British
Virgin Islands
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3674
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Not
Applicable
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(State
or other jurisdiction of
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(Primary
Standard Industrial
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(I.R.S.
Employer
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incorporation
or organization)
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Classification
Code Number)
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Identification
Number)
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Large
accelerated filer ¨
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Accelerated
filer ý
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Non-accelerated
filer ¨
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(Do
not check if a smaller reporting company)
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Smaller
reporting company ¨
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Charles
Xiaoshu Bai
Chief
Financial Officer
ReneSola
Ltd
No.
8 Baoqun Road, Yao Zhuang
Jiashan,
Zhejiang 314117, People’s Republic of China
(86-573)
8477-3058
|
David
T. Zhang, Esq.
Latham
& Watkins LLP
41st
Floor, One Exchange Square
8
Connaught Place Central
Hong
Kong S.A.R., China
(852)
2522-7886
|
RENESOLA LTD | |||
By: | /s/ Xianshou Li | ||
Name: | Xianshou Li | ||
Title: |
Director
and Chief Executive Officer
|
||
Signature
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Title
|
Date
|
||
/s/ *
|
||||
Martin
Bloom
|
Chairman
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March
13, 2009
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||
/s/ Xianshou Li
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||||
Xianshou
Li
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Director
and Chief Executive Officer
(principal executive officer) |
March
13, 2009
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||
/s/ *
|
||||
Charles
Xiaoshu Bai
|
Chief
Financial Officer
(principal
financial and accounting officer)
|
March
13, 2009
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||
/s/ *
|
||||
Yuncai
Wu
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Director
|
March
13, 2009
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||
/s/ *
|
||||
Jing
Wang
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Director
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March
13, 2009
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||
/s/ *
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||||
Robert
Naii Lee
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Director
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March
13, 2009
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||
/s/ *
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||||
Donald
J. Puglisi
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Authorized
U.S. Representative
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March
13, 2009
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*By
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/s/ Xianshou Li
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|
Xianshou
Li
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||
Attorney-in-Fact
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Exhibit
Number
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Description
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4.1*
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Amended
and Restated Memorandum and Articles of
Association
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1
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DEFINITIONS
AND INTERPRETATION
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1.1
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In
this Memorandum of Association and the attached Articles of Association,
if not inconsistent with the subject or
context:
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|
(a)
|
a
resolution approved at a duly convened and constituted meeting of
directors of the Company or of a committee of directors of the Company by
the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at the meeting
who voted except that where a director is given more than one vote, he
shall be counted by the number of votes he casts for the purpose of
establishing a majority; or
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|
(b)
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a
resolution consented to in writing by all directors or by all members of a
committee of directors of the Company, as the case may
be;
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|
(a)
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a
resolution approved at a duly convened and constituted meeting of the
Shareholders of the Company by the affirmative vote of a majority of in
excess of 50% of the votes of the Shares entitled to vote thereon which
were present at the meeting and were voted;
or
|
|
(b)
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a
resolution consented to in writing by a majority of in excess of 50% of
the votes of Shares entitled to vote
thereon;
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1.2
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In
the Memorandum and the Articles, unless the context otherwise requires a
reference to:
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|
(a)
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a
“Regulation” is a
reference to a regulation of the
Articles;
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(b)
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a
“Clause” is a
reference to a clause of the
Memorandum;
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(c)
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voting
by Shareholders is a reference to the casting of the votes attached to the
Shares held by the Shareholder
voting;
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(d)
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the
Act, the Memorandum or the Articles is a reference to the Act or those
documents as amended or, in the case of the Act any re-enactment thereof;
and
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(e)
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the
singular includes the plural and vice
versa.
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1.3
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Any
words or expressions defined in the Act unless the context otherwise
requires bear the same meaning in the Memorandum and the Articles unless
otherwise defined herein.
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1.4
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Headings
are inserted for convenience only and shall be disregarded in interpreting
the Memorandum and the Articles.
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2
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NAME
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3
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STATUS
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4
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REGISTERED
OFFICE AND REGISTERED AGENT
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4.1
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The
first registered office of the Company is at Craigmuir Chambers, Road
Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, the office of the first registered
agent.
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4.2
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The
first registered agent of the Company is Harneys Corporate Services
Limited of Craigmuir Chambers, P.O. Box 71, Road Town, Tortola, British
Virgin Islands.
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4.3
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The
Company may by Resolution of Shareholders or by Resolution of Directors
change the location of its registered office or change its registered
agent.
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4.4
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Any
change of registered office or registered agent will take effect on the
registration by the Registrar of a notice of the change filed by the
existing registered agent or a legal practitioner in the British Virgin
Islands acting on behalf of the
Company.
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5
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CAPACITY
AND POWERS
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5.1
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Subject
to the Act and any other British Virgin Islands legislation, the Company
has, irrespective of corporate
benefit:
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(a)
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full
capacity to carry on or undertake any business or activity, do any act or
enter into any transaction; and
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(b)
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for
the purposes of paragraph (a), full rights, powers and
privileges.
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5.2
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For
the purposes of section 9(4) of the Act, there are no limitations on the
business that the Company may carry
on.
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6
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NUMBER
AND CLASSES OF SHARES
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6.1
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The
Company is authorised to issue a maximum of 250,000,000 no par value
Shares of a single class.
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6.2
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The
Company may issue fractional Shares and a fractional Share shall have the
corresponding fractional rights, obligations and liabilities of a whole
Share of the same class or series of
Shares.
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6.3
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Shares
may be issued in one or more series of Shares as the directors may by
Resolution of Directors determine from time to
time.
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7
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RIGHTS
OF SHARES
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7.1
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Each
Share in the Company confers upon the
Shareholder:
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(a)
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the
right to one vote at a meeting of the Shareholders or on any Resolution of
Shareholders;
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(b)
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the
right to an equal share in any dividend paid by the Company;
and
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(c)
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the
right to an equal share in the distribution of the surplus assets of the
Company on its liquidation.
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7.2
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The
Company may by Resolution of Directors redeem, purchase or otherwise
acquire all or any of the Shares in the Company subject to Regulation 3 of
the Articles.
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8
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VARIATION
OF RIGHTS
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9
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RIGHTS
NOT VARIED BY THE ISSUE OF SHARES PARI
PASSU
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10
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REGISTERED
SHARES
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10.1
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The
Company shall issue registered Shares
only.
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10.2
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The
Company is not authorised to issue bearer Shares, convert registered
Shares to bearer Shares or exchange registered Shares for bearer
Shares.
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11
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TRANSFER
OF SHARES
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11.1
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Subject
to the provisions of Sub-Regulations 6.2 and 6.3 of the Articles, the
Company shall, on receipt of an instrument of transfer complying with
Sub-Regulation 6.1 of the Articles, enter the name of the transferee
of a Share in the register of members unless the directors resolve to
refuse or delay the registration of the transfer for reasons that shall be
specified in a Resolution of
Directors.
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11.2
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The
directors may not resolve to refuse or delay the transfer of a Share
unless the Shareholder has failed to pay an amount due in respect of the
Share.
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12
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AMENDMENT
OF THE MEMORANDUM AND THE ARTICLES
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12.1
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Subject
to Clause 8, the Company may amend the Memorandum or the Articles by
Resolution of Shareholders
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12.2
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Any
amendment of the Memorandum or the Articles will take effect on the
registration by the Registrar of a notice of amendment, or restated
Memorandum and Articles, filed by the registered
agent.
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1.
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REGISTERED
SHARES
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1.1
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Every
Shareholder is entitled to a certificate signed by a director or officer
of the Company, or any other person authorised by Resolution of Directors,
or under the Seal specifying the number of Shares held by him and the
signature of the director, officer or authorised person and the Seal may
be facsimiles.
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1.2
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Any
Shareholder receiving a certificate shall indemnify and hold the Company
and its directors and officers harmless from any loss or liability which
it or they may incur by reason of any wrongful or fraudulent use or
representation made by any person by virtue of the possession
thereof. If a certificate for Shares is worn out or lost it may
be renewed on production of the worn out certificate or on satisfactory
proof of its loss together with such indemnity as may be required by
Resolution of Directors.
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1.3
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If
several Persons are registered as joint holders of any Shares, any one of
such Persons may give an effectual receipt for any
Distribution.
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2.
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SHARES
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2.1
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Shares
and other Securities may be issued at such times, to such Persons, for
such consideration and on such terms as the directors may by Resolution of
Directors determine.
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2.2
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Section
46 of the Act (Pre-emptive rights)
does not apply to the Company.
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2.3
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A
Share may be issued for consideration in any form, including money, a
promissory note, or other written obligation to contribute money or
property, real property, personal property (including goodwill and
know-how), services rendered or a contract for future
services.
|
2.4
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No
Shares may be issued for a consideration other than money, unless a
Resolution of Directors has been passed
stating:
|
|
(a)
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the
amount to be credited for the issue of the
Shares;
|
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(b)
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the
determination of the directors of the reasonable present cash value of the
non-money consideration for the issue;
and
|
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(c)
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that,
in the opinion of the directors, the present cash value of the non-money
consideration for the issue is not less than the amount to be credited for
the issue of the Shares.
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2.5
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The
Company shall keep a register (the “register of members”)
containing:
|
|
(a)
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the
names and addresses of the Persons who hold
Shares;
|
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(b)
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the
number of each class and series of Shares held by each
Shareholder;
|
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(c)
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the
date on which the name of each Shareholder was entered in the register of
members; and
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(d)
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the
date on which any Person ceased to be a
Shareholder.
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2.6
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The
register of members may be in any such form as the directors may approve,
but if it is in magnetic, electronic or other data storage form, the
Company must be able to produce legible evidence of its
contents. Until the directors otherwise determine, the
magnetic, electronic or other data storage form shall be the original
register of members.
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2.7
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A
Share is deemed to be issued when the name of the Shareholder is entered
in the register of members.
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2.8
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Nothing
in these Articles shall require title to any shares or other securities of
the Company to be evidenced by a certificate if the BVI Companies Act and
the rules of the Stock Exchanges permit
otherwise.
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2.9
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Subject
to the BVI Companies Act and the rules of the Stock Exchanges, the Board
without further consultation with the holders of any Shares or securities
of the Company may resolve that any class or series of Shares or other
securities of the Company from time to time in issue or to be issued
(including shares in issue at the date of the adoption of these Articles)
may be issued, held, registered, converted to, transferred or otherwise
dealt with in uncertificated form in accordance with the Regulations and
practices instituted by the operator of the relevant system and no
provision of these Articles will apply to any uncertificated share or
other securities of the Company to the extent that they are inconsistent
with the holding of such shares or other securities in uncertificated form
or the transfer of title to any such shares or other securities
by means of a relevant system or any provision of the
Regulations.
|
2.10
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Conversion
of shares held in certificated form into shares held in uncertificated
form, and vice versa, may be made in such manner as the Board may, in its
absolute discretion, thinks fit (subject always to the Regulations and the
requirements of the relevant system concerned). The Company
shall enter on the register of members how many Shares are held by each
Shareholder in uncertificated form and in certificated form and shall
maintain the register of members in each case as is required by the
Regulations and the relevant system concerned. Notwithstanding
any provision of these Articles, a class or series of Shares shall not be
treated as two classes by virtue only of that class or series comprising
both certificated Shares and uncertificated Shares or as a result of any
provision of these Articles or the Regulations which apply only in respect
of certificated or uncertificated
Shares.
|
2.11
|
If
a share certificate for certificated Shares is defaced, worn out, lost or
destroyed it may be replaced without fee but on such terms (if any) as to
evidence and indemnity and to payment of any exceptional out-of-pocket
expenses of the Company in investigating such evidence and preparing such
indemnity as the Board may think fit and, in case of defacement or wearing
out, on delivery up of the old certificate to the
Company.
|
2.12
|
All
forms of certificate for share or loan capital or other securities of the
Company (other than letters of allotment, scrip certificates and other
like documents) shall be issued under the Seal or in such other manner as
the Board may authorise. The Board may by Resolution of
Directors determine, either generally or in any particular case or cases,
that any signatures on any such certificate need not be autographic but
may be affixed to such certificate by some mechanical or electronic means
or may be printed thereon or that such certificate need not be signed by
any person.
|
2.13
|
Any
Shareholder receiving a share certificate for certificated Shares shall
indemnify and hold the Company and its Directors and officers harmless
from any loss or liability which it or they may incur by reason of any
wrongful or fraudulent use or representation made by any person by virtue
of the possession thereof.
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2.14
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If
several persons are registered as joint holders of any Shares, any one of
such persons may give an effectual receipt for any dividend payable in
respect of such Shares.
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3.
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REDEMPTION
OF SHARES AND TREASURY SHARES
|
3.1
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The
Company may purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire and hold its own Shares
save that the Company may not, except pursuant to Sub-Regulation 3.7,
purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire its own Shares without the consent
of Shareholders whose Shares are to be purchased, redeemed or otherwise
acquired unless the Company is permitted by the Act or any other provision
in the Memorandum or Articles to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire the
Shares without their consent.
|
3.2
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The
Company may only offer to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire Shares if
the Resolution of Directors authorising the purchase, redemption or other
acquisition contains a statement that the directors are satisfied, on
reasonable grounds, that immediately after the acquisition the value of
the Company’s assets will exceed its liabilities and the Company will be
able to pay its debts as they fall
due.
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3.3
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Sections
60 (Process for
acquisition of own shares), 61 (Offer to one or more
shareholders) and 62 (Shares redeemed otherwise than
at the option of company) of the Act shall not apply to the
Company.
|
3.4
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Shares
that the Company purchases, redeems or otherwise acquires pursuant to this
Regulation may be cancelled or held as Treasury Shares except to the
extent that such Shares are in excess of 50% of the issued Shares in which
case they shall be cancelled but they shall be available for
reissue.
|
3.5
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All
rights and obligations attaching to a Treasury Share are suspended and
shall not be exercised by the Company while it holds the Share as a
Treasury Share.
|
3.6
|
Treasury
Shares may be transferred by the Company on such terms and conditions (not
otherwise inconsistent with the Memorandum and the Articles) as the
Company may by Resolution of Directors
determine.
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3.7
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Where:
|
|
(a)
|
the
Company undertakes any division of the issued Shares pursuant to section
40A of the Act, and
|
|
(b)
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pursuant
such division a Shareholder holds a total number of Shares which includes
a fractional Share,
|
4.
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MORTGAGES
AND CHARGES OF SHARES
|
4.1
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Shareholders
may mortgage or charge their
Shares.
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4.2
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There
shall be entered in the register of members at the written request of the
Shareholder:
|
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(a)
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a
statement that the Shares held by him are mortgaged or
charged;
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(b)
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the
name of the mortgagee or chargee;
and
|
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(c)
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the
date on which the particulars specified in subparagraphs (a) and (b) are
entered in the register of members.
|
4.3
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Where
particulars of a mortgage or charge are entered in the register of
members, such particulars may be
cancelled:
|
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(a)
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with
the written consent of the named mortgagee or chargee or anyone authorised
to act on his behalf; or
|
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(b)
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upon
evidence satisfactory to the directors of the discharge of the liability
secured by the mortgage or charge and the issue of such indemnities as the
directors shall consider necessary or
desirable.
|
4.4
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Whilst
particulars of a mortgage or charge over Shares are entered in the
register of members pursuant to this
Regulation:
|
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(a)
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no
transfer of any Share the subject of those particulars shall be
effected;
|
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(b)
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the
Company may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any such Share;
and
|
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(c)
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no
replacement certificate shall be issued in respect of such
Shares,
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5.
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FORFEITURE
|
5.1
|
Shares
that are not fully paid on issue are subject to the forfeiture provisions
set forth in this Regulation and for this purpose Shares issued for a
promissory note, other written obligation to contribute money or property
or a contract for future services are deemed to be not fully
paid.
|
5.2
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A
written notice of call specifying the date for payment to be made shall be
served on the Shareholder who defaults in making payment in respect of the
Shares.
|
5.3
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The
written notice of call referred to in Sub-Regulation 5.2 shall name a
further date not earlier than the expiration of 14 days from the date of
service of the notice on or before which the payment required by the
notice is to be made and shall contain a statement that in the event of
non-payment at or before the time named in the notice the Shares, or any
of them, in respect of which payment is not made will be liable to be
forfeited.
|
5.4
|
Where
a written notice of call has been issued pursuant to Sub-Regulation 5.3
and the requirements of the notice have not been complied with, the
directors may, at any time before tender of payment, forfeit and cancel
the Shares to which the notice
relates.
|
5.5
|
The
Company is under no obligation to refund any moneys to the Shareholder
whose Shares have been cancelled pursuant to Sub-Regulation 5.4 and
that Shareholder shall be discharged from any further obligation to the
Company.
|
6.
|
TRANSFER
AND TRANSMISSION OF SHARES
|
6.1
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Subject
to any limitations in the Memorandum, certificated Shares in the Company
may be transferred by a written instrument of transfer signed by the
transferor and containing the name and address of the transferee, but in
the absence of such written instrument of transfer the Directors may
accept such evidence of a transfer of Shares as they consider
appropriate.
|
6.2
|
In
the case of uncertificated Shares, and subject to the BVI Companies Act, a
Shareholder shall be entitled to transfer his Shares and other securities
by means of a relevant system and the operator of the relevant system
shall act as agent of the Shareholders for the purposes of the transfer of
Shares or other securities.
|
6.3
|
Any
provision in these Articles in relation to the Shares shall not apply to
any uncertified Shares to the extent that they are inconsistent with the
holding of any Shares in uncertificated form, the transfer of title to any
Shares by means of a relevant system and any provision of the
Regulations.
|
6.4
|
The
transferor of any Shares shall remain the holder of those Shares until the
name of the transferee is entered in the register as the holder of those
Shares.
|
6.5
|
The
Register may be closed at such times and for such periods as the Board may
from time to time determine, not exceeding in whole thirty days in each
year, upon notice being given by advertisement in a leading daily
newspaper and in such other newspaper (if any) as may be required by the
BVI Companies Act and the practice of the Stock
Exchanges.
|
6.6
|
The
Board may decline to register a transfer of any Share to a person known to
be a minor, bankrupt or person who is mentally disordered or a patient for
the purpose of any statute relating to mental
health.
|
6.7
|
The
Board may also decline to register any transfer
unless:-.
|
|
(a)
|
any
written instrument of transfer, duly stamped (if so required), is lodged
with the Company at the registered office or such other place as the Board
may appoint accompanied by the certificate for the Shares to which it
relates (except in the case of a transfer by a recognised person or a
holder of such Shares in respect of whom the Company is not required by
law to deliver a certificate and to whom a certificate has not been issued
in respect of such Shares);
|
|
(b)
|
there
is provided such evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show the
right of the transferor to make the transfer and, if the instrument of
transfer is executed by some other person on his behalf, the authority of
that person to do so;
|
|
(c)
|
any
instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class or series of Share;
and
|
|
(d)
|
in
the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to
whom the Share is to be transferred does not exceed
four.
|
6.8
|
If
the Board declines to register a transfer it shall, within ten business
days or such other period (if any) as may be prescribed by the BVI
Companies Act, send to the transferee notice of the
refusal.
|
6.9
|
No
fee shall be charged by the Company for registering any transfer, probate,
letters of administration, certificate of death or marriage, power of
attorney, distringas or stop notice, order of court or other instrument
relating to or affecting the title of any Share, or otherwise making any
entry in the Register relating to any
Share.
|
6.10
|
The
executor or administrator of a deceased Shareholder, the guardian of an
incompetent member or the trustee of a bankrupt Shareholder shall be the
only person recognised by the Company as having any title to his Share but
they shall not be entitled to exercise any rights as a Shareholder of the
Company until they have proceeded as set forth in the next following three
regulations.
|
6.11
|
The
production to the Company of any document which is evidence of probate of
the will, or letters of administration of the estate, or confirmation as
executor, of a deceased Shareholder or of the appointment of a guardian of
an incompetent Shareholder or the trustee of a bankrupt Shareholder shall
be accepted by the Company even if the deceased, incompetent or bankrupt
Shareholder is domiciled outside the British Virgin Islands if the
document evidencing the grant of probate or letters of administration,
confirmation as executor, appointment as guardian or trustee in bankruptcy
is issued by a foreign court which had competent jurisdiction in the
matter. For the purpose of establishing whether or not a
foreign court had competent jurisdiction in such a matter the Directors
may obtain appropriate legal advice. The Directors may also
require an indemnity to be given by the executor, administrator, guardian
or trustee in bankruptcy.
|
6.12
|
Any
person becoming entitled by operation of law or otherwise to a Share or
Shares in consequence of the death, incompetence or bankruptcy of any
Shareholder may be registered as a Shareholder upon such evidence being
produced as may reasonably be required by the Directors and in the case of
uncertificated Shares subject also to the facilities and requirements of
the relevant system concerned. An application by any such
person to be registered as a Shareholder shall for all purposes be deemed
to be a transfer of Shares of the deceased, incompetent or bankrupt
Shareholder and the Directors shall treat it as
such.
|
6.13
|
Any
person who has become entitled to a Share or Shares in consequence of the
death, incompetence or bankruptcy of any Shareholder may, instead of being
registered himself, request in writing that some person to be named by him
be registered as the transferee of such Share or Shares and such request
shall likewise be treated as if it were a
transfer.
|
6.14
|
What
amounts to incompetence on the part of a person is a matter to be
determined by the court having regard to all the relevant evidence and the
circumstances of the case.
|
7.1
|
Any
director of the Company may convene meetings of the Shareholders at such
times and in such manner and places within or outside the British Virgin
Islands as the director considers necessary or desirable provided that
once in every year the directors shall convene an annual meeting of
shareholders.
|
7.2
|
Upon
the written request of Shareholders entitled to exercise 10% or more of
the voting rights in respect of the matter for which the meeting is
requested the directors shall convene a meeting of
Shareholders.
|
7.3
|
The
director convening a meeting shall give not less than 14 days’ notice of a
meeting of Shareholders to:
|
|
(a)
|
those
Shareholders whose names on the date the notice is given appear as
Shareholders in the register of members of the Company and are entitled to
vote at the meeting on a date to be determined by the directors;
and
|
|
(b)
|
the
other directors.
|
7.4
|
The
director convening a meeting of Shareholders may fix as the record date
for determining those Shareholders that are entitled to vote at the
meeting the date notice is given of the meeting, or such other date as may
be specified in the notice, being a date not earlier than the date of the
notice.
|
7.5
|
A
meeting of Shareholders held in contravention of the requirement to give
notice is valid if Shareholders holding at least 90% of the total voting
rights on all the matters to be considered at the meeting have waived
notice of the meeting and, for this purpose, the presence of a Shareholder
at the meeting shall constitute waiver in relation to all the Shares which
that Shareholder holds.
|
7.6
|
The
inadvertent failure of a director who convenes a meeting to give notice of
a meeting to a Shareholder or another director, or the fact that a
Shareholder or another director has not received notice, does not
invalidate the meeting.
|
7.7
|
A
Shareholder may be represented at a meeting of Shareholders by a proxy who
may speak and vote on behalf of the
Shareholder.
|
7.8
|
The
instrument appointing a proxy shall be produced at the place designated
for the meeting before the time for holding the meeting at which the
person named in such instrument proposes to vote. The notice of
the meeting may specify an alternative or additional place or time at
which the proxy shall be presented.
|
7.9
|
The
instrument appointing a proxy shall be in substantially the following form
or such other form as the chairman of the meeting shall accept as properly
evidencing the wishes of the Shareholder appointing the
proxy.
|
ReneSola
Ltd.
|
I/We
being a Shareholder of the above Company HEREBY
APPOINT __________________
of _________________ or failing him __________________ of
__________________ to be my/our proxy to vote for me/us at the meeting
of
Shareholders to be held on the __ day of __________________, 20__ and
at any adjournment
thereof.
(Any
restrictions on voting to be inserted here.)
Signed
this __ day of __________________, 20__
______________________
Shareholder
|
7.10
|
The
following applies where Shares are jointly
owned:
|
|
(a)
|
if
two or more persons hold Shares jointly each of them may be present in
person or by proxy at a meeting of Shareholders and may speak as a
Shareholder;
|
|
(b)
|
if
only one of the joint owners is present in person or by proxy he may vote
on behalf of all joint owners; and
|
|
(c)
|
if
two or more of the joint owners are present in person or by proxy they
must vote as one.
|
7.11
|
A
Shareholder shall be deemed to be present at a meeting of Shareholders if
he participates by telephone or other electronic means and all
Shareholders participating in the meeting are able to hear each
other.
|
7.12
|
A
meeting of Shareholders is duly constituted if, at the commencement of the
meeting, there are present in person or by proxy not less than 50% of the
votes of the Shares entitled to vote on Resolutions of Shareholders to be
considered at the meeting. A quorum may comprise a single
Shareholder or proxy and then such person may pass a Resolution of
Shareholders and a certificate signed by such person accompanied where
such person be a proxy by a copy of the proxy instrument shall constitute
a valid Resolution of Shareholders.
|
7.13
|
If
within two hours from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not
present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of Shareholders,
shall be dissolved; in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the next
business day in the jurisdiction in which the meeting was to have been
held at the same time and place or to such other time and place as the
directors may determine, and if at the adjourned meeting there are present
within one hour from the time appointed for the meeting in person or by
proxy not less than one third of the votes of the Shares or each class or
series of Shares entitled to vote on the matters to be considered by the
meeting, those present shall constitute a quorum but otherwise the meeting
shall be dissolved.
|
7.14
|
At
every meeting of Shareholders, the Chairman of the Board shall preside as
chairman of the meeting. If there is no Chairman of the Board
or if the Chairman of the Board is not present at the meeting, the
Shareholders present shall choose one of their number to be the
chairman. If the Shareholders are unable to choose a chairman
for any reason, then the person representing the greatest number of voting
Shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting shall preside as
chairman failing which the oldest individual Shareholder or representative
of a Shareholder present shall take the
chair.
|
7.15
|
The
chairman may, with the consent of the meeting, adjourn any meeting from
time to time, and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted
at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the
meeting from which the adjournment took
place.
|
7.16
|
At
any meeting of the Shareholders the chairman is responsible for deciding
in such manner as he considers appropriate whether any resolution proposed
has been carried or not and the result of his decision shall be announced
to the meeting and recorded in the minutes of the meeting. If
the chairman has any doubt as to the outcome of the vote on a proposed
resolution, he shall cause a poll to be taken of all votes cast upon such
resolution. If the chairman fails to take a poll then any
Shareholder present in person or by proxy who disputes the announcement by
the chairman of the result of any vote may immediately following such
announcement demand that a poll be taken and the chairman shall cause a
poll to be taken. If a poll is taken at any meeting, the result
shall be announced to the meeting and recorded in the minutes of the
meeting.
|
7.17
|
Subject
to the specific provisions contained in this Regulation for the
appointment of representatives of Persons other than individuals the right
of any individual to speak for or represent a Shareholder shall be
determined by the law of the jurisdiction where, and by the documents by
which, the Person is constituted or derives its existence. In
case of doubt, the directors may in good faith seek legal advice from any
qualified person and unless and until a court of competent jurisdiction
shall otherwise rule, the directors may rely and act upon such advice
without incurring any liability to any Shareholder or the
Company.
|
7.18
|
Any
Person other than an individual which is a Shareholder may by resolution
of its directors or other governing body authorise such individual as it
thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of Shareholders or
of any class of Shareholders, and the individual so authorised shall be
entitled to exercise the same rights on behalf of the Shareholder which he
represents as that Shareholder could exercise if it were an
individual.
|
7.19
|
The
chairman of any meeting at which a vote is cast by proxy or on behalf of
any Person other than an individual may call for a notarially certified
copy of such proxy or authority which shall be produced within 7 days of
being so requested or the votes cast by such proxy or on behalf of such
Person shall be disregarded.
|
7.20
|
Directors
of the Company may attend and speak at any meeting of Shareholders and at
any separate meeting of the holders of any class or series of
Shares.
|
7.21
|
An
action that may be taken by the Shareholders at a meeting may also be
taken by a resolution consented to in writing, without the need for any
notice, but if any Resolution of Shareholders is adopted otherwise than by
the unanimous written consent of all Shareholders, a copy of such
resolution shall forthwith be sent to all Shareholders not consenting to
such resolution. The consent may be in the form of
counterparts, each counterpart being signed by one or more
Shareholders. If the consent is in one or more counterparts,
and the counterparts bear different dates, then the resolution shall take
effect on the earliest date upon which Shareholders holding a sufficient
number of votes of Shares to constitute a Resolution of Shareholders have
consented to the resolution by signed
counterparts.
|
8.
|
DIRECTORS
|
8.1
|
The
first directors of the Company shall be appointed by the first registered
agent within 6 months of the date of incorporation of the Company; and
thereafter, the directors shall be elected by Resolution of
Shareholders.
|
8.2
|
No
person shall be appointed as a director, or nominated as a reserve
director, of the Company unless he has consented in writing to be a
director or to be nominated as a reserve
director.
|
8.3
|
Subject
to Sub-Regulation 8.1, the minimum number of directors shall be one and
the maximum number shall be ten.
|
8.4
|
Each
director holds office for the term, if any, fixed by the Resolution of
Shareholders appointing him, or until his earlier death, resignation,
removal or retirement at the age of 70 years. If no term is
fixed on the appointment of a director, the director serves indefinitely
until his earlier death, resignation, retirement or
removal.
|
8.5
|
The
directors may at any time appoint any person to be a director either to
fill a vacancy or as an addition to the existing
directors. Where the directors appoint a person as a director
to fill a vacancy or as an additional director the term shall not exceed
the term that remained when the person who has ceased to be a director
ceased to hold office or until the next annual general meeting (where such
appointment shall be approved by the Shareholders) whenever is
earlier.
|
8.6
|
A
vacancy in relation to directors occurs if a director dies or otherwise
ceases to hold office prior to the expiration of his term of
office.
|
8.7
|
Where
the Company only has one Shareholder who is an individual and that
Shareholder is also the sole director of the Company, the sole
Shareholder/director may, by instrument in writing, nominate a person who
is not disqualified from being a director of the Company as a reserve
director of the Company to act in the place of the sole director in the
event of his death.
|
8.8
|
The
nomination of a person as a reserve director of the Company ceases to have
effect if:
|
|
(a)
|
before
the death of the sole Shareholder/director who nominated
him,
|
|
(i)
|
he
resigns as reserve director, or
|
|
(ii)
|
the
sole Shareholder/director revokes the nomination in writing;
or
|
|
(b)
|
the
sole Shareholder/director who nominated him ceases to be able to be the
sole Shareholder/director of the Company for any reason other than his
death.
|
8.9
|
The
Company shall keep a register of directors
containing:
|
|
(a)
|
the
names and addresses of the persons who are directors of the Company or who
have been nominated as reserve directors of the
Company;
|
|
(b)
|
the
date on which each person whose name is entered in the register was
appointed as a director, or nominated as a reserve director, of the
Company;
|
|
(c)
|
the
date on which each person named as a director ceased to be a director of
the Company;
|
|
(d)
|
the
date on which the nomination of any person nominated as a reserve director
ceased to have effect; and
|
|
(e)
|
such
other information as may be prescribed by the
Act.
|
8.10
|
The
register of directors may be kept in any such form as the directors may
approve, but if it is in magnetic, electronic or other data storage form,
the Company must be able to produce legible evidence of its
contents. Until a Resolution of Directors determining otherwise
is passed, the magnetic, electronic or other data storage shall be the
original register of directors.
|
8.11
|
A
director is not required to hold a Share as a qualification to
office.
|
8.12
|
Without
prejudice to the provisions of retirement by rotation hereinafter
contained, the office of a Director shall be vacated in any of the events
following, namely:
|
|
(a)
|
if
(not being an Executive Director whose contract precludes resignation) he
resigns his office by notice in writing delivered to the registered office
or tendered at a meeting of the Board;
or
|
|
(b)
|
if
the Board resolves that he is through physical or mental incapacity or
mental disorder no longer able to perform the functions of a Director;
or
|
|
(c)
|
if
he fails, without leave, to attend (whether or not an alternate Director
appointed by him attends) three successive Board meetings or four Board
meetings in any consecutive period of 12 months despite a notice being
given to him prior to such third or fourth meeting (as the case may be)
that the provisions of this paragraph might apply and not less than
two-thirds of all the other Directors (excluding the Director concerned
and, in his capacity as such, any alternate director appointed by the
Director concerned) resolving that his office should be vacated;
or
|
|
(d)
|
if
he becomes bankrupt or insolvent or makes an arrangement or composition
with his creditors or applies to the Court for an interim order under
section 253 of the United Kingdom Insolvency Act 1986 in connection with a
voluntary arrangement; or
|
|
(e)
|
any
event analogous to those listed in Regulation 8.15 under the laws of any
other jurisdiction occurs in relation to a Director;
or
|
|
(f)
|
if
he is prohibited by law from being a Director;
or
|
|
(g)
|
if
he ceases to be a Director by virtue of the BVI Companies Act or is
removed from office pursuant to these
Articles.
|
8.13
|
A
resolution of Directors declaring that a Director has vacated office under
regulation 8.12 shall be conclusive as to that fact and as to the ground
of vacation as stated in the
resolution.
|
8.14
|
Without
prejudice to any of the provisions for disqualification of Directors or
for the retirement by rotation hereinafter contained, the office of a
Director shall be vacated if by notice in writing delivered to the
registered office or tendered at a meeting of the Board his resignation is
requested by all of the other Directors (being not less than three in
number) excluding the Director concerned and, in his capacity as such, any
alternate Director appointed by the Director
concerned.
|
8.15
|
At
every annual meeting of Shareholders one-third of the Directors for the
time being or, if their number is not a multiple of three, then the number
nearest to and not exceeding one-third shall retire from
office.
|
8.16
|
The
Directors to retire on each occasion shall be those subject to retirement
by rotation who have been longest in office since their last election, but
as between persons who became or were re-elected Directors on the same day
those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree amongst themselves) be
determined by lot. The Directors to retire on each occasion
both as to number and identity) shall be determined by the composition of
the Board at the date of the notice convening the annual meeting of
Shareholders, and no Director shall be required to retire or be relieved
from retiring by reason of any change in the number or identity of the
Directors after the date of such notice but before the close of the
meeting.
|
8.17
|
A
Director who retires at the annual meeting of Shareholders shall be
eligible for re-election. If he is not re-elected he shall
retain office until the meeting elects someone in his place, or if it does
not do so, until the end of the
meeting.
|
8.18
|
Subject
to the provisions of these Articles, the Company may by a Resolution of
Shareholders at the meeting at which a Director retires in the manner
aforesaid fill the vacated office by electing a person and in default the
retiring Director shall, if willing to continue to act, be deemed to have
been re-elected, unless at such meeting it is expressly resolved not to
fill such vacated office or unless a resolution for the re-election of
such Director shall have been put to the meeting and
lost.
|
8.19
|
A
Director may hold the office of an Executive Director or a Non Executive
Director.
|
8.20
|
An
Executive Director shall receive such remuneration (whether by way of
salary, commission, participation in profits or otherwise) as the Board
may determine, and either in addition to or in lieu of his remuneration as
a Director.
|
8.21
|
Each
Director shall have the power to appoint any person to be his alternate
Director and may at his discretion remove such alternate
Director. If such alternate Director is not another Director,
such appointment, unless previously approved by the Board, shall have
effect only upon and subject to it being so approved. Any
appointment or removal of an alternate Director shall be effected by
notice in writing signed by the appointor and delivered to the registered
office or tendered at a meeting of the Board. An alternate
Director shall, if his appointor so requests, be entitled to receive
notices of meetings of the Board or of committees of the Board to the same
extent as, but in lieu of, the Director appointing him and shall be
entitled to such extent to attend at and vote as a Director at any such
meeting at which the Director appointing him is not personally present and
to exercise and discharge all the functions, powers and duties of his
appointor as a Director and for the purposes of the proceedings at such
meeting the provisions of these Articles shall apply as if he were a
Director.
|
8.22
|
Every
person acting as an alternate Director shall (except as regards power to
appoint an alternate Director and remuneration) be subject in all respects
to the provisions of these Articles relating to Directors and shall alone
be responsible to the Company for his acts and defaults and shall not be
deemed to be the agent of or for the Director appointing
him. An alternate Director may be paid expenses and shall be
entitled to be indemnified by the Company to the same extent mutatis
mutandis as if he were a Director but shall not be entitled to receive
from the Company any fee in his capacity as an alternate Director except
only such part (if any) of the remuneration otherwise payable to the
Director appointing him as such Director may by notice in writing to the
Company from time to time direct.
|
8.23
|
Every
person acting as an alternate Director shall have one vote for each
Director for whom he acts as alternate (in addition to his own vote if he
is also a Director). The signature of an alternate Director to
any resolution in writing of the Board or a committee of the Board shall,
unless the notice of his appointment provides to the contrary, be as
effective as the signature of his
appointor.
|
8.24
|
An
alternate Director shall ipso facto cease to be an alternate Director if
his appointor ceases for any reason to be a Director provided that, if at
any meeting any Director retires by rotation or otherwise but is
re-elected at the same meeting, any appointment made by him pursuant to
this regulation which was in force immediately before his retirement shall
remain in force as though he had not
retired.
|
8.25
|
Each
of the Directors shall be paid a fee at such rate as may from time to time
be determined by the Board provided that the aggregate of all such fees so
paid to Directors (excluding amounts payable under any other regulation
and any amount payable under any service contract) shall not exceed
$1,000,000 per annum, or such higher amount as may from time to time be
determined by Resolution of
Shareholders.
|
8.26
|
Each
Director may be paid his reasonable travelling, hotel and incidental
expenses of attending and returning from meetings of the Board or
committees of the Board or meetings of Shareholders or separate meetings
of the holders of any class or series of Shares or of debentures of the
Company and shall be paid all expenses properly and reasonably incurred by
him in the conduct of the Company's business or in the discharge of his
duties as a Director. Any Director who, by request, goes or
resides abroad for any purposes of the Company or who performs services
which in the opinion of the Board go beyond the ordinary duties of a
Director may be paid such extra remuneration (whether by way of salary,
commission, participation in profits or otherwise) as the Board may
determine and such extra remuneration shall be in addition to any
remuneration provided for by or pursuant to any other
regulation.
|
9.
|
POWERS
OF DIRECTORS
|
9.1
|
The
business and affairs of the Company shall be managed by, or under the
direction or supervision of, the directors of the Company. The
directors of the Company have all the powers necessary for managing, and
for directing and supervising, the business and affairs of the
Company. The directors may pay all expenses incurred
preliminary to and in connection with the incorporation of the Company and
may exercise all such powers of the Company as are not by the Act or by
the Memorandum or the Articles required to be exercised by the
Shareholders.
|
9.2
|
Each
director shall exercise his powers for a proper purpose and shall not act
or agree to the Company acting in a manner that contravenes the
Memorandum, the Articles or the Act. Each director, in
exercising his powers or performing his duties, shall act honestly and in
good faith in what the director believes to be the best interests of the
Company.
|
9.3
|
If
the Company is the wholly owned subsidiary of a holding company, a
director of the Company may, when exercising powers or performing duties
as a director, act in a manner which he believes is in the best interests
of the holding company even though it may not be in the best interests of
the Company.
|
9.4
|
Any
director which is a body corporate may appoint any individual as its duly
authorised representative for the purpose of representing it at meetings
of the directors, with respect to the signing of consents or
otherwise.
|
9.5
|
The
continuing directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their
body.
|
9.6
|
The
directors may by Resolution of Directors exercise all the powers of the
Company to incur indebtedness, liabilities or obligations and to secure
indebtedness, liabilities or obligations whether of the Company or of any
third party.
|
9.7
|
All
cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable
instruments and all receipts for moneys paid to the Company shall be
signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed, as the case may
be, in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by Resolution
of Directors.
|
9.8
|
For
the purposes of Section 175 (Disposition of assets)
of the Act, the directors may by Resolution of Directors determine that
any sale, transfer, lease, exchange or other disposition is in the usual
or regular course of the business carried on by the Company and such
determination is, in the absence of fraud,
conclusive.
|
10.
|
PROCEEDINGS
OF DIRECTORS
|
10.1
|
Any
one director of the Company may call a meeting of the directors by sending
a written notice to each other
director.
|
10.2
|
The
directors of the Company or any committee thereof may meet at such times
and in such manner and places within or outside the British Virgin Islands
as the directors may determine to be necessary or
desirable.
|
10.3
|
A
director is deemed to be present at a meeting of directors if he
participates by telephone or other electronic means and all directors
participating in the meeting are able to hear each
other.
|
10.4
|
A
director shall be given not less than 3 days’ notice of meetings of
directors, but a meeting of directors held without 3 days’ notice having
been given to all directors shall be valid if all the directors entitled
to vote at the meeting who do not attend waive notice of the meeting, and
for this purpose the presence of a director at a meeting shall constitute
waiver by that director. The inadvertent failure to give notice
of a meeting to a director, or the fact that a director has not received
the notice, does not invalidate the
meeting.
|
10.5
|
A
director may by a written instrument appoint an alternate who need not be
a director and the alternate shall be entitled to attend meetings in the
absence of the director who appointed him and to vote in place of the
director until the appointment lapses or is
terminated.
|
10.6
|
A
meeting of directors is duly constituted for all purposes if at the
commencement of the meeting there are present in person or by alternate
not less than one-half of the total number of directors, unless there are
only 2 directors in which case the quorum is
2.
|
10.7
|
If
the Company has only one director the provisions herein contained for
meetings of directors do not apply and such sole director has full power
to represent and act for the Company in all matters as are not by the Act,
the Memorandum or the Articles required to be exercised by the
Shareholders. In lieu of minutes of a meeting the sole director
shall record in writing and sign a note or memorandum of all matters
requiring a Resolution of Directors. Such a note or memorandum
constitutes sufficient evidence of such resolution for all
purposes.
|
10.8
|
At
meetings of directors at which the Chairman of the Board is present, he
shall preside as chairman of the meeting. If there is no
Chairman of the Board or if the Chairman of the Board is not present, the
directors present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of the
meeting.
|
10.9
|
An
action that may be taken by the directors or a committee of directors at a
meeting may also be taken by a Resolution of Directors or a resolution of
a committee of directors consented to in writing by all directors or by
all members of the committee, as the case may be, without the need for any
notice. The consent may be in the form of counterparts each
counterpart being signed by one or more directors. If the
consent is in one or more counterparts, and the counterparts bear
different dates, then the resolution shall take effect on the date upon
which the last director has consented to the resolution by signed
counterparts.
|
11.
|
COMMITTEES
|
11.1
|
The
directors may, by Resolution of Directors, designate one or more
committees, each consisting of one or more directors, and delegate one or
more of their powers, including the power to affix the Seal, to the
committee.
|
11.2
|
The
directors have no power to delegate to a committee of directors any of the
following powers:
|
|
(a)
|
to
amend the Memorandum or the
Articles;
|
|
(b)
|
to
designate committees of directors;
|
|
(c)
|
to
delegate powers to a committee of
directors;
|
|
(d)
|
to
appoint or remove directors (which does not include the power to nominate
a director to the board or recommend the removal of a director from the
board);
|
|
(e)
|
to
appoint or remove an agent;
|
|
(f)
|
to
approve a plan of merger, consolidation or
arrangement;
|
|
(g)
|
to
make a declaration of solvency or to approve a liquidation plan;
or
|
|
(h)
|
to
make a determination that immediately after a proposed Distribution the
value of the Company’s assets will exceed its liabilities and the Company
will be able to pay its debts as they fall
due.
|
11.3
|
Sub-Regulation 11.2(b)
and (c) do not prevent a committee of directors, where authorised by the
Resolution of Directors appointing such committee or by a subsequent
Resolution of Directors, from appointing a sub-committee and delegating
powers exercisable by the committee to the
sub-committee.
|
11.4
|
The
meetings and proceedings of each committee of directors consisting of 2 or
more directors shall be governed mutatis mutandis by the
provisions of the Articles regulating the proceedings of directors so far
as the same are not superseded by any provisions in the Resolution of
Directors establishing the
committee.
|
11.5
|
Where
the directors delegate their powers to a committee of directors they
remain responsible for the exercise of that power by the committee, unless
they believed on reasonable grounds at all times before the exercise of
the power that the committee would exercise the power in conformity with
the duties imposed on directors of the Company under the
Act.
|
12.
|
OFFICERS
AND AGENTS
|
12.1
|
The
Company may by Resolution of Directors appoint officers of the Company at
such times as may be considered necessary or expedient. Any
number of offices may be held by the same
person.
|
12.2
|
The
officers shall perform such duties as are prescribed at the time of their
appointment subject to any modification in such duties as may be
prescribed thereafter by Resolution of Directors. In the
absence of any specific prescription of duties it shall be the
responsibility of the Chairman of the Board to preside at meetings of
directors and Shareholders, the president to manage the day to day affairs
of the Company, the vice-presidents to act in order of seniority in the
absence of the president but otherwise to perform such duties as may be
delegated to them by the president, the secretaries to maintain the
register of members, minute books and records (other than financial
records) of the Company and to ensure compliance with all procedural
requirements imposed on the Company by applicable law, and the treasurer
to be responsible for the financial affairs of the
Company.
|
12.3
|
The
emoluments of all officers shall be fixed by Resolution of
Directors.
|
12.4
|
The
officers of the Company shall hold office until their successors are duly
appointed, but any officer elected or appointed by the directors may be
removed at any time, with or without cause, by Resolution of
Directors. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Company
may be filled by Resolution of
Directors.
|
12.5
|
The
directors may, by Resolution of Directors, appoint any person, including a
person who is a director, to be an agent of the
Company.
|
12.6
|
An
agent of the Company shall have such powers and authority of the
directors, including the power and authority to affix the Seal, as are set
forth in the Articles or in the Resolution of Directors appointing the
agent, except that no agent has any power or authority with respect to the
following:
|
|
(a)
|
to
amend the Memorandum or the
Articles;
|
|
(b)
|
to
change the registered office or
agent;
|
|
(c)
|
to
designate committees of directors;
|
|
(d)
|
to
delegate powers to a committee of
directors;
|
|
(e)
|
to
appoint or remove directors;
|
|
(f)
|
to
appoint or remove an agent;
|
|
(g)
|
to
fix emoluments of directors;
|
|
(h)
|
to
approve a plan of merger, consolidation or
arrangement;
|
|
(i)
|
to
make a declaration of solvency or to approve a liquidation
plan;
|
|
(j)
|
to
make a determination that immediately after a proposed Distribution the
value of the Company’s assets will exceed its liabilities and the Company
will be able to pay its debts as they fall due;
or
|
|
(k)
|
to
authorise the Company to continue as a company incorporated under the laws
of a jurisdiction outside the British Virgin
Islands.
|
12.7
|
The
Resolution of Directors appointing an agent may authorise the agent to
appoint one or more substitutes or delegates to exercise some or all of
the powers conferred on the agent by the
Company.
|
12.8
|
The
directors may remove an agent appointed by the Company and may revoke or
vary a power conferred on him.
|
13
|
TAKEOVER
PROVISIONS
|
13.1
|
Except
with the consent of the Board,
when:-
|
|
(a)
|
any
person acquires, whether by a series of transactions over a period of time
or not, Shares which (taken together with Shares held or acquired by
persons acting in concert with him) carry 30% or more of the voting rights
of the Company; or
|
|
(b)
|
any
person who, together with persons acting in concert with him, holds not
less than 30% but not more than 50% of the voting rights and such person,
or any person acting in concert with him, acquires additional Shares which
increase his percentage of the voting
rights;
|
13.2
|
Any
offer made under this Regulation must be conditional only upon the offeror
having received acceptances in respect of Shares which, together with
Shares acquired or agreed to be acquired before or during the offer, will
result in the offeror and any person acting in concert with it holding
Shares carrying more than 50% of the voting
rights.
|
13.3
|
No
acquisition of Shares which would give rise to a requirement for any offer
under this Regulation may be made or registered if the making or
implementation of such offer would or might be dependent on the passing of
a resolution at any meeting of Shareholders of the Company or upon any
other conditions, consents or
arrangements.
|
13.4
|
Offers
made under this Regulation must, in respect of each class of Share capital
involved, be in cash or be accompanied by a cash alternative at not less
than the highest price paid by the offeror or any person acting in concert
with it for Shares of that class during the offer period and within 12
months prior to its commencement. The cash offer or the cash
alternative must remain open after the offer has become or is declared
unconditional as to acceptances for not less than 14 days after the date
on which it would otherwise have
expired.
|
13.5
|
No
nominee of an offeror or persons acting in concert with it may be
appointed as a Director, nor may an offeror and persons acting in concert
with it exercise the votes attaching to any Shares held in the Company
until the offer document has been
posted.
|
13.6
|
Any
offer required to be made pursuant to this Reglation 13 shall be made on
terms that would be required by the then current United Kingdom City Code
on Takeovers and Mergers (“the City Code”), save to
the extent that the board otherwise determines. In relation to
any offer required to be made pursuant to this Regulation 13, any matter
which under the City Code would fall to be determined by the Panel shall
be determined by the board in its absolute discretion or by such person
appointed by the board to make such
determination.
|
13.7
|
Except
with the consent of the board, Shareholders shall comply with the
requirements of the City Code, as may from time to time be published by
the United Kingdom Panel on Takeovers and Mergers (“the Panel”), in relation
to any dealings in any Shares of the Company and in relation to their
dealings with the Company in relation to all matters. Any
matter which under the City Code would fall to be determined by the Panel
shall be determined by the Board in its absolute discretion or by such
person appointed by the Board to make such determination. Any
notice which under the City Code is required to be given to the Panel or
any person (other than the Company) shall be given to the Company at its
registered office.
|
13.8
|
If
at any time the Board is satisfied that any Shareholder having incurred an
obligation under this Regulation 13 to extend an offer to the holders of
all the issued Shares shall have failed so to do, or that any Shareholders
is in default of any other obligation imposed upon Shareholders pursuant
to this Regulation 13, then the Board may, in its absolute discretion at
any time thereafter by notice (a “direction notice”) to
such Shareholders and any other Shareholders acting in concert with such
Shareholders (together “the defaulters”) direct
that:
|
|
(a)
|
in
respect of the Shares held by the defaulters (the “default shares”) the
defaulters shall not be entitled to vote at a general meeting either
personally or by proxy or to exercise any other right conferred by
membership in relation to meetings of the
Company;
|
|
(b)
|
except
in a liquidation of the Company, no payment shall be made of any sums due
from the Company on the default shares, whether in respect of capital or
dividend or otherwise, and the Company shall not meet any liability to pay
interest on any such payment when it is finally paid to the
Shareholders;
|
|
(c)
|
no
other distribution shall be made on the default
shares.
|
|
The
Board may at any time give notice cancelling a direction
notice.
|
13.9
|
In
construing this Regulation 13, words and expressions used in or defined in
the City Code shall bear the same meanings given by the City
Code.
|
14.
|
CONFLICT
OF INTERESTS
|
14.1
|
A
director of the Company shall, forthwith after becoming aware of the fact
that he is interested in a transaction entered into or to be entered into
by the Company, disclose the interest to all other directors of the
Company.
|
14.2
|
For
the purposes of Sub-Regulation 14.1, a disclosure to all other directors
to the effect that a director is a member, director or officer of another
named entity or has a fiduciary relationship with respect to the entity or
a named individual and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction
which may, after the date of the entry into the transaction or disclosure
of the interest, be entered into with that entity or individual, is a
sufficient disclosure of interest in relation to that
transaction.
|
14.3
|
A
director of the Company who is interested in a transaction entered into or
to be entered into by the Company
may:
|
14.4
|
vote
on a matter relating to the
transaction;
|
14.5
|
attend
a meeting of directors at which a matter relating to the transaction
arises and be included among the directors present at the meeting for the
purposes of a quorum; and
|
14.6
|
sign
a document on behalf of the Company, or do any other thing in his capacity
as a director, that relates to the
transaction,
|
15.
|
INDEMNIFICATION
|
15.1
|
Subject
to the limitations hereinafter provided the Company shall indemnify
against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments,
fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection
with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings any person
who:
|
|
(a)
|
is
or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened,
pending or completed proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative
or investigative, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a
director of the Company; or
|
|
(b)
|
is
or was, at the request of the Company, serving as a director of, or in any
other capacity is or was acting for, another body corporate or a
partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise.
|
|
(c)
|
The
indemnity in Sub-Regulation 15.1 only applies if the person acted honestly
and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company and, in
the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to
believe that their conduct was
unlawful.
|
15.2
|
For
the purposes of Sub-Regulation 15.1(c), a director acts in the best
interests of the Company if he acts in the best interests
of
|
(a)
|
the
Company’s holding company; or
|
(b)
|
a
Shareholder or Shareholders of the
Company;
|
15.3
|
The
decision of the directors as to whether the person acted honestly and in
good faith and with a view to the best interests of the Company and as to
whether the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was
unlawful is, in the absence of fraud, sufficient for the purposes of the
Articles, unless a question of law is
involved.
|
15.4
|
The
termination of any proceedings by any judgment, order, settlement,
conviction or the entering of a nolle prosequi does
not, by itself, create a presumption that the person did not act honestly
and in good faith and with a view to the best interests of the Company or
that the person had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was
unlawful.
|
15.5
|
Expenses,
including legal fees, incurred by a director in defending any legal,
administrative or investigative proceedings may be paid by the Company in
advance of the final disposition of such proceedings upon receipt of an
undertaking by or on behalf of the director to repay the amount if it
shall ultimately be determined that the director is not entitled to be
indemnified by the Company in accordance with Sub-Regulation
15.1.
|
15.6
|
Expenses,
including legal fees, incurred by a former director in defending any
legal, administrative or investigative proceedings may be paid by the
Company in advance of the final disposition of such proceedings upon
receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the former director to repay
the amount if it shall ultimately be determined that the former director
is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company in accordance with
Sub-Regulation 15.1 and upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the
Company deems appropriate.
|
15.7
|
The
indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted
pursuant to, this section is not exclusive of any other rights to which
the person seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be
entitled under any agreement, Resolution of Shareholders, resolution of
disinterested directors or otherwise, both as acting in the person’s
official capacity and as to acting in another capacity while serving as a
director of the Company.
|
15.8
|
If
a person referred to in Sub-Regulation 15.1 has been successful in defence
of any proceedings referred to in Sub-Regulation 15.1, the person is
entitled to be indemnified against all expenses, including legal fees, and
against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably
incurred by the person in connection with the
proceedings.
|
15.9
|
The
Company may purchase and maintain insurance in relation to any person who
is or was a director, officer or liquidator of the Company, or who at the
request of the Company is or was serving as a director, officer or
liquidator of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another body
corporate or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
against any liability asserted against the person and incurred by the
person in that capacity, whether or not the Company has or would have had
the power to indemnify the person against the liability as provided in the
Articles.
|
16
|
RECORDS
|
16.1
|
The
Company shall keep the following documents at the office of its registered
agent:
|
|
(a)
|
the
Memorandum and the Articles;
|
|
(b)
|
the
register of members, or a copy of the register of
members;
|
(c)
|
the
register of directors, or a copy of the register of directors;
and
|
|
(d)
|
copies
of all notices and other documents filed by the Company with the Registrar
of Corporate Affairs in the previous 10
years.
|
16.2
|
Until
the directors determine otherwise by Resolution of Directors the Company
shall keep the original register of members and original register of
directors at the office of its registered
agent.
|
16.3
|
If
the Company maintains only a copy of the register of members or a copy of
the register of directors aat the office of its registered agent, it
shall:
|
|
(a)
|
within
15 days of any change in either register, notify the registered agent in
writing of the change; and
|
|
(b)
|
provide
the registered agent with a written record of the physical address of the
place or places at which the original register of members or the original
register of directors is kept.
|
16.4
|
The
Company shall keep the following records at the office of its registered
agent or at such other place or places, within or outside the British
Virgin Islands, as the directors may
determine:
|
(a)
|
minutes
of meetings and Resolutions of Shareholders and classes of Shareholders;
and
|
(b)
|
minutes
of meetings and Resolutions of Directors and committees of
directors.
|
16.5
|
Where
any original records referred to in this Regulation are maintained other
than at the office of the registered agent of the Company, and the place
at which the original records is changed, the Company shall provide the
registered agent with the physical address of the new location of the
records of the Company within 14 days of the change of
location.
|
16.6
|
The
records kept by the Company under this Regulation shall be in written form
or either wholly or partly as electronic records complying with the
requirements of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2001 (No. 5 of 2001) as
from time to time amended or
re-enacted.
|
17
|
REGISTER
OF CHARGES
|
17.1
|
the
date of creation of the charge;
|
17.2
|
a
short description of the liability secured by the
charge;
|
17.3
|
a
short description of the property
charged;
|
17.4
|
the
name and address of the trustee for the security or, if there is no such
trustee, the name and address of the
chargee;
|
17.5
|
unless
the charge is a security to bearer, the name and address of the holder of
the charge; and
|
17.6
|
details
of any prohibition or restriction contained in the instrument creating the
charge on the power of the Company to create any future charge ranking in
priority to or equally with the
charge.
|
18
|
SEAL
|
19
|
DISTRIBUTIONS
BY WAY OF DIVIDEND
|
19.1
|
The
directors of the Company may, by Resolution of Directors, authorise a
Distribution by way of dividend at a time and of an amount they think fit
if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that, immediately after the
Distribution, the value of the Company’s assets will exceed its
liabilities and the Company will be able to pay its debts as they fall
due.
|
19.2
|
Dividends
may be paid in money, shares, or other
property.
|
19.3
|
Notice
of any dividend that may have been declared shall be given to each
Shareholder as specified in Sub-Regulation 22 and all dividends unclaimed
for 3 years after having been declared may be forfeited by Resolution of
Directors for the benefit of the
Company.
|
19.4
|
No
dividend shall bear interest as against the Company and no dividend shall
be paid on Treasury Shares.
|
20
|
ACCOUNTS
AND AUDIT
|
20.1
|
The
Company shall keep records that are sufficient to show and explain the
Company’s transactions and that will, at any time, enable the financial
position of the Company to be determined with reasonable
accuracy.
|
20.2
|
The
Company may by Resolution of Shareholders call for the directors to
prepare periodically and make available a profit and loss account and a
balance sheet. The profit and loss account and balance sheet
shall be drawn up so as to give respectively a true and fair view of the
profit and loss of the Company for a financial period and a true and fair
view of the assets and liabilities of the Company as at the end of a
financial period.
|
20.3
|
The
first auditors shall be appointed by Resolution of Directors; subsequent
auditors shall be appointed by Resolution of Shareholders or by Resolution
of Directors.
|
20.4
|
The
auditors may be Shareholders, but no director or other officer shall be
eligible to be an auditor of the Company during their continuance in
office.
|
20.5
|
The
remuneration of the auditors of the Company may be fixed by Resolution of
Directors.
|
20.6
|
The
auditors shall examine each profit and loss account and balance sheet
required to be laid before a meeting of the Shareholders or otherwise
given to Shareholders and shall state in a written report whether or
not:
|
(a)
|
in their opinion the profit and
loss account and balance sheet give a true and fair view respectively of
the profit and loss for the period covered by the accounts, and of the
assets and liabilities of the Company at the end of that period;
and
|
(b)
|
all the information and
explanations required by the auditors have been
obtained.
|
20.7
|
The
report of the auditors shall be annexed to the accounts and shall be read
at the meeting of Shareholders at which the accounts are laid before the
Company or shall be otherwise given to the
Shareholders.
|
20.8
|
Every
auditor of the Company shall have a right of access at all times to the
books of account and vouchers of the Company, and shall be entitled to
require from the directors and officers of the Company such information
and explanations as he thinks necessary for the performance of the duties
of the auditors.
|
20.9
|
The
auditors of the Company shall be entitled to receive notice of, and to
attend any meetings of Shareholders at which the Company’s profit and loss
account and balance sheet are to be
presented.
|
21
|
NOTICES
|
21.1
|
Any
notice, information or written statement to be given by the Company to
Shareholders may be given by personal service or by mail addressed to each
Shareholder at the address shown in the register of
members.
|
21.2
|
Any
summons, notice, order, document, process, information or written
statement to be served on the Company may be served by leaving it, or by
sending it by registered mail addressed to the Company, at its registered
office, or by leaving it with, or by sending it by registered mail to, the
registered agent of the Company.
|
21.3
|
Service
of any summons, notice, order, document, process, information or written
statement to be served on the Company may be proved by showing that the
summons, notice, order, document, process, information or written
statement was delivered to the registered office or the registered agent
of the Company or that it was mailed in such time as to admit to its being
delivered to the registered office or the registered agent of the Company
in the normal course of delivery within the period prescribed for service
and was correctly addressed and the postage was
prepaid.
|
22
|
VOLUNTARY
LIQUIDATION
|
23
|
CONTINUATION
|
24
|
DISCLOSURE
OF INTEREST IN SHARES AND FAILURE TO
DISCLOSE
|
24.1
|
Subject
to any requirement under the Act, the provisions of Chapter 5 of the
Disclosure and Transparency Rules which relate to the requirement of
persons to disclose their interests in shares, shall apply to the Company
as if its Home State (as defined in such rules) was the United Kingdom and
such rules shall be deemed to be incorporated into these Regulations and
shall bind the Company and the Shareholders (other than the
Depository).
|
24.2
|
Subject
to any requirement under the Act, the provisions of section 793 of the UK
CA 2006 shall be deemed to be incorporated into these Regulations and
shall bind the Company and the Shareholders and references in such section
to “a public company” shall be deemed to be references to the
Company.
|
24.3
|
Where
notice is served by the Company under section 793 of the UK CA 2006 (a
“section 793
notice”) on a Shareholder, or another person whom the Company knows
or has reasonable cause to believe to be interested in shares held by that
Shareholder, and the Shareholder or other person has failed in relation to
any shares (the “default
shares”, which expression includes any shares issued to such
Shareholder after the date of the section 793 notice in respect of those
shares) to give the Company the information required within 14 days
following the date of service of the section 793 notice, the Board may
serve on the holder of such default shares a notice (a "disenfranchisement
notice") whereupon the following sanctions apply, unless the Board
otherwise decides:
|
24.3.1
|
the
Shareholder shall not be entitled in respect of the default shares to be
present or to vote (either in person or by proxy) at a General Meeting or
at a separate meeting of the holders of a class of shares or on a poll or
to exercise other rights conferred by membership in relation to the
meeting or poll; and
|
24.3.2
|
where
the default shares represent at least 0.25 per cent in nominal value of
the issued shares of their class (calculated exclusive of any shares held
as Treasury Shares):
|
|
(a)
|
a
dividend (or any part of a dividend) or other amount payable in respect of
the default shares shall be withheld by the Company, which has no
obligation to pay interest on it;
and
|
(b)
|
no
transfer of any of the default shares shall be registered
unless:
|
|
(i)
|
the
transfer is an excepted transfer;
or
|
|
(ii)
|
the
Shareholder is not himself in default in supplying the information
required and the Shareholder proves to the satisfaction of the Board that
no person in default in supplying the information required is interested
in any of the shares the subject of the transfer;
or
|
|
(iii)
|
registration
of the transfer is required by any Relevant
System,
|
25
|
REMOVAL
OF SANCTIONS
|
25.1
|
notice
of registration of an excepted transfer, in relation to the default shares
the subject of the excepted transfer;
and
|
25.2
|
all
information required by the section 793 notice, in a form satisfactory to
the Board, in relation to any default
shares.
|
26
|
NOTICE
TO PERSON OTHER THAN A SHAREHOLDER
|
27
|
INTEREST
IN SHARES, FAILURE TO GIVE INFORMATION AND EXCEPTED
TRANSFERS
|
27.1
|
For
the purpose of Regulations 24 to
26:
|
27.1.1
|
“interested” has the same
meaning as in Part 22 of the UK CA
2006;
|
27.1.2
|
reference
to a person having failed to give the Company the information required by
a section 793 notice, or being in default in supplying such information,
includes:
|
|
(a)
|
reference
to his having failed or refused to give all or any part of it;
and
|
|
(b)
|
reference
to his having given information which he knows to be false in a material
particular or having recklessly given information which is false in a
material particular; and
|
27.1.3
|
“excepted transfer”
means, in relation to shares held by a
Shareholder:
|
|
(a)
|
a
transfer pursuant to acceptance of a takeover offer for the Company
(within the meaning of section 428(1) of the UK Companies Act or section
974 of the UK CA 2006, whichever is in force at the relevant date);
or
|
|
(b)
|
a
transfer where the Directors are satisfied that the transfer is made
pursuant to a bona fide sale of the whole of the beneficial ownership of
the shares to a party unconnected with the member or with any person
appearing to be interested in such shares including any such sale made
through a recognised investment exchange (as defined in the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000) (being a statute in force in the UK as may
be amended or re-enacted from time to time) or another stock exchange
outside the United Kingdom on which shares in the capital of the Company
are normally traded. For the purposes of this sub-paragraph any
associate (as that term is defined in Section 435 of the UK Insolvency Act
1986) shall be included amongst the persons who are connected with the
member or any person appearing to be interested in such
shares.
|
27.2
|
Regulations
24 to 27 are in addition to and without prejudice to the BVI Companies
Act.
|