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8-K - FORM 8-K - QUALSTAR CORPqualstar_8k-020513.htm
EX-4.1 - EX. 4.1 - QUALSTAR CORPex4-1.htm
EX-99.1 - EX. 99.1 - QUALSTAR CORPex99-1.htm
Exhibit 3.1
 
 
CERTIFICATE OF DETERMINATION OF
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
OF
QUALSTAR CORPORATION
 
Pursuant to Section 401 of the California Corporations Code
 
Lawrence D. Firestone and Nidhi H. Andalon, in accordance with the provisions of Section 401 of the California Corporations Code, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THAT:
 
ONE:  They are the President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer and Secretary, respectively, of Qualstar Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of California (the “Corporation”).
 
TWO:  The Corporation is authorized to issue a total of 5,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock in one or more series.
 
THREE:  Pursuant to authority vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation by the Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation, the Board of Directors, at a meeting duly called and held on February 5, 2013, adopted a resolution providing for the creation of a series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock, which series is designated “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.”
 
FOUR:  No shares of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock have been issued.
 
FIVE:  The resolution adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation is as follows:
 
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation (hereinafter called the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) in accordance with the provisions of the Restated Articles of Incorporation of this Corporation (the “Articles of Incorporation”), the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of Preferred Stock, no par value per share, of the Corporation, and to the extent that the voting powers and the designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such rights have not been set forth in the Articles of Incorporation, does hereby fix the same as follows:
 
Section 1. Designation and Amount.  There is hereby created out of the Corporation’s authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock a series designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.” The number of shares constituting such series shall be 200,000, without par value.
 
 
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Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
 
(a)           Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of shares of Common Stock of the Corporation and of any other capital stock ranking junior to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day of March, June, September, and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (i) $1.00 ($4.00 per annum) or (ii) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after February 5, 2013 (the “Rights Dividend Declaration Date”) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
 
(b)           The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2(a) above immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided, that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
 
(c)           Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.  
 
 
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Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
 
(a)           Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
 
(b)           Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Certificate of Determination creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
 
(c)           Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
 
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
 
(a)           Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
 
(i)           declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
 
(ii)           declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
 
(iii)           redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, provided, that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase, or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (both as to dividends and upon dissolution, liquidation and winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock; or
 
 
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(iv)           redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
 
(b)           The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under Section 4(a), purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
 
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Articles of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Determination creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.  
 
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution, or Winding Up.
 
(a)           Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, voluntary or otherwise, no distribution shall be made (i) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”) equal to $100 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (ii) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (i) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately prior to such event.
 
 
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(b)           In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other classes and series of stock of the Corporation, if any, that rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in respect thereof, then the assets available for such distribution shall be distributed ratably to the holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.
 
(c)           Neither the merger or consolidation of the Corporation into or with another entity nor the merger or consolidation of any other entity into or with the Corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 6.
 
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination, or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
 
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
 
Section 9. Ranking. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
 
Section 10. Amendment. At any time when any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, neither the Articles of Incorporation nor this Certificate of Determination shall be amended in any manner that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds or more of the outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
 
Section 11. Fractional Shares. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
 
*           *           *           *           *
 
 
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We declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the matters set forth in this certificate are true and correct of our own knowledge.
 
Executed on February 5, 2013, at Simi Valley, California.
 
    /s/ Lawrence D. Firestone                                                                           
Lawrence D. Firestone, President and Chief Executive Officer
 
  /s/ Nidhi H. Andalon                                                                           
Nidhi H. Andalon, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
 
 
 
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