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
- Build intake table — gather all fields below, verify math
- Draft Articles I–VI with consistent defined terms
- Insert preferred stock terms in Article V
- Add optional governance provisions only if negotiated
- 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.
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.
1---2name: amended-restated-certificate3description: Drafts a Delaware Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation implementing VC term sheet economics and governance into DGCL-compliant charter provisions. Use when drafting or revising a Delaware A&R certificate, preferred stock charter terms, Series Seed/A/B financing charter, blank check preferred authority, or implementing cap structure from a term sheet or SPA.4---5
6# Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (DE)
7
8Filing-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.
9
10## Prerequisites
11
12Before drafting, collect:
13- Executed term sheet or SPA exhibits (final economics and governance)
14- Current cap table (outstanding, reserved, convertible securities)
15- Existing certificate of incorporation and all amendments
16- Board/stockholder approval mechanics and thresholds
17- Registered agent name and Delaware registered office address
18- Series terms and designations for each preferred class
19- Side agreements affecting charter terms
20
21## Quick Start
22
231. Build intake table — gather all fields below, verify math
242. Draft Articles I–VI with consistent defined terms
253. Insert preferred stock terms in Article V
264. Add optional governance provisions only if negotiated
275. Run verification checklist against source documents
28
29## Intake Table
30
31| Field | Source | Notes |
32|---|---|---|
33| Legal name | Existing charter, DE records | Must match exactly |
34| Registered agent + address | Agent confirmation | DE county required |
35| DGCL adoption path | Board/stockholder actions | 242/245 [VERIFY] |
36| Authorized Common | Cap table | Include reserves |
37| Authorized Preferred | Term sheet | By series |
38| Par value | Existing charter | Common + Preferred |
39| Series designation(s) | Term sheet | e.g., Series A |
40| OIP per share | Term sheet | For conversion/dividends |
41| Liquidation preference | Term sheet | Multiple + priority |
42| Dividends | Term sheet | Cum/non-cum |
43| Anti-dilution | Term sheet | Broad-based WA typical |
44| Protective provisions | Term sheet | Thresholds |
45| Board composition | Voting agreement or charter | If in charter only |
46
47## Capitalization Math
48
49Verify before drafting:
50- Authorized Common >= outstanding + option pool + conversion reserve + warrants/options + cushion
51- Authorized Preferred >= issued + reserved + anti-dilution cushion + blank-check allocation
52- Series totals sum exactly to Preferred authorization
53- All price/share figures reconcile to valuation and investment amount
54
55## Article Structure
56
57| Article | Content |
58|---|---|
59| I | Corporate name (DGCL 102(a)(1) [VERIFY]) |
60| II | Registered office, county, registered agent |
61| III | Broad corporate purpose clause |
62| IV | Authorized capital, classes, par value, series designations |
63| V | Preferred Stock rights and preferences (see below) |
64| VI | Director liability limitation (DGCL 102(b)(7) [VERIFY]) |
65
66## Article V Sections
67
68| Section | Minimum Terms |
69|---|---|
70| Definitions | Original Issue Price, Conversion Price, Liquidation Event |
71| Dividends | Rate, cumulative/non-cumulative, priority |
72| Liquidation Preference | Multiple, priority, participation/cap |
73| Conversion | Optional + mandatory triggers |
74| Anti-Dilution | Method, formula, exclusions |
75| Voting | As-converted voting |
76| Protective Provisions | Enumerated actions + approval threshold |
77| Optional | Board designation rights (if in charter) |
78
79### Anti-Dilution Formula (Broad-Based Weighted Average)
80
81CP' = CP * (A + B) / (A + C)
82
83CP = Conversion Price before issuance
84A = Common outstanding (fully diluted, as-converted)
85B = Consideration received / CP
86C = Shares issued in the dilutive issuance
87
88### Protective Provisions Checklist
89
90Include approval requirements for:
91- Amend charter/bylaws adverse to Preferred
92- Create/authorize senior or pari passu classes
93- Increase/decrease authorized Common or Preferred
94- Declare dividends or distributions
95- Redeem or repurchase stock
96- Liquidation, dissolution, or winding up
97- Merge, recapitalize, or sell all/substantially all assets
98- Change board size or composition
99- Incur debt beyond approved thresholds
100- Exclusive license or disposition of material IP
101
102## Execution Block
103
104IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated
105Certificate of Incorporation to be executed by a duly authorized officer
106on this ___ day of __________, 20__.
107
108_________________________________
109Name:
110Title:
111
112## Pitfalls and Checks
113
114- Use DGCL filing statements for amendment/restatement authority (242/245 [VERIFY]).
115- Single-source all definitions — no duplicates across sections.
116- Match every economic term to the term sheet and SPA exhibits. Never improvise.
117- Use precise share counts reconciled to cap table and option pool.
118- Include blank-check preferred only if consistent with protective provisions.
119- If a term is ambiguous or conflicting, stop and request clarification.
120- Optional governance provisions (indemnification, forum selection, written consent, special meetings) only if negotiated and consistent with bylaws.
121- Director exculpation must track DGCL 102(b)(7) and 174 carve-outs [VERIFY].
122- Delaware-specific — do not apply to other jurisdictions without redlining for local law.
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