized share capital of the Company is $530,000,000 divided into the following classes of shares:

 

  (a)

500,000,000 common shares, par value $1.00 per share (“Common Shares”); and

 

  (b)

30,000,000 preferred shares, par value $1.00 per share (“Preferred Shares”).

(2) Subject to the provisions of these Bye-Laws, any shares of the Company held as treasury shares shall be at the disposal of the Board, which may hold all or any of the shares, dispose of or transfer all or any of the shares for cash or other consideration, or cancel all or any of the shares.

COMMON SHARES

3. (1) Subject to these Bye-Laws, at a General Meeting of the Company every holder of Common Shares shall be entitled to one vote for each share held by him on all matters submitted to a vote of the Members, but in all cases after giving effect to any adjustments to or restrictions on exercise of voting rights under Bye-Law 20.

(2) The Board may in its discretion, at any time, and from time to time, issue or cause to be issued all or any part of the authorized but unissued Common Shares of the Company for consideration of such character and value as the Board shall in its absolute discretion from time to time fix or determine.

(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of these Bye-Laws, the Company may not issue any shares or grant options or warrants in a manner that the Board determines in its sole discretion may result in a non de minimis adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequence to the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any direct or indirect holder of shares or its affiliates.

AUTHORITY OF BOARD TO ISSUE AND DIVIDE

PREFERRED SHARES INTO DIFFERENT SERIES

4. (1) The Board may in its discretion at any time, and from time to time, issue or cause to be issued all or any part of the authorized but unissued Preferred Shares of the Company for consideration of such character and value as the Board shall in its absolute discretion from time to time fix or determine.

(2) Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of these Bye-Laws, the Company may not issue any shares or grant options or warrants in a manner that the Board determines in its sole discretion may result in a non de minimis adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequence to the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any direct or indirect holder of shares or its affiliates.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1) of this Bye-Law, the Board is hereby further expressly authorized at any time, and from time to time, to consolidate, divide or subdivide any or all of the authorized but unissued Preferred Shares of the Company into several series, and to set the par value of any of the unissued Preferred Shares, and in the resolution or resolutions establishing a particular series, before issuance of any of the shares thereof, to fix and determine the number of shares and the designation of such series, so as to distinguish it from the shares of all other series and classes, and to fix and determine the voting rights, preferences, qualifications, privileges, limitations, options, conversion rights, redemption features, restrictions, and other special or relative rights of such series. Each of such series may differ from every other series previously authorized, as may be determined by the Board in any or all respects, to the fullest extent now, or hereafter, permitted by the laws of Bermuda including, but not limited to, the variations between different series in the following respects:

 

  (a)

the distinctive designation of such series and the number of shares which shall constitute such series, which number may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) from time to time by the Board;


  (b)

the annual dividend or dividend rate for such series, and the date or dates from which dividends shall commence to accrue;

 

  (c)

the par value of the shares prior to issue, provided, however, that the par value shall in no case be set at less than $1.00 per share;

 

  (d)

the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions on which, if any, the shares of such series may be redeemed or made redeemable;

 

  (e)

the purchase or sinking fund provisions, if any, for the purchase or redemption of shares of such series;

 

  (f)

the preferential amount or amounts, if any, payable upon shares of such series in the event of the liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Company;

 

  (g)

the terms and conditions, if any, upon which shares of such series may be converted and the class or series of shares of the Company or other securities into which such shares may be converted;

 

  (h)

the relative seniority, priority or junior rank of such series as to dividends or assets in relation to any other classes or series of shares of the Company then or thereafter to be issued;

 

  (i)

such other terms, preferences, qualifications, privileges, limitations, options, restrictions, and other special rights, if any, of shares of such series as the Board may, at the time of such resolution or resolutions, lawfully fix or determine;

 

  (j)

cancel shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution in that behalf, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any Person; and

 

  (k)

where any difficulty arises in regard to any consolidation, division or sub-division under this Bye-Law, the Board may settle the same as it thinks expedient and, in particular, may issue certificates in respect of fractions of shares or arrange for the sale of the shares representing fractions and the distribution of the net proceeds of sale (after deduction of the expenses of such sale) in due proportion among the Members who would have been entitled to the fractions, and for this purpose the Board may authorize a Person to transfer the shares representing fractions to the purchaser thereof, or resolve that such net proceeds be paid to the Company for the Company’s benefit; and such purchases shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money nor shall such Person’s title to the shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating to the sale.

(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of these Bye-Laws, the Company may not consolidate, divide or subdivide Preferred Shares in a manner that the Board determines in its sole discretion may result in a non-de minimis adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequence to the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any direct or indirect holder of shares or its affiliates.

EMPLOYEE SHARE PURCHASE

5. (1) The Board may from time to time:

 

  (a)

establish a plan or plans (including individual agreements) for employees, directors, officers, consultants and/or advisors of the Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates whereby the Company provides securities (whether restricted or otherwise), or options to purchase securities, or money for the purchase of, or subscription for, such securities and/or options, whether directly or indirectly through a trust established for the benefit of such employees, directors, officers, consultants and/or advisors;

 

  (b)

provide for the making by the Company of loans to Persons, other than Directors, bona fide in the employment of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, with a view to enabling those Persons to purchase or subscribe for fully-paid shares in the Company, to be held by themselves by way of beneficial ownership; and

 

  (c)

provide for the giving by the Company, directly or indirectly, of financial assistance, whether by means of a loan, guarantee, the provision of security or otherwise, to its bona fide employees, or the


  bona fide employees of any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not they shall also be Directors, in order that they may buy shares in the Company and the Board may, in its discretion, from time to time require, as one of the terms of issue of any such shares or by contract, that any such employee shall be required or allowed to sell such shares to the Company, upon such terms and at such price as the Board may by such terms of issue or contract establish, when such employee ceases to be employed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

COMPANY SHARE PURCHASE

6. (1) Subject to the Act, the Company’s Memorandum of Association and these Bye-Laws and, where applicable, the rules of any Designated Stock Exchange and/or any competent regulatory authority, the Company may purchase or otherwise acquire its own shares upon such terms and conditions as the Board shall determine, provided, however, that such purchase or acquisition may not be made if the Board determines in its sole discretion that it may result in a non-de minimis adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequence to the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any direct or indirect holder of shares or its affiliates.

(2) The Board may, at its discretion and without the sanction of a resolution of the Members, authorise the acquisition by the Company of its own shares, of any class, at any price (whether at par or above or below par), and any shares to be so purchased may be selected in any manner whatsoever, to be held as treasury shares, upon such terms as the Board may in its discretion determine, provided always that such acquisition is effected in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The whole or any part of the amount payable on any such acquisition may be paid or satisfied otherwise than in cash, to the extent permitted by the Act.

ALTERATION OF CAPITAL

7. (1) The Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution in accordance with the Act:

 

  (a)

increase its capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such amounts, as the resolution shall prescribe;

 

  (b)

consolidate and divide all or any of its capital into shares of larger amount than its existing shares;

 

  (c)

divide its shares into several classes, and without prejudice to any special rights previously conferred on the holders of existing shares, attach thereto respectively any preferential, deferred, qualified or special rights, privileges, conditions or such restrictions, which, in the absence of any such determination by the Company in a General Meeting, as the Directors may determine, provided always that where the Company issues shares which do not carry voting rights, the words “non-voting” shall appear in the designation of such shares and where the equity capital includes shares with different voting rights, the designation of each class of shares, other than those with the most favorable voting rights, must include the words “restricted voting” or “limited voting”;

 

  (d)

sub-divide its shares, or any of them, into shares of smaller amount than is fixed by the Memorandum of Association (subject, nevertheless, to the Act), and may by such resolution determine that, as between the holders of the shares resulting from such sub-division, one or more of the shares may have any such preferred rights or be subject to any such restrictions as compared with the other or others as the Company has power to attach to unissued or new shares;

 

  (e)

change the currency denomination of its share capital; and

 

  (f)

cancel any shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken, or agreed to be taken, by any Person, and diminish the amount of its capital by the amount of the shares so canceled;

Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of these Bye-Laws, the Company shall not alter the rights attaching to any class of shares if the Board, after taking into account any adjustments to or restrictions on exercise of voting rights under Bye-Law 20, determines in its sole discretion that any non de minimis adverse tax, regulatory or legal consequences to the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, or any direct or indirect holders of shares or its affiliates may result from such variation.


(2) The Board may settle as it considers expedient any difficulty which arises in relation to any consolidation, division or subdivision under this Bye-Law and in particular but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing may issue certificates in respect of fractions of shares or arrange for the sale of the shares representing fractions and the distribution of the net proceeds of sale (after deduction of the expenses of such sale) in due proportion among the Members who would have been entitled to the fractions, and for this purpose the Board may authorize a Person to transfer the shares representing fractions to the purchaser thereof or resolve that such net proceeds be paid to the Company for the Company’s benefit. Such purchaser will not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money nor shall such Person’s title to the shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating to the sale.

(3) The Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution in accordance with the Act reduce its authorized or issued share capital or any share premium account or other undistributable reserve in any manner permitted by applicable law.

(4) Except so far as otherwise provided by the conditions of issue, or by these Bye-Laws, any capital raised by the creation of new shares shall be treated as if it formed part of the original capital of the Company, and such shares shall be subject to the provisions contained in these Bye-Laws with reference to the payment of calls and installments, transfer and transmission, forfeiture, lien, cancellation, surrender, voting and otherwise.

(5) Subject to the Act and Bye-Laws 20 and 7(2), all or any of the special rights attached to the shares or any class of shares may, unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, from time to time (whether or not the Company is being wound up) be varied, modified or abrogated either with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate General Meeting of the holders of the shares of that class. To every such separate General Meeting all the provisions of these Bye-Laws relating to General Meetings of the Company shall, as the case may be, apply, but so that:

 

  (a)

the necessary quorum shall be two or more Persons holding or representing by proxy not less than a majority of the issued shares of that class;

 

  (b)

subject to the provisions of Bye-Law 20, every holder of shares of the class shall be entitled on a vote to one vote for every such share held by him; and

 

  (c)

any holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a vote.

(6) The special rights conferred upon the holders of any shares or class of shares shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided in the rights attaching to or the terms of issue of such shares, be deemed to be varied, modified or abrogated by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu therewith.

WARRANTS

8. (1) The Board may issue warrants conferring the right upon the holders thereof to subscribe for any class of shares or securities in the capital of the Company on such terms as the Board may from time to time determine. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of these Bye-Laws, the Company may not issue any warrants in a manner that the Board determines in its sole discretion may result in a non de minimis adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequence to the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any direct or indirect holder of shares or its affiliates.

(2) The Company may in connection with the issue of any shares exercise all powers of paying commission and brokerage conferred or permitted by the Act. Subject to the Act, the commission may be satisfied by the payment of cash or by the allotment of fully or partly paid shares or partly in one and partly in the other.

(3) INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

(4) Except as required by applicable law, no Person shall be recognized by the Company as holding any share in the capital of the Company upon any trust and the Company shall not be bound by or required in any way to recognize (even when having Notice thereof) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any share or any fractional part of a share or (except only as otherwise provided by these Bye-Laws or by applicable law) any other rights in respect of any share except an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the registered holder.


(5) Subject to the Act and these Bye-Laws, the Board may at any time after the allotment of shares in the capital of the Company but before any Person has been entered in the Register as the holder, recognize a renunciation thereof by such recipient in favor of some other Person and may accord to any such recipient of a share a right to effect such renunciation upon and subject to such terms and conditions as the Board determines to impose.

SHARE CERTIFICATES

9. (1) Every share certificate shall specify the number and class and distinguishing numbers of the shares to which it relates, and the amount paid up thereon and may otherwise be in such form as the Directors may from time to time determine be issued under the Seal or signed by a Director, the Secretary or any person authorised by the Board for that purpose. No certificate shall be issued representing shares of more than one class. The Board may by resolution determine, either generally or in any particular case or cases, that any signatures on any such certificates (or certificates in respect of other securities) need not be autographic but may be affixed to such certificates by some mechanical means or may be printed thereon or that such certificates need not be signed by any Person. If any person holding office in the Company who has signed, or whose facsimile signature has been used on, any certificate ceases for any reason to hold office, such certificate may nevertheless be issued as though that person had not ceased to hold such office. Every share certificate shall recite that the voting rights relating to such shares are subject to the limitations contained in these Bye-Laws.

(2) In the case of a share held jointly by several Persons, the Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate therefor and delivery of a certificate to one of several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all such holders.

(3) Where a share stands in the names of two or more Persons, the Person first named in the Register shall as regards service of Notices and, subject to the provisions of these Bye-Laws, all or any other matters connected with the Company, except the transfer of the shares, be deemed the sole holder thereof.

(4) Every Person whose name is entered, upon an allotment of shares, as a Member in the Register shall be entitled, without payment, to receive one certificate for all such shares of any one class, or several certificates each for one or more of such shares of such class upon payment, for every certificate after the first, of such reasonable out-of-pocket expenses as the Board from time to time determines.

(5) Subject to paragraph (2) hereof, share certificates shall be issued, in the case of an issue of shares within twenty-one (21) days (or such longer period as the terms of the issue provide) after allotment, or in the case of a transfer of fully or partly paid shares within twenty-one (21) days after delivery of a transfer to the Company, not being a transfer which the Company is for the time being entitled to refuse to register and does not register.

(6) Notwithstanding any provision in these Bye-Laws to the contrary, a Person may by Notice to the Company elect that no certificate be issued in respect of shares registered or to be registered in his name and on receipt of such election the Company shall not be required to issue a certificate for such shares or may cancel an existing certificate without issuing another certificate in lieu thereof.

(7) Upon every transfer of shares, the certificate held by the transferor shall be given up to be canceled, and shall forthwith be canceled accordingly, and a new certificate shall be issued to the transferee in respect of the shares transferred to him. If any of the shares included in the certificate so given up shall be retained by the transferor a new certificate for the balance shall be issued to him.

(8) If a share certificate shall be damaged or defaced or alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, a new certificate representing the same shares may be issued to the relevant Member upon request and on payment of such fee as the Designated Stock Exchange or the Board may determine to be payable, and, subject to compliance with such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and to payment of the costs and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the Company in investigating such evidence and preparing such indemnity as the Board shall determine and, in case of damage or defacement, on delivery of the old certificate to the Company, provided always that where share warrants have been issued, no new share warrant shall be issued to replace one that has been lost, stolen or destroyed unless the Directors are satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the original has been lost, stolen or destroyed.


REGISTER

10. (1) The Company shall keep in one or more books a Register and shall enter therein the following particulars:

 

  (a)

the name and address of each Member, the number and, where appropriate, the class or series of shares held by such Member and the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid on such shares; and

 

  (b)

the date on which each Person was entered in the Register.

(2) Subject to the Act, the Company may keep an overseas or local or other branch register of Members resident in any place, and the Board may make and vary such regulations as it determines in respect of the keeping of any such register and maintaining a Registration Office in connection therewith.

INSPECTION OF REGISTER OF MEMBERS

11. The Register and branch register of Members, as the case may be, shall be open to inspection on every business day by any Person without charge or by any other Person, upon the maximum payment permitted under the Act, subject to such reasonable restrictions as the Board may impose, so that not less then two (2) hours in each business day be allowed for inspections, at the Office or such other place in Bermuda at which the Register is kept in accordance with the Act or, if appropriate, upon the maximum payment permitted under the Act at the Registration Office. The Register, including any overseas or local or other branch register of Members, may, after Notice has been given by advertisement in an appointed newspaper and, where applicable, any other newspapers in accordance with the requirements of any Designated Stock Exchange to that effect, be closed at such times or for such periods not exceeding in the aggregate thirty (30) days in each year as the Board may determine and either generally or in respect of any class or series of shares.

RECORD DATES

12. Notwithstanding any provision of these Bye-Laws to the contrary, the Company or the Directors may fix any date as the record date for:

 

  (a)

determining the Members entitled to receive any dividend, distribution, allotment or issue; and

 

  (b)

determining the Members entitled to receive Notice of and to vote at any General Meeting of the Company.

TRANSFER OF SHARES

13. (1) Subject to the Act and to such of the restrictions contained in these Bye-Laws, as may be applicable, any Member may transfer all or any of his shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or in any other form approved by the Board.

(2) The instrument of transfer shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor. The Board may also resolve, either generally or in any particular case, upon request by the transferor, to accept mechanically executed transfers. The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of the share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register in respect thereof. Nothing in these Bye-Laws shall preclude the Board from recognizing a renunciation of the allotment or provisional allotment of any share by the allottee in favor of some other Person.

(3) The Board may, in its absolute discretion, and without giving any reason therefor, refuse to register a transfer of any share issued under any share plan for employees upon which a restriction on transfer imposed thereby still subsists, and it may also refuse to register a transfer of any share to more than four (4) joint holders. The Board may decline to approve or register or permit the registration of any transfer of shares if it appears to the Board that any non-de minimis adverse tax, regulatory or legal consequences to the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, or any direct or indirect holder of shares or its Affiliates would result from such transfer. Nothing in these Bye-Laws shall impair the settlement of transactions entered into through the facilities of a Designated Stock Exchange except as provided by such exchange.

(4) No transfer shall be made to an infant or to a Person of unsound mind or under other legal disability, known as such by the Company.


(5) INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

(6) INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

(7) Without limiting the generality of the preceding paragraph, the Board may decline to recognize any instrument of transfer unless:

 

  (a)

the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of share;

 

  (b)

the instrument of transfer is delivered to the Office or such other place in Bermuda at which the Register is kept in accordance with the Act or the Registration Office (as the case may be) accompanied by the relevant share certificate(s) and such other evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer (and, if the instrument of transfer is executed by some other Person on his behalf, the authority of that Person so to do); and

 

  (c)

if applicable, it shall be satisfied to the Board that the proposed transfer complies with the federal and state securities laws of the United States.

(8) If the Board refuses to register a transfer of any share in accordance with these Bye-Laws, it shall, within one hundred twenty (120) days after the date on which the transfer was delivered to the Company, send to each of the transferor and transferee Notice of the refusal.

(9) The registration of transfers of shares or of any class of shares may, after Notice has been given by advertisement in an appointed newspaper and, where applicable, any other newspapers in accordance with the requirements of any Designated Stock Exchange to that effect, be suspended at such times and for such periods (not exceeding thirty (30) days in any year) as the Board may determine.

TRANSMISSION OF SHARES

14. (1) If a Member dies, the survivor or survivors where the deceased was a joint holder, and his legal representatives where he was a sole or only surviving holder, will be the only Persons recognized by the Company as having any title to his interest in the shares; but nothing in this Bye-Law will release the estate of a deceased Member (whether sole or joint) from any liability in respect of any share which had been solely or jointly held by him.

(2) Subject to the Act, any Person becoming entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy or winding-up of a Member may, upon such evidence as to his title being produced as may be required by the Board, elect either to become the holder of the share or to have some Person nominated by him registered as the transferee thereof. If he elects to become the holder he shall notify the Company in writing either at the Registration Office or Office, as the case may be, to that effect. If he elects to have another Person registered he shall execute a transfer of the share in favor of that Person. The provisions of these Bye-Laws relating to the transfer and registration of transfers of shares shall apply to such Notice or transfer as aforesaid as if the death or bankruptcy of the Member had not occurred and the Notice or transfer were a transfer signed by such Member. The Board may decline to approve or register or permit the registration of shares if it appears to the Board that any non-de minimis adverse tax, regulatory or legal consequences to the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, or any direct or indirect holder of shares or its Affiliates would result from such transfer.

(3) A Person becoming entitled to a share by reason of the death or bankruptcy or winding-up of a Member shall be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered holder of the share. However, the Board may determine to withhold the payment of any dividend payable or other advantages in respect of such share until such Person shall become the registered holder of the share or shall have effectually transferred such share, but, subject to the requirements of these Bye-Laws being met, such a Person may vote at meetings.

UNTRACEABLE MEMBERS

15. (1) Without prejudice to the rights of the Company under paragraph (2) of this Bye-Law, the Company may cease sending a check for dividend entitlements or dividend warrants by mail if such check or warrants have been left uncashed on two consecutive occasions. However, the Company may exercise the power to cease sending a check for dividend entitlements or dividend warrant after the first occasion on which such a check or warrant is returned undelivered.


(2) The Company shall have the power to sell, in such manner as the Board shall determine, any shares of a Member who is untraceable, but no such sale shall be made unless:

 

  (a)

all checks or warrants in respect of dividends of the shares in question, being not less than three in total number, for any sum payable in cash to the holder of such shares in respect of them sent during the relevant period in the manner authorized by these Bye-Laws have remained uncashed;

 

  (b)

so far as it is aware at the end of the relevant period, the Company has not at any time during the relevant period received any indication of the existence of the Member who is the holder of such shares or of a Person entitled to such shares by death, bankruptcy or operation of law; and

 

  (c)

the Company, if so required by the rules governing the listing of shares on the Designated Stock Exchange, has given Notice to, and caused advertisement in newspapers in accordance with the requirements of, the Designated Stock Exchange to be made of its intention to sell such shares in the manner required by the Designated Stock Exchange, and a period of ninety (90) days or such shorter period as may be allowed by the Designated Stock Exchange has elapsed since the date of such advertisement.

For the purpose of the foregoing, the “relevant period” means the period commencing twelve years before the date of publication of the advertisement referred to in sub-paragraph (2)(c) of this Bye-Law and ending at the expiration of the period referred to in that paragraph.

(3) To give effect to any such sale the Board may authorize a Person to transfer the said shares and an instrument of transfer signed or otherwise executed by or on behalf of such Person shall be as effective as if it had been executed by the registered holder or the Person entitled by transmission to such shares, and the purchaser shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money nor shall his title to the shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating to the sale. The net proceeds of the sale will belong to the Company and upon receipt by the Company of such net proceeds it shall become indebted to the former Member for an amount equal to such net proceeds. No trust shall be created in respect of such debt and no interest shall be payable in respect of it and the Company shall not be required to account for any money earned from the net proceeds which may be employed in the business of the Company or as the Board shall determine. Any sale under this Bye-Law shall be valid and effective notwithstanding that the Member holding the shares sold is dead, bankrupt or otherwise under any legal disability or incapacity.

GENERAL MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERS

16. (1) The Board shall convene and the Company shall hold Annual General Meetings of the Members in accordance with the requirements of the Act and these Bye-Laws. The Board may, whenever it shall determine, and shall, when required by the Act or these Bye-Laws, convene a General Meeting, other than an Annual General Meeting, which shall be called a Special General Meeting. Except with the unanimous approval of the Board, all Annual or Special General Meetings of the Company shall be held in Bermuda, but under no circumstance shall any General Meeting be held in the United States.

(2) The Board may determine to call Special General Meetings, and Members holding at the date of delivery of the written Notice not less than one-tenth (1/10) of the paid up capital of the Company carrying the right of voting at General Meetings of the Company shall at all times have the right, by written Notice to the Board or the Secretary of the Company, to require a Special General Meeting to be called by the Board for the transaction of any business specified in such Notice; and such meeting shall be held within sixty (60) days after the deposit of such Notice. If within twenty-one (21) days of such delivery, the Board fails to proceed to convene such meeting such Members may do so in accordance with the provisions of the Act.


NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS

17. (1) An Annual General Meeting and any Special General Meeting of the Members shall be called by not less than twenty-one (21) Clear Days’ Notice.

(2) Notice of every General Meeting shall be given in any manner permitted by these Bye-Laws to all Members other than those who, under the provisions of these Bye-Laws or the terms of issue of the shares they hold, are not entitled to receive such Notice from the Company.

(3) Notwithstanding that a General Meeting of the Company is called by shorter Notice than that specified in this Bye-Law, it shall be deemed to have been duly called if it is so agreed:

 

  (a)

in the case of a meeting called as an Annual General Meeting, by all the Members entitled to attend and vote thereat;

 

  (b)

in the case of any other General Meeting, by a majority in number of the Members having the right to attend and vote at the meeting, being a majority together holding not less than ninety-five percent (95%) in nominal value of the shares giving that right.

(4) At any Annual or Special General Meeting of the Members, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an Annual or Special General Meeting, business must be specified in the Notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board, otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board, or otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a Member. In addition to any other applicable requirements, for business to be properly brought before an Annual or Special General Meeting by a Member, the Member must have given timely Notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Company. To be timely, a Member’s Notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at the Registration Office of the Company, not less than sixty (60) days prior to such meeting. A Member’s Notice to the Secretary shall set forth as to each matter the Member proposes to bring before the meeting and any material interest of the Member in such business (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting, (ii) the name and record address of the Member proposing such business, (iii) a representation that the Member is a holder of record of shares of the Company entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to present such proposal or nomination, (iv) the class and number of shares of the Company which are beneficially owned by the Member, and (v) any material interest of the Member in such business; provided, however, that Members may only give Notice to the Secretary of matters to be brought before an Annual or Special General Meeting for the purposes of this Bye-Law that are matters that are suitable and appropriate for submission to General Meetings of the Members of a publicly-quoted company as determined by the Board.

(5) Notwithstanding anything in the Bye-Laws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at an Annual or Special General Meeting except in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Bye-Law; provided, however, that nothing in this Bye-Law shall be deemed to preclude discussion by any Member of any business properly brought before the Annual or Special General Meeting in accordance with the procedures herein detailed.

(6) The Chairman of an Annual or Special General Meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Bye-Law, and if he should so determine, he shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

(7) Any nomination or nominations of Persons for election to the Board of the Company made in accordance with the provisions of these Bye-Laws shall be deemed for the purposes of this Bye-Law to constitute business properly brought before an Annual or Special General Meeting, as the case may be.

(8) The accidental omission to give Notice of a meeting or (in cases where instruments of proxy are sent out with the Notice) to send such instrument of proxy to, or the non-receipt of such Notice or such instrument of proxy by, any Person entitled to receive such Notice shall not invalidate any resolution passed or the proceedings at that meeting.


PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

18. (1) No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless it shall have been properly brought before the Annual or Special General Meeting in accordance with these Bye-Laws and a quorum is present when the meeting proceeds to business, but the absence of a quorum shall not preclude the appointment, choice or election of a Chairman which shall not be treated as part of the business of the meeting. Except as provided to the contrary in these Bye-Laws, Members representing a majority of the outstanding shares carrying the right to vote in the Company, represented in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for all purposes. In calculating the amount of voting shares represented in person or by proxy to determine whether or not a quorum is present for purposes of this Bye-Law, the inspectors appointed in accordance with Bye-Law 19 hereof, shall calculate the number of votes represented in person or by proxy in accordance with the provisions of Bye-Law 20 hereof.

(2) If within five (5) minutes (or such longer time as the Chairman of the meeting may determine to wait) after the time appointed for the meeting, a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened on the requisition of Members, shall be dissolved. In any other case, it shall stand adjourned to such other day and such other time and place as the Chairman of the meeting may determine and at such adjourned meeting two Members present in person (whatever the number of shares held by them) shall be a quorum. The Company shall give not less than seven (7) days’ Notice of any meeting adjourned through want of a quorum and such Notice shall state that two Members present in person (whatever the number of shares held by them) shall be a quorum.

(3) Each Director shall be entitled to attend and speak at any General Meeting of the Company.

(4) The Chairman of the Board shall preside as Chairman at every General Meeting. In his absence, the following shall preside in the order stated: the Deputy Chairman, any other Director appointed by the Board, the President, any Executive Vice President or any other Officer of the Company. If none of the foregoing is present within five (5) minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, or if none of them is willing to act as Chairman, the Directors present shall choose one of their number to act or if one Director only is present he shall preside as Chairman if willing to act. If no Director is present or if each of the Directors present declines to take the chair, the Persons present and entitled to vote shall elect one of their number to be Chairman.

(5) The Chairman may, with the consent of any meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting), adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting except business which might lawfully have been transacted at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting is adjourned for three (3) months or more, Notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting.

(6) Except as provided to the contrary in these Bye-Laws, it shall not be necessary to give any Notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting.

INSPECTORS

19. The Board may, in advance of any meeting of Members, appoint one or more inspectors to act at such meeting or any adjournment thereof. If the inspectors shall not be so appointed or if any of them shall fail to appear or act, the Chairman of the meeting may and on the request of any Member entitled to vote thereat shall, appoint inspectors. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to exercise the duties of inspector at such meeting with strict impartiality and according to the best of his ability. The inspectors shall determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the number of shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, the validity and effect of proxies, and shall receive votes, ballots or consents, hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, count and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, determine the result, and do such acts as are proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all Members. On the request of the Chairman of the meeting or any Member entitled to vote thereat, the inspectors shall make a report in writing of any challenge, request or matter determined by them and shall execute a certificate of any fact found by them. No Director or candidate for the office of Director shall act as inspector. Inspectors need not be Members.


VOTING AT GENERAL MEETINGS

20. (1) Subject to the provisions of Bye-Law 20 below, and subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes or series of shares, every Member shall have one vote for each share carrying the right to vote on the matter in question of which he is the holder. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Bye-Laws, all determinations in these Bye-Laws that are made by or subject to a vote or approval of Members shall be based upon the voting power of such Members’ shares as determined pursuant to Bye-Law 20.

(2) Adjustment of Voting Power

 

  (a)

The voting power of all shares is hereby adjusted (and shall be automatically adjusted in the future) to the extent necessary so that there is no 9.5% U.S. Member. The Board shall implement the foregoing in the manner provided herein, provided however, that the foregoing provision and the remainder of this Bye-Law 20 (2) shall not apply in the event that one Member owns greater than 75% of the voting power of the issued shares of the Company determined without applying the voting power adjustments or eliminations under Bye-Law 20.

 

  (b)

The Board shall from time to time, including prior to any time at which a vote of Members is taken, take all reasonable steps necessary to ascertain, including those specified in Bye-Law 20 (6), through communications with Members or otherwise, whether there exists, or will exist at the time any vote of Members is taken, a Tentative 9.5% U.S. Member.

 

  (c)

In the event that a Tentative 9.5% U.S. Member exists, the aggregate votes conferred by shares held by a Member and treated as Controlled Shares of that Tentative 9.5% U.S. Member shall be reduced to the extent necessary such that the Controlled Shares of the Tentative 9.5% U.S. Member will constitute less than 9.5% of the voting power of all issued and outstanding shares. In applying the previous sentence where shares held by more than one Member are treated as Controlled Shares of such Tentative 9.5% U.S. Member, the reduction in votes shall apply to such Members in descending order according to their respective Attribution Percentages, provided that, in the event of a tie, the reduction shall apply pro rata to such Members. The votes of Members owning no shares treated as Controlled Shares of any Tentative 9.5% U.S. Member shall, in the aggregate, be increased by the same number of votes subject to reduction as described above provided however that no shares shall be conferred votes to the extent that doing so will cause any person to be treated as a 9.5% U.S. Member. Such increase shall be apportioned to all such Members in proportion to their voting power at that time, provided that such increase shall be limited to the extent necessary to avoid causing any person to be a 9.5% U.S. Member. The adjustments of voting power described in this Bye-Law shall apply repeatedly until there is no 9.5% U.S. Member. The Board of Directors may deviate from any of the principles described in this Bye-Law and determine that shares held by a Member shall carry different voting rights as it determines appropriate (1) to avoid the existence of any 9.5% U.S. Member or (2) to avoid adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequences to the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, or any direct or indirect holder of shares or its affiliates. For the avoidance of doubt, in applying the provisions of Bye-Law 20, a share may carry a fraction of a vote.

(3) Other Adjustments of Voting Power

In addition to the provisions of Bye-Law 20 (2), any shares shall not carry any right to vote to the extent that the Board of Directors determines that it is necessary that such shares should not carry the right to vote in order to avoid adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequences to the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, or any other direct or indirect holder of shares or its affiliates, provided that no adjustment pursuant to this sentence shall cause any person to become a 9.5% U.S. Member.

(4) Notice

Prior to the meeting on which Members shall vote on any matter (or prior to any vote in the case of notification to Members specified in item (3) of this Bye-Law), the Board may, in its sole discretion, (i) retain the services of an internationally recognized accounting firm or organization with comparable professional capabilities in order to assist the Company in applying the principles of Bye-Laws 20 (2) and 20 (3) and (ii) obtain from such firm or organization a statement describing the information obtained and procedures followed and setting forth the determinations made with respect to Bye-Laws 20 (2) and 20 (3), and (iii) notify in writing or orally each Member of the voting power conferred by its shares determined in accordance with Bye-Laws 20 (2) and 20 (3). For the avoidance of doubt, any failure by the Board to take any of the actions described in this Bye-Law 20 (4) shall not invalidate any votes cast or the proceedings at the meeting.


(5) Board Determination Binding

Any determination by the Board as to any adjustments or eliminations of voting power of any shares made pursuant to Bye-Law 20 shall be final and binding and any vote taken based on such determination shall not be capable of being challenged solely on the basis of such determination.

(6) Requirement to Provide Information and Notice

 

  (a)

The Board shall have the authority to request from any direct or indirect holder of shares, and such holder of shares shall provide, such information as the Board may reasonably request for the purpose of determining whether any holder’s voting rights are to be adjusted. If such holder fails to respond to such a request, or submits incomplete or inaccurate information in response to such a request, the Board may determine in its sole discretion that such holder’s shares shall carry no voting rights in which case such holder shall not exercise any voting rights in respect of such shares until otherwise determined by the Board.

 

  (b)

Any direct or indirect holder of shares shall give notice to the Company within ten days following the date that such holder acquires actual knowledge that it is the direct or indirect holder of Controlled Shares of 9.5% or more of the voting power of all issued shares of the Company (without giving effect to voting power adjustments or eliminations under Bye-Law 20).

 

  (c)

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Member shall be liable to any other Member or the Company for any losses or damages resulting from such Member’s failure to respond to, or submission of incomplete or inaccurate information in response to, a request under Bye-Law 20 (6) (a) or from such Member’s failure to give notice under Bye-Law 20 (6) (b).

 

  (d)

Any information provided by any Member to the Company pursuant to this Bye-Law 20 (6) or for purposes of making the analysis required by Bye-Laws 20 (2) and 20 (3), shall be deemed “confidential information” (the “Confidential Information”) and shall be used by the Company solely for the purposes contemplated by such Bye-Law (except as may be required otherwise by applicable law or regulation). The Company shall hold such Confidential Information in strict confidence and shall not disclose any Confidential Information that it receives, except (i) to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “Service”) if and to the extent the Confidential Information is required by the Service, (ii) to any outside legal counsel or accounting firm engaged by the Company to make determinations regarding the relevant Bye-Law or (iii) as otherwise required by applicable law or regulation.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall be permitted to disclose to the Members and others the relative voting percentages of all Members after application of Bye-Law 20. At the written request of a Member, the Confidential Information of such Member shall be destroyed or returned to such Member after the later to occur of (i) such Member no longer being a Member or (ii) the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations with respect to any Confidential Information obtained for purposes of engaging in any tax-related analysis.

(7) Subject to these Bye-Laws and to the Act, any matter submitted to the Members at a General Meeting for approval shall be approved by an Ordinary Resolution of the Members provided, however, that any matter submitted to the Members at a General Meeting for approval which relates to the amalgamation, merger or consolidation of the Company with another company or the sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company shall be approved by at least a majority of the voting power of the then outstanding shares entitled to vote on such matter.

(8) A resolution put to the vote of a meeting shall be decided on a show of hands (and every Member present in person and every person holding a valid proxy at such meeting shall be entitled to, for each voting share of which such person is the holder or for which such person holds a proxy, the number of votes determined pursuant to Bye-Law 20 and shall cast such vote by raising his or her hand) unless (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands or on the withdrawal of any other demand for a vote) a vote is demanded by:

 

  (a)

the Chairman of such meeting; or


  (b)

at least three (3) Members present in person or, in the case of a Member being a corporation, by its duly authorized representative, or by proxy, for the time being entitled to vote at the meeting; or

 

  (c)

a Member or Members present in person or, in the case of a Member being a corporation by its duly authorized representative or, by proxy, and representing not less than one-tenth (1/10) of the total voting rights of all Members having the right to vote at the meeting; or

 

  (d)

a Member or Members present in person or, in the case of a Member being a corporation by its duly authorized representative, or by proxy, and holding shares in the Company conferring a right to vote at the meeting being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than one-tenth (1/10) of the total sum paid up on all shares conferring that right.

A demand by a Person as proxy for a Member, or in the case of a Member being a corporation by its duly authorized representative, shall be deemed to be the same as a demand by a Member.

(9) Unless a vote is duly demanded and the demand is not withdrawn, a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has been carried, or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or not carried by a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect made in the minute book of the Company, shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded for or against the resolution.

(10) If a vote is duly demanded, the result of the vote shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the vote was demanded. There shall be no requirement for the Chairman to disclose the voting figures on a vote.

(11) A vote demanded on the election of a Chairman, or on a question of adjournment, shall be taken forthwith. A vote demanded on any other question shall be taken in such manner (including the use of ballot or voting papers) and either forthwith or at such time (being not later than thirty (30) days after the date of the demand) and place as the Chairman directs. It shall not be necessary (unless the Chairman otherwise directs) for Notice to be given of a vote not taken immediately.

(12) The demand for a vote shall not prevent the continuance of a meeting or the transaction of any business other than the question on which the vote has been demanded, and, with the consent of the Chairman, it may be withdrawn at any time before the close of the meeting or the taking of the vote, whichever is the earlier.

(13) Where a vote is taken, votes may be given either personally or by proxy and every person present at such meeting shall have for each voting share of which such person is the holder or for which such person holds a proxy, the number of votes determined pursuant to Bye-Law 20.

(14) A Person entitled to more than one vote on a vote need not use all his votes or cast all the votes he uses in the same way. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, nothing herein is intended to allow for cumulative voting in the election of Directors and cumulative voting in the election of Directors is expressly prohibited.

(15) In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a vote, the Chairman of such meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote in addition to any other vote he may have.

(16) Where there are joint holders of any share any one of such joint holders may vote, either in person or by proxy, in respect of such share as if he were solely entitled thereto, but if more than one of such joint holders be present at any meeting the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and for this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the Register in respect of the joint holding. Several executors or administrators of a deceased Member in whose name any share stands shall for the purposes of this Bye-Law be deemed joint holders thereof.

(17) A Member who is a patient for any purpose relating to mental health or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction for the protection or management of the affairs of Persons incapable of managing their own affairs may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a vote, by his receiver, committee, curator bonis or other Person in the nature of a receiver, committee or curator bonis appointed by such court, and such receiver, committee, curator bonis or other Person may vote by proxy, and may otherwise act and be treated as if he were the registered holder of such shares for the purposes of General Meetings, provided that such evidence as the


Board may require of the authority of the Person claiming to vote shall have been deposited at the Office, Registration Office or such other place as the Board may designate, as appropriate, not less than forty-eight (48) hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting, or adjourned meeting or vote, as the case may be.

(18) Any Person entitled under these Bye-Laws to be registered as the holder of any shares may vote at any General Meeting in respect thereof in the same manner as if he were the registered holder of such shares, provided that at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting or adjourned meeting, as the case may be, at which he proposes to vote, he shall satisfy the Board of his entitlement to such shares, or the Board shall have previously admitted his right to vote at such meeting in respect thereof.

(19) No Member shall, unless the Board otherwise determines, be entitled to attend and vote and to be counted in a quorum at any General Meeting unless he is duly registered and all calls or other sums presently payable by him in respect of shares in the Company have been paid.

(20) If: (a) any objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter; or (b) any votes have been counted which ought not to have been counted or which might have been rejected; or (c) any votes are not counted which ought to have been counted; the objection or error shall not vitiate the decision of the meeting or adjourned meeting on any resolution unless the same is raised or pointed out at the meeting or, as the case may be, the adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered or at which the error occurs. Any objection or error shall be referred to the Chairman of the meeting and shall only vitiate the decision of the meeting on any resolution if the Chairman decides that the same may have affected the decision of the meeting. The decision of the Chairman on such matters shall be final and conclusive.

(21) Notwithstanding section 77A of the Act anything which may be done by resolution of the Members in a general meeting shall not be done by resolution in writing.

CERTAIN SUBSIDIARIES

20A. (1) Voting of Subsidiary Shares. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Bye-Laws to the contrary, if the Company is required or entitled to vote at a general meeting of any direct non-U.S. subsidiary of the Company, the Board shall refer the subject matter of the vote to the Members of the Company on a poll (subject to Bye-Law 20) and seek authority from the Members for the Company’s corporate representative or proxy to vote in favour of the resolution proposed by the subsidiary; provided that this Bye-Law shall apply only in the event that the voting rights of any shares of the Company are, at the relevant time, subject to adjustment pursuant to Bye-Law 20. The Board shall cause the Company’s corporate representative or proxy to vote the Company’s shares in the subsidiary pro rata to the votes received at the general meeting of the Company, with votes for or against the directing resolution being taken, respectively, as an instruction for the Company’s corporate representative or proxy to vote the appropriate proportion of its shares for and the appropriate proportion of its shares against the resolution proposed by the subsidiary. The Board shall have authority to resolve any ambiguity.

(2) Bye-Law or Articles of Association of Certain Subsidiaries. The Board in its discretion shall require that the Bye-Law or Articles of Association or similar organizational documents of each subsidiary of the Company, organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States of America, other than any non-U.S. subsidiary that is a direct or indirect subsidiary of a U.S. Person, shall contain provisions substantially similar to this Bye-Law 20A. The Company shall enter into agreements, as and when determined by the Board, with each such subsidiary, only if and to the extent reasonably necessary and permitted under applicable law, to effectuate or implement this Bye-Law.

PROXIES AND CORPORATE REPRESENTATION

21. (1) Any Member entitled to attend and vote at a meeting of the Company shall be entitled to appoint another Person as his proxy to attend and vote instead of him. A Member may appoint a proxy in respect of part only of his holding of shares in the Company. A proxy need not be a Member of the Company.

(2) The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorized in writing or, if the appointor is a corporation, either under its seal or under the hand of an officer, attorney or other Person authorized to sign the same. In the case of an instrument of proxy purporting to be signed on behalf of a corporation by an officer thereof it shall be assumed, unless the contrary appears, that such officer was duly authorized to sign such instrument of proxy on behalf of the corporation without further evidence of the fact.


(3) The instrument appointing a proxy and (if required by the Board) the power of attorney or other authority (if any) under which it is signed, or a certified copy of such power or authority, shall be delivered to such place or one of such places (if any) as may be specified for that purpose in or by way of Notice to or in any document accompanying the Notice convening the meeting (or, if no place is so specified at the Registration Office or the Office, as may be appropriate) not less than forty-eight (48) hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the Person named in the instrument proposes to vote or, in the case of a vote taken subsequently to the date of a meeting or adjourned meeting, not less than twenty-four (24) hours before the time appointed for the taking of the vote, and in default the instrument of proxy shall not be treated as valid. No instrument appointing a proxy shall be valid after the expiration of one (1) year from the date named in it as the date of its execution, except at an adjourned meeting or on a vote demanded at a meeting or an adjourned meeting in cases where the meeting was originally held within one (1) year from such date. Delivery of an instrument appointing a proxy shall not preclude a Member from attending and voting in person at the meeting convened and in such event, the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to be revoked.

(4) Instruments of proxy shall be in any common form or in such other form as the Board may approve (provided that this shall not preclude the use of the two-way form) and the Board may send out with the Notice of any meeting, forms of instrument of proxy for use at the meeting. The instrument of proxy shall be deemed to confer authority to demand or join in demanding a vote and to vote on any amendment of a resolution put to the meeting for which it is given as the proxy may determine. The instrument of proxy shall, unless the contrary is stated therein, be valid as well for any adjournment of the meeting as for the meeting to which it relates.

(5) A vote given in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal, or revocation of the instrument of proxy or of the authority under which it was executed, provided that no intimation in writing of such death, insanity or revocation shall have been received by the Company at the Office or the Registration Office (or such other place as may be specified for the delivery of instruments of proxy in the Notice convening the meeting or other document sent therewith) at least two (2) hours before the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting, or the taking of the vote, at which the instrument of proxy is used.

(6) Anything which under these Bye-Laws a Member may do by proxy he may likewise do by his duly appointed attorney and the provisions of these Bye-Laws relating to proxies and instruments appointing proxies shall apply, as the case may be, in relation to any such attorney and the instrument under which such attorney is appointed.

(7) Any corporation which is a Member may by any authorized officer authorize such Person as it may determine to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or any class of Members. The Person so authorized shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of such corporation as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member and such corporation shall for the purposes of these Bye-Laws be deemed to be present in person at any such meeting if a Person so authorized is present thereat. Any reference in these Bye-Laws to a duly authorized representative of a Member being a corporation shall mean a representative authorized under the provisions of this Bye-Law.

(8) If a clearing house is a Member, it may authorize such Person or Persons as it determines to act as its representative or representatives at any meeting of the Company or at any meeting of any class of Members provided that, if more than one Person is so authorized, the authorization shall specify the number and class of shares in respect of which each such Person is so authorized. A Person so authorized under the provisions of this Bye-Law shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the clearing house (or its nominee) which he represents as that clearing house (or its nominee) could exercise if it were an individual Member. For the purposes of this Bye-Law, “clearing house” means any clearing house or other similar body recognized by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the shares of the Company are listed or quoted on a Designated Stock Exchange.


NOMINATION AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS

22. (1) The number of Directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors of the Company shall be such number (not less than three (3) or more than eleven (11)) to be fixed from time to time exclusively by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors. Each Director shall serve for a term ending on the date of the next Annual General Meeting following the Annual General Meeting at which such Director was elected. The foregoing notwithstanding, each Director shall serve until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, unless he shall resign, become disqualified, disabled or shall otherwise be removed.

(2) A Director need not be a Member.

(3) Only Persons who are nominated in accordance with the following procedures shall be eligible for election as Directors. Nominations of Persons for election to the Board of the Company may be made at a meeting of Members called for the election of directors, or at the discretion of the Board, by any nominating committee or Person appointed by the Board, by any Member of the Company entitled to vote for the election of Director at the meeting who complies with the Notice procedures set forth in this Bye-Law. Such nominations, other than those made by or at the direction of the Board, shall be made pursuant to timely Notice to the Secretary of the Company. To be timely, a Member’s Notice shall be delivered to or mailed and received at the Office of the Company not less than sixty (60) days prior to such meeting. Such Member’s Notice to the Secretary shall set forth (a) as to each Person whom the Member proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a Director, (i) the name, age, business address and residence address of the Person, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of the Person, (iii) the class and number of shares of Common Shares of the Company which are beneficially owned by the Person, (iv) any other information relating to the Person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations for proxies for election of Directors pursuant to Schedule 14A of the Exchange Act, and (v) the consent of each nominee to serve as a Director, if so elected; and (b) as to the Member giving the Notice (i) the name and record address of the Member and (ii) the class and number of shares of capital stock of the Company which are beneficially owned by the Member. The Company may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may reasonably be required by the Company to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a Director of the Company. No Persons shall be eligible for election as a Director of the Company unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth herein.

(4) The Chairman of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a nomination was not made in accordance with the foregoing procedure, and if he should so determine, he shall so declare to the meeting and the defective nomination shall be disregarded.

(5) The Directors shall (subject to any resolution of the Members to the contrary) have the power from time to time and at any time to appoint any Person as a Director to fill a casual vacancy on the Board, provided, however, that the number of Directors so appointed shall not cause the number of Directors to exceed the maximum number determined from time to time by the Board pursuant to paragraph (1) of this Bye-Law. Any Director so appointed by the Board shall hold office until the next election of directors and shall then be eligible for re-election at that meeting.

(6) Neither a Director nor an Alternate Director, as the case may be, shall be required to hold any shares of the Company by way of qualification and a Director or an Alternate Director (as the case may be) who is not a Member shall be entitled to receive Notice of and to attend and speak at any General Meeting of the Company and of all classes of shares of the Company.

(7) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Bye-Laws, the Members may remove a Director, with or without cause, at any time prior to the expiration of such Director’s period of office or in any agreement between the Company and such Director (but without prejudice to any claim for damages under any such agreement) at a General Meeting convened and held in accordance with these Bye-Laws at which a majority of the holders of shares entitled to vote thereon vote in favor of such action provided that the Notice of any such meeting convened for the purpose of removing a Director shall contain a statement of the intention so to do and be served on such Director fourteen (14) days before the meeting and at such meeting such Director shall be entitled to be heard on the motion for his removal.

(8) A vacancy on the Board created by the removal of a Director under paragraph (7) of this Bye-Law may be filled by the election or appointment by the Members at the meeting at which such Director is removed to hold office until the next election of directors, but subject to any resolution of the Members to the contrary, the Board may fill any vacancy in the number left unfilled.


(9) A retiring Director shall be eligible for re-election.

(10) The office of a Director shall be vacated if the Director:

 

  (a)

resigns his office by Notice delivered to the Company at the Office or tendered at a meeting of the Board whereupon the Board resolves to accept such resignation; or

 

  (b)

becomes of unsound mind (as determined by the Board in its sole discretion) or dies; or

 

  (c)

without special leave of absence from the Board, is absent from meetings of the Board for six consecutive meetings, and the Board resolves that his office be vacated; or

 

  (d)

becomes bankrupt or has a receiving order made against him or suspends payment or comprises with his creditors; or

 

  (e)

is prohibited by law from being a Director; or

 

  (f)

ceases to be a Director by virtue of any provision of the Act or is removed from office pursuant to this Bye-Law.

ALTERNATE DIRECTORS

23. (1) Any Director may at any time by Notice delivered to the Office or at a meeting of the Directors appoint any Person to be his alternate Director (an “Alternate Director”). Any Person so appointed shall have all the rights and powers of the Director or Directors for whom such Person is appointed in the alternative provided that such Person shall not be counted more than once in determining whether or not a quorum is present. An Alternate Director may be removed at any time by the Director who appointed him and, subject thereto, the office of Alternate Director shall continue until the next annual election of Directors or, if earlier, the date on which the relevant Director ceases to be a Director. Any appointment or removal of an Alternate Director shall be effected by Notice signed by the appointor and delivered to the Office or tendered at a meeting of the Board. An Alternate Director may also be a Director in his own right and may act as alternate to more than one other Director. An Alternate Director shall, if his appointor so requests, be entitled to receive Notices of meetings of the Board or of committees of the Board to the same extent as, but in lieu of, the Director appointing him and shall be entitled to such extent to attend and vote as a Director at any such meeting at which the Director appointing him is not personally present and generally at such meeting to exercise and discharge all the functions, powers and duties of his appointor as a Director and for the purposes of the proceedings at such meeting the provisions of these Bye-Laws shall apply as if he were a Director save that as an alternate for more than one Director his voting rights shall be cumulative.

(2) An Alternate Director shall only be a Director for the purposes of the Act and shall only be subject to the provisions of the Act insofar as they relate to the duties and obligations of a Director when performing the functions of the Director for whom he is appointed in the alternative and shall alone be responsible to the Company for his acts and defaults and shall not be deemed to be the agent of or for the Director appointing him. An Alternate Director shall be entitled to contract and be interested in and benefit from contracts or arrangements or transactions and to be repaid expenses and to be indemnified by the Company to the same extent, as the case may be, as if he were a Director but he shall not be entitled to receive from the Company any fee in his capacity as an Alternate Director except only such part, if any, of the remuneration otherwise payable to his appointor as such appointor may by Notice to the Company from time to time direct.

(3) Every Person acting as an Alternate Director shall have one vote for each Director for whom he acts as alternate (in addition to his own vote if he is also a Director). If his appointor is for the time being unavailable or unable to act, the signature of an Alternate Director to any resolution in writing of the Board or a committee of the Board of which his appointor is a member shall, unless the Notice of his appointment provides to the contrary, be as effective as the signature of his appointor.

(4) An Alternate Director shall ipso facto cease to be an Alternate Director if his appointor ceases for any reason to be a Director, however, such Alternate Director or any other Person may be re-appointed by the Directors to serve as an Alternate Director provided always that, if at any meeting any Director retires but is re-elected at the same meeting, any appointment of such Alternate Director pursuant to these Bye-Laws which was in force immediately before his retirement shall remain in force as though he had not retired.


DIRECTORS’ COMPENSATION

24. The amount, if any, of Directors’ fees, retainers, awards of shares and options, or other remuneration shall from time to time be determined by the Board. In addition, each Director shall be paid his reasonable traveling, hotel and incidental expenses in attending and returning from meetings of the Board or committees appointed by the Board, or any Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the Members, and shall be paid all expenses properly and reasonably incurred by him in the conduct of the Company’s business or in the discharge of his duties as a Director. Any question as to the reasonableness of expenses as provided herein shall be a matter to be determined by the Board. Any Director who by request, goes or resides abroad for any purposes of the Company or who performs services which in the opinion of the Board go beyond the ordinary duties of a Director may be paid such extra remuneration (whether by way of salary or otherwise) as the Board may determine, and such extra remuneration shall be in addition to any remuneration provided for by or pursuant to any other Bye-Law.

DIRECTORS’ AND OFFICERS’ INTERESTS

25. (1) A Director may:

 

  (a)

hold any other office or place of profit with the Company (except that of Auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and, subject to the relevant provisions of the Act, upon such terms as the Board may determine. Any remuneration (whether by way of salary or otherwise) paid to any Director in respect of any such other office or place of profit shall be in addition to any remuneration provided for by or pursuant to any other Bye-Law;

 

  (b)

act by himself or his firm in a professional capacity for the Company (otherwise than as Auditor) and he or his firm may be remunerated for professional services as if he were not a Director;

 

  (c)

continue to be or become a director, manager or other officer or member of any other Person whether or not promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested as a vendor, shareholder or otherwise and (unless otherwise agreed) no such Director shall be accountable for any remuneration or other benefits received by him as a director, manager or other officer or member of or from his interests in any such other Person.

Notwithstanding anything contained in these Bye-Laws to the contrary, any Director may exercise or cause to be exercised the voting powers conferred by the shares in any other company held or owned by the Company, or exercisable by him as director of such other company in such manner in all respects as he may determine (including the exercise thereof in favor of any resolution appointing himself as a director, manager or other officer of such company, or voting or providing for the payment of remuneration to the director, managing director, joint managing director, deputy managing director, executive director, manager or other officers of such other company) and any Director may vote in favor of the exercise of such voting rights in the manner aforesaid notwithstanding that he may be, or about to be, appointed a director, manager or other officer of such a company, and that as such he is or may become interested in the exercise of such voting rights in the manner aforesaid.

(2) Subject to the Act and to these Bye-Laws, no Director or Officer or proposed Director or Officer shall be disqualified by his office from contracting with the Company or any Subsidiary, either with regard to his tenure of any office or place of profit or as vendor, purchaser or in any other manner whatever, nor shall any such contract or any other contract or arrangement in which any Director or Officer is in any way interested be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director or Officer so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company or the Members for any remuneration, profit or other benefits realized by any such contract or arrangement by reason of such Director or Officer holding that office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established, provided that such Director or Officer shall disclose the nature of his interest in any contract or arrangement in which he is interested in accordance with these Bye-Laws.

(3) A Director or Officer who to his knowledge is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or arrangement or proposed contract or arrangement with the Company shall declare the nature of his


interest at the first opportunity at the meeting of the Board at which the question of entering into the contract or arrangement is first considered, if he knows his interest then exists, or in any other case at the first meeting of the Board after he knows that he is or has become so interested.

(4) For the purposes of the preceding paragraph, a Director shall furnish Notice to the Board to the effect that: (a) he is a member or officer of a specified company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract or arrangement which may after the date of the Notice be made with that company or firm; or (b) he is to be regarded as interested in any contract or arrangement which may after the date of the Notice be made with a specified Person who is connected with him; and such Notice shall be deemed to be a sufficient declaration of interest under these Bye-Laws in relation to any such contract or arrangement, provided that no such Notice shall be effective unless either it is given at a meeting of the Board or the Director or Officer takes reasonable steps to secure that it is brought up and read at the next Board meeting after it is given.

GENERAL POWERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

26. (1) The business of the Company shall be managed and conducted by the Board, which may exercise all powers of the Company (whether relating to the management of the business of the Company or otherwise) which are not by the Act or by these Bye-Laws required to be exercised by the Members. No regulations made by the Company in a General Meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Board which would have been valid if such regulations had not been made. The general powers given by this Bye-Law shall not be limited or restricted by any special authority or power given to the Board by any other Bye-Law.

(2) Any Person contracting or dealing with the Company in the ordinary course of business shall be entitled to rely on any written or oral contract or agreement or deed, document or instrument entered into or executed as the case may be by any Officer acting on behalf of the Company and the same shall be deemed to be validly entered into or executed by the Company as the case may be and shall, subject to applicable law, be binding on the Company; provided, however, that no such contract or agreement or deed, document or instrument may be executed on the Company’s behalf within the United States unless specifically authorized by resolution of the Board.

(3) Without prejudice to the general powers conferred by these Bye-Laws it is hereby expressly declared that the Board shall have the following powers, namely:

 

  (a)

to give to any Person (including, without limitation, any Director, Officer, or employee) the right or option of requiring at a future date that an allotment shall be made to him of any share at par or at such premium as may be agreed; and

 

  (b)

to give to any Director, Officer or employee of the Company an interest in any particular business or transaction or participation in the profits thereof or in the general profits of the Company either in addition to or in substitution for a salary or other remuneration.

(4) The Board may by power of attorney appoint in writing any company, firm or Person or body of Persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Board, to be the attorney or attorneys of the Company for such purposes and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Board under these Bye-Laws) and for such period and subject to such conditions as it may determine, and any such power of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of Persons dealing with any such attorney as the Board may determine, and may also authorize any such attorney to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him. Such attorney or attorneys may, if so authorized in writing, execute any, instrument or other documents with the same effect as the execution of the Company.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

27. (1) The Board may meet for the conduct of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate its meetings as it considers appropriate. Actions to be taken at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes cast, provided a quorum is present.

(2) A meeting of the Board may be convened by the Secretary on request of the President or by any two (2) Directors, provided that no business shall be transacted at a Board meeting unless not less than seven (7) Clear


Days’ Notice of the meeting shall be given to each Director with reasonable details of the business to be transacted and provided further that any Director may by Notice to the Company agree that no Notice needs, or any shorter Notice specified in a Notice may, be given to him. The Secretary shall convene a meeting of the Board, of which Notice may be given in writing or by telephone or in such other manner as the Board may from time to time determine, whenever he shall be required so hereunder. Any Director may waive Notice of any meeting either prospectively or retrospectively.

(3) The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Board may be fixed by the Board and, unless so fixed at any other number, shall be a majority of the Directors. An Alternate Director shall be counted in a quorum in the case of the absence of a Director for whom he is the alternate provided that he shall not be counted more than once for the purpose of determining whether or not a quorum is present.

(4) Directors may participate in any meeting of the Board by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment through which all Persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other simultaneously and instantaneously and, for the purpose of counting a quorum, such participation shall constitute presence at a Meeting as if those participating were present in person.

(5) Any Director who ceases to be a Director at a Board meeting may continue to be present and to act as a Director and be counted in the quorum until the termination of such Board meeting if no other Director objects and if otherwise a quorum of Directors would not be present.

(6) The continuing Directors or a sole continuing Director may act notwithstanding any vacancy in the Board but, if and so long as the number of Directors is reduced below the minimum number fixed by or in accordance with these Bye-Laws, the continuing Directors or Director, notwithstanding that the number of Directors is below the number fixed by or in accordance with these Bye-Laws as the quorum or that there is only one continuing Director, may act for the purpose of filling vacancies in the Board or of summoning General Meetings of the Company but not for any other purpose.

(7) The Board may elect a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman of its meetings and determine the period for which they are respectively to hold such office. If no Chairman or Deputy Chairman is elected, or if at any meeting neither the Chairman nor any Deputy Chairman is present within five (5) minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be Acting Chairman of the meeting.

(8) A meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all the powers, authorities and discretions for the time being vested in or exercisable by the Board.

(9) The Board may delegate any of its powers, authorities and discretions to committees (including, but not limited to, an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Nominating Committee, a Human Resources Committee, and an Investment Committee), consisting of Directors or Officers or other persons as it may determine, and they may, from time to time, revoke such delegation or revoke the appointment of and discharge any such committees either wholly or in part, and either as to Persons or purposes. Any committee so formed shall, in the exercise of the powers, authorities and discretions so delegated, conform to any regulations which may be imposed on it by the Board.

(10) All acts done by any such committee in conformity with such regulations, and in fulfillment of the purposes for which it was appointed, but not otherwise, shall have like force and effect as if done by the Board, and the Board shall have power to remunerate the members of any such committee, and charge such remuneration to the current expenses of the Company.

(11) The meetings and proceedings of any committee consisting of two (2) or more members shall be governed by the provisions contained in these Bye-Laws for regulating the meetings and proceedings of the Board so far as the same are applicable and are not superseded by any regulations imposed by the Board under the preceding paragraph.

(12) A resolution in writing signed by all the Directors (provided that such number is sufficient to constitute a quorum and further provided that a copy of such resolution has been given or the contents thereof communicated to all the Directors for the time being entitled to receive Notices of Board meetings in the same manner as Notices of meetings are required to be given by these Bye-Laws) shall be as valid and effectual as if a resolution had been


passed at a meeting of the Board duly convened and held provided that (i) any such resolution shall be valid only if the Board determines necessary the signature of the last Director to sign is affixed outside the United States, and (ii) the Board may declare such resolution to be invalid if the Board determines that the use of a resolution in writing would result in a non-de minimis adverse tax, regulatory or legal consequence to the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, or any direct or indirect holder of shares or its affiliates. Such resolution may be contained in one document or in several documents in like form each signed by one or more of the Directors and for this purpose a facsimile signature of a Director shall be treated as valid.

(13) All acts bona fide done by the Board or by any committee or by any Person acting as a Director or member of a committee, shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any member or the Board or such committee or Person acting as aforesaid or that they or any of them were disqualified or had vacated office, be as valid as if every such Person had been duly appointed and was qualified and had continued to be a Director or member of such committee.

OFFICERS

28. (1) The Officers of the Company who may or may not be Directors may be appointed by the Board from time to time, all of whom shall be deemed to be Officers for the purposes of the Act and these Bye-Laws.

(2) The Officers shall have such powers and perform such duties in the management, business and affairs of the Company as may be delegated to them by the Board or another Officer from time to time.

(3) The authority of any Officer of the Company so long as such Officer shall be physically present in the United States, shall be limited to maintaining an oversight and review of and providing recommendations and information to the Board, but not to any third party, regarding the affairs of the Company pertaining to any of its Subsidiaries incorporated in the United States and otherwise to enable the Company to fulfill its role as the holder of shares of such Subsidiaries. Such Officer while physically present in the United States shall have no authority (i) to negotiate or conclude contracts in the name of the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries not incorporated in the United States) or otherwise bind the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries not incorporated in the United States), or (ii) to conduct or manage any activities of the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries not incorporated in the United States), or (iii) to act in any way which might result in the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries not incorporated in the United States) being considered to be engaged in a trade or business in the United States within the meaning of the Code. Any purported action or contract done or made by such Officer or any other duly appointed Officer of the Company in violation of the provisions hereof shall be null and void ab initio and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall in no way be bound or affected by any such action or contract done or made in violation hereof.

(4) The Directors shall, as soon as may be after each appointment or election of Directors, elect the Officers of the Company, and a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors.

(5) The Officers shall receive such remuneration as the Directors may from time to time determine.

(6) The Company may in accordance with the Act appoint a resident representative ordinarily resident in Bermuda and the resident representative shall maintain an office in Bermuda and comply with the provisions of the Act. The Company shall provide the resident representative with such documents and information as the resident representative may require in order to be able to comply with the provisions of the Act. The resident representative shall be entitled to have Notice of, attend and be heard at all meetings of the Board or meetings of the Members.

(7) The Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, shall attend all meetings of the Members and of the Board (and its committees) and shall keep correct minutes of such meetings and enter the same in the proper books provided for the purpose. The Secretary shall perform such other duties as are prescribed by the Act or these Bye-Laws or as may be prescribed by the Board.

(8) The Chairman or the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, as the case may be, shall act as chairman at all meetings of the Members and of the Directors at which he is present. In the absence of both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, a chairman shall be appointed or elected by those present at the meeting.


(9) The Officers of the Company shall have such powers and perform such duties in the management, business and affairs of the Company as may be delegated to them by the Directors or another Officer from time to time.

(10) Any provision of the Act or of these Bye-Laws requiring or authorizing a thing to be done by or to a Director and the Secretary shall not be satisfied by its being done by or to the same Person acting both as Director and as or in place of the Secretary.

REGISTER OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

29. (1) The Board shall cause to be kept in one or more books at its Office a Register of Directors and Officers and shall enter therein the particulars required by the Act.

(2) The Register of Directors and Officers shall be open to inspection at the Office of the Company on every business day, subject to such reasonable restrictions as the Board may impose, so that not less than two (2) hours in each business day be allowed for inspection.

MINUTES

30. The Board shall cause Minutes to be duly entered in books provided for the purpose: (i) of all elections and appointments of Officers; (ii) of the names of the Directors present at each meeting of the Directors and of any committee appointed by the Board; and (iii) of all resolutions and proceedings of each General Meeting of the Members, meetings of the Board and meetings of committees of the Board.

SEAL

31. (1) The Board may authorise the production of a Seal and one or more duplicate seals, which shall consist of a circular device with the name of the Company around the outer margin thereof and the country and year of registration in Bermuda across the centre thereof.

(2) Any document required to be under seal or executed as a deed on behalf of the Company may be:

 

  (a)

executed under Seal; or

 

  (b)

signed or executed by any person authorised by the Board for that purpose, without the use of the Seal.

(3) The Board shall provide for the custody of every Seal. A Seal shall only be used by authority of the Board or of a committee constituted by the Board. Subject to these Bye-Laws, any instrument to which a Seal is affixed shall be attested by the signature of:

 

  (a)

a Director;

 

  (b)

the Secretary; or

 

  (c)

any one person authorised by the Board for that purpose.

DESTRUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

32. The Company shall be entitled to destroy the following documents at the following times:

 

  (a)

any share certificate which has been canceled at any time after the expiration of one (1) year from the date of such cancellation;

 

  (b)

any dividend mandate or any variation or cancellation thereof or any notification of change of name or address at any time after the expiration of two (2) years from the date such mandate, variation, cancellation or notification was recorded by the Company;

 

  (c)

any instrument of transfer of shares which has been registered at any time after the expiration of seven (7) years from the date of registration;


  (d)

any allotment letters after the expiration of seven (7) years from the date of issue thereof; and

 

  (e)

copies of powers of attorney, grants of probate and letters of administration at any time after the expiration of seven (7) years after the account to which the relevant power of attorney, grant of probate or letters of administration related has been closed;

and it shall conclusively be presumed in favor of the Company that every entry in the Register purporting to be made on the basis of any such documents so destroyed was duly and properly made and every share certificate so destroyed was a valid certificate duly and properly canceled and that every instrument of transfer so destroyed was a valid and effective instrument duly and properly registered and that every other document destroyed hereunder was a valid and effective document in accordance with the recorded particulars thereof in the books or records of the Company; provided, however, that: (1) the foregoing provisions of this Bye-Law shall apply only to the destruction of a document in good faith and without Notice to the Company that the preservation of such document was relevant to a claim; (2) nothing contained in this Bye-Law shall be construed as imposing upon the Company any liability in respect of the destruction of any such document earlier than as aforesaid or in any case where the conditions of proviso (1) above are not fulfilled; and (3) references in this Bye-Law to the destruction of any document include references to its disposal in any manner.

DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS

33. (1) Subject to the Act, the Board may from time to time declare dividends in any currency or property to be paid to the Members. The Board may also make a distribution to the Members out of any contributed surplus (as ascertained in accordance with the Act).

(2) No dividend shall be paid or other distribution made out of contributed surplus if to do so would render the Company unable to pay its liabilities as they become due or the realizable value of its assets would thereby become less than the aggregate of its liabilities and its issued share capital and share premium accounts.

(3) Except in so far as the rights attaching to, or the terms of issue of, any share otherwise provide:

 

  (a)

all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid; and

 

  (b)

all dividends shall be apportioned and paid pro rata according to the amounts paid up on the shares during any portion or portions of the period in respect of which the dividend is paid.

(4) The Board may from time to time pay to the Members such interim dividends as appear to the Board to be justified by the profits of the Company and in particular (but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing) if at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes, the Board may pay such interim dividends in respect of those shares in the capital of the Company which confer on the holders thereof deferred or non-preferential rights as well as in respect of those shares which confer on the holders thereof preferential rights with regard to dividends and provided that the Board acts bona fide the Board shall not incur any responsibility to the holders of shares conferring any preference for any damage that they may suffer by reason of the payment of an interim dividend on any shares having deferred or non-preferential rights and may also pay any fixed dividend which is payable on any shares of the Company quarterly or on any other dates, whenever such profits, in the opinion of the Board, justifies such payment.

(5) The Board may deduct from any dividend or other monies payable to a Member by the Company on or in respect of any shares all sums of money (if any) presently payable by him to the Company on account of calls or otherwise.

(6) No dividend or other monies payable by the Company on or in respect of any share shall bear interest against the Company.

(7) Any dividend, interest or other sum payable in cash to the holder of shares may be paid by check or warrant sent through the mail addressed to the holder at his registered address or, in the case of joint holders, addressed to the holder whose name stands first in the Register in respect of the shares at his address as appearing in the Register or addressed to such Person and at such address as the holder or joint holders may in writing direct. Every such check or warrant shall, unless the holder or joint holders otherwise direct, be made payable to the order of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the order of the holder whose name stands first on the Register in


respect of such shares, and shall be sent at his or their risk and payment of the check or warrant by the bank on which it is drawn shall constitute a good discharge to the Company notwithstanding that it may subsequently appear that the same has been stolen or that any endorsement thereon has been forged. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any dividends or other monies payable or property distributable in respect of the shares held by such joint holders.

(8) All dividends or bonuses unclaimed for one (1) year after having been declared may be invested or otherwise made use of by the Board for the benefit of the Company until claimed. Any dividend or bonuses unclaimed after a period of six (6) years from the date of declaration shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company. The payment by the Board of any unclaimed dividend or other sums payable on or in respect of a share into a separate account shall not constitute the Company a trustee in respect thereof.

(9) Whenever the Board has resolved that a dividend be declared or paid, the Board may further resolve that such dividend be satisfied wholly or in part by the distribution of specific assets of any kind and in particular of paid up shares, debentures or warrants to subscribe securities of the Company or any other company, or in any one or more of such ways, and where any difficulty arises in regard to the distribution the Board may settle the same as it thinks expedient, and in particular may issue certificates in respect of fractions of shares, disregard fractional entitlements or round the same up or down, and may fix the value for distribution of such specific assets, or any part thereof, and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members upon the basis of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all parties, and may vest any such specific assets in trustees as may seem expedient to the Board and may appoint any Person to sign any requisite instruments of transfer and other documents on behalf of the Persons entitled to the dividend, and such appointment shall be effective and binding on the Members. The Board may resolve that no such assets shall be made available to Members with registered addresses in any particular territory or territories where, in the absence of a registration statement or other special formalities, such distribution of assets would or might, in the opinion of the Board, be unlawful or impracticable and in such event the only entitlement of the Members aforesaid shall be to receive cash payments as aforesaid. Members affected as a result of the foregoing sentence shall not be or be deemed to be a separate class of Members for any purpose whatsoever.

(10) Whenever the Board has resolved that a dividend be declared or paid on any class of the share capital of the Company, the Board may further resolve either:

 

  (a)

that such dividend be satisfied wholly or in part in the form of an allotment of shares credited as fully paid up, provided that the shareholders entitled thereto will be entitled to elect to receive such dividend (or part thereof if the Board so determines) in cash in lieu of such allotment. In such case, the following provisions shall apply:

 

  (i)

the basis of any such allotment shall be determined by the Board;

 

  (ii)

the Board, after determining the basis of allotment, shall give not less than two (2) weeks’ Notice to the holders of the relevant shares of the right of election accorded to them, and shall send with such Notice, forms of election and specify the procedure to be followed and the place at which and the latest date and time by which duly completed forms of election must be delivered in order to be effective;

 

  (iii)

the right of election may be exercised in respect of the whole or part of that portion of the dividend in respect of which the right of election has been accorded; and

 

  (iv)

the dividend (or that part of the dividend to be satisfied by the allotment of shares as aforesaid) shall not be payable in cash on shares in respect whereof the cash election has not been duly exercised (“the non-elected shares”) and in satisfaction thereof shares of the relevant class shall be allotted credited as fully paid up to the holders of the non-elected shares on the basis of allotment determined as aforesaid and for such purpose the Board shall capitalize and apply out of any part of the undivided profits of the Company (including profits carried and standing to the credit of any reserves or other special account other than the Subscription Rights Reserve) as the Board may determine, such sum as may be required to pay up in full the appropriate number of shares of the relevant class for allotment and distribution to and amongst the holders of the non-elected shares on such basis; or


  (b)

that the Members entitled to such dividend shall be entitled to elect to receive an allotment of shares credited as fully paid up in lieu of the whole or such part of the dividend as the Board may determine. In such case, the following provisions shall apply:

 

  (i)

the basis of any such allotment shall be determined by the Board;

 

  (ii)

the Board, after determining the basis of allotment, shall give not less than fourteen (14) days’ Notice to the holders of the relevant shares of the right of election accorded to them and shall send with such Notice forms of election and specify the procedure to be followed and the place at which and the latest date and time by which duly completed forms of election must be delivered in order to be effective;

 

  (iii)

the right of election may be exercised in respect of the whole or part of that portion of the dividend in respect of which the right of election has been accorded; and

 

  (iv)

the dividend (or that part of the dividend in respect of which a right of election has been accorded) shall not be payable in cash on shares in respect whereof the share election has been duly exercised (“the elected shares”) and in lieu thereof shares of the relevant class shall be allotted credited as fully paid up to the holders of the elected shares on the basis of allotment determined as aforesaid and for such purpose the Board shall capitalize and apply out of any part of the undivided profits of the Company (including profits carried and standing to the credit of any reserves or other special account other than the Subscription Rights Reserve) as the Board may determine, such sum as may be required to pay up in full the appropriate number of shares of the relevant class for allotment and distribution to and amongst the holders of the elected shares on such basis.

 

           (11)   (a)   The shares allotted under paragraph (10) of this Bye-Law shall rank pari passu in all respects with shares of the same class (if any) then in issue save only as regards participation in the relevant dividend or in any other distributions, bonuses or rights paid, made, declared or announced prior to or contemporaneously with the payment or declaration of the relevant dividend unless, contemporaneously with the announcement by the Board of their proposal under paragraph (10) of this Bye-Law in relation to the relevant dividend or contemporaneously with their announcement of the distribution, bonus or rights in question, the Board shall specify that the shares to be allotted under paragraph (10) of this Bye-Law shall rank for participation in such distribution, bonus or rights.
    (b)   The Board may do all acts and things considered necessary or expedient to give effect to any capitalization under paragraph (10) of this Bye-Law, with full power to the Board to make such provisions as it determines in the case of shares becoming distributable in fractions (including provisions whereby, in whole or in part, fractional entitlements are aggregated and sold and the net proceeds distributed to those entitled, or are disregarded or rounded up or down or whereby the benefit of fractional entitlements accrues to the Company rather than to the Members concerned). The Board may authorize any Person to enter into on behalf of all Members interested, an agreement with the Company providing for such capitalization and matters incidental thereto and any agreement made pursuant to such authority shall be effective and binding on all concerned.

(12) The Board may resolve in respect of any particular dividend of the Company that notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (10) of this Bye-Law such dividend may be satisfied wholly in the form of an allotment of shares credited as fully paid up without offering any right to shareholders to elect to receive such dividend in cash in lieu of such allotment.

(13) The Board may on any occasion determine that rights of election and the allotment of shares under paragraph (10) of this Bye-Law shall not be made available or made to any Members with registered addresses in any territory where, in the absence of a registration statement or other special formalities, the circulation of an offer of such rights of election or the allotment of shares would or might, in the opinion of the Board, be unlawful or impracticable, and in such event the provisions aforesaid shall be read and construed subject to such determination. Members affected as a result of the foregoing sentence shall not be or be deemed to be a separate class of Members for any purpose whatsoever.


(14) Any resolution declaring a dividend on shares of any class may specify that the same shall be payable or distributable to the Persons registered as the holders of such shares at the close of business on a particular date, notwithstanding that it may be a date prior to that on which the resolution is passed, and thereupon the dividend shall be payable or distributable to them in accordance with their respective holdings so registered, but without prejudice to the rights inter se in respect of such dividend of transferors and transferees of any such shares. The provisions of this Bye-Law shall, as the case may be, apply to bonuses, capitalization issues, distributions of realized capital profits or offers or grants made by the Company to the Members.

(15) Before declaring any dividend, the Board may set aside out of the profits of the Company such sums as it determines as reserves which shall, at the discretion of the Board, be applicable for any purpose to which the profits of the Company may be properly applied and pending such application may, also at such discretion, either be employed in the business of the Company or be invested in such investments as the Board may from time to time determine and so that it shall not be necessary to keep any investments constituting the reserve or reserves separate or distinct from any other investments of the Company. The Board may also, without placing the same to reserves, carry forward any profits which it may think prudent not to distribute.

CAPITALIZATION

34. (1) The Board may resolve to capitalize any part of the amount for the time being standing to the credit of any reserve account or to the credit of the profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution by applying such sum in paying up (i) unissued shares, debentures or other obligations to be allotted or distributed fully paid pro rata to the Members or any class of Members or (ii) in full or partly paid shares of those Members who would have been entitled to such sums if they were distributed by way of dividend or other distribution. In addition, the Board may, subject to the Act, resolve to capitalize any part of the amount for the time being standing to the credit of the Company’s share premium account by applying such sum in paying up unissued shares to be issued to the Members, or class of Members, as fully paid bonus shares.

(2) The Board may settle, as it considers appropriate, any difficulty arising in regard to any distribution under the preceding paragraph and in particular may issue certificates in respect of fractions of shares or authorize any Person to sell and transfer any fractions or may resolve that the distribution should be as nearly as may be practicable in the correct proportion but not exactly so or may ignore fractions altogether, and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members in order to adjust the rights of all parties, as may seem expedient to the Board. The Board may appoint any Person to sign on behalf of the Persons entitled to participate in the distribution any contract necessary or desirable for giving effect thereto and such appointment shall be effective and binding upon the Members.

ACCOUNTING RECORDS

35. (1) The Board shall cause true accounts to be kept of the sums of money received and expended by the Company, and the matters in respect of which such receipts and expenditures take place, and of the property, assets, credits and liabilities of the Company and of all other matters required by the Act or necessary to give a true and fair view of the Company’s affairs and to explain its transactions.

(2) The accounting records shall be kept at the Office or, subject to the Act, at such other place or places as the Board decides outside of the United States and shall always be open to inspection by the Directors of the Company. No Member (other than a Director of the Company) shall have any right of inspecting any accounting record or book or document of the Company except as conferred by law or authorized by the Board or the Company in a General Meeting.

(3) Subject to the Act, a printed copy of the balance sheet and profit and loss account, including every document required by law to be annexed thereto, made up to the end of the applicable financial year and containing a summary of the assets and liabilities of the Company under convenient headings and a statement of income and expenditures, together with a copy of the Auditors’ report, shall be sent to each Person entitled thereto at least twenty-one (21) days before the date of the Annual General Meeting and laid before the Company at such meeting in accordance with the requirements of the Act provided that this Bye-Law shall not require a copy of those documents to be sent to any Person of whose address the Company is not aware or to more than one of the joint holders of any shares or debentures.


AUDIT

36. (1) Subject to the Act, at the Annual General Meeting or at a subsequent Special General Meeting in each year, the Members shall appoint an Auditor to audit the accounts of the Company and such Auditor shall hold office until the Members appoint another Auditor. Such Auditor may be a Member but no Director or Officer or employee of the Company shall, during his continuance in office, be eligible to act as an Auditor of the Company.

(2) Subject to the Act, a Person, other than a retiring Auditor, shall not be capable of being appointed Auditor at an Annual General Meeting unless Notice of an intention to nominate that Person to the office of Auditor has been given not less than fourteen (14) days before the Annual General Meeting and furthermore, the Company shall send a copy of any such Notice to the retiring Auditor.

(3) The Members, by a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the votes cast at a General Meeting of which notice specifying the intention to pass such resolution was given, may remove the Auditor at any time before the expiration of his term of office and shall by Ordinary Resolution at that meeting appoint another Auditor in his stead for the remainder of his term, provided that, not less than twenty-one (21) days before the date of the meeting, notice in writing of the proposed resolution is given to the incumbent auditor and to the auditor proposed to be appointed.

(4) Subject to the Act, the accounts of the Company shall be audited at least once in every year.

(5) The remuneration of the Auditor shall be fixed by the Company in a General Meeting or in such manner as the Members may determine.

(6) If the office of Auditor becomes vacant by the resignation or death of the Auditor, or by his becoming incapable of acting by reason of illness or other disability at a time when his services are required, the Directors shall as soon as practicable convene a Special General Meeting to fill the vacancy.

(7) The statement of income and expenditures and the balance sheet provided for by these Bye-Laws shall be examined by the Auditor and compared by him with the books, accounts and vouchers relating thereto; and he shall make a written report thereon stating whether such statement and balance sheet are drawn up so as to present fairly the financial position of the Company and the results of its operations for the period under review and, in case information shall have been called for from Directors or Officers of the Company, whether the same has been furnished and has been satisfactory. The financial statements of the Company shall be audited by the Auditor in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. The Auditor shall make a written report thereon in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and the report of the Auditor shall be submitted to the Members in a General Meeting. The generally accepted auditing standards referred to herein may be those of a country or jurisdiction other than Bermuda. If so, the financial statements and the report of the Auditor should disclose this fact and name such country or jurisdiction.

(8) The Auditor shall at all reasonable times have access to all books kept by the Company and to all accounts and vouchers relating thereto; and he may call on the Directors or Officers of the Company for any information in their possession relating to the books or affairs of the Company.

GIVING NOTICE AND ACCESS

37. (1) Notice may be given by the Company to a Member:

 

  (a)

by delivering it to such Member in person; or

 

  (b)

by sending it by letter mail or courier to such Member’s address in the Register of Members; or

 

  (c)

by transmitting it by electronic means (including facsimile and electronic mail, but not telephone) in accordance with such directions as may be given by such Member to the Company for such purpose; or

 

  (d)

by delivering it in accordance with the provisions of the Act pertaining to delivery of electronic records by publication on a website.


(2) Any notice required to be given to a Member shall, with respect to any shares held jointly by two or more persons, be given to whichever of such persons is named first in the Register of Members and notice so given shall be sufficient notice to all the holders of such shares.

(3) Any notice delivered in accordance with Bye-Law 37(1) (a), (b) or (c) shall be deemed to have been served at the time when the same would be delivered in the ordinary course of transmission and, in proving such service, it shall be sufficient to prove that the notice was properly addressed and prepaid, if posted, and the time when it was posted, delivered to the courier, or transmitted by electronic means. Any notice delivered in accordance with Bye-Law 37(1)(d) shall be deemed to have been delivered at the time when the requirements of the Act in that regard have been met.

WINDING UP

38. (1) The Board shall have power in the name and on behalf of the Company to present a petition to the court for the Company to be wound up.

(2) A resolution that the Company be wound up by the court or be wound up voluntarily shall be a special resolution.

(3) If the Company shall be wound up (whether the liquidation is voluntary or by the court) the liquidator may, with the authority of a special resolution and any other sanction required by the Act, divide among the Members in specie or kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and whether or not the assets shall consist of properties of one kind or shall consist of properties to be divided as aforesaid of different kinds, and may for such purpose set such value as he deems fair upon any one or more class or classes of property and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members. The liquidator may, with the like authority, vest any part of the assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the Members as the liquidator with the like authority shall determine, and the liquidation of the Company may be closed and the Company dissolved, but so that no contributory shall be compelled to accept any shares or other property in respect of which there is a liability.

INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY

39. (1) The Directors and Officers (such term to include, for the purposes of this Bye-Law, any individual appointed to any committee by the Board) for the time being acting in relation to any of the affairs of the Company and the liquidator or trustees (if any) for the time being acting in relation to any of the affairs of the Company and every one of them, and their heirs, executors and administrators, shall be indemnified and held harmless out of the assets of the Company from and against all actions, costs, charges, losses, damages and expenses which they or any of them, their heirs, executors or administrators, shall or may incur or sustain by or by reason of any act done, concurred in or omitted in or about the execution of their duty, or supposed duty, or in their respective offices or trusts, and none of them shall be answerable for the acts, receipts, neglects or defaults of the others of them or for joining in any receipts for the sake of conformity, or for any bankers or other Persons with whom any monies or effects belonging to the Company shall or may be delivered or deposited for safe custody, or for insufficiency or deficiency of any security upon which any monies of or belonging to the Company shall be deposited or invested, or for any other loss, misfortune or damage which may happen in the execution of their respective offices or trusts, or in relation thereto, provided that this indemnity shall not extend to any matter in respect of any fraud or dishonesty which may attach to any of said individuals.

(2) Each Member and the Company agree to waive any claim or right of action he or it might have, whether individually or by or in the right of the Company, against any Director or Officer on account of any action taken by such Director or Officer, or the failure of such Director or Officer to take any action, in the performance of his duties, or supposed duties, with or for the Company; provided that such waiver shall not extend to any matter in respect of any fraud or dishonesty which may attach to such Director or Officer. Any repeal or modification of this Bye-Law shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a Director or Officer of the Company existing immediately prior to such repeal or modification.


(3) Expenses incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding as authorized by the Board in the specific case upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Director, Officer, liquidator or trustee to repay such amount unless it shall ultimately be determined that the individual is entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized in these Bye-Laws or otherwise pursuant to the laws of Bermuda.

AMENDMENT OF BYE-LAWS

40. Any amendment to these Bye-Laws or to the Company’s Memorandum of Association shall be approved by the Board and decided on by an Ordinary Resolution of the Members.

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