EX-3.1

EX-3.1 2 d510624dex31.htm EX-3.1 EX-3.1

Exhibit 3.1

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

NEWSTAR FINANCIAL, INC.

FIRST:

The name of the corporation is NewStar Financial, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

SECOND:

The Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, 19801, and the name of its registered agent at such address is: The Corporation Trust Company.

THIRD:

The purpose of the Corporation is to carry on any and all business and to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).

FOURTH:

The total number of shares of stock which this Corporation is authorized to issue is:

One Hundred (100) shares of Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share.

FIFTH:

In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the by-laws of the Corporation (the “By-laws”).

SIXTH:

Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the By-laws shall so provide.

SEVENTH:

Limitations on Liability. A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived any improper personal benefit. If the DGCL is amended after the effective date of this Certificate of Incorporation to further eliminate or limit the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation, in addition to the limitation on personal liability provided herein, shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. No amendment, modification or repeal of this Article SEVENTH shall adversely affect the rights and protection afforded to a director of the Corporation under this Article SEVENTH for acts or omissions occurring prior to such amendment, modification or repeal.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers. Each person who is or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (hereinafter a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while serving as such director or officer, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including, without limitation, service with respect to employee benefit plans, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation and with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful, and such indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of such person’s heirs, executors and administrators; provided, however, that, except as provided in the second paragraph of this Part B, the Corporation shall indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors. The right to indemnification conferred in this section shall be a contract right and shall include the right to be paid by the Corporation for any expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that if the DGCL requires, the payment of such expenses incurred by a director or officer in his or her capacity as a director or officer in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified under this section or otherwise. The Corporation may, by action of its Board of Directors, provide indemnification to employees and agents of the Corporation with the same scope and effect as the foregoing indemnification of directors and officers.

If a claim under the first paragraph of this Part B is not paid in full by the Corporation within twenty (20) days after such claim has been received in writing by the Corporation, the claimant may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim and, if successful in whole or in part, the claimant shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting such claim. It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for expenses incurred in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition where the required undertaking, if any is required, has been tendered to the Corporation) that the claimant has not met the standards of

conduct that make it permissible under the DGCL for the Corporation to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed, but the burden of proving such defense shall be on the Corporation. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel or its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

The right to indemnification and the payment of expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance of its final disposition conferred in this Part B shall not be exclusive of, and the Corporation is authorized to honor or provide, any other right that any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of this Certificate of Incorporation, the By-laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, which other right may provide indemnification and advancement in excess of the indemnification and advancement otherwise permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, subject only to limits created by applicable Delaware law (statutory or non-statutory), with respect to actions for breach of duty to the Corporation, its stockholders and others.

Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any such expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.

Repeal and Modification. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article SEVENTH shall not adversely affect any right or protection of any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

EIGHTH:

The Corporation reserves the right at any time, and from time to time, to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, and to add or insert other provisions authorized by the laws of the State of Delaware at the time in force, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by law; and all rights, preferences and privileges of whatsoever nature conferred upon stockholders, directors or any other persons whomsoever by and pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation in its present form or as hereafter amended are granted subject to the rights reserved in this Article EIGHTH.

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