Professor Andrej Thomas Starkis

(b) Except as otherwise permitted by section 7.08, annual shareholders' meetings may be held within or without the commonwealth at the place stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws. If no place is stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws, annual meetings shall be held at the corporation's principal office.

(c) The failure to hold an annual meeting at the time stated in or fixed in accordance with a corporation's bylaws shall not affect the validity of any corporate action.

(d) Unless otherwise provided in the articles of organization, an annual meeting shall be held for the purpose of electing directors and such other purposes as are specified in the notice of the meeting, and only business within such purposes may be conducted at the meeting.

(1) on call of its board of directors or the person authorized to do so by the articles of organization or bylaws; or

(2) in the case of a corporation other than a public corporation, if the holders of at least 10 per cent, or such lesser percentage as the articles of organization permit, of all the votes entitled to be cast on any issue to be considered at the proposed special meeting sign, date, and deliver to the corporation's secretary one or more written demands for the meeting describing the purpose for which it is to be held; or

(3) in the case of a public corporation, unless otherwise provided in the articles of organization or bylaws, if the holders of at least 40 per cent of all the votes entitled to be cast on any issue to be considered at the proposed special meeting sign, date, and deliver to the corporation's secretary one or more written demands for the meeting describing the purposes for which it is to be held.

(b) If not otherwise fixed under section 7.03 or 7.07, the record date for determining shareholders entitled to demand a special meeting is the date the first shareholder signs the demand.

(c) Except for meetings held as permitted by section 7.08, special shareholders' meetings may be held in or out of the commonwealth at the place stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws. If no place is stated or fixed in accordance with the bylaws, special meetings shall be held at the corporation's principal office.

(d) Only business within the purpose or purposes described in the meeting notice required by subsection (a) of section 7.05 may be conducted at a special shareholders' meeting.

(e) In the event an annual meeting is not held at the time stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws or the time for an annual meeting is not fixed in accordance with the bylaws to be held within 13 months after the last annual meeting was held, the corporation may designate a special meeting held thereafter in accordance with this section 7.02 as a special meeting in lieu of the annual meeting, and the meeting shall have all of the effect of an annual meeting.

(1) on application of any shareholder of the corporation entitled to participate in an annual meeting if an annual meeting was not held within the earlier of 6 months after the end of the corporation's fiscal year or 15 months after its last annual meeting; or

(2) on application of a shareholder who signed a demand for a special meeting valid under section 7.02, if:

(i) notice of the special meeting was not given within 30 days after the date the demand was delivered to the corporation's secretary or within such further time as the court may order under the circumstances; or

(ii) the special meeting was not held in accordance with the notice.

(b) The court may fix the time and place of the meeting, determine the voting groups entitled to participate in the meeting, specify a record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting, prescribe the form and content of the meeting notice, fix the quorum required for specific matters to be considered at the meeting, or direct that the votes represented at the meeting constitute a quorum for action on those matters, and enter other orders necessary to accomplish the purpose or purposes of the meeting.

(b) If not otherwise fixed under section 7.03 or 7.07, the record date for determining shareholders entitled to take action without a meeting is the date the first shareholder signs the consent under subsection (a).

(c) A consent signed under this section has the effect of a vote at a meeting and may be described as such in any document, except that if action is taken by the consent of less than all shareholders entitled to vote on the action, any document required to be filed under this chapter with respect to such action shall state that the action was taken by consent of the required number of shareholders and that any required notice has been given to other shareholders.

(d) If action is to be taken pursuant to the consent of voting shareholders without a meeting, the corporation, at least 7 days before the action pursuant to the consent is taken, shall give notice, which complies in form with the requirements of section 7.05, of the action (1) to nonvoting shareholders in any case where this chapter would require such notice if the action is to be taken pursuant to a vote by voting shareholders at a meeting, and (2) if the action is to be taken pursuant to the consent of less than all the shareholders entitled to vote on the matter, to all shareholders entitled to vote who did not consent to the action. The notice shall contain, or be accompanied by, the same material that, under this chapter, would have been required to be sent to shareholders in or with the notice of a meeting at which the action would have been submitted to the shareholders for approval.

(b) Unless the bylaws require otherwise, if an annual of special meeting of shareholders is adjourned to a different date, time or place, notice need not be given of the new date, time or place if the new date, time or place, if any, is announced at the meeting before adjournment. If a new record date for the adjourned meeting is or shall be fixed under section 7.07, however, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given under this section to persons who are shareholders as of the new record date.

(b) A shareholder's attendance at a meeting:

(1) waives objection to lack of notice or defective notice of the meeting, unless the shareholder at the beginning of the meeting objects to holding the meeting or transacting business at the meeting; and

(2) waives objection to consideration of a particular matter at the meeting that is not within the purpose or purposes described in the meeting notice, unless the shareholder objects to considering the matter when it is presented.

(b) A record date fixed under this section may not be more than 70 days before the meeting or action requiring a determination of shareholders.

(c) A determination of shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a shareholders' meeting is effective for any adjournment of the meeting unless the board of directors fixes a new record date, which it shall do if the meeting is adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the date fixed for the original meeting.

(d) If a court orders a meeting adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the date fixed for the original meeting, it may provide that the original record date continues in effect or it may fix a new record date.

(1) participate in a meeting of shareholders; and

(2) be deemed present in person and vote at a meeting of shareholders whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote communication, provided that:

(i) the corporation shall implement reasonable measures to verify that each person deemed present and permitted to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a stockholder or proxyholder;

(ii) the corporation shall implement reasonable measures to provide such shareholders and proxyholders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the shareholders, including an opportunity to read or hear the proceedings of the meeting substantially concurrently with such proceedings; and

(iii) if any stockholder or proxyholder votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of remote communication, a record of such vote or other action shall be maintained by the corporation.

(b) The shareholders list shall be available for inspection by any shareholder, beginning 2 business days after notice is given of the meeting for which the list was prepared and continuing through the meeting:

(1) at the corporation's principal office or at a place identified in the meeting notice in the city where the meeting will be held; or

(2) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting.

If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, the list shall be made available on an electronic network. In the event the corporation determines or is required to make the list available on an electronic network, the corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to shareholders of the corporation.

(c) A shareholder, his agent, or attorney is entitled on written demand to inspect and, subject to the requirements of section 16.02(c), to copy the list, during regular business hours and at his expense, during the period it is available for inspection.

(d) The corporation shall make the shareholders list available at the meeting, and any shareholder or his agent or attorney is entitled to inspect the list at any time during the meeting or any adjournment.

(e) If the corporation refuses to allow a shareholder or his agent or attorney to inspect the shareholders list before or at the meeting, or copy the list as permitted by subsection (b), the superior court of the county where a corporation's principal office or, if none in the commonwealth, its registered office is located, on application of the shareholder, may summarily, order the inspection or copying at the corporation's expense and may postpone the meeting for which the list was prepared until the inspection or copying is complete.

(f) Refusal or failure to prepare or make available the shareholders list shall not affect the validity of action taken at the meeting.
§ 7.21. Voting Entitlement of Shares
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) or unless the articles of organization provide otherwise, each outstanding share, regardless of class, is entitled to 1 vote on each matter voted on at a shareholders' meeting. Pursuant to subsection (c) of section 6.04 each fractional share is entitled to a proportional vote. Only shares are entitled to vote.

(b) Absent special circumstances, the shares of a corporation are not entitled to vote if they are owned, directly or indirectly, by another entity of which the corporation owns, directly or indirectly, a majority of the voting interests.

(c) Subsection (b) shall not limit the power of a corporation to vote any shares, including its own shares, held by it, directly or indirectly, in a fiduciary capacity.

(d) Unless the articles of organization provide otherwise, redeemable shares are not entitled to vote after notice of redemption is given to the holders and a sum sufficient to redeem the shares has been deposited with a bank, trust company or other financial institution under an irrevocable obligation to pay the holders the redemption price upon surrender of the shares.

(b) A shareholder may appoint a proxy to vote or otherwise act for him by signing an appointment form, either personally or by his attorney-in-fact.

(c) An appointment of a proxy is effective when received by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes. Unless otherwise provided in the appointment form, an appointment is valid for a period of 11 months from the date the shareholder signed the form or, if it is undated, from the date of its receipt by the officer or agent, or for such shorter period as may be specified in the bylaws.

(d) An appointment of a proxy is revocable by the shareholder unless the appointment form conspicuously states that it is irrevocable and the appointment is coupled with an interest. Appointments coupled with an interest include, without limitation, the appointment of:

(1) a secured party;

(2) a person who purchased or agreed to purchase the shares;

(3) a creditor of the corporation who extended it credit under terms requiring the appointment;

(4) an employee of the corporation whose employment contract requires the appointment; or

(5) a party to a voting agreement created under section 7.31.

(e) The death or incapacity of the shareholder appointing a proxy shall not affect the right of the corporation to accept the proxy's authority unless notice of the death or incapacity is received by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes before the proxy exercises his authority under the appointment.

(f) An appointment made irrevocable under subsection (d) is revoked when the interest with which it is coupled is extinguished.

(g) A transferee for value of shares subject to an irrevocable appointment may revoke the appointment if he did not know of its existence when he acquired the shares and the existence of the irrevocable appointment was not noted conspicuously on the certificate representing the shares or on the information statement for shares without certificates.

(h) Subject to section 7.24 and to any express limitation on the proxy's authority appearing on the face of the appointment form, a corporation is entitled to accept the proxy's vote or other action as that of the shareholder making the appointment.
§ 7.23. Shares Held by Nominees.
(a) A corporation may establish a procedure by which the beneficial owner of shares that are registered in the name of a nominee will be recognized by the corporation as the shareholder, to the extent provided in the procedure.

(b) The procedure may set forth:

(1) the types of nominees to which it applies;

(2) the rights or privileges that the corporation recognizes in a beneficial owner;

(3) the manner in which the procedure is selected by the nominee;

(4) a requirement for the certification by the nominee of the beneficial holders;

(5) the information that must be provided when the procedure is selected;

(6) the period for which selection of the procedure is effective; and

(7) other aspects of the rights and duties created.
§ 7.24. Corporation's Acceptance of Votes
(a) If the name signed on a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment corresponds to the name of a shareholder, the corporation if acting in good faith is entitled to accept the vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment and give it effect as the act of the shareholder.

(b) If the name signed on a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment does not correspond to the name of its shareholder, the corporation if acting in good faith is nevertheless entitled to accept the vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment and give it effect as the act of the shareholder if:

(1) the shareholder is an entity and the name signed purports to be that of an officer or agent of the entity;

(2) the name signed purports to be that of an administrator, executor, guardian, conservator or other fiduciary representing the shareholder and, if the corporation requests, evidence of fiduciary status acceptable to the corporation has been presented;

(3) the name signed purports to be that of a receiver or trustee in bankruptcy of the shareholder and, if the corporation requests, evidence of this status acceptable to the corporation has been presented;

(4) the name signed purports to be that of a secured party, beneficial owner, or attorney-in-fact of the shareholder and, if the corporation requests, evidence acceptable to the corporation of the signatory's authority to sign for the shareholder has been presented;

(5) two or more persons are the shareholder as co-owners, cotenants or fiduciaries and the name signed purports to be the name of at least one of the co-owners and the person signing appears to be acting on behalf of all the co-owners; or

(6) the corporation otherwise has a reasonable basis for believing that the signatory is, or has authority to sign for, the shareholder.

(c) The corporation is entitled to reject a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment if the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes, acting in good faith, has reasonable basis for doubting the validity of the signature on it or the signatory's authority to sign for the shareholder.

(d) The corporation and its officer or agent who accepts or rejects a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment in good faith and in accordance with the standards of this section shall not be liable to the shareholder for damages resulting from the acceptance or rejection.

(e) Corporate action based on the acceptance or rejection of a vote, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment under this section is valid unless a court of competent jurisdiction determines otherwise.
§ 7.25. Quorum and Voting Requirements for Voting Groups
(a) Shares entitled to vote as a separate voting group may take action on a matter at a meeting only if a quorum of those shares exists with respect to that matter. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, or in the articles of organization, the bylaws or a resolution of the board of directors, as permitted by subsection (a) of section 7.27, a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter by the voting group constitutes a quorum of that voting group for action on that matter.

(b) A share once represented for any purpose at a meeting is deemed present for quorum purposes for the remainder of the meeting and for any adjournment of that meeting unless:

(1) the shareholder attends solely to object to lack of notice, defective notice, or the conduct of the meeting on other grounds, and does not vote the shares or otherwise consent that they are to be deemed present; or

(2) in the case of an adjournment, a new record date is or shall be set for that adjourned meeting.

(c) If a quorum of a voting group exists, favorable action on a matter, other than the election of directors, is taken by a voting group if the votes cast within the group favoring the action exceed the votes cast opposing the action, unless either this chapter, or the articles of organization, the bylaws or a resolution of the board of directors, as permitted by subsection (a) of section 7.27, requires a greater number of affirmative votes.

(d) An amendment of the articles of organization or the bylaws affecting the quorum or voting requirement for a voting group is governed by section 7.27 or section 10.21 respectively.

(e) The election of directors is governed by section 7.28.
§ 7.26. Action by Single and Multiple Voting Groups
(a) When a matter is to be voted upon by a single voting group, action on that matter is taken when voted upon by that voting group as provided in section 7.25.

(b) When a matter is to be voted upon by two or more voting groups, favorable action on that matter is taken only by the required vote of each of those voting groups counted separately, as provided in section 7.25. Action may be taken by one voting group on a matter even though no action is taken by another voting group entitled to vote on the matter.

(b) If any provision of this chapter requires the affirmative vote of more than a majority of the shares in any voting group, the articles of organization may provide that favorable action may be taken by vote of a lesser proportion of shares than the chapter specifies, but not less than a majority of all the shares in the voting group eligible to vote on the matter.

(c) Action to approve an amendment to the articles of organization or bylaws that changes or deletes a quorum or voting requirement for action by shareholders must satisfy both the quorum and voting requirements then applicable for amendment of the articles or bylaws, as the case may be, and also the quorum and voting requirements sought to be changed or deleted.