Exhibit 3.1

 

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES, AND
RIGHTS OF SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

of

LIQUID HOLDINGS GROUP, INC.

Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware

 

Liquid Holdings Group, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), in accordance with the provisions of Section 103 thereof, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

 

That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) by the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), a duly authorized committee of the Board on December 11, 2014, adopted the following resolution creating a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation (the “Preferred Stock”) designated as Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:

 

RESOLVED, that the committee hereby designates 100,000 shares of the preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Corporation as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” and the powers, designations, preferences, and relative, participating, optional, and other rights of the Preferred Stock and the qualifications, limitations, and restrictions thereof, be, and they hereby are as follows:

 

Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 100,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board; provided, however, that no such decrease shall reduce the number of shares of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding, plus the number reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options, rights or warrants, or upon conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

 

Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.

 

(a) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any other class or series of Preferred Stock 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, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”), and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board 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) $10.00 or (ii) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 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 December 11, 2014 (the “Rights Dividend Declaration Date”) (A) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (C) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, 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 shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which shall be 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 $10.00 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 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.

 

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 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, 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 or by law or in any other Certificate of Designation creating a series of preferred stock, or any similar stock, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Common Stock, and the holders of any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally together with the Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

 

(c)          (i)  If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall mark the beginning of a period (herein called a “default period”) that shall extend until such time when all accrued and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart for payment. During each default period, all holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock) with dividends in arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly dividends thereon, voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall have the right to elect two directors.

 

(ii) During any default period, such voting right of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to Section 3(c)(iii) or at any annual meeting of stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of stockholders, provided, that such voting right shall not be exercised unless the holders of 10% in number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy. The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not affect the exercise by the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting right. At any meeting at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall exercise such voting right initially during an existing default period, they shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect directors to fill such vacancies, if any, in the Board as may then exist up to two directors or, if such right is exercised at an annual meeting, to elect two directors. If the number that may be so elected at any special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number of directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the required number. After the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect directors in any default period and during the continuance of such period, the number of directors shall not be increased or decreased except by vote of the holders of Preferred Stock as herein provided or pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking senior to or pari passu with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

 

 

(iii) Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall, during an existing default period, have previously exercised their right to elect directors, the Board may order, or any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than 10% of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding, irrespective of series, may request, the calling of a special meeting of the holders of Preferred Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be called by the President, a Vice President, or the Secretary of the Corporation. Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this Section 3(c)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to such holder at such holder’s last address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not later than 60 days after such order or request or in default of the calling of such meeting within 60 days after such order or request, such meeting may be called on similar notice by any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than 10% of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 3(c)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called during the period within 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next annual meeting of the stockholders.

 

(iv) In any default period, the holders of Common Stock, and other classes or series of stock of the Corporation if applicable, shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of directors until the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect two directors voting as a class, after the exercise of which right (A) the directors so elected by the holders of Preferred Stock shall continue in office until their successors shall have been elected by such holders or until the expiration of the default period, and (B) any vacancy in the Board may (except as provided in Section 3(c)(ii)) be filled by vote of a majority of the remaining directors theretofore elected by the holders of the class of stock that elected the director whose office shall have become vacant. References in this Section 3(c) to directors elected by the holders of a particular class of stock shall include directors elected by such directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (B) of the foregoing sentence.

 

(v) Immediately upon the expiration of a default period, (A) the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class to elect directors shall cease, (B) the term of any directors elected by the holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (C) the number of directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the provisions of Section 3(c)(ii) (such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws). Any vacancies in the Board effected by the provisions of clauses (B) and (C) in the preceding sentence may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors.

 

(d) Except as set forth herein, 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 on, 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 on, 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 (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation, or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock; or

 

(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) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board, 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, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Certificate of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Designation 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 (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made 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 equal to $1,000 per share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Common Adjustment”) equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 1,000 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in Section 6(c) below) (such number in clause (ii), the “Adjustment Number”). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to one with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.

 

(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 series of preferred stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.

 

(c) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment 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.

 

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 converted into other stock or securities, cash, or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged for or converted into an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 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 converted or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date (a) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (b) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (c) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the immediately preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or conversion of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which shall be 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, and to any other class of preferred stock that hereafter may be issued by the Corporation, as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series or class shall provide otherwise.

 

Section 10. Amendment. Except as set forth in Section 1 hereof, at any time when any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, neither the Certificate of Incorporation nor this Certificate of Designation shall be amended, either directly or indirectly, or through merger or consolidation with another entity, 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 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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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Liquid Holdings Group, Inc. has caused this Certificate of Designation to be signed by the undersigned this 11th day of December, 2014.

 

	Liquid Holdings Group, Inc.
	By:	/s/ Brian M. Storms
		Name: Brian M. Storms
		Title:   Chief Executive Officer