Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (DE)

Filing-ready Delaware A&R charter implementing VC financing economics and governance. Produces Articles I–VI with preferred stock rights, conversion, anti-dilution, liquidation preferences, and protective provisions.

Prerequisites

Before drafting, collect:

• Executed term sheet or SPA exhibits (final economics and governance)
• Current cap table (outstanding, reserved, convertible securities)
• Existing certificate of incorporation and all amendments
• Board/stockholder approval mechanics and thresholds
• Registered agent name and Delaware registered office address
• Series terms and designations for each preferred class
• Side agreements affecting charter terms

Quick Start

1. Build intake table — gather all fields below, verify math
2. Draft Articles I–VI with consistent defined terms
3. Insert preferred stock terms in Article V
4. Add optional governance provisions only if negotiated
5. Run verification checklist against source documents

Intake Table

Field	Source	Notes
Legal name	Existing charter, DE records	Must match exactly
Registered agent + address	Agent confirmation	DE county required
DGCL adoption path	Board/stockholder actions	242/245 [VERIFY]
Authorized Common	Cap table	Include reserves
Authorized Preferred	Term sheet	By series
Par value	Existing charter	Common + Preferred
Series designation(s)	Term sheet	e.g., Series A
OIP per share	Term sheet	For conversion/dividends
Liquidation preference	Term sheet	Multiple + priority
Dividends	Term sheet	Cum/non-cum
Anti-dilution	Term sheet	Broad-based WA typical
Protective provisions	Term sheet	Thresholds
Board composition	Voting agreement or charter	If in charter only

Capitalization Math

Verify before drafting:

• Authorized Common >= outstanding + option pool + conversion reserve + warrants/options + cushion
• Authorized Preferred >= issued + reserved + anti-dilution cushion + blank-check allocation
• Series totals sum exactly to Preferred authorization
• All price/share figures reconcile to valuation and investment amount

Article Structure

Article	Content
I	Corporate name (DGCL 102(a)(1) [VERIFY])
II	Registered office, county, registered agent
III	Broad corporate purpose clause
IV	Authorized capital, classes, par value, series designations
V	Preferred Stock rights and preferences (see below)
VI	Director liability limitation (DGCL 102(b)(7) [VERIFY])

Article V Sections

Section	Minimum Terms
Definitions	Original Issue Price, Conversion Price, Liquidation Event
Dividends	Rate, cumulative/non-cumulative, priority
Liquidation Preference	Multiple, priority, participation/cap
Conversion	Optional + mandatory triggers
Anti-Dilution	Method, formula, exclusions
Voting	As-converted voting
Protective Provisions	Enumerated actions + approval threshold
Optional	Board designation rights (if in charter)

Anti-Dilution Formula (Broad-Based Weighted Average)

CP' = CP * (A + B) / (A + C)

CP = Conversion Price before issuance A = Common outstanding (fully diluted, as-converted) B = Consideration received / CP C = Shares issued in the dilutive issuance

Protective Provisions Checklist

Include approval requirements for:

• Amend charter/bylaws adverse to Preferred
• Create/authorize senior or pari passu classes
• Increase/decrease authorized Common or Preferred
• Declare dividends or distributions
• Redeem or repurchase stock
• Liquidation, dissolution, or winding up
• Merge, recapitalize, or sell all/substantially all assets
• Change board size or composition
• Incur debt beyond approved thresholds
• Exclusive license or disposition of material IP

Execution Block

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be executed by a duly authorized officer on this ___ day of ________, 20.

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Name: Title:

Pitfalls and Checks

• Use DGCL filing statements for amendment/restatement authority (242/245 [VERIFY]).
• Single-source all definitions — no duplicates across sections.
• Match every economic term to the term sheet and SPA exhibits. Never improvise.
• Use precise share counts reconciled to cap table and option pool.
• Include blank-check preferred only if consistent with protective provisions.
• If a term is ambiguous or conflicting, stop and request clarification.
• Optional governance provisions (indemnification, forum selection, written consent, special meetings) only if negotiated and consistent with bylaws.
• Director exculpation must track DGCL 102(b)(7) and 174 carve-outs [VERIFY].
• Delaware-specific — do not apply to other jurisdictions without redlining for local law.