DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc S-3ASR, filed Sep 30, 2022
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (DV)
S-3ASR
2022-09-30
View Original
Added on
October 21, 2026
As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2022
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation or organization) |
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7370
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number) |
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82-2714562
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number) |
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462 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
(212) 631-2111
New York, NY 10013
(212) 631-2111
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Mark Zagorski
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
462 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
(212) 631-2111
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
462 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
(212) 631-2111
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
with copies to:
Matthew E. Kaplan, Esq.
Morgan J. Hayes, Esq.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
919 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10022
(212) 909-6000
Morgan J. Hayes, Esq.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
919 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10022
(212) 909-6000
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale of the securities to the public:
From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
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, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, 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.D. 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.D. 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 a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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Large accelerated filer
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Accelerated filer
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Non-accelerated filer
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Smaller reporting company
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Emerging growth company
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If an emerging growth company, 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. ☐
PROSPECTUS
![[MISSING IMAGE: lg_doubleverify-4c.jpg]](/stocks/dv/documents/395b5188-2d2f-43fc-9deb-db6cd683b225/asset/lg_doubleverify-4c.jpg)
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
79,040,908 Shares of Common Stock
The selling stockholders named in this prospectus may offer and sell up to an aggregate of 79,040,908 shares of common stock of DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. from time to time in amounts, at prices and on terms that will be determined at the time of the offering.
This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to these securities and the general manner in which they may be offered. If required by applicable law, each time the selling stockholders use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering, including specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities offered. If required, the prospectus supplement may also add to, update or change the information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. The selling stockholders may elect to sell the shares of common stock described in this prospectus in a number of different ways and at varying prices. We provide more information about how, and the prices at which, the selling stockholders may elect to sell their shares of common stock in the section titled “Plan of Distribution” on page 16 of this prospectus. We and the selling stockholders named in this prospectus are parties to a registration rights agreement with respect to the shares of our common stock held by the selling stockholders. We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders. We will bear certain expenses of any offering of common stock, and the selling stockholders will pay any applicable underwriting discounts, selling commissions and transfer taxes.
You should carefully read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, before you invest in our common stock.
Investing in our common stock involves risks. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” on page 6 of this prospectus and any risk factors described in any applicable prospectus supplement and in the documents we incorporate by reference.
The common stock of DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DV.” The last reported sale price of our common stock on September 29, 2022 was $27.76 per share.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is September 30, 2022.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to the “Company,” “DV,” “DoubleVerify,” “we,” “us” and “our” mean DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
This prospectus is part of an “automatic shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the SEC as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the selling stockholders may offer and sell shares of our common stock from time to time in one or more offerings or resales. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the shares of common stock the selling stockholders may offer. If required by applicable law, each time the selling stockholders sell shares of common stock, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus may also add to, update, supplement or clarify information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Any statement that we make in this prospectus will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in a prospectus supplement.
The rules of the SEC allow us to incorporate information by reference into this prospectus. This information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. See “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.” You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” before making an investment in our common stock.
Neither we, the selling stockholders nor any underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with different information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses we have prepared. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, the securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.
You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus prepared by us is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of those documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospectus may have changed since that date.
SERVICE MARKS, TRADEMARKS AND TRADE NAMES
We hold various service marks, trademarks and trade names, such as DoubleVerify, our logo design, DV Authentic Ad, DV Authentic Attention, DV Pinnacle, Authentic Brand Safety and Authentic Brand Suitability, which we deem particularly important to the marketing activities conducted by each of our businesses. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus are without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights to these trademarks, service marks and trade names. This prospectus also may contain trademarks, service marks and trade names of other companies that are the property of their respective holders. We do not intend our use or display of such names or marks to imply relationships with, or endorsements of us by, any other company.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplements and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein contain forward-looking statements and cautionary statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and information currently available to management. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “shall,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “seeks,” “aims,” “projects,” “is optimistic,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or the negative versions of these words or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, all matters that are not historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement or in the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein and include, without limitation, statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, assumptions or current expectations concerning, among other things, our financial position, results of operations, industry outlook and growth strategies or expectations.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond our control. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and that actual performance and outcomes, including, without limitation, our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the market in which we operate, may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, and the development of the market in which we operate, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. A number of important factors, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and those described from time to time in our other filings with the SEC, could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Furthermore, new risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus. Factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ from those reflected in forward-looking statements include, without limitation:
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our ability to respond to technological development and evolving industry standards;
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our ability to compete with our current and future competitors;
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our ability to retain existing customers, obtain new customers and generate revenue from new customers;
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system failures, security breaches, cyberattacks or natural disasters that could interrupt the operation of our platform and data centers;
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our reliance on demand- and supply-side advertising platforms, ad servers and social platforms to accept and integrate with our technology;
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economic downturns and unstable market conditions (including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine);
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our ability to integrate businesses acquired;
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acquired businesses may disrupt our ongoing business, and the benefits of the acquisition may not be realized and could expose us to unknown costs and liabilities;
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the ability of our integration partners to accurately and timely pay us;
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defects, errors or inaccuracies associated with our platform;
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our long and time-consuming sales cycles;
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our ability to retain our senior management team and other key personnel and to hire additional qualified personnel;
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our environmental, social and governance efforts and meeting our stakeholders’ expectations relating to such practices;
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the application, interpretation and enforcement of digital advertising and data privacy and protection laws and regulations;
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the impact of public criticism of digital advertising technology on our business;
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the assertion of third-party intellectual property rights and our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights;
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our ability to manage our business and conduct our operations internationally;
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our use of “open source” software;
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seasonal fluctuations in advertising activity;
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our limited operating history;
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adverse developments in the tax laws and regulations;
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our estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market growth may prove to be inaccurate;
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impairment of goodwill or other intangible and long-lived assets;
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restrictions contained in our senior secured revolving credit facility;
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future sales of shares by us or our existing stockholders;
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lack of research or misleading or unfavorable research published about our business by securities or industry analysts;
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the significant influence over us by funds affiliated with Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. (“Providence”);
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future offerings of debt or equity securities that would rank senior to our common stock;
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our ability to maintain an effective system of internal controls;
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our ability to fulfill our obligations incident to being a public company, including compliance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the requirements of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; and
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the possibility of being subject to securities class action litigation due to future stock price volatility.
You should read this prospectus, and the applicable prospectus supplement, including the uncertainties and factors discussed under “Risk Factors” and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, completely and with the understanding that actual future results may be materially different from expectations. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf that are made in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date presented, and we do not undertake any obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking or cautionary statements to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of events, unanticipated or otherwise, and changes in future operating results over time or otherwise.
Comparisons of results between current and prior periods are not intended to express any future trends, or indications of future performance, unless expressed as such, and should only be viewed as historical data.
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OUR COMPANY
We are a leading software platform for digital media measurement and analytics. Our mission is to create stronger, safer, more secure digital transactions that drive optimal outcomes for global advertisers. Through our software platform and the metrics it provides, we help preserve the fair value exchange between buyers and sellers of digital media.
The advertising industry continues to shift from traditional mediums to an expanding array of digital channels and platforms. Digital advertisers have historically relied on inconsistent, self-reported data from a large number of publishers, social channels and programmatic platforms, making it difficult to form an accurate, unbiased view of how and where their ad budgets are spent. As objectionable content and ad fraud have proliferated across the Internet and other digital channels, advertisers are utilizing independent, third-party solutions to protect their brand equity and optimize the performance of their digital media investments.
Our technology addresses this need by providing unbiased data analytics that enable advertisers to increase the effectiveness, quality and return on their digital advertising investments. Our proprietary DV Authentic Ad metric is our definitive metric of digital media quality, which measures whether a digital ad is displayed in a fraud-free, brand-suitable environment and is fully viewable in the intended geography. Our software platform delivers this metric to our customers in real time, allowing them to access critical performance data on their digital ads. Customers then leverage our data analytics to improve the efficiency of their digital advertising investments by avoiding wasted media spend on blocked or fraudulent ads and to optimize their media strategies in real time by verifying their highest-performing ads and content.
Our software platform is integrated across the entire digital advertising ecosystem, including programmatic platforms, social media channels and digital publishers. We deliver unique data analytics through our customer interface, DV Pinnacle, to provide detailed insights into our customers’ media performance on both direct and programmatic media buying platforms and across all key digital media channels (including social, video, mobile in-app and connected TV), formats (including display and video) and devices (including mobile, desktop and connected televisions). Our technology enables programmatic media traders to evaluate approximately 215 billion transactions daily (as of February 2022), ensuring that a digital ad meets the advertiser-defined quality criteria before it is purchased. We also analyze more than 7 billion digital ad transactions daily (as of February 2022), measuring whether ads are delivered in a fraud-free, brand-suitable environment and are fully viewable in the intended geography. Our software platform and unique position in the advertising ecosystem allow us to develop a significant data asset that accumulates over time as we measure an increasing number of media transactions. We are able to leverage our data asset across our existing solutions as well as expand the data asset to launch new solutions that address the evolving needs of advertisers.
Our principal executive offices are located at 462 Broadway, New York, NY 10013, and our telephone number is (212) 631-2111.
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before you make your investment decision, you should carefully consider all the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. In particular, we urge you to consider carefully the risks and uncertainties discussed in “Part I — Item 1A — Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as such risk factors may be updated by our annual, quarterly and current reports that we have filed or may file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders will bear any underwriting discounts, selling commissions and transfer taxes attributable to their sale of our common stock, and we will bear the remaining expenses.
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following descriptions of our capital stock, second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the “amended and restated certificate of incorporation”) and amended and restated bylaws are intended as summaries only and are qualified in their entirety by reference to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
General
Our authorized capital stock currently consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share and 100,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. As of September 1, 2022, there were 164,433,762 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding and no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.
Common Stock
Holders of our common stock are entitled:
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to cast one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders;
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to receive, on a pro rata basis, dividends and distributions, if any, that our board of directors may declare out of legally available funds, subject to preferences that may be applicable to preferred stock, if any, then outstanding; and
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upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, to share equally and ratably in any assets remaining after the payment of all debt and other liabilities, subject to the prior rights, if any, of holders of any outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Our ability to pay dividends on our common stock is subject to the discretion of our board of directors.
The holders of our common stock do not have any preemptive, cumulative voting, subscription, conversion, redemption or sinking fund rights. The common stock is not subject to future calls or assessments by us. The rights and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to any series of preferred stock that we may issue in the future, as described below.
The holders of our common stock do not have any preemptive, cumulative voting, subscription, conversion, redemption or sinking fund rights. The common stock is not subject to future calls or assessments by us. The rights and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to any series of preferred stock that we may issue in the future, as described below.
As of September 1, 2022, we had 164,433,762 shares of common stock issued and outstanding and there were 124 holders of record of our common stock.
Preferred Stock
Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the voting powers, designations, preferences and the relative participating, optional or other special rights and qualifications, limitations and restrictions of each series, including dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences and the number of shares constituting any series. No shares of our authorized preferred stock are currently issued or outstanding. Because the board of directors has the power to establish the preferences and rights of the shares of any additional series of preferred stock, it may afford holders of any preferred stock preferences, powers and rights, including voting and dividend rights, senior to the rights of holders of our common stock, which could adversely affect the holders of the common stock and could delay, discourage or prevent a takeover of us even if a change of control of our company would be beneficial to the interests of our stockholders.
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Annual Stockholders Meeting
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that annual stockholder meetings will be held at a date, time and place, if any, as exclusively selected by our board of directors. To the extent permitted under applicable law, we may conduct meetings by remote communications, including by webcast.
Voting
The affirmative vote of a plurality in voting power of the shares of our capital stock present, in person or by proxy, at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors will decide the election of any directors, and the affirmative vote of a majority in voting power of the shares of our capital stock present, in person or by proxy, at the meeting and entitled to vote at any annual or special meeting of stockholders will decide all other matters voted on by stockholders, unless the question is one upon which, by express provision of law, under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, or under our amended and restated bylaws, a different vote is required, in which case such provision will control. Stockholders do not have the right to cumulate their votes for the election of directors.
Board Designation Rights
We are party to a Stockholder’s Agreement, by and between DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. and Providence VII U.S. Holdings L.P., dated as of April 20, 2021 (the “Stockholder’s Agreement”). The Stockholder’s Agreement governs the relationship between Providence and us following our initial public offering, including matters related to our corporate governance, such as board nomination rights and information rights. The Stockholder’s Agreement grants Providence the right to designate for nomination for election a number of nominees, whom we refer to as the “Providence Designees,” equal to: (i) at least a majority of the total number of directors comprising our board of directors at such time as long as Providence owns at least 50% of the outstanding shares of our common stock; (ii) at least 40% of the total number of directors comprising our board of directors at such time as long as Providence owns at least 40% but less than 50% of the outstanding shares of our common stock; (iii) at least 30% of the total number of directors comprising our board of directors at such time as long as Providence owns at least 30% but less than 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock; (iv) at least 20% of the total number of directors comprising our board of directors at such time as long as Providence owns at least 20% but less than 30% of the outstanding shares of our common stock; and (v) at least 5% of the total number of directors comprising our board of directors at such time as long as Providence owns at least 5% but less than 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. For purposes of calculating the number of Providence Designees that Providence is entitled to nominate pursuant to the formula outlined above, any fractional amounts will be rounded to the nearest whole number (but not below one so long as Providence owns at least 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock) and the calculation will be made on a pro forma basis after taking into account any increase in the size of our board of directors.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws
The provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws summarized below may have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that you might consider in your best interest, including an attempt that might result in your receipt of a premium over the market price for your shares. These provisions are also designed, in part, to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors, which could result in an improvement of their terms.
Authorized but Unissued Shares of Common Stock. Our shares of authorized and unissued common stock are available for future issuance without additional stockholder approval. While our authorized and unissued shares are not designed to deter or prevent a change of control, under some circumstances we could use the additional shares to create voting impediments or to frustrate persons seeking to effect a takeover or otherwise gain control by, for example, issuing those shares in private placements to purchasers who might side with our board of directors in opposing a hostile takeover bid.
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Authorized but Unissued Shares of Preferred Stock. Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the voting powers, designations, preferences and the relative participating, optional or other special rights and qualifications, limitations and restrictions of each series, including dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences and the number of shares constituting any series. The existence of authorized but unissued preferred stock could reduce our attractiveness as a target for an unsolicited takeover bid since we could, for example, issue shares of preferred stock to parties who might oppose such a takeover bid or shares that contain terms the potential acquiror may find unattractive. This may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control, may discourage bids for the common stock at a premium over the market price of the common stock, and may adversely affect the market price of, and the voting and other rights of the holders of, our common stock.
Classified Board of Directors. In accordance with the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with members of each class serving staggered three-year terms. Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors consists of such number of directors as may be determined from time to time by resolution of the board of directors, but in no event may the number of directors be less than one. Any additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors will be distributed among the three classes so that, as nearly as possible, each class will consist of one-third of the directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, subject to the Stockholder’s Agreement with respect to the director designation rights of Providence. Any director elected to fill a vacancy will hold office until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal. Our classified board of directors could have the effect of delaying or discouraging an acquisition of us or a change in our management.
Removal of Directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that directors may be removed with or without cause at any time upon the affirmative vote of holders of at least a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock then entitled to vote at an election of directors until Providence ceases to beneficially own at least 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Thereafter, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that directors may be removed only for cause upon the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2∕3% in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock then entitled to vote at an election of directors.
Special Meetings of Stockholders. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by the Chairperson of our board of directors, or if there is no Chairperson, then by our Chief Executive Officer, or by a resolution adopted by a majority of our board of directors. Special meetings may also be called by our corporate secretary at the request of the holders of at least a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of our capital stock until Providence ceases to beneficially own at least 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Thereafter, stockholders are not permitted to call a special meeting of stockholders.
Stockholder Advance Notice Procedure. Our amended and restated bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholders to make nominations of candidates for election as directors or to bring other business before an annual meeting of our stockholders. The amended and restated bylaws provide that any stockholder wishing to nominate persons for election as directors at, or bring other business before, an annual meeting must deliver to our corporate secretary a written notice of the stockholder’s intention to do so. These provisions may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed. These provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company. To be timely, the stockholder’s notice must be delivered to our corporate secretary at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days before the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting is set for a date that is more than 30 days before or more than 70 days after the first anniversary
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date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to our corporate secretary not earlier than 120 days prior to the meeting and not later than the later of (x) the close of business on the 90th day prior to the meeting or (y) the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which a public announcement of the date of the meeting is first made by us.
No Stockholder Action by Written Consent. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that stockholder action may be taken only at an annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders; provided that stockholder action may be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting until Providence ceases to beneficially own at least 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock.
Amendments to Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended by both the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors and the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of our capital stock then entitled to vote at any annual or special meeting of stockholders; provided that, at any time when Providence beneficially owns less than 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, specified provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may not be amended, altered or repealed unless the amendment is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2∕3% in voting power of the outstanding shares of our capital stock then entitled to vote at any annual or special meeting of stockholders, including the provisions governing:
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liability and indemnification of directors;
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corporate opportunities;
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the ability of stockholders to act by written consent;
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the ability of stockholders to call a special meeting;
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removal of directors for cause; and
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our classified board of directors.
In addition, our amended and restated bylaws may be amended, altered or repealed, or new bylaws may be adopted, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the board of directors, or by the affirmative vote of our stockholders (x) as long as Providence beneficially owns at least 40% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, by at least a majority, and (y) thereafter, by at least 66 2∕3%, in voting power of the outstanding shares of our capital stock then entitled to vote at any annual or special meeting of stockholders.
These provisions make it more difficult for any person to remove or amend any provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws that may have an anti-takeover effect.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Law. In general, Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in business combinations, such as mergers, sales and leases of assets, issuances of securities and similar transactions by a corporation or subsidiary with an interested stockholder including a person or group who beneficially owns 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested stockholder, unless (with certain exceptions) the business combination or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder is approved in a prescribed manner. Section 203 permits corporations, in their certificate of incorporation, to opt out of the protections of Section 203. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we have elected not to be subject to Section 203 of the DGCL for so long as Providence owns, directly or indirectly, at least 15% of the then-outstanding shares of our common stock. From and after the date that Providence ceases to own, directly or indirectly, at least 15% of the then-outstanding shares of our common stock, we will be governed by Section 203.
Limitations on Liability and Indemnification
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions relating to the liability of directors. These provisions eliminate a director’s personal liability for monetary damages resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, except in circumstances involving:
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•
any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty;
•
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law;
•
unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases, redemptions or other distributions; or
•
any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.
The principal effect of the limitation on liability provision is that a stockholder is unable to prosecute an action for monetary damages against a director unless the stockholder can demonstrate a basis for liability for which indemnification is not available under the DGCL. These provisions, however, should not limit or eliminate our rights or any stockholder’s rights to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director’s fiduciary duty. These provisions do not alter a director’s liability under federal securities laws. The inclusion of this provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may discourage or deter stockholders or management from bringing a lawsuit against directors for a breach of their fiduciary duties, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise have benefited us and our stockholders. In addition, your investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws require us to indemnify and advance expenses to our directors and officers to the fullest extent not prohibited by the DGCL and other applicable law, except in the case of a proceeding instituted by the director without the approval of our board of directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that we are required to indemnify our directors and executive officers, to the fullest extent permitted by law, for all judgments, fines, settlements, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with pending or threatened legal proceedings because of the director’s or officer’s positions with us or another entity that the director or officer serves at our request, subject to various conditions, and to advance funds to our directors and officers to enable them to defend against such proceedings. To receive indemnification, the director or officer must have been successful in the legal proceeding or have acted in good faith and in what was reasonably believed to be a lawful manner in our best interest and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, have had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
We have entered into an indemnification agreement with each of our directors. The indemnification agreements provide our directors with contractual rights to the indemnification and expense advancement rights provided under our amended and restated bylaws, as well as contractual rights to additional indemnification as provided in the indemnification agreements.
Corporate Opportunities
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we, on our behalf and on behalf of our subsidiaries, renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, corporate opportunities that are from time to time presented to Providence or any of its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, members or partners, even if the opportunity is one that we or our subsidiaries might reasonably be deemed to have pursued or had the ability or desire to pursue if granted the opportunity to do so. Neither Providence nor any of its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, members or partners are generally liable to us or any of our subsidiaries for breach of any fiduciary or other duty, as a director or otherwise, by reason of the fact that such person pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity, directs such corporate opportunity to another person or fails to present such corporate opportunity, or information regarding such corporate opportunity, to us or our subsidiaries unless, in the case of any such person who is a director or officer of DoubleVerify, such corporate opportunity is expressly offered to such director or officer in writing solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of DoubleVerify. To the fullest extent permitted by law, by becoming a stockholder in our company, stockholders will be deemed to have notice of and consented to this provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Currently, Providence does not have any portfolio companies that would be considered direct competitors to DoubleVerify with respect to ad verification or similar software services.
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Choice of Forum
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent provided by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed to us or our stockholders by any of our current or former directors, officers, other employees, agents or stockholders, (iii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim against us arising under the DGCL or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (including, without limitation, any action asserting a claim arising out of or pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws) or (iv) any action or proceeding asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case, subject to such Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants; provided that, the exclusive forum provision does not apply to any action or proceeding brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other action or proceeding asserting a claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction; provided further that, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware dismisses any such action or proceeding for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, such action or proceeding may be brought in another state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware. Furthermore, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. By becoming a stockholder in our company, you will be deemed to have notice of and have consented to the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation related to choice of forum.
Market Listing
Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “DV”.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.
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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
The following tables set forth information as of September 1, 2022 with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common stock by the selling stockholders. The amounts and percentages of shares beneficially owned are reported on the basis of SEC regulations governing the determination of beneficial ownership of securities. Under SEC rules, a person is deemed to be a “beneficial owner” of a security if that person has or shares voting power or investment power, which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of such security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner of any securities of which that person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership within 60 days of the determination date. Securities that can be so acquired are deemed to be outstanding for purposes of computing such person’s ownership percentage, but not for purposes of computing any other person’s percentage. Under these rules, more than one person may be deemed to be a beneficial owner of the same securities, and a person may be deemed to be a beneficial owner of securities as to which such person has no economic interest.
The beneficial ownership percentages are based on 164,433,762 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 1, 2022.
Except as otherwise indicated in the footnotes to this table, the selling stockholder listed has, to our knowledge, sole voting and investment power with respect to the indicated shares of common stock.
|
Name and address of selling stockholder
|
| |
Number of Shares
Owned |
| |
Percent of Voting
Power (%) |
| ||||||
|
Providence VII U.S. Holdings L.P.(1)(2)
|
| | | | 77,867,524 | | | | | | 47.4% | | |
|
Providence Public Master L.P.(2)(3)
|
| | | | 671,520 | | | | | | 0.4% | | |
|
Providence Butternut Co-Investment L.P.(2)(4)
|
| | | | 501,864 | | | | | | 0.3% | | |
(1)
Represents shares of common stock held by Providence VII U.S. Holdings L.P. Providence VII U.S. Holdings L.P.’s general partner is Providence Equity GP VII-A L.P., and limited partners are Providence VII Global Holdings L.P. and Providence Equity Partners VII-A L.P. Providence VII Global Holdings L.P.’s general partner is Providence Equity GP VII-A L.P., and limited partner is Providence Equity Partners VII L.P. Providence Equity Partners VII L.P.’s general partner is Providence Equity GP VII L.P., whose general partner is PEP VII International Ltd. The sole shareholder of PEP VII International Ltd. is Providence Fund Holdco (Domestic ECI) L.P., whose general partner is Providence Managing Member L.L.C. Providence Equity Partners VII-A L.P.’s general partner is Providence Equity GP VII-A L.P., whose general partner is PEP VII-A International Ltd. The sole shareholder of PEP VII-A International Ltd. is Providence Fund Holdco (International) L.P., whose general partner is Providence Holdco (International) GP Ltd. Each of Providence Managing Member L.L.C. and Providence Holdco (International) GP Ltd. is controlled by Jonathan M. Nelson, R. Davis Noell, J. David Phillips, Karim A. Tabet, Andrew A. Tisdale and Michael J. Dominguez. Investment and voting decisions with respect to shares held by Providence VII U.S. Holdings L.P. are made by Providence Equity GP VII-A L.P. Each of Jonathan M. Nelson, R. Davis Noell, J. David Phillips, Karim A. Tabet, Andrew A. Tisdale and Michael J. Dominguez expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by Providence VII U.S. Holdings L.P. The address for each of Providence VII U.S. Holdings L.P., Providence Equity GP VII-A L.P., Jonathan M. Nelson, R. Davis Noell, J. David Phillips, Karim A. Tabet, Andrew A. Tisdale and Michael J. Dominguez is c/o Providence Equity Partners L.L.C., 50 Kennedy Plaza, 18th Floor, Providence, Rhode Island 02903.
(2)
For information regarding certain material relationships between the selling stockholders and the Company, see “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions” included in our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 25, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
(3)
Represents shares of common stock held directly by Providence Public Master L.P. The general partner of Providence Public Master L.P. is Providence Public GP L.L.C. The sole shareholder of Providence Public GP L.L.C. is Providence Fund Holdco (Domestic) L.P., whose general partner is Providence Managing Member L.L.C. Providence Managing Member L.L.C. is controlled by Jonathan M. Nelson, R. Davis Noell, J. David Phillips, Karim A. Tabet, Andrew A. Tisdale and Michael J. Dominguez. Investment and voting decisions with respect to shares held by Providence Public Master
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L.P. are made by Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. The managing member of Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. is Providence Managing Member L.L.C. Each of Jonathan M. Nelson, R. Davis Noell, J. David Phillips, Karim A. Tabet, Andrew A. Tisdale and Michael J. Dominguez expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by Providence Public Master L.P. The address for Providence Public Master L.P. and Providence Public GP L.L.C. is c/o Providence Equity Partners L.L.C., 50 Kennedy Plaza, 18th Floor, Providence, Rhode Island 02903.
(4)
Represents shares of common stock held by Providence Butternut Co-Investment L.P. Providence Butternut Co-Investment L.P.’s general partner is Providence Equity GP VII-A L.P. The general partner of Providence Equity GP VII-A L.P. is PEP VII-A International Ltd. The sole shareholder of PEP VII-A International Ltd. is Providence Fund Holdco (International) L.P., whose general partner is Providence Holdco (International) GP Ltd. Providence Holdco (International) GP Ltd. is controlled by Jonathan M. Nelson, R. Davis Noell, J. David Phillips, Karim A. Tabet, Andrew A. Tisdale and Michael J. Dominguez. Investment and voting decisions with respect to shares held by Providence Butternut Co-Investment L.P. are made by Providence Equity GP VII-A L.P. Each of Jonathan M. Nelson, R. Davis Noell, J. David Phillips, Karim A. Tabet, Andrew A. Tisdale and Michael J. Dominguez expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by Providence Butternut Co-Investment L.P. The address for each of Providence Butternut Co-Investment L.P., Providence Equity GP VII-A L.P., Jonathan M. Nelson, R. Davis Noell, J. David Phillips, Karim A. Tabet, Andrew A. Tisdale and Michael J. Dominguez is c/o Providence Equity Partners L.L.C., 50 Kennedy Plaza, 18th Floor, Providence, Rhode Island 02903.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
General
The selling stockholders and their pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors in interest, may sell the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus using one or more of the following methods from time to time:
•
to or through underwriters in a public offering;
•
“at the market” to or through market makers or into an existing market for the securities;
•
through ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;
•
in block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;
•
in purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;
•
in privately negotiated transactions;
•
through short sales (including short sales “against the box”);
•
through the writing or settlement of standardized or over-the-counter options or other hedging or derivative transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;
•
by pledge to secure debts and other obligations;
•
in other ways not involving market makers or established trading markets, including direct sales to purchasers or sales effected through agents;
•
through the distribution by any selling stockholder to its partners, members or shareholders;
•
through a combination of any such methods; and
•
through any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.
Registration of shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus does not mean that those securities necessarily will be offered or sold.
To the extent required by law, this prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution. Any prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering of our common stock by the selling stockholders may include the following information, to the extent required by law:
•
the name or names of the selling stockholders and the amounts to be sold by them;
•
the terms of the offering;
•
the names of any underwriters or agents;
•
the public offering price or the purchase price of the securities;
•
any delayed delivery arrangements;
•
any underwriting discounts and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation; and
•
any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.
The selling stockholders may offer our common stock to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or through underwriters without an underwriting syndicate. If underwriters are used for the sale of our common stock, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account. The underwriters may resell the common stock in one or more transactions, including in negotiated transactions at a fixed public offering price, which may be changed, or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. In connection with any such underwritten sale of common stock, underwriters may receive compensation from the selling stockholders, for whom they may act as agents, in the form of
16
discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell common stock to or through dealers, and the dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Such compensation may be in excess of customary discounts, concessions or commissions.
If the selling stockholders use an underwriter or underwriters to effectuate the sale of common stock, we and/or they will execute an underwriting agreement with those underwriters at the time of sale of those securities. To the extent required by law, the names of the underwriters will be set forth in the prospectus supplement used by the underwriters to sell those securities. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering of common stock, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to customary conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities offered if any of the securities are purchased.
In effecting sales, brokers or dealers engaged by the selling stockholders may arrange for other brokers or dealers to participate. Broker-dealers may receive discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of shares, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated. Such compensation may be in excess of customary discounts, concessions or commissions. If dealers are utilized in the sale of securities, the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction will be set forth in a prospectus supplement, if required.
The selling stockholders may also sell shares of our common stock from time to time through agents. We will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of such shares and will list commissions payable to these agents in a prospectus supplement, if required. These agents will be acting on a best efforts basis to solicit purchases for the period of their appointment, unless we state otherwise in any required prospectus supplement.
The selling stockholders may sell shares of our common stock directly to purchasers. In this case, they may not engage underwriters or agents in the offer and sale of such shares.
Any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents that participate in the sale of the selling stockholders’ shares of common stock or interests therein may be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act. Any discounts, commissions, concessions or profit they earn on any resale of the shares may be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Selling stockholders who are “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act. We will make copies of this prospectus available to the selling stockholders for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act, if applicable. If any entity is deemed an underwriter or any amounts deemed underwriting discounts and commissions, the prospectus supplement will identify the underwriter or agent and describe the compensation received from the selling stockholders.
Certain of the underwriters, broker-dealers or agents who may become involved in the sale of the shares of common stock may engage in transactions with and perform other services for us in the ordinary course of their business for which they will receive ordinary compensation.
We are not aware of any plans, arrangements or understandings between any of the selling stockholders and any underwriter, broker-dealer or agent regarding the sale of the shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders. We cannot assure you that the selling stockholders will sell any or all of the shares of our common stock offered by them pursuant to this prospectus. In addition, we cannot assure you that the selling stockholders will not transfer, devise or gift the shares of our common stock by other means not described in this prospectus. Moreover, shares of common stock covered by this prospectus that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than pursuant to this prospectus.
From time to time, the selling stockholders may pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares it owns. The pledgees, secured parties or persons to whom the shares have been hypothecated will, upon foreclosure, be deemed to be the selling stockholder. The number of the selling stockholders’ shares offered under this prospectus will decrease as and when it takes such actions. The plan of distribution for that selling stockholder’s shares will otherwise remain unchanged. In addition, the selling
17
stockholders may, from time to time, sell the shares short, and, in those instances, this prospectus may be delivered in connection with the short sales and the shares offered under this prospectus may be used to cover short sales.
The selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers and the broker-dealers may engage in short sales of the shares in the course of hedging the positions they assume with such selling stockholder, including, without limitation, in connection with distributions of the shares by those broker-dealers. The selling stockholders may enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers that involve the delivery of the shares offered hereby to the broker-dealers, who may then resell or otherwise transfer those securities.
The selling stockholders may elect to make an in-kind distribution of the shares of common stock to its members, partners or shareholders. In such event, we may file a prospectus supplement to the extent required by law in order to permit the distributees to use the prospectus to resell the common stock acquired in the distribution.
Indemnification
We and the selling stockholders may enter agreements under which underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in the distribution of our common stock may be entitled to indemnification by us and/or the selling stockholders against various liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribution with respect to payments which the underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make.
Price Stabilization and Short Positions
If underwriters or dealers are used in the sale of shares of our common stock, until the distribution of the shares is completed, rules of the SEC may limit the ability of any underwriters to bid for and purchase our common stock. As an exception to these rules, representatives of any underwriters are permitted to engage in transactions that stabilize the price of our common stock. These transactions may consist of bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of our common stock. If the underwriters create a short position in shares of our common stock in connection with an offering (that is, if they sell more shares than are set forth on the cover page of the applicable prospectus supplement) the representatives of the underwriters may reduce that short position by purchasing shares in the open market. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the common stock at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.
We make no representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. In addition, we make no representation that the representatives of any underwriters will engage in these transactions or that these transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.
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LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York, New York. Certain legal matters with respect to the common stock may be passed upon by counsel for any underwriters, dealers or agents, each of whom will be named in the related prospectus supplement.
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EXPERTS
The financial statements as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, incorporated in this Prospectus have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report. Such financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC also maintains an Internet site at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and other information statements and other information regarding issuers, including us, that file documents with the SEC electronically through the SEC’s electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval system known as EDGAR.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 filed by us with the SEC. You may review the registration statement and the exhibits filed with such registration statement for further information regarding us and our common stock at www.sec.gov.
Our Internet address is www.doubleverify.com. We make available on our website, free of charge, our periodic and current reports, proxy and information statements and other information we file with the SEC and amendments thereto as soon as reasonably practicable after we file such material with, or furnish such material to, the SEC, as applicable. After accessing the website, the filings can be found by selecting the “Investors” menu. The contents of our website are not incorporated into this prospectus or into our other filings with the SEC.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus information we file with the SEC in other documents. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring to another document we have filed with the SEC. The information relating to us contained in this prospectus should be read together with the information in the documents incorporated by reference.
We incorporate by reference, as of their respective dates of filing, the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act from the date of this prospectus and until any offering of securities pursuant to this prospectus is completed or otherwise terminated (excluding any portions of such documents that have been “furnished” but not “filed” for purposes of the Exchange Act):
•
•
our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 10, 2022, and June 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on August 3, 2022;
•
our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 19, 2022, June 15, 2022 and June 21, 2022;
•
•
the description of capital stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, as filed with the SEC on April 19, 2021, as amended by the description of our common stock contained in Exhibit 4.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and as amended by any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.
Any statement contained in a document that is incorporated by reference will be modified or superseded for all purposes to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus (or in any other document that is subsequently filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference) modifies or is contrary to that previous statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed a part of this prospectus except as so modified or superseded. In addition, upon request, we will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the reports or documents that have been incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained in the registration statement, but not delivered with the prospectus. You may request a copy of these filings (other than an exhibit to a filing unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing) at no cost, by writing to or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
Attn: Investor Relations
462 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
(212) 631-2111
Attn: Investor Relations
462 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
(212) 631-2111
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS
ITEM 14. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
The following table sets forth the various expenses in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being registered.
| |
SEC Registration Fee
|
| | | $ | 193,949 | | |
| |
FINRA Filing Fee
|
| | | $ | 225,500 | | |
| |
Printing Fees and Expenses
|
| | | | * | | |
| |
Accounting Fees and Expenses
|
| | | | * | | |
| |
Legal Fees and Expenses
|
| | | | * | | |
| |
Transfer Agent Fees and Expenses
|
| | | | * | | |
| |
Miscellaneous
|
| | | | * | | |
| |
Total
|
| | | | * | | |
*
These fees will be calculated based on the number of issuances and the amount of securities offered and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.
ITEM 15. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware.
Section 145(a) of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful.
Section 145(b) of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
Section 145(c) of the DGCL provides that to the extent that a present or former director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 145 of the DGCL, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter
II-1
therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.
Section 145(e) of the DGCL provides that expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director of the corporation in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in Section 145 of the DGCL. Such expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by former directors and officers or other employees and agents of the corporation or by persons serving at the request of the corporation as directors, officers, employees or agents of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the corporation deems appropriate.
Section 145(g) of the DGCL specifically allows a Delaware corporation to purchase liability insurance on behalf of its directors and officers and to insure against potential liability of such directors and officers regardless of whether the corporation would have the power to indemnify such directors and officers under Section 145 of the DGCL.
Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a Delaware corporation to include a provision in its certificate of incorporation eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. This provision, however, may not eliminate or limit a director’s liability (1) for breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (3) under Section 174 of the DGCL, which provides for liability of directors for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock purchases, redemptions or other distributions, or (4) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
Section 174 of the DGCL provides, among other things, that a director who willfully and negligently approves of an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption may be held liable for such actions. A director who was either absent when the unlawful actions were approved or dissented at the time may avoid liability by causing his or her dissent to such actions to be entered in the books containing the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors at the time the action occurred or immediately after the absent director receives notice of the unlawful acts.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions permitted under the DGCL relating to the liability of directors. These provisions eliminate a director’s personal liability for monetary damages resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, except in circumstances involving:
•
any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty;
•
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law;
•
unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock purchases, redemptions or other distributions; or
•
any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.
If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended. Any repeal or modification of these provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director existing at the time of such repeal or modification.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws require us to indemnify and advance expenses to our directors and officers to the fullest extent not prohibited by the DGCL and other applicable law, except in the case of a proceeding instituted by the director without the approval of our board of directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that we are required to indemnify our directors and officers, to the fullest extent permitted by law, for all judgments, fines, settlements, legal fees and other expenses incurred in
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connection with pending or threatened legal proceedings because of the director’s or officer’s positions with us or another entity that the director or officer serves at our request, subject to various conditions, and to advance funds to our directors and officers to enable them to defend against such proceedings. To receive indemnification, the director or officer must have been successful in the legal proceeding or have acted in good faith and in what was reasonably believed to be a lawful manner in our best interest and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. No repeal or modification of any of these provisions in our amended and restated bylaws or any relevant provisions of the DGCL shall adversely affect any right or obligation of a director or officer existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to any state of facts then or previously existing or any proceeding previously or thereafter brought or threatened based in whole or in part upon any such state of facts.
Indemnification Agreements
We have entered into an indemnification agreement with each of our directors. The indemnification agreements provide our directors with contractual rights to the indemnification and expense advancement rights provided under our amended and restated bylaws, as well as contractual rights to additional indemnification as provided in the indemnification agreements.
Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance
We have directors’ and officers’ liability insurance which insures against certain liabilities that our directors and officers and the directors and officers of our subsidiaries may, in such capacities, incur.
ITEM 16. EXHIBITS
The exhibits to this registration statement are listed in the Exhibit Index to this registration statement, which Exhibit Index is hereby incorporated by reference.
ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS
Rule 415 Offering
(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;
(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; and
(iii)
To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
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.
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(2)
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3)
To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4)
That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(i)
Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii)
Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(5)
That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i)
Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii)
Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii)
The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv)
Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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(c)
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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EXHIBIT INDEX
|
Exhibit
Number |
| |
Exhibit Description
|
|
| 1.1* | | | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
| 3.1 | | | Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, dated April 23, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 26, 2021 (File No. 001-40349)). | |
| 3.2 | | | Amended and Restated Bylaws, currently in effect (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 26, 2021 (File No. 001-40349)). | |
| 4.1 | | | | |
| 5.1 | | | | |
| 23.1 | | | | |
| 23.2 | | | | |
| 24.1 | | | | |
| 107 | | | |
*
To be filed by amendment or incorporated by reference in connection with the offering of the securities.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on September 30, 2022.
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
By:
/s/ Mark Zagorski
Name: Mark Zagorski
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Director
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Director
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Mark Zagorski and Nicola Allais, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, acting alone, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments to this Registration Statement, including post-effective amendments and registration statements filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) and otherwise, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as such person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed on September 30, 2022 by the following persons in the capacities indicated.
| |
Signature
|
| |
Title
|
|
| |
/s/ Mark Zagorski
Mark Zagorski
|
| |
Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer) |
|
| |
/s/ Nicola Allais
Nicola Allais
|
| |
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
|
| |
/s/ Laura B. Desmond
Laura B. Desmond
|
| |
Director
|
|
| |
/s/ R. Davis Noell
R. Davis Noell
|
| |
Director
|
|
| |
/s/ Lucy Stamell Dobrin
Lucy Stamell Dobrin
|
| |
Director
|
|
| |
/s/ Joshua L. Selip
Joshua L. Selip
|
| |
Director
|
|
| |
/s/ Teri L. List
Teri L. List
|
| |
Director
|
|
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| |
Signature
|
| |
Title
|
|
| |
/s/ Kelli Turner
Kelli Turner
|
| |
Director
|
|
| |
/s/ Rosie Perez
Rosie Perez
|
| |
Director
|
|
| |
/s/ Scott Wagner
Scott Wagner
|
| |
Director
|
|
| |
/s/ Sundeep Jain
Sundeep Jain
|
| |
Director
|
|
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Exhibit 5.1
September 30, 2022
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
462 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
Registration Statement on Form S-3
of DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special New York counsel to DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the filing on the date hereof with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement,” including a base prospectus (the “Prospectus”), which provides that it may be supplemented by one or more prospectus supplements), relating to the offer and sale from time to time of shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), to be sold by the selling stockholders referred to in the Prospectus (the “Shares”).
In arriving at the opinion expressed below, we have (a) examined and relied on the originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such agreements, documents and records of the Company and its subsidiaries and such certificates of public officials, officers and representatives of the Company and its subsidiaries and other persons as we have deemed appropriate for the purposes of such opinion, (b) examined and relied as to factual matters upon, and have assumed the accuracy of, the statements made in the certificates of public officials, officers and representatives of the Company and its subsidiaries and other persons delivered to us and (c) made such investigations of law as we have deemed appropriate as a basis for such opinion.
In rendering the opinion expressed below, we have assumed, with your permission, without independent investigation or inquiry, (i) the authenticity and completeness of all documents that we examined, (ii) the genuineness of all signatures on all documents that we examined, (iii) the conformity to authentic originals and completeness of documents examined by us that are certified, conformed, reproduction, photostatic or other copies, (iv) the legal capacity of all natural persons executing documents and (v) that the Shares are uncertificated and that the statements required by Section 151(f) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as in effect on the date hereof (the “DGCL”), will be furnished in accordance with the DGCL.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing and the assumptions, qualifications and limitations hereinafter set forth, we are of the opinion that, the Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable under the DGCL.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus forming a part thereof and to the incorporation by reference of this opinion and consent as exhibits to any registration statement filed in accordance with Rule 462(e) or Rule 413(b) under the Act relating to the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholders. In giving such consent, we do not concede that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
We are members of the bar of the State of New York. We express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the DGCL.
| Very truly yours, | |
| /s/ Debevoise & Plimpton LLP | |
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated March 8, 2022 relating to the financial statements of DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc., appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2021. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
New York, NY
September 30, 2022