Company: ALGN
Filing Date: 2025-03-27
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0001097149-25-000016
Chunk: 118

Company: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY INC
Filing Date: 2025-03-27
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 118
---
 a long and demonstrated record of continuous and extensive outreach to stockholders as well as responsiveness to their requests.

• Special meetings require substantial company resources and time.

<div align='center'>124</div>

• Align provides multiple channels for stockholders to raise matters.

Proposal 6 better balances stockholder rights with protecting Align’s and our stockholders’ long-term interests

W e believe that giving stockholders holding 25% of our outstanding common stock the right to call a special meeting of stockholders strikes the appropriate balance between stockholder rights and protecting the long-term interests of Align and its stockholders. Special meetings should only be called to discuss critical, time-sensitive issues that cannot wait until our next annual meeting of stockholders and only in cases where a substantial portion of stockholders agree that a special meeting must be called. A failure to receive the support of 25% of stockholders to convene a special meeting is a strong indicator that the issue is unduly narrow and not deemed critical by our stockholders generally.

Providing a special meeting request right at a low threshold, such as the one proposed in this Proposal 7, risks giving a small number of stockholders a disproportionate amount of influence over our affairs. Our Board believes such a low threshold creates the risk that one or a limited number of stockholders may use this procedure to act unilaterally, or threaten to do so, to pressure Align into advancing their own special interests at Align’s expense as well as the expense of other stockholders. A higher threshold than the one contemplated by this Proposal 7 also ensures that a more meaningful number of stockholders are seeking to call the special meeting, rather than only one or a few. Otherwise, stockholders have other, less disruptive and costly means, to have their issues brought before all stockholders at recurring annual meetings of stockholders through stockholder proposals. Based on these considerations, the Board believes the 25% threshold outlined in Proposal 6 strikes a more appropriate balance than the 10% threshold in this Proposal 7. Requiring a 25% threshold ensures that stockholders have the right to request a special meeting to act on extraordinary and urgent matters while minimizing the risk that one or a small minority of stockholders will pursue special interests that are not aligned with, or in the best interests of, the Company or its other stockholders.

Proposal 6 is more consistent with market practice.

The Board believes that a 25% ownership threshold for requesting a special meeting by stockholders is in the best interests of the Company and its stock