Ryanair 2010 Annual Report Download - page 103

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101
Exemptions from NASDAQ Corporate Governance Rules
At the time of the listing of Ryanair’s ADSs on NASDAQ in 1997, the Company received certain
exemptions from the NASDAQ corporate governance rules. These exemptions, and the practices the Company
adheres to, are as follows:
The Company is exempt from NASDAQ’s quorum requirements applicable to meetings of
shareholders, which require a minimum quorum of 33% for any meeting of the holders of common
stock, which in the Company’s case are its Ordinary Shares. In keeping with Irish generally
accepted business practice, the Articles provide for a quorum for general meetings of shareholders
of three shareholders, regardless of the level of their aggregate share ownership.
The Company is exempt from NASDAQ’s requirement with respect to audit committee approval
of related-party transactions, as well as its requirement that shareholders approve certain stock or
asset purchases when a director, officer or substantial shareholder has an interest. The Company is
subject to extensive provisions under the Listing Rules of the Irish Stock Exchange (the “Irish
Listing Rules”) governing transactions with related parties, as defined therein, and the Irish
Companies Act also restricts the extent to which Irish companies may enter into related-party
transactions. In addition, the Articles contain provisions regarding disclosure of interests by the
directors and restrictions on their votes in circumstances involving conflicts of interest. The
concept of a related party for purposes of NASDAQ’s audit committee and shareholder approval
rules differs in certain respects from the definition of a transaction with a related party under the
Irish Listing Rules.
NASDAQ requires shareholder approval for certain transactions involving the sale or issuance by
a listed company of common stock other than in a public offering. Under the NASDAQ rules,
whether shareholder approval is required for such transactions depends, among other things, on the
number of shares to be issued or sold in connection with a transaction, while the Irish Listing
Rules require shareholder approval when the size of a transaction exceeds a certain percentage of
the size of the listed company undertaking the transaction.