DBV Technologies S.A F-3ASR, filed Apr 30, 2020
DBV Technologies S.A. (DBVT)
Table of Contents
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2020
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
DBV TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Not Applicable
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
| France | Not applicable | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
177-181 Avenue Pierre Brossolette
92120 Montrouge France
Tel: +33 1 55 42 78 78
(Address and telephone number of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Cogency Global Inc.
122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor
New York, New York 10168
+1 212 974 7200
(Name, address, and telephone number of agent for service)
Copies of all communications, including communications sent to agent for service, should be sent to:
| Marc Recht Richard Segal Divakar Gupta Cooley LLP 500 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116 Tel: +1 617 937 2300 |
Emmanuelle Trombe Bertrand Delafaye McDermott Will & Emery AARPI 23 Rue de l’Université 75007 Paris France Tel: +33 1 81 69 15 37 |
Philippe D’Hoir D’Hoir, Beaufre & Associés 3 rue Saint Philippe du Roule 75008 Paris France +33 1 53 23 80 85 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
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. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
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. ☐
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. ☒
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. ☐
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 ☐
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. ☐
† 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.
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
|
| ||||||||
| Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered(1) |
Proposed Unit(1) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1) |
Amount of Registration Fee(2) | ||||
| Ordinary shares, €0.10 nominal value per share |
— | — | — | — | ||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| (1) | An indeterminate number of ordinary shares are being registered, which may at various times be issued at indeterminate prices. Ordinary shares may be in the form of American Depositary Shares, or ADSs. ADSs issuable upon deposit of the ordinary shares registered hereby have been registered pursuant to a separate registration statement on Form F-6 (File No. 333-199231). Each ADS represents one-half of one ordinary share. |
| (2) | In reliance on Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act, DBV Technologies S.A. hereby defers payment of the registration fee required in connection with this registration statement. Any registration fees will be paid subsequently on a pay-as-you-go basis in accordance with Rule 457(r). |
Table of Contents
PROSPECTUS
DBV TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
Ordinary Shares
Ordinary Shares in the Form of American Depositary Shares
We may offer from time to time the securities described in this prospectus, either individually or in any combination, in one or more offerings at prices and on terms that will be determined at the time of the offering.
We may offer and sell these securities on a continuous or delayed basis to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers. For additional information on the methods of sale, you should refer to the section titled “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus.
Other than any securities sold in connection with a rights offering, we will only sell securities pursuant to this prospectus for which preferential subscription rights shall have been waived by our shareholders in accordance with French law.
Our ordinary shares may be sold in the form of American Depositary Shares, or ADSs. Each ADS represents one-half of one ordinary share. Our ordinary shares in the form of ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “DBVT.” On April 29, 2020, the last reported sale price of the ADSs on Nasdaq was $6.00 per ADS. Our ordinary shares are traded on Euronext Paris under the symbol “DBV.” On April 29, 2020, the last reported sale price of the ordinary shares on Euronext Paris was €12.83 per share.
This prospectus describes the general terms of the securities we may offer and the general manner in which we may offer these securities. We will provide the specific terms of any offering of securities in one or more supplements to this prospectus. Such prospectus supplements may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the documents we incorporate by reference, before you invest. This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of securities unless accompanies by the applicable prospectus supplement.
Our principal executive offices are located at 177-181 Avenue Pierre Brossolette – 92120 Montrouge France and our telephone number is +33 1 55 42 78 78.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. YOU SHOULD REVIEW CAREFULLY THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES REFERENCED UNDER THE HEADING “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 5 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AS WELL AS THOSE CONTAINED IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND ANY RELATED FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS, AND IN THE OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THIS PROSPECTUS OR THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT.
Neither the United States Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or the accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is April 30, 2020.
Table of Contents
| 1 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 27 | ||||
| 37 | ||||
| 38 | ||||
| 40 | ||||
| 41 | ||||
| 41 | ||||
| 41 | ||||
| 41 | ||||
| 42 |
Table of Contents
This prospectus is part of an automatic shelf registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act.
Under this shelf registration, we may offer our ordinary shares, ordinary shares in the form of ADSs or any combination thereof from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities described herein, we will provide prospective investors with a supplement to this prospectus that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering, including the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities offered. The prospectus supplement may also add to, update or change information contained in this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in any documents that we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Accordingly, to the extent inconsistent, information in this prospectus is superseded by the information in any prospectus supplement. You should carefully read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, together with the information incorporated herein by reference as described under the heading “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference,” before investing in any of the securities offered..
THIS PROSPECTUS MAY NOT BE USED TO CONSUMMATE A SALE OF SECURITIES UNLESS IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “DBV,” “the company,” “our company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to DBV Technologies S.A. and our consolidated subsidiary. All references in this prospectus to “$,” “US$,” “U.S.$,” “U.S. dollars,” “dollars” and “USD” mean U.S. dollars and all references to “€” and “euros,” mean euros, unless otherwise noted. Throughout this prospectus, references to ADSs mean ADSs or ordinary shares represented by ADSs, as the case may be.
This prospectus contains 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 we, nor any agent, underwriter or dealer has authorized any person to give any 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. This prospectus, any applicable supplement to this prospectus or any related free writing prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus, any applicable supplement to this prospectus or any related free writing prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction.
You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is delivered, or securities are sold, on a later date.
1
Table of Contents
For investors outside the United States: We have not done anything that would permit the offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the securities described herein and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States.
TRADEMARKS
We own various trademark registrations and applications, and unregistered trademarks and servicemarks, including “Viaskin®,” “EPIT™” “DBV Technologies®,” “Abyldis™” and our corporate logo. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement are the property of their respective owners. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement are the property of their respective holders. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement may be referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend to use or display other companies’ trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
2
Table of Contents
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although our forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of our management, these statements can only be based on facts and factors currently known by us. Consequently, these forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and outcomes may differ materially from results and outcomes discussed in the forward-looking statements.
All statements other than present and historical facts and conditions contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial positions, business strategy, plans and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “is designed to,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “objective,” “should,” or the negative of these and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:
| • | the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; |
| • | our ability to continue as a going concern; |
| • | the initiation, timing, progress and results of our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, and our research and development programs; |
| • | our ability to advance product candidates into, and successfully complete, clinical trials; |
| • | our ability to advance our Viaskin manufacturing capabilities, manufacture clinical and commercial supplies of our product candidates and comply with regulatory requirements related to the manufacturing of our product candidates; |
| • | our ability to develop sales and marketing capabilities; |
| • | the commercialization of our product candidates, if approved; |
| • | the pricing and reimbursement of our product candidates, if approved; |
| • | the implementation of our business model, strategic plans for our business, product candidates and technology; |
| • | the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates and technology; |
| • | estimates of our expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing; |
| • | the potential benefits of strategic collaboration agreements and our ability to enter into strategic arrangements; |
| • | our ability to maintain and establish collaborations or obtain additional grant funding; |
| • | the rate and degree of market acceptance of our product candidates, if approved by regulatory authorities; |
| • | our financial performance; |
| • | developments relating to our competitors and our industry, including competing therapies; and |
| • | other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. |
3
Table of Contents
As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame or at all. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
You should read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
This prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement may contain market data and industry forecasts that were obtained from industry publications. These data involve a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. While we believe the market position, market opportunity and market size information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement is generally reliable, such information is inherently imprecise.
4
Table of Contents
We are a clinical-stage specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on changing the field of immunotherapy by developing a novel technology platform called Viaskin. Our therapeutic approach is based on epicutaneous immunotherapy, or EPIT, our proprietary method of delivering biologically active compounds to the immune system through intact skin using Viaskin. We have generated significant data demonstrating that Viaskin’s mechanism of action is novel and differentiated as it targets specific antigen-presenting immune cells in the skin, called Langerhans cells, which capture the antigen and migrate to the lymph node in order to activate the immune system without allowing passage of the antigen into the bloodstream, minimizing systemic exposure in the body. We are advancing this unique technology to address areas of unmet medical need, including in patients suffering from food allergies, for whom safety is paramount as the introduction of the offending allergen into their bloodstream can cause severe or life-threatening allergic reactions, such as anaphylactic shock.
Our legal and commercial name is DBV Technologies S.A. We were incorporated as a société par actions simplifiée (S.A.S.) under the laws of the French Republic on March 29, 2002 for a period of 99 years and subsequently converted on March 13, 2003 into a société anonyme. We are registered at the Nanterre Commerce and Companies Register under the number 441 772 522. Our principal executive offices are located at 177-181 Avenue Pierre Brossolette – 92120 Montrouge France and our telephone number is +33 1 55 42 78 78. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc. We maintain a corporate website at www.dbv-technologies.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.
Our ordinary shares in the form of ADSs have been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “DBVT” since October 22, 2014. Our ordinary shares have been trading on Euronext Paris under the symbol “DBV” since March 28, 2012.
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to purchase our securities, you should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference from Part I, Item 3.D. of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and the other information contained in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement, as updated by those subsequent filings with the SEC under the Exchange Act, that are incorporated herein by reference. These risks could materially affect our business, results of operations or financial condition and cause the value of our securities to decline, in which case you may lose all or part of your investment. For more information, see “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
Unless otherwise set forth in a prospectus supplement, we currently intend to use the net proceeds of any offering of securities for working capital and other general corporate purposes. Accordingly, we will have significant discretion in the use of any net proceeds. We may provide additional information on the use of the net proceeds from the sale of the offered securities in an applicable prospectus supplement relating to the offered securities.
We intend to include information about our capitalization and indebtedness in prospectus supplements.
5
Table of Contents
The following description of our share capital summarizes certain provisions of our by-laws. Such summaries do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of our by-laws, a copy of which has been filed with the SEC.
General
As of March 31, 2020, our outstanding share capital consisted of a total of 54,927,187 issued ordinary shares, fully paid and with a nominal value €0.10 per share. We have no preferred shares outstanding.
Under French law, our by-laws set forth only our issued and outstanding share capital as of the date of the by-laws. Our fully diluted share capital represents all issued and outstanding shares, as well as all potential shares which may be issued upon exercise of outstanding employee warrants, employee share options and non-employee warrants, as approved by our shareholders and granted by our board of directors.
Reconciliation of the Number of Ordinary Shares Outstanding through March 31, 2020
| Shares outstanding at December 31, 2017 |
24,990,822 | |||
| Number of shares issued in connection with March 2018 Global offering |
4,056,914 | |||
| Number of ordinary shares issued in connection with the exercise of employee warrants, share options and non-employee warrants and the acquisition of free shares |
1,110,041 | |||
| Shares outstanding at December 31, 2018 |
30,157,777 | |||
| Number of shares issued in connection with April 2019 Global offering |
6,000,000 | |||
| Number of shares issued in connection with October 2019 Global offering |
10,852,733 | |||
| Number of ordinary shares issued in connection with the exercise of employee warrants, share options and non-employee warrants and the acquisition of free shares |
18,000 | |||
| Shares outstanding at December 31, 2019 |
47,028,510 | |||
| Number of ordinary shares issued in connection with the exercise of employee warrants, share options and non-employee warrants and the acquisition of free shares |
59,990 | |||
| Number of shares issued in connection with February 2020 Global offering |
7,838,687 | |||
| Shares outstanding at March 31, 2020 |
54,927,187 |
Shareholder Authorizations Regarding Share Capital
At our 2020 combined shareholders’ meeting held on April 20, 2020, our board of directors received the following authorizations from shareholders:
| • | authorization to buy-back up to 5% of our shares at a maximum price per share of €100.00 per share for a duration of 18 months; |
| • | delegation of authority to increase our share capital by incorporation of reserves, profits or premium either by the issuance of new shares attributed to each existing shareholder or by the increase of the nominal value per share, or by combining these two methods, for a duration of 26 months within a maximum aggregate potential dilution of 27,463,593 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at April 30, 2020 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution of 50% of our share capital at the date of the relevant share capital increase) (of which no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020); |
| • | delegations of authority to increase our share capital by issuing ordinary shares giving access, if applicable, to ordinary shares or the allocation of debt securities (of the company or any group company) and/or securities giving access to ordinary shares (of the company or any group company), |
6
Table of Contents
| without preferential subscription rights (except for the rights offering), through public offerings (except offerings under Article L. 411-2 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code) and/or offerings under Article L. 411-2. 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code for the maximum duration permitted under French law (26 months) within a maximum aggregate potential dilution of 16,478,156 or 10,985,437 (depending on the delegations) shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at April 30, 2020 (each delegation of authority has been capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to a percentage of 30% or 20% of our share capital, respectively (depending on the delegations) at the date of the relevant share capital increase) (of which no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020), it being specified that any increases of our share capital under these delegations of authority (public offerings (except offerings under Article L. 411-2 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code) and/or offerings under Article L. 411-2. 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code) together with any increases of our share capital under the delegation of authority mentioned in the two following paragraphs (authority to increase our share capital to the benefit of persons meeting certain characteristics, and authority to increase our share capital by issuing securities in view of remuneration of contributions in kind) have been granted within a maximum potential dilution of 35,702,671 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at the date of the shareholders’ meeting (these delegations of authority being capped to a percentage of 65% of our share capital at the date of the shareholders’ meeting) (of which no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020); |
| • | delegation of authority to increase our share capital by issuing ordinary shares giving access, if applicable, to ordinary shares or the allocation of debt securities (of the company or any group company) and/or securities giving access to ordinary shares (of the company or any group company) without preferential subscription rights, to the benefit of categories of persons meeting certain characteristics, for a duration of 18 months within a maximum potential dilution of 16,478,156 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at April 30, 2020 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution of 30% of our share capital at the date of the relevant share capital increase) (of which no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020), it being specified that any increases of our share capital under this delegation of authority (authority to increase our share capital to the benefit of persons meeting certain characteristics) together with any increases of our share capital under the delegations of authority mentioned in the previous paragraph (authority to increase our share capital through public offerings (except offerings under Article L. 411-2 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code) and/or offerings under Article L. 411-2. 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code) and in the following paragraph (authority to increase our share capital by issuing securities in view of remuneration of contributions in kind) have been granted within a maximum potential dilution of 35,702,671 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at the date of the shareholders’ meeting (these delegations of authority being capped to a percentage of 65% of our share capital at the date of the shareholders’ meeting) (of which no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020); |
| • | delegation of authority to increase our share capital by issuing securities in view of remuneration of contributions in kind (shares and/or securities giving access to the share capital) to our company for a duration of 26 months within a maximum potential dilution of 5,492,718 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at April 30, 2020 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to 10% of our share capital at the date of the shareholders’ meeting), (of which no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020), it being specified that any increases of our share capital under this delegations of authority (authority to increase our share capital by issuing securities in view of remuneration of contributions in kind) together with any increases of our share capital under the delegation of authority mentioned in the two aforementioned paragraphs (authority to increase our share capital through public offerings (except offerings under Article L. 411-2 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code) and/or offerings under Article L. 411-2. 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code, and authority to increase our share capital to the benefit of persons meeting certain characteristics) have been granted within a maximum potential dilution of 35,702,671 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at the date of the shareholders’ meeting (these delegations of authority |
7
Table of Contents
| being capped to a percentage of 65% of our share capital at the date of the shareholders’ meeting) (of which no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020); |
| • | delegation of authority to increase our share capital by issuing ordinary shares and/or securities giving access to our share capital without preferential subscription rights, to the benefit of employees investing in our company saving plan (plan d’épargne entreprise), for a duration of 26 months, within a maximum aggregate potential dilution of 1,098,543 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at April 30, 2020 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to 2% of our share capital at the date of the relevant share capital increase) (of which no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020, for which such delegation our shareholders automatically waived their preferential subscription rights with respect to all such issuances); |
| • | authorization to grant free shares (attribution gratuite d’actions) to our employees and/or certain officers, for a duration of 18 months, within a maximum potential dilution of 1,098,543 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at April 30, 2020 (such authorization being capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to 2% of our share capital at the date of the relevant granting) (of which 20,000 free shares have been granted but no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020, for which delegation our shareholders waived automatically their preferential subscription rights with respect to all such grants); and |
| • | authorization to grant share options (options de souscription et/ou d’achat d’actions) to our employees and/or certain officers for a maximum duration of 18 months, within a maximum potential dilution of 4,119,539 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at April 30, 2020 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to 7.5% of our share capital at the date of the relevant granting) (of which no options have been granted and no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020 for which delegation our shareholders waived automatically their preferential subscription rights with respect to all such grants). |
Furthermore, our board of directors received the following delegations from the shareholders at our combined shareholders’ meeting held on May 24, 2019:
| • | authorization to cancel the shares bought back by the company up to 5% of our shares (such authorization being capped to a maximum of 5% of our share capital at the date of the relevant cancellation decision) and to decrease our share capital accordingly, for a duration of 24 months (of which no shares have been canceled as of April 30, 2020); |
| • | delegation of authority to issue equity warrants (bons de souscription d’actions, bons de souscription et/ou d’acquisition d’actions nouvelles et/ou existantes) or redeemable equity warrants (bons de souscription et/ou d’acquisition d’actions nouvelles et/ou existantes remboursables) without preferential subscription rights, to the benefit of categories of persons meeting certain characteristics for a maximum duration of 18 months, within a maximum potential dilution of 180,788 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at May 24, 2019 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to 0.5% of our share capital on the date of the shareholders’ meeting) (of which no warrants have been issued as of April 30, 2020, for which delegation our shareholders waived automatically their preferential subscription rights with respect to all such issuances); and |
| • | delegation of authority to increase our share capital by issuing ordinary shares giving access, if applicable, to ordinary shares or the allocation of debt securities (of the company or any group company) and/or securities giving access to ordinary shares (of the company or any group company), with preferential subscription rights, for a duration of 26 months within a maximum aggregate potential dilution of 21,970,874 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at April 30, 2020 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution of 40% of our share capital at the date of the relevant share capital increase) (of which no shares have been issued as of April 30, 2020). |
8
Table of Contents
Key Provisions of Our By-laws and French Law Affecting Our Ordinary Shares
The description below reflects the terms of our by-laws, and summarizes the material rights of holders of our ordinary shares under French law. Please note that this is only a summary and is not intended to be exhaustive. For further information, please refer to the full version of our by-laws.
Corporate Purpose (Article 4 of the By-laws)
Our corporate purpose in France and abroad includes:
| • | the development of any innovative medical product, and in particular any drug, diagnostic, or care product; |
| • | the study, research, development, industrial manufacture, and marketing of such products; and |
| • | the use and the development of all patents or any licenses relating to these products, and generally, all commercial transactions, moveable or immoveable, financial or otherwise, directly or indirectly related, in whole or in part, to the company’s objective or any other similar or related objective, which may facilitate operation and business development. |
Directors
Directors’ Designation. Directors are designated at a shareholders’ ordinary general meeting, by a simple majority vote of the shareholders present and voting at the meeting in person or by proxy, for a period of two years that expires at the end of the shareholders’ general meeting convened to approve the financial statements for the past fiscal year and held in the year during which the respective director’s term expires.
Vacancies on the Board of Directors. Under French law, vacancies on the board of directors resulting from death or a resignation, provided that at least three directors remain in office, may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors pending ratification by the shareholders by the next shareholders’ meeting.
Quorum and Voting (Article 11 of the By-laws). The board of directors can only deliberate if at least half of the directors attend the meeting in the manners provided for in our by-laws. French law and the rules of procedure of the board allow directors to attend meetings of the board of directors in person or, to the extent permitted by applicable law, by videoconference or other telecommunications arrangements. Decisions of the board of directors are taken by the majority of the voting rights held by the directors present or represented.
Directors’ Voting Powers on Proposal, Arrangement or Contract in which any Director Is Materially Interested. Under French law, any agreement entered into (directly or through an intermediary) between us and any director that is not entered into (1) in the ordinary course of our business and (2) upon standard market terms is subject to the prior authorization of the board of directors (it being specified that the interested director cannot vote on such decision). The same provision applies to agreements between us and another company if one of our directors is the owner or a general partner, manager, director, general manager or member of the executive or supervisory board of the other company, as well as to agreements in which one of our directors has an indirect interest.
Directors’ Compensation. The aggregate amount of the compensation (rémunération de l’activité) of the board of directors is determined at the shareholders’ annual ordinary general meeting, on the basis of a submission of the board of directors of proposed compensation for the board of directors, following the recommendation of the compensation committee (comité des rémunérations) which is comprised of four directors, of which at least two are independent, to the board. The board of directors then divides this aggregate amount among some or all of its members by a simple majority vote, on the basis of a proposal of the compensation committee.
In addition, the board of directors may grant exceptional compensation (rémunérations exceptionnelles) to individual directors on a case-by-case basis for special and temporary assignments. The board of directors may
9
Table of Contents
also authorize the reimbursement of reasonable travel and accommodation expenses, as well as other expenses incurred by directors in the corporate interest.
Board of Directors’ Borrowing Powers. There are currently no limits imposed on the amounts of loans or borrowings that the board of directors may approve.
Directors’ Age Limits (Article 10 of the By-laws). The number of directors who are more than 80 years old may not exceed one-third of the directors in office.
Directors’ Share Ownership Requirements. None.
Rights, Preferences and Restrictions Attaching to Ordinary Shares
Dividends (Article 37 of the By-laws). We may only distribute dividends out of our “distributable profits,” plus any amounts held in our reserves that the shareholders decide to make available for distribution, other than those reserves that are specifically required by law.
“Distributable Profits” consist of our unconsolidated net profit in each fiscal year, as increased or reduced by any profit or loss carried forward from prior years, less any contributions to the reserve accounts pursuant to French law (see below).
Legal Reserve. Pursuant to French law, we must allocate 5% of our unconsolidated net profit for each year to our legal reserve fund before dividends may be paid with respect to that year. Funds must be allocated until the amount in the legal reserve is equal to 10% of the aggregate par value of the issued and outstanding share capital. This restriction on the payment of dividends also applies to our French subsidiary on an unconsolidated basis.
Approval of Dividends. Pursuant to French law, our board of directors may propose a dividend for approval by the shareholders at the annual ordinary general meeting.
Upon recommendation of our board of directors, our shareholders may decide to allocate all or part of any distributable profits to special or general reserves, to carry them forward to the next fiscal year as retained earnings or to allocate them to the shareholders as dividends. However, dividends may not be distributed when our net assets are or would become as a result of such distribution lower than the amount of the share capital plus the amount of the legal reserves which, under French law, may not be distributed to shareholders (the amount of our share capital which may not be distributed was equal to €5.5 million on April 20, 2020).
Our board of directors may distribute interim dividends after the end of the fiscal year but before the approval of the financial statements for the relevant fiscal year when the interim balance sheet, established during such year and certified by an auditor, reflects that we have earned distributable profits since the close of the last financial year, after recognizing the necessary depreciation and provisions and after deducting prior losses, if any, and the sums to be allocated to reserves, as required by law or the by-laws, and including any retained earnings. The amount of such interim dividends may not exceed the amount of the profit so defined.
Distribution of Dividends. Dividends are distributed to shareholders pro rata according to their respective holdings of shares. In the case of interim dividends, distributions are made to shareholders on the date set by our board of directors during the meeting in which the distribution of interim dividends is approved. The actual dividend payment date is decided by the shareholders at an ordinary general shareholders’ meeting or by our board of directors in the absence of such a decision by the shareholders. Shareholders that own shares on the actual payment date are entitled to the dividend.
Dividends may be paid in cash or, if the shareholders’ meeting so decides, in kind, provided that all shareholders receive a whole number of assets of the same nature paid in lieu of cash.
10
Table of Contents
Timing of Payment. Pursuant to French law, dividends must be paid within a maximum of nine months after the close of the relevant fiscal year, unless extended by court order. Dividends not claimed within five years after the payment date shall be deemed to expire and revert to the French state.
Voting Rights (Article 33 of the By-laws). Each share shall entitle its holder to vote and be represented in the shareholders’ meetings in accordance with the provisions of French law and of our by-laws. Ownership of one share implies, ipso jure, adherence to our by-laws and the decisions of the shareholders’ meeting.
In general, each shareholder is entitled to one vote per share at any general shareholders’ meeting. Pursuant to Law no. 2014-384 of March 29, 2014, as of April 2016, double voting rights are automatically granted to shares registered under a shareholder’s name for more than two years, unless the by-laws are modified in order to provide otherwise. Our by-laws (Article 23 of the by-laws) were amended by the general meeting dated June 23, 2015 in order to expressly prohibit the use of double voting rights following the modification of the provisions of Article L. 225-123 of the French Commercial Code by Law no. 2014-384 of March 29, 2014. As a consequence, each shareholder is entitled to one vote per share at any general shareholders’ meeting.
Under French law, treasury shares or shares held by entities controlled by us are not entitled to voting rights and do not count for quorum purposes.
Rights to Share in Our Profit. Each ordinary share entitles its holder to a portion of the corporate profits and assets proportional to the amount of share capital represented thereby.
Rights to Share in the Surplus in the Event of Liquidation (Article 38 of the By-laws). If we are liquidated, any assets remaining after payment of the debts, liquidation expenses and all of the remaining obligations will first be used to repay in full the par value of our shares. Any surplus will be distributed pro rata among shareholders in proportion to the number of shares respectively held by them, taking into account, where applicable, of the rights attached to shares of different classes.
Repurchase and Redemption of Shares. Under French law, we may acquire our own shares for the following purposes only:
| • | to decrease our share capital, provided that such a decision is not driven by losses and that a purchase offer is made to all shareholders on a pro rata basis, with the approval of the shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting; in this case, the shares repurchased must be cancelled within one month from the expiry of the purchase offer; |
| • | to provide shares for distribution to employees or managers under a profit-sharing, free share or share option plan; in this case the shares repurchased must be distributed within 12 months from their repurchase failing which they must be cancelled; or |
| • | under a buy-back program to be authorized by the shareholders in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 225—209 of the French Commercial Code and in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 16, 2014 on market abuse, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of March 8, 2016, and the general regulations of, and market practices accepted by the Autorité des marchés financiers, or the AMF. |
No such repurchase of shares may result in us holding, directly or through a person acting on our behalf, more than 10% of our issued share capital. Shares repurchased by us continue to be deemed “issued” under French law but are not entitled to dividends or voting rights so long as we hold them directly or indirectly, and we may not exercise the preemptive rights attached to them.
Sinking Fund Provisions. Our by-laws do not provide for any sinking fund provisions.
Liability to Further Capital Calls. Shareholders are liable for corporate liabilities only up to the par value of the shares they hold; they are not liable to further capital calls.
11
Table of Contents
Requirements for Holdings Exceeding Certain Percentages. None except as described under the section of this prospectus titled “—Form, Holding and Transfer of Shares—Ownership of Shares by Non-French Persons.”
Actions Necessary to Modify Shareholders’ Rights
Shareholders’ rights may be modified as allowed by French law. Only the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting is authorized to amend any and all provisions of our by-laws. It may not, however, increase shareholder commitments without the prior approval of each shareholder.
Special Voting Rights of Warrant Holders
Under French law, the holders of warrants of the same class (i.e., warrants that were issued at the same time and with the same rights), including founders’ warrants, are entitled to vote as a separate class at a general meeting of that class of warrant holders under certain circumstances, principally in connection with any proposed modification of the terms and conditions of the class of warrants or any proposed issuance of preferred shares or any modification of the rights of any outstanding class or series of preferred shares.
Rules for Admission to and Calling Annual Shareholders’ Meetings and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meetings
Access to, Participation in and Voting Rights at Shareholders’ Meetings (Articles 20 & 21 of the By-laws). Shareholders’ meetings are composed of all shareholders. Each shareholder has the right to attend the meetings and participate in the discussions (1) personally, or (2) by granting proxy to any individual or legal entity of his choosing; or (3) by sending a proxy to the company without indication of the mandate, or (4) by voting by correspondence, or (5) by videoconference or another means of telecommunication in accordance with applicable laws that allow identification. The board of directors organizes, in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, the participation and vote of these shareholders at the meeting, assuring, in particular, the effectiveness of the means of identification.
Participation in shareholders’ general meetings, in any form whatsoever, is subject to registration or registration of shares under the conditions and time limits provided for applicable laws.
The final date for returning voting ballots by correspondence is set by the board of directors and disclosed in the notice of meeting published in the French Journal of Mandatory Statutory Notices (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO)). This date cannot be earlier than three days prior to the meeting.
The shareholder having voted by correspondence will no longer be able to participate directly in the meeting or to be represented. In the case of returning the proxy form and the voting by correspondence form, the proxy form is taken into account, subject to the votes cast in the voting by correspondence form.
Any shareholder may be represented at meetings by any individual or legal entity of his choosing, by means of a proxy form which is addressed to him by us (1) at his request, addressed to us by any means. This request must be received at the registered office at least five days before the date of the meeting; or (2) at our initiative.
The proxy is only valid for a single meeting or for successive meetings convened with the same agenda. It can also be granted for two meetings, one ordinary, the other extraordinary, held on the same day or within a period of fifteen days.
Any shareholder may vote by correspondence by means of a voting form, which is sent by us (1) upon request, addressed in writing (this request must be received at the registered office at least six days before the date of the meeting); or (2) at our initiative; or (3) in appendix to a proxy voting form under the conditions provided for by current laws and requirements. In any case this voting form is available on our website at least 21 days before the date of the meeting.
12
Table of Contents
The voting by correspondence form addressed by a shareholder is only valid for a single meeting or for successive meetings convened with the same agenda.
To better understand the voting rights of the ADSs, you should carefully read the section in this prospectus titled “Description of American Depositary Shares—Voting Rights.”
Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meetings. Shareholders’ meetings are convened by our board of directors, or, failing that, by the statutory auditors, or by a court appointed agent or liquidator in certain circumstances. Meetings are held at our registered offices or at any other location indicated in the convening notice. A convening notice is published in the French Journal of Mandatory Statutory Notices (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO)) at least 35 days prior to a meeting, as well as on our website at least 21 days prior to the meeting. In addition to the particulars relative to the company, it indicates, notably, the meeting’s agenda and the draft resolutions that will be presented. The requests for recording of issues or draft resolutions on the agenda must be addressed to the company under the conditions provided for in the current legislation.
Subject to special legal provisions, the meeting notice is sent out at least fifteen days prior to the date of the meeting, by means of a notice inserted both in a legal announcement bulletin of the registered office department and in the French Journal of Mandatory Statutory Notices (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO)). Further, the holders of registered shares for at least a month at the time of the latest of the insertions of the notice of meeting shall be summoned individually, by regular letter (or by registered letter if they request it and include an advance of expenses) sent to their last known address. This notice may also be transmitted by electronic means of telecommunication, in lieu of any such mailing, to any shareholder requesting it beforehand by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, specifying his e-mail address. The latter may at any time expressly request by registered letter to the company with acknowledgment of receipt that the aforementioned means of telecommunication should be replaced in the future by a mailing.
The convening notice must also indicate the conditions under which the shareholders may vote by correspondence and the places and conditions in which they can obtain voting forms by mail.
The convening notice may be addressed, where appropriate, with a proxy form and a voting by correspondence form, under the conditions specified in our by-laws, or with a voting by correspondence form alone, under the conditions specified in our by-laws. When the shareholders’ meeting cannot deliberate due to the lack of the required quorum, the second meeting must be called at least ten days in advance in the same manner as used for the first notice.
Agenda and Conduct of Annual Shareholders’ Meetings. The agenda of the shareholders’ meeting shall appear in the notice to convene the meeting and is set by the author of the notice. The shareholders’ meeting may only deliberate on the items on the agenda except for the removal of directors and the appointment of their successors which may be put to vote by any shareholder during any shareholders’ meeting. One or more shareholders representing a percentage of share capital required by French law (currently at 5%), and acting in accordance with legal requirements and within applicable time limits, may request the inclusion of items or proposed resolutions on the agenda.
Shareholders’ meetings shall be chaired by the Chairman of the board of directors or, in his or her absence, the meeting itself shall elect a Chairman. Vote counting shall be performed by the two members of the meeting who are present and accept such duties, who represent, either on their own behalf or as proxies, the greatest number of votes.
Ordinary Shareholders’ Meeting. Ordinary shareholders’ meetings are those meetings called to make any and all decisions that do not amend our by-laws. An ordinary meeting shall be convened at least once a year within six months of the end of each fiscal year in order to approve the annual and consolidated accounts for the relevant
13
Table of Contents
fiscal year or, in case of postponement, within the period established by court order. Upon first notice, the meeting may validly deliberate only if the shareholders present or represented by proxy or voting by mail represent at least one-fifth of the shares entitled to vote. Upon second notice, no quorum is required. Decisions are made by a majority of the votes submitted by the shareholders present or represented (by proxy or by mail). .Abstentions shall not be considered as votes submitted by the relevant shareholders for the purpose of determining the majority.
Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting. Only an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting is authorized to amend our by-laws. It may not, however, increase shareholder commitments without the approval of each shareholder. Subject to the legal provisions governing share capital increases from reserves, profits or share premiums, the resolutions of the extraordinary meeting shall be valid only if the shareholders present, represented by proxy or voting by mail represent at least one-fifth of all shares entitled to vote upon first notice, it being specified that, upon second notice, no quorum is required as long as the original agenda is not modified. If the latter quorum is not reached, the second meeting may be postponed to a date no later than two months after the date for which it was initially called.
For extraordinary shareholders’ meetings held prior to the ordinary shareholders’ meeting to be held for submission to the shareholders’ approval of the 2019 financial statements, decisions are made by a two-thirds majority of the votes held by the shareholders present, represented by proxy, or voting by mail. Abstentions will have the same effect of a “no” vote.
For extraordinary shareholders’ meetings held on or after the ordinary shareholders’ meeting to be held for submission to the shareholders’ approval of the 2019 financial statements, decisions are made by a two-thirds majority of the votes submitted by the shareholders present or represented (by proxy or by mail). Abstentions shall not be considered as votes submitted by the relevant shareholders for the purpose of determining the majority.
Provisions Having the Effect of Delaying, Deferring or Preventing a Change in Control of the Company
Provisions contained in our by-laws and the corporate laws of France, the country in which we are incorporated, could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire us, even if doing so might be beneficial to our shareholders. These provisions include the following:
| • | a merger (i.e., in a French law context, a stock for stock exchange following which our company would be dissolved into the acquiring entity and our shareholders would become shareholders of the acquiring entity) of our company into a company incorporated in the European Union would require the approval of our board of directors as well as a two-thirds majority of the votes held by the shareholders present, represented by proxy or voting by mail at the relevant meeting; |
| • | a merger of our company into a company incorporated outside of the European Union would require 100% of our shareholders to approve it; |
| • | under French law, a cash merger is treated as a share purchase and would require the consent of each participating shareholder; |
| • | our shareholders have granted and may grant in the future our board of directors broad authorizations to increase our share capital or to issue additional ordinary shares or other securities (for example, warrants) to our shareholders, the public or qualified investors, including as a possible defense following the launching of a tender offer for our shares; |
| • | our shareholders have preferential subscription rights on a pro rata basis on the issuance by us of any additional securities for cash or a set-off of cash debts, which rights may only be waived by the extraordinary general meeting (by a two-thirds majority vote) of our shareholders or on an individual basis by each shareholder; |
14
Table of Contents
| • | our board of directors has the right to appoint directors to fill a vacancy created by the resignation or death of a director, subject to the approval by the shareholders of such appointment at the next shareholders’ meeting, which prevents shareholders from having the sole right to fill vacancies on our board of directors; |
| • | our board of directors can only be convened by its chairman or, when no board meeting has been held for more than two consecutive months, by directors representing at least one fourth of the total number of directors; |
| • | our board of directors meetings can only be regularly held if at least half of the directors attend either physically or by way of videoconference or teleconference enabling the directors’ identification and ensuring their effective participation in the board’s decisions; |
| • | the shares are nominative or bearer, if the legislation so permits, according to the shareholder’s choice. Shares issued are registered in individual accounts opened by the company or any authorized intermediary, in the name of each shareholder and kept according to the terms and conditions laid down by the legal and regulatory provisions; |
| • | under French law, a non-resident of France may have to file an administrative notice with French authorities in connection with a direct or indirect investment in us, as defined by administrative rulings; see the section of this prospectus titled “Limitations Affecting Shareholders of a French Company”; |
| • | approval of at least a majority of the votes held by shareholders present, represented by a proxy, or voting by mail at the relevant ordinary shareholders’ general meeting is required to remove directors with or without cause; |
| • | advance notice is required for nominations to the board of directors or for proposing matters to be acted upon at a shareholders’ meeting, except that a vote to remove and replace a director can be proposed at any shareholders’ meeting without notice; |
| • | the by-laws can be changed in accordance with applicable laws; |
| • | the crossing of certain thresholds has to be disclosed and can impose certain obligations; see the section of this prospectus below titled “Declaration of Crossing of Ownership Thresholds”; |
| • | transfers of shares shall comply with applicable insider trading rules; and |
| • | pursuant to French law, the sections of the by-laws relating to the number of directors and election and removal of a director from office may only be modified by a resolution adopted by at least a two-thirds majority vote of our shareholders present, represented by a proxy or voting by mail at the meeting. |
Declaration of Crossing of Ownership Thresholds
Set forth below is a summary of certain provisions of our by-laws and of the French Commercial Code applicable to us. This summary is not intended to be a complete description of applicable rules under French law.
Any individual or legal entity referred to in Articles L.233-7, L.233-9 and L.223-10 of the French Commercial Code coming to directly or indirectly own, alone or in concert, a number of shares representing a fraction of the company’s capital or voting rights greater or equal to 2.5% or a multiple of this percentage must inform the company of the total number of shares and voting rights and of securities giving access to the capital or voting rights that it owns immediately or over time, by registered letter with request for acknowledgment of receipt addressed to the registered office within a period of four trading days from the crossing of the said holding thresholds.
This obligation also applies under the same conditions when crossing each of the above-mentioned thresholds in a downward direction.
15
Table of Contents
In case of failure to declare, shares or voting rights exceeding the fraction that should have been declared are deprived of voting rights at general meetings of shareholders for any meeting that would be held until the expiry of a period of two years from the date of regularization of the notification in accordance with Article L. 233-14 of the Commercial Code, if the failure to declare has been determined and one or several shareholders holding at least 2.5% of the capital make the request recorded in the minutes of the general meeting.
These requirements are without prejudice to the threshold crossing declarations provided for under French law which impose a declaration to us and to the AMF upon crossing of the following thresholds no later than the 4th training day following the crossing: 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 33.33%, 50%, 66.66%, 90% and 95%.
Further, any shareholder crossing, alone or acting in concert, the 10%, 15%, 20% or 25% threshold shall file a declaration pursuant to which it shall expose its intention over the following 6 months, including notably whether it intends to continue acquiring shares of the company, it intends to acquire control over the company, its intended strategy for the company.
Further, and subject to certain exemptions, any shareholder crossing, alone or acting in concert, the 30% threshold shall file a mandatory public tender offer. Also, any shareholder holding directly or indirectly a number between 30% and 50% of the capital or voting rights and who, in less than twelve consecutive months, increases his/her/its holding of capital or voting rights by at least 1% company’s capital or voting rights, shall file a mandatory public tender offer.
Changes in Share Capital
Increases in Share Capital. Pursuant to French law, our share capital may be increased only with shareholders’ approval at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting following the recommendation of our board of directors. The shareholders may delegate to our board of directors either the authority (délégation de compétence) or the power (délégation de pouvoir) to carry out any increase in share capital.
Increases in our share capital may be effected by:
| • | issuing additional shares; |
| • | increasing the par value of existing shares; |
| • | creating a new class of equity securities; and |
| • | exercising the rights attached to securities giving access to the share capital. |
Increases in share capital by issuing additional securities may be effected through one or a combination of the following:
| • | in consideration for cash; |
| • | in consideration for assets contributed in kind; |
| • | through an exchange offer; |
| • | by conversion of previously issued debt instruments; |
| • | by capitalization of profits, reserves or share premium; and |
| • | subject to certain conditions, by way of offset against debt incurred by us. |
Decisions to increase the share capital through the capitalization of reserves, profits and/or share premium require shareholders’ approval at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting, acting under the quorum and majority requirements applicable to ordinary shareholders’ meetings. Increases effected by an increase in the par value of shares require unanimous approval of the shareholders, unless effected by capitalization of reserves, profits or share premium. All other capital increases require shareholders’ approval at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting acting under the regular quorum and majority requirements for such meetings.
16
Table of Contents
Reduction in Share Capital. Pursuant to French law, any reduction in our share capital requires shareholders’ approval at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting following the recommendation of our board of directors. The share capital may be reduced either by decreasing the par value of the outstanding shares or by reducing the number of outstanding shares. The number of outstanding shares may be reduced by the repurchase and cancellation of shares. Holders of each class of shares must be treated equally unless each affected shareholder agrees otherwise.
Preferential Subscription Right. According to French law, if we issue additional securities for cash, current shareholders will have preferential subscription rights to these securities on a pro rata basis. Preferential subscription rights entitle the individual or entity that holds them to subscribe pro rata based on the number of shares held by them to the issuance of any securities increasing, or that may result in an increase of, our share capital by means of a cash payment or a set-off of cash debts. The preferential subscription rights are transferable during the subscription period relating to a particular offering.
The preferential subscription rights with respect to any particular offering may be waived at an extraordinary general meeting by a two-thirds vote of our shareholders or individually by each shareholder. Our board of directors and our independent auditors are required by French law to present reports to the shareholders’ meeting that specifically address any proposal to waive the preferential subscription rights.
In the future, to the extent permitted under French law, we may seek shareholder approval to waive preferential subscription rights at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting in order to authorize the board of directors to issue additional shares and/or other securities convertible or exchangeable into shares.
Form, Holding and Transfer of Shares
Form of Shares. The shares are nominative or bearer, if the legislation so permits, according to the shareholder’s choice.
Further, in accordance with applicable laws, we may request at any time from the central depository responsible for holding our shares, the information referred to in Article L. 228-2 of the French Commercial Code. Thus, we are, in particular and at any time, entitled to request the name and year of birth or, in the case of a legal entity, the name and the year of incorporation, nationality and address of holders of securities conferring immediate or long-term voting rights at its general meetings of shareholders and the amount of securities owned by each of them and, where applicable, the restrictions that the securities could be affected by.
Holding of Shares. In accordance with French law concerning the “dematerialization” of securities, the ownership rights of shareholders are represented by book entries instead of share certificates. Shares issued are registered in individual accounts opened by us or any authorized intermediary, in the name of each shareholder and kept according to the terms and conditions laid down by the legal and regulatory provisions.
Ownership of Shares by Non-French Persons. Neither French law nor our by-laws limit the right of non-residents of France or non-French persons to own or, where applicable, to vote our securities.
Assignment and Transfer of Shares. Shares are freely negotiable, subject to applicable legal and regulatory provisions. French law notably provides for standstill obligations and prohibition of insider trading.
Listing
Our ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “DBVT” and our ordinary shares are listed on Euronext Paris under the symbol “DBV.”
17
Table of Contents
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our ADSs is Citibank, N.A. The transfer agent and registrar for our ordinary shares is Société Générale Securities Services.
Differences in Corporate Law
The laws applicable to French sociétés anonymes differ from laws applicable to U.S. corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of certain differences between the provisions of the French Commercial Code applicable to us and the Delaware General Corporation Law relating to shareholders’ rights and protections. This summary is not intended to be a complete discussion of the respective rights and it is qualified in its entirety by reference to Delaware law and French law.
| France |
Delaware | |||
| Number of Directors | Under French law, a société anonyme must have at least three and may have up to 18 directors. The number of directors is fixed by or in the manner provided in the by-laws. | Under Delaware law, a corporation must have at least one director and the number of directors shall be fixed by or in the manner provided in the by-laws. | ||
| Director Qualifications | Under French law, a corporation may prescribe qualifications for directors under its by-laws. In addition, under French law, members of a board of directors of a corporation may be legal entities, and such legal entities may designate an individual to represent them and to act on their behalf at meetings of the board of directors. | Under Delaware law, a corporation may prescribe qualifications for directors under its certificate of incorporation or by-laws. Under Delaware law, only individuals may be members of a corporation’s board of directors. | ||
| Removal of Directors | Under French law, directors may be removed from office, with or without cause, at any shareholders’ meeting without notice or justification, by a simple majority vote of the shareholders present and voting at the meeting in person or by proxy. | Under Delaware law, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, directors may be removed from office, with or without cause, by a majority stockholder vote, though in the case of a corporation whose board is classified, stockholders may effect such removal only for cause. | ||
| Vacancies on the Board of Directors | Under French law, vacancies on the board of directors resulting from death or a resignation, provided that at least three directors remain in office, may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors pending ratification by the shareholders by the next shareholders’ meeting. | Under Delaware law, vacancies on a corporation’s board of directors, including those caused by an increase in the number of directors, may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors. | ||
18
Table of Contents
| France |
Delaware | |||
| Annual General Meeting | Under French law, the annual general meeting of shareholders shall be held at such place, on such date and at such time as decided each year by the board of directors and notified to the shareholders in the convening notice of the annual meeting, within six months after the close of the relevant fiscal year unless such period is extended by court order. | Under Delaware law, the annual meeting of stockholders shall be held at such place, on such date and at such time as may be designated from time to time by the board of directors or as provided in the certificate of incorporation or by the by-laws. | ||
| General Meeting | Under French law, general meetings of the shareholders may be called by the board of directors or, failing that, by the statutory auditors, or by a court appointed agent or liquidator in certain circumstances, or by the majority shareholder in capital or voting rights following a public tender offer or exchange offer or the transfer of a controlling block on the date decided by the board of directors or the relevant person. | Under Delaware law, special meetings of the stockholders may be called by the board of directors or by such person or persons as may be authorized by the certificate of incorporation or by the by-laws. | ||
| Notice of General Meetings | A convening notice is published in the French Journal of Mandatory Statutory Notices (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO)) at least 35 days prior to a meeting and made available on the website of the company at least twenty-one day prior to the meeting. Subject to special legal provisions, the meeting notice is sent out at least fifteen days prior to the date of the meeting, by means of a notice inserted both in a legal announcement bulletin of the registered office department and in the BALO. Further, the holders of registered shares for at least a month at the time of the latest of the insertions of the notice of meeting shall be summoned individually, by regular letter (or by registered letter if they request it and include an advance of expenses) sent to their last known address. This | Under Delaware law, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws, written notice of any meeting of the stockholders must be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting and shall specify the place, date, hour, and purpose or purposes of the meeting. | ||
19
Table of Contents
| France |
Delaware | |||
| notice may also be transmitted by electronic means of telecommunication, in lieu of any such mailing, to any shareholder requesting it beforehand by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, specifying his e-mail address. | ||||
| The convening notice must also indicate the conditions under which the shareholders may vote by correspondence and the places and conditions in which they can obtain voting forms by mail. | ||||
| Proxy | Each shareholder has the right to attend the meetings and participate in the discussions (i) personally, or (ii) by granting proxy to any individual or legal entity of his choosing; or (iii) by sending a proxy to the company without indication of the mandate, or (iv) by voting by correspondence, or (v) by videoconference or another means of telecommunication in accordance with applicable laws that allow identification. The proxy is only valid for a single meeting or for successive meetings convened with the same agenda. It can also be granted for two meetings, one ordinary, the other extraordinary, held on the same day or within a period of fifteen days. | Under Delaware law, at any meeting of stockholders, a stockholder may designate another person to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. | ||
| Shareholder Action by Written Consent | Under French law, shareholders’ action by written consent is not permitted in a société anonyme. | Under Delaware law, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation (1) may permit stockholders to act by written consent if such action is signed by all stockholders, (2) may permit stockholders to act by written consent signed by stockholders having the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to take such action at a meeting or (3) may prohibit actions by written consent. | ||
20
Table of Contents
| France |
Delaware | |||
| Preemptive Rights | Under French law, in case of issuance of additional shares or other securities for cash or set-off against cash debts, the existing shareholders have preferential subscription rights to these securities on a pro rata basis unless such rights are waived by a two-thirds majority of the votes held by the shareholders present at the extraordinary meeting deciding or authorizing the capital increase, voting in person or represented by proxy or voting by mail. In case such rights are not waived by the extraordinary general meeting, each stockholder may individually either exercise, assign or not exercise its preferential rights. | Under Delaware law, unless otherwise provided in a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, a stockholder does not, by operation of law, possess preemptive rights to subscribe to additional issuances of the corporation’s stock. | ||
| Sources of Dividends | Under French law, dividends may only be paid by a French société anonyme out of “distributable profits,” plus any distributable reserves and “distributable premium” that the shareholders decide to make available for distribution, other than those reserves that are specifically required by law. “Distributable profits” consist of the unconsolidated net profits of the relevant corporation for each fiscal year, as increased or reduced by any profit or loss carried forward from prior years. “Distributable premium” refers to the contribution paid by the stockholders in addition to the par value of their shares for their subscription that the stockholders decide to make available for distribution.
Except in case of a share capital reduction, no distribution can be made to the stockholders when the net equity is, or would become, lower than the amount of the share capital plus the reserves which cannot be distributed in accordance with the law or by-laws. |
Under Delaware law, dividends may be paid by a Delaware corporation either out of (1) surplus or (2) in case there is no surplus, out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year, except when the capital is 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 issued and outstanding stock having a preference on the distribution of assets. | ||
21
Table of Contents
| France |
Delaware | |||
| Repurchase of Shares | Under French law, a corporation may acquire its own shares for the following purposes only: | Under Delaware law, a corporation may generally redeem or repurchase shares of its stock unless the capital of the corporation is impaired or such redemption or repurchase would impair the capital of the corporation. | ||
| • to decrease its share capital, provided that such decision is not driven by losses and that a purchase offer is made to all shareholders on a pro rata basis, with the approval of the shareholders at the extraordinary general meeting deciding the capital reduction; | ||||
| • with a view to distributing within one year of their repurchase the relevant shares to employees or managers under a profit-sharing, free share or share option plan; or |
||||
| • with a view to distributing within one year of their repurchase the relevant shares to employees or managers under a profit-sharing, free share or share option plan; or |
||||
| • under a buy-back program to be authorized by the shareholders in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 225—209 of the French Commercial Code, in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 16, 2014 on market abuse, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of March 8, 2016, and in accordance with the general regulations of the AMF. |
||||
| No such repurchase of shares may result in the company holding, directly or through a person acting on its behalf, more than 10% of its issued share capital. | ||||
22
Table of Contents
| France |
Delaware | |||
| Liability of Directors and Officers | Under French law, the by-laws may not include any provisions limiting the liability of directors. | Under Delaware law, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation may include a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation and its stockholders for damages arising from a breach of fiduciary duty as a director. However, no provision can limit the liability of a director for: | ||
| • any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; | ||||
| • acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; | ||||
| • intentional or negligent payment of unlawful dividends or stock purchases or redemptions; or | ||||
| • any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit. | ||||
| Voting Rights | French law provides that, unless otherwise provided in the by-laws, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by such shareholder. Further to the introduction of Law No. 2014-384 dated March 29, 2014 (Loi Florange), shares registered under a shareholder’s name for more than two years shall automatically be granted double voting rights from 2016, unless the by-laws expressly reject this measure. | Delaware law provides that, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder. | ||
| Shareholder Vote on Certain Transactions | Generally, under French law, completion of a merger, dissolution, sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of a corporation’s assets requires:
• the approval of the board of directors; and |
Generally, under Delaware law, unless the certificate of incorporation provides for the vote of a larger portion of the stock, completion of a merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all | ||
23
Table of Contents
| France |
Delaware | |||
|
• approval by a two-thirds majority of the votes held by the shareholders present, represented by proxy or
• voting by mail at the relevant meeting or, in the case of a merger with a non-EU company, approval of all shareholders of the corporation. |
of a corporation’s assets or dissolution requires:
• the approval of the board of directors; and
• approval by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding stock or, if the certificate of incorporation provides for more or less than one vote per share, a majority of the votes of the outstanding stock of a corporation entitled to vote on the matter. | |||
| Dissent or Dissenters Appraisal Rights | French law does not provide for any such right but provides that a merger is subject to shareholders’ approval by a two-thirds majority vote as stated above. | Under Delaware law, a holder of shares of any class or series has the right, in specified circumstances, to dissent from a merger or consolidation by demanding payment in cash for the stockholder’s shares equal to the fair value of those shares, as determined by the Delaware Chancery Court in an action timely brought by the corporation or a dissenting stockholder. Delaware law grants these appraisal rights only in the case of mergers or consolidations and not in the case of a sale or transfer of assets or a purchase of assets for stock. Further, no appraisal rights are available for shares of any class or series that is listed on a national securities exchange or held of record by more than 2,000 stockholders, unless the agreement of merger or consolidation requires the holders to accept for their shares anything other than: | ||
| • shares of stock of the surviving corporation; | ||||
| • shares of stock of another corporation that are either listed on a national securities exchange or held of record by more than 2,000 stockholders; | ||||
24
Table of Contents
| France |
Delaware | |||
| • cash in lieu of fractional shares of the stock described in the two preceding bullet points; or | ||||
| • any combination of the above. | ||||
| In addition, appraisal rights are not available to holders of shares of the surviving corporation in specified mergers that do not require the vote of the stockholders of the surviving corporation. | ||||
| Standard of Conduct for Directors | French law does not contain specific provisions setting forth the standard of conduct of a director. However, directors have a duty to act without self-interest, on a well-informed basis and they cannot make any decision against a corporation’s corporate interest (intérêt social). | Delaware law does not contain specific provisions setting forth the standard of conduct of a director. The scope of the fiduciary duties of directors is generally determined by the courts of the State of Delaware. In general, directors have a duty to act without self-interest, on a well- informed basis and in a manner they reasonably believe to be in the best interest of the stockholders. | ||
| Shareholder Suits | French law provides that a shareholder, or a group of shareholders, may initiate a legal action to seek indemnification from the directors of a corporation in the corporation’s interest if it fails to bring such legal action itself. If so, any damages awarded by the court are paid to the corporation and any legal fees relating to such action are borne by the relevant shareholder or the group of shareholders. The plaintiff must remain a shareholder through the duration of the legal action. There is no other case where shareholders may initiate a derivative action to enforce a right of a corporation. |
Under Delaware law, a stockholder may initiate a derivative action to enforce a right of a corporation if the corporation fails to enforce the right itself. The complaint must:
• state that the plaintiff was a stockholder at the time of the transaction of which the plaintiff complains or that the plaintiff’s shares thereafter devolved on the plaintiff by operation of law; and
• allege with particularity the efforts made by the plaintiff to obtain the action the plaintiff desires from the directors and the reasons for the plaintiff’s failure to obtain the action; or | ||
| • state the reasons for not making the effort. | ||||
25
Table of Contents
| France |
Delaware | |||
| A shareholder may alternatively or cumulatively bring individual legal action against the directors, provided he has suffered distinct damages from those suffered by the corporation. In this case, any damages awarded by the court are paid to the relevant shareholder. | • Additionally, the plaintiff must remain a stockholder through the duration of the derivative suit. The action will not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the Delaware Court of Chancery. | |||
| Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation | Unlike companies incorporated under Delaware law, which organizational documents are comprised of a certificate of incorporation and by-laws, companies incorporated under French law only have by-laws (statuts) as organizational documents. As indicated below, only the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting is authorized to adopt or amend the by-laws under French law. | Under Delaware law, generally a corporation may amend its certificate of incorporation if:
• its board of directors has adopted a resolution setting forth the amendment proposed and declared its advisability; and
• the amendment is adopted by the affirmative votes of a majority (or greater percentage as may be specified by the corporation) of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment and a majority (or greater percentage as may be specified by the corporation) of the outstanding shares of each class or series of stock, if any, entitled to vote on the amendment as a class or series. | ||
| Amendment of By-laws | Under French law, only the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting is authorized to adopt or amend the by-laws. | Under Delaware law, the stockholders entitled to vote have the power to adopt, amend or repeal by-laws. A corporation may also confer, in its certificate of incorporation, that power upon the board of directors. | ||
26
Table of Contents
DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES
Citibank, N.A. acts as the depositary for our ADSs. Citibank’s depositary offices are located at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013. ADSs represent ownership interests in securities that are on deposit with the depositary. ADSs may be represented by certificates that are commonly known as American Depositary Receipts, or ADRs. The depositary typically appoints a custodian to safekeep the securities on deposit. In this case, the custodian is Citibank Europe Plc, located at EGSP 186, 1 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 Ireland.
We have appointed Citibank as depositary pursuant to a deposit agreement. A copy of the deposit agreement is on file with the SEC under cover of a Registration Statement on Form F-6. You may obtain a copy of the deposit agreement from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Please refer to Registration Number 333-199231 when retrieving such copy.
We are providing you with a summary description of the material terms of the ADSs and of your material rights as an owner of ADSs. Please remember that summaries by their nature lack the precision of the information summarized and that the rights and obligations of an owner of ADSs will be determined by reference to the terms of the deposit agreement and not by this summary. We urge you to review the deposit agreement in its entirety. Each ADS represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial ownership interests in, one-half of one ordinary share on deposit with the depositary or the custodian. An ADS also represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial ownership interests in, any other property received by the depositary or the custodian on behalf of the owner of the ADS but that has not been distributed to the owners of ADSs because of legal restrictions or practical considerations. We and the depositary may agree to change the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio by amending the deposit agreement. This amendment may give rise to, or change, the depositary fees payable by ADS owners. The custodian, the depositary and their respective nominees will hold all deposited property for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of ADSs. The deposited property does not constitute the proprietary assets of the depositary, the custodian or their nominees. Beneficial ownership in the deposited property will under the terms of the deposit agreement be vested in the beneficial owners of the ADSs. The depositary, the custodian and their respective nominees will be the record holders of the deposited property represented by the ADSs for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of the corresponding ADSs. Owners of ADSs will be able to exercise beneficial ownership interests in the deposited property only through the registered holders of the ADSs, by the registered holders of the ADSs (on behalf of the applicable ADS owners) only through the depositary, and by the depositary (on behalf of the owners of the corresponding ADSs) directly, or indirectly through the custodian or their respective nominees, in each case upon the terms of the deposit agreement.
If you become an owner of ADSs, you will become a party to the deposit agreement and therefore will be bound to its terms and to the terms of any ADR that represents your ADSs. The deposit agreement and the ADR specify our rights and obligations as well as your rights and obligations as owner of ADSs and those of the depositary. As an ADS holder you appoint the depositary to act on your behalf in certain circumstances. The deposit agreement and the ADRs are governed by New York law. However, our obligations to the holders of ordinary shares will continue to be governed by the laws of France, which may be different from the laws in the United States.
In addition, applicable laws and regulations may require you to satisfy reporting requirements and obtain regulatory approvals in certain circumstances. You are solely responsible for complying with such reporting requirements and obtaining such approvals. Neither the depositary, the custodian, us or any of their or our respective agents or affiliates shall be required to take any actions whatsoever on your behalf to satisfy such reporting requirements or obtain such regulatory approvals under applicable laws and regulations.
As an owner of ADSs, we will not treat you as one of our shareholders and you will not have direct shareholder rights. The depositary will hold on your behalf the shareholder rights attached to the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. As an owner of ADSs you will be able to exercise the shareholders rights for the ordinary shares
27
Table of Contents
represented by your ADSs through the depositary only to the extent contemplated in the deposit agreement. To exercise any shareholder rights not contemplated in the deposit agreement you will, as an ADS owner, need to arrange for the cancellation of your ADSs and become a direct shareholder.
The manner in which you own the ADSs (e.g., in a brokerage account vs. as registered holder, or as holder of certificated vs. uncertificated ADSs) may affect your rights and obligations, and the manner in which, and extent to which, the depositary’s services are made available to you. As an owner of ADSs, you may hold your ADSs either by means of an ADR registered in your name, through a brokerage or safekeeping account, or through an account established by the depositary in your name reflecting the registration of uncertificated ADSs directly on the books of the depositary, commonly referred to as the direct registration system, or DRS. The direct registration system reflects the uncertificated (book-entry) registration of ownership of ADSs by the depositary. Under the direct registration system, ownership of ADSs is evidenced by periodic statements issued by the depositary to the holders of the ADSs. The direct registration system includes automated transfers between the depositary and The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, the central book-entry clearing and settlement system for equity securities in the United States. If you decide to hold your ADSs through your brokerage or safekeeping account, you must rely on the procedures of your broker or bank to assert your rights as ADS owner. Banks and brokers typically hold securities such as the ADSs through clearing and settlement systems such as DTC. The procedures of such clearing and settlement systems may limit your ability to exercise your rights as an owner of ADSs. Please consult with your broker or bank if you have any questions concerning these limitations and procedures. All ADSs held through DTC will be registered in the name of a nominee of DTC. This summary description assumes you have opted to own the ADSs directly by means of an ADS registered in your name and, as such, we will refer to you as the “holder.” When we refer to “you,” we assume the reader owns ADSs and will own ADSs at the relevant time.
The registration of the ordinary shares in the name of the depositary or the custodian shall, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, vest in the depositary or the custodian the record ownership in the applicable ordinary shares with the beneficial ownership rights and interests in such ordinary shares being at all times vested with the beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the ordinary shares. The depositary or the custodian shall at all times be entitled to exercise the beneficial ownership rights in all deposited property, in each case only on behalf of the holders and beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the deposited property.
Dividends and Distributions
As a holder of ADSs, you generally have the right to receive the distributions we make on the securities deposited with the custodian. Your receipt of these distributions may be limited, however, by practical considerations and legal limitations. Holders of ADSs will receive such distributions under the terms of the deposit agreement in proportion to the number of ADSs held as of a specified record date, after deduction the applicable fees, taxes and expenses.
Distributions of Cash
Whenever we make a cash distribution for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the funds with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of the deposit of the requisite funds, the depositary will arrange for the funds received in a currency other than U.S. dollars to be converted into U.S. dollars and for the distribution of the U.S. dollars to the holders, subject to French laws and regulations.
The conversion into U.S. dollars will take place only if practicable and if the U.S. dollars are transferable to the United States. The depositary will apply the same method for distributing the proceeds of the sale of any property (such as undistributed rights) held by the custodian in respect of securities on deposit.
The distribution of cash will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. The depositary will hold any cash amounts it is unable to
28
Table of Contents
distribute in a non-interest bearing account for the benefit of the applicable holders and beneficial owners of ADSs until the distribution can be effected or the funds that the depositary holds must be escheated as unclaimed property in accordance with the laws of the relevant states of the United States.
Distributions of Ordinary Shares
Whenever we make a free distribution of ordinary shares for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the applicable number of ordinary shares with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the depositary will either distribute to holders new ADSs representing the ordinary shares deposited or modify the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio, in which case each ADS you hold will represent rights and interests in the additional ordinary shares so deposited. Only whole new ADSs will be distributed. Fractional entitlements will be sold and the proceeds of such sale will be distributed as in the case of a cash distribution.
The distribution of new ADSs or the modification of the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio upon a distribution of ordinary shares will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. In order to pay such taxes or governmental charges, the depositary may sell all or a portion of the new ordinary shares so distributed.
No such distribution of new ADSs will be made if it would violate a law (i.e., the U.S. securities laws) or if it is not operationally practicable. If the depositary does not distribute new ADSs as described above, it may sell the ordinary shares received upon the terms described in the deposit agreement and will distribute the proceeds of the sale as in the case of a distribution of cash.
Distributions of Rights
Whenever we intend to distribute rights to purchase additional ordinary shares, we will give prior notice to the depositary and we will assist the depositary in determining whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs to holders.
The depositary will establish procedures to distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs to holders and to enable such holders to exercise such rights if it is lawful and reasonably practicable to make the rights available to holders of ADSs, and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement (such as opinions to address the lawfulness of the transaction). You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges to subscribe for the new ADSs upon the exercise of your rights. The depositary is not obligated to establish procedures to facilitate the distribution and exercise by holders of rights to purchase new ordinary shares other than in the form of ADSs.
The depositary will not distribute the rights to you if:
| • | we do not timely request that the rights be distributed to you or we request that the rights not be distributed to you; or |
| • | we fail to deliver satisfactory documents to the depositary; or |
| • | it is not reasonably practicable to distribute the rights. |
The depositary will sell the rights that are not exercised or not distributed if such sale is lawful and reasonably practicable. The proceeds of such sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution. If the depositary is unable to sell the rights, it will allow the rights to lapse.
Elective Distributions
Whenever we intend to distribute a dividend payable at the election of shareholders either in cash or in additional ordinary shares, we will give prior notice thereof to the depositary and will indicate whether we wish the elective distribution to be made available to you. In such case, we will assist the depositary in determining whether such distribution is lawful and reasonably practicable.
29
Table of Contents
The depositary will make the election available to you only if it is reasonably practicable and if we have provided all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement. In such case, the depositary will establish procedures to enable you to elect to receive either cash or additional ADSs, in each case as described in the deposit agreement.
If the election is not made available to you, you will receive either cash or additional ADSs, depending on what a shareholder in France would receive upon failing to make an election, as more fully described in the deposit agreement.
Other Distributions
Whenever we intend to distribute property other than cash, ordinary shares or rights to purchase additional ordinary shares, we will notify the depositary in advance and will indicate whether we wish such distribution to be made to you. If so, we will assist the depositary in determining whether such distribution to holders is lawful and reasonably practicable.
If it is reasonably practicable to distribute such property to you and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the depositary will distribute the property to the holders in a manner it deems practicable.
The distribution will be made net of fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. In order to pay such taxes and governmental charges, the depositary may sell all or a portion of the property received.
The depositary will not distribute the property to you and will sell the property if:
| • | we do not request that the property be distributed to you or if we ask that the property not be distributed to you; or |
| • | we do not deliver satisfactory documents to the depositary; or |
| • | the depositary determines that all or a portion of the distribution to you is not reasonably practicable. |
The proceeds of such a sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution.
Redemption
Whenever we decide to redeem any of the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will notify the depositary in advance. If it is practicable and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the depositary will provide notice of the redemption to the holders.
The custodian will be instructed to surrender the ordinary shares being redeemed against payment of the applicable redemption price. The depositary will convert the redemption funds received into U.S. dollars upon the terms of the deposit agreement and will establish procedures to enable holders to receive the net proceeds from the redemption upon surrender of their ADSs to the depositary. You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges upon the redemption of your ADSs. If less than all ADSs are being redeemed, the ADSs to be retired will be selected by lot or on a pro rata basis, as the depositary may determine.
Changes Affecting Ordinary Shares
The ordinary shares held on deposit for your ADSs may change from time to time. For example, there may be a change in nominal or par value, a split-up, cancellation, consolidation or reclassification of such ordinary shares or a recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of assets.
30
Table of Contents
If any such change were to occur, your ADSs would, to the extent permitted by law, represent the right to receive the property received or exchanged in respect of the ordinary shares held on deposit. The depositary may in such circumstances deliver new ADSs to you, amend the deposit agreement, the ADRs and the applicable Registration Statement(s) on Form F-6, call for the exchange of your existing ADSs for new ADSs and take any other actions that are appropriate to reflect as to the ADSs the change affecting the ordinary shares. If the depositary may not lawfully distribute such property to you, the depositary may sell such property and distribute the net proceeds to you as in the case of a cash distribution.
Issuance of ADSs upon Deposit of Ordinary Shares
Upon completion of an offering, the ordinary shares being offered pursuant to this prospectus will be deposited by us with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the depositary will issue ADSs to the underwriters, dealer or other purchaser.
The depositary may create ADSs on your behalf if you or your broker deposit ordinary shares with the custodian. The depositary will deliver these ADSs to the person you indicate only after you pay any applicable issuance fees and any charges and taxes payable for the transfer of the ordinary shares to the custodian. Your ability to deposit ordinary shares and receive ADSs may be limited by U.S. and French legal considerations applicable at the time of deposit.
The issuance of ADSs may be delayed until the depositary or the custodian receives confirmation that all required approvals have been given and that the ordinary shares have been duly transferred to the custodian. The depositary will only issue ADSs in whole numbers.
When you make a deposit of ordinary shares, you will be responsible for transferring good and valid title to the depositary. As such, you will be deemed to represent and warrant that:
| • | The ordinary shares are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, non-assessable and legally obtained. |
| • | All preemptive (and similar) rights, if any, with respect to such ordinary shares have been validly waived or exercised. |
| • | You are duly authorized to deposit the ordinary shares. |
| • | The ordinary shares presented for deposit are free and clear of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, charge, mortgage or adverse claim, and are not, and the ADSs issuable upon such deposit will not be, “restricted securities” (as defined in the deposit agreement). |
| • | The ordinary shares presented for deposit have not been stripped of any rights or entitlements. |
If any of the representations or warranties are incorrect in any way, we and the depositary may, at your cost and expense, take any and all actions necessary to correct the consequences of the misrepresentations.
Transfer, Combination and Split Up of ADRs
As an ADR holder, you will be entitled to transfer, combine or split up your ADRs and the ADSs evidenced thereby. For transfers of ADRs, you will have to surrender the ADRs to be transferred to the depositary and also must:
| • | ensure that the surrendered ADR is properly endorsed or otherwise in proper form for transfer; |
| • | provide such proof of identity and genuineness of signatures as the depositary deems appropriate; |
| • | provide any transfer stamps required by the State of New York or the United States; and |
| • | pay all applicable fees, charges, expenses, taxes and other government charges payable by ADR holders pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, upon the transfer of ADRs. |
31
Table of Contents
To have your ADRs either combined or split up, you must surrender the ADRs in question to the depositary with your request to have them combined or split up, and you must pay all applicable fees, charges and expenses payable by ADR holders, pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, upon a combination or split up of ADRs.
Withdrawal of Ordinary Shares Upon Cancellation of ADSs
As a holder, you will be entitled to present your ADSs to the depositary for cancellation and then receive the corresponding number of underlying ordinary shares at the custodian’s offices. Your ability to withdraw the ordinary shares may be limited by U.S. and French legal considerations applicable at the time of withdrawal. In order to withdraw the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs, you will be required to pay to the depositary the fees for cancellation of ADSs and any charges and taxes payable upon the transfer of the ordinary shares being withdrawn. You assume the risk for delivery of all funds and securities upon withdrawal. Once canceled, the ADSs will not have any rights under the deposit agreement.
If you hold ADSs registered in your name, the depositary may ask you to provide proof of identity and genuineness of any signature and such other documents as the depositary may deem appropriate before it will cancel your ADSs. The withdrawal of the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs may be delayed until the depositary receives satisfactory evidence of compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Please keep in mind that the depositary will only accept ADSs for cancellation that represent a whole number of securities on deposit.
You will have the right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs at any time except for:
| • | temporary delays that may arise because (i) the transfer books for the ordinary shares or ADSs are closed, or (ii) ordinary shares are immobilized on account of a shareholders’ meeting or a payment of dividends; |
| • | obligations to pay fees, taxes and similar charges; or |
| • | restrictions imposed because of laws or regulations applicable to ADSs or the withdrawal of securities on deposit. |
The deposit agreement may not be modified to impair your right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs except to comply with mandatory provisions of law.
Voting Rights
As a holder, you generally have the right under the deposit agreement to instruct the depositary to exercise the voting rights for the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. The voting rights of holders of ordinary shares are described in the sections of this prospectus titled “Description of Share Capital” and “Limitations Affecting Shareholders of a French Company.”
At our request, the depositary will distribute to you any notice of shareholders’ meeting received from us together with information explaining how to instruct the depositary to exercise the voting rights of the securities represented by ADSs.
If the depositary timely receives voting instructions from a holder of ADSs, it will endeavor to vote the securities (in person or by proxy) represented by the holder’s ADSs in accordance with such voting instructions.
Please note that the ability of the depositary to carry out voting instructions may be limited by practical and legal limitations and the terms of the securities on deposit. We cannot assure you that you will receive voting materials in time to enable you to return voting instructions to the depositary in a timely manner. Securities for which no voting instructions have been received will not be voted.
32
Table of Contents
Fees and Charges
As an ADS holder, you will be required to pay the following service fees to the depositary:
| Service |
Fees | |
| • Issuance of ADSs upon deposit of ordinary shares. |
Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS issued | |
| • Delivery of deposited securities against surrender of ADSs. |
Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS canceled | |
| • Distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions (i.e., sale of rights and other entitlements). |
Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS held | |
| • Distribution of ADSs pursuant to (i) stock dividends or other free stock distributions, or (ii) exercise of rights to purchase additional ADSs. |
Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS held | |
| • Distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs (i.e., spin-off shares). |
Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS held | |
| • ADS Services. |
Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS held on the applicable record date(s) established by the depositary | |
As an ADS holder you will also be responsible to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the depositary and certain taxes and governmental charges such as:
| • | taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) and other governmental charges; |
| • | such registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of ordinary shares or other deposited securities on the share register and applicable to transfers of ordinary shares or other deposited securities to or from the name of the custodian, the depositary or any nominees upon the making of deposits and withdrawals, respectively; |
| • | such cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery expenses as are expressly provided in the deposit agreement to be at the expense of the person depositing ordinary shares or withdrawing deposited securities or of the holders and beneficial owners of ADSs; |
| • | the expenses and charges incurred by the depositary in the conversion of foreign currency; |
| • | such fees and expenses as are incurred by the depositary in connection with compliance with exchange control regulations and other regulatory requirements applicable to ordinary shares, deposited securities, ADSs and ADRs; and |
| • | the fees and expenses incurred by the depositary, the custodian, or any nominee in connection with the servicing or delivery of deposited property |
ADS fees and charges payable upon (i) deposit of ordinary shares against issuance of ADSs and (ii) surrender of ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal of deposited securities will be payable by the person to whom the ADSs so issued are delivered by the depositary (in the case of ADS issuances) and by the person who delivers the ADSs for cancellation to the depositary (in the case of ADS cancellations). In the case of ADSs issued by the depositary into DTC or presented to the depositary via DTC, the ADS issuance and cancellation fees and charges will be payable by the DTC participant(s) receiving the ADSs from the depositary or the DTC participant(s) surrendering the ADSs to the depositary for cancellation, as the case may be, on behalf of the beneficial owner(s) and will be charged by the DTC participant(s) to the account(s) of the applicable beneficial owner(s) in accordance with the procedures and practices of the DTC participant(s) as in effect at the time. ADS fees and charges in respect of distributions and the ADS service fee are payable by holders as of the applicable ADS record date established by the depositary. In the case of distributions of cash, the amount of the applicable ADS fees and charges is deducted from the funds being distributed. In the case of (i) distributions other than cash and (ii) the ADS service fee, the applicable holders as of the ADS record date established by the depositary will be
33
Table of Contents
invoiced for the amount of the ADS fees and charges. For ADSs held through DTC, the ADS fees and charges for distributions other than cash and the ADS service fee are charged to the DTC participants in accordance with the procedures and practices prescribed by DTC from time to time and the DTC participants in turn charge the amount of such ADS fees and charges to the beneficial owners for whom they hold ADSs.
In the event of refusal to pay the depositary fees, the depositary may, under the terms of the deposit agreement, refuse the requested service until payment is received or may set off the amount of the depositary fees from any distribution to be made to the ADS holder.
Note that the fees and charges you may be required to pay may vary over time and may be changed by us and by the depositary. You will receive prior notice of such changes.
The depositary may reimburse us for certain expenses incurred by us in respect of the ADR program established pursuant to the deposit agreement, by making available a portion of the depositary fees charged in respect of the ADR program or otherwise, upon such terms and conditions as we and the depositary may agree from time to time.
Amendments and Termination
We may agree with the depositary to modify the deposit agreement at any time without your consent. We undertake to give holders 30 days’ prior notice of any modifications that would materially prejudice any of their substantial rights under the deposit agreement. We will not consider to be materially prejudicial to your substantial rights any modifications or supplements that are reasonably necessary for the ADSs to be registered under the Securities Act or to be eligible for book-entry settlement, in each case without imposing or increasing the fees and charges you are required to pay. In addition, we may not be able to provide you with prior notice of any modifications or supplements that are required to accommodate compliance with applicable provisions of law.
You will be bound by the modifications to the deposit agreement if you continue to hold your ADSs after the modifications to the deposit agreement become effective. The deposit agreement cannot be amended to prevent you from withdrawing the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs (except as permitted by law).
We have the right to direct the depositary to terminate the deposit agreement. Similarly, the depositary may in certain circumstances on its own initiative terminate the deposit agreement. In either case, the depositary must give notice to the holders at least 30 days before termination. Until termination, your rights under the deposit agreement will be unaffected.
After termination, the depositary will continue to collect distributions received (but will not distribute any such property until you request the cancellation of your ADSs) and may sell the securities held on deposit. After the sale, the depositary will hold the proceeds from such sale and any other funds then held for the holders of ADSs in a non-interest bearing account. At that point, the depositary will have no further obligations to holders other than to account for the funds then held for the holders of ADSs still outstanding (after deduction of applicable fees, taxes and expenses).
Books of Depositary
The depositary will maintain ADS holder records at its depositary office. You may inspect such records at such office during regular business hours but solely for the purpose of communicating with other holders in the interest of business matters relating to the ADSs and the deposit agreement.
The depositary will maintain in New York facilities to record and process the issuance, cancellation, combination, split-up and transfer of ADSs. These facilities may be closed from time to time, to the extent not prohibited by law.
34
Table of Contents
Limitations on Obligations and Liabilities
The deposit agreement limits our obligations and the depositary’s obligations to you. Please note the following:
| • | We and the depositary are obligated only to take the actions specifically stated in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith. |
| • | The depositary disclaims any liability for any failure to carry out voting instructions, for any manner in which a vote is cast or for the effect of any vote, provided it acts in good faith and in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. |
| • | The depositary disclaims any liability for any failure to determine the lawfulness or practicality of any action, for the content of any document forwarded to you on our behalf or for the accuracy of any translation of such a document, for the investment risks associated with investing in ordinary shares, for the validity or worth of the ordinary shares, for any tax consequences that result from the ownership of ADSs, for the credit-worthiness of any third party, for allowing any rights to lapse under the terms of the deposit agreement, for the timeliness of any of our notices or for our failure to give notice. |
| • | We and the depositary will not be obligated to perform any act that is inconsistent with the terms of the deposit agreement. |
| • | We and the depositary disclaim any liability if we or the depositary are prevented or forbidden from or subject to any civil or criminal penalty or restraint on account of, or delayed in, doing or performing any act or thing required by the terms of the deposit agreement, by reason of any provision, present or future of any law or regulation, or by reason of present or future provision of any provision of our Articles of Incorporation, or any provision of or governing the securities on deposit, or by reason of any act of God or war or other circumstances beyond our control. |
| • | We and the depositary disclaim any liability by reason of any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in the deposit agreement or in our Articles of Incorporation or in any provisions of or governing the securities on deposit. |
| • | We and the depositary further disclaim any liability for any action or inaction in reliance on the advice or information received from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting ordinary shares for deposit, any holder of ADSs or authorized representatives thereof, or any other person believed by either of us in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information. |
| • | We and the depositary also disclaim liability for the inability by a holder to benefit from any distribution, offering, right or other benefit that is made available to holders of ordinary shares but is not, under the terms of the deposit agreement, made available to you. |
| • | We and the depositary may rely without any liability upon any written notice, request or other document believed to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper parties. |
| • | We and the depositary also disclaim liability for any consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the deposit agreement. |
| • | No disclaimer of any Securities Act liability is intended by any provision of the deposit agreement. |
Pre-Release Transactions
Subject to the terms and conditions of the deposit agreement, the depositary may issue to broker/dealers ADSs before receiving a deposit of ordinary shares or release ordinary shares to broker/dealers before receiving ADSs for cancellation. These transactions are commonly referred to as “pre-release transactions,” and are entered into between the depositary and the applicable broker/dealer. The deposit agreement limits the aggregate size of pre-release transactions (not to exceed 30% of the ordinary shares on deposit in the aggregate) and imposes a number of conditions on such transactions (i.e., the need to receive collateral, the type of collateral required, the representations required from brokers, etc.). The depositary may retain the compensation received from the pre-release transactions.
35
Table of Contents
Taxes
You will be responsible for the taxes and other governmental charges payable on the ADSs and the securities represented by the ADSs. We, the depositary and the custodian may deduct from any distribution the taxes and governmental charges payable by holders and may sell any and all property on deposit to pay the taxes and governmental charges payable by holders. You will be liable for any deficiency if the sale proceeds do not cover the taxes that are due.
The depositary may refuse to issue ADSs, to deliver, transfer, split and combine ADRs or to release securities on deposit until all taxes and charges are paid by the applicable holder. The depositary and the custodian may take reasonable administrative actions to obtain tax refunds and reduced tax withholding for any distributions on your behalf. However, you may be required to provide to the depositary and to the custodian proof of taxpayer status and residence and such other information as the depositary and the custodian may require to fulfill legal obligations. You are required to indemnify us, the depositary and the custodian for any claims with respect to taxes based on any tax benefit obtained for you.
Foreign Currency Conversion
The depositary will arrange for the conversion of all foreign currency received into U.S. dollars if such conversion is practical, and it will distribute the U.S. dollars in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. You may have to pay fees and expenses incurred in converting foreign currency, such as fees and expenses incurred in complying with currency exchange controls and other governmental requirements.
If the conversion of foreign currency is not practical or lawful, or if any required approvals are denied or not obtainable at a reasonable cost or within a reasonable period, the depositary may take the following actions in its discretion:
| • | convert the foreign currency to the extent practical and lawful and distribute the U.S. dollars to the holders for whom the conversion and distribution is lawful and practical; |
| • | distribute the foreign currency to holders for whom the distribution is lawful and practical; and |
| • | hold the foreign currency (without liability for interest) for the applicable holders. |
Governing Law/Waiver of Jury Trial
The deposit agreement, the ADRs and the ADSs will be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The rights of holders of ordinary shares (including ordinary shares represented by ADSs) are governed by the laws of France.
As an owner of ADSs, you irrevocably agree that any legal action arising out of the Deposit Agreement, the ADSs or the ADRs, involving the Company or the Depositary, may only be instituted in a state or federal court in the city of New York.
36
Table of Contents
LIMITATIONS AFFECTING SHAREHOLDERS OF A FRENCH COMPANY
Ownership of ADSs or Shares by Non-French Residents
Neither the French Commercial Code nor our by-laws presently impose any restrictions on the right of non- French residents or non-French shareholders to own and vote shares.
Foreign Exchange Controls
Under current French foreign exchange control regulations there are no limitations on the amount of cash payments that we may remit to residents of foreign countries. Laws and regulations concerning foreign exchange controls do, however, require that all payments or transfers of funds made by a French resident to a non-resident such as dividend payments be handled by an accredited intermediary. All registered banks and substantially all credit institutions in France are accredited intermediaries.
Availability of Preferential Subscription Rights
In accordance with French law, our shareholders have preferential subscription rights to subscribe for new shares or other securities giving rights to acquire additional shares on a pro rata basis, as described under the section of this prospectus titled “Description of Share Capital—Key Provisions of Our By-laws and French Law Affecting Our Ordinary Shares—Changes in Share Capital—Preferential Subscription Rights.” Holders of our securities in the U.S. (which may be in the form of shares or ADSs) may not be able to exercise preferential subscription rights for their securities unless a registration statement under the Securities Act is effective with respect to such rights or an exemption from the registration requirements imposed by the Securities Act is available. We may, from time to time, issue new shares or other securities giving rights to acquire additional shares (such as warrants) at a time when no registration statement is in effect and no Securities Act exemption is available. If so, holders of our securities in the U.S. will be unable to exercise any preferential subscription rights and their interests will be diluted. We are under no obligation to file any registration statement in connection with any issuance of new shares or other securities. We intend to evaluate at the time of any rights offering the costs and potential liabilities associated with registering the rights, as well as the indirect benefits to us of enabling the exercise by holders of shares and holders of ADSs in the U.S. of the subscription rights, and any other factors we consider appropriate at the time, and then to make a decision as to whether to register the rights. We cannot assure you that we will file a registration statement.
For holders of our ordinary shares in the form of ADSs, the depositary may make these rights or other distributions available to ADS holders. If the depositary does not make the rights available to ADS holders and determines that it is impractical to sell the rights, it may allow these rights to lapse. In that case the holders will receive no value for them. The section of this prospectus titled “Description of American Depositary Shares—Dividends and Distributions” explains in detail the depositary’s responsibility in connection with a rights offering.
37
Table of Contents
We may sell or otherwise offer our securities described herein:
| • | through underwriters or dealers; |
| • | through agents; |
| • | directly to purchasers; or |
| • | through a combination of any of these methods of sale. |
The distribution of securities may be carried out, from time to time, in one or more transactions, including:
| • | block transactions and transactions on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or any other organized market where the securities may be traded; |
| • | purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its own account pursuant to a prospectus supplement; |
| • | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which a broker-dealer solicits purchasers; |
| • | sales “at the market” to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise; or |
| • | sales in other ways not involving market makers or established trading markets, including direct sales to purchasers. |
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; |
| • | the method of distribution; |
| • | the public offering price or purchase price and the proceeds to us from that sale; |
| • | the expenses of the offering; |
| • | any discounts or commissions to be allowed or paid to the underwriters, dealers or agents; |
| • | all other items constituting underwriting compensation and the discounts and commissions to be allowed or paid to dealers, if any; and |
| • | any other information regarding the distribution of the securities that we believe to be material. |
Underwriters may offer and sell the securities at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or from time to time at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. We may, from time to time, authorize agents acting on a best or reasonable efforts basis as our agents to solicit or receive offers to purchase the securities upon the terms and conditions as are set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. In connection with the sale of securities, underwriters or agents may be deemed to have received compensation from us in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions and may also receive commissions from purchasers of securities for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell securities to or through dealers, and 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 agent.
Underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in the distribution of securities and their controlling persons may be entitled, under agreements that may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments that the underwriters, dealers or agents and their controlling persons may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
38
Table of Contents
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.
Certain persons participating in an offering may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions, short-covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the offered securities. If any such activities will occur, they will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
39
Table of Contents
ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are a corporation organized under the laws of France. The majority of our directors are citizens and residents of countries other than the United States, and the majority of our assets are located outside of the United States. Accordingly, it may be difficult for investors:
| • | to obtain jurisdiction over us or our non-U.S. resident officers and directors in U.S. courts in actions predicated on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws; |
| • | to enforce judgments obtained in such actions against us or our non-U.S. resident officers and directors; |
| • | to bring an original action in a French court to enforce liabilities based upon the U.S. federal securities laws against us or our non-U.S. resident officers or directors; and |
| • | to enforce against us or our directors in non-U.S. courts, including French courts, judgments of U.S. courts predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. |
Nevertheless, a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by any federal or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the U.S. federal securities laws, would be recognized and enforced in France provided that a French judge considers that this judgment meets the French legal requirements concerning the recognition and the enforcement of foreign judgments and is capable of being immediately enforced in the United States. A French court is therefore likely to grant the enforcement of a foreign judgment without a review of the merits of the underlying claim, only if (1) that judgment resulted from legal proceedings compatible with French standards of due process, (2) that judgment does not contravene international public order and public policy of France and (3) the jurisdiction of the United States federal or state court has been based on principles of French private international law. The French court would also require that the U.S. judgment is not tainted with fraud and is not incompatible with a judgment rendered by a French court in the same matter, or with an earlier judgment rendered by a foreign court in the same matter.
In addition, French law guarantees full compensation for the harm suffered but is limited to the actual damages, so that the victim does not suffer or benefit from the situation. Such system excludes damages such as, but not limited to, punitive and exemplary damages.
As a result, the enforcement, by U.S. investors, of any judgments obtained in U.S. courts in civil and commercial matters, including judgments under the U.S. federal securities law against us or members of our board of directors, officers or certain experts named herein who are residents of France or countries other than the United States would be subject to the above conditions.
Finally, there may be doubt as to whether a French court would impose civil liability on us, the members of our board of directors, our officers or certain experts named herein in an original action predicated solely upon the U.S. federal securities laws brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in France against us or such members, officers or experts, respectively.
40
Table of Contents
The material 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.
Unless otherwise indicated in any prospectus supplement, Cooley LLP, Boston, Massachusetts, will be representing us in connection with any offering. Unless otherwise indicated in any prospectus supplement, McDermott Will & Emery AARPI will pass upon the validity of the ordinary shares, including ordinary shares in the form of ADSs, to be offered and other legal matters relating to French law, including matters of French income tax law, in connection with any offering. Any underwriters will be advised about other issues relating to any offering by their own legal counsel.
Our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2017, 2018 and 2019, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2019, incorporated herein by reference from our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, have been audited by Deloitte & Associés, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports thereon, included therein, and are incorporated by reference herein (which reports: (1) express an unqualified opinion on the consolidated financial statements and (2) express an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting). Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The offices of Deloitte & Associés are located at 6, place de la Pyramide, 92908 Paris-la-Défense Cedex, Puteaux, France.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities described in this prospectus. This prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement that we filed.
The SEC maintains an Internet website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers, such as us, that file electronically with the SEC.
We are subject to the information reporting requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to foreign private issuers and under those requirements we file reports with the SEC. Those reports may be inspected without charge at the locations described above. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act related to the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our officers, directors and principal shareholders will be exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not be required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as United States companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.
41
Table of Contents
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will also be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents and will automatically update and supersede previously filed information, including information contained in this document.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement the following documents that we have filed with the SEC:
| • | our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 20, 2020; |
| • | our Current Reports on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on January 3, 2020, January 9, 2020, January 13, 2020, January 29, 2020, January 30, 2020, February 4, 2020, February 6, 2020, February 21, 2020, March 5, 2020, March 17, 2020, March 20, 2020, March 30, 2020, April 14, 2020, April 21, 2020 and April 30, 2020; and |
| • | the description of our ordinary shares contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on October 17, 2014. |
We are also incorporating by reference all subsequent annual reports on Form 20-F that we file with the SEC and those of our current reports on Form 6-K that we furnish to the SEC that we specifically identify in such form or in any applicable prospectus supplement as being incorporated by reference into this prospectus or such prospectus supplement after the date hereof and prior to the completion of an offering of securities under this prospectus.
We will furnish without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including exhibits to these documents. You should direct any requests for documents, either in writing to Corporate Secretary, c/o DBV Technologies S.A., 177-181 Avenue Pierre Brossolette, 92120 Montrouge, France or by telephone at +33 1 55 42 78 78.
You also may access these filings on our website at www.dbv-technologies.com. We do not incorporate the information on our website into this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus (other than those filings with the SEC that we specifically incorporate by reference into this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus).
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement will be deemed modified, superseded or replaced for purposes of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement modifies, supersedes or replaces such statement. Any statement that is modified or superseded will not constitute a part of this prospectus or prospectus supplement, except as modified or superseded.
Commission Position on Indemnification for Securities Act Liabilities
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
42
Table of Contents
Ordinary Shares
Ordinary Shares in the Form of American Depositary Shares
PROSPECTUS
Table of Contents
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| Item 8. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
Under French law, provisions of by-laws that limit the liability of directors are prohibited. However, French law allows sociétés anonymes to contract for and maintain liability insurance against civil liabilities incurred by any of their directors and officers involved in a third-party action, provided that they acted in good faith and within their capacities as directors or officers of the company. Criminal liability cannot be indemnified under French law, whether directly by the company or through liability insurance.
We maintain liability insurance for our directors and officers, including insurance against liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and we have entered into agreements with our directors and executive officers to provide contractual indemnification. With certain exceptions and subject to limitations on indemnification under French law, these agreements will provide for indemnification for damages and expenses including, among other things, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by any of these individuals in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her actions in that capacity.
These agreements may discourage shareholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors and executive officers for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and executive officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our shareholders. Furthermore, a shareholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these insurance agreements.
Certain of our non-employee directors may, through their relationships with their employers or partnerships, be insured and/or indemnified against certain liabilities in their capacity as members of our board of directors.
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 directors, our officers and persons who control us within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.
| Item 9. | Exhibits. |
The following exhibits are filed herewith or incorporated by reference herein:
| Incorporated by Reference | ||||||||||||||||||
| Exhibit No. |
Description |
Schedule/ Form |
File Number |
Exhibit | File Date |
|||||||||||||
| 1.1* | Form of Underwriting Agreement | |||||||||||||||||
| 4.1 | By-laws (statuts) of the registrant (English translation) | Form 20-F | 001-36697 | 1.1 | 03/16/18 | |||||||||||||
| 4.2 | Form of Deposit Agreement | Form F-1/A | 333-198870 | 4.1 | 10/15/14 | |||||||||||||
| 4.3 | Form of American Depositary Receipt | Form 424B3 | 333-199231 | 10/15/18 | ||||||||||||||
| 5.1 | Opinion of McDermott Will & Emery, AARPI, French counsel to registrant | |||||||||||||||||
| 23.1 | Consent of Deloitte & Associés | |||||||||||||||||
| 23.2 | Consent of McDermott Will & Emery, AARPI (included in Exhibit 5.1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 24.1 | Power of Attorney of certain directors and officers of the registrant (included on the signature page of this registration statement) | |||||||||||||||||
Table of Contents
| * | To be subsequently filed, if applicable, as an exhibit to a post-effective amendment to this registration statement or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference. |
| Item 10. | Undertakings. |
| (a) | The undersigned registrant 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 of 1933; |
| (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) which, 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 a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement. |
| (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. |
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) 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 SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 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 of 1933, 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 of 1933 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 (a)(4) 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 of 1933 or Rule 3-19 of Regulation S-X 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; |
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
| (A) | Each prospectus filed by a 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 |
Table of Contents
| (B) | 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 of 1933 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 the 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 of 1933 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; |
| (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 of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) 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. |
| (h) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 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 of 1933 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 of 1933, and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
Table of Contents
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe 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 Montrouge, France, on April 30, 2020.
| DBV TECHNOLOGIES S.A. | ||
| By: | /s/ Daniel Tassé | |
| Name: Daniel Tassé | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
We, the undersigned officers and directors of DBV Technologies S.A. hereby severally constitute and appoint Daniel Tassé and Ramzi Benamar, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to any of them, and to each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below the Registration Statement on Form F-3 filed herewith and any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to said Registration Statement, and any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in connection with said Registration Statement, and to file or cause to be filed the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and generally to do all such things in our name and on our behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable DBV Technologies S.A. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys, and each of them, or their substitute or substitutes, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 30, 2020.
| Signature |
Title | |
| /s/ Daniel Tassé Daniel Tassé |
Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | |
| /s/ Ramzi Benamar Ramzi Benamar |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |
| /s/ Torbjörn Bjerke Torbjörn Bjerke |
Director | |
| /s/ Michel de Rosen Michel de Rosen |
Director | |
| /s/ Mailys Ferrere Mailys Ferrere |
Director | |
| /s/ Claire Giraut Claire Giraut |
Director | |
| /s/ Michael J. Goller Michael J. Goller |
Director | |
| /s/ Viviane Monges Viviane Monges |
Director | |
Table of Contents
| Signature |
Title | |
| /s/ Julie O’Neill Julie O’Neill |
Director | |
| /s/ Daniel Soland Daniel Soland |
Director | |
Table of Contents
SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of DBV Technologies S.A. has signed this Registration Statement on April 30, 2020.
| COGENCY GLOBAL INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Colleen A. De Vries | |
| Name: | Colleen A. De Vries | |
| Title: | Senior Vice President on behalf of Cogency Global Inc. | |
Exhibit 5.1
|
|
mwe.com
Bertrand Delafaye bdelafaye@mwe.com +33 1 81 69 15 02 |
April 30, 2020
DBV Technologies SA
177-181 Avenue Pierre Brossolette
92120 Montrouge France
Re: Automatic Shelf Registration Statement on Form F-3
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have acted as special French counsel for DBV Technologies SA (the “Company”), a French société anonyme, in connection with the filing by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of an automatic shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Commission on the date hereof under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company has provided us with a prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), which forms part of the Registration Statement. The Base Prospectus may be amended from time to time in connection with one or more post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and the Base Prospectus provides that it will be supplemented in the future by one or more prospectus supplements (each, a “Prospectus Supplement”). The Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, including the Base Prospectus (as supplemented from time to time by one or more Prospectus Supplements), provides for the registration by the Company of an indeterminate amount of the Company’s ordinary shares, €0.10 nominal value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), including Ordinary Shares that may be issued in the form of American Depositary Shares (the “ADSs” and, together with the Ordinary Shares, the “Securities”). The Securities are being registered for offering and sale from time to time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act.
In rendering the opinion expressed below, we have examined and relied on originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such agreements, documents and records of the Company, and such instruments and certificates of officers and other representatives of the Company and public officials, as we have deemed necessary as the basis for such opinion, and have made such investigations of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for such opinion. We have assumed that (i) the resolutions authorizing the Company to issue, offer and sell the Ordinary Shares, as adopted by the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting and/or the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), as applicable, will be in full force and effect at all times at which the Ordinary Shares are issued, offered or sold by the Company, (ii) the definitive terms of the Ordinary Shares will have been established in accordance with the authorizing resolutions adopted by the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting and/or the Board, as applicable, the Company’s by-laws and applicable law, (iii) the Company will issue and deliver the Ordinary Shares in the manner contemplated in the
|
23 rue de l’Université75007Paris Tel +33 1 81 69 15 00 Fax +33 1 81 69 15 15 Palais P62
McDermott Will & Emery est constituée à Paris sous la forme d’une Association d’Avocats à Responsabilité Professionnelle Individuelle. Les associés de McDermott Will & Emery AARPI sont constitués sous la forme de sociétés d’exercice libéral à responsabilité limitée. |
mwe.com
Registration Statement and the amount of Ordinary Shares will remain within the limits of the then authorized but unissued amounts of Ordinary Shares, and (iv) all Ordinary Shares will be issued in compliance with applicable securities and corporate law. As to any facts material to the opinion expressed herein which we have not independently established or verified, we have relied upon statements and representations of the Company and its officers and other representatives and of public officials.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, exceptions, qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Ordinary Shares, when (a) the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting of the Company and, as the case may be, the Board and/or the meeting of any holders of a specific category of securities of the Company, have taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance of, and establish the terms of, the offering of the Ordinary Shares and related matters and (b) issued, sold and delivered in the manner and for the consideration stated in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting, placement or similar agreement approved by the Board, as the case may be, upon payment of the consideration provided therein to the Company, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
We are members of the Paris bar and this opinion is limited to the laws of the Republic of France. This opinion is subject to the sovereign power of the French courts to interpret agreements and assess the facts and circumstances of any adjudication. This opinion is given on the basis that it is to be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Republic of France.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our Firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. We do not admit in providing such consent that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ McDermott Will & Emery AARPI
- 2 -
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 reports dated March 20, 2020, relating to the consolidated financial statements of DBV Technologies S.A. and subsidiaries (the “Company”), and the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 20-F of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2019, and to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement.
/s/ Deloitte & Associés
Paris – La Défense, France
April 30, 2020