Alvotech F-3, filed Oct 20, 2023
Alvotech (ALVO)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, 2023
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
ALVOTECH
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| Grand Duchy of Luxembourg | 98-1629342 | |
(Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
Société Anonyme
(Public Limited Company)
9, Rue de Bitbourg,
L-1273 Luxembourg,
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
R.C.S. Luxembourg : B258884
Tel: + 354 - 4224500
(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
Alvotech USA Inc.
1201 Wilson Blvd., Ste. 2130
Arlington, Virginia 22209
Tel: (703) 819-3765
(Name, address, and telephone number of agent for service)
Copies to:
Michal Berkner, Esq.
Nicolas H.R. Dumont, Esq.
Cooley (UK) LLP
22 Bishopsgate
London EC2N 4BQ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7583 4055
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7785 9355
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effectiveness of this registration statement.
If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933. Emerging growth company x
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. o
| † | The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012. |
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 20, 2023
PROSPECTUS
$100,000,000
Ordinary Shares
Debt Securities
Warrants
Rights
Units
We may offer and sell from time to time in one or more offerings our ordinary shares, debt securities, warrants, rights and units comprising any combination of these securities having an aggregate offering price up to $100,000,000. These securities may be offered individually or in any combination.
Each time we sell securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide in a supplement to this prospectus the price and any other material terms of any such offering and the securities offered. Any prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in the prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, as well as the documents incorporated by reference or deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus, carefully before you invest in any securities.
Our securities may be sold directly by us to you, through agents designated from time to time or to or through underwriters or dealers. For additional information on the methods of sale, you should refer to the section titled “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus and in the applicable prospectus supplement. If any underwriters or agents are involved in the sale of our securities with respect to which this prospectus is being delivered, the names of such underwriters or agents and any applicable fees or commissions and over-allotment options will be set forth in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of such securities and the net proceeds that we expect to receive from such sale will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement.
Our ordinary shares are listed on The Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) and the Nasdaq Main Market in Iceland (“Nasdaq Iceland Main Market”) under the symbol “ALVO.” On October 19, 2023, the closing price of our ordinary shares on Nasdaq was $8.85. The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable, as to any other listing, if any, on the Nasdaq or any securities market or other securities exchange of the securities covered by the prospectus supplement. There is currently no market through which debt securities, warrants, rights or units may be sold and purchasers may not be able to resell debt securities, warrants, rights or units purchased under this prospectus. This may affect the pricing of any debt securities, warrants, rights or units in the secondary market, the transparency and availability of trading prices, the liquidity of the debt securities, warrants, rights or units and the extent of issuer regulation. Prospective purchasers of our securities are urged to obtain current information as to the market prices of our securities, where applicable.
We are a “foreign private issuer” under applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) rules and an “emerging growth company” as that term is defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”) and are eligible for reduced public company disclosure requirements.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE “RISK FACTORS” BEGINNING ON PAGE 5 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND ANY RISK FACTORS DESCRIBED IN ANY APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND IN OUR SEC FILINGS THAT ARE INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THIS PROSPECTUS.
Owning our securities may subject you to tax consequences both in Luxembourg and in the United States. This prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement may not describe these tax consequences fully. You should read the tax discussion in any applicable prospectus supplement. In addition, your ability to enforce civil liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws may be affected adversely by the fact that we are incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, many of the members of our board of directors and executive management, and experts named in this prospectus, are residents of jurisdictions outside of the United States, and a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of such persons are located outside the United States. See “Service of Process and Enforcement of Civil Liabilities Under U.S. Securities Laws.”
Neither the SEC nor any state or other securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may from time to time sell ordinary shares, debt securities, warrants, rights or units comprising any combination of these securities, in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of $100,000,000. We have provided to you in this prospectus a general description of the securities we may offer.
Each time we sell securities, we will, to the extent required by law, provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of the offering. We may also add, update or change in any accompanying prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus we may authorize to be delivered to you any of the information contained in this prospectus. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus and the prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement, provided that if any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date – for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement – the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement. This prospectus, together with any accompanying prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus we may authorize to be delivered to you, includes all material information relating to the offering of our securities.
As permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC, the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, includes additional information not contained in this prospectus. You may read the registration statement and the other reports we file with the SEC at the SEC’s web site or at the SEC’s offices described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
In this prospectus, unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “Alvotech,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar references refer to Alvotech and our wholly owned subsidiary, Alvotech hf.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any “free writing prospectus” we may authorize to be delivered to you. Neither we, nor any agent, underwriter or dealer has authorized anyone to provide you with different information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein are accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
This prospectus and the information incorporated herein by reference contain summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Neither this prospectus nor any accompanying prospectus supplement shall constitute an offer or solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.
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This summary highlights selected material information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our securities. Before making an investment decision, you should read this entire prospectus carefully, especially “Risk Factors” and the financial statements and related notes thereto, together with the additional information about us described in the sections entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Information Incorporated by Reference,” and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Some of the statements in this prospectus constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for more information.
Company Overview
We are a vertically integrated biotech company focused solely on the development and manufacture of biosimilar medicines for patients worldwide. Our purpose is to improve the health and quality of life of patients around the world by improving access to proven treatments for various diseases. Since our inception, we have built our company with key characteristics we believe will help us capture the substantial global market opportunity in biosimilars: a leadership team that has brought numerous successful biologics and biosimilars to market around the world; a purpose-built biosimilars R&D and manufacturing platform; commercial partnerships in global markets; and a diverse, expanding portfolio and pipeline addressing many of the biggest disease areas and health challenges globally.
We have built a pipeline comprising eight disclosed biosimilar products covering a variety of therapeutic areas, including immunology, ophthalmology, bone disease and cancer:
| · | Our biologics license application (“BLA”) supporting biosimilarity for AVT02, a biosimilar to Humira® (adalimumab), was filed with the FDA in 2020, and our BLA supporting interchangeability was accepted for review in February 2022. In September 2022, we announced that we had received communication from the FDA, which included a complete response letter (“CRL”) detailing its assessment of the March 2022 inspection of our manufacturing facility in Reykjavik, Iceland and our subsequent written responses to the FDA (the “August 2022 CRL”). The FDA’s August 2022 CRL to the initial biosimilar BLA for AVT02 noted certain deficiencies related to the Reykjavik facility and stated that satisfactory resolution of the deficiencies is required before FDA may approve this first-filed BLA. In December 2022, we received a CRL from the FDA regarding the interchangeability BLA (the “December 2022 CRL”). Under this December 2022 CRL, correction of the same deficiencies identified in the August 2022 CRL with respect to the manufacturing facility is required for approval of the interchangeability BLA. In April 2023, the FDA issued another CRL regarding the initial biosimilar (the “April 2023 CRL”). The April 2023 CRL noted that certain deficiencies conveyed following the FDA’s recent reinspection of the Reykjavik facility in March 2023 (the “March 2023 Inspection”) must be satisfactorily resolved before the application may be approved. In June 2023, the FDA issued another CRL regarding the interchangeability BLA (the “June 2023 CRL”). The June 2023 CRL noted that the deficiencies previously conveyed following the March 2023 Inspection must be resolved before a BLA application may be approved. Following the June 2023 CRL, we resubmitted the BLA for AVT02 and, in September 2023, we announced that the FDA had accepted our resubmitted BLA with a February 24, 2024 Biosimilar User Fee Act (BsUFA) goal date. The FDA also indicated that our resubmission is considered to be a complete response to the June 2023 CRL. Since 2021, we, directly or through our partners, received regulatory approval for AVT02 in the EEA, the UK, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia, and dossiers are under review in multiple countries. |
| · | For AVT04, a proposed biosimilar to Stelara® (ustekinumab), we reported positive topline results from two clinical studies in May 2022. In January 2023, we announced that the FDA had accepted for review a BLA for AVT04. We anticipate that the FDA’s review will be completed in the second half of 2023. In February 2023, we announced that the EMA had accepted a Marketing Authorization Application for AVT04. We, directly or indirectly through our partners, also submitted marketing applications for AVT04 in Japan and Canada in the second half of 2022. In September 2023, we announced that our commercialization partner in Japan, Fuji Pharma Co., Ltd., received marketing approval for AVT04 from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. In October 2023, we announced that we had received a CRL from the FDA which states |
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that our BLA for AVT04 cannot be approved until the deficiencies conveyed following the March 2023 Inspection have been satisfactorily resolved. No other deficiencies in the BLA for AVT04 were noted by the FDA. In June 2023, Alvotech and Teva, the exclusive commercialization partner for AVT04 in the U.S., reached a settlement and license agreement with Johnson & Johnson, that grants an entry date for AVT04 in the U.S. no later than February 21, 2025.
| · | We are in the earlier stages of development for our other lead product candidates, namely AVT03, a biosimilar candidate to Prolia/Xgeva® (denosumab) for which we initiated clinical studies in July 2022, AVT05, a biosimilar candidate to Simponi® and Simponi Aria® (golimumab) for which we initiated a pharmacokinetic (PK) study in December 2022 and a confirmatory patient study in May 2023, AVT06, a biosimilar candidate to Eylea® (aflibercept) for which we initiated a clinical study in July 2022, and AVT23, a biosimilar candidate to Xolair® (omalizumab). We have an exclusive licensing agreement with Kashiv Biosciences LLC, which will develop and manufacture AVT23. A PK study for AVT23 has been completed and a confirmatory patient study has recently been initiated. |
| · | AVT16, a biosimilar candidate to Entyvio® (vedolizumab) and AVT33, a biosimilar candidate to Keytruda® (pembrolizumab), are in preclinical development. |
| · | AVT19, AVT28 and AVT41 are biosimilar candidates in early phase development. Further information about the reference biologic and therapeutic area have not been disclosed publicly. |
To commercialize our products, we have formed strategic commercialization partnerships with 18 leading pharmaceutical companies covering over 90 markets globally. We license our intellectual property to these partners in exchange for milestone payments and royalties on sales.
Corporate Information
Alvotech is a public limited liability company (société anonyme) incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on August 23, 2021, having its registered office at 9, Rue de Bitbourg L-1273 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Company Register (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés, Luxembourg) under number B258884. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Alvotech USA Inc., 1201 Wilson Blvd., Ste. 2130, Arlington, Virginia 22209.
The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that site is www.sec.gov. Alvotech’s principal website address is www.alvotech.com. We do not incorporate the information contained on, or accessible through, Alvotech’s websites into this prospectus, and you should not consider it a part of this prospectus.
Implications of Being an “Emerging Growth Company” and a “Foreign Private Issuer”
Alvotech qualifies as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. As an “emerging growth company,” Alvotech may take advantage of certain exemptions from specified disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies. These exemptions include:
| · | not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements for the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting provided by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”); |
| · | reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation; and |
| · | not being required to hold a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation or seek shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. |
Alvotech may take advantage of these reporting exemptions until it is no longer an “emerging growth company.”
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Alvotech is also considered a “foreign private issuer” and will report under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended, the “Exchange Act”) as a non-U.S. company with “foreign private issuer” status. This means that, even after Alvotech no longer qualifies as an “emerging growth company,” as long as it qualifies as a “foreign private issuer” under the Exchange Act, it will be exempt from certain provisions of the Exchange Act that are applicable to U.S. public companies, including:
| · | the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; |
| · | the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and |
| · | the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial and other specified information, or current reports on Form 8-K, upon the occurrence of specified significant events. |
Alvotech may take advantage of these reporting exemptions until such time that it is no longer a “foreign private issuer.” Alvotech could lose its status as a “foreign private issuer” under current SEC rules and regulations if more than 50% of Alvotech’s outstanding voting securities become directly or indirectly held of record by U.S. holders and any one of the following is true: (i) the majority of Alvotech’s directors or executive officers are U.S. citizens or residents; (ii) more than 50% of Alvotech’s assets are located in the United States; or (iii) Alvotech’s business is administered principally in the United States.
Alvotech may choose to take advantage of some but not all of these reduced burdens. Alvotech has taken advantage of reduced reporting requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained in this prospectus may be different from the information you receive from Alvotech’s competitors that are public companies, or other public companies in which you have made an investment.
As a foreign private issuer, Alvotech is permitted to follow certain Luxembourg corporate governance practices in lieu of certain listing rules of Nasdaq, or Nasdaq Listing Rules. Alvotech plans to follow the corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq Listing Rules, except that it intends to follow Luxembourg practice with respect to quorum requirements for shareholder meetings in lieu of the requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rules that the quorum be not less than 33 1/3% of the outstanding voting shares. Under Alvotech’s articles of association, at an ordinary general meeting, there is no quorum requirement and resolutions are adopted by a simple majority of validly cast votes. In addition, under Alvotech’s articles of association, for any resolutions to be considered at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, the quorum shall be at least one half of our issued share capital unless otherwise mandatorily required by law. In addition, three of Alvotech’s eight directors are independent as defined in Nasdaq listing standards and Alvotech currently has only one director who serves on the compensation committee who meets the heightened independence standards for members of a compensation committee. Finally, Alvotech may choose to take advantage of the exemption from the requirement to obtain shareholder approval for certain issuances of securities.
The Securities We May Offer
Under this prospectus, we may offer ordinary shares, debt securities, warrants, rights or units, either individually or in combination with other securities, from time to time at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of the offering, with a total aggregate offering price of up to $100,000,000. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities, including, to the extent applicable:
| • | designation or classification; |
| • | aggregate principal amount or aggregate offering price; |
| • | maturity, if applicable; |
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| • | rates and times of payment of interest or dividends, if any; |
| • | redemption, conversion or sinking fund terms, if any; |
| • | voting or other rights, if any; and |
| • | conversion or exercise prices, if any. |
The prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you, also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in documents we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. However, no prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
We may sell the securities directly to investors or to or through agents, underwriters or dealers. We, and our agents or underwriters, reserve the right to accept or reject all or part of any proposed purchase of securities. If we offer securities through agents or underwriters, we will include in the applicable prospectus supplement:
| • | the names of those agents or underwriters; |
| • | applicable fees, discounts and commissions to be paid to them; |
| • | details regarding over-allotment options, if any; and |
| • | the net proceeds to us. |
This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of any securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
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An investment in our securities carries a significant degree of risk. In addition to the other information contained in this prospectus, including the matters addressed under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” you should carefully consider the risk factors described in our periodic reports filed with the SEC, including those set forth under the caption “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, as such discussion may be updated and amended from time to time in subsequent filings we may make with the SEC. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in these risk factors, alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, revenue, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects, in which event the market price of our securities could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties of which we are not presently aware or that we currently deem immaterial could also affect our business operations and financial condition.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains, and any accompanying prospectus supplement will contain, forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Also, documents that we incorporate by reference into this prospectus, including documents that we subsequently file with the SEC, will contain forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on such statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business strategy. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “could,” “may,” “would,” “should,” “intend,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “positioned,” “strategy,” “outlook,” “continue,” “possible,” “might” and similar expressions. All such forward-looking statements involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in the statements. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are the following:
| · | development and projections relating to our competitors and industry, including the estimated growth of the industry; |
| · | the timing of, and our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for our product candidates from the FDA, European Commission and comparable national or regional authorities; |
| · | the timing of the announcement of clinical study results, the commencement of patient studies, regulatory applications, approvals and market launches; |
| · | our expectations regarding regulatory review and interactions, including the timing and results of the facility inspection by the FDA or other foreign regulatory authorities; |
| · | our financial performance; |
| · | changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; |
| · | our strategic advantages and the impact those advantages will have on future financial and operational results; |
| · | our expansion plans and opportunities; |
| · | our ability to grow our business in a cost-effective manner; |
| · | the implementation, market acceptance and success of our business model; |
| · | developments and projections relating to our competitors and industry, including the estimated growth of the industry; |
| · | our approach and goals with respect to technology; |
| · | our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection and not infringe on the rights of others; |
| · | changes in applicable laws or regulations; |
| · | the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings; |
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| · | our ability to maintain the listing of ordinary shares on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC and Nasdaq Iceland Main Market; |
| · | our ability to comply with all applicable laws and regulations; |
| · | our ability to successfully launch our products in certain markets after obtaining regulatory approval for such market; |
| · | our estimates of expenses and profitability; |
| · | our expected cash runway and our ability to raise additional adequate funds through equity or debt financing; |
| · | our ability to identify and successfully develop new product candidates; |
| · | our relationship with third party providers for clinical and non-clinical studies, supplies, and manufacturing of our products; |
| · | our ability to manage our manufacturing risks; |
| · | the impact of worsening or unpredictable macroeconomic conditions, including rising inflation, interest rates and cost of energy, and general market conditions, war in Ukraine and global geopolitical tension, and public health emergencies, such as COVID-19 pandemic, on the business, financial position, strategy and anticipated milestones; and |
| · | our relationship with partners for the commercialization of our product candidates. |
These and other factors are more fully discussed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022, as such discussion may be updated and amended from time to time in subsequent filings we may make with the SEC, and in other documents that we may file with the SEC, all of which you should review carefully. These risks could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by forward-looking statements in this prospectus and supplements to this prospectus. Please consider our forward-looking statements in light of these risks as you read this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference herein, and any applicable prospectus supplement.
You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they are based on the information currently available to us and speak only as of the date on the cover of this prospectus, the date of any prospectus supplement, or, in the case of forward-looking statements incorporated by reference, the date of the filing that includes the statement. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect us. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In light of these risks and uncertainties, you should keep in mind that any event described in a forward-looking statement made in this prospectus or elsewhere might not occur.
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We may sell from time to time pursuant to this prospectus (as may be detailed in a prospectus supplement) an indeterminate number of ordinary shares, debt securities, warrants, rights or units, either individually or in combination, as shall have a maximum aggregate offering price of up to $100,000,000. The actual price per share or per security of the securities that we will offer pursuant hereto will depend on a number of factors that may be relevant as of the time of offer. See “Plan of Distribution.”
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We cannot assure you that we will receive any proceeds in connection with securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use any net proceeds from the sale of securities under this prospectus for our operations and for other general corporate purposes, which may include, among others, working capital, intellectual property protection and enforcement, commercial expenditures, capital expenditures, acquisitions or collaborations, pre-clinical and clinical development of our product candidates, research and development and product development, pre-commercialization activities and repayment or refinancing of indebtedness or other corporate borrowings. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to invest in or acquire businesses or technologies that we believe are complementary to our own, although we have no current plans, commitments or agreements with respect to any acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus. We may set forth additional information on the use of proceeds from the sale of securities we offer under this prospectus in a prospectus supplement relating to the specific offering. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for the foregoing purposes. As a result, our management will have broad discretion in the allocation of the net proceeds. Pending use of the net proceeds, we would expect to invest any proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments, including short-term and long-term, investment grade, interest bearing instruments.
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DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
General
Alvotech is a public limited liability company (société anonyme), incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on August 23, 2021 with an initial share capital of $40,000, represented by 4,000,000 initial shares with a nominal value of $0.01 per share. All issued shares were fully paid and subscribed for.
We are registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies Register (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés, Luxembourg) under number B258884. Our registered office is at 9, Rue de Bitbourg, L-1273 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Ordinary Shares
Share Capital
As of June 30, 2023, Alvotech had 266,023,002 ordinary shares with a nominal value of $0.01 per share, issued and outstanding. All issued ordinary shares are fully paid and subscribed for. In addition, Alvotech Manco ehf., a subsidiary of Alvotech, held 23,704,460 ordinary shares, the voting and dividend rights of which are suspended.
The authorized capital of Alvotech (excluding the issued share capital) is set at $59,364,290.43, divided into 5,936,429,043 ordinary shares with a nominal value of $0.01 each.
A shareholder in a Luxembourg société anonyme holding fully paid-up shares is not liable, solely because of his, her or its shareholder status, for additional payments to Alvotech or its creditors.
Reconciliation of the Number of Ordinary Shares Outstanding through June 30, 2023
In connection with Alvotech’s initial formation on August 23, 2021, Alvotech issued 4,000,000 initial shares with a nominal value of $0.01 per share to Floki Holdings S.à r.l.
On June 15, 2022, after the Closing of the Business Combination, Alvotech’s issued share capital equaled $2,486,495.05, represented by 248,649,505 ordinary shares with a nominal value of $0.01 per share, including 17,493,000 ordinary shares to the Subscribers in the PIPE Financing at a price of $10.00 per share, for an aggregate offering price of $174,930,000.
On July 12, 2022, Alvotech issued 5,000,000 ordinary shares to Aztiq and Alvogen pursuant to the Alvogen-Aztiq Loan Advance Conversion. The shares were issued at a price of $10.00 per share and set-off against repayment of an aggregate of $50.0 million of outstanding loans.
On November 16, 2022, Alvotech amended and restated certain terms and conditions of the existing senior bonds and issued new senior bonds in the aggregate principal amount equal to $70.0 million. Pursuant to the terms of the amended Senior Bonds, Alvotech was required to use commercially reasonable efforts to raise new funding through the issuance of additional ordinary shares and/or unsecured convertible bonds, for net proceeds of at least $75.0 million by December 15, 2022, and $150.0 million by March 31, 2023.
Since Alvotech had not raised $75.0 million by December 15, 2022, Alvotech issued 4,198,807 warrants to the bondholders on December 31, 2022. Each new warrant entitles the bondholders, upon exercise, to receive from Alvotech one Ordinary Share, at the exercise price of one cent ($0.01) per share. As of June 30, 2023, 2,479,962 of the warrants were exercised and 1,718,845 remain outstanding. Further, Alvotech was required to raise at least $150.0 million by March 31, 2023 or to grant penny warrants representing 1.0% of the ordinary share capital to the bondholders if it failed to raise that amount. Following the issuance of the December 2022 Convertible Bonds and the closing of the private placement of ordinary shares for gross proceeds of $137.0 million on February 10, 2023 (as described below), Alvotech was not obligated to issue the additional 1.0% warrants to the bondholders.
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On November 16, 2022, Alvotech issued the Aztiq Convertible Bond to ATP Holdings ehf. for the acquisition of the Alvotech manufacturing facility. The Aztiq Convertible Bond has a principal amount of $80.0 million and carries an interest rate of 12.5% per annum. Interest payable in six-month intervals and is capitalized and added to the outstanding principal amount of the bonds. The maturity date of the convertible bond is the later of the (i) November 16, 2025, or (ii) 91 days after the earlier of the full redemption or the final maturity date of the Senior Bonds. Bondholders have the right to convert their outstanding bonds into ordinary shares of Alvotech on December 31, 2023, June 30, 2024, or when the bond has been called or put up for redemption, including on the maturity date, for a conversion price of $10.00 per share.
On December 20, 2022, Alvotech issued two tranches of the December 2022 Convertible Bonds. Tranche A is ISK denominated with a principal balance of $59.1 million, of which $3.5 million in cash proceeds were received subsequent to December 31, 2022, and carries an annual payment-in-kind interest rate of 15% per year. Tranche B is USD denominated with a principal balance of $0.6 million and carries an annual payment-in-kind interest rate of 12.5% per year. Holders of both the Tranche A and Tranche B convertible bonds, may elect, at their sole discretion, to convert all or part of the principal amount and accrued interest into ordinary shares at a conversion price of $10.00 per share on December 31, 2023, or June 30, 2024. On January 25, 2023, Alvotech issued an additional $10.0 million in the Tranche B December 2022 Convertible Bonds.
On February 10, 2023, Alvotech closed a private placement of 11,834,061 ordinary shares at a purchase price of $11.57 per ordinary share for proceeds of $137.0 million and transaction costs of $4.8 million. The offer or sale of ordinary shares was made in an overseas directed offering directed solely into Iceland and in accordance with local laws and customary practices and documentation.
On July 4, 2022, Alvotech issued 27,072,167 ordinary shares subscribed to by Alvotech’s affiliate, Alvotech Manco ehf. On March 28, 2023, Alvotech issued an additional 14,005,790 ordinary shares to Alvotech Manco ehf. These shares issued to Alvotech Manco ehf are mainly used to settle the exercise of warrants, capital increases such as the ones mentioned above, and grants under Alvotech’s equity incentive plan. As of June 30, 2023, Alvotech Manco ehf. holds 23,704,460 ordinary shares.
Share Issuances
Pursuant to Luxembourg law, the issuance of ordinary shares requires approval by the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in front of a notary subject to necessary quorum and majority requirements. The extraordinary general meeting of shareholders may approve an authorized capital and authorize the board of directors to increase the issued share capital in one or several tranches with or without share premium, against payment in cash or in kind, by conversion of claims on Alvotech or in any other manner for any reason whatsoever including (i) issue subscription and/or conversion rights in relation to new shares or instruments within the limits of the authorized capital under the terms and conditions of warrants (which may be separate or linked to shares, bonds, notes or similar instruments issued by Alvotech), convertible bonds, notes or similar instruments; (ii) determine the place and date of the issue or successive issues, the issue price, the terms and conditions of the subscription of and paying up on the new shares and instruments and (iii) remove or limit the statutory preferential subscription right of the shareholders in case of issue against payment in cash or shares, warrants (which may be separate or attached to shares, bonds, notes or similar instruments), convertible bonds, notes or similar instruments up to the maximum amount of such authorized capital for a maximum period of five years after the date that the minutes of the relevant general meeting approving such authorization are published in the Luxembourg official gazette (Recueil Electronique des Sociétés et Associations, “RESA”). The extraordinary general meeting may amend, renew, or extend such authorized capital and such authorization to the board of directors to issue ordinary shares.
In addition, the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders may authorize the board of directors to make an allotment of existing or newly issued shares without consideration to (a) employees of Alvotech or certain categories amongst those; (b) employees of companies or economic interest grouping in which Alvotech holds directly or indirectly at least 10% of the share capital or voting rights; (c) employees of companies or economic interest grouping which directly or indirectly hold at least 10% of the share capital or voting rights of Alvotech; (d) employees of companies or economic interest grouping in which at least 50% of the share capital or voting rights is held directly or indirectly by a company which holds directly or indirectly at least 50% of the share capital of Alvotech; (e) members of the corporate bodies of Alvotech or of the companies or economic interest grouping listed in point (b) to (d) above
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or certain categories amongst those, for a maximum period of five years after the date that the minutes of the relevant general meeting approving such authorization are published in the RESA.
Alvotech recognizes only one holder per ordinary share. In case an ordinary share is owned by several persons, they shall appoint a single representative who shall represent them in respect of Alvotech. Alvotech has the right to suspend the exercise of all rights attached to that share, except for relevant information rights, until such representative has been appointed.
Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, the board of directors resolved on the issuance of ordinary shares out of the authorized capital (capital autorisé) in accordance with the quorum and voting thresholds set forth in the articles of association and applicable law to the Subscribers in the PIPE Financing.
The board of directors also resolves on the applicable procedures and timelines to which such issuance will be subjected. If the proposal of the board of directors to issue new ordinary shares exceeds the limits of Alvotech’s authorized share capital, the board of directors must then convene the shareholders to an extraordinary general meeting to be held in front of a Luxembourg notary for the purpose of increasing the issued share capital. Such meeting will be subject to the quorum and majority requirements required for amending the articles of association. If the capital call proposed by the board of directors consists of an increase in the shareholders’ commitments, the board of directors must convene the shareholders to an extraordinary general meeting to be held in front of a Luxembourg notary for such purpose. Such meeting will be subject to the unanimous consent of the shareholders.
Preferential Rights
Under Luxembourg law, existing shareholders benefit from a preferential subscription right on the issuance of ordinary shares for cash consideration. However, Alvotech’s shareholders have, in accordance with Luxembourg law, authorized the board of directors to suppress, waive, or limit any preferential subscription rights of shareholders provided by law to the extent that the board of directors deems such suppression, waiver, or limitation advisable for any issuance or issuances of ordinary shares within the scope of Alvotech’s authorized share capital. The general meeting of shareholders duly convened to consider an amendment to the articles of association also may, by a two-thirds majority vote at a quorate meeting, limit, waive, or cancel such preferential subscription rights or renew, amend, or extend the authorization of the board of directors to suppress, waive, or limit such preferential subscription rights, in each case for a period not to exceed five years. Such ordinary shares may be issued above, at, or below market value, and, following a certain procedure, even below the nominal value or below the accounting par value per ordinary share. The ordinary shares also may be issued by way of incorporation of available reserves, including share premium.
Share Repurchases
Alvotech cannot subscribe for its own ordinary shares. Alvotech may, however, repurchase issued ordinary shares or have another person repurchase issued ordinary shares for its account, generally subject to the following conditions and the respect of the principle of equal treatment of shareholders being in the same situation and applicable securities laws:
| · | prior authorization by a simple majority vote at an ordinary general meeting of shareholders, which authorization sets forth: |
| · | the terms and conditions of the proposed repurchase and in particular the maximum number of ordinary shares to be repurchased; |
| · | the duration of the period for which the authorization is given, which may not exceed five years; |
| · | in the case of repurchase for consideration, the minimum and maximum consideration per share, provided that the prior authorization shall not apply in the case of ordinary shares acquired by either Alvotech, or by a person acting in his or her own name on its behalf, for the distribution thereof to its staff or to the staff of a company with which it is in a control relationship; |
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| · | only fully paid-up ordinary shares may be repurchased; and |
| · | the voting and dividend rights attached to the repurchased shares will be suspended as long as the repurchased ordinary shares are held by Alvotech; and the acquisition offer must be made on the same terms and conditions to all the shareholders who are in the same position, except for acquisitions which were unanimously decided by a general meeting at which all the shareholders were present or represented. However, listed companies like us may repurchase their own shares on the stock exchange without an acquisition offer having to be made to Alvotech’s shareholders. |
The authorization will be valid for a period ending on the earlier of five years from the date of such shareholder authorization and the date of its renewal by a subsequent general meeting of shareholders. Pursuant to such authorization, the board of directors is authorized to acquire ordinary shares under the conditions set forth in article 430-15 of the Luxembourg law of August 10, 1915 on commercial companies, as amended from time to time (the “Luxembourg Company law”). Such purchases and subsequent sales may be carried out for any authorized purpose or any purpose that is authorized by the laws and regulations in force. The purchase price per ordinary share to be determined by the board of directors or its delegate shall represent not more than the fair market value of such ordinary share.
In addition, pursuant to Luxembourg law, Alvotech may directly or indirectly repurchase ordinary shares by resolution of its board of directors without the prior approval of the general meeting of shareholders if such repurchase is deemed by the board of directors to be necessary to prevent serious and imminent harm to Alvotech in accordance with article 430-15(2) of the Luxembourg Company Law, or if the acquisition of ordinary shares has been made with the intent of distribution to its employees and/or the employees of any entity having a controlling relationship with it (i.e., its subsidiaries or controlling shareholder) in accordance with article 430-15(3) of the Luxembourg Company Law or in any of the circumstances listed in article 430-16 of the Luxembourg Company Law.
Meetings
Ordinary General Meeting
At an ordinary general meeting, there is no quorum requirement and resolutions are adopted by a simple majority of validly cast votes. Abstentions are not considered “votes.”
Extraordinary General Meeting
Resolutions adopted at an extraordinary general meeting are required for any of the following matters, among others: (i) an increase or decrease of the authorized or issued capital, (ii) a limitation or exclusion of preferential subscription rights, (iii) approval of a statutory merger or de-merger (scission), (iv) Alvotech’s dissolution and liquidation, (v) any and all amendments to Alvotech’s articles of association and (vi) change of nationality. Pursuant to Alvotech’s articles of association, for any resolutions to be considered at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, the quorum shall be at least one half of Alvotech’s issued share capital unless otherwise mandatorily required by law. If the said quorum is not present, a second meeting may be convened, for which Luxembourg Company Law does not prescribe a quorum. Any resolution taken at an extraordinary general meeting shall be adopted at a quorate general meeting, except otherwise provided by law, by at least a two-thirds majority of the votes cast on such resolution by shareholders. Abstentions are not considered “votes.”
Annual Shareholders Meetings
An annual general meeting of shareholders shall in principle be held in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg within 6 months of the end of the preceding financial year. Alvotech’s first financial year ended on December 31, 2021.
Dividends
From the annual net profits of Alvotech, at least 5% shall each year be allocated to the reserve required by applicable laws (the “Legal Reserve”). That allocation to the Legal Reserve will cease to be required as soon and as
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long as the Legal Reserve amounts to 10% of the amount of the issued share capital of Alvotech. The general meeting of shareholders shall resolve how the remainder of the annual net profits, after allocation to the Legal Reserve, will be disposed of by allocating the whole or part of the remainder to a reserve or to a provision, by carrying it forward to the next following financial year or by distributing it, each Ordinary Share entitling to the same proportion in such distributions.
The board of directors may resolve that Alvotech pays out an interim dividend to the shareholders, subject to the conditions of article 461-3 of the Luxembourg Company Law and Alvotech’s articles of association. The board of directors shall set the amount and the date of payment of the interim dividend.
Any share premium assimilated premium or other distributable reserve may be freely distributed to the shareholders subject to the provisions of the Luxembourg Company Law and Alvotech’s articles of association. In case of a dividend payment, each shareholder is entitled to receive a dividend right pro rata according to his or her respective shareholding. The dividend entitlement lapses upon the expiration of a five-year prescription period from the date of the dividend distribution. The unclaimed dividends return to Alvotech’s accounts.
Key Provisions of Our Articles of Association
The following is a summary of certain key provisions of our articles of association not discussed elsewhere in this section. Please note that this is only a summary and is not intended to be exhaustive.
Object and Purpose (Article 2)
The purpose of Alvotech is the holding of participations in any form whatsoever in Luxembourg and foreign companies and in any other form of investment, the acquisition by purchase, subscription or in any other manner as well as the transfer by sale, exchange or otherwise of securities of any kind and the administration, management, control and development of its portfolio. Alvotech may grant loans to, as well as guarantees or security for the benefit of third parties to secure its obligations and obligations of other companies in which it holds a direct or indirect participation or right of any kind or which form part of the same group of companies as Alvotech, or otherwise assist such companies. Alvotech may raise funds through borrowing in any form or by issuing any kind of notes, securities or debt instruments, bonds and debentures and generally issue securities of any type. The Company may carry out any commercial, industrial, financial, real estate or intellectual property activities which it considers useful for the accomplishment of these purposes.
Quorum, Majority and Voting rights (Article 11)
Each Ordinary Share entitles the holder thereof to one vote. Neither Luxembourg law nor Alvotech’s articles of association contain any restrictions as to the voting of Ordinary Shares by non-Luxembourg residents. The Luxembourg Company Law distinguishes ordinary general meetings of shareholders and extraordinary general meetings of shareholders with respect to the required quorums and majorities.
Except as otherwise required by the Luxembourg Company Law or these articles of association, resolutions at a general meeting of shareholders duly convened shall not require any quorum and shall be adopted at a simple majority of the votes validly cast regardless of the portion of capital represented. Abstentions and nil votes shall not be taken into account.
Amendment to Articles of Associations (Article 12)
Under Luxembourg law, amendments to Alvotech’s articles of association require an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held in front of a Luxembourg notary at which (i) a quorum of more than half (50%) of the share capital is present or represented and (ii) the amendment(s) is approved by a two thirds majority of the votes validly cast. If the aforementioned quorum is not reached, a second meeting may be convened by means of a notice published in the RESA and in a Luxembourg newspaper. The second meeting shall be validly constituted regardless of the proportion of the share capital present or represented and resolutions at such second meeting will be adopted by a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders (unless otherwise required by Luxembourg law or the
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articles of association). Where different classes of shares exist and the resolution to be adopted by the general meeting of shareholders changes the respective rights attaching to such shares, the resolution will be adopted only if the conditions as to quorum and majorities set out above are fulfilled with respect to each class of shares.
Alvotech’s articles of association and the Luxembourg Company Law provide that for any extraordinary resolutions to be considered at a general meeting, the quorum shall be at least one-half of Alvotech’s issued share capital. If the said quorum is not present, a second meeting may be convened at which Luxembourg law does not prescribe a quorum. Any extraordinary resolution shall be adopted at a quorate general meeting (save as otherwise provided by mandatory law) by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast on such resolution by shareholders. Abstentions are not considered “votes.”
Exchange Controls
There are no governmental laws, decrees, regulations or other legislation in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg that may affect the import or export of capital, including the availability of cash and cash equivalents for use by us, or that may affect the remittance of dividends, interest, or other payments by us to non-resident holders of our Ordinary Shares, other than withholding tax requirements. There is no limitation imposed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg or in the articles of association on the right of non-residents to hold or vote shares.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our ordinary shares is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Stock Exchange Listing
Our ordinary shares are currently listed on Nasdaq and Nasdaq Iceland Main Market under the symbol “ALVO.”
Comparison of Luxembourg Corporate Law and Delaware Corporate Law
| Delaware | Luxembourg | |||
| SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN |
Under the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation of a corporation may give the board of directors the right to issue new classes of preferred shares with voting, conversion, dividend distribution, and other rights to be determined by the board of directors at the time of issuance, which could prevent a takeover attempt and thereby preclude stockholders from realizing a potential premium over the market value of their shares.
In addition, Delaware law does not prohibit a corporation from adopting a stockholder rights plan, or “poison pill,” which could prevent a takeover attempt and also preclude stockholders from realizing a potential premium over the market value of their shares.
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Pursuant to Luxembourg law, the shareholders may create an authorized share capital which allows the board of directors to increase the issued share capital for a price defined by the board of directors of Alvotech (which may or may not include an issue premium) against payment in cash or in kind, including by conversion of claims on Alvotech for any reason whatsoever including (i) issue subscription and/or conversion rights in relation to new shares or instruments within the limits of the authorized capital under the terms and conditions of warrants (which may be separate or linked to shares, bonds, notes or similar instruments issued by Alvotech), convertible bonds, notes or similar instruments; (ii) determine the place and date of the issuance or successive issuances, the issue price, the terms and conditions of the issuance of and paying up on the new shares and instruments and (iii) remove or limit the statutory preferential subscription right of the shareholders in case of issue against payment in cash or shares, warrants (which may be separate or attached to |
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shares, bonds, notes or similar instruments), convertible bonds, notes or similar instruments within the limits of such authorized share capital. The board of directors may be further authorized to, under certain conditions, limit, restrict, or waive preferential subscription rights of existing shareholders when issuing new shares within the authorized share capital. The rights attached to the new shares issued within the authorized share capital will be equal to those attached to existing shares and set forth in the articles of association.
The authorization to the board of directors to issue additional shares or other instruments as described above within the authorized share capital (and to limit, restrict, or waive, as the case may be preferential subscription rights) as well as the authorization to allot shares without consideration may be valid for a period of up to five years, starting from either the date of the minutes of the extraordinary general meeting resolving upon such authorization or starting from the date of the publication of the minutes of the extraordinary general meeting resolving upon such authorization in the Luxembourg official electronic gazette (RESA). The authorization may be renewed, increased or reduced by a resolution of the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, with the quorum and majority rules set for the amendment of the articles of association.
Alvotech’s articles of association authorize its board of directors to issue ordinary shares within the limits of the authorized share capital at such times and on such terms as the board of directors or its delegates may decide for a period ending five years after the date of the creation of the authorized share capital or its publication date unless such period is extended, amended or renewed. Accordingly, the board of directors is authorized to issue ordinary shares up to the limits of authorized share capital until such date. Alvotech currently intends to seek renewals and/or extensions as required from time to time.
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| APPRAISAL RIGHTS | Under the DGCL, a stockholder of a corporation participating in some types of major corporate transactions may, under varying circumstances, be entitled to appraisal rights pursuant to which the stockholder may receive cash in the amount of the fair market value of his or her shares in lieu of the | Neither Luxembourg law nor Alvotech’s articles of association provide for appraisal rights. |
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consideration he or she would otherwise receive in the transaction. |
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| SHAREHOLDER CONSENT TO ACTION WITHOUT MEETING | Under the DGCL, unless otherwise provided in a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, any action that may be taken at a meeting of stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice, and without a vote if the holders of outstanding stock, having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize such action, consent in writing. |
A shareholder meeting must always be called if the matter to be considered requires a shareholder resolution under Luxembourg law or Alvotech’s articles of association.
Pursuant to Luxembourg law, shareholders of a public limited liability company may not take actions by written consent. All shareholder actions must be approved at an actual meeting of shareholders held before a notary public or under private seal, depending on the nature of the matter. Shareholders may vote in person, by proxy or, if the articles of association provide for that possibility, by correspondence.
The articles of association of Alvotech provide for the possibility of vote by correspondence, via proxy, and conference or videoconference call (to the extent made available by Alvotech).
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| MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS |
Under the DGCL, a special meeting of stockholders may be called by the board of directors or by any other person authorized to do so in the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws.
Under the DGCL, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws can specify the number of shares that constitute the quorum required to conduct business at a meeting, provided that in no event shall a quorum consist of less than one-third of the shares entitled to vote at a meeting.
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Pursuant to Luxembourg law, at least one general meeting of shareholders must be held each year, within six months as from the close of the financial year. The purpose of such annual general meeting is to approve the annual accounts, allocate the results, proceed to statutory appointments and resolve on the discharge of the directors.
Other general meetings of shareholders may be convened.
Luxembourg law distinguishes between ordinary resolutions to be adopted and extraordinary resolutions to be adopted by the general meeting of shareholders. Extraordinary resolutions relate to proposed amendments to the articles of association and other limited matters. All other resolutions are ordinary resolutions.
Pursuant to Luxemburg law, there is no requirement of a quorum for any ordinary resolutions to be considered at a general meeting and such ordinary resolutions shall be adopted by a simple majority of votes validly cast on such resolution. Abstentions are not considered “votes.”
Extraordinary resolutions are required for any of the following matters, among others: (i) an increase or decrease of the authorized or issued share capital, (ii) a limitation or exclusion of |
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preferential subscription rights, (iii) approval of a statutory merger or de-merger (scission), (iv) dissolution, (v) an amendment of the articles of association and (vi) change of nationality.
Pursuant to Luxembourg law, for any extraordinary resolutions to be approved at a general meeting, the quorum shall be at least one half (50%) of the issued share capital. If the said quorum is not present, a second meeting may be convened at which Luxembourg law does not prescribe a quorum. Any extraordinary resolution shall be adopted at a quorate general meeting (except as otherwise provided by mandatory law) by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast on such resolution by shareholders. Abstentions are not considered “votes.”
The Luxembourg Company Law provides that if, as a result of losses, net assets fall below half of the share capital of the company, the board of directors shall convene an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders so that it is held within a period not exceeding two months from the time at which the loss was or should have been ascertained by them and such meeting shall resolve on the possible dissolution of the company and possibly on other measures announced in the agenda. The board of directors shall, in such situation, draw up a special report which sets out the causes of that situation and justify its proposals made available eight days before the extraordinary general meeting at the registered office. If it proposes to continue to conduct business, it shall set out in the report the measures it intends to take in order to remedy the financial situation of the company. The same rules apply if, as a result of losses, net assets fall below one-quarter of the share capital provided that in such case dissolution shall take place if approved by one-fourth of the votes casts at the extraordinary general meeting.
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| DISTRIBUTIONS AND DIVIDENDS; REPURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS |
Under the DGCL, the board of directors, subject to any restrictions in the corporation’s certificate of incorporation, may declare and pay dividends out of:
• surplus of the corporation, which is defined as net assets less statutory capital; or;
• if no surplus exists, out of the net profits of the corporation for the year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding year. |
Under Luxembourg law, the amount and payment of dividends or other distributions is determined by a simple majority vote at a general shareholders’ meeting based on the recommendation of the board of directors, except in certain limited circumstances. Pursuant to Alvotech’s articles of association, the board of directors has the power to pay interim dividends or make other distributions in accordance with applicable Luxembourg law. Distributions may be lawfully declared and paid if Alvotech’s net profits and/or distributable |
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If, however, the capital of the corporation has been diminished by depreciation in the value of its property, or by losses, or otherwise, to an amount less than the aggregate amount of capital represented by the issued and outstanding stock of all classes having a preference upon the distribution of assets, the board of directors shall not declare and pay dividends out of the corporation’s net profits until the deficiency in the capital has been repaired.
Under the DGCL, any corporation may purchase or redeem its own shares, except that generally it may not purchase or redeem these shares if such repurchase or redemption would impair the capital of the corporation. A corporation may, however, purchase or redeem out of capital any of its own shares which are entitled upon any distribution of its assets to a preference over another class or series of its shares if such shares will be retired and the capital reduced.
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reserves are sufficient under Luxembourg law. All ordinary shares rank pari passu with respect to the payment of dividends or other distributions unless the right to dividends or other distributions has been suspended in accordance with Alvotech’s articles of association or applicable law.
Under Luxembourg law, at least 5% of Alvotech’s net profits per year must be allocated to the creation of a legal reserve until such reserve has reached an amount equal to 10% of Alvotech’s issued share capital. The allocation to the legal reserve becomes compulsory again when the legal reserve no longer represents 10% of Alvotech’s issued share capital. The legal reserve is not available for distribution.
Pursuant to Luxembourg law, Alvotech (or any party acting on its behalf) may repurchase its own shares and hold them in treasury, provided that:
• the shareholders at a general meeting have previously authorized the board of directors to acquire its ordinary shares. The general meeting shall determine the terms and conditions of the proposed acquisition and in particular the maximum number of shares to be acquired, the period for which the authorization is given (which may not exceed five years), and, in the case of acquisition for value, the maximum and minimum consideration;
• the acquisitions, including shares previously acquired by Alvotech and held by it and shares acquired by a person acting in his or her own name but on Alvotech’s behalf, may not have the effect of reducing the net assets below the amount of the issued share capital plus the reserves (which may not be distributed by law or under the articles of association);
• the shares repurchased are fully paid-up; and
• the acquisition offer must be made on the same terms and conditions to all the shareholders who are in the same position, except for acquisitions which were unanimously decided by a general meeting at which all the shareholders were present or represented. In addition, listed companies may repurchase their own shares on the stock |
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exchange without an acquisition offer having to be made to Alvotech’s shareholders.
No prior authorization by shareholders is required (i) if the acquisition is made to prevent serious and imminent harm to Alvotech, provided that the board of directors informs the next general meeting of the reasons for and the purpose of the acquisitions made, the number and nominal values or the accounting value of the shares acquired, the proportion of the subscribed capital which they represent, and the consideration paid for them, and (ii) in the case of shares acquired by either Alvotech or by a person acting on its behalf with a view to redistributing the shares to its staff or staff of its controlled subsidiaries, provided that the distribution of such shares is made within 12 months from their acquisition.
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| NUMBER OF DIRECTORS | A typical certificate of incorporation and bylaws would provide that the number of directors on the board of directors will be fixed from time to time by a vote of the majority of the authorized directors. | Pursuant to Luxembourg law and in accordance with Alvotech’s articles of association, Alvotech’s board of directors must be composed of at least three directors. They are appointed by the general meeting of shareholders by a simple majority of the votes cast. Abstentions are not considered “votes.” Directors may be reelected, but the term of their office may not exceed three years in accordance with Alvotech’s articles of association. | ||
| VACANCIES ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS | The DGCL provides that vacancies and newly created directorships may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office (even though less than a quorum) unless (a) otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the corporation or (b) the certificate of incorporation directs that a particular class of stock is to elect such director, in which case any other directors elected by such class, or a sole remaining director elected by such class, will fill such vacancy. | Alvotech’s articles of association provide that in case of a vacancy the remaining members of the board of directors may elect a director to fill the vacancy, on a temporary basis and for a period of time not exceeding the initial mandate of the replaced member of the board of directors, until the next general meeting of shareholders, which shall resolve on the permanent appointment in compliance with the applicable legal provisions and the articles of association. | ||
| REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS; STAGGERED TERM OF DIRECTORS | Under Delaware law, a board of directors can be divided into classes. The board of directors is divided into three classes, with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class serving a three-year term. |
Under Luxembourg law, a director may be removed at any time by the general meeting of shareholders by a simple majority of the votes cast, with or without cause.
Alvotech’s articles of association provides that the duration of the mandate of the directors will not exceed three (3) years. Directors of Alvotech may be reappointed for successive terms. |
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| CUMULATIVE VOTING | Under the DGCL, a corporation may adopt in its certificate of incorporation that its directors shall be elected by cumulative voting. When directors are elected by cumulative voting, a stockholder has a number of votes equal to the number of shares held by such stockholder multiplied by the number of directors nominated for election. The stockholder may cast all of such votes for one director or among the directors in any proportion. | Not applicable. | ||
| AMENDMENT OF GOVERNING DOCUMENTS |
Under the DGCL, a certificate of incorporation may be amended if:
• the board of directors sets forth the proposed amendment in a resolution, declares the advisability of the amendment and directs that it be submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders; and
• the holders of at least a majority of shares of stock entitled to vote on the matter approve the amendment, unless the certificate of incorporation requires the vote of a greater number of shares.
In addition, under the DGCL, class voting rights exist with respect to amendments to the charter that adversely affect the terms of the shares of a class. Class voting rights do not exist as to other extraordinary matters, unless the charter provides otherwise. Under the DGCL, the board of directors may amend a corporation’s bylaws if so authorized in the charter. The stockholders of a Delaware corporation also have the power to amend bylaws.
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Under Luxembourg law, amendments to Alvotech’s articles of association require an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held in front of a Luxembourg notary at which at least one half (50%) of the share capital is present or represented.
The notice of the extraordinary general meeting shall set out the proposed amendments to the articles of association.
If the aforementioned quorum is not reached, a second meeting may be convened by means of a notice published in the Luxembourg official electronic gazette (RESA) and in a Luxembourg newspaper. The second meeting shall be validly constituted regardless of the proportion of the share capital present or represented.
At both meetings, resolutions will be adopted if approved by at least two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders (unless otherwise required by Luxembourg law or the articles of association). Where different classes of shares exist and the resolution to be adopted by the general meeting of shareholders changes the respective rights attaching to such shares, the resolution will be adopted only if the conditions as to quorum and majority set out above are fulfilled with respect to each class of shares.
An increase of the commitments of the shareholders requires the unanimous consent of the shareholders.
Alvotech’s articles of association and the Luxembourg Company Law provide that for any extraordinary resolutions to be considered at a general meeting, the quorum shall be at least one-half of Alvotech’s issued share capital. If the said quorum is not present, a second meeting may be convened at which Luxembourg law does not prescribe a quorum. Any extraordinary resolution shall be adopted |
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at a quorate general meeting (save as otherwise provided by mandatory law) by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast on such resolution by shareholders. Abstentions are not considered “votes.”
In very limited circumstances, the board of directors may be authorized by the shareholders to amend the articles of association, albeit always within the limits set forth by the shareholders at a duly convened shareholders’ meeting. This is the case in the context of Alvotech’s authorized share capital within which the board of directors is authorized to issue further ordinary shares. The board of directors is then authorized to appear in front of a Luxembourg notary to record the capital increase and to amend the share capital set forth in the articles of association. The above also applies in case of the transfer of Alvotech’s registered office outside the current municipality.
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| INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS |
The DGCL generally permits a corporation to indemnify its directors and officers against expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with a third-party action, other than a derivative action, and against expenses actually and reasonably incurred in the defense or settlement of a derivative action, provided that there is a determination made by the corporation that the individual acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation. Such determination shall be made, in the case of an individual who is a director or officer at the time of the determination:
• by a majority of the disinterested directors, even though less than a quorum;
• by a committee of disinterested directors designated by a majority vote of disinterested, directors, even though less than a quorum;
• by independent legal counsel, regardless of whether a quorum of disinterested directors exists; or
• by the stockholders.
Without court approval, however, no indemnification may be made in respect of any
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Luxembourg law permits Alvotech to keep directors indemnified against any expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in connection with liability of a director towards Alvotech or a third party for management errors i.e., for wrongful acts committed during the execution of the mandate (mandat) granted to the director by Alvotech, except in connection with willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Under the articles of association of the company, the members of the board of directors, officers, employees and agents of Alvotech are not held personally liable for the indebtedness or other obligations of Alvotech. As agents of Alvotech, they are responsible for the performance of their duties. Subject to the exceptions and limitations listed in the articles of association of Alvotech and mandatory provisions of law, every person who is, or has been, a member of the board of directors, officer (mandataire) or agent of Alvotech (and any other persons to which applicable law permits Alvotech to provide indemnification, including any person who is or was a director or officer of Alvotech, is or was serving at the request of Alvotech as a director, officer (mandataire), employee or agent of another company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise or employee benefit plan) (collectively, the “Covered Persons”), shall be |
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derivative action in which an individual is adjudged liable to the corporation.
The DGCL requires indemnification of directors and officers for expenses relating to a successful defense on the merits or otherwise of a derivative or third-party action. The DGCL permits a corporation to advance expenses relating to the defense of any proceeding to directors and officers contingent upon those individuals’ commitment to repay any advances, unless it is determined ultimately that those individuals are entitled to be indemnified. |
indemnified by Alvotech to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by them in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding which they become involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having been a Covered Person and against amounts paid or incurred by him or her in the settlement thereof. If applicable law is amended after approval of the current articles of association of Alvotech to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of Covered Persons, then the liability of a Covered Person to Alvotech shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as so amended. The words “claim”, “action”, “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal or otherwise including appeals) actual or threatened and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include without limitation attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement and other liabilities.
Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by a Covered Person in defending any claim (save for fraud, negligence or willful misconduct’s claims) shall be paid by Alvotech in advance of the final disposition of such claim upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by Alvotech as authorized in Alvotech’s articles of association. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former Covered Persons may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as Alvotech deems appropriate.
The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, Alvotech’s articles of association shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under this present articles of association, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, it being the policy of Alvotech that indemnification of the persons specified in Alvotech’s articles of |
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association shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law.
No indemnification shall be provided to any Covered Person (i) against any liability by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office (ii) with respect to any matter as to which he or she shall have been finally adjudicated to have acted in bad faith and not in the interest of Alvotech or (iii) in the event of a settlement, unless the settlement has been approved by a court of competent jurisdiction or by the board of directors. The termination of any claim, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of Alvotech, and, with respect to any claim, had reasonable cause to believe that such person’s conduct was unlawful. The right of indemnification set out above shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained herein shall affect or limit any rights to indemnification to which corporate personnel, including Covered Persons, may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law. Alvotech shall specifically be entitled to provide contractual indemnification to and may purchase and maintain insurance for any corporate personnel, including Covered Persons, as Alvotech may decide upon from time to time.
The obligations of Alvotech under Alvotech’s articles of association only apply to Covered Persons in their capacity as Covered Persons.
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| LIMITED LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS | Delaware law permits limiting or eliminating the monetary liability of a director to a corporation or its stockholders, except with regard to breaches of duty of loyalty, intentional misconduct, unlawful repurchases or dividends, or improper personal benefit. | Luxembourg law does not provide for an ex ante limitation of liability but it permits Alvotech to keep directors indemnified as set out above. | ||
| ADVANCE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR | Delaware corporations typically have provisions in their bylaws that require a stockholder proposing a nominee for election to the board of directors or other proposals at | One or several shareholders holding at least 10% of the share capital may request the addition of one or several items on the agenda of a general meeting. Such request must be |
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| PROPOSALS OF SHAREHOLDERS |
an annual or special meeting of the stockholders to provide notice of any such proposals to the secretary of the corporation in advance of the meeting for any such proposal to be brought before the meeting of the stockholders. In addition, advance notice bylaws frequently require the stockholder nominating a person for election to the board of directors to provide information about the nominee, such as his or her age, address, employment and beneficial ownership of shares of the corporation’s capital stock. The stockholder may also be required to disclose, among other things, his or her name, share ownership and agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to such nomination.
For other proposals, the proposing stockholder is often required by the bylaws to provide a description of the proposal and any other information relating to such stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf that proposal is being made, required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitation of proxies for the proposal and pursuant to and in accordance with the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
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addressed to the registered office of Alvotech by registered mail.
If one or more shareholders representing at least 10% of the share capital request so in writing, with an indication of the agenda, the convening of a general meeting, the board of directors or the statutory auditor must convene a general meeting.
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| SHAREHOLDERS’ SUITS |
Under Delaware law, a stockholder may bring a derivative action on a company’s behalf to enforce the rights of a company. An individual also may commence a class action lawsuit on behalf of himself or herself and other similarly situated stockholders if the requirements for maintaining a class action lawsuit under Delaware law are met. An individual may institute and maintain a class action lawsuit only if such person was a stockholder at the time of the transaction that is the subject of the lawsuit or his or her shares thereafter devolved upon him or her by operation of law. In addition, the plaintiff must generally be a stockholder through the duration of the lawsuit.
Delaware law requires that a derivative plaintiff make a demand on the directors of the corporation to assert the corporate claim before the lawsuit may be prosecuted, unless such demand would be futile.
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Under Luxembourg law, the board of directors has sole authority to decide whether to initiate legal action to enforce a company’s rights (other than, in certain circumstances, an action against board members).
Shareholders generally do not have the authority to initiate legal action on a company’s behalf unless the company fails abusively to exercise its legal rights. However, a company’s shareholders may vote at a general meeting to initiate legal action against directors on grounds that the directors have failed to perform their duties.
Luxembourg law does not provide for class action lawsuits.
However, it is possible for plaintiffs who have similar but separate claims against the same defendant(s) to bring an action on a “group” basis by way of a joint action. It is also possible to ask the court, under the Luxembourg New Civil Procedure Code, to join claims which are closely related and to rule on them together.
In addition, minority shareholders holding an aggregate of 10% of the voting rights and who voted against the discharge to a director at the annual general meeting of the company can initiate legal action against the director on behalf of the company. |
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
We may issue debt securities from time to time, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any debt securities offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the indenture, we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities.
We will issue the debt securities under the indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the indenture. The indenture will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act. We have filed the form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
The following summary of material provisions of the debt securities and the indenture is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements and any related free writing prospectuses related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete indenture that contains the terms of the debt securities.
General
The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. It provides that we may issue debt securities up to the principal amount that we may authorize and may be in any currency or currency unit that we may designate. Except for the limitations on consolidation, merger and sale of all or substantially all of our assets contained in the indenture, the terms of the indenture do not contain any covenants or other provisions designed to give holders of any debt securities protection against changes in our operations, financial condition or transactions involving us.
We may issue the debt securities issued under the indenture as “discount securities,” which means they may be sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. These debt securities, as well as other debt securities that are not issued at a discount, may be issued with “original issue discount,” or OID, for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of interest payment and other characteristics or terms of the debt securities. Material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to debt securities issued with OID will be described in more detail in any applicable prospectus supplement.
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:
| · | the title of the series of debt securities; |
| · | any limit upon the aggregate principal amount that may be issued; |
| · | the maturity date or dates; |
| · | the form of the debt securities of the series; |
| · | the applicability of any guarantees; |
| · | whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt; |
| · | whether the debt securities rank as senior debt, senior subordinated debt, subordinated debt or any combination thereof, and the terms of any subordination; |
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| · | if the price (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which such debt securities will be issued is a price other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof, or if applicable, the portion of the principal amount of such debt securities that is convertible into another security or the method by which any such portion shall be determined; |
| · | the interest rate or rates, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates; |
| · | our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period; |
| · | if applicable, the date or dates after which, or the period or periods during which, and the price or prices at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions; |
| · | the date or dates, if any, on which, and the price or prices at which we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable; |
| · | the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; |
| · | any and all terms, if applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the debt securities of that series and any security for our obligations with respect to such debt securities and any other terms which may be advisable in connection with the marketing of debt securities of that series; |
| · | whether the debt securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a global security or securities; the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such global security or securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual securities; and the depositary for such global security or securities; |
| · | if applicable, the provisions relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of the series and the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at our option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, the applicable conversion or exchange period and the manner of settlement for any conversion or exchange; |
| · | if other than the full principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of debt securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof; |
| · | additions to or changes in the covenants applicable to the particular debt securities being issued, including, among others, the consolidation, merger or sale covenant; |
| · | additions to or changes in the events of default with respect to the securities and any change in the right of the trustee or the holders to declare the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, with respect to such securities to be due and payable; |
| · | additions to or changes in or deletions of the provisions relating to covenant defeasance and legal defeasance; |
| · | additions to or changes in the provisions relating to satisfaction and discharge of the indenture; |
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| · | additions to or changes in the provisions relating to the modification of the indenture both with and without the consent of holders of debt securities issued under the indenture; |
| · | the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; |
| · | whether interest will be payable in cash or additional debt securities at our or the holders’ option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made; |
| · | the terms and conditions, if any, upon which we will pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the debt securities of the series to any holder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes; |
| · | any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the debt securities of the series; |
| · | the extent to which the provisions of the Luxembourg Company Law relating to the issuance of debt securities (émission d’obligations) will be applicable to the series of debt securities being offered; and |
| · | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, any other additions or changes in the provisions of the indenture, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations. |
Conversion or Exchange Rights
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock or our other securities. We will include provisions as to settlement upon conversion or exchange and whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock or our other securities that the holders of the series of debt securities receive would be subject to adjustment.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the indenture will not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of our assets as an entirety or substantially as an entirety. However, any successor to or acquirer of such assets (other than a subsidiary of ours) must assume all of our obligations under the indenture or the debt securities, as appropriate.
Events of Default under the Indenture
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities that we may issue:
| · | if we fail to pay any installment of interest on any series of debt securities, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by us in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose; |
| · | if we fail to pay the principal of, or premium, if any, on any series of debt securities as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to such series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such debt securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any; |
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| · | if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the debt securities or the indenture, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such is a notice of default thereunder, from the trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the applicable series; and |
| · | if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur. |
If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of default specified in the last bullet point above, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in the last bullet point above occurs with respect to us, the principal amount of and accrued interest, if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and payable without any notice or other action on the part of the trustee or any holder.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences, except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event of default.
Subject to the terms of the indenture, if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the trustee reasonable indemnity. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee, with respect to the debt securities of that series, provided that:
| · | the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; and |
| · | subject to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act, the trustee need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the proceeding. |
A holder of the debt securities of any series will have the right to institute a proceeding under the indenture or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies only if:
| · | the holder has given written notice to the trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series; |
| · | the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, |
| · | such holders have offered to the trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred by the trustee in compliance with the request; and |
| · | the trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series other conflicting directions within 90 days after the notice, request and offer. |
These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities.
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We will periodically file statements with the trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indenture.
Modification of Indenture; Waiver
We and the trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to specific matters:
| · | to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture or in the debt securities of any series; |
| · | to comply with the provisions described above under “Description of Debt Securities—Consolidation, Merger or Sale;” |
| · | to provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities; |
| · | to add to our covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities, to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in the indenture; |
| · | to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of debt securities, as set forth in the indenture; |
| · | to make any change that does not adversely affect the interests of any holder of debt securities of any series in any material respect; |
| · | to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the debt securities of any series as provided above under “Description of Debt Securities—General” to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities; |
| · | to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under any indenture by a successor trustee; or |
| · | to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act. |
In addition, under the indenture, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we and the trustee may make the following changes only with the consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:
| · | extending the fixed maturity of any debt securities of any series; |
| · | reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption of any series of any debt securities; or |
| · | reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver. |
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Discharge
Each indenture provides that we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for specified obligations, including obligations to:
| · | provide for payment; |
| · | register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series; |
| · | replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series; |
| · | pay principal of and premium and interest on any debt securities of the series; |
| · | maintain paying agencies; |
| · | hold monies for payment in trust; |
| · | recover excess money held by the trustee; |
| · | compensate and indemnify the trustee; and |
| · | appoint any successor trustee. |
In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we must deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, any premium, if any, and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
We will issue the debt securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indenture provides that we may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, or another depositary named by us and identified in the applicable prospectus supplement with respect to that series. To the extent the debt securities of a series are issued in global form and as book-entry, a description of terms relating to any book-entry securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the debt securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
Subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the debt securities may present the debt securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will impose no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.
We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series.
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If we elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:
| · | issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any debt securities that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or |
| · | register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities we are redeeming in part. |
Information Concerning the Trustee
The trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under an indenture, undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable indenture. Upon an event of default under an indenture, the trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indenture at the request of any holder of debt securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.
Payment and Paying Agents
Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.
We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments by check that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders. Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office of the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.
All money we pay to a paying agent or the trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is applicable.
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The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplement and in any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be distributed to you, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, which may consist of warrants to purchase ordinary shares. We may issue warrants independently or together with any other securities offered by any prospectus supplement and the warrants may be attached to or separate from those securities. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The following description of warrants will apply to the warrants offered by this prospectus unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement for a particular series of warrants may specify different or additional terms. We will evidence each series of warrants by warrant certificates that we may issue under a separate agreement. Any series of warrants may be issued under a separate warrant agreement, which may be entered into between us and a warrant agent specified in a prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of warrants. Any such warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants of such series and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any of the holders of the warrants. In the applicable prospectus supplement, we will describe the terms of the series of warrants being offered, including:
| · | the title of the warrants; |
| · | the aggregate number of the warrants offered; |
| · | the currency or currencies for which the warrants may be purchased; |
| · | the number of ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| · | the designation and terms of the securities, if any, with which the warrants are issued, and the number of the warrants issued with each such offered security; |
| · | the date, if any, on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable; |
| · | the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreements and the warrants; |
| · | the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants; |
| · | the terms of any rights to force the exercise of the warrants; |
| · | any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| · | the price at which, and form of consideration for which, each security purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased; |
| · | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire; |
| · | the manner in which the warrant agreements and warrants may be modified; |
| · | information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; |
| · | if applicable, a discussion of the material Luxembourg and U.S. income tax considerations applicable to the issuance or exercise of such warrants; |
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| · | the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants which may be exercised at any one time; |
| · | any circumstances that will cause the warrants to be deemed to be automatically exercised; and |
| · | any other material terms of the warrants. |
Before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable on such exercise, including, in the case or warrants to purchase ordinary shares, the right to receive dividends, if any, or, payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise voting rights, if any.
We reserve the right to set forth in a prospectus supplement or applicable free writing prospectus specific terms of the warrants that are not within the options and parameters set forth in this prospectus. In addition, to the extent that any particular terms and conditions of the warrants described in a prospectus supplement or applicable free writing prospectus differ from any of the terms described in this prospectus, the description of such terms and conditions set forth in this prospectus shall be deemed to have been superseded or supplemented by the description of such differing terms and conditions set forth in such prospectus supplement or applicable free writing prospectus with respect to such warrants.
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We may issue rights to purchase any of our securities or any combination thereof. Rights may be issued independently or together with any other offered security and may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the rights. The rights may be issued independently or together with any other security offered hereby and may or may not be transferable by the shareholder receiving the subscription rights in such offering. In connection with any rights offering to our shareholders, we may enter into a standby underwriting arrangement with one or more underwriters pursuant to which such underwriters will purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering. We may also appoint a rights agent that may act solely as our agent in connection with the rights that are sold. Any such agent will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any of the holders of the rights. In connection with a rights offering to our shareholders, we will distribute certificates evidencing the rights and a prospectus supplement to our shareholders on the record date that we set for receiving rights in such rights offering.
The applicable prospectus supplement relating to any rights that we offer will include specific terms of any offering of rights for which this prospectus is being delivered, including the following, to the extent applicable:
| · | the date for determining the persons entitled to participate in the rights distribution; | |
| · | the price, if any, per right; | |
| · | the price payable upon the exercise of the rights; | |
| · | the number of rights issued or to be issued to each holder; | |
| · | the number and terms of the securities that may be purchased per each right; | |
| · | the extent to which the rights are transferable; | |
| · | any other terms of the rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the rights; | |
| · | the respective dates on which the holder’s ability to exercise the rights will commence and will expire; | |
| · | the number of rights outstanding, if any; | |
| · | a discussion of any material Luxembourg or U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the rights; | |
| · | the extent to which the rights may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities; and | |
| · | if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement entered into by us in connection with the offering of such rights. |
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any rights that we may offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable rights agreement and/or rights certificate, which will be filed with the SEC in connection therewith.
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As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue units consisting of our ordinary shares, debt securities, rights, warrants or any combination of such securities. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time, or at any time before a specified date. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe:
| · | the terms of the units and of the ordinary shares, debt securities, rights and/or warrants comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances the securities comprising the units may be traded separately; |
| · | the terms of any unit agreement governing the units or any arrangement with an agent that may act on our behalf in connection with the unit offering; |
| · | the provisions for the payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units; and |
| · | any material provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described above. |
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any units we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable units agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer units. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable units agreement if we offer units, see “Where You Can Find More Information.”
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The material Luxembourg and U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of any of the securities offered by this prospectus will be set forth in the prospectus supplement pertaining to those securities.
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We may sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods. We may sell the securities to or through underwriters or dealers, through agents, or directly to one or more purchasers. We may also sell the securities directly to corporate partners in various programs of the Company, institutional investors or other purchasers or through agents. We will identify any underwriter, dealer, or agent involved in the offer and sale of the securities, and any applicable commissions, discounts and other terms constituting compensation to such underwriters, dealers or agents, in a prospectus supplement.
We may distribute securities from time to time in one or more transactions:
| · | at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
| · | at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
| · | at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or |
| · | at negotiated prices. |
We may also sell equity securities covered by this registration statement in an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. Such offering may be made into an existing trading market for such securities in transactions at other than a fixed price on or through the securities exchange or quotation or trading service on which such securities are then listed, quoted or traded at the time of sale. Such at the market offerings, if any, may be conducted by underwriters acting as principal or agent.
A prospectus supplement or supplements (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including, to the extent applicable:
| · | the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents, if any; |
| · | the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds we will receive from the sale; |
| · | any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us |
| · | any agency fees or underwriting discounts and other items constituting agents’ or underwriters’ compensation; |
| · | any public offering price; |
| · | any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and |
| · | any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed. |
If underwriters are used in the sale of our securities, such securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Unless stated otherwise in a prospectus supplement, the obligation of any underwriters to purchase our securities will be subject to certain conditions set forth in the applicable underwriting agreement. We may offer the securities to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by underwriters without a syndicate. Subject to certain conditions, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may change from time to time. We may use underwriters with whom we have a material relationship. We will describe in the prospectus supplement, naming the underwriter, the nature of any such relationship.
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We or our agents may solicit offers to purchase securities from time to time. Unless stated otherwise in a prospectus supplement, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. In connection with the sale of our securities, underwriters or agents may receive compensation (in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions) from us or from purchasers of securities for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters may sell securities to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents
Underwriters, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements with us, to indemnification against and contribution toward certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Certain of the underwriters or agents and their associates may engage in transactions with and perform services for us or our affiliates in the ordinary course of their respective businesses.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing the applicable security in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if the securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.
We may also make direct sales through subscription rights distributed to our existing shareholders on a pro rata basis, which may or may not be transferable. In any distribution of subscription rights to our shareholders, if all of the underlying securities are not subscribed for, we may then sell the unsubscribed securities directly to third parties or may engage the services of one or more underwriters, dealers or agents, including standby underwriters, to sell the unsubscribed securities to third parties.
The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in other transactions with us, or perform other services for us, in the ordinary course of their business.
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Other than the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee, the following are the estimated expenses related to the filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, all of which will be paid by us. In addition, we anticipate incurring additional expenses in the future in connection with the offering of our securities pursuant to this prospectus. Any such additional expenses will be disclosed in a prospectus supplement.
| U.S. dollar | |||||
| SEC registration fee | $ | $14,760 | |||
| FINRA filing fee | $ | (1) | |||
| Legal fees and expenses | (1) | ||||
| Accounting fees and expenses | (1) | ||||
| Printing expenses | (1) | ||||
| Miscellaneous expenses | (1) | ||||
| Total | $ | (1) |
(1) These fees and expenses depend on the securities offered and the number of issuances, and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time and will be reflected in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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SERVICE
OF PROCESS AND ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL LIABILITIES UNDER
U.S. SECURITIES LAWS
Alvotech is incorporated in Luxembourg and conducts a majority of its operations through its subsidiary, Alvotech hf., located outside the United States. In addition, some of the members of our board of directors and officers reside outside the United States and a substantial portion of our assets are located in Iceland and elsewhere outside the U.S. Investors may not be able to effect service of process within the United States upon us or these persons or enforce judgments obtained against us or these persons in U.S. courts, including judgments in actions predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. Likewise, it also may be difficult for an investor to enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained against us or these persons in courts located in jurisdictions outside the United States, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. Awards of punitive damages in actions brought in the United States or elsewhere are generally not enforceable in Luxembourg and Iceland.
As there is no treaty in force on the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters between the United States and Luxembourg other than arbitral awards rendered in civil and commercial matters, courts in Luxembourg will not automatically recognize and enforce a final judgment rendered by a U.S. court. A valid judgment obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction in the United States may be entered and enforced through a court of competent jurisdiction in Luxembourg, subject to the applicable enforcement procedures (exequatur) as set out in the relevant provisions of the Luxembourg New Civil Procedure Code and in Luxembourg case law. Pursuant to Luxembourg case law, the granting of exequatur is subject to the following requirements:
| · | the judgment of the U.S. court is final and enforceable (exécutoire) in the United States and has not been fully enforced in the United States and/or in any other jurisdiction; |
| · | the U.S. court had full jurisdiction over the subject matter leading to the judgment (that is, its jurisdiction was in compliance both with Luxembourg private international law rules and with the applicable domestic U.S. federal or state jurisdictional rules); |
| · | the U.S. court applied to the dispute the substantive law which is designated by the Luxembourg conflict of laws rules or, at least, such court’s order must not contravene the principles underlying those rules (based on recent case law and legal doctrine, it is not certain that this condition would still be required for an exequatur to be granted by a Luxembourg court); |
| · | the judgment was granted following proceedings where the counterparty had the opportunity to appear and, if it appeared, to present a defense, and the decision of the foreign court must not have been obtained by fraud, but in compliance with the rights of the defendant; |
| · | the U.S. court acted in accordance with its own procedural laws; |
| · | the judgment of the U.S. court does not contradict an already issued judgment of a Luxembourg court, and |
| · | the decisions and the considerations of the U.S. court must not be contrary to Luxembourg international public policy rules (as such term is interpreted under the laws of Luxembourg) or have been given in proceedings of a tax or criminal nature or rendered subsequent to an evasion of Luxembourg law (fraude à la loi). Awards of damages made under civil liabilities provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, or other laws, which are classified by Luxembourg courts as being of a penal or punitive nature (for example, fines or punitive damages), might not be recognized by Luxembourg courts. Ordinarily, an award of monetary damages would not be considered as a penalty, but if the monetary damages include punitive damages, such punitive damages may be considered a penalty and therefore not enforceable in Luxembourg. |
Similarly, as Alvotech hf., a subsidiary of Alvotech, has significant assets in Iceland, investors may seek to enforce judgments obtained in the United States against Alvotech in Iceland. As there is no treaty in force on the reciprocal
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recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters between the United States and Iceland other than arbitral awards entered in civil and commercial matters, courts in Iceland will not automatically recognize and enforce a final judgment rendered by a U.S. court. Based on recent Icelandic case law, a valid judgment obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction in the United States will not be directly recognized and enforceable in Iceland. Instead, the judgment creditor would need to issue fresh legal proceedings against the judgment debtor in Iceland in which the U.S. judgment would serve as evidence, in addition to other evidence and legal arguments regarding the merits of the case, which will be adjudicated by the Icelandic courts.
If an original action is brought in Luxembourg or Iceland, without prejudice to specific conflict of law rules, Luxembourg courts or Icelandic courts may refuse to apply the designated law (i) if the choice of such foreign law was not made bona fide or (ii) if the foreign law was not pleaded and proved or (iii) if pleaded and proved, such foreign law is contrary to mandatory Luxembourg or Icelandic laws or incompatible with Luxembourg or Icelandic public policy rules. In an action brought in Luxembourg or Iceland on the basis of U.S. federal or state securities laws, Luxembourg courts or Icelandic courts may not have the requisite power to grant the remedies sought. Also, an exequatur may be refused by a Luxembourg court in respect of punitive damages.
In practice, Luxembourg courts tend not to review the merits of a foreign judgment, although there is no clear statutory prohibition of such review. A contractual provision allowing the service of process against a party to a service agent could be overridden by Luxembourg or Icelandic statutory provisions allowing the valid serving of process against a party in accordance with applicable laws at the domicile of the party. Further, in the event any proceedings are brought in a Luxembourg court in respect of a monetary obligation payable in a currency other than the Euro, a Luxembourg court would have the power to give judgment as an order to pay the obligation in a currency other than the Euro. However, enforcement of the judgment against any party in Luxembourg would be available only in Euros and, for such purposes, all claims or debts would be converted into Euros. Similarly, in the event any proceedings are brought in an Icelandic court in respect of a monetary obligation payable in a currency other than the Icelandic Krona, an Icelandic court would have the power to give judgment as an order to pay the obligation in a currency other than the Icelandic Krona.
In addition, actions brought in a Luxembourg court against Alvotech, the members of our board of directors, our officers, or the experts named herein to enforce liabilities based on U.S. federal securities laws may be subject to certain restrictions. In particular, Luxembourg courts generally do not award punitive damages. Litigation in Luxembourg also is subject to rules of procedure that differ from the U.S. rules, including, with respect to the taking and admissibility of evidence, the conduct of the proceedings and the allocation of costs. Proceedings in Luxembourg would have to be conducted in the French or German language, and all documents submitted to the court would, in principle, have to be translated into French or German. For these reasons, it may be difficult for a U.S. investor to bring an original action in a Luxembourg court predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against Alvotech, the members of our board of directors, our officers, or the experts named herein. In addition, even if a judgment against Alvotech, the non-U.S. members of our board of directors, our officers, or the experts named in this Annual Report on Form 20-F based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws is obtained, a U.S. investor may not be able to enforce it in United States or Luxembourg courts.
Our directors and officers have entered into, or will enter into, indemnification agreements with Alvotech. Under such agreements, the directors and officers will be entitled to indemnification from Alvotech to the fullest extent permitted by Luxemburg law against liability and expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or her in connection with any claim, action, suit, or proceeding in which he or she would be involved by virtue of his or her being or having been a director or officer and against amounts paid or incurred by him or her in the settlement thereof. Luxembourg law permits us to keep directors indemnified against any expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in connection with liability of a director towards Alvotech or a third-party for management errors i.e., for wrongful acts committed during the execution of the mandate (mandat) granted to the director by Alvotech, except in connection with criminal offenses, gross negligence or fraud. The rights to and obligations of indemnification among or between Alvotech and any of our current or former directors and officers are generally governed by the laws of Luxembourg and subject to the jurisdiction of the Luxembourg courts, unless such rights or obligations do not relate to or arise out of such persons’ capacities listed above. Although there is doubt as to whether U.S. courts would enforce this indemnification provision in an action brought in the United States under U.S. federal or state securities laws, this provision could make it more difficult to obtain judgments outside Luxembourg or from non-Luxembourg jurisdictions that would apply Luxembourg law against our assets in Luxembourg.
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Our agent for service of process in the United States is Alvotech USA Inc., 1201 Wilson Blvd., Ste. 2130, Arlington, Virginia 22209.
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement indicates otherwise, the validity of our ordinary shares and certain other matters governed by Luxembourg law will be passed on for us by Arendt & Medernach S.A, Luxembourg counsel to Alvotech. Unless otherwise indicated in any prospectus supplement, Cooley LLP, New York, New York, will be representing us in regards to certain matters governed by U.S. law in connection with any offering. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for any underwriters, dealers or agents by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The financial statements of Alvotech incorporated by reference in this prospectus, have been audited by Deloitte ehf. an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report. Such financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of such firm, given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing. The offices of Deloitte ehf. are located at Dalvegur 30, 201 Kópavogi, Iceland.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form F-3 we filed with the SEC. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. For further information with respect to us and our securities offered hereby, reference is made to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any contract or any other document that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement are not necessarily complete, and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement.
We are subject to the periodic reporting and other information requirements of the Exchange Act as applicable to a “foreign private issuer,” and we will file annual reports and other information from time to time with the SEC in accordance with such requirements. Our SEC filings will be available to the public on the internet at a website maintained by the SEC located at www.sec.gov.
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange Act from, among other things, the rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our executive officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.
We also maintain a website at www.alvotech.com. We will make available on our website, free of charge, the following documents as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC: our Annual Reports on Form 20-F; our reports on Form 6-K; amendments to these documents; and other information as may be required by the SEC. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus.
INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The rules of the SEC allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus. Incorporation by reference allows us to disclose important information to you by referring you to those other documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. Any statement contained in a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies or replaces that statement.
This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below:
| · | our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2023; |
| · | the description of our ordinary shares in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on June 13, 2022, which incorporates by reference the description of our ordinary shares from our Registration Statement on Form F-4 (File No. 333-261773), and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description; and |
| · | our report on Form 6-K dated April 14, 2023, excluding exhibit 99.1 thereto; our report on Form 6-K dated April 17, 2023; our report on Form 6-K dated May 24, 2023, excluding exhibit 99.1 thereto; our report on Form 6-K dated June 6, 2023, excluding Exhibits 99.1, 99.2 and 99.4 thereto; our report on Form 6-K dated June 29, 2023, excluding Exhibit 99.1 thereto; Exhibits 99.1, 99.2, 99.3 and 99.4 of our report on Form 6-K dated July 12, 2023; our report on Form 6-K dated July 24, 2023, excluding Exhibits 99.1, 99.2 and 5.1 and 23.2 thereto; our report on Form 6-K dated July 31, 2023, excluding Exhibit 99.1 thereto; our report on Form 6-K dated August 31, 2023, excluding Exhibit 99.8 thereto; our report on Form 6-K dated September 5, 2023, excluding Exhibit 99.1 thereto; our report on Form 6-K/A dated September 7, 2023; our report on Form 6-K dated September 21, 2023, excluding Exhibit 99.1 thereto; our report on Form 6-K dated October 3, 2023, |
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excluding Exhibit 99.1 thereto; and our report on Form 6-K dated October 12, 2023, excluding Exhibit 99.1 thereto.
We are also incorporating by reference all subsequent Annual Reports on Form 20-F filed by us. We may also incorporate by reference part or all of certain reports on Form 6-K that we furnish to the SEC after the date of this prospectus by specifically identifying in such reports on Form 6-K that they, or certain parts of their contents, are being incorporated by reference into this prospectus prior to the termination of the offering of securities under this Registration Statement. Reports on Form 6-K that we furnish to the SEC after the date of this prospectus, or certain parts of their contents, that we do not explicitly identify in such reports on Form 6-K as incorporated by reference into this prospectus, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus. In all cases, you should rely on the later information over different information included in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.
Unless expressly incorporated by reference, nothing in this prospectus shall be deemed to incorporate by reference information furnished to, but not filed with, the SEC. Copies of all documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, other than exhibits to those documents unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus, will be provided at no cost to each person, including any beneficial owner, who receives a copy of this prospectus on the written or oral request of that person made to:
Alvotech
9, Rue de Bitbourg,
L-1273 Luxembourg,
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
+354 422 4500
In addition, copies of the documents incorporated herein by reference may be accessed at our website at www.alvotech.com. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on or accessible through our website, and you should not consider the contents of our website in making an investment decision with respect to our securities.
You should rely only on information contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We will not make offers to sell the securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.
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$100,000,000
Ordinary Shares
Debt Securities
Warrants
Rights
Units
PROSPECTUS
, 2023
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PART II. INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 8. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Article 441-8 of the Luxembourg Company Law provides that the directors shall not incur any personal obligation by reason of the commitments of the company. Article 441-9 of the Luxembourg Company Law provides that the directors, the members of the management committee and the managing executive officer shall be liable to the company in accordance with general law for the execution of the mandate given to them and for any misconduct in the management of the company’s affairs. The directors and members of the management committee shall be jointly and severally liable towards either the company or any third parties for damages resulting from this violation of the Luxembourg Company Law or the company’s articles of association. The directors and members of the management committee shall be discharged from such liability in the case of a violation to which they were not a party provided no misconduct is attributable to them and they have reported such violation, as regards members of the board of directors, to the first general meeting and, as regards members of the management committee, during the first meeting of the board of directors after they had acquired knowledge thereof.
Alvotech’s articles of association provide that directors of Alvotech are not held personally liable for the indebtedness or other obligations of Alvotech. As agents of Alvotech, they are responsible for the performance of their duties. Subject to the exceptions and limitations listed in Alvotech’s articles of association and mandatory provisions of law, every person who is, or has been, a director or officer of Alvotech shall be indemnified by Alvotech to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by such person in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having been a director or officer of Alvotech, or, at the request of Alvotech, of any other company of which Alvotech is a shareholder or creditor and by which he is not entitled to be indemnified, and against amounts paid or incurred by him or her in the settlement thereof. The words “claim”, “action”, “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal or otherwise including appeals) actual or threatened and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include without limitation attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement and other liabilities. However, no indemnification shall be provided to any director or officer of Alvotech (i) against any liability by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office (ii) with respect to any matter as to which he or she shall have been finally adjudicated to have acted in bad faith and not in the interest of Alvotech or (iii) in the event of a settlement, unless the settlement has been approved by a court of competent jurisdiction or by the board of directors of Alvotech.
Alvotech’s articles of association provide that the right of indemnification provided by such articles of association shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any director or officer may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained in such articles of association shall affect or limit any rights to indemnification to which corporate personnel, including directors and officers, may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law. Alvotech shall specifically be entitled to provide contractual indemnification to and may purchase and maintain insurance for any corporate personnel, including directors and officers of Alvotech, as Alvotech may decide upon from time to time.
Alvotech has entered into indemnification agreements with its independent directors. These agreements provide that Alvotech will indemnify each of its independent directors to the fullest extent permitted by law and its articles of association.
Alvotech also maintains a general liability insurance policy, which covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of Alvotech arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.
In any underwriting agreement we enter into in connection with the sale of securities being registered hereby, the underwriters will agree to indemnify, under certain conditions, us, our executive officers, our directors and persons who control us within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.
Item 9. Exhibits.
(a) Exhibits
The exhibits filed as part of this registration statement are listed in the index to exhibits immediately following the signature page to this registration statement, which index to exhibits is incorporated herein by reference.
| II-2 |
| Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description | Filed Herewith |
Incorporated by Reference herein from Form or Schedule |
Filing Date | SEC File/Reg. Number |
| 4.6* | Form of Debt Securities | ||||
| 5.1 | Opinion of Arendt & Medernach | X | |||
| 5.2 | Opinion of Cooley LLP | X | |||
| 23.1 | Consent of Deloitte ehf., independent registered public accounting firm for Alvotech | X | |||
| 23.2 | Consent of Arendt & Medernach (included as part of Exhibit 5.1) | X | |||
| 23.3 | Consent of Cooley LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5.2) | X | |||
| 24.1 | Power of Attorney (included on signature page) | X | |||
| 107 | Calculation of Filing Fee Tables | X |
| * | To be filed by amendment or incorporated by reference in connection with the offering of securities. |
| † | Certain schedules and exhibits to this Exhibit have been omitted pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(2). The Registrant agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit to the SEC upon request. |
Item 10. Undertakings.
(a) The undersigned hereby undertakes:
(1) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) that, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
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provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2) that for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;
(3) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;
(4) to file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by “Item 8.A. of Form 20-F” at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act need not be furnished; provided, that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act or Item 8.A of Form 20-F if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; and
(5) that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(i) each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii) each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
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(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. (d) To file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, or the Act, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act.
| II-5 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on October 20, 2023
| ALVOTECH | |||
| By: | /s/ Robert Wessman | ||
| Name: | Robert Wessman | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each of the undersigned individuals hereby severally constitutes and appoints each of Robert Wessman, Joel Morales and Tanya Zharov as the attorneys-in-fact for the undersigned, in any and all capacities, with full power of substitution, to sign on such person’s behalf, individually and in each capacity stated below, any and all amendments to this registration statement, and any subsequent registration statement filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act, and to file or cause to be filed the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by each of the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| II-6 |
| Signature | Capacity | Date |
/s/ Robert Wessman Robert Wessman |
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of the Board (principal executive officer) |
October 20, 2023 |
/s/ Joel Morales Joel Morales |
Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) |
October 20, 2023 |
/s/ Richard Davies Richard Davies |
Deputy Chairman of the Board | October 20, 2023 |
/s/ Tomas Ekman Tomas Ekman |
Director | October 20, 2023 |
/s/ Faysal Kalmoua Faysal Kalmoua |
Director | October 20, 2023 |
/s/ Ann Merchant Ann Merchant |
Director | October 20, 2023 |
/s/ Arni Hardarson Arni Hardarson |
Director | October 20, 2023 |
/s/ Lisa Graver Lisa Graver |
Director | October 20, 2023 |
/s/ Linda McGoldrick Linda McGoldrick |
Director | October 20, 2023 |
| II-7 |
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement on Form F-3 has been signed on behalf of the registrant by the undersigned, solely in his capacity as the duly authorized representative of the registrant in the United States, on October 20, 2023.
| ALVOTECH USA INC. | |||
| By: | /s/ Joel Morales | ||
| Name: | Joel Morales | ||
| II-8 |
Exhibit 4.5
ALVOTECH,
Issuer
AND
[TRUSTEE],
Trustee
INDENTURE
Dated as of [·], 20__
Debt Securities
Table Of Contents
Page
| article 1 | DEFINITIONS | 1 |
| Section 1.01 | Definitions of Terms | 1 |
| article 2 | ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES | 5 |
| Section 2.01 | Designation and Terms of Securities | 5 | |
| Section 2.02 | Form of Securities and Trustee’s Certificate | 8 | |
| Section 2.03 | Denominations: Provisions for Payment | 8 | |
| Section 2.04 | Execution and Authentications | 10 | |
| Section 2.05 | Registration of Transfer and Exchange | 11 | |
| Section 2.06 | Temporary Securities | 12 | |
| Section 2.07 | Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities | 12 | |
| Section 2.08 | Cancellation | 13 | |
| Section 2.09 | Benefits of Indenture | 13 | |
| Section 2.10 | Authenticating Agent | 14 | |
| Section 2.11 | Global Securities | 14 | |
| Section 2.12 | CUSIP Numbers | 15 |
| article 3 | REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS | 16 |
| Section 3.01 | Redemption | 16 | |
| Section 3.02 | Notice of Redemption | 16 | |
| Section 3.03 | Payment Upon Redemption | 17 | |
| Section 3.04 | Sinking Fund | 17 | |
| Section 3.05 | Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities | 18 | |
| Section 3.06 | Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund | 18 |
| article 4 | COVENANTS | 18 |
| Section 4.01 | Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest | 18 | |
| Section 4.02 | Maintenance of Office or Agency | 19 | |
| Section 4.03 | Paying Agents | 19 | |
| Section 4.04 | Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of Trustee | 20 |
| i. |
Table Of Contents
(continued)
Page
| article 5 | SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE | 20 |
| Section 5.01 | Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Securityholders | 20 | |
| Section 5.02 | Preservation Of Information; Communications With Securityholders | 21 | |
| Section 5.03 | Reports by the Company | 21 | |
| Section 5.04 | Reports by the Trustee | 22 |
| article 6 | REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS ON EVENT OF DEFAULT | 22 |
| Section 6.01 | Events of Default | 22 | |
| Section 6.02 | Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee | 24 | |
| Section 6.03 | Application of Moneys Collected | 25 | |
| Section 6.04 | Limitation on Suits | 26 | |
| Section 6.05 | Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver | 26 | |
| Section 6.06 | Control by Securityholders | 27 | |
| Section 6.07 | Undertaking to Pay Costs | 27 |
| article 7 | CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE | 28 |
| Section 7.01 | Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee | 28 | |
| Section 7.02 | Certain Rights of Trustee | 29 | |
| Section 7.03 | Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance or Securities | 31 | |
| Section 7.04 | May Hold Securities | 32 | |
| Section 7.05 | Moneys Held in Trust | 32 | |
| Section 7.06 | Compensation and Reimbursement | 32 | |
| Section 7.07 | Reliance on Officer’s Certificate | 33 | |
| Section 7.08 | Disqualification; Conflicting Interests | 33 | |
| Section 7.09 | Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility | 33 | |
| Section 7.10 | Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor | 33 | |
| Section 7.11 | Acceptance of Appointment By Successor | 35 | |
| Section 7.12 | Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business | 36 |
| ii. |
Table Of Contents
(continued)
Page
| Section 7.13 | Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company | 36 | |
| Section 7.14 | Notice of Default | 36 |
| article 8 | CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS | 37 |
| Section 8.01 | Evidence of Action by Securityholders | 37 | |
| Section 8.02 | Proof of Execution by Securityholders | 37 | |
| Section 8.03 | Who May be Deemed Owners | 38 | |
| Section 8.04 | Certain Securities Owned by Company Disregarded | 38 | |
| Section 8.05 | Actions Binding on Future Securityholders | 38 |
| article 9 | SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES | 39 |
| Section 9.01 | Supplemental Indentures Without the Consent of Securityholders | 39 | |
| Section 9.02 | Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders | 40 | |
| Section 9.03 | Effect of Supplemental Indentures | 40 | |
| Section 9.04 | Securities Affected by Supplemental Indentures | 40 | |
| Section 9.05 | Execution of Supplemental Indentures | 41 |
| article 10 | SUCCESSOR ENTITY | 41 |
| Section 10.01 | Company May Consolidate, Etc. | 41 | |
| Section 10.02 | Successor Entity Substituted | 42 |
| article 11 | SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE | 42 |
| Section 11.01 | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture | 42 | |
| Section 11.02 | Discharge of Obligations | 43 | |
| Section 11.03 | Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust | 43 | |
| Section 11.04 | Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents | 43 | |
| Section 11.05 | Repayment to Company | 44 |
| article 12 | IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS | 44 | |
| Section 12.01 | No Recourse | 44 |
| article 13 | MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS | 45 | |
| Section 13.01 | Effect on Successors and Assigns | 45 | |
| Section 13.02 | Actions by Successor | 45 | |
| Section 13.03 | Surrender of Company Powers | 45 |
| iii. |
Table Of Contents
(continued)
Page
| Section 13.04 | Notices | 45 | |
| Section 13.05 | Governing Law; Jury Trial Waiver | 45 | |
| Section 13.06 | Treatment of Securities as Debt | 46 | |
| Section 13.07 | Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent | 46 | |
| Section 13.08 | Payments on Business Days | 46 | |
| Section 13.09 | Conflict with Trust Indenture Act | 47 | |
| Section 13.10 | Counterparts | 47 | |
| Section 13.11 | Separability | 47 | |
| Section 13.12 | Compliance Certificates | 47 | |
| Section 13.13 | Patriot Act | 47 | |
| Section 13.14 | Force Majeure | 48 | |
| Section 13.12 | Table of Contents; Headings | 48 |
| iv. |
INDENTURE
Indenture, dated as of [·], 20__, among Alvotech, a public limited liability company (société anonyme) incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (the “Company”), and [Trustee], as trustee (the “Trustee”):
Whereas, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance of debt securities (hereinafter referred to as the “Securities”), in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued from time to time in one or more series as in this Indenture provided, as registered Securities without coupons, to be authenticated by the certificate of the Trustee;
Whereas, to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the execution of this Indenture; and
Whereas, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
Now, Therefore, in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed as follows for the equal and ratable benefit of the holders of Securities:
article
1
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01 Definitions of Terms.
The terms defined in this Section (except as in this Indenture or any indenture supplemental hereto otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section and shall include the plural as well as the singular. All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined in the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or that are by reference in such Act defined in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (except as herein or any indenture supplemental hereto otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires), shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in said Trust Indenture Act and in said Securities Act as in force at the date of the execution of this instrument.
“Authenticating Agent” means the Trustee or an authenticating agent with respect to all or any of the series of Securities appointed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.10.
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
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“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors (or the functional equivalent thereof) of the Company or any duly authorized committee of such Board.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors (or duly authorized committee thereof) and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification.
“Business Day” means, with respect to any series of Securities, any day other than a day on which federal or state banking institutions in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, or in the city of the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, are authorized or obligated by law, executive order or regulation to close.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
“Company” means Alvotech, a public limited liability company (société anonyme) incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and, subject to the provisions of Article Ten, shall also include its successors and assigns.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at .
“Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.03.
“Depositary” means, with respect to Securities of any series for which the Company shall determine that such Securities will be issued as a Global Security, The Depository Trust Company, another clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case, shall be designated by the Company pursuant to either Section 2.01 or 2.11.
“Event of Default” means, with respect to Securities of a particular series, any event specified in Section 6.01, continued for the period of time, if any, therein designated.
“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder.
The term “given”, “mailed”, “notify” or “sent” with respect to any notice to be given to a Securityholder pursuant to this Indenture, shall mean notice (x) given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the standing instructions from the Depositary or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with accepted practices or procedures at the Depositary (in the case
| 2 |
of a Global Security) or (y) mailed to such Securityholder by first class mail, postage prepaid, at its address as it appears on the Security Register (in the case of a definitive Security). Notice so “given” shall be deemed to include any notice to be “mailed” or “delivered,” as applicable, under this Indenture.
“Global Security” means a Security issued to evidence all or a part of any series of Securities which is executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, all in accordance with the Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee.
“Governmental Obligations” means securities that are (a) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America that, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof at any time prior to the stated maturity of the Securities, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such Governmental Obligation or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such Governmental Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt; provided, however, that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Governmental Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the Governmental Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.
“herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and other words of similar import, refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into in accordance with the terms hereof and shall include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 2.01.
“Interest Payment Date”, when used with respect to any installment of interest on a Security of a particular series, means the date specified in such Security or in a Board Resolution or in an indenture supplemental hereto with respect to such series as the fixed date on which an installment of interest with respect to Securities of that series is due and payable.
“Officer” means, with respect to the Company, the chairman of the Board of Directors, a chief executive officer, a president, a chief financial officer, a chief operating officer, any executive vice president, any senior vice president, any vice president, the treasurer or any assistant treasurer, the controller or any assistant controller or the secretary or any assistant secretary.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by any Officer. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 13.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.
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“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion in writing subject to customary exceptions of legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel for the Company, that is delivered to the Trustee in accordance with the terms hereof. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 13.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.
“Outstanding”, when used with reference to Securities of any series, means, subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, as of any particular time, all Securities of that series theretofore authenticated and delivered by the Trustee under this Indenture, except (a) Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or any paying agent, or delivered to the Trustee or any paying agent for cancellation or that have previously been canceled; (b) Securities or portions thereof for the payment or redemption of which moneys or Governmental Obligations in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any paying agent (other than the Company) or shall have been set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own paying agent); provided, however, that if such Securities or portions of such Securities are to be redeemed prior to the maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall have been given as provided in Article Three, or provision satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been made for giving such notice; and (c) Securities in lieu of or in substitution for which other Securities shall have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.07.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, joint-stock company, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization, any other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.
“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 2.07 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.
“Responsible Officer” when used with respect to the Trustee means any officer within the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee (or any successor group of the Trustee) or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and in each case who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
“Securities” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Securityholder”, “holder of Securities”, “registered holder”, or other similar term, means the Person or Persons in whose name or names a particular Security is registered on the Security Register kept for that purpose in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.
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“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” shall have the meanings as set forth in Section 2.05.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, association, partnership or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of capital stock or other interests (including partnership interests) entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, general partners or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by (i) such Person; (ii) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person; or (iii) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.
“Trustee” means , and, subject to the provisions of Article Seven, shall also include its successors and assigns, and, if at any time there is more than one Person acting in such capacity hereunder, “Trustee” shall mean each such Person. The term “Trustee” as used with respect to a particular series of the Securities shall mean the trustee with respect to that series.
“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
“U.S.A. Patriot Act” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-56, as amended and signed into law October 26, 2001.
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2
ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF
SECURITIES
Section 2.01 Designation and Terms of Securities.
(a) The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series up to the aggregate principal amount of Securities of that series from time to time authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or pursuant to one or more indentures supplemental hereto. Prior to the initial issuance of Securities of any series, there shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto:
(1) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that series from all other Securities);
(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of that series);
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(3) the maturity date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable;
(4) the form of the Securities of the series including the form of the certificate of authentication for such series;
(5) the applicability of any guarantees;
(6) whether or not the Securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt;
(7) whether the Securities rank as senior debt, senior subordinated debt, subordinated debt or any combination thereof, and the terms of any subordination;
(8) if the price (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which such Securities will be issued is a price other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof, or if applicable, the portion of the principal amount of such Securities that is convertible into another security or the method by which any such portion shall be determined;
(9) the interest rate or rates, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates;
(10) the Company’s right, if any, to defer the payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period;
(11) if applicable, the date or dates after which, or the period or periods during which, and the price or prices at which, the Company may at its option, redeem the series of Securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions;
(12) the date or dates, if any, on which, and the price or prices at which the Company is obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the Securityholder’s option to purchase, the series of Securities and the currency or currency unit in which the Securities are payable;
(13) the denominations in which the Securities of the series shall be issuable, if other than denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof;
(14) any and all terms, if applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the Securities of that series and any security for the obligations of the Company with respect to such Securities and any other terms which may be advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that series;
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(15) whether the Securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a Global Security or Securities; the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such Global Security or Securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual Securities; and the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities;
(16) if applicable, the provisions relating to conversion or exchange of any Securities of the series and the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at the Company’s option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, the applicable conversion or exchange period and the manner of settlement for any conversion or exchange, which may, without limitation, include the payment of cash as well as the delivery of securities;
(17) if other than the full principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.01;
(18) additions to or changes in the covenants applicable to the series of Securities being issued, including, among others, the consolidation, merger or sale covenant;
(19) additions to or changes in the Events of Default with respect to the Securities and any change in the right of the Trustee or the Securityholders to declare the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, with respect to such Securities to be due and payable;
(20) additions to or changes in or deletions of the provisions relating to covenant defeasance and legal defeasance;
(21) additions to or changes in the provisions relating to satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture;
(22) additions to or changes in the provisions relating to the modification of this Indenture both with and without the consent of Securityholders of Securities issued under this Indenture;
(23) the currency of payment of Securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars;
(24) whether interest will be payable in cash or additional Securities at the Company’s or the Securityholders’ option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made;
(25) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the Company shall pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the Securities of the series to any Securityholder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes;
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(26) any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the Securities of the series; and
(27) any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the Securities, any other additions or changes in the provisions of this Indenture, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations.
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to any such Board Resolution or in any indentures supplemental hereto.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution of the Company, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officer’s Certificate of the Company setting forth the terms of the series.
Securities of any particular series may be issued at various times, with different dates on which the principal or any installment of principal is payable, with different rates of interest, if any, or different methods by which rates of interest may be determined, with different dates on which such interest may be payable and with different redemption dates.
Section 2.02 Form of Securities and Trustee’s Certificate.
The Securities of any series and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by such Securities shall be substantially of the tenor and purport as set forth in one or more indentures supplemental hereto or as provided in a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, and they may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements printed, lithographed or engraved thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange on which Securities of that series may be listed, or to conform to usage.
Section 2.03 Denominations: Provisions for Payment.
The Securities shall be issuable as registered Securities and in the denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof, subject to Section 2.01(a)(13). The Securities of a particular series shall bear interest payable on the dates and at the rate specified with respect to that series. Subject to Section 2.01(a)(23), the principal of and the interest on the Securities of any series, as well as any premium thereon in case of redemption or repurchase thereof prior to maturity, and any cash amount due upon conversion or exchange thereof, shall be payable in the coin or currency of the United States of America that at the time is legal tender for public and private debt, at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. Interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months.
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The interest installment on any Security that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of that series shall be paid to the Person in whose name said Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest installment. In the event that any Security of a particular series or portion thereof is called for redemption and the redemption date is subsequent to a regular record date with respect to any Interest Payment Date and prior to such Interest Payment Date, interest on such Security will be paid upon presentation and surrender of such Security as provided in Section 3.03.
Any interest on any Security that is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of the same series (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date by virtue of having been such holder; and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at its election, as provided in clause (1) or clause (2) below:
(1) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered in the Security Register at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each such Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall not be more than 15 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such special record date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor to be sent, to each Securityholder not less than 10 days prior to such special record date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor having been sent as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered in the Security Register on such special record date.
(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on any Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Unless otherwise set forth in a Board Resolution or one or more indentures supplemental hereto establishing the terms of any series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the term “regular record date” as used in this Section with respect to a series of Securities and any Interest
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Payment Date for such series shall mean either the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the first day of a month, or the first day of the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the fifteenth day of a month, whether or not such date is a Business Day.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security of a series delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security of such series shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, that were carried by such other Security.
Section 2.04 Execution and Authentications.
The Securities shall be signed on behalf of the Company by one of its Officers. Signatures may be in the form of a manual or facsimile signature.
The Company may use the facsimile signature of any Person who shall have been an Officer (at the time of execution), notwithstanding the fact that at the time the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered or disposed of such Person shall have ceased to be such an officer of the Company. The Securities may contain such notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication by the Trustee.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated manually by an authorized signatory of the Trustee, or by an Authenticating Agent. Such signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, signed by an Officer, and the Trustee in accordance with such written order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.
Upon the Company’s delivery of any such authentication order to the Trustee at any time after the initial issuance of Securities under this Indenture, the Trustee shall be provided with, and (subject to Sections 315(a) through 315(d) of the Trust Indenture Act) shall be fully protected in relying upon, (1) an Opinion of Counsel or reliance letter and (2) an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent to the execution, authentication and delivery of such Securities are in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture.
The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner that is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
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Section 2.05 Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
(a) Securities of any series may be exchanged upon presentation thereof at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose, for other Securities of such series of authorized denominations, and for a like aggregate principal amount, upon payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, all as provided in this Section. In respect of any Securities so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange therefor the Security or Securities of the same series that the Securityholder making the exchange shall be entitled to receive, bearing numbers not contemporaneously outstanding.
(b) The Company shall keep, or cause to be kept, at its office or agency designated for such purpose a register or registers (herein referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall register the Securities and the transfers of Securities as in this Article provided and which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the Trustee. The registrar for the purpose of registering Securities and transfer of Securities as herein provided shall be appointed as authorized by Board Resolution or Supplemental Indenture (the “Security Registrar”).
Upon surrender for transfer of any Security at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in the name of the transferee or transferees a new Security or Securities of the same series as the Security presented for a like aggregate principal amount.
The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Security Registrar for each series of Securities.
All Securities presented or surrendered for exchange or registration of transfer, as provided in this Section, shall be accompanied (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) by a written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company or the Security Registrar, duly executed by the registered holder or by such holder’s duly authorized attorney in writing.
(c) Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, no service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Securities, or issue of new Securities in case of partial redemption of any series or repurchase, conversion or exchange of less than the entire principal amount of a Security, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 2.06, Section 3.03(b) and Section 9.04 not involving any transfer.
(d) The Company and the Security Registrar shall not be required (i) to issue, exchange or register the transfer of any Securities during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the sending of a notice of redemption of less than all the Outstanding Securities of the same series and ending at the close of business on the day of such sending, nor (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of any series or portions
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thereof called for redemption or surrendered for repurchase, but not validly withdrawn, other than the unredeemed portion of any such Securities being redeemed in part or not surrendered for repurchase, as the case may be. The provisions of this Section 2.05 are, with respect to any Global Security, subject to Section 2.11 hereof.
The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Security (including any transfers between or among Depositary participants or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Security) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.
Section 2.06 Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities (printed, lithographed or typewritten) of any authorized denomination. Such temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, but with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for temporary Securities, all as may be determined by the Company. Every temporary Security of any series shall be executed by the Company and be authenticated by the Trustee upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with like effect, as the definitive Securities of such series. Without unnecessary delay the Company will execute and will furnish definitive Securities of such series and thereupon any or all temporary Securities of such series may be surrendered in exchange therefor (without charge to the Securityholders), at the office or agency of the Company designated for the purpose, and the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange for such temporary Securities an equal aggregate principal amount of definitive Securities of such series, unless the Company advises the Trustee to the effect that definitive Securities need not be executed and furnished until further notice from the Company. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of such series shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series authenticated and delivered hereunder.
Section 2.07 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities.
In case any temporary or definitive Security shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company (subject to the next succeeding sentence) shall execute, and upon the Company’s request the Trustee (subject as aforesaid) shall authenticate and deliver, a new Security of the same series, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Security, or in lieu of and in substitution for the Security so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for a substituted Security shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also furnish to the Company and the Trustee evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of the applicant’s Security and of the ownership thereof. The Trustee may authenticate any such substituted Security and deliver the same upon the written request or authorization of any officer
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of the Company. Upon the issuance of any substituted Security, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
In case any Security that has matured or is about to mature shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute Security, pay or authorize the payment of the same (without surrender thereof except in the case of a mutilated Security) if the applicant for such payment shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as they may require to save them harmless, and, in case of destruction, loss or theft, evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee of the destruction, loss or theft of such Security and of the ownership thereof.
Every replacement Security issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the Company whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be found at any time, or be enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of the same series duly issued hereunder. All Securities shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities, and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) any and all other rights or remedies, notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement or payment of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.
Section 2.08 Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for the purpose of payment, redemption, repurchase, exchange, registration of transfer or conversion shall, if surrendered to the Company or any paying agent (or any other applicable agent), be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, or, if surrendered to the Trustee, shall be cancelled by it, and no Securities shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly required or permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture. On request of the Company at the time of such surrender, the Trustee shall deliver to the Company canceled Securities held by the Trustee. In the absence of such request the Trustee may dispose of canceled Securities in accordance with its standard procedures and deliver a certificate of disposition to the Company. If the Company shall otherwise acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
Section 2.09 Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and the holders of the Securities any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Indenture, or under any covenant, condition or provision herein contained; all such covenants, conditions and provisions being for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and of the holders of the Securities.
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Section 2.10 Authenticating Agent.
So long as any of the Securities of any series remain Outstanding there may be an Authenticating Agent for any or all such series of Securities which the Trustee shall have the right to appoint. Said Authenticating Agent shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon exchange, transfer or partial redemption, repurchase or conversion thereof, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. All references in this Indenture to the authentication of Securities by the Trustee shall be deemed to include authentication by an Authenticating Agent for such series. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall be a corporation that has a combined capital and surplus, as most recently reported or determined by it, sufficient under the laws of any jurisdiction under which it is organized or in which it is doing business to conduct a trust business, and that is otherwise authorized under such laws to conduct such business and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities. If at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with these provisions, it shall resign immediately.
Any Authenticating Agent may at any time resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time (and upon request by the Company shall) terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon resignation, termination or cessation of eligibility of any Authenticating Agent, the Trustee may appoint an eligible successor Authenticating Agent acceptable to the Company. Any successor Authenticating Agent, upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder, shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent pursuant hereto.
Section 2.11 Global Securities.
(a) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.01 that the Securities of a particular series are to be issued as a Global Security, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section 2.04, authenticate and deliver, a Global Security that (i) shall represent, and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of, all of the Outstanding Securities of such series, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction (or if the Depositary names the Trustee as its custodian, retained by the Trustee), and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect: “Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11 of the Indenture, this Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.”
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.05, the Global Security of a series may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the manner provided in Section 2.05, only to another nominee of the Depositary for such series, or to a successor Depositary for such series selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.
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(c) If at any time the Depositary for a series of the Securities notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such series or if at any time the Depositary for such series shall no longer be registered or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, and a successor Depositary for such series is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be, or if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Company has received a request from the Depositary or from the Trustee, this Section 2.11 shall no longer be applicable to the Securities of such series and the Company will execute, and subject to Section 2.04, the Trustee will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. In addition, the Company may at any time determine that the Securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a Global Security and that the provisions of this Section 2.11 shall no longer apply to the Securities of such series. In such event the Company will execute and, subject to Section 2.04, the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officer’s Certificate evidencing such determination by the Company, will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange of the Global Security for such Securities in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, the Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Such Securities in definitive registered form issued in exchange for the Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the Depositary for delivery to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.
Section 2.12 CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Securityholders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the “CUSIP” numbers.
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3
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS
Section 3.01 Redemption.
The Company may redeem the Securities of any series issued hereunder on and after the dates and in accordance with the terms established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.
Section 3.02 Notice of Redemption.
(a) In case the Company shall desire to exercise such right to redeem all or, as the case may be, a portion of the Securities of any series in accordance with any right the Company reserved for itself to do so pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the Company shall, or shall cause the Trustee to, give notice of such redemption to holders of the Securities of such series to be redeemed by mailing (or with regard to any Global Security held in book entry form, by electronic mail in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary), a notice of such redemption not less than 30 days and not more than 90 days before the date fixed for redemption of that series to such Securityholders, unless a shorter period is specified in the Securities to be redeemed. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the registered holder receives the notice. In any case, failure duly to give such notice to the holder of any Security of any series designated for redemption in whole or in part, or any defect in the notice, shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Securities of such series or any other series. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate evidencing compliance with any such restriction.
Each such notice of redemption shall identify the Securities to be redeemed (including CUSIP numbers, if any), specify the date fixed for redemption and the redemption price at which Securities of that series are to be redeemed, and shall state that payment of the redemption price of such Securities to be redeemed will be made at the office or agency of the Company, upon presentation and surrender of such Securities, that interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption will be paid as specified in said notice, that from and after said date interest will cease to accrue and that the redemption is from a sinking fund, if such is the case. If less than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the notice to the holders of Securities of that series to be redeemed in part shall specify the particular Securities to be so redeemed.
In case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice that relates to such Security shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed, and shall state that on and after the redemption date, upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities of such series in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued.
(b) If less than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the Company shall give the Trustee at least 45 days’ notice (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) in advance of the date fixed for redemption as to the aggregate principal amount of
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Securities of the series to be redeemed, and thereupon the Securities to be redeemed shall be selected, by lot, on a pro rata basis, or in such other manner as the Company shall deem appropriate and fair in its discretion and that may provide for the selection of a portion or portions (equal to one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of such Securities of a denomination larger than $1,000, the Securities to be redeemed and shall thereafter promptly notify the Company in writing of the numbers of the Securities to be redeemed, in whole or in part. The Company may, if and whenever it shall so elect, by delivery of instructions signed on its behalf by an Officer, instruct the Trustee or any paying agent to call all or any part of the Securities of a particular series for redemption and to give notice of redemption in the manner set forth in this Section, such notice to be in the name of the Company or its own name as the Trustee or such paying agent may deem advisable. In any case in which notice of redemption is to be given by the Trustee or any such paying agent, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to, or permit to remain with, the Trustee or such paying agent, as the case may be, such Security Register, transfer books or other records, or suitable copies or extracts therefrom, sufficient to enable the Trustee or such paying agent to give any notice by mail that may be required under the provisions of this Section.
Section 3.03 Payment Upon Redemption.
(a) If the giving of notice of redemption shall have been completed as above provided, the Securities or portions of Securities of the series to be redeemed specified in such notice shall become due and payable on the date and at the place stated in such notice at the applicable redemption price, together with interest accrued to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption and interest on such Securities or portions of Securities shall cease to accrue on and after the date fixed for redemption, unless the Company shall default in the payment of such redemption price and accrued interest with respect to any such Security or portion thereof. On presentation and surrender of such Securities on or after the date fixed for redemption at the place of payment specified in the notice, said Securities shall be paid and redeemed at the applicable redemption price for such series, together with interest accrued thereon to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption (but if the date fixed for redemption is an Interest Payment Date, the interest installment payable on such date shall be payable to the registered holder at the close of business on the applicable record date pursuant to Section 2.03).
(b) Upon presentation of any Security of such series that is to be redeemed in part only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and the office or agency where the Security is presented shall deliver to the Securityholder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security of the same series of authorized denominations in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Security so presented.
Section 3.04 Sinking Fund.
The provisions of Sections 3.04, 3.05 and 3.06 shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.01 for Securities of such series.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment,” and any
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payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment”. If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 3.05. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series.
Section 3.05 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (i) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series and (ii) may apply as a credit Securities of a series that have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such series, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the redemption price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 3.06 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 45 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of the series, the portion thereof, if any, that is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 3.05 and the basis for such credit and will, together with such Officer’s Certificate, deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date shall be selected in the manner specified in Section 3.02 and the Company shall cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.02. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Section 3.03.
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COVENANTS
Section 4.01 Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
The Company will duly and punctually pay or cause to be paid the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities of that series at the time and place and in the manner provided herein and established with respect to such Securities. Payments of principal on the Securities may be made at the time provided herein and established with respect to such Securities by U.S. dollar check drawn on and mailed to the address of the Securityholder entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, or U.S. dollar wire transfer to, a U.S. dollar account if such Securityholder shall have furnished wire instructions to the Trustee
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no later than 15 days prior to the relevant payment date. Payments of interest on the Securities may be made at the time provided herein and established with respect to such Securities by U.S. dollar check mailed to the address of the Securityholder entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, or U.S. dollar wire transfer to, a U.S. dollar account if such Securityholder shall have furnished wire instructions in writing to the Security Registrar and the Trustee no later than 15 days prior to the relevant payment date.
Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
So long as any series of the Securities remain Outstanding, the Company agrees to maintain an office or agency with respect to each such series and at such other location or locations as may be designated as provided in this Section 4.02, where (i) Securities of that series may be presented for payment, (ii) Securities of that series may be presented as herein above authorized for registration of transfer and exchange, and (iii) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be given or served, such designation to continue with respect to such office or agency until the Company shall, by written notice signed by any officer authorized to sign an Officer’s Certificate and delivered to the Trustee, designate some other office or agency for such purposes or any of them. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, notices and demands. The Company initially appoints the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as its paying agent with respect to the Securities.
Section 4.03 Paying Agents.
(a) If the Company shall appoint one or more paying agents for all or any series of the Securities, other than the Trustee, the Company will cause each such paying agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section:
(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series (whether such sums have been paid to it by the Company or by any other obligor of such Securities) in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto;
(2) that it will give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company (or by any other obligor of such Securities) to make any payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series when the same shall be due and payable;
(3) that it will, at any time during the continuance of any failure referred to in the preceding paragraph (a)(2) above, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such paying agent; and
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(4) that it will perform all other duties of paying agent as set forth in this Indenture.
(b) If the Company shall act as its own paying agent with respect to any series of the Securities, it will on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on Securities of that series, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay such principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due on Securities of that series until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of such action, or any failure (by it or any other obligor on such Securities) to take such action. Whenever the Company shall have one or more paying agents for any series of Securities, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with the paying agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such paying agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of this action or failure so to act.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, (i) the agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section is subject to the provisions of Section 11.05, and (ii) the Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or direct any paying agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such paying agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same terms and conditions as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such paying agent; and, upon such payment by the Company or any paying agent to the Trustee, the Company or such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.
Section 4.04 Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of Trustee.
The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.10, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.
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SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
Section 5.01 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Securityholders.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee (a) within 15 days after each regular record date (as defined in Section 2.03) a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the holders of each series of Securities as of such regular record date, provided that the Company shall not be obligated to furnish or cause to furnish such list at any time that the list shall not differ in any respect from the most recent list furnished to the Trustee by the Company and (b) at such other times as the Trustee may request
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in writing within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided, however, that, in either case, no such list need be furnished for any series for which the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar.
Section 5.02 Preservation Of Information; Communications With Securityholders.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the holders of Securities contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 and as to the names and addresses of holders of Securities received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar (if acting in such capacity).
(b) The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
(c) Securityholders may communicate as provided in Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and, in connection with any such communications, the Trustee shall satisfy its obligations under Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the provisions of Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 5.03 Reports by the Company.
(a) The Company will at all times comply with Section 314(a) of the Trust Indenture Act. The Company covenants and agrees to provide (which delivery may be via electronic mail) to the Trustee within 30 days, after the Company files the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) that the Company is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to deliver to the Trustee any correspondence filed with the Commission or any materials for which the Company has sought and received confidential treatment by the Commission; and provided further, that so long as such filings by the Company are available on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (EDGAR), or any successor system, such filings shall be deemed to have been filed with the Trustee for purposes hereof without any further action required by the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, a failure by the Company to file annual reports, information and other reports with the Commission within the time period prescribed thereof by the Commission shall not be deemed a breach of this Section 5.03.
(b) Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee under Section 5.03 is for informational purposes only and the information and the Trustee’s receipt of the foregoing shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein, or determinable from information contained therein including the Company’s compliance with any of their covenants thereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on an Officer’s Certificate). The Trustee is under no duty to examine any such reports, information or
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documents delivered to the Trustee or filed with the Commission via EDGAR to ensure compliance with the provision of this Indenture or to ascertain the correctness or otherwise of the information or the statements contained therein. The Trustee shall have no responsibility or duty whatsoever to ascertain or determine whether the above referenced filings with the Commission on EDGAR (or any successor system) has occurred.
Section 5.04 Reports by the Trustee.
(a) If required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee, within sixty (60) days after each May 1, shall send to the Securityholders a brief report dated as of such May 1, which complies with Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(b) The Trustee shall comply with Section 313(b) and 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Securityholders, be filed by the Trustee with the Company, with each securities exchange upon which any Securities are listed (if so listed) and also with the Commission. The Company agrees to notify the Trustee when any Securities become listed on any securities exchange.
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REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS ON EVENT OF DEFAULT
Section 6.01 Events of Default.
(a) Whenever used herein with respect to Securities of a particular series, “Event of Default” means any one or more of the following events that has occurred and is continuing:
(1) the Company defaults in the payment of any installment of interest upon any of the Securities of that series, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by the Company in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose;
(2) the Company defaults in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of that series as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such Securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any;
(3) the Company fails to observe or perform any other of its covenants or agreements with respect to that series contained in this Indenture or otherwise established with
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respect to that series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof (other than a covenant or agreement that has been expressly included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of Securities other than such series) for a period of 90 days after the date on which written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder, shall have been given to the Company by the Trustee, by registered or certified mail, or to the Company and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities of that series at the time Outstanding;
(4) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law (i) commences a voluntary case, (ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case, (iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property or (iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or
(5) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order under any Bankruptcy Law that (i) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case, (ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company for all or substantially all of its property or (iii) orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days.
(b) In each and every such case (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (4) or clause (5) above), unless the principal of all the Securities of that series shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Securityholders), may declare the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of that series to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become and shall be immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in clause (4) or clause (5) above occurs, the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of that series shall automatically be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or the holders of the Securities.
(c) At any time after the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities of that series shall have been so declared due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if: (i) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest upon all the Securities of that series and the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any and all Securities of that series that shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent that such payment is enforceable under applicable law, upon overdue installments of interest, at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of that series to the date of such payment or deposit) and the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06, and (ii) any and all Events of Default under the Indenture with respect to such series, other than the nonpayment of principal on (and premium, if any, on) and
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accrued and unpaid interest on Securities of that series that shall not have become due by their terms, shall have been remedied or waived as provided in Section 6.06.
No such rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
(d) In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right with respect to Securities of that series under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of such rescission or annulment or for any other reason or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceedings, the Company and the Trustee shall be restored respectively to their former positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Company and the Trustee shall continue as though no such proceedings had been taken.
Section 6.02 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
(a) The Company covenants that (i) in case it shall default in the payment of any installment of interest on any of the Securities of a series, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series as and when the same shall have become due and payable, and such default shall have continued for a period of 90 days, or (ii) in case it shall default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of a series when the same shall have become due and payable, whether upon maturity of the Securities of a series or upon redemption or upon declaration or otherwise then, upon demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Securities of that series, the whole amount that then shall have been become due and payable on all such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) or interest, or both, as the case may be, with interest upon the overdue principal (and premium, if any) and (to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law) upon overdue installments of interest at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of that series; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, and the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06.
(b) If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceedings at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or other obligor upon the Securities of that series and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law or equity out of the property of the Company or other obligor upon the Securities of that series, wherever situated.
(c) In case of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, readjustment, arrangement, composition or judicial proceedings affecting the Company, or its creditors or property, the Trustee shall have power to intervene in such proceedings and take any action therein that may be permitted by the court and shall (except as may be otherwise provided by law) be entitled to file such proofs of claim and other papers and documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and of the
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holders of Securities of such series allowed for the entire amount due and payable by the Company under the Indenture at the date of institution of such proceedings and for any additional amount that may become due and payable by the Company after such date, and to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claim, and to distribute the same after the deduction of the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization is hereby authorized by each of the holders of Securities of such series to make such payments to the Trustee, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to such Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it under Section 7.06.
(d) All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or under any of the terms established with respect to Securities of that series, may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of such Securities, or the production thereof at any trial or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for payment to the Trustee of any amounts due under Section 7.06, be for the ratable benefit of the holders of the Securities of such series.
In case of an Event of Default hereunder, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any of such rights, either at law or in equity or in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in the Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.
Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities of that series or the rights of any Securityholder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such proceeding.
Section 6.03 Application of Moneys Collected.
Any moneys collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article with respect to a particular series of Securities shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such moneys on account of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Securities of that series, and notation thereon of the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of costs and expenses of collection and of all amounts payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06;
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon Securities of such series for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind,
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according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and
THIRD: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or any other Person lawfully entitled thereto.
Section 6.04 Limitation on Suits.
No holder of any Security of any series shall have any right by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any suit, action or proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to this Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless (i) such Securityholder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance thereof with respect to the Securities of such series specifying such Event of Default, as hereinbefore provided; (ii) the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action, suit or proceeding in its own name as Trustee hereunder; (iii) such Securityholder or Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request; (iv) the Trustee for 90 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity, shall have failed to institute any such action, suit or proceeding and (v) during such 90 day period, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of that series do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.
Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary or any other provisions of this Indenture, the right of any holder of any Security to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Security, as therein provided, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security (or in the case of redemption, on the redemption date), or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates or redemption date, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such holder and by accepting a Security hereunder it is expressly understood, intended and covenanted by the taker and holder of every Security of such series with every other such taker and holder and the Trustee, that no one or more holders of Securities of such series shall have any right in any manner whatsoever by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of the holders of any other of such Securities, or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other such holder, or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all holders of Securities of such series. For the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and every Securityholder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be given either at law or in equity.
Section 6.05 Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.07, all powers and remedies given by this Article to the Trustee or to the Securityholders shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any other powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the holders of the Securities, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the
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performance or observance of the covenants and agreements contained in this Indenture or otherwise established with respect to such Securities.
(b) No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any holder of any of the Securities to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Event of Default occurring and continuing as aforesaid shall impair any such right or power, or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such default or an acquiescence therein; and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.04, every power and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or the Securityholders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Securityholders.
Section 6.06 Control by Securityholders.
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding, determined in accordance with Section 8.04, shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to such series; provided, however, that such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture or subject the Trustee in its sole discretion to personal liability. Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer or officers of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed, subject to the Trustee’s duties under the Trust Indenture Act, would involve the Trustee in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the Securityholders not involved in the proceeding. The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding affected thereby, determined in accordance with Section 8.04, may on behalf of the holders of all of the Securities of such series waive any past default in the performance of any of the covenants contained herein or established pursuant to Section 2.01 with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any of the Securities of that series as and when the same shall become due by the terms of such Securities otherwise than by acceleration (unless such default has been cured and a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest and principal and any premium has been deposited with the Trustee (in accordance with Section 6.01(c)). Upon any such waiver, the default covered thereby shall be deemed to be cured for all purposes of this Indenture and the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Securities of such series shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.07 Undertaking to Pay Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any Securities by such holder’s acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses
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made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Securityholder, or group of Securityholders, holding more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Securityholder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security of such series, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security or established pursuant to this Indenture.
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CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
Section 7.01 Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.
(a) The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing of all Events of Default with respect to the Securities of that series that may have occurred, shall undertake to perform with respect to the Securities of such series such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. In case an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series has occurred (that has not been cured or waived), the Trustee shall exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(b) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default with respect to that series that may have occurred:
(A) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of such series be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to the Securities of such series except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee may with respect to the Securities of such series conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture;
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(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable to any Securityholder or to any other Person for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series;
(iv) none of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if there is reasonable ground for believing that the repayment of such funds or liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of this Indenture or adequate indemnity against such risk is not reasonably assured to it;
(v) The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers or duties hereunder;
(vi) The permissive right of the Trustee to do things enumerated in this Indenture shall not be construed as a duty of the Trustee; and
(vii) No Trustee shall have any duty or responsibility for any act or omission of any other Trustee appointed with respect to a series of Securities hereunder.
Section 7.02 Certain Rights of Trustee.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01:
(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, security or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) Any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution or an instrument signed in the name of the Company by any authorized Officer of the Company (unless other evidence in respect thereof is specifically prescribed herein);
(c) The Trustee may consult with counsel and the opinion or written advice of such counsel or, if requested, any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or suffered or omitted hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;
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(d) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Securityholders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably acceptable to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities that may be incurred therein or thereby; nothing contained herein shall, however, relieve the Trustee of the obligation, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to a series of the Securities (that has not been cured or waived), to exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and to use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs;
(e) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;
(f) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, security, or other papers or documents or inquire as to the performance by the Company of one of its covenants under this Indenture, unless requested in writing so to do by the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of the particular series affected thereby (determined as provided in Section 8.04); provided, however, that if the payment within a reasonable time to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or liabilities likely to be incurred by it in the making of such investigation is, in the opinion of the Trustee, not reasonably assured to the Trustee by the security afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee may require security or indemnity reasonably acceptable to the Trustee against such costs, expenses or liabilities as a condition to so proceeding. The reasonable expense of every such examination shall be paid by the Company or, if paid by the Trustee, shall be repaid by the Company upon demand;
(g) The Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;
(h) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances;
(i) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action; and
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(j) The Trustee agrees to accept and act upon instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured e-mail, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods; provided, however, that such instructions or directions shall be signed by an authorized representative of the party providing such instructions or directions. If the party elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding such instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The party providing electronic instructions agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk or interception and misuse by third parties. The Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to furnish the Trustee with Officer’s Certificates, Company Orders and any other matters or directions pursuant to this Indenture;
(k) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder and under the Securities, and each agent, custodian or other person employed to act under this Indenture; and
(l) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default (other than an Event of Default constituting the failure to pay the interest on, or the principal of, the Securities if the Trustee also serves as the paying agent for such Securities) until the Trustee shall have received written notification in the manner set forth in this Indenture or a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have obtained actual knowledge.
Section 7.03 Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance or Securities.
(a) The recitals contained herein and in the Securities shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the same. The Trustee shall not be responsible for any statement in any registration statement, prospectus, or any other document in connection with the sale of Securities. The Trustee shall not be responsible for any rating on the Securities or any action or omission of any rating agency.
(b) The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities.
(c) The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any of the Securities or of the proceeds of such Securities, or for the use or application of any moneys paid over by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture or established pursuant to Section 2.01, or for the use or application of any moneys received by any paying agent other than the Trustee.
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Section 7.04 May Hold Securities.
The Trustee or any paying agent or Security Registrar, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, paying agent or Security Registrar.
Section 7.05 Moneys Held in Trust.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11.05, all moneys received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any moneys received by it hereunder except such as it may agree with the Company to pay thereon.
Section 7.06 Compensation and Reimbursement.
(a) The Company shall pay to the Trustee for each of its capacities hereunder from time to time compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
(b) The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder against any loss, liability or expense (including the cost of defending itself and including the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel) incurred by it except as set forth in Section 7.06(c) in the exercise or performance of its powers, rights or duties under this Indenture as Trustee or Agent. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.
(c) The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee through negligence or bad faith.
(d) To ensure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all funds or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of or interest on particular Securities. When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(4) or (5), the expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for services in connection therewith are to constitute expenses of administration under any bankruptcy law. The provisions of this Section 7.06 shall survive the termination of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.
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Section 7.07 Reliance on Officer’s Certificate.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01, whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it reasonably necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee and such certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.
Section 7.08 Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire any “conflicting interest” within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee and the Company shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 7.09 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be a Trustee with respect to the Securities issued hereunder which shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or any state or territory thereof or of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or other Person permitted to act as trustee by the Commission, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least fifty million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000), and subject to supervision or examination by federal, state, territorial, or District of Columbia authority.
If such corporation or other Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation or other Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. The Company may not, nor may any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company, serve as Trustee. In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 7.10.
Section 7.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
(a) The Trustee or any successor hereafter appointed may at any time resign with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company and the Securityholders of such series. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor trustee. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 30 days
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after the sending of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series, or any Securityholder of that series who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.
(b) In case at any time any one of the following shall occur:
(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of Section 7.08 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months; or
(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.09 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Securityholder; or
(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or commence a voluntary bankruptcy proceeding, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or consented to, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation;
then, in any such case, the Company may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may, on behalf of that holder and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.
(c) The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding may at any time remove the Trustee with respect to such series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company and may appoint a successor Trustee for such series with the consent of the Company.
(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of a series pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section shall become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 7.11.
(e) Any successor trustee appointed pursuant to this Section may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more series or all of such series, and at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series.
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Section 7.11 Acceptance of Appointment By Successor.
(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of any amounts due to it pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.06, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all the rights, powers, and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.
(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates, (ii) shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust, that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee and that no Trustee shall be responsible for any act or failure to act on the part of any other Trustee hereunder; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein, such retiring Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates have no further responsibility for the exercise of rights and powers or for the performance of the duties and obligations vested in the Trustee under this Indenture, and each such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor trustee, to the extent contemplated by such supplemental indenture, the property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates.
(c) Upon request of any such successor trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor
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trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.
(d) No successor trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.
(e) Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this Section, the Company shall send notice of the succession of such trustee hereunder to the Securityholders. If the Company fails to send such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be sent at the expense of the Company.
Section 7.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, including the administration of the trust created by this Indenture, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided that such corporation shall be qualified under the provisions of Section 7.08 and eligible under the provisions of Section 7.09, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.
Section 7.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company.
The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, excluding any creditor relationship described in Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act. A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent included therein.
Section 7.14 Notice of Default.
If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing and if such Event of Default is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall send to each Securityholder in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act notice of the Event of Default within the earlier of 90 days after it occurs and 30 days after it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or written notice of it is received by the Trustee, unless such Event of Default has been cured; provided, however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Securityholders.
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article
8
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
Section 8.01 Evidence of Action by Securityholders.
Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of a majority or specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action the holders of such majority or specified percentage of that series have joined therein may be evidenced by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by such holders of Securities of that series in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing.
If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders of any series any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an Officer’s Certificate, fix in advance a record date for such series for the determination of Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be given before or after the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for the purposes of determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Securities of that series have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities of that series shall be computed as of the record date; provided, however, that no such authorization, agreement or consent by such Securityholders on the record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.
Section 8.02 Proof of Execution by Securityholders.
Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, proof of the execution of any instrument by a Securityholder (such proof will not require notarization) or his or her agent or proxy and proof of the holding by any Person of any of the Securities shall be sufficient if made in the following manner:
(a) The fact and date of the execution by any such Person of any instrument may be proved in any reasonable manner acceptable to the Trustee.
(b) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register of such Securities or by a certificate of the Security Registrar thereof.
The Trustee may require such additional proof of any matter referred to in this Section as it shall deem necessary.
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Section 8.03 Who May be Deemed Owners.
Prior to the due presentment for registration of transfer of any Security, the Company, the Trustee, any paying agent and any Security Registrar may deem and treat the Person in whose name such Security shall be registered upon the books of the Security Registrar as the absolute owner of such Security (whether or not such Security shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notice of ownership or writing thereon made by anyone other than the Security Registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of, premium, if any, and (subject to Section 2.03) interest on such Security and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any paying agent nor any Security Registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
Section 8.04 Certain Securities Owned by Company Disregarded.
In determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Securities of a particular series have concurred in any direction, consent or waiver under this Indenture, the Securities of that series that are owned by the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination, except that for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent or waiver, only Securities of such series that the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. The Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding for the purposes of this Section, if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not a Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other obligor. In case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee.
Section 8.05 Actions Binding on Future Securityholders.
At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any action by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any holder of a Security of that series that is shown by the evidence to be included in the Securities the holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee, and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Security. Except as aforesaid any such action taken by the holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future holders and owners of such Security, and of any Security issued in exchange therefor, on registration of transfer thereof or in place thereof, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Security. Any action taken by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such action shall be conclusively binding upon the Company, the Trustee and the holders of all the Securities of that series.
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article
9
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 9.01 Supplemental Indentures Without the Consent of Securityholders.
In addition to any supplemental indenture otherwise authorized by this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect), without the consent of the Securityholders, for one or more of the following purposes:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect, or inconsistency herein or in the Securities of any series;
(b) to comply with Article Ten;
(c) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;
(d) to add to the covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions relating to the Company for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series), to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;
(e) to add to, delete from, or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication, and delivery of Securities, as herein set forth;
(f) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder in any material respect;
(g) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the Securities of any series as provided in Section 2.01, to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or any series of Securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of Securities;
(h) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee; or
(i) to comply with any requirements of the Commission or any successor in connection with the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.
The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that
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may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the holders of any of the Securities at the time Outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 9.02.
Section 9.02 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders.
With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 8.01) of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture or indentures at the time Outstanding, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect) for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner not covered by Section 9.01 the rights of the holders of the Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the holders of each Security then Outstanding and affected thereby, (a) extend the fixed maturity of any Securities of any series, or reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest thereon, or reduce any premium payable upon the redemption thereof or (b) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders of any series affected thereby under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 9.03 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.01, this Indenture shall, with respect to such series, be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the holders of Securities of the series affected thereby shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.
Section 9.04 Securities Affected by Supplemental Indentures.
Securities of any series affected by a supplemental indenture, authenticated and delivered after the execution of such supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.01, may bear a notation in form approved by the Company, provided such form meets the requirements of any securities exchange upon which such series may be listed, as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new
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Securities of that series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee and delivered in exchange for the Securities of that series then Outstanding.
Section 9.05 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by its Board Resolutions authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Securityholders required to consent thereto as aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion but shall not be obligated to enter into such supplemental indenture. The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, shall receive an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article is authorized or permitted by the terms of this Article and that all conditions precedent to the execution of the supplemental indenture have been complied with; provided, however, that such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel need not be provided in connection with the execution of a supplemental indenture that establishes the terms of a series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.
Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the Company shall (or shall direct the Trustee to) send a notice, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture, to the Securityholders of all series affected thereby .as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. Any failure of the Company to send, or cause the sending of, such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
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10
SUCCESSOR ENTITY
Section 10.01 Company May Consolidate, Etc.
Nothing contained in this Indenture shall prevent any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company) or successive consolidations or mergers in which the Company or its successor or successors shall be a party or parties, or shall prevent any sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of the property of the Company or its successor or successors as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company or its successor or successors); provided, however, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that, upon any such consolidation or merger (in each case, if the Company is not the survivor of such transaction) or any such sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition (other than a sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition to a Subsidiary of the Company), the due and punctual payment of the principal of (premium, if any) and interest on all of the Securities of all series in accordance with the terms of each series, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and
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observance of all the covenants and conditions of this Indenture with respect to each series or established with respect to such series pursuant to Section 2.01 to be kept or performed by the Company shall be expressly assumed, by supplemental indenture (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, as then in effect) reasonably satisfactory in form to the Trustee executed and delivered to the Trustee by the entity formed by such consolidation, or into which the Company shall have been merged, or by the entity which shall have acquired such property.
Section 10.02 Successor Entity Substituted.
(a) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition and upon the assumption by the successor entity by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the obligations set forth under Section 10.01 on all of the Securities of all series Outstanding, such successor entity shall succeed to and be substituted for the Company with the same effect as if it had been named as the Company herein, and thereupon the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
(b) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, such changes in phraseology and form (but not in substance) may be made in the Securities thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.
(c) Nothing contained in this Article shall require any action by the Company in the case of a consolidation or merger of any Person into the Company where the Company is the survivor of such transaction, or the acquisition by the Company, by purchase or otherwise, of all or any part of the property of any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company).
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11
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 11.01 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
If at any time: (a) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee for cancellation all Securities of a series theretofore authenticated and not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (other than any Securities that shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that shall have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.07 and Securities for whose payment money or Governmental Obligations have theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereupon repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 11.05); or (b) all such Securities of a particular series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation shall have become due and payable, or are by their terms to become due and payable within one year or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption, and the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds the entire amount in moneys or Governmental Obligations or a combination thereof, sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay at maturity or upon redemption all Securities of that
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series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder with respect to such series by the Company then this Indenture shall thereupon cease to be of further effect with respect to such series except for the provisions of Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.07, 4.01, 4.02, 4.03, 7.10, 11.05 and 13.04, that shall survive until the date of maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, and Sections 7.06 and 11.05, that shall survive to such date and thereafter, and the Trustee, on demand of the Company and at the cost and expense of the Company shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction of and discharging this Indenture with respect to such series.
Section 11.02 Discharge of Obligations.
If at any time all such Securities of a particular series not heretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation or that have not become due and payable as described in Section 11.01 shall have been paid by the Company by depositing irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds moneys or an amount of Governmental Obligations sufficient to pay at maturity or upon redemption all such Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company with respect to such series, then after the date such moneys or Governmental Obligations, as the case may be, are deposited with the Trustee the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to such series shall cease to be of further effect except for the provisions of Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.07, 4,01, 4.02, 4,03, 7.06, 7.10, 11.05 and 13.04 hereof that shall survive until such Securities shall mature and be paid.
Thereafter, Sections 7.06 and 11.05 shall survive.
Section 11.03 Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust.
All moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Sections 11.01 or 11.02 shall be held in trust and shall be available for payment as due, either directly or through any paying agent (including the Company acting as its own paying agent), to the holders of the particular series of Securities for the payment or redemption of which such moneys or Governmental Obligations have been deposited with the Trustee.
Section 11.04 Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents.
In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture all moneys or Governmental Obligations then held by any paying agent under the provisions of this Indenture shall, upon demand of the Company, be paid to the Trustee and thereupon such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations.
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Section 11.05 Repayment to Company.
Any moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with any paying agent or the Trustee, or then held by the Company, in trust for payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of a particular series that are not applied but remain unclaimed by the holders of such Securities for at least two years after the date upon which the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such Securities shall have respectively become due and payable, or such other shorter period set forth in applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law, shall be repaid to the Company on May 31 of each year or upon the Company’s request or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and thereupon the paying agent and the Trustee shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations, and the holder of any of the Securities entitled to receive such payment shall thereafter, as a general creditor, look only to the Company for the payment thereof.
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12
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 12.01 No Recourse.
No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of this Indenture, or of any Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, past, present or future as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any such predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that this Indenture and the obligations issued hereunder are solely corporate obligations, and that no such personal liability whatever shall attach to, or is or shall be incurred by, the incorporators, stockholders, officers or directors as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, or any of them, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom; and that any and all such personal liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by constitution or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such incorporator, stockholder, officer or director as such, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of such Securities.
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13
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 13.01 Effect on Successors and Assigns.
All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture made by or on behalf of the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 13.02 Actions by Successor.
Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or officer of the Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the corresponding board, committee or officer of any corporation that shall at the time be the lawful successor of the Company.
Section 13.03 Surrender of Company Powers.
The Company by instrument in writing executed by authority of its Board of Directors and delivered to the Trustee may surrender any of the powers reserved to the Company, and thereupon such power so surrendered shall terminate both as to the Company and as to any successor corporation.
Section 13.04 Notices.
Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, any notice, request or demand that by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be given, made or served by the Trustee, the Security Registrar, any paying or other agent under this Indenture or by the holders of Securities or by any other Person pursuant to this Indenture to or on the Company may be given or served by being deposited in first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Trustee), as follows: . Any notice, election, request or demand by the Company or any Securityholder or by any other Person pursuant to this Indenture to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or made in writing at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.
Section 13.05 Governing Law; Jury Trial Waiver.
This Indenture and each Security shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.
EACH PARTY HERETO, AND EACH HOLDER OF A SECURITY BY ACCEPTANCE THEREOF, HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT
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OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS INDENTURE.
Section 13.06 Treatment of Securities as Debt.
It is intended that the Securities will be treated as indebtedness and not as equity for federal income tax purposes. The provisions of this Indenture shall be interpreted to further this intention.
Section 13.07 Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent.
(a) Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture (other than the certificate to be delivered pursuant to Section 13.12) relating to the proposed action have been complied with and, if requested, an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
(b) Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant in this Indenture (other than the certificate to be delivered pursuant to Section 13.12 of this Indenture or Section 314(a)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act) shall include (i) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; (iii) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he has made such examination or investigation as is reasonably necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 13.08 Payments on Business Days.
Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, in any case where the date of maturity of interest or principal of any Security or the date of redemption of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the nominal date of maturity or redemption, and no interest shall accrue for the period after such nominal date.
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Section 13.09 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Section 318(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties shall control.
Section 13.10 Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
Section 13.11 Separability.
In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Indenture or in the Securities of any series shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of such Securities, but this Indenture and such Securities shall be construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.
Section 13.12 Compliance Certificates.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year during which any Securities of any series were outstanding, an officer’s certificate stating whether or not the signers know of any Event of Default that occurred during such fiscal year. Such certificate shall contain a certification from the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer of the Company that a review has been conducted of the activities of the Company and the Company’s performance under this Indenture and that the Company has complied with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture. For purposes of this Section 13.12, such compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under this Indenture. If the officer of the Company signing such certificate has knowledge of such an Event of Default, the certificate shall describe any such Event of Default and its status.
Section 13.13 U.S.A Patriot Act.
The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.
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Section 13.14 Force Majeure.
In no event shall the Trustee, the Security Registrar, any paying agent or any other agent under this Indenture be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions or utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee, the Security Registrar, any paying agent or any other agent under this Indenture shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
Section 13.15 Table of Contents; Headings.
The table of contents and headings of the articles and sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not intended to be considered a part hereof, and will not modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
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In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.
| Alvotech | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
| [Trustee], as Trustee | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | |||
| Title: | |||
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CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE (1)
| Section of Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as Amended | Section of Indenture | |
| 310(a) | 7.09 | |
| 310(b) | 7.08 | |
| 7.10 | ||
| 310(c) | Inapplicable | |
| 311(a) | 7.13 | |
| 311(b) | 7.13 | |
| 311(c) | Inapplicable | |
| 312(a) | 5.01 | |
| 5.02(a) | ||
| 312(b) | 5.02(c) | |
| 312(c) | 5.02(c) | |
| 313(a) | 5.04(a) | |
| 313(b) | 5.04(b) | |
| 313(c) | 5.04(a) | |
| 5.04(b) | ||
| 313(d) | 5.04(c) | |
| 314(a) | 5.03 | |
| 13.12 | ||
| 314(b) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(c) | 13.07(a) | |
| 314(d) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(e) | 13.07(b) | |
| 314(f) | Inapplicable | |
| 315(a) | 7.01(a) | |
| 7.01(b) | ||
| 315(b) | 7.14 | |
| 315(c) | 7.01 | |
| 315(d) | 7.01(b) | |
| 315(e) | 6.07 | |
| 316(a) | 6.06 | |
| 8.04 | ||
| 316(b) | 6.04 | |
| 316(c) | 8.01 | |
| 317(a) | 6.02 | |
| 317(b) | 4.03 | |
| 318(a) | 13.09 |
| (1) | This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions. |
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Exhibit 5.1
To
Alvotech
9, rue de Bitbourg,
L - 1273 Luxembourg,
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
(the “Company”)
Luxembourg, 20 October 2023
AO/YBA – 016843-70016.40014583v4
Alvotech – Registration Statement on Form F-3 (Shelf)
Dear Madam, dear Sir,
We have acted as Luxembourg legal advisers to Alvotech, a company existing under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as a société anonyme, with its registered office at 9, rue de Bitbourg, L-1273 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and registered with the Luxembourg Register of Commerce and Companies (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés à Luxembourg) (the “RCS”) under number B 258884 in connection with the filing of a Registration Statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Registration Statement contains a prospectus (the “Prospectus”) which relates to the proposed offer and sale by the Company from time to time, as set forth therein and as shall be set forth in one or more supplements to the Prospectus, of an aggregate initial offering price of up to $100,000,000, of any or all of the following instruments to be issued in the form of securities and covered by the Registration Statement (collectively, the “Securities”): (a) ordinary shares of the Company with a nominal value of $0.01 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”); (b) debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”); (c) rights to purchase any of the Company’s Securities or any combination thereof (the “Rights”); (d) warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares (the “Warrants”); and (e) units comprising any combination of Ordinary Shares, Warrants, Debt Securities and/or Rights.
| 1. | Scope |
| 1.1. | In arriving to the opinions expressed below, we have examined and relied exclusively on the documents (the “Documents”) identified in Appendix A hereto. |
| foreign law, rule or regulation should be applied, and we therefore assume that no provisions of any foreign laws, rules or regulations affect, qualify or have any bearing on this Opinion. |
| 1.3. | A reference to a convention, law, rule or regulation in this Opinion is to be construed as a reference to such convention, law, rule or regulation as amended or re-enacted. |
| 2. | Assumptions |
For the purpose of this Opinion, we have assumed, and we have not verified independently:
| 2.1. | that each signature (whether manuscript or electronic) is the genuine signature of the individual concerned and was affixed or inserted by such individual concerned or authorized to be inserted in the relevant document by the individual concerned; |
| 2.2. | the completeness and conformity to originals of all Documents supplied to us as drafts, certified, photostatic, scanned, electronically transmitted copies or other copies of the documents reviewed and the authenticity of the originals of such documents and the conformity to originals of the latest drafts reviewed by us and the completeness and correctness of the representations and statements made therein; |
| 2.3. | that on the date of this Opinion and at the time of issuance, allocation or sale (as applicable) of Ordinary Shares each of the Documents is true, complete, up-to-date, in full force and effect and has not been rescinded, supplemented or amended in any way since its respective date; |
| 2.4. | that there is no other resolution, decision, agreement or undertaking and no other arrangement (whether legally binding or not) which renders any of the Documents at the time of issuance, allocation or sale (as applicable) of Ordinary Shares, or information reviewed or provided to us inaccurate, incomplete or misleading or which affects the conclusions stated in this Opinion and that the Documents reviewed accurately record the whole of the terms agreed between the parties thereto relevant to this Opinion and the information therein is true and correct as of the date hereof and at the time of issuance, allocation or sale (as applicable) of Ordinary Shares; |
| 2.5. | that at the time of issuance, allocation or sale (as applicable) of any Ordinary Shares covered by the Registration Statement, the Company will have a sufficient authorized capital to allow the board of directors to issue the number of Ordinary Shares free of preferential subscription rights of shareholders to cover such issuance of Ordinary Shares; |
| 2.6. | that prior to the issuance, allocation or sale (as applicable) of any Ordinary Shares, the board of directors of the Company and/or its delegate, as applicable, will adopt one or several resolutions to approve the price, number of Ordinary Shares and any other terms of issuance, allocation or sale (as applicable), as well as the issuance, allocation or sale (as applicable) of the Ordinary Shares, and take all necessary steps and comply with applicable requirements at the time to give full effect thereto in accordance with the requirements of Luxembourg law and the articles of association of the Company and, to the extent required, have the issuance of Ordinary Shares and the resulting amendment of the articles of association acknowledged by a Luxembourg notary; |
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| 2.8. | that there will be no amendment to the authorised share capital of the Company which would adversely affect the issuance of the Ordinary Shares and the conclusions stated in this Opinion; |
| 2.11. | that the Ordinary Shares will be issued in registered form (titres nominatifs); |
| 2.12. | that the entry into the Documents and the performance of any rights and obligations under the Documents are in the best corporate interests (intérêt social) of the Company and that the head office (administration centrale), the place of effective management (siege de direction effective), and, for the purposes of the regulation (EU) 2015/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2015 on insolvency proceedings (recast), the center of main interests (centre |
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| des intérêts principaux) of the Company is located at the place of its registered office (siege statutaire) in Luxembourg. |
| 3. | Opinions |
This Opinion is given on the basis that it is governed by and construed in accordance with Luxembourg law only and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Luxembourg. We express no opinion on accounting, economic, financial, monetary, policy and tax aspects. On the basis of the assumptions set out above and subject to the qualifications set out below and to any factual matters, documents or events not disclosed to us, we are of the opinion that:
| 3.1. | The Company is a public limited company (société anonyme) and has been incorporated for an unlimited duration and is validly existing under the laws of Luxembourg. |
| 3.2. | With respect to the Ordinary Shares registered by the Registration Statement, subject to the satisfaction of all the requirements and formalities set out in the Company’s articles of association and Luxembourg law and assuming the taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve their issuance, allocation or sale (as applicable), the terms of the offering thereof and related matters, upon payment of the consideration or subscription price therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, sale, subscription, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors of the Company, such Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid up and non-assessable (meaning that the holder of such shares shall not be liable, solely because of his/her/its shareholder status, for additional payments to the Company or the Company’s creditors). |
| 4. | Qualifications |
The opinions expressed in this Opinion are subject to the following qualifications:
| 4.2. | the opinions set out in this Opinion are subject to all limitations by reason of national or foreign administration, bankruptcy, concordat préventif de la faillite, controlled management, fraudulent conveyance, general settlement with creditors, gestion contrôlée, faillite, insolvency, liquidation, moratorium, receivership, reorganisation, sursis de paiement, suspension of payment, voluntary arrangement with creditors, winding-up or similar orders or proceedings affecting the rights of creditors generally; |
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| deeds or extracts of deeds will not be enforceable against third parties who prove that it was impossible for them to have had knowledge of the deeds or extracts of deeds within that time; |
| 4.4. | the opinions set out in this Opinion are limited to the laws, including the rules and regulations, as in effect on the date of this Opinion. |
| 5. | Reliance |
| 5.1. | This Opinion is issued solely for the purposes of the filing of the Registration Statement and the issuance of any Ordinary Shares. |
| 5.3. | This Opinion is issued by and signed on behalf of Arendt & Medernach SA, admitted to practice in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and registered on list V of the lawyers of the Luxembourg bar association. |
Yours faithfully,
By and on behalf of Arendt & Medernach SA
/s/ Alexander Olliges
Alexander Olliges
Partner
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APPENDIX A – DOCUMENTS
| 1. | A scanned copy of the draft Registration Statement, including the Prospectus, received on 18 October 2023. |
| 2. | A scanned copy of the consolidated articles of association of the Company dated 6 June 2023 (the “Articles”). |
| 3. | An extract dated 20 October 2023 and issued in electronic form by the RCS in respect of the Company. |
| 4. | A certificate of non-registration of a judicial decision (certificat de non-inscription d'une décision judiciaire) dated 20 October 2023 and issued in electronic form by the RCS in respect of the Company. |
| 5. | A scanned copy of the notarial deed of acknowledgement of capital increase by an amount of two million seven hundred seven thousand two hundred sixteen US dollars and seventy-two cents (USD 2,707,216.72) through the issuance of twenty-seven million seventy-two thousand one hundred and sixty-seven (27,072,167) shares dated July 4, 2022. |
| 6. | A scanned copy of the signed subscription form signed by Alvotech Manco ehf. dated July 4, 2022. |
| 7. | A scanned copy of the signed minutes of the meeting of the board of directors of the Company dated March 1, 2023. |
| 8. | A scanned copy of the signed decision of the delegates appointed by the board of directors of the Company dated March 28, 2023 |
| 9. | A scanned copy of the notarial deed of acknowledgement of capital increase by an amount of one hundred forty thousand fifty-seven Us dollars and ninety cents (USD 140,057.90) through the issuance of fourteen million five thousand seven hundred ninety (14,005,790) shares dated March 28, 2023. |
| 10. | A scanned copy of the signed subscription form signed by Alvotech Manco ehf. dated March 28, 2023. |
| 11. | A scanned copy of the signed confirmation certificate of the delegates appointed by the board of directors dated March 28, 2023. |
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Exhibit 5.2
|
Nicolas H.R. Dumont +1 212 479 6446 ndumont@cooley.com |
October 20, 2023
Alvotech
9, rue de Bitbourg
L - 1273 Luxembourg
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special U.S. counsel to Alvotech, a public limited liability company (société anonyme) incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (the “Company”), in connection with the filing of a Registration Statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Registration Statement includes a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), that provides that it may be supplemented in the future by one or more prospectus supplements (each, a “Prospectus Supplement”). The Registration Statement, including the Base Prospectus (as supplemented from time to time by one or more Prospectus Supplements), is to provide for the registration by the Company of:
| · | ordinary shares, with a nominal value of $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Ordinary Shares”); |
| · | debt securities, in one or more series (the “Debt Securities”), which may be issued pursuant to an indenture to be dated on or about the date of the first issuance of Debt Securities thereunder, by and between a trustee to be selected by the Company (the “Trustee”) and the Company, in the form filed as Exhibit 4.5 to the Registration Statement and one or more indentures supplemental thereto with respect to any particular series of Debt Securities (including any supplemental indenture, the “Indenture”); |
| · | warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares (the “Warrants”), which may be issued under one or more warrant agreements, to be dated on or about the date of the first issuance of the Warrants thereunder (each, a “Warrant Agreement”); |
| · | subscription rights to purchase securities of the Company or a combination thereof (the “Rights”), which may be issued under one or more rights agreements, to be dated on or about the date of the first issuance of the Rights thereunder (each, a “Rights Agreement”); and |
| · | units comprised of one or more of the other securities that the Company may offer under the Registration Statement (the “Units”), which may be issued under one or more rights agreements, to be dated on or about the date of the first issuance of the Rights thereunder (each, a “Units Agreement”). |
The Ordinary Shares, the Debt Securities, the Warrants, the Rights and the Units, plus any additional Ordinary Shares, Debt Securities, Warrants, Rights and Units that may be registered pursuant to any registration statement that the Company may hereafter file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act in connection with an offering by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement, are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.” The Securities are being registered for offer and sale from time to time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act.
Cooley LLP 55 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001-2157
t: (212) 479-6000 f: (212) 479-6000 cooley.com
Alvotech
October 20, 2023
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In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon such records, documents, certificates, opinions, memoranda and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed below.
In rendering this opinion, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as copies, and the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of certificates of public officials and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents where authorization, execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness. We have assumed that the Debt Securities, the Warrants, the Rights and the Units will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
We note that the Company is incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. We have assumed all matters determinable under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, We are not rendering any opinion with respect to any Ordinary Shares issuable upon the conversion or exercise, as applicable, of any Debt Securities, any Warrants, any Rights or any Securities that are components of Units. We have also assumed that with respect to any Debt Securities issuable as a component of any Units, the applicable Units will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, except as may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights, and subject to general equity principles and to limitations on availability of equitable relief including, without limitation, specific performance. We have assumed that (i) the Company is validly existing under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, has the corporate power to enter into and perform its obligations under the Debt Securities, the Indenture, the Warrants, the Rights and the Units in accordance with their terms, (ii) upon issuance, the Company will have duly authorized, executed and delivered the Debt Securities, the Indenture, the Warrants, the Rights and the Units in accordance with its organizational documents and the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, (iii) any Ordinary Shares issued upon conversion of the Debt Securities or upon exercise of Warrants or Rights, or in connection with any Units will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and (iv) the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of its obligations under the Debt Securities, the Indenture, the Warrants, the Rights and the Units will not violate the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg or any other applicable laws (except that such assumption shall not apply to the laws of the State of New York). We have assumed that the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg would not impose any requirements or have any consequences relevant to our understanding of the matters addressed in this opinion that would impact our conclusions with respect thereto.
Our opinion is expressed only with respect to the laws of the State of New York. We express no opinion as to whether the any other laws are applicable to the subject matter hereof. We are not rendering any opinion as to compliance with any federal or state antifraud law, rule or regulation relating to securities, or to the sale or issuance thereof.
On the basis of the foregoing and in reliance thereon, and subject to the qualifications herein stated, we are of the opinion that:
1. With respect to any series of Debt Securities issued under the Indenture and offered under the Registration Statement, provided that (i) the Registration Statement and any required post-effective amendment thereto have become effective under the Securities Act and the Base Prospectus and any and all Prospectus Supplement(s) required by applicable laws have been delivered and filed as required by such laws; (ii) the Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and the Trustee by all necessary corporate action; (iii) the Indenture has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Trustee and has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended; (iv) the terms of the Debt Securities and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the Indenture so as
Cooley LLP, 55 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001-2157
T: (212) 479-6000 F: (212) 479 6275
Alvotech
October 20, 2023
Page Three
not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company so as to be in conformity articles of association of the Company (the “Articles of Association”), and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company and (vii) the notes representing the Debt Securities have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee pursuant to the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor, then the Debt Securities when issued and sold in accordance with the Indenture and a duly authorized, executed and delivered purchase, underwriting or similar agreement, or upon exercise of any Warrants or Rights in accordance with their terms, will be binding obligations of the Company, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).
2. With respect to the Warrants issued under a Warrant Agreement and offered under the Registration Statement, provided that (i) the Registration Statement and any required post-effective amendment thereto have become effective under the Securities Act and the Base Prospectus and any and all Prospectus Supplement(s) required by applicable laws have been delivered and filed as required by such laws; (ii) the applicable Warrant Agreement has been duly authorized by the Company and the other parties to the Warrant Agreement; (iii) the applicable Warrant Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties to the Warrant Agreement; (iv) the issuance and terms of the Warrants, including as to any Ordinary Shares to be issued on the exercise thereof, have been duly authorized by the Company by all necessary corporate action; (v) the terms of the Warrants and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the applicable Warrant Agreement and as described in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the related Prospectus Supplement(s), so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company, so as to be in conformity with the Articles of Association, and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; and (vi) the Warrants have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and authenticated pursuant to the applicable Warrant Agreement and delivered against payment therefor, then the Warrants, when issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement(s) and in accordance with the applicable Warrant Agreement and a duly authorized, executed and delivered purchase, underwriting or similar agreement, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).
3. With respect to the Rights issued under a Rights Agreements and offered under the Registration Statement, provided that (i) the Registration Statement and any required post-effective amendment thereto have become effective under the Securities Act and the Base Prospectus and any and all Prospectus Supplement(s) required by applicable laws have been delivered and filed as required by such laws; (ii) the applicable Rights Agreement has been duly authorized by the Company and the other parties to the Rights Agreement; (iii) the applicable Rights Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties to the Rights Agreement; (iv) the issuance and terms of the Rights, including as to any Ordinary Shares to be issued on the exercise thereof, have been duly authorized by the Company by all necessary corporate action; (v) the terms of the Rights and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the applicable Rights Agreement and as described in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the related Prospectus Supplement(s), so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company, so as to be in conformity with the Articles of Association, and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; and (vi) the Rights have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and authenticated
Cooley LLP, 55 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001-2157
T: (212) 479-6000 F: (212) 479 6275
Alvotech
October 20, 2023
Page Four
pursuant to the applicable Rights Agreement and delivered against payment therefor, then the Rights, when issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement(s) and in accordance with the applicable Rights Agreement and a duly authorized, executed and delivered purchase, underwriting or similar agreement, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).
4. With respect to the Units issued under a Unit Agreement and offered under the Registration Statement, provided that (i) the Registration Statement and any required post-effective amendment thereto have become effective under the Securities Act and the Base Prospectus and any and all Prospectus Supplement(s) required by applicable laws have been delivered and filed as required by such laws; (ii) the applicable Unit Agreement has been duly authorized by the Company and the other parties to the Units Agreement; (iii) the applicable Unit Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties to such Unit Agreement; (iv) the issuance and terms of the Units, including as to any Ordinary Shares to be issued on the exercise thereof, have been duly authorized by the Company by all necessary corporate action; (v) the terms of the Units and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the applicable Unit Agreement and as described in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the related Prospectus Supplement(s), so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company, so as to be in conformity with the Articles of Association, and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; and (vi) the Units have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and authenticated pursuant to the applicable Units Agreement and delivered against payment therefor, then the Units, when issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement(s) and in accordance with the applicable Units Agreement and a duly authorized, executed and delivered purchase, underwriting or similar agreement, will be binding obligations of the Company, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Base Prospectus. We further consent to the incorporation by reference of this opinion into any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act with respect to additional Securities. In giving such consents, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Our opinion set forth above is limited to the matters expressly set forth in this letter, and no opinion is implied or may be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated. This opinion speaks only as to law and facts in effect or existing as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation or responsibility to update or supplement this opinion to reflect any facts or circumstances that may hereafter come to our attention or any changes in law that may hereafter occur.
Sincerely,
Cooley LLP
| By: | /s/ Nicolas H.R. Dumont | |
| Nicolas H.R. Dumont |
Cooley LLP, 55 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001-2157
T: (212) 479-6000 F: (212) 479 6275
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form F-3 of our report dated March 1, 2023 relating to the financial statements of Alvotech, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 20-F of Alvotech for the year ended December 31, 2022. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement.
/s/ Deloitte ehf.
Kópavogur, Iceland
October 20, 2023