Item 1.01 Entry Into A Material Definitive Agreement.
On November 9, 2020, the Board of Directors (the "Board") of Quidel Corporation
(the "Company") approved an amended form of indemnification agreement (the
"Indemnification Agreement") to be entered into between the Company and
individuals who may serve from time to time as directors or officers of the
Company. The Indemnification Agreement supplements indemnification provisions
contained in the Company's Amended and Restated Bylaws, and supersedes the
Company's current indemnification agreements with its directors and officers.
Under the Indemnification Agreement, the Company agrees to indemnify directors
and officers against liability arising out of the performance of their duties to
the Company and to other entities where they serve at the request of the Company
as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary. The Indemnification
Agreement provides that the Company will indemnify directors and officers to the
fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law for amounts
that directors and officers become legally obligated to pay in connection with
Proceedings (as defined in the Indemnification Agreement), including reasonable
attorneys' fees, on the terms and conditions set forth in the Indemnification
Agreement. The Indemnification Agreement also requires the advancement of
defense expenses, on the terms and conditions set forth in the Indemnification
Agreement. The Indemnification Agreement provides procedures for obtaining
indemnification and advancement of expenses, and defines various terms relating
to indemnification and advancement.
The foregoing description of the form of Indemnification Agreement is a general
description only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of
Indemnification Agreement, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.1 and is
incorporated herein by reference.
Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal
Year
On November 9, 2020, the Board adopted Amended and Restated Bylaws of the
Company (the "Bylaws"), which became effective immediately. The amendments are
summarized below.
•The amendments update the notice procedures applicable to stockholder meetings
to provide for electronic delivery of notice to stockholders, as permitted by
Delaware law. (Section 2.4)
•The amendments provide for additional informational requirements for persons to
be eligible to be a nominee for election or re-election as a director of the
Company, including directors nominated for election to the Board by
stockholders. The amendments also update the advance notice deadlines for
stockholder nominations for directors. (Section 2.6)
•The amendments add a provision to require that whenever stockholders are
required to deliver a document or information to the Company under Article II of
the Bylaws, such document or information shall be in writing exclusively and
delivered exclusively by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt
requested. (Section 2.19)
•The amendments update the provision for Board action by written consent to
provide that a director may provide that a consent to action be effective at a
future time, no later than sixty days after such provision is made, and that any
such consent may be revoked prior to becoming effective, as permitted by
Delaware law. (Section 3.11)
•The amendments include an emergency bylaw that is applicable in an emergency
condition as contemplated by Section 110 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law. (Section 3.14)
•The amendments clarify the quorum and voting threshold required for the
transaction of business by a committee of the Board. (Section 4.3)
•The amendments remove the provision addressing the order in which vice
presidents would assume the duties of the President in the event of the
President's absence or disability. (Section 5.7)
•The amendments define "officer" for indemnification purposes as those appointed
by the Board under Article V of the Bylaws, and clarifies that directors and
officers (as defined in the Bylaws) are entitled to indemnification as a matter
of right to the extent that such director or officer is successful on the merits
or otherwise in defense of a proceeding, and that such indemnification shall not
be subject to satisfaction of a standard of conduct, in accordance with Delaware
law. (Article VI)
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•The amendments provide that, unless the Company in writing selects or consents
to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the
United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the
sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause
of action under the Securities Act of 1933. (Article VII).
•Additional amendments make minor updating changes, clarifying or conforming
changes, and immaterial language changes.
The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the
Bylaws, which are filed herewith as Exhibit 3.1 and are incorporated herein by
reference.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
Amendment of Stock Ownership Guidelines
On November 9, 2020, the Board amended the Company's Stock Ownership Guidelines
relating to the retention and ownership of the Company's common stock by each of
its non-employee directors, the Chief Executive Officer, Section 16 officers,
Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents to, among other matters, increase the
requirements relating to the ownership of the Company's common stock to six
times annual base salary for the Company's Chief Executive Officer and to five
times the annual cash retainer for Board service for non-employee directors. The
requirements remain at two times annual base salary for the Company's Section 16
officers and one times annual base salary for the Company's non-Section 16
officer Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit Description
3.1 Amended and Restated Bylaws of Quidel Corporation, as of November 9, 2020
10.1 Form of Indemnification Agreement - Corporate Officer and/or Director
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
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