Registration Form • Apr 2, 2015
Registration Form
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clear days in relation to the sending of a notice means the period excluding the day on which a notice is given or deemed to be given and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect;
director means a director of the Company;
dividend means dividend or bonus;
entitled by transmission means, in relation to a share in the capital of the Company, entitled as a consequence of the death or bankruptcy of the holder or otherwise by operation of law;
holder in relation to a share in the capital of the Company means the member whose name is entered in the register as the holder of that share;
member means a member of the Company;
office means the registered office of the Company;
paid means paid or credited as paid;
recognised person means a recognised clearing house or a nominee of a recognised clearing house or of a recognised investment exchange, each of which terms has the meaning given to it by section 778 of the Act;
register means either or both of the issuer register of members and the Operator register of members of the Company;
Regulations means the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 including any modification or re-enactment of them for the time being in force;
seal means the common seal of the Company and includes any official seal kept by the Company by virtue of section 49 or 50 of the Act;
secretary means the secretary of the Company and includes a joint, assistant, deputy or temporary secretary and any other person appointed to perform the duties of the secretary;
uncertificated share means (subject to Regulation 42(11)(a) of the Regulations) a share in the capital of the Company title to which is recorded on the Operator register of members of the Company and which may, by virtue of the Regulations, be transferred by means of a relevant system and references in these articles to a share being held in uncertificated form shall be construed accordingly; and
United Kingdom means Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
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References to a document or information being sent, supplied or given to or by a person mean such document or information, or a copy of such document or information, being sent, supplied, given, delivered, issued or made available to or by, or served on or by, or deposited with or by that person by any method authorised by these Articles, and sending, supplying and giving shall be construed accordingly.
References to writing mean the representation or reproduction of words, symbols or other information in a visible form by any method or combination of methods, whether in electronic form or otherwise, and written shall be construed accordingly.
Words denoting the singular number include the plural number and vice versa; words denoting the masculine gender include the feminine gender; and words denoting persons include corporations.
Words or expressions contained in these Articles which are not defined in Article 2 but are defined in the Act have the same meaning as in the Act (but excluding any modification of the Act not in force at the date these Articles took effect) unless inconsistent with the subject or context.
Words or expressions contained in these Articles which are not defined in Article 2 but are defined in the Regulations have the same meaning as in the Regulations (but excluding any modification of the Regulations not in force at the date of adoption of these Articles) unless inconsistent with the subject or context.
Subject to the preceding two paragraphs, references to any provision of any enactment or of any subordinate legislation (as defined by section 21(1) of the Interpretation Act 1978) include any modification or re-enactment of that provision for the time being in force.
Headings and marginal notes are inserted for convenience only and do not affect the construction of these Articles.
In these Articles, (a) powers of delegation shall not be restrictively construed but the widest interpretation shall be given to them; (b) the word board in the context of the exercise of any power contained in these Articles includes any committee consisting of one or more directors, any director, any other officer of the Company and any local or divisional board, manager or agent of the Company to which or, as the case may be, to whom the power in question has been delegated; (c) no power of delegation shall be limited by the existence or, except where expressly provided by the terms of delegation, the exercise of that or any other power of delegation; and (d) except where expressly provided by the terms of delegation, the delegation of a power shall not exclude the concurrent exercise of that power by any other body or person who is for the time being authorised to exercise it under these Articles or under another delegation of the power.
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Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts and without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing shares or class of shares, any share may be issued with such rights or restrictions as the Company may by ordinary resolution determine or, subject to and in default of such determination, as the board shall determine. Shares with special rights
The board may issue share warrants to bearer in respect of any fully paid shares under a seal of the Company or in any other manner authorised by the board. Any share while represented by such a warrant shall be transferable by delivery of the warrant relating to it. In any case in which a warrant is so issued, the board may provide for the payment of dividends or other moneys on the shares represented by the warrant by coupons or otherwise. The board may decide, either generally or in any particular case or cases, that any signature on a warrant may be applied by electronic or mechanical means or printed on it or that the warrant need not be signed by any person. Share warrants to bearer
Conditions of issue of share warrants
The board may determine, and from time to time vary, the conditions on which share warrants to bearer shall be issued and, in particular, the conditions on which:
(a) a new warrant or coupon shall be issued in place of one worn-out, defaced, lost or destroyed (but no new warrant shall be issued unless the Company is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the original has been destroyed); or
The bearer of such a warrant shall be subject to the conditions for the time being in force in relation to the warrant, whether made before or after the issue of the warrant. Subject to those conditions and to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the bearer shall be deemed to be a member of the Company and shall have the same rights and privileges as he would have if his name had been included in the register as the holder of the shares comprised in the warrant.
The Company shall not be bound by or be compelled in any way to recognise any right in respect of the share represented by a share warrant other than the bearer's absolute right to the warrant. No right in relation to share
(a) is held in uncertificated form; or
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(b) is permitted in accordance with the Regulations to become a participating security.
Where any class of shares is a participating security and the Company is entitled under any provision of the Companies Acts, the Regulations or these Articles to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of, forfeit, re-allot, accept the surrender of, or otherwise enforce a lien over, a share held in uncertificated form, the Company shall be entitled, subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the Regulations, these Articles and the facilities and requirements of the relevant system:
(a) to require the holder of that uncertificated share by notice to change that share into certificated form within the period specified in the notice and to hold that share in certificated form so long as required by the Company;
(e) to take any action that the board considers appropriate to achieve the sale, transfer, disposal, forfeiture, re-allotment or surrender of that share, or otherwise to enforce a lien in respect of that share.
The board has general and unconditional authority for each prescribed period to exercise all the powers of the Company to allot shares in the Company or to grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares in the Company:
(a) up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to the first section 551 amount; and
and so that the board may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury
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Section 551 authority
Exercise of Company's entitlements in respect of uncertificated share
shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter.
Section 561 disapplication
The board is generally empowered for each prescribed period to allot equity securities for cash pursuant to the authority conferred by Article 12 as if section 561 of the Act did not apply to any such allotment, provided that its power shall be limited to:
(a) the allotment of equity securities in connection with an offer of equity securities (but in the case of the authority granted under Article 12(b), by way of a rights issue only):
and so that the board may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter; and
(b) in the case of the authority granted under Article 12(a), the allotment of equity securities for cash otherwise than pursuant to Article 13(a) up to the section 561 amount.
This Article applies in relation to a sale of shares which is an allotment of equity securities by virtue of section 560(2)(b) of the Act as if the words "pursuant to the authority conferred by Article 12" were omitted in this Article.
prescribed period means any period for which the authority conferred by Article 12 is given by ordinary or special resolution stating the first section 551 amount and the second s551 amount and/or the power conferred by Article 13 is given by special resolution stating the section 561 amount;
first section 551 amount means, for any prescribed period, the amount stated as such in the relevant ordinary or special resolution;
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second section 551 amount means, for any prescribed period, the amount stated as such in the relevant ordinary or special resolution; and
section 561 amount means, for any prescribed period, the amount stated in the relevant special resolution.
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts relating to authority, preemption rights or otherwise and of any resolution of the Company in general meeting passed pursuant to those provisions, and, in the case of redeemable shares, the provisions of Article 17: Residual allotment powers
(a) all shares for the time being in the capital of the Company shall be at the disposal of the board; and
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in such manner as the board may approve by or on behalf of one or more holders, or a combination of both; or
(b) with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of the class,
but not otherwise.
For the purposes of Article 20, if at any time the capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, unless otherwise expressly provided by the rights attached to any share or class of shares, those rights shall be deemed to be varied by: When rights
(a) the reduction of the capital paid up on that share or class of shares otherwise than by a purchase or redemption by the Company of its own shares; and
but shall not be deemed to be varied by:
The Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate for certificated shares held jointly by more than one person and delivery of a certificate to one joint
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deemed to be varied
holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them. Shares of different classes may not be included in the same certificate.
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time fixed for payment of a call may be postponed in whole or part as the board may determine. A person on whom a call is made shall remain liable for calls made on him even if the shares in respect of which the call was made are subsequently transferred.
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Without prejudice to any power of the Company to register as shareholder a person to whom the right to any share has been transmitted by operation of law, the instrument of transfer of a certificated share may be in any usual form or in any other form which the board may approve. An instrument of transfer shall be signed by or on behalf of the transferor and, unless the share is fully paid, by or on behalf of the transferee. An instrument of transfer need not be under seal. Form and execution of transfer of certificated share
The board may, in its absolute discretion, refuse to register the transfer of a certificated share which is not fully paid, provided that the refusal does not prevent dealings in shares in the Company from taking place on an open and proper basis.
The board may also refuse to register the transfer of a certificated share unless the instrument of transfer: Invalid transfers of certificated shares
(a) is lodged, duly stamped (if stampable), at the office or at another place appointed by the board accompanied by the certificate for the share to which it relates and such other evidence as the board may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer;
(c) is in favour of not more than four transferees.
In the case of a transfer of a certificated share by a recognised person, the lodging of a share certificate will only be necessary if and to the extent that a certificate has been issued in respect of the share in question. Transfers by recognised persons
If the board refuses to register a transfer of a share in certificated form, it shall send the transferee notice of its refusal within two months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged with the Company. Notice of refusal to register
No fee shall be charged for the registration of any instrument of transfer or other document relating to or affecting the title to a share. No fee payable on registration
The Company shall be entitled to retain an instrument of transfer which is registered, but an instrument of transfer which the board refuses to register shall be returned to the person lodging it when notice of the refusal is sent. Retention of transfers
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Transfers of
Evidence of forfeiture or surrender
partly paid certificated shares
A person becoming entitled by transmission to a share shall, on production of any evidence as to his entitlement properly required by the board and subject to the requirements of Article 50, have the same rights in relation to the share as he would have had if he were the holder of the share, subject to Article 184184184. That person may give a discharge for all dividends and other moneys payable in respect of the share, but he shall not, before being registered as the holder of the share, be entitled in respect of it to receive notice of, or to attend or vote at, any meeting of the Company or to receive notice of, or to attend or vote at, any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company. Rights of persons entitled by transmission
New shares subject to these Articles
(a) subject to all the provisions of these Articles, including without limitation provisions relating to payment of calls, lien, forfeiture, transfer and transmission; and
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The board shall convene and the Company shall hold general meetings as annual general meetings in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Acts. Annual general meetings
For the purposes of this Article, where a person is present by proxy or proxies, he is treated only as holding the shares in respect of which those proxies are authorised to exercise voting rights.
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Fractions arising
Company may summon a meeting for the purpose of appointing one or more directors.
In the case of an annual general meeting, the notice shall specify the meeting as such. In the case of a meeting to pass a special resolution, the notice shall specify the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution. Contents of notice: additional requirements
The notice shall include details of any arrangements made for the purpose of Article 65 (making clear that participation in those arrangements will not amount to attendance at the meeting to which the notice relates). Article 65 arrangements
The board may resolve to enable persons entitled to attend a general meeting to do so by simultaneous attendance and participation at a satellite meeting place anywhere in the world. The members present in person or by proxy at satellite meeting places shall be counted in the quorum for, and entitled to vote at, the general meeting in question, and that meeting shall be duly constituted and its proceedings valid if the chairman of the general meeting is satisfied that adequate facilities are available throughout the general meeting to ensure that members attending at all the meeting places are able to: General meetings at more than one place
(a) participate in the business for which the meeting has been convened;
The chairman of the general meeting shall be present at, and the meeting shall be deemed to take place at, the principal meeting place.
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Interruption or adjournment where facilities inadequate
Other arrangements for viewing and hearing proceedings
The board may make arrangements for persons entitled to attend a general meeting or an adjourned general meeting to be able to view and hear the proceedings of the general meeting or adjourned general meeting and to speak at the meeting (whether by the use of microphones, loudspeakers, audio-visual communications equipment or otherwise) by attending at a venue anywhere in the world not being a satellite meeting place. Those attending at any such venue shall not be regarded as present at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting and shall not be entitled to vote at the meeting at or from that venue. The inability for any reason of any member present in person or by proxy at such a venue to view or hear all or any of the proceedings of the meeting or to speak at the meeting shall not in any way affect the validity of the proceedings of the meeting.
The board may from time to time make any arrangements for controlling the level of attendance at any venue for which arrangements have been made pursuant to Article 65 (including without limitation the issue of tickets or the imposition of some other means of selection) it in its absolute discretion considers appropriate, and may from time to time change those arrangements. If a member, pursuant to those arrangements, is not entitled to attend in person or by proxy at a particular venue, he shall be entitled to attend in person or by proxy at any other venue for which arrangements have been made pursuant to Article 65. The entitlement of any member to be present at such venue in person or by proxy shall be subject to any such arrangement then in force and stated by the notice of meeting or adjourned meeting to apply to the meeting. Controlling level of attendance
If, after the sending of notice of a general meeting but before the meeting is held, or after the adjournment of a general meeting but before the adjourned meeting is held (whether or not notice of the adjourned meeting is required), the board decides that it is impracticable or unreasonable, for a reason beyond its control, to hold the meeting at the declared place (or any of the declared places, in the case of a meeting to which Article 63 applies) and/or time, it may change the place (or any of the places, in the case of a meeting to which Article 63 applies) and/or postpone the time at which the meeting is to be held. If such a decision is made, the board may then change the place (or any of the places, in the case of a meeting to which Article 63 applies) and/or postpone the time again if it decides that it is reasonable to do so. In either case: Change in place and/or time of meeting
(a) no new notice of the meeting need be sent, but the board shall, if practicable, advertise the date, time and place of the meeting in at least two newspapers having a national circulation and shall make arrangements for notices of the change of place and/or postponement to appear at the original place and/or at the original time; and
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For the purposes of this Article a "qualifying person" means (i) an individual who is a member of the Company, (ii) a person authorised under the Companies Acts to act as
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a representative of the corporation in relation to the meeting, or (iii) a person appointed as proxy of a member in relation to the meeting.
A director shall, notwithstanding that he is not a member, be entitled to attend and speak at any general meeting and at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company. Directors entitled to speak
The chairman may, with the consent of a 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. No business shall be dealt with at an adjourned meeting other than business which might properly have been dealt with at the meeting had the adjournment not taken place. In addition (and without prejudice to the chairman's power to adjourn a meeting conferred by Article 64), the chairman may adjourn the meeting to another time and place without such consent if it appears to him that: Adjournment: chairman's powers
(a) it is likely to be impracticable to hold or continue that meeting because of the number of members wishing to attend who are not present; or
(c) an adjournment is otherwise necessary so that the business of the meeting may be properly conducted.
Any such adjournment may, subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, be for such time and to such other place (or, in the case of a meeting held at a principal meeting place and a satellite meeting place, such other places) as the chairman may, in his absolute discretion determine, notwithstanding that by reason of such adjournment some members may be unable to be present at the adjourned meeting. Any such member may nevertheless appoint a proxy for the adjourned Adjournment: procedures
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meeting either in accordance with Article 103 or by means of a document in hard copy form which, if delivered at the meeting which is adjourned to the chairman or the secretary or any director, shall be valid even though it is given at less notice than would otherwise be required by Article 103(a). When a meeting is adjourned for 30 days or more or for an indefinite period, notice shall be sent at least seven clear days before the date of the adjourned meeting specifying the time and place (or places, in the case of a meeting to which Article 63 applies) of the adjourned meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted. Otherwise it shall not be necessary to send any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be dealt with at an adjourned meeting.
(b) the chairman in his absolute discretion decides that the amendment may be considered and voted on.
A resolution put to the vote of a general meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless before, or on the declaration of the result of, a vote on the show of hands, or on the withdrawal of any other demand for a poll, a poll is duly demanded. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, a poll may be demanded by:
(a) the chairman of the meeting; or
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Methods of voting
(d) any member or members present in person or by proxy holding shares conferring a right to vote on the resolution, being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than 10% of the total sum paid up on all the shares conferring that right (excluding any shares conferring a right to vote on the resolution which are held as treasury shares).
The appointment of a proxy to vote on a matter at a meeting authorises the proxy to demand, or join in demanding, a poll on that matter. In applying the provisions of this Article, a demand by a proxy counts (i) for the purposes of paragraph (b) of this Article, as a demand by the member, (ii) for the purposes of paragraph (c) of this Article, as a demand by a member representing the voting rights that the proxy is authorised to exercise, and (iii) for the purposes of paragraph (d) of this Article, as a demand by a member holding the shares to which those rights are attached.
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Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any shares, on a vote on a resolution on a show of hands: Right to vote on a show of hands
(a) every member who is present in person shall have one vote;
If at any time the board is satisfied that any member, or any other person appearing to be interested in shares held by such member, has been duly served with a notice under section 793 of the Act (a section 793 notice) and is in default for the Section 793 of the Act: restrictions if in default
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prescribed period in supplying to the Company the information thereby required, or, in purported compliance with such a notice, has made a statement which is false or inadequate in a material particular, then the board may, in its absolute discretion at any time thereafter by notice (a direction notice) to such member direct that:
(ii) no transfer of any default share shall be registered unless:
The Company shall send the direction notice to each other person appearing to be interested in the default shares, but the failure or omission by the Company to do so shall not invalidate such notice. Copy of notice to interested persons
Any direction notice shall cease to have effect not more than seven days after the earlier of receipt by the Company of: When restrictions cease to have
(a) a notice of an approved transfer, but only in relation to the shares transferred; or
(b) all the information required by the relevant section 793 notice, in a form satisfactory to the board.
The board may at any time send a notice cancelling a direction notice.
Board may cancel restrictions
effect
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The Company may exercise any of its powers under Article 11 in respect of any default share that is held in uncertificated form. Conversion of uncertificated shares
For the purposes of this Article and Articles 90, 91, 92, 93 and 94: Supplementary
(a) a person shall be treated as appearing to be interested in any shares if the member holding such shares has sent to the Company a notification under section 793 of the Act which either (i) names such person as being so interested or (ii) fails to establish the identities of all those interested in the shares, and (after taking into account the said notification and any other relevant section 793 notification) the Company knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the person in question is or may be interested in the shares;
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provisions
The appointment of a proxy shall be made in writing and shall be in any usual form or in any other form which the board may approve. Subject thereto, the appointment of a proxy may be: Appointment of proxy: form
(a) in hard copy form; or
Without prejudice to Article 67(b) or to the second sentence of Article 76, the appointment of a proxy shall: Delivery/receipt of proxy appointment
(a) if in hard copy form, be delivered by hand or by post to the office or such other place within the United Kingdom as may be specified by or on behalf of the Company for that purpose:
not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting (or any postponed time appointed for holding the meeting pursuant to Article 67) at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote; or
(b) if in electronic form, be received at any address to which the appointment of a proxy may be sent by electronic means pursuant to a provision of the Companies Acts or to any other address specified by or on behalf of the Company for the purpose of receiving the appointment of a proxy in electronic form:
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not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting (or any postponed time appointed for holding the meeting pursuant to Article 67) at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote; or
In calculating the periods mentioned in this Article, the board may specify, in any case, that no account shall be taken of any part of a day that is not a working day.
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, where the appointment of a proxy is expressed to have been or purports to have been made, sent or supplied by a person on behalf of the holder of a share: Authentication of proxy appointment not made by holder
(a) the Company may treat the appointment as sufficient evidence of the authority of that person to make, send or supply the appointment on behalf of that holder; and
(b) that holder shall, if requested by or on behalf of the Company at any time, send or procure the sending of reasonable evidence of the authority under which the appointment has been made, sent or supplied (which may include a copy of such authority certified notarially or in some other way approved by the board), to such address and by such time as may be specified in the request and, if the request is not complied with in any respect, the appointment may be treated as invalid.
A proxy appointment which is not delivered or received in accordance with Article 103 shall be invalid. When two or more valid proxy appointments are delivered or received in respect of the same share for use at the same meeting, the one that was last delivered or received shall be treated as replacing or revoking the others as regards that share, provided that if the Company determines that it has insufficient evidence to decide whether or not a proxy appointment is in respect of the same share, it shall be entitled to determine which proxy appointment (if any) is to be treated as Validity of proxy appointment
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valid. Subject to the Companies Acts, the Company may determine at its discretion when a proxy appointment shall be treated as delivered or received for the purposes of these Articles.
- The Company shall not be required to check that a proxy or corporate representative votes in accordance with any instructions given by the member by whom he is appointed. Any failure to vote as instructed shall not invalidate the proceedings on the resolution.
Revocation of authority
The termination of the authority of a person to act as a proxy or duly authorised representative of a corporation does not affect:
(a) whether he counts in deciding whether there is a quorum at a meeting;
unless notice of the termination was either delivered or received as mentioned in the following sentence no later than the last time at which an appointment of proxy
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should have been delivered or received in order to be valid for use at the relevant meeting or adjourned meeting or (in the case of a poll taken otherwise than on the same day as the meeting or adjourned meeting) the time appointed for taking the poll. Such notice of termination shall be either by means of a document in hard copy form delivered to the office or to such other place within the United Kingdom as may be specified by or on behalf of the Company in accordance with Article 103(a) or in electronic form received at the address specified by or on behalf of the Company in accordance with Article 103(b), regardless of whether any relevant proxy appointment was effected in hard copy form or in electronic form.
When director deemed to be reappointed
directors
114.112. If the Company does not fill the vacancy at the meeting at which a director retires by rotation or otherwise, the retiring director shall, if willing to act, be deemed to have been re-appointed unless at the meeting it is resolved not to fill the vacancy or unless a resolution for the re-appointment of the director is put to the meeting and lost.
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115.113. No person other than a retiring director retiring by rotation shall be appointed a director at any general meeting unless: Eligibility for election
| Provisions if insufficient |
114. If: |
|---|---|
| directors appointed |
(a) any resolution or resolutions for the appointment or re-appointment of the persons eligible for appointment or re-appointment as directors are put to the annual general meeting and lost, and |
| (b) at the end of that meeting the number of directors is fewer than any minimum number of directors required under Article 110, |
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| all retiring directors who stood for re-appointment at that meeting (the Retiring Directors) shall be deemed to have been re-appointed as directors and shall remain in office, but the Retiring Directors may only: |
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| (c) act for the purpose of filling vacancies and convening general meetings of the Company; and |
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| 116.(d)perform such duties as are appropriate to maintain the Company as a going Formatted: FWN_L2 concern and to comply with the Company's legal and regulatory obligations, |
|
| but not for any other purpose. | |
| Provisions for meeting convened under Article 114 |
115. The Retiring Directors shall convene a general meeting as soon as reasonably practicable following the annual general meeting referred to Article 114, and they shall retire from office at that meeting. If at the end of any meeting convened under this Article the number of directors is fewer than any minimum number of directors required under Article 110, the provisions of Article 114 and Article 115 shall also apply to that meeting. |
| Separate resolutions on appointment |
117.116. Except as otherwise authorised by the Companies Acts, a motion for Formatted: Position: Horizontal: 0.83 the appointment of two or more persons as directors by a single resolution shall not be cm, Relative to: Page, Vertical: 0.11 cm, Relative to: Paragraph made unless a resolution that it should be so made has first been agreed to by the meeting without any vote being given against it. |
| Additional powers of the Company |
118.117. Subject as aforesaid, the Company may by ordinary resolution appoint a person who is willing to act to be a director either to fill a vacancy or as an additional director and may also determine the rotation in which any additional |
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directors are to retire. The appointment of a person to fill a vacancy or as an additional director shall take effect from the end of the meeting.
119.118. The board may appoint a person who is willing to act to be a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional director and in either case whether or not for a fixed term. Irrespective of the terms of his appointment, a director so appointed shall hold office only until the first annual general meeting notice of which is first given after his appointment and shall not be taken into account in determining the directors who are to retire by rotation at the meeting. If not re-appointed at such annual general meeting, he shall vacate office at its conclusion. Appointment by board
121.120. A director shall not be required to hold any shares in the capital of the Company by way of qualification.
122.121. Any director (other than an alternate director) may appoint any other director, or any other person approved by resolution of the board and willing to act, to be an alternate director and may remove from office an alternate director so appointed by him. appoint alternates
123.122. An alternate director shall be entitled to receive notice of all meetings of the board and of all meetings of committees of the board of which his appointor is a member, to attend and vote at any such meeting at which his appointor is not personally present, and generally to perform all the functions of his appointor (except as regards power to appoint an alternate) as a director in his absence. It shall not be necessary to send notice of such a meeting to an alternate director who is absent from the United Kingdom. Alternates entitled to receive notice
124.123. A director or any other person may act as alternate director to represent more than one director, and an alternate director shall be entitled at meetings of the board or any committee of the board to one vote for every director whom he represents (and who is not present) in addition to his own vote (if any) as a director, but he shall count as only one for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present. representing more than one
125.124. An alternate director may be repaid by the Company such expenses as might properly have been repaid to him if he had been a director but shall not be entitled to receive any remuneration from the Company in respect of his services as an alternate director except 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. An alternate director shall be entitled to be indemnified by the Company to the same extent as if he were a director. Expenses and remuneration of alternates
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Power to
Alternates
director
| Termination of | |
|---|---|
| appointment |
126.125. An alternate director shall cease to be an alternate director:
Method of appointment and revocation
127.126. Any appointment or removal of an alternate director shall be by notice to the Company by the director making or revoking the appointment and shall take effect in accordance with the terms of the notice (subject to any approval required by Article 121121121) on receipt of such notice by the Company which shall be in hard copy form or in electronic form sent to such address (if any) for the time being specified by or on behalf of the Company for that purpose.
128.127. Except as otherwise expressly provided in these Articles, an alternate director shall be deemed for all purposes to be a director. Accordingly, except where the context otherwise requires, a reference to a director shall be deemed to include a reference to an alternate director. An alternate director shall alone be responsible for his own acts and defaults and he shall not be deemed to be the agent of the director appointing him. Alternate not an agent of appointor
129.128. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts and these Articles and to any directions given by special resolution, the business of the Company shall be managed by the board which may pay all expenses incurred in forming and registering the Company and may exercise all the powers of the Company, including without limitation the power to dispose of all or any part of the undertaking of the Company. No alteration of the Articles and no such direction shall invalidate any prior act of the board which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had not been given. The powers given by this Article shall not be limited by any special power given to the board by these Articles. A meeting of the board at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the board. Business to be managed by board
Exercise by Company of voting rights 130.129. The board may exercise the voting power conferred by the shares in any body corporate held or owned by the Company in such manner in all respects as it thinks fit (including without limitation the exercise of that power in favour of any resolution appointing its members or any of them directors of such body corporate, or voting or providing for the payment of remuneration to the directors of such body corporate).
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Committees of the board
Offices
131.130. The board may delegate any of its powers to any committee consisting of one or more directors. The board may also delegate to any director holding any executive office such of its powers as the board considers desirable to be exercised by him. Any such delegation shall, in the absence of express provision to the contrary in the terms of delegation, be deemed to include authority to sub-delegate to one or more directors (whether or not acting as a committee) or to any employee or agent of the Company all or any of the powers delegated and may be made subject to such conditions as the board may specify, and may be revoked or altered. The board may co-opt on to any such committee persons other than directors, who may enjoy voting rights in the committee. The co-opted members shall be less than one-half of the total membership of the committee and a resolution of any committee shall be effective only if:
Subject to any conditions imposed by the board, the proceedings of a committee with two or more members shall be governed by these Articles regulating the proceedings of directors so far as they are capable of applying.
132.131. The board may establish local or divisional boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company, either in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, and may appoint any persons to be members of the local or divisional boards, or any managers or agents, and may fix their remuneration. The board may delegate to any local or divisional board, manager or agent any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in or exercisable by the board, with power to subdelegate, and may authorise the members of any local or divisional board, or any of them, to fill any vacancies and to act notwithstanding vacancies. Any appointment or delegation made pursuant to this Article may be made on such terms and subject to such conditions as the board may decide. The board may remove any person so appointed and may revoke or vary the delegation but no person dealing in good faith and without notice of the revocation or variation shall be affected by it. Local boards etc.
133.132. The board may, by power of attorney or otherwise, appoint any person to be the agent of the Company for such purposes, with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in the board) and on such conditions as the board determines, including without limitation authority for the agent to delegate all or any of his powers, authorities and discretions, and may revoke or vary such delegation. Agents
134.133. The board may appoint any person to any office or employment having a designation or title including the word "director" or attach to any existing office or employment with the Company such a designation or title and may terminate any such appointment or the use of any such designation or title. The inclusion of the word "director" in the designation or title of any such office or employment shall not including title "director"
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imply that the holder is a director of the Company, and the holder shall not thereby be empowered in any respect to act as, or be deemed to be, a director of the Company for any of the purposes of these Articles.
135.134. The board may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money, to guarantee, to indemnify, to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property, assets (present and future) and uncalled capital, and to issue debentures and other securities whether outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party. Power to borrow
138.137. A certificate or report by the Auditors as to the amount of Moneys Borrowed or the amount of the Adjusted Capital and Reserves or to the effect that the limit imposed by Article 135135135 has not been or will not be exceeded at any particular time or times shall be conclusive evidence of such amount or fact for the purposes of Article 135135135. Nevertheless for the purposes of Article 135135135 the board may at any time act in reliance on a bona fide estimate of the amount of the Adjusted Capital and Reserves and if, in consequence, the restriction in Article 135135135 would otherwise have been breached, an amount equal to the excess of Moneys Borrowed shall be disregarded until the expiration of six months after the date on which by reason of a determination of the Auditors or otherwise the board become aware that such a situation has or may have arisen. Determining whether limit breached
139.138. For the purposes of this Article and Articles 135135135, 136136136 and 137137137: Definitions
Adjusted Capital and Reserves means a sum equal to the aggregate of:
(a) the amount paid up (or credited as or deemed to be paid up) on the issued share capital of the Company; and
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(b) the amount standing to the credit of the reserves of the Group (including, without limitation, any share premium account, capital redemption reserve or revaluation reserve) after adding thereto or deducting therefrom any balance standing to the credit or debit of the profit and loss account of the Group,
all as shown in the then latest audited balance sheet, but after:
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audited balance sheet means the audited balance sheet of the Company prepared for the purposes of the Companies Acts or, if an audited consolidated balance sheet dealing with the state of affairs of the Company and all its subsidiary undertakings to be dealt with in group accounts has been prepared for those purposes for the same financial year, that audited consolidated balance sheet, in which event all references to reserves and profit and loss shall be deemed to be references to consolidated reserves and consolidated profit and loss and any amounts attributable to outside interests shall be excluded;
Moneys Borrowed means the outstanding moneys borrowed of the Group determined as follows:
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obligation in a balance sheet prepared in accordance with the accounting principles used in the preparation of the latest audited balance sheet;
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Excepted Foreign Currency Borrowings means moneys borrowed denominated or repayable in a currency other than sterling which have the benefit of an Exchange Cover Scheme;
Exchange Cover Scheme means any exchange cover scheme, forward currency contract, currency option, back to back loan, swap or other arrangement taken out or entered into to reduce the risks associated with fluctuations in exchange rates;
Finance Lease means a contract between a lessor and a member of the Group as lessee or sub-lessee where substantially all the risks and rewards of the ownership of the asset leased or sub-leased are to be borne by the lessee or sub-lessee; and
Minority Proportion shall mean the proportion of the issued equity share capital of the partly owned subsidiary undertaking which is not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the Company or any of its wholly owned subsidiary undertakings.
LON35071111/441/41/1 150906-0007 Page 37 140.139. A person ceases to be a director as soon as: (a) that person ceases to be a director by virtue of any provision of the Act or is prohibited from being a director by law; (b) a bankruptcy order is made against that person; (c) a composition is made with that person's creditors generally in satisfaction of that person's debts; (d) a registered medical practitioner who is treating that person gives a written opinion to the Company stating that that person has become physically or mentally incapable of acting as a director and may remain so for more than three months; (e) by reason of that person's mental health, a court makes an order which wholly or partly prevents that person from personally exercising any powers or rights which that person would otherwise have; Disqualification as a director
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141.140. The Company may, without prejudice to the provisions of the Companies Acts, by ordinary resolution remove any director from office (notwithstanding any provision of these Articles or of any agreement between the Company and such director, but without prejudice to any claim he may have for damages for breach of any such agreement). No special notice need be given of any resolution to remove a director in accordance with this Article and no director proposed to be removed in accordance with this Article has any special right to protest against his removal. The Company may, by ordinary resolution, appoint another person in place of a director removed from office in accordance with this Article. Any person so appointed shall, for the purpose of determining the time at which he or any other director is to retire by rotation, be treated as if he had become a director on the day on which the director in whose place he is appointed was last elected a director. In default of such appointment the vacancy arising on the removal of a director from office may be filled as a casual vacancy. Power of Company to remove director
142.141. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the board may enter into, vary and terminate an agreement or arrangement with any director who does not hold executive office for the provision of his services to the Company. Subject to Article 142142142 and 143143143, any such agreement or arrangement may be made on such terms as the board determines. Arrangements
Ordinary remuneration
with nonexecutive directors
143.142. The ordinary remuneration of the directors who do not hold executive office for their services (excluding amounts payable under any other provision of these Articles) shall not exceed in aggregate £400,000 per annum or such higher amount as the Company may from time to time by ordinary resolution determine. Subject thereto, each such director shall be paid a fee for their services (which shall be deemed to accrue from day to day) at such rate as may from time to time be determined by the board.
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Additional remuneration for special services
144.143. Any director who does not hold executive office and who performs special services which in the opinion of the board are outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a director, may (without prejudice to the provisions of Article 142142142) be paid such extra remuneration by way of additional fee, salary, commission or otherwise as the board may determine.
145.144. The directors may be paid all travelling, hotel, and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with their attendance at meetings of the board or committees of the board, general meetings or separate meetings of the holders of any class of shares or of debentures of the Company or otherwise in connection with the discharge of their duties. Directors may be paid expenses
Authorisation under s175 of the Act
149.148. For the purposes of section 175 of the Act, the board may authorise any matter proposed to it in accordance with the Articles which would, if not so authorised, involve a breach of duty by a director under that section, including, without limitation, any matter which relates to a situation in which a director has, or can have, an interest which conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the Company. Any such authorisation will be effective only if:
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The board may (whether at the time of the giving of the authorisation or subsequently) make any such authorisation subject to any limits or conditions it expressly imposes but such authorisation is otherwise given to the fullest extent permitted. The board may vary or terminate any such authorisation at any time.
For the purposes of the Articles, a conflict of interest includes a conflict of interest and duty and a conflict of duties, and interest includes both direct and indirect interests.
Director may contract with the Company and hold other offices etc
150.149. Provided that he has disclosed to the board the nature and extent of his interest (unless the circumstances referred to in section 177(5) or section 177(6) of the Act apply, in which case no such disclosure is required) a director notwithstanding his office:
151.150. A director shall not, by reason of his office, be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefit which he derives from any office or employment or from any transaction or arrangement or from any interest in any body corporate: Remuneration, benefits etc.
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nor shall the receipt of any such remuneration or other benefit constitute a breach of his duty under section 176 of the Act.
Notification of interests
152.151. Any disclosure required by Article 149149149 may be made at a meeting of the board, by notice in writing or by general notice or otherwise in accordance with section 177 of the Act.
Duty of confidentiality to another person
153.152. A director shall be under no duty to the Company with respect to any information which he obtains or has obtained otherwise than as a director of the Company and in respect of which he owes a duty of confidentiality to another person. However, to the extent that his relationship with that other person gives rise to a conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest, this Article applies only if the existence of that relationship has been approved by the board pursuant to Article 148148148. In particular, the director shall not be in breach of the general duties he owes to the Company by virtue of sections 171 to 177 of the Act because he fails:
for so long as he reasonably believes such conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest subsists.
155.154. The provisions of Articles 152152152 and 153153153 are without prejudice to any equitable principle or rule of law which may excuse the director from: Without prejudice to equitable principles or rule of law
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receiving such documents and information would otherwise be required under the Articles.
156.155. The board may (by establishment of, or maintenance of, schemes or otherwise) provide benefits, whether by the payment of gratuities or pensions or by insurance or otherwise, for any past or present director or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings or any body corporate associated with, or any business acquired by, any of them, and for any member of his family (including a spouse, a civil partner, a former spouse and a former civil partner) or any person who is or was dependent on him, and may (as well before as after he ceases to hold such office or employment) contribute to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such benefit. Gratuities and pensions
157.156. Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 219219219, the board may exercise all the powers of the Company to purchase and maintain insurance for or for the benefit of any person who is or was: Insurance
including without limitation insurance against any liability incurred by such person in respect of any act or omission in the actual or purported execution or discharge of his duties or in the exercise or purported exercise of his powers or otherwise in relation to his duties, powers or offices in relation to the relevant body or fund.
158.157. No director or former director shall be accountable to the Company or the members for any benefit provided pursuant to this Article. The receipt of any such benefit shall not disqualify any person from being or becoming a director of the Company. Directors not liable to account
159.158. The board may make provision for the benefit of any persons employed or formerly employed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than a director or former director or shadow director in connection with the cessation or the transfer of the whole or part of the undertaking of the Company or any subsidiary. Any such provision shall be made by a resolution of the board in accordance with section 247 of the Act. Section 247 of the Act
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160.159. Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the board may regulate its proceedings as it thinks fit. A director may, and the secretary at the request of a director shall, call a meeting of the board by giving notice of the meeting to each director. Notice of a board meeting shall be deemed to be given to a director if it is given to him personally or by word of mouth or sent in hard copy form to him at his last known address or such other address (if any) as may for the time being be specified by him or on his behalf to the Company for that purpose, or sent in electronic form to such address (if any) for the time being specified by him or on his behalf to the Company for that purpose. A director absent or intending to be absent from the United Kingdom may request the board that notices of board meetings shall during his absence be sent in hard copy form or in electronic form to such address (if any) for the time being specified by him or on his behalf to the Company for that purpose, but such notices need not be sent any earlier than notices sent to directors not so absent and, if no such request is made to the board, it shall not be necessary to send notice of a board meeting to any director who is for the time being absent from the United Kingdom. No account is to be taken of directors absent from the United Kingdom when considering the adequacy of the period of notice of the meeting. Questions arising at a meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have a second or casting vote. Any director may waive notice of a meeting and any such waiver may be retrospective. Any notice pursuant to this Article need not be in writing if the board so determines and any such determination may be retrospective. Convening meetings
Quorum
161.160. The quorum 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 two. A person who holds office only as an alternate director may, if his appointor is not present, be counted in the quorum. 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 the board meeting if no director objects.
Powers of directors if number falls below minimum
162.161. The continuing directors or a sole continuing director may act notwithstanding any vacancies in their number, but if the number of directors is less than the number fixed as the quorum the continuing directors or director may, unless Article 114 applies, act only for the purpose of filling vacancies or of calling a general meeting.
Chairman and deputy chairman
163.162. The board may appoint one of their number to be the chairman, and one of their number to be the deputy chairman, of the board and may at any time remove either of them from such office. Unless he is unwilling to do so, the director appointed as chairman, or in his stead the director appointed as deputy chairman, shall preside at every meeting of the board at which he is present. If there is no director holding either of those offices, or if neither the chairman nor the deputy chairman is willing to preside or neither of them is present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the directors present may appoint one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
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164.163. All acts done by a meeting of the board, or of a committee of the board, or by a person acting as a director or alternate director, shall, notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was a defect in the appointment of any director or any member of the committee or alternate director or that any of them were disqualified from holding office, or had vacated office, or were not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified and had continued to be a director or, as the case may be, an alternate director and had been entitled to vote. Validity of acts of the board
165.164. A resolution in writing agreed to by all the directors entitled to vote at a meeting of the board or of a committee of the board (not being less than the number of directors required to form a quorum of the board) shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the board or (as the case may be) a committee of the board duly convened and held. For this purpose: Resolutions in writing
(a) a director signifies his agreement to a proposed written resolution when the Company receives from him a document indicating his agreement to the resolution authenticated in the manner permitted by the Companies Acts for a document in the relevant form;
(b) the director may send the document in hard copy form or in electronic form to such address (if any) for the time being specified by the Company for that purpose;
(c) if an alternate director signifies his agreement to the proposed written resolution, his appointor need not also signify his agreement; and
(d) if a director signifies his agreement to the proposed written resolution, an alternate director appointed by him need not also signify his agreement in that capacity.
166.165. Without prejudice to the first sentence of Article 159159159, a person entitled to be present at a meeting of the board or of a committee of the board shall be deemed to be present for all purposes if he is able (directly or by electronic communication) to speak to and be heard by all those present or deemed to be present simultaneously. A director so deemed to be present shall be entitled to vote and be counted in a quorum accordingly. Such a meeting shall be deemed to take place where it is convened to be held or (if no director is present in that place) where the largest group of those participating is assembled, or, if there is no such group, where the chairman of the meeting is. The word meeting in these Articles shall be construed accordingly. Meetings by telephone etc.
Directors' power to vote on contracts in which they are interested
167.166. Except as otherwise provided by these Articles, a director shall not vote at a meeting of the board or a committee of the board on any resolution of the board concerning a matter in which he has an interest (other than by virtue of his interests in shares or debentures or other securities of, or otherwise in or through, the Company) which can reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict with the interests of the Company, unless his interest arises only because the resolution concerns one or more of the following matters:
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For the purposes of this Article, in relation to an alternate director, an interest of his appointor shall be treated as an interest of the alternate director without prejudice to any interest which the alternate director has otherwise.
168.167. The Company may by ordinary resolution suspend or relax to any extent, either generally or in respect of any particular matter, any provision of these Articles prohibiting a director from voting at a meeting of the board or of a committee of the board.
169.168. Where proposals are under consideration concerning the appointment (including without limitation fixing or varying the terms of appointment) of two or more directors to offices or employments with the Company or any body corporate in
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Division of proposals
which the Company is interested, the proposals may be divided and considered in relation to each director separately. In such cases each of the directors concerned shall be entitled to vote in respect of each resolution except that concerning his own appointment.
Decision of chairman final and conclusive
170.169. If a question arises at a meeting of the board or of a committee of the board as to the entitlement of a director to vote, the question may, before the conclusion of the meeting, be referred to the chairman of the meeting and his ruling in relation to any director other than himself shall be final and conclusive except in a case where the nature or extent of the interests of the director concerned have not been fairly disclosed. If any such question arises in respect of the chairman of the meeting, it shall be decided by resolution of the board (on which the chairman shall not vote) and such resolution will be final and conclusive except in a case where the nature and extent of the interests of the chairman have not been fairly disclosed.
171.170. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the secretary shall be appointed by the board for such term, at such remuneration and on such conditions as it may think fit. Any secretary so appointed may be removed by the board, but without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company. Appointment and removal of secretary
| Minutes required to be kept |
172.171. | The board shall cause minutes to be recorded for the purpose of: |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | all appointments of officers made by the board; and | |
| (b) | all proceedings at meetings of the Company, the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company, the board and committees of the board, |
173.172. Any such minutes, if purporting to be authenticated by the chairman of the meeting to which they relate or of the next meeting, shall be sufficient evidence of the proceedings at the meeting without any further proof of the facts stated in them. Conclusiveness of minutes
including the names of the directors present at each such meeting.
Authority required for execution of deed
174.173. The seal shall only be used by the authority of a resolution of the board. The board may determine who shall sign any document executed under the seal. If they do not, it shall be signed by at least one director and the secretary or by at least two directors. Any document may be executed under the seal by impressing the seal by mechanical means or by printing the seal or a facsimile of it on the document or by applying the seal or a facsimile of it by any other means to the document. A document executed, with the authority of a resolution of the board, in any manner permitted by section 44(2) of the Act and expressed (in whatever form of words) to be executed by the Company has the same effect as if executed under the seal.
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175.174. The board may by resolution determine either generally or in any particular case that any certificate for shares or debentures or representing any other form of security may have any signature affixed to it by some mechanical or electronic means, or printed on it or, in the case of a certificate executed under the seal, need not bear any signature. Certificates for shares and debentures
Overseas and local registers
176.175. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts and the Regulations, the Company may keep an overseas or local or other register in any place, and the board may make, amend and revoke any regulations it thinks fit about the keeping of that register.
Authentication and certification of copies and extracts
177.176. Any director or the secretary or any other person appointed by the board for the purpose shall have power to authenticate and certify as true copies of and extracts from:
If certified in this way, a document purporting to be a copy of a resolution, or the minutes or an extract from the minutes of a meeting of the Company, the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company, the board or a committee of the board, whether in hard copy form or electronic form, shall be conclusive evidence in favour of all persons dealing with the Company in reliance on it or them that the resolution was duly passed or that the minutes are, or the extract from the minutes is, a true and accurate record of proceedings at a duly constituted meeting.
Declaration of dividends
Interim dividends
178.177. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the Company may by ordinary resolution declare dividends in accordance with the respective rights of the members, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the board.
179.178. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the board may pay interim dividends if it appears to the board that they are justified by the profits of the Company available for distribution. If the share capital is divided into different classes, the board may:
(a) pay interim dividends on shares which confer deferred or non-preferred rights with regard to dividends as well as on shares which confer preferential rights with regard to dividends, but no interim dividend shall be paid on shares
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carrying deferred or non-preferred rights if, at the time of payment, any preferential dividend is in arrear; and
(b) pay at intervals settled by it any dividend payable at a fixed rate if it appears to the board that the profits available for distribution justify the payment.
If the board acts in good faith it shall not incur any liability to the holders of shares conferring preferred rights for any loss they may suffer by the lawful payment of an interim dividend on any shares having deferred or non-preferred rights.
180.179. Dividends may be declared and paid in any currency or currencies that the board shall determine. The board may also determine the exchange rate and the relevant date for determining the value of the dividend in any currency. Declaration and payment in different currencies
184.183. The following provisions shall apply to the Resolution and any offer made pursuant to it and Article 182182182. Scrip dividends: procedures
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forgo (each a new share). For this purpose, the value of each new share shall be:
but shall never be less than the par value of the new share.
A certificate or report by the auditors as to the value of a new share in respect of any dividend shall be conclusive evidence of that value.
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185.184. The board may deduct from any dividend or other moneys payable to any member in respect of a share any moneys presently payable by him to the Company in respect of that share. Where a person is entitled by transmission to a share, the board may retain any dividend payable in respect of that share until that person (or that person's transferee) becomes the holder of that share.
186.185. Any dividend or other moneys payable in respect of a share may be paid:
(a) in cash; or
187.186. If two or more persons are registered as joint holders of any share, or are entitled by transmission jointly to a share, the Company may: entitlement
(a) pay any dividend or other moneys payable in respect of the share to any one of them and any one of them may give effectual receipt for that payment; and
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Permitted deductions and retentions
Procedure for payment to holders and others entitled
Joint
(b) for the purpose of Article 185185185, rely in relation to the share on the written direction, designation or agreement of, or notice to the Company by, any one of them.
188.187. A cheque or warrant may be sent by post:
189.188. Payment of a cheque or warrant by the bank on which it was drawn or the transfer of funds by the bank instructed to make the transfer or, in respect of an uncertificated share, the making of payment in accordance with the facilities and requirements of the relevant system (which, if the relevant system is CREST, may include the sending by the Company or by any person on its behalf of an instruction to the Operator of the relevant system to credit the cash memorandum account of the holder or joint holders or, if permitted by the Company, of such person as the holder or joint holders may in writing direct) shall be a good discharge to the Company. Every cheque or warrant sent or transfer of funds made by the relevant bank or system in accordance with these Articles shall be at the risk of the holder or person entitled. The Company shall have no responsibility for any sums lost or delayed in the course of payment by any method used by the Company in accordance with Article 185185185. Discharge to Company and risk
190.189. No dividend or other moneys payable in respect of a share shall bear interest against the Company unless otherwise provided by the rights attached to the share.
Forfeiture of unclaimed dividends
191.190. Any dividend which has remained unclaimed for 12 years from the date when it became due for payment shall, if the board so resolves, be forfeited and cease to remain owing by the Company. The payment of any unclaimed dividend or other moneys payable in respect of a share may (but need not) be paid by the Company into an account separate from the Company's own account. Such payment shall not constitute the Company a trustee in respect of it. The Company shall be entitled to cease sending dividend warrants and cheques by post or otherwise to a member if those instruments have been returned undelivered, or left uncashed by that member, on at least two consecutive occasions, or, following one such occasion, reasonable enquiries have failed to establish the member's new address. The entitlement conferred on the Company by this Article in respect of any member shall cease if the member claims a dividend or cashes a dividend warrant or cheque.
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192.191. The board may with the authority of an ordinary resolution of the Company:
and any agreement made under that authority shall be binding on all such members;
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Power to capitalise
193.192. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, the Company or the board may: Record dates for dividends etc.
194.193. No member shall (as such) have any right to inspect any accounting records or other book or document of the Company except as conferred by statute or authorised by the board or by ordinary resolution of the Company or order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Rights to inspect records
195.194. Subject to the Companies Acts, a copy of the Company's annual accounts and reports for that financial year shall, at least 21 clear days before the date of the meeting at which copies of those documents are to be laid in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Acts, be sent to every member and to every holder of the Company's debentures, and to every person who is entitled to receive notice of meetings from the Company under the provisions of the Companies Acts or of these Sending of annual accounts
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Articles or, in the case of joint holders of any share or debenture, to one of the joint holders. A copy need not be sent to a person for whom the Company does not have a current address.
196.195. Subject to the Companies Acts, the requirements of Article 194194194 shall be deemed satisfied in relation to any person by sending to the person, instead of such copies, a summary financial statement derived from the Company's annual accounts and the directors' report, which shall be in the form and containing the information prescribed by the Companies Acts and any regulations made under the Companies Acts.
When notice required to be in writing
Methods of Company sending notice
197.196. Any notice to be sent to or by any person pursuant to these Articles (other than a notice calling a meeting of the board) shall be in writing.
198.197. Subject to Article 196196196 and unless otherwise provided by these Articles, the Company shall send or supply a document or information that is required or authorised to be sent or supplied to a member or any other person by the Company by a provision of the Companies Acts or pursuant to these Articles or to any other rules or regulations to which the Company may be subject in such form and by such means as it may in its absolute discretion determine provided that the provisions of the Act which apply to sending or supplying a document or information required or authorised to be sent or supplied by the Companies Acts shall, the necessary changes having been made, also apply to sending or supplying any document or information required or authorised to be sent by these Articles or any other rules or regulations to which the Company may be subject.
Methods of member etc. sending document or information
199.198. Subject to Article 196196196 and unless otherwise provided by these Articles, a member or a person entitled by transmission to a share shall send a document or information pursuant to these Articles to the Company in such form and by such means as it may in its absolute discretion determine provided that:
Unless otherwise provided by these Articles or required by the board, such document or information shall be authenticated in the manner specified by the Companies Acts for authentication of a document or information sent in the relevant form.
200.199. In the case of joint holders of a share any document or information shall be sent to the joint holder whose name stands first in the register in respect of the joint holding and any document or information so sent shall be deemed for all purposes sent to all the joint holders. Notice to joint holders
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201.200. A member whose registered address is not within an EEA State and who sends to the Company an address within an EEA State at which a document or information may be sent to him shall be entitled to have the document or information sent to him at that address (provided that, in the case of a document or information sent by electronic means, including without limitation any notification required by the Companies Acts that the document or information is available on a website, the Company so agrees, which agreement the Company shall be entitled to withhold in its absolute discretion including, without limitation, in circumstances in which the Company considers that the sending of the document or information to such address using electronic means would or might infringe the laws of any other jurisdiction) but otherwise: Registered address outside
202.201. A member present, either in person or by proxy, at any meeting of the Company or of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company shall be deemed to have been sent notice of the meeting and, where requisite, of the purposes for which it was called. Deemed receipt of notice
Terms and conditions for electronic communications
EEA
203.202. The board may from time to time issue, endorse or adopt terms and conditions relating to the use of electronic means for the sending of notices, other documents and proxy appointments by the Company to members or persons entitled by transmission and by members or persons entitled by transmission to the Company.
204.203. A document or information may be sent or supplied by the Company to the person or persons entitled by transmission to a share by sending it in any manner the Company may choose authorised by these Articles for the sending of a document or information to a member, addressed to them by name, or by the title of representative of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt or by any similar description at the address (if any) in the United Kingdom as may be supplied for that purpose by or on behalf of the person or persons claiming to be so entitled. Until such an address has been supplied, a document or information may be sent in any manner in which it might have been sent if the death or bankruptcy or other event giving rise to the transmission had not occurred. Notice to persons entitled by transmission
Transferees etc. bound by prior notice
205.204. Every person who becomes entitled to a share shall be bound by any notice in respect of that share which, before his name is entered in the register, has been sent to a person from whom he derives his title, provided that no person who becomes entitled by transmission to a share shall be bound by any direction notice sent under Article 90 to a person from whom he derives his title.
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206.205. Proof that a document or information was properly addressed, prepaid and posted shall be conclusive evidence that the document or information was sent or supplied. A document or information sent by the Company to a member by post shall be deemed to have been received: Proof of sending/when notices etc. deemed sent by post
207.206. A document or information sent by the Company to a member by hand shall be deemed to have been received by the member when it is handed to the member or left at his registered address or an address notified to the Company in accordance with Article 200200200.
208.207. Proof that a document or information sent or supplied by electronic means was properly addressed shall be conclusive evidence that the document or information was sent or supplied. A document or information sent or supplied by the Company to a member in electronic form shall be deemed to have been received by the member on the day following that on which the document or information was sent to the member. Such a document or information shall be deemed received by the member on that day notwithstanding that the Company becomes aware that the member has failed to receive the relevant document or information for any reason and notwithstanding that the Company subsequently sends a hard copy of such document or information by post to the member.
When notices etc. deemed sent by website
209.208. A document or information sent or supplied by the Company to a member by means of a website shall be deemed to have been received by the member:
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LON35071111/441/41/1 150906-0007 Page 56
When notices etc. deemed sent by hand
Proof of sending/when notices etc. deemed sent by electronic means
No entitlement to receive notice etc if Company has no current address
210.209. A member shall not be entitled to receive any document or information that is required or authorised to be sent or supplied to him by the Company by a provision of the Companies Acts or pursuant to these Articles or to any other rules or regulations to which the Company may be subject if documents or information sent or supplied to that member by post in accordance with the Articles have been returned undelivered to the Company:
Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any notice of a general meeting of the Company which is in fact sent or purports to be sent to such member shall be ignored for the purpose of determining the validity of the proceedings at such general meeting.
Subject to Article 200200200, a member to whom this Article applies shall become entitled to receive such documents or information when he has given the Company an address to which they may be sent or supplied.
Notice during disruption of services
211.210. Subject to the Companies Acts, if at any time the Company is unable effectively to convene a general meeting by notices sent through the post in the United Kingdom as a result of the suspension or curtailment of postal services, notice of general meeting may be sufficiently given by advertisement in the United Kingdom. Any notice given by advertisement for the purpose of this Article shall be advertised in at least one newspaper having a national circulation. If advertised in more than one newspaper, the advertisements shall appear on the same date. Such notice shall be deemed to have been sent to all persons who are entitled to have notice of meetings sent to them on the day when the advertisement appears. In any such case, the Company shall send confirmatory copies of the notice by post, if at least seven days before the meeting the posting of notices to addresses throughout the United Kingdom again becomes practicable.
Power of Company to destroy documents
212.211. The Company shall be entitled to destroy:
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| (d) | all paid dividend warrants and cheques at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of actual payment; |
|
|---|---|---|
| (e) | all proxy appointments which have been used for the purpose of a poll at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of use; and |
|
| (f) | all proxy appointments which have not been used for the purpose of a poll at any time after one month from the end of the meeting to which the proxy appointment relates and at which no poll was demanded. |
|
| Presumption in relation to |
213.212. | It shall conclusively be presumed in favour of the Company that: |
| destroyed documents |
(a) | every entry in the register purporting to have been made on the basis of an instrument of transfer or other document destroyed in accordance with Article 211211211 was duly and properly made; |
| (b) | every instrument of transfer destroyed in accordance with Article 211211211 was a valid and effective instrument duly and properly registered; |
|
| (c) | every share certificate destroyed in accordance with Article 211211211 was a valid and effective certificate duly and properly cancelled; and |
|
| (d) | every other document destroyed in accordance with Article 211211211 was a valid and effective document in accordance with its recorded particulars in the books or records of the Company, |
|
| but: | ||
| (e) | the provisions of this Article and Article 211211211 apply only to the destruction of a document in good faith and without notice of any claim (regardless of the parties) to which the document might be relevant; |
|
| (f) | nothing in this Article or Article 211211211 shall be construed as imposing on the Company any liability in respect of the destruction of any document earlier than the time specified in Article 211211211 or in any other circumstances which would not attach to the Company in the absence of this Article or Article 211211211; and |
|
| (g) | any reference in this Article or Article 211211211 to the destruction of any document includes a reference to its disposal in any manner. |
|
| UNTRACED SHAREHOLDERS |
214.213. The Company shall be entitled to sell, at the best price reasonably obtainable, the shares of a member or the shares to which a person is entitled by transmission if: Power to dispose of shares of untraced shareholders
(a) during the period of 12 years before the date of the publication of the advertisements referred to in paragraph (b) of this Article (or, if published on different dates, the first date) (the relevant period) at least three dividends in respect of the shares in question have been declared and all dividend warrants
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and cheques which have been sent in the manner authorised by these Articles in respect of the shares in question have remained uncashed;
218.217. If the Company is wound up, the liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Insolvency Act 1986: Liquidator may distribute in specie
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but no member shall be compelled to accept any asset on which there is a liability.
219.218. The power of sale of a liquidator shall include a power to sell wholly or partially for shares or debentures or other obligations of another body corporate, either then already constituted or about to be constituted for the purpose of carrying out the sale. Disposal of
Indemnity to directors and officers
assets by liquidator
220.219. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, but without prejudice to any indemnity to which the person concerned may otherwise be entitled, every director or other officer of the Company (other than any person (whether an officer or not) engaged by the Company as auditor) shall be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against any liability incurred by him for negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the affairs of the Company, provided that this Article shall be deemed not to provide for, or entitle any such person to, indemnification to the extent that it would cause this Article, or any element of it, to be treated as void under the Act or otherwise under the Companies Acts.
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| PRELIMINARY 1 | |
|---|---|
| SHARE CAPITAL AND LIMITED LIABILITY 3 | |
| VARIATION OF RIGHTS 7 | |
| SHARE CERTIFICATES 8 | |
| LIEN 9 | |
| CALLS ON SHARES 9 | |
| FORFEITURE AND SURRENDER 10 | |
| TRANSFER OF SHARES 12 | |
| TRANSMISSION OF SHARES 1312 | |
| ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL 13 | |
| GENERAL MEETINGS 14 | |
| NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS 15 | |
| PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS 17 | |
| VOTES OF MEMBERS 2120 | |
| PROXIES AND CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVES 2423 | |
| NUMBER OF DIRECTORS 27 | |
| APPOINTMENT AND RETIREMENT OF DIRECTORS 27 | |
| ALTERNATE DIRECTORS 2928 | |
| POWERS OF THE BOARD 3029 | |
| DELEGATION OF POWERS OF THE BOARD 3130 | |
| BORROWING POWERS 3231 | |
| DISQUALIFICATION AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS 3736 | |
| NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 3837 | |
| LON35071111/441/41/1 150906-0007 | Page I |
|---|---|
| DIRECTORS' EXPENSES 3938 | |
|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 3938 | |
| DIRECTORS' INTERESTS 3938 | |
| GRATUITIES, PENSIONS AND INSURANCE 4241 | |
| PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD 4341 | |
| SECRETARY 4645 | |
| MINUTES 4645 | |
| THE SEAL 4645 | |
| REGISTERS 4745 | |
| DIVIDENDS 4746 | |
| CAPITALISATION OF PROFITS AND RESERVES 5250 | |
| RECORD DATES 5351 | |
| ACCOUNTS 5352 | |
| COMMUNICATIONS 5452 | |
| DESTRUCTION OF DOCUMENTS 5756 | |
| UNTRACED SHAREHOLDERS 5857 | |
| WINDING UP 5958 | |
| INDEMNITY 6058 | |
| PRELIMINARY 1 | |
| SHARE CAPITAL AND LIMITED LIABILITY 3 | |
| VARIATION OF RIGHTS 7 | |
| SHARE CERTIFICATES 8 | |
| LIEN 9 | |
| CALLS ON SHARES 9 | |
| FORFEITURE AND SURRENDER 10 | |
| TRANSFER OF SHARES 12 |
| TRANSMISSION OF SHARES 12 | |
|---|---|
| ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL 13 | |
| GENERAL MEETINGS 14 | |
| NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS 15 | |
| PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS 17 | |
| VOTES OF MEMBERS 20 | |
| PROXIES AND CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVES 23 | |
| NUMBER OF DIRECTORS 27 | |
| APPOINTMENT AND RETIREMENT OF DIRECTORS 27 | |
| ALTERNATE DIRECTORS 28 | |
| POWERS OF THE BOARD 29 | |
| DELEGATION OF POWERS OF THE BOARD 30 | |
| BORROWING POWERS 31 | |
| DISQUALIFICATION AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS 36 | |
| NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 37 | |
| DIRECTORS' EXPENSES 38 | |
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 38 | |
| DIRECTORS' INTERESTS 38 | |
| GRATUITIES, PENSIONS AND INSURANCE 41 | |
| PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD 42 | |
| SECRETARY 45 | |
| MINUTES 45 | |
| THE SEAL 45 | |
| REGISTERS 46 | |
| DIVIDENDS 46 |
| RECORD DATES 52 | |
|---|---|
| ACCOUNTS 52 | |
| COMMUNICATIONS 53 | |
| DESTRUCTION OF DOCUMENTS 56 | |
| UNTRACED SHAREHOLDERS 57 | |
| WINDING UP 58 | |
| INDEMNITY 59 |
COMPANY NO. 01190238
COMPANIES ACT 2006
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
of
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LON35071111/441/41/1 150906-0007
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