The Board has a standing audit committee, a standing compensation committee and a standing nominating and corporate governance committee, with each committee comprised solely of independent directors, as prescribed by the Nasdaq listing standards and SEC rules and regulations. We have adopted corporate governance guidelines, as well as a code of conduct and other compliance policies.
The Companies Act provides for a minimum of two directors. Our Constitution provides that the Board may determine the size of the Board from time to time.
Our Constitution provides that at least one-third of the directors serving on the Board shall come up for re-election at a given annual general meeting, and that directors must come up for re-election at the third annual general meeting subsequent to their appointment or reappointment to the Board. Except as otherwise provided by law, vacancies on the Board may be filled only by ordinary resolution or the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors. A director elected by the Board to fill a vacancy shall serve until the subsequent annual general meeting. At each annual general meeting of shareholders, the successors to directors whose terms will then expire will be elected to serve from the time of election and qualification until the third subsequent annual general meeting of shareholders.
Under the Companies Act and notwithstanding anything contained in our Constitution or in any agreement between us and a director, the shareholders may, by an ordinary resolution, remove a director from office before the
expiration of his or her term at a meeting held on no less than 28 days’ notice and at which the director is entitled to be heard. The power of removal is without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of contract (e.g., employment contract) that the director may have against us in respect of his removal.
Our Constitution provides that the Board may fill any vacancy occurring on the Board. If the Board fills a vacancy, the director’s term expires at the next annual general meeting. A vacancy on the Board created by the removal of a director may be filled by the shareholders at the meeting at which such director is removed and, in the absence of such election or appointment, the remaining directors may fill the vacancy.
Legal Name; Formation; Fiscal Year; Registered Office
Prothena Corporation plc was formed under the laws of Ireland on September 26, 2012 as a private limited company, under the name “Neotope Corporation Limited” (registration number 518146), and reregistered as a public limited company and changed its name to “Neotope Corporation plc” on October 25, 2012. On November 1, 2012, our shareholders resolved, by way of special resolution, to change the name of the company to “Prothena Corporation plc,” and this was approved by the Irish Registrar of Companies on November 7, 2012. Our fiscal year ends on December 31 and our registered address is 77 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Block C, Grand Canal Docklands, Dublin 2, D02 T804, Ireland.
Duration; Dissolution; Rights upon Liquidation
Our duration is unlimited. We may be dissolved and wound up at any time by way of a shareholders’ voluntary winding up or a creditors’ winding up. In the case of a shareholders’ voluntary winding up, a special resolution of shareholders is required. We may also be dissolved by way of court order on the application of a creditor, or by the Companies Registration Office as an enforcement measure where we have failed to file certain returns.
If our Constitution contains no specific provisions in respect of a dissolution or winding up, then, subject to the priorities of any creditors, the assets will be distributed to our shareholders in proportion to the paid-up nominal value of the shares held. Our Constitution provides that our ordinary shareholders are entitled to participate pro rata in a winding up.
19