Repurchased and redeemed shares may be cancelled or held as treasury shares. The nominal value of treasury shares held by us at any time must not exceed 10% of our company capital (consisting of the aggregate of the par value and share premium in respect of the allotment of our shares together with the par value of any shares acquired by us). While we hold shares as treasury shares, we cannot exercise any voting rights in respect of those shares. We may cancel or reissue treasury shares subject to certain conditions.
Purchases by Our Subsidiaries
Under Irish law, it may be permissible for an Irish or non-Irish subsidiary to purchase our shares either on-market or off-market. A general authority of our shareholders is required to allow a subsidiary of ours to make on-market purchases of our ordinary shares; however, as long as this general authority has been granted, no specific
shareholder authority for a particular on-market purchase by a subsidiary of our ordinary shares is required. Such an authority has been adopted by our shareholders. We have sought such general authority, which must expire no later than 18 months after the date on which it was granted, at previous annual general meetings and expect to seek to renew such authority at subsequent annual general meetings. In order for a subsidiary of ours to make an on-market purchase of our shares, such shares must be purchased on a “recognized stock exchange.” The New York Stock Exchange, on which our shares are listed, is a recognized stock exchange for this purpose under Irish company law. For an off-market purchase by a subsidiary of ours, the proposed purchase contract must be authorized by special resolution of our shareholders before the contract is entered into. The person whose shares are to be bought back cannot vote in favor of the special resolution and, from the date of the notice of the meeting at which the resolution approving the contract is to be proposed, the purchase contract must be on display or must be available for inspection by shareholders at our registered office.
We may, by ordinary resolution, reduce our authorized but unissued share capital in any way and reduce the nominal value of any of its shares. We also may, by special resolution and subject to confirmation by the Irish High Court (or as otherwise permitted under the Irish Companies Act), reduce or cancel our issued share capital in any way.
股东大会
We are generally required to hold an annual general meeting at intervals of no more than fifteen months, provided that an annual general meeting is held in each calendar year, no more than nine months after our fiscal year-end.
Our articles of association provide that shareholder meetings may be held outside of Ireland (subject to compliance with the Irish Companies Act). Where a company holds its annual general meeting or extraordinary general meeting outside of Ireland, the Irish Companies Act requires that the company, at its own expense, make all
necessary arrangements to ensure that members can by technological means participate in the meeting without leaving Ireland (unless all of the members entitled to attend and vote at the meeting consent in writing to the meeting being held outside of Ireland).
Extraordinary general meetings may be convened by (i) the board of directors, (ii) on requisition of the shareholders holding not less than 10% of the paid up share capital of our shares carrying voting rights or (iii) on requisition of our auditors. Extraordinary general meetings are generally held for the purposes of approving shareholder resolutions as may be required from time to time.
Notice of a general meeting must be given to all of our shareholders and to our auditors. Our articles of association provide that the maximum notice period is 60 days. The minimum notice periods are 21 days’ notice in writing for an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting to approve a special resolution and 14 days’ notice in writing for any other extraordinary general meeting. In each case the notice period excludes the date of mailing, the date of the meeting and is in addition to two days for deemed delivery where this is by electronic means. General meetings may be called by shorter notice, but only with the consent of our auditors and all of the shareholders entitled to attend and vote thereat. Because of the 21-day and 14-day requirements described in this paragraph, our articles of association include provisions reflecting these requirements of Irish law.
我们的公司治理准则和公司治理一般做法反映在我们的备忘录和章程以及内部政策和程序中,受美国做法和适用的联邦证券法律和法规以及纽约证券交易所的要求指导。尽管我们是爱尔兰上市有限公司,但我们不受到爱尔兰金融交易所或英国金融行为监管局的上市规则的约束,因此我们不受英国公司治理守则、由投资协会发布的任何准则或Pre-Emption Group Principles声明,或任何其他非法规的爱尔兰或英国治理标准或准则的约束,也不会采纳。虽然美国公司治理标准与我们所适用的英国公司治理守则和其他爱尔兰/英国治理标准或准则之间存在许多相似之处和重叠,但也有差异,特别是关于授权发行股本和进行股份回购授权程度以及确定董事独立性的标准。