(a)
For the purpose of determining whether a corporation has outstanding shares held of record by 100 or more persons, shares shall be deemed to be “held of record” by each person who is identified as the owner of such shares on the record of shareholders maintained by or on behalf of the corporation, subject to the following:
(1)
In any case where the record of shareholders has not been maintained in accordance with accepted practice, any additional person who would be
identified as such an owner on such record if it had been maintained in accordance with accepted practice shall be included as a holder of record.
(2)
Shares identified as held of record by a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, a trust, whether or not the trustees are named, or other organization shall be included as so held by one person.
(3)
Shares identified as held of record by one or more persons as trustees, executors, guardians, conservators, custodians or in other fiduciary capacities with respect to a single trust, estate or account shall be included as held of record by one person.
(4)
Shares held by two or more persons as coowners shall be included as held by one person.
(5)
Shares registered in substantially similar
names, where the corporation (or other person soliciting proxies) has reason to believe because of the address or other indications that such names represent the same person, may be included as held of record by one person.
(b)
Notwithstanding subdivision (a):
(1)
Shares held, to the knowledge of the corporation (or other person soliciting proxies), subject to a voting trust, deposit agreement or similar arrangement shall be included as held of record by the recordholders of the voting trust certificates, certificates of deposit, receipts or similar evidences of interest in such securities; provided, however, that the corporation (or other person soliciting proxies) may rely in good faith on such information as is received in response to its request from a nonaffiliated issuer of the certificates or evidences of interest.
(2)
If the corporation (or other person soliciting proxies) knows or has reason to know that the form of holding shares of record is used primarily to circumvent the provisions of this section, the beneficial owners of such shares shall be deemed to be the record owners thereof.