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name: restated-certificate language: en description: Drafts an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation for Delaware corporations in preferred stock financing rounds. Covers authorized capital, preferred stock rights (dividends, liquidation, conversion, anti-dilution), protective provisions, and DGCL compliance. Use when drafting charter documents, restated certificates, venture financing corporate documents, or Delaware certificate amendments from term sheets and cap tables.

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

Drafts a filing-ready Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation for a Delaware corporation in connection with a preferred stock financing round. Delaware-specific — do not apply to other states without modification.

Prerequisites

Collect before drafting:

1. Term sheet — pricing, liquidation preference multiple, anti-dilution method, protective provisions, board composition
2. Prior Certificate — current authorized capital, existing preferred series, unusual provisions
3. Cap table — shares outstanding, option pool, warrants, convertible notes
4. Transaction documents — SPA, IRA, voting agreement, ROFR/co-sale (for cross-reference)
5. Registered agent — name, physical Delaware street address (no P.O. boxes), county

Quick Start

1. Gather all prerequisites above
2. Run pre-draft verification (cross-check term sheet against cap table and SPA)
3. Draft articles I–VII using the document skeleton
4. Verify anti-dilution formula and liquidation waterfall with sample numbers
5. Cross-check all defined terms against transaction documents
6. Confirm filing readiness with Delaware Secretary of State requirements

Pre-Draft Verification

Extract and cross-check — flag discrepancies before drafting:

Data Point	Source	Verify Against
Pre/post-money valuation	Term sheet	Cap table
Price per share	Term sheet	SPA, cap table math
Shares issued this round	Term sheet	SPA
Total authorized Common	Cap table	Outstanding + pool + all conversions + cushion
Total authorized Preferred (per series)	Term sheet	Shares issued + warrant/note conversions + anti-dilution cushion
Option pool size	Term sheet	Board resolutions, cap table
Liquidation preference multiple	Term sheet	SPA
Dividend rate and type	Term sheet	—
Anti-dilution method	Term sheet	—
Board composition	Term sheet	Voting agreement

Document Skeleton

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF [EXACT LEGAL NAME]

[Corporation] hereby certifies:

1. Original Certificate filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on [DATE].
2. This Amended and Restated Certificate has been duly adopted pursuant to
   Sections 242 and 245 of the DGCL [by board consent under §245 / by board
   and stockholder approval under §242].
3. The text of the Certificate is hereby amended and restated in its entirety
   as follows:

ARTICLE I — NAME
ARTICLE II — REGISTERED OFFICE AND AGENT
ARTICLE III — PURPOSE
ARTICLE IV — AUTHORIZED CAPITAL
ARTICLE V — PREFERRED STOCK RIGHTS
ARTICLE VI — DIRECTOR EXCULPATION
ARTICLE VII — [Additional governance as needed]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF...
[Signature block: name, title, date]

Core Articles

Article I — Name. Must include corporate designator (Corp., Inc., etc.) per DGCL §102(a)(1). Must match across all transaction documents exactly.

Article II — Registered Office. Physical street address in Delaware with county. Named registered agent who has consented to serve.

Article III — Purpose. Standard broad clause: "any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL." Narrow only if regulatory/tax reasons require.

Article IV — Authorized Capital.

Total authorized: [X] shares
  Common Stock: [X] shares, $[0.0001] par value
  Preferred Stock: [X] shares, $[0.0001] par value
    Series Seed: [X] shares
    Series A: [X] shares
    Undesignated: [X] shares (blank check authority)

Common must cover: outstanding + option pool + all preferred as-converted + warrants/notes + cushion.

Article V — Preferred Stock Rights. Draft in this order:

Section	Key Decisions
Dividends	Cumulative vs. non-cumulative; rate; when-as-if-declared vs. auto-accruing; series priority
Liquidation Preference	Preference amount (OIP × multiple + accrued dividends); pari passu vs. senior; participating vs. non-participating; cap
Optional Conversion	Ratio = OIP ÷ Conversion Price; initial CP = OIP; no fractional shares
Mandatory Conversion	Qualified IPO trigger (min proceeds + min price); majority/supermajority Preferred vote
Anti-Dilution	Broad-based weighted average; enumerate carve-outs
Voting Rights	As-converted with Common; separate class vote for protective provisions
Protective Provisions	Majority/supermajority Preferred consent for enumerated actions
Board Designation	Seats for Common, each Preferred series, independent/mutual

See references/DETAILS.md for anti-dilution formula, carve-out checklist, protective provisions checklist, and liquidation waterfalls.

Article VI — Director Exculpation. DGCL §102(b)(7) maximum exculpation with statutory carve-outs (loyalty breach, bad faith, §174, improper personal benefit). Include future-amendment auto-update clause.

Article VII+ — Optional Provisions. Indemnification + mandatory advancement; D&O insurance authority; corporate opportunity waiver; forum selection (Court of Chancery); written consent/special meeting provisions.

Pitfalls and Checks

1. Defined terms — define once, use consistently; cross-check against SPA/IRA/voting agreement definitions
2. Mathematical verification — test liquidation waterfall at multiple exit values; verify anti-dilution formula with sample down-round
3. Cross-references — verify all internal section references and subsection numbering
4. DGCL compliance — cite §§242, 245 in recitals; §102(a)(1) for name; §102(b)(7) for exculpation; §151 for stock rights
5. Blank check preferred — if authorized, ensure protective provisions cover future series designation
6. Par value consistency — match across Common and Preferred unless justified
7. Filing readiness — document must be executable and fileable as-is
8. Never guess share numbers, valuations, or pricing — flag gaps and request clarification