Vertical Aerospace Ltd 6-K, filed Jan 23, 2025
Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (EVTL)
About this 6-K
Vertical Aerospace Ltd filed this 6-K on January 23, 2025.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13A-16 OR 15D-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of January 2025
Commission File Number: 001-41169
Vertical Aerospace Ltd.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Unit 1 Camwal Court, Chapel Street
Bristol BS2 0UW
United Kingdom
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F x Form 40-F ¨
EXPLANATORY NOTE
On January 23, 2025, Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with William Blair & Company L.L.C. and Canaccord Geniuty LLC, as underwriters (collectively, the “Underwriters”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to offer and sell, in an underwritten public offering in the United States (the “Offering”), $90 million of units (the “Units”), each unit consisting of (i) one ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.001 per share (each, an “ordinary share”); (ii) one-half of one Tranche A warrant to purchase one ordinary share (each whole Tranche A warrant, a “Tranche A Warrant”); and (iii) one-half of one Tranche B warrant to purchase one ordinary share (each whole Tranche B warrant, a “Tranche B Warrant” and together with the Tranche A Warrants, the “Warrants”).
The public offering price is $6.00 per Unit. Each whole Tranche A Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $6.00 per ordinary share, and each whole Tranche B Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $7.50 per ordinary share.
Attached to this Report as Exhibit 1.1 is the Underwriting Agreement.
Attached to this Report as Exhibit 4.1 is the warrant agreement, dated January 23, 2025, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.
Attached to this Report as Exhibit 5.1 is the opinion of Walkers (Cayman) LLP regarding the validity of the ordinary shares underlying the Units.
Attached to this Report as Exhibit 99.1 is a copy of the press release of the Company, dated January 23, 2025, announcing the pricing of the Offering.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The information included in this Report on Form 6-K (including Exhibits 1.1, 4.1, 5.1 and 99.1) is hereby incorporated by reference into the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-275430) (including any prospectuses forming a part of such registration statements) and to be a part thereof from the date on which this Report on Form 6-K is filed, to the extent not superseded by documents or reports subsequently filed or furnished.
The information included in this Report on Form 6-K (including Exhibit 99.1, but excluding Exhibits 1.1, 4.1 and 5.1) is hereby incorporated by reference into the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-270756) (including any prospectuses forming a part of such registration statements) and to be a part thereof from the date on which this Report on Form 6-K is filed, to the extent not superseded by documents or reports subsequently filed or furnished.
EXHIBIT INDEX
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Vertical Aerospace Ltd. | ||
| Date: January 23, 2025 | By: | /s/ Stuart Simpson |
| Stuart Simpson | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
Exhibit 1.1
VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD.
15,000,000 Units, with Each Unit Consisting of
One Ordinary Share, par value $0.001 per share,
One-Half Tranche A Warrant to Purchase One Ordinary Share
One-Half Tranche B Warrant to Purchase One Ordinary Share
Underwriting Agreement
January 23, 2025
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
Canaccord Genuity LLC
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
150 N. Riverside Plaza
Chicago, IL 60606
c/o Canaccord Genuity LLC
One Post Office Square, 30th Floor, Suite 3000
Boston, MA 02109
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Vertical Aerospace Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated with limited liability (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”) for whom William Blair & Company, L.L.C. (“William Blair”) and Canaccord Genuity LLC are acting as representatives (the “Representatives” or “you”) an aggregate of 15,000,000 units, each unit consisting of (i) one ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.001 per share (each, an “Ordinary Share”) (the Ordinary Shares sold hereunder, the “Shares”), (ii) one-half of one warrant, in the form set forth in Annex I hereto (the “Tranche A Warrants”) to purchase one Ordinary Share, and (iii) one-half of one warrant, in the form set forth in Annex II hereto (the “Tranche B Warrants” and, together with the Tranche A Warrants, the “Warrants”) to purchase one Ordinary Share. The Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants are herein referred to as the “Warrant Shares.” The Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.” To the extent that you are the only Underwriters, all references to “each Underwriter,” “the Underwriters” or “Representatives” shall refer to just you.
1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-275430) (the “Initial Registration Statement”) in respect of the Securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”); the Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered to you and, excluding exhibits to the Initial Registration Statement, but including all documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus included therein, to you for each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission in such form; other than a registration statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), which became effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or document incorporated by reference therein has heretofore been filed with the Commission and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission (the base prospectus filed as part of the Initial Registration Statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement relating to the Securities, is hereinafter called the “Base Prospectus”); any preliminary prospectus, including any preliminary prospectus supplement (together with the Base Prospectus), relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act is hereinafter called the “Preliminary Prospectus”; the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and including any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B under the Act to be part of the Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective, each as amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the Base Prospectus relating to the Securities, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(c) hereof), is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; the form of the final prospectus relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; any reference herein to the Base Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the Act, as of the date of such prospectus; any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and any documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and incorporated therein, in each case after the date of the Base Prospectus, such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Securities is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”).
(b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
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(c) For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is 10:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the date of this Agreement. The Pricing Prospectus, as supplemented by the information listed in Schedule II(c) hereto, taken together (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”), as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(a) hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
(d) The documents incorporated by reference in and forming part of the Registration Statement, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; The documents incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement, except as set forth on Schedule II(b) hereto.
(e) The Registration Statement conforms at the time it was declared effective, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus on the date when such prospectus, amendment or supplement is first filed will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
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(f) The consolidated financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing (or to the extent corrected by a subsequent amendment). Such consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”) applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved, except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by IFRS, and fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial year-end audit adjustments.
(g) The statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(h) The Company and each of its subsidiaries set forth in Exhibit 8.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on March 14, 2024 (each, a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) (i) has accurately and timely prepared and filed (or requested valid extensions thereof) all foreign, federal and state income and all other tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith, with respect to which adequate reserves have been set aside on the books of the Company and (iii) has set aside on its books provisions reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii) above, where the failure to so pay or file any such tax, assessment, charge or return would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, “Material Adverse Effect” shall mean any material adverse change or effect in or affecting (i) the business, properties, general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, or (ii) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus. The Company has not received written notice of any unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the Company or any Subsidiary by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, which taxes remain unpaid.
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(i) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as specifically disclosed, (i) there have been no events, occurrences or developments that have had or would reasonably be expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any material liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to IFRS or required to be disclosed in filings made with the Commission and (C) liabilities recognized in relation to the implementation of amendments to the terms of the Company’s Senior Secured Convertible Notes pursuant to the First Supplemental Indenture arising from the increase in the interest rate applicable to the Senior Secured Convertible Notes and the extension of their maturity date, and (D) potential contingent liabilities arising in relation to the SF Participation Rights as defined in and pursuant to the Investment Agreement, dated December 20, 2024, by and between the Company, Vertical Aerospace Group Limited, Mudrick Capital Management L.P. and Stephen Fitzpatrick, (iii) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its shareholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any Ordinary Shares (other than in connection with repurchases of unvested Ordinary Shares issued to employees of the Company) and (iv) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or affiliate, except Ordinary Shares issued in the ordinary course as issued pursuant to existing Company share option or equity purchase plans or executive and director compensation arrangements disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(j) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all tangible personal property owned by it that is material to its business, in each case free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or defect except such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries are held by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Subsidiaries, as the case may be.
(k) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) is in violation of any order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or their properties or assets, or (ii) is in violation of, or in receipt of written notice that it is in violation of, any statute, rule or regulation of any governmental authority applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except in each case as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization (as applicable), with the requisite corporate power and authority to own or lease and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation or default of any of the provisions of its articles of incorporation or bylaws or other organizational documents. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) The Company has no direct or indirect subsidiaries other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company owns, directly or indirectly, the share capital or comparable equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any and all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, and all the issued and outstanding share capital or comparable equity interest of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.
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(n) The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder. The Company’s execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby (including, but not limited to, the sale and delivery of the Shares and the Warrants and the reservation for issuance and the subsequent issuance of the Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrants) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and no further corporate action is required by the Company, its Board of Directors or its shareholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals (as defined below). This Agreement has been duly executed by the Company and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by other equitable principles of general application, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(o) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is required to obtain any consent, waiver, approval, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority, holder of outstanding securities of the Company or other person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (including the issuance of the Securities), other than (i) the filing with the Commission of any prospectus supplements with respect to the Securities pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and the filing with the Commission of one or more registration statements to register the Warrant Shares, (ii) filings required by applicable state securities laws, (iii) the filing of any requisite notices and/or application(s) to the New York Stock Exchange for the issuance and sale of the Securities and the listing of the Shares and Warrant Shares for trading or quotation, as the case may be, thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (iv) those that have been made or obtained prior to the date of this Agreement (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
(p) The Company has an authorized share capital as set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and all of the issued Ordinary Shares of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters, have been duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. None of such issued Ordinary Shares were issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities which violation would have or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no shareholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s share capital to which the Company is a party or, to the Company’s knowledge, between or among any of the Company’s shareholders.
(q) The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims and shall not be subject to preemptive or similar rights of shareholders. The Warrants have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with their terms, will be duly and validly issued, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims and shall not be subject to preemptive or similar rights of shareholders. The Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants have been duly authorized and validly reserved for issuance upon exercise of the Warrants in a number sufficient to meet the exercise requirements. The Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, and shall not be subject to preemptive or similar rights of shareholders.
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(r) The execution, delivery and performance of the obligations under this Agreement by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation of the other transactions contained in this Agreement will not (i) violate any provision of the Fourth Amended and Restated Articles of Association of the Company, (ii) conflict with or result in a violation of or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation, a change of control right or to a loss of a benefit under any agreement or instrument, credit facility, franchise, license, judgment, order, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulations, applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or their respective properties or assets, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations) and the rules and regulations of any self-regulatory organization to which the Company or its securities are subject, or by which any property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or affected, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) The statements set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus under the caption “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association,” insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Companies securities, under the captions “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” and “Underwriting,” insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate in all material respects.
(t) [Reserved].
(u) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be, an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(v) At the time of the filing of the Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Act) of the Securities, at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act.
(w) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have audited certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
(x) The Company maintains a system of “internal control over financial reporting” (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder) that is designed to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS and to maintain asset and liability accountability, (iii) access to assets or incurrence of liabilities is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets and liabilities is compared with the existing assets and liabilities at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(y) [Reserved].
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(z) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(aa) The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all of the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which are applicable to it. The Company has designed a system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that are designed to comply with the Exchange Act within the time period required, and such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects.
(bb) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns, possesses, licenses or has other rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark applications and registrations, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses, technology, know-how and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or material for use in connection with its businesses as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus and which the failure to so would have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any Subsidiary violates or infringes upon the patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of any Person in a manner which would have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened suit, investigation or proceeding or claim by any person that the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s business as now conducted infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of another. To the Company’s knowledge, there is no existing infringement by another person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights that would have or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, other than in respect of which the Company has commenced legal action. There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened suit, investigation or proceeding or claim by another person challenging the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s rights in or to any material Intellectual Property Rights, or challenging inventorship, validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property Rights. The Company has taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of its and its Subsidiaries’ Intellectual Property Rights, except where failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the technology employed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has been obtained or is being used by the Company or any Subsidiary in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any Subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its or its Subsidiaries’ officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any person, which violations would have or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(cc) [Reserved].
(dd) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries possesses all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary under applicable law to conduct its business as currently conducted, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, or such that where the failure to possess such permits, individually or in the aggregate, has not and would not have or would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of revocation or modification of any such Material Permits, which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, has or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(ee) Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) is in violation of any statute, rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is in violation of any Environmental Laws, (iii) is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any Environmental Laws, or (iv) is subject to any claim relating to any Environmental Laws; which violation, contamination, liability or claim has had or would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and there is no pending investigation or, to the Company’s Knowledge, investigation threatened in writing that might lead to such a claim.
(ff) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have complied, and are presently in compliance, in all material respects, with its privacy and security policies, and with all obligations, laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, transfer, storage, protection, disposal and/or disclosure of personally identifiable information and/or any other information collected from or provided by third parties, except such as has not resulted or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable steps to protect the information technology systems and data used in connection with the operation of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, except such as has not resulted or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have used reasonable efforts to establish, and have established, commercially reasonable disaster recovery and security plans, procedures and facilities for the business, including, without limitation, for the information technology systems and data held or used by or for the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries. Except as set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been no security breach or attack or other compromise of or relating to any such information technology system or data which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(gg) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as the Company believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses and locations in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged. Other than customary end-of-policy notifications from insurance carriers, since January 1, 2025, the Company has not received any notice or other communication regarding any actual or possible: (i) cancellation or invalidation of any material insurance policy or (ii) refusal or denial of any coverage, reservation of rights or rejection of any material claim under any insurance policy.
(hh) There are no contracts or other documents which are of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.
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(ii) Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, none of the executive officers or directors of the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company (other than for services as employees, officers and directors) that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Act.
(jj) [Reserved].
(kk) No material labor dispute exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company which would have or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ll) Except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company or its Subsidiaries and any person (A) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering; or (B) granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Act.
(mm) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, no person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Act of any securities of the Company.
(nn) None of the Company, its Subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of their respective affiliates does business with any court, administrative agency, regulatory body, commission or other governmental authority, board, bureau or instrumentality, domestic or foreign, any subdivision thereof, or with any individual, corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, estate, trust, business association, organization or other entity located in any country that is the subject of the economic sanctions or programs of the United States as administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to its Subsidiaries or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, in a manner that violates any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(oo) The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in the past five years in compliance with applicable requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and the Subsidiaries conduct business, the applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(pp) In the past five years, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA, and the Company, its Subsidiaries and its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve, and which are reasonably expected to continue to promote and achieve, continued compliance therewith.
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(qq) Subject to the qualifications, limitations, exceptions and assumptions set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, the Company does not believe it was a “passive foreign investment company” within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (a “PFIC”) , for the taxable year that ended on December 31, 2024, and the Company does not expect to be a PFIC for the foreseeable future.
(rr) The Company satisfies the eligibility requirements for the use of a registration statement on Form F-3 under the Act for the offering of the Securities.
(ss) The Company’s Ordinary Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to terminate the registration of the Ordinary Shares under the Exchange Act, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received written notice from any trading market on which the Ordinary Shares are listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such trading market. The Company is in compliance with all listing and maintenance requirements of the New York Stock Exchange on the date hereof and the issuance of the Securities will not violate any such listing or maintenance requirements.
(tt) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per unit of $5.7108, the number of Shares and accompanying Tranche A Warrants and Tranche B Warrants set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.
3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Shares and Warrants, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Shares and Warrants for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.
4. (a) The Shares and Warrants to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request upon at least 48 hours’ prior notice to the Company shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives at least 48 hours in advance. The Warrants shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representative in definitive form and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request upon at least 48 hours’ prior notice to the Company. The Warrants shall be made available for inspection by the Representatives on the business day prior to the Time of Delivery. The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Shares and Warrants, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on January 24, 2025 or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Shares and Warrants is herein called the “Time of Delivery.”
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(b) The documents to be delivered at the Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross-receipt for the Shares and Warrants and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(k) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Covington & Burling LLP, at 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018 (the “Closing Location”), and the Shares and Warrants will be delivered at the office of DTC (or its designated custodian), all at the Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day immediately preceding the Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto.
5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or such earlier time as may be required under the Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus prior to the Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all other materials required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, within the time required by such rule; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Securities, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;
(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Securities, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction or subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise subject to taxation on the date hereof;
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(c) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act, to notify you and upon your request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Securities at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;
(d) [Reserved];
(e) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable (which may be satisfied by filing its Annual Report on Form 20-F with the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (“EDGAR”) system), but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its Subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);
(f) During the period beginning from the date hereof for a period of 60 days (the “Lock-Up Period”), not to (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Securities, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Ordinary Shares, or any such substantially similar securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of Ordinary Shares, or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Ordinary Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, other than (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) the issuance of options, restricted share units, restricted shares or other equity awards to acquire Ordinary Shares granted pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans that are described in the Prospectus, as such plans may be amended, (C) the issuance of Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of any such options, restricted share units or other equity awards to acquire Ordinary Shares, (D) the filing by the Company of registration statements on Form S-8 with respect to the Company’s benefit plans that are referred to in the Prospectus, and (E) Ordinary Shares issued upon exercise of warrants of the Company, but only if the holders of such Ordinary Shares or options issued under (B) and (C) above agree to execute a lock-up letter described in Section 8(j) hereof (to the extent such holder has not previously signed a lock-up letter. The Company also agrees that during the Lock-Up Period, no director or officer of the Company may establish a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act providing for dispositions or sales of Ordinary Shares;
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(g) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Act;
(h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”;
(i) To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Shares and Warrant Shares on the New York Stock Exchange;
(j) While any Warrants are outstanding, reserve and keep available out of the aggregate of its authorized but unissued and otherwise unreserved Ordinary Shares, solely for the purpose of enabling it to issue Warrant Shares upon exercise of such Warrants, the number of Warrant Shares that are initially issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the then-outstanding Warrants; and
(k) Upon reasonable request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Securities (the “License”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred.
6. (a) The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, other than any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Representatives and which is listed on Schedule II(a) hereto; each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus, other than any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Representatives is listed on Schedule II(a) hereto;
(b) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and
(c) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to the Representatives and, if requested by the Representatives, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
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7. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares and Warrant Shares on the New York Stock Exchange; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, provided that the reasonable and documented fees of counsel for the Underwriters relating to subclauses (iii) and (v) of this Section 7 shall not exceed $25,000 in the aggregate; (vi) the costs incidental to the issuance of the Securities; (vii) the cost of preparing share certificates, if applicable; (viii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show; and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section, including the fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriters, which shall be inclusive of amounts paid pursuant to clauses (iii) and (v), in an aggregate amount not to exceed $200,000. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section 7, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
8. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares and Warrants to be delivered at the Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of the Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Act, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;
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(b) Covington & Burling LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions, dated as of the Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, with respect to the matters you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;
(c) Latham & Watkins LLP, U.S. counsel to the Company, and Walkers (Cayman) LLP, Cayman counsel to the Company, shall have furnished to you their written opinions in the form and substance satisfactory to you, with respect to the matters you may reasonably request;
(d) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at the Time of Delivery, PricewaterHouse Coopers LLP shall have furnished to you a comfort letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;
(e)(i) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Disclosure Package there shall not have been any change in the share capital or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares and Warrants being delivered at the Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(f) [Reserved];
(g) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares and Warrants being delivered at the Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
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(h) The Shares to be sold at the Time of Delivery and the Warrant Shares shall have been duly listed, subject to notice of issuance, on the New York Stock Exchange;
(i) The Company shall have obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed copies of a lock-up agreement from each of the persons and entities listed on Schedule III hereto substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex III;
(j) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement; and
(k) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at the Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such time, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such time, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section 8 and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.
9. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act) not constituting an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (a “Non-Prospectus Road Show”) or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or Non-Prospectus Road Show, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter (the “Underwriter Information”) through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only Underwriter Information is the information contained in the first paragraph under “Underwriting - Commissions and Discounts; Expenses” and the first paragraph, the second and third sentences of the second paragraph, and the third paragraph under “Underwriting - Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.
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(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Non-Prospectus Road Show, in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; provided that the failure to so notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party under this Section 9, except to the extent that the indemnifying party has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 9(c) for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that the indemnified party shall have the right to employ counsel to represent jointly the indemnified party and those other indemnified parties and their respective directors, officers, employees and controlling persons who may be subject to liability arising out of any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought under this Section 9 if (i) the indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall have so mutually agreed; (ii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; (iii) the indemnified party and its directors, officers, employees and controlling persons shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to them that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnified parties or their respective directors, officers, employees or controlling persons, on the one hand, and the indemnifying party, on the other hand, and representation of both sets of parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, and in any such event the fees and expenses of such separate counsel shall be paid by the indemnifying party. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
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(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the net proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting any other expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares and Warrants underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act, including, without limitation, the officers, directors, partners and members of each such Underwriter and its broker-dealer affiliates; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.
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10. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Shares and Warrants which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at the Time of Delivery, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Shares and Warrants on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares and Warrants, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares and Warrants on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares and Warrants, or the Company notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Shares and Warrants, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Section shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares and Warrants.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares and Warrants of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares and Warrants which remains unpurchased does not exceed one eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares and Warrants to be purchased at the Time of Delivery, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares and Warrants which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at the Time of Delivery and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Shares and Warrants which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Shares and Warrants of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares and Warrants of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares and Warrants which remains unpurchased exceeds one eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares and Warrants to be purchased at the Time of Delivery, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Shares and Warrants of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.
- 20-
12. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason, any Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all reasonable and documented out of pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities not so delivered, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.
13. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by you.
All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile transmission to you as the Representatives in care of William Blair & Company, L.L.C., 222 West Adams Street, Chicago, IL 60606, Attention: General Counsel, Facsimile: (312) 551-4646 or Canaccord Genuity LLC, One Pennsylvania Plaza, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10119, Attention: General Counsel; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth on the cover of the Registration Statement, Attention: General Counsel (with copies to those parties specified thereon); and if to any shareholder, officer or director of the Company that has delivered a lock-up letter described in Section 8(i) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail to his or her respective address provided in writing to the Company. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
14. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares or Warrants from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.
15. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business and “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
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16. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
17. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
18. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
19. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. The Company agrees that any suit or proceeding arising in respect of this Agreement or your engagement will be tried exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York or, if that court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, in any state court located in The City and County of New York and the Company agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of, and to venue in, such courts.
The Company irrevocably appoints Cogency Global Inc., located at 122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10168 as its authorized agent upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agrees that service of process upon such authorized agent, and written notice of such service to the Company by the person serving the same to the address provided in this Section 19, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit or proceeding. The Company hereby represents and warrants that its authorized agent has accepted such appointment and has agreed to act as such authorized agent for service of process.
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20. The Company and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
21. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Executed counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
22. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company is authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Company relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.
23. If any term or other provision of this Agreement shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality or enforceability of the other provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby, and there shall be deemed substituted for the provision at issue a valid, legal and enforceable provision as similar as possible to the provision at issue.
24. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the provisions of this Agreement may be amended or waived at any time only by the written agreement of the parties hereto. Any waiver, permit, consent or approval of any kind or character on the part of any such holders of any provision or condition of this Agreement must be made in writing and shall be effective only to the extent specifically set forth in writing. The failure of any party hereto to enforce at any time any provision of this Agreement shall not be construed to be a waiver of such provision, nor in any way to affect the validity of this Agreement or any part hereof or the right of any party thereafter to enforce each and every such provision. No waiver of any breach of this Agreement shall be held to constitute a waiver of any other or subsequent breach.
[signature page follows]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.
Please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement as of the date first written above by signing in the space provided below.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD. | |||
| By: | /s/ Stuart Simpson | ||
| Name: | Stuart Simpson | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
[Signature page to the Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted as of the date hereof:
WILLIAM BLAIR & COMPANY, L.L.C.
| By: | /s/ Steve Maletzky | ||
| Name: | Steve Maletzky | ||
| Title: | Managing Director, Head of Capital Markets | ||
CANACCORD GENUITY LLC
| By: | /s/ Dan Coyne | ||
| Name: | Dan Coyne | ||
| Title: | Co-Head of U.S. Investment Banking | ||
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
[Signature page to the Underwriting Agreement]
SCHEDULE I
| Underwriter | Number of Ordinary Shares to be Purchased | Number of Tranche A Warrants to be Purchased | Number of Tranche B Warrants to be Purchased | |||||||||
| William Blair & Company, L.L.C. | 10,950,000 | 5,475,000 | 5,475,000 | |||||||||
| Canaccord Genuity LLC | 4,050,000 | 2,025,000 | 2,025,000 | |||||||||
| Total | 15,000,000 | 7,500,000 | 7,500,000 | |||||||||
Schedule I-1
SCHEDULE II
(a) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Pricing Disclosure Package
None
(b) Additional documents incorporated by reference
None
(c) Information other than the Pricing Prospectus that comprise the Pricing Disclosure Package
The public offering price per unit is $6.00.
The exercise price per Tranche A Warrant is $6.00.
The exercise price per Tranche B Warrant is $7.50.
Schedule II-1
SCHEDULE III
List of Persons Locked Up
Stuart Simpson
John Maloney
Stephen Fitzpatrick
Kathy Cassidy
Gur Kimchi
Stephen Welch
Benjamin Story
Dómhnal Slattery
Schedule III-1
Annex I
Form of Tranche A Warrant
[FACE]
Number
Warrants
THIS WARRANT SHALL BE VOID IF NOT EXERCISED
PRIOR TO
THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXERCISE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR
IN THE WARRANT AGREEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW
VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD.
Incorporated Under the Laws of the Cayman Islands
ISIN ______
Warrant Certificate (Tranche A)
This Warrant Certificate certifies that ________________, or registered assigns, is the registered holder of warrant(s) evidenced hereby (the “Warrants” and each, a “Warrant”) to purchase Ordinary Shares, $0.001 par value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), of Vertical Aerospace Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise during the period set forth in the Warrant Agreement referred to below, to receive from the Company that number of fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Shares as set forth below, at the exercise price (the “Warrant Price”) as determined pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, payable in lawful money of the United States of America (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate and payment of the Warrant Price at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent referred to below, subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the Warrant Agreement. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Each whole Warrant is initially exercisable for one fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Share. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of any Warrant. If, upon the exercise of Warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the Warrant holder. The number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
The initial Warrant Price per Ordinary Share for any Warrant is equal to $6.00 per share. The Warrant Price is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Subject to the conditions set forth in the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants may be exercised only during the Exercise Period and to the extent not exercised by the end of such Exercise Period, such Warrants shall become void.
Annex I-1
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Warrant Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid unless countersigned by the Warrant Agent, as such term is used in the Warrant Agreement.
This Warrant Certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
| VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, | ||
| as Warrant Agent | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Annex I-2
[Form of Warrant Certificate (Tranche A)]
[Reverse]
The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly authorized issue of Warrants entitling the holder on exercise to receive Ordinary Shares and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement (Tranche A) dated as of _______________, 2025 (the “Warrant Agreement”), duly executed and delivered by the Company to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York Limited Purpose Trust Company, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”), which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Warrant Agent, the Company and the holders (the words “holders” or “holder” meaning the Registered Holders or Registered Holder, respectively) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
The Warrants may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may exercise them by surrendering this Warrant Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth hereon properly completed and executed, together with payment of the Warrant Price as specified in the Warrant Agreement (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the number of Warrants exercised shall be less than the total number of Warrants evidenced hereby, there shall be issued to the holder hereof or his, her or its assignee, a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants not exercised.
The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted. If, upon exercise of a Warrant, the holder thereof would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company shall, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the holder of the Warrant.
Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent by the Registered Holder thereof in person or by legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.
Upon due presentation for registration of transfer of this Warrant Certificate at the office of the Warrant Agent a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee(s) in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.
The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Registered Holder(s) hereof as the absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Neither the Warrants nor this Warrant Certificate entitles any holder hereof to any rights of a shareholder of the Company.
Annex I-3
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise of Warrant)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive _____ Ordinary Shares [and herewith tenders payment for such Ordinary Shares to the order of Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (the “Company”) in the amount of $_____________][in accordance with the formula set forth in Subsection 6.4.2 of the Warrant Agreement, pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in the Warrant Agreement] in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of _____________, whose address is _____________and that such Ordinary Shares be delivered to _____________, whose address is _______________. If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of ___________________, whose address is _______________ and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to _______________, whose address is _______________.
[Signature Page Follows]
Annex I-4
| Date: ____________, 20___ | |
| Signature | |
| (Address) | |
| (Tax Identification Number) | |
[Signature Guaranteed:
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)).]
Annex I-5
Annex II
Form of Tranche B Warrant
[FACE]
Number
Warrants
THIS WARRANT SHALL BE VOID IF NOT EXERCISED
PRIOR TO
THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXERCISE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR
IN THE WARRANT AGREEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW
VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD.
Incorporated Under the Laws of the Cayman Islands
ISIN ______
Warrant Certificate (Tranche B)
This Warrant Certificate certifies that ________________, or registered assigns, is the registered holder of warrant(s) evidenced hereby (the “Warrants” and each, a “Warrant”) to purchase Ordinary Shares, $0.001 par value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), of Vertical Aerospace Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise during the period set forth in the Warrant Agreement referred to below, to receive from the Company that number of fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Shares as set forth below, at the exercise price (the “Warrant Price”) as determined pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, payable in lawful money of the United States of America (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate and payment of the Warrant Price at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent referred to below, subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the Warrant Agreement. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Each whole Warrant is initially exercisable for one fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Share. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of any Warrant. If, upon the exercise of Warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the Warrant holder. The number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
The initial Warrant Price per Ordinary Share for any Warrant is equal to $7.50 per share. The Warrant Price is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Subject to the conditions set forth in the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants may be exercised only during the Exercise Period and to the extent not exercised by the end of such Exercise Period, such Warrants shall become void.
Annex II-1
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Warrant Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid unless countersigned by the Warrant Agent, as such term is used in the Warrant Agreement.
This Warrant Certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
| VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, | ||
| as Warrant Agent | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Annex II-2
[Form of Warrant Certificate (Tranche B)]
[Reverse]
The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly authorized issue of Warrants entitling the holder on exercise to receive Ordinary Shares and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement (Tranche B) dated as of _______________, 2025 (the “Warrant Agreement”), duly executed and delivered by the Company to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York Limited Purpose Trust Company, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”), which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Warrant Agent, the Company and the holders (the words “holders” or “holder” meaning the Registered Holders or Registered Holder, respectively) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
The Warrants may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may exercise them by surrendering this Warrant Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth hereon properly completed and executed, together with payment of the Warrant Price as specified in the Warrant Agreement (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the number of Warrants exercised shall be less than the total number of Warrants evidenced hereby, there shall be issued to the holder hereof or his, her or its assignee, a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants not exercised.
The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted. If, upon exercise of a Warrant, the holder thereof would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company shall, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the holder of the Warrant.
Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent by the Registered Holder thereof in person or by legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.
Upon due presentation for registration of transfer of this Warrant Certificate at the office of the Warrant Agent a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee(s) in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.
The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Registered Holder(s) hereof as the absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Neither the Warrants nor this Warrant Certificate entitles any holder hereof to any rights of a shareholder of the Company.
Annex II-3
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise of Warrant)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive _____ Ordinary Shares [and herewith tenders payment for such Ordinary Shares to the order of Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (the “Company”) in the amount of $_____________][in accordance with the formula set forth in Section 6.4.2 of the Warrant Agreement, pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in the Warrant Agreement] in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of _____________, whose address is _____________and that such Ordinary Shares be delivered to _____________, whose address is _______________. If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of ___________________, whose address is _______________ and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to _______________, whose address is _______________.
[Signature Page Follows]
Annex II-4
| Date: ____________, 20___ | |
| Signature | |
| (Address) | |
| (Tax Identification Number) | |
[Signature Guaranteed:
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)).]
Annex II-5
Annex III
Form of Lock-Up Letter
LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
Canaccord Genuity LLC
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
150 N. Riverside Plaza
Chicago, Illinois 60606
c/o Canaccord Genuity LLC
One Post Office Square, 30th Floor, Suite 3000
Boston, MA 02109
Ladies and Gentlemen:
THIS LOCK-UP AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of January [22], 2025 by the undersigned shareholder (the “Shareholder”) of Vertical Aerospace Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated with limited liability, with its principal executive office at Unit 1 Camwal Court, Chapel Street Bristol BS2 0UW United Kingdom (the “Company”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement (as defined below).
WHEREAS, the Company and you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters (the “Representatives”), propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), providing for a public offering (the “Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of units (the “Units”), comprising of ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”) and Tranche A warrants and Tranche B warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares, as contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement.
WHEREAS, as an inducement to the Representatives to enter into the Underwriting Agreement, the Company requests that certain senior management shareholders and principal shareholders agree not to sell certain of the Ordinary Shares currently held or beneficially owned by them during the Lock-Up Period (as defined and further described below).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises set forth above, which are incorporated in this Agreement as if fully set forth below, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the Shareholder hereby agrees as follows:
1. For purposes of this Agreement:
(a) the term “Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Annex III-1
(b) the term “Change of Control” means the transfer, whether by tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons, of share capital if, after such transfer, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (or the surviving entity);
(c) the term “Control” (including the terms “controlling”, “controlled by” or “under common control with”) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
(d) the term “Immediate Family” means, with respect to any natural person, any of the following: such person’s spouse, the siblings of such person and his or her spouse, and the direct descendants and ascendants (including adopted and step children and parents) of such person and his or her spouses and siblings;
(e) the term “Lock-Up Period” means the period beginning on the date hereof for a period of sixty (60) days;
(f) the term “Lock-Up Shares” means (i) Ordinary Shares held or beneficially owned by the Shareholder as of the date hereof, (ii) Ordinary Shares purchased by the Shareholder pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, if applicable, and (iii) Ordinary Shares received, after payment of tax liabilities, by the Shareholder pursuant to the exercise of any warrant held or beneficially owned by the Shareholder as of the date hereof or purchased by the Shareholder pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, if applicable, together with any securities paid as dividends or distributions with respect to such securities or into which such securities are exchanged or converted;
(g) the term “Permitted Transferees” means any person to whom the Shareholder is permitted to transfer Lock-Up Shares prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period pursuant to Section 2(a);
(h) the term “Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, business trust, association, joint stock company, joint venture, sole proprietorship, unincorporated organization, governmental authority or any other form of entity not specifically listed herein.
(i) the term “Transfer” means the (A) sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, with respect to, any security, (B) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (C) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (A) or (B).
Annex III-2
2. Lock-Up Provisions.
(a) The Shareholder hereby agrees that it shall not, and shall cause any of its Permitted Transferees not to, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, Transfer any Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period (the “Transfer Restriction”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Shareholder or any of its Permitted Transferees may Transfer any or all of the Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period: (i) to the Shareholder’s officers or directors; (ii) to any Affiliate(s) of the Shareholder or any funds, investors, entities or accounts that are managed, sponsored or advised by such Shareholder or its Affiliates; (iii) in respect of (i) or (ii), in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of such individual’s Immediate Family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such individual’s Immediate Family or to a charitable organization; (iv) in respect of (i) or (ii), in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of such individual or pursuant to operation of law pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement; (v) in the case of any Shareholder that is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, to any partners (general or limited), members, managers, shareholders or holders of similar equity interests in the Shareholder (or, in each case, its nominee or custodian) or any of its Affiliates; (vi) in the case of any Permitted Transferee that is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, to any partners (general or limited), members, managers, shareholders or holders of similar equity interests in the Permitted Transferee (or, in each case, its nominee or custodian) or any of its Affiliates; (vii) by virtue of any binding law or order of a governmental entity or by virtue of any Shareholder’s or Permitted Transferee’s organizational documents upon liquidation or dissolution of the Shareholder or Permitted Transferee; (viii) as a distribution in kind in accordance with the organizational documents of Shareholder or a Permitted Transferee; (ix) for the purposes of granting a pledge(s) of Lock-Up Shares as security or collateral in connection with any borrowing or the incurrence of any indebtedness by the Shareholder or a Permitted Transferee; or (x) pursuant to a bona fide tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction, in each case made to all holders of Ordinary Shares, involving a Change of Control (including negotiating and entering into an agreement providing for any such transaction), provided, however, that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the Lock-Up Shares shall remain subject to the Transfer Restriction; provided, further, that in the case of (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), such Permitted Transferee agrees to the terms of this Lock-up Agreement.
(b) During the Lock-Up Period, each certificate (if any are issued) evidencing any Lock-Up Shares shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form, in addition to any other applicable legends:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER SET FORTH IN A LOCK-UP AGREEMENT, DATED AS OF , 2025, BY AND BETWEEN THE ISSUER OF SUCH SECURITIES (THE “ISSUER”) AND THE ISSUER’S SECURITY HOLDER NAMED THEREIN, AS AMENDED. A COPY OF SUCH LOCK-UP AGREEMENT WILL BE FURNISHED WITHOUT CHARGE BY THE ISSUER TO THE HOLDER HEREOF UPON WRITTEN REQUEST.”
Promptly upon the Transfer Restriction ceasing to apply in respect of a particular portion of Lock-Up Shares, the Company shall take all reasonable steps required to remove such legend from the certificates evidencing the relevant Lock-Up Shares, including issuing new share certificates in respect of the relevant Lock-Up Shares.
Annex III-3
(c) For the avoidance of any doubt, the Shareholder (or a Permitted Transferee, if applicable) shall retain all of its rights as a shareholder of the Company with respect to the Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period, including the right to vote any Lock-Up Shares.
3. Miscellaneous.
(a) Adjustment. The Ordinary Shares referenced in this Agreement will be equitably adjusted on account of any changes in the equity securities of the Company by way of share split, reverse share split, share dividend, combination or reclassification, or through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or business combination, or by any other means.
(b) Transfers. If any Transfer is made or attempted contrary to the provisions of this Agreement, such Transfer shall be null and void ab initio, and the Company shall refuse to recognize any such transferee of the Lock-Up Shares, as applicable, as one of its equity holders for any purpose. In order to enforce this Section 3(b), the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to any relevant Lock-Up Shares (and any permitted transferees and assigns thereof), as applicable, until the end of the Lock-Up Period.
(c) Binding Effect; Assignment. This Agreement and all of the provisions hereof shall be binding upon the Shareholder and its permitted successors and assigns. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, this Agreement and all obligations of the Shareholder are personal to the Shareholder and may not be transferred or delegated by the Shareholder at any time.
(d) Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York as applied to agreements among New York residents entered into and to be performed entirely within New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law, provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the law of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.
(e) Interpretation. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement. In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires: (i) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (ii) “including” (and with correlative meaning “include”) means including without limiting the generality of any description preceding or succeeding such term and shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (iii) the words “herein,” “hereto,” and “hereby” and other words of similar import in this Agreement shall be deemed in each case to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section or other subdivision of this Agreement; and (iv) the term “or” means “and/or”.
(f) Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, and either retroactively or prospectively) only with the written consent of the Representatives and the Company. No failure or delay by the Representatives or the Company in exercising any right in connection with this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof. No waivers of or exceptions to any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such term, condition, or provision.
Annex III-4
(g) Severability. In case any provision in this Agreement shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in a jurisdiction, such provision shall be modified or deleted, as to the jurisdiction involved, only to the extent necessary to render the same valid, legal and enforceable, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby nor shall the validity, legality or enforceability of such provision be affected thereby in any other jurisdiction. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, this Agreement will substitute for any invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision a suitable and equitable provision that carries out, so far as may be valid, legal and enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision.
(h) Specific Performance. The Shareholder acknowledges that its obligations under this Agreement are unique, recognizes and affirms that in the event of a breach of this Agreement by the Shareholder, money damages will be inadequate and the Company will have no adequate remedy at law, and agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed by the Shareholder in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. Accordingly, the Company shall be entitled to an injunction or restraining order to prevent breaches of this Agreement by the Shareholder and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, without the requirement to post any bond or other security or to prove that money damages would be inadequate, this being in addition to any other right or remedy to which the Company may be entitled under this Agreement, at law or in equity.
(i) Term. The undersigned understands that, if (i) the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective and the Company has not consummated a transaction pursuant thereto by January 31, 2025, (ii) the Company notifies the Underwriters in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, or (iii) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Units to be sold thereunder, then upon the occurrence of any such event, this Agreement shall immediately be terminated and the undersigned shall be released from all its obligations thereunder.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
Annex III-5
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
| SHAREHOLDER: | ||
| [ ● ] | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Annex III-6
Exhibit 4.1
WARRANT AGREEMENT
THIS WARRANT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of January 23, 2025, is by and between Vertical Aerospace Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York Limited Purpose Trust Company, as warrant agent (in such capacity, the “Warrant Agent”, and also referred to herein as the “Transfer Agent”).
WHEREAS, pursuant to a registered offering (the “Offering”) by the Company of: (i) 15,000,000 Units (“Units”) with each Unit consisting of (a) one (1) ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), (b) one-half of one warrant to purchase one ordinary share at an exercise price of $6.00 per share during the exercise period specified herein (the “Tranche A Warrants”) and one-half of one warrant to purchase one ordinary share at an exercise price of $7.50 per share during the exercise period specified herein (the “Tranche B Warrants” and together with the Tranche A Warrants, the “Warrants” and each, a “Warrant”);
WHEREAS, the Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-275430) (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “Registration Statement”), which was declared effective by the Commission on November 16, 2023, for the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the offer and sale by the Company of up to $180 million in the aggregate of the Company’s securities named in the Registration Statement, which include, among others, the Units, the Ordinary Shares and the Warrants, from time to time in one or more offerings;
WHEREAS, the Company intends to issue the Units comprising of the Ordinary Shares, the Tranche A Warrants and the Tranche B Warrants pursuant to a prospectus supplement to the Registration Statement dated January 22, 2025 (the “Prospectus Supplement”);
WHEREAS, the Ordinary Shares, the Tranche A Warrants and the Tranche B Warrants to be issued as part of the Units in connection with the Offering shall be immediately separable and will be issued separately, but will be purchased together in the Offering, and the Tranche A Warrants and Tranche B Warrants will not be listed for trading; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, exercise and replacement of the Warrants and, in the Warrant Agent’s capacity as the Company’s transfer agent, the delivery of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of Warrants;
WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Warrants, the terms upon which they shall be issued and exercised, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Warrant Agent, and the holders of the Warrants;
WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Warrants, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Warrant Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Appointment of Warrant Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Warrants, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
2. Warrants.
2.1 Form of Warrant. Each Warrant shall be issued in registered form only, and, if a physical certificate is issued, shall be in substantially the forms of Exhibit A hereto, the provisions of which are incorporated herein and shall be signed by, or bear the facsimile signature of, the Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or other principal officer of the Company. In the event the person whose facsimile signature has been placed upon any Warrant shall have ceased to serve in the capacity in which such person signed the Warrant before such Warrant is issued, it may be issued with the same effect as if he or she had not ceased to be such at the date of issuance. All of the Warrants shall initially be represented by one or more book-entry certificates (each, a “Book-Entry Warrant Certificate”).
2.2 Effect of Countersignature. If a physical certificate is issued, unless and until countersigned by the Warrant Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Warrant certificate shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exercised by the holder thereof.
2.3 Registration.
2.3.1 Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent shall maintain books (the “Warrant Register”) for the registration of original issuance and the registration of transfer of the Warrants. Upon the initial issuance of the Warrants, the Warrant Agent shall issue and register the Warrants in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Warrant Agent by the Company. All of the Warrants shall initially be represented by one or more Book-Entry Warrant Certificates deposited with The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”) and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of the Depositary. Ownership of beneficial interests in the Warrants shall be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership shall be effected through, records maintained by (i) the Depositary or its nominee for each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, or (ii) institutions that have accounts with the Depositary (each such institution, with respect to a Warrant in its account, a “Participant”). If the Depositary subsequently ceases to make its book-entry settlement system available for the Warrants, the Company may instruct the Warrant Agent regarding making other arrangements for book-entry settlement. In the event that the Public Warrants are not eligible for, or it is no longer necessary to have the Public Warrants available in, book-entry form, the Warrant Agent shall provide written instructions to the Depositary to deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation each Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, and the Company shall instruct the Warrant Agent to deliver to the Depositary definitive certificates in physical form evidencing such Warrants (“Definitive Warrant Certificate”). Such Definitive Warrant Certificate shall be in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit A, with appropriate insertions, modifications and omissions, as provided above.
| 2 |
2.3.2 Registered Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Warrant, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Warrant is registered in the Warrant Register (the “Registered Holder”) as the absolute owner of such Warrant and of each Warrant represented thereby (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing on a Definitive Warrant Certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Warrant Agent), for the purpose of any exercise thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
2.4 Fractional Warrants. The Company shall not issue fractional Warrants other than as part of the Units, each of which is comprised of one Ordinary Share and one-half of one Tranche A Warrant and one-half of one Tranche B Warrant. If, upon detachment of Warrants from Units or otherwise, A holder of Warrants would be entitled to receive a fractional Warrant, the Company shall round down to the nearest whole number of Warrants to be issued to such holder.
2.5 Detachability of Warrants. The Ordinary Shares, Tranche A Warrants and Tranche B Warrants comprising the Units shall begin separate trading immediately upon issuance.
3. Terms and Exercise of Warrants.
3.1 Warrant Price. Each Tranche A Warrant shall, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent, entitle the Registered Holder thereof, subject to the provisions of such Tranche A Warrant and of this Agreement, to purchase from the Company the number of Ordinary Shares stated therein, at the price of $6.00 per share, subject to the adjustments provided in Section 4 hereof and in the last sentence of this Section 3.1. Each Tranche B Warrant shall, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent, entitle the Registered Holder thereof, subject to the provisions of such Tranche B Warrant and of this Agreement, to purchase from the Company the number of Ordinary Shares stated therein, at the price of $7.50 per share, subject to the adjustments provided in Section 4 hereof and in the last sentence of this Section 3.1. The term “Warrant Price” as used in this Agreement shall mean the price per share at which Ordinary Shares may be purchased at the time a Tranche A Warrant or Tranche B Warrant is exercised, as applicable. The Company in its sole discretion may lower the Warrant Price at any time prior to the Tranche A Expiration Date or the Tranche B Expiration Date (each as defined below), as applicable, for a period of not less than twenty (20) Business Days, provided, that the Company shall provide at least five (5) Business Days prior written notice of such reduction to Registered Holders of the Warrants and, provided further that any such reduction shall be identical among all of the Warrants.
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3.2 Duration of Warrants.
3.2.1 Tranche A Warrants. Each Tranche A Warrant may be exercised only during the period (the “Tranche A Exercise Period”) (A) commencing on the date hereof (the “Original Issue Date”), and (B) terminating at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the earliest to occur of: (i) upon satisfaction of both of the following conditions: (a) the Company successfully demonstrates a wing-borne flight of its VX4 prototype aircraft, which involves the aircraft (x) taking off as a Conventional Take-Off and Landing (“CTOL”) aircraft, (y) flying to high speed with lift generated by the wing and the tilt propellers facing forward, and (z) landing safely as a CTOL aircraft from such flight (the “Performance Condition”) and (b) the 10-day volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets (“Bloomberg”) commencing on the Trading Day (as defined in this Section 3.2.1) immediately following the initial public disclosure by means of a press release or Form 6-K or equivalent form furnished to the Commission of the satisfaction of the Performance Condition (the “Initial Public Disclosure”) is equal to, or greater than, one hundred and three percent (103%) of the Warrant Price for the Warrants as set forth in Section 3.1, the 30th calendar day following the date of the Initial Public Disclosure, and (ii) the date that is five (5) years after the Original Issue Date (the “Tranche A Expiration Date”). Each outstanding Tranche A Warrant not exercised on or before the Tranche A Expiration Date shall become void, and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof under this Agreement shall cease at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the Tranche A Expiration Date. The Company in its sole discretion may extend the duration of the Tranche A Warrants by delaying the Tranche A Expiration Date; provided that the Company shall provide at least twenty (20) days prior written notice of any such extension to Registered Holders of the Tranche A Warrants and, provided further that any such extension shall be identical in duration among all the Tranche A Warrants. “Trading Day” means a day on which the Ordinary Shares are traded on any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Ordinary Shares are listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
3.2.2 Tranche B Warrants. Each Tranche B Warrant may be exercised only during the period (the “Tranche B Exercise Period”) (A) commencing on the Original Issue Date, and (B) terminating at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the date that is five (5) years after the Original Issue Date (the “Tranche B Expiration Date”). Each outstanding Tranche B Warrant not exercised on or before the Tranche B Expiration Date shall become void, and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof under this Agreement shall cease at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the Tranche B Expiration Date. The Company in its sole discretion may extend the duration of the Tranche B Warrants by delaying the Tranche B Expiration Date; provided that the Company shall provide at least twenty (20) days prior written notice of any such extension to Registered Holders of the Tranche B Warrants and, provided further that any such extension shall be identical in duration among all the Tranche B Warrants.
3.3 Exercise of Warrants.
(a) Payment. Subject to the provisions of the Warrant and this Agreement, a Warrant, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent, may be exercised by the Registered Holder thereof by delivering to the Warrant Agent at its corporate trust department (i) the Definitive Warrant Certificate evidencing the Warrants to be exercised, or, in the case of a Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, the Warrants to be exercised (the “Book-Entry Warrants”) on the records of the Warrant Agent, (ii) an election to purchase (“Election to Purchase”) Ordinary Shares pursuant to the exercise of a Warrant, properly completed and executed by the Registered Holder on the reverse of the Definitive Warrant Certificate or, in the case of a Book-Entry Warrant Certificate, properly delivered in accordance with the Warrant Agent’s procedures, and (iii) payment in full (unless the Warrant is being exercised through “cashless exercise” pursuant to Subsection 6.4) of the Warrant Price for each Ordinary Share as to which the Warrant is exercised and any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the exercise of the Warrant, the exchange of the Warrant for the Ordinary Shares and the issuance of such Ordinary Shares, in lawful money of the United States, in good certified check or good bank draft payable to the Warrant Agent or by wire transfer of immediately available funds.
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3.3.2 Issuance of Ordinary Shares on Exercise. Within five (5) Trading Days after the exercise of any Warrant and the clearance of the funds in payment of the Warrant Price (unless the Warrant is being exercised through “cashless exercise” pursuant to Subsection 6.4), the Company shall issue to the Registered Holder of such Warrant a book-entry position or certificate, as applicable, for the number of Ordinary Shares to which he, she or it is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by him, her or it, and if such Warrant shall not have been exercised in full, a new book-entry position or countersigned Warrant, as applicable, for the number of Ordinary Shares as to which such Warrant shall not have been exercised provided, that, if requested by the Registered Holder on the Election to Purchase and the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise have been registered with the Commission, the Company shall cause such Ordinary Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the transfer agent to the Registered Holder of the Warrant by crediting the account of the Registered Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with the Depository through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”). If fewer than all the Warrants evidenced by a Book-Entry Warrant Certificate are exercised, a notation shall be made to the records maintained by the Warrant Agent evidencing the balance of the Warrants remaining after such exercise. No Warrant shall be exercisable and the Company shall not be obligated to issue Ordinary Shares upon exercise of a Warrant unless the Ordinary Shares issuable upon such Warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt from registration or qualification under the federal securities laws and the securities laws of the state of residence of the Registered Holder of the Warrants. In the event that the condition in the immediately preceding sentence is not satisfied with respect to a Warrant, the holder of such Warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such Warrant and such Warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle the Warrant exercise.
3.3.3 Valid Issuance. All Ordinary Shares issued upon the proper exercise of a Warrant in conformity with this Agreement shall be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
3.3.4 Date of Issuance. Each person in whose name any book-entry position or certificate, as applicable, for Ordinary Shares is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such Ordinary Shares on the date on which the Warrant, or book-entry position representing such Warrant, was surrendered and payment of the Warrant Price was made, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate in the case of a certificated Warrant, except that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date when the share transfer books of the Company or book-entry system of the Warrant Agent are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the holder of such Ordinary Shares at the close of business on the next succeeding date on which the share transfer books or book-entry system are open. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that, with respect to a holder whose interest in a Warrant is a beneficial interest in a Book Entry Warrant through the Depositary (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), upon delivery of irrevocable instructions to such holder’s Participant to exercise such warrants, that solely for purposes of Regulation SHO that such holder shall be deemed to have exercised such warrants.
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3.3.5 Maximum Percentage. A holder of a Warrant may notify the Company in writing in the event it elects to be subject to the provisions contained in this subsection 3.3.5; however, no holder of a Warrant shall be subject to this subsection 3.3.5 unless such holder makes such election. If the election is made by a holder, the Warrant Agent shall not effect the exercise of the holder’s Warrant, and such holder shall not have the right to exercise such Warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the Warrant Agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of Ordinary Shares beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates shall include the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude Ordinary Shares that would be issuable upon (x) exercise of the remaining, unexercised portion of the Warrant beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates and (y) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates (including, without limitation, any convertible notes or convertible preferred shares or warrants) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this paragraph, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). For purposes of the Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares, the holder may rely on the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, Current Report on Form 6-K or other public filing with the Commission as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of Ordinary Shares outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon the written request of the holder of the Warrant, the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days, confirm orally and in writing to such holder the number of Ordinary Shares then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of equity securities of the Company by the holder and its affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding Ordinary Shares was reported. By written notice to the Company, the holder of a Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage applicable to such holder to any other percentage specified in such notice; provided, however, that any such increase shall not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company.
4. Adjustments.
4.1 Share Capitalizations.
4.1.1 Split-Ups. If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 below, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares is increased by a share capitalization payable in Ordinary Shares, or by a subdivision of Ordinary Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, subdivision or similar event, the number of Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding Ordinary Shares. A rights offering to holders of the Ordinary Shares entitling holders to purchase Ordinary Shares at a price less than the “Historical Fair Market Value” (as defined below) shall be deemed a share capitalization of a number of Ordinary Shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Ordinary Shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for the Ordinary Shares) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per Ordinary Share paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the Historical Fair Market Value. For purposes of this subsection 4.1.1, (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Ordinary Shares, in determining the price payable for Ordinary Shares, there shall be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) “Historical Fair Market Value” means the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (10) Trading Day period ending on the Trading Day prior to the first date on which the Ordinary Shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
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4.1.2 Extraordinary Dividends. If the Company, at any time while the Warrants are outstanding and unexpired, shall pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of the Ordinary Shares on account of such Ordinary Shares (or other shares of the Company’s share capital into which the Warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described in subsection 4.1.1 above or (b) Ordinary Cash Dividends (as defined below), (any such non-excluded event being referred to herein as an “Extraordinary Dividend”), then the Warrant Price shall be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such Extraordinary Dividend, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value (as determined by the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) in good faith) of any securities or other assets paid on each Ordinary Share in respect of such Extraordinary Dividend. For purposes of this subsection 4.1.2, “Ordinary Cash Dividends” means any cash dividend or cash distribution which, when combined on a per share basis with the per share amounts of all other cash dividends and cash distributions paid on the Ordinary Shares during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution (as adjusted to appropriately reflect any of the events referred to in other subsections of this Section 4 and excluding cash dividends or cash distributions that resulted in an adjustment to the Warrant Price or to the number of Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant) does not exceed $0.50.
4.2 Aggregation of Shares. If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 hereof, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share split or reclassification of Ordinary Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share split, reclassification or similar event, the number of Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Ordinary Shares.
4.3 Adjustments in Warrant Price. Whenever the number of Ordinary Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants is adjusted, as provided in subsection 4.1.1 or Section 4.2 above, the Warrant Price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) by multiplying such Warrant Price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which shall be the number of Ordinary Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which shall be the number of Ordinary Shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.
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4.4 Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc. In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Ordinary Shares (other than a change under subsections 4.1.1 or 4.1.2 or Section 4.2 hereof or that solely affects the par value of such Ordinary Shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity or conversion of the Company as another entity (other than a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Ordinary Shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the holders of the Warrants shall thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the Warrants and in lieu of the Ordinary Shares of the Company immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the Warrants would have received if such holder had exercised his, her or its Warrant(s) immediately prior to such event (the “Alternative Issuance”); provided, however, that (i) if the holders of the Ordinary Shares were entitled to exercise a right of election as to the kind or amount of securities, cash or other assets receivable upon such consolidation or merger, then the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets constituting the Alternative Issuance for which each Warrant shall become exercisable shall be deemed to be the weighted average of the kind and amount received per share by the holders of the Ordinary Shares in such consolidation or merger that affirmatively make such election, and (ii) if a tender, exchange or redemption offer shall have been made to and accepted by the holders of the Ordinary Shares (other than a tender, exchange or redemption offer made by the Company in connection with redemption rights held by shareholders of the Company, if any, as provided for in the Company’s memorandum and articles of association then in effect) under circumstances in which, upon completion of such tender or exchange offer, the maker thereof, together with members of any group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) of which such maker is a part, and together with any affiliate or associate of such maker (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) and any members of any such group of which any such affiliate or associate is a part, own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) more than 50% of the outstanding Ordinary Shares, the holder of a Warrant shall be entitled to receive as the Alternative Issuance, the highest amount of cash, securities or other property to which such holder would actually have been entitled as a shareholder if such Warrant holder had exercised the Warrant prior to the expiration of such tender or exchange offer, accepted such offer and all of the Ordinary Shares held by such holder had been purchased pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, subject to adjustments (from and after the consummation of such tender or exchange offer) as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in this Section 4; provided further that if less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of the Ordinary Shares in the applicable event is payable in the form of ordinary shares in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the Registered Holder properly exercises the Warrant within thirty (30) days following the public disclosure of the consummation of such applicable event by the Company pursuant to a Current Report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission, the Warrant Price shall be reduced by an amount (in dollars) equal to the difference (but in no event less than zero) of (i) the Warrant Price in effect prior to such reduction minus (ii) (A) the Per Share Consideration (as defined below) minus (B) the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined below). The “Black-Scholes Warrant Value” means the value of a Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of the applicable event based on the Black-Scholes Warrant Model for a Capped American Call on Bloomberg.
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For purposes of calculating such amount, (1) the price of each Ordinary Share shall be the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (10) Trading Day period ending on the Trading Day prior to the effective date of the applicable event, (2) the assumed volatility shall be the 90 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg determined as of the Trading Day immediately prior to the day of the announcement of the applicable event, and (3) the assumed risk-free interest rate shall correspond to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the remaining term of the Warrant. “Per Share Consideration” means (i) if the consideration paid to holders of the Ordinary Shares consists exclusively of cash, the amount of such cash per Ordinary Share, and (ii) in all other cases, the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (10) Trading Day period ending on the Trading Day prior to the effective date of the applicable event. If any reclassification or reorganization also results in a change in Ordinary Shares covered by subsection 4.1.1, then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to subsection 4.1.1 or Sections 4.2, 4.3 and this Section 4.4. The provisions of this Section 4.4 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, mergers or consolidations, sales or other transfers. In no event will the Warrant Price be reduced to less than the par value per share issuable upon exercise of the Warrant..
4.5 Notices of Changes in Warrant. Upon every adjustment of the Warrant Price or the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of a Warrant, the Company shall give written notice thereof to the Warrant Agent, which notice shall state the Warrant Price resulting from such adjustment and the increase or decrease, if any, in the number of Ordinary Shares purchasable at such price upon the exercise of a Warrant, setting forth in reasonable detail the method of calculation and the facts upon which such calculation is based. Upon the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 or 4.4, the Company shall give written notice of the occurrence of such event to each holder of a Warrant, at the last address set forth for such holder in the Warrant Register, of the record date or the effective date of the event. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of such event.
4.6 No Fractional Shares. Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not issue fractional Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of Warrants. If, by reason of any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4 or any exercise of Warrants on a “cashless basis” pursuant to Subsection 6.4.2, the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in a share, the Company shall, upon such exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to such holder.
4.7 Form of Warrant. The form of Warrant need not be changed because of any adjustment pursuant to this Section 4, and Warrants issued after such adjustment may state the same Warrant Price and the same number of Ordinary Shares as is stated in the Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement; provided, however, that the Company may at any time in its sole discretion make any change in the form of Warrant that the Company may deem appropriate and that does not affect the substance thereof, and any Warrant thereafter issued or countersigned, whether in exchange or substitution for an outstanding Warrant or otherwise, may be in the form as so changed.
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4.8 Other Events. In case any event shall occur affecting the Company as to which none of the provisions of the preceding subsections of this Section 4 are strictly applicable, but which would require an adjustment to the terms of the Warrants in order to (i) avoid an adverse impact on the Warrants and (ii) effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4, then, in each such case, the Company shall appoint a firm of independent public accountants, investment banking or other appraisal firm of recognized national standing, which shall give its opinion as to whether or not any adjustment to the rights represented by the Warrants is necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4 and, if they determine that an adjustment is necessary, the terms of such adjustment. The Company shall adjust the terms of the Warrants in a manner that is consistent with any adjustment recommended in such opinion.
5. Transfer and Exchange of Warrants.
5.1 Registration of Transfer. The Warrant Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Warrant upon the Warrant Register, upon surrender of such Warrant for transfer, in the case of a certificated Warrant, properly endorsed with signatures properly guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Warrant representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants shall be issued and the old Warrant shall be cancelled by the Warrant Agent. In the case of certificated Warrants, the Warrants so cancelled shall be delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Company from time to time upon request.
5.2 Procedure for Surrender of Warrants. Warrants may be surrendered to the Warrant Agent, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Warrant Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Warrants as requested by the Registered Holder of the Warrants so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants; provided, however, that in the event that a Warrant surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend, the Warrant Agent shall not cancel such Warrant and issue new Warrants in exchange thereof until the Warrant Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer may be made and indicating whether the new Warrants must also bear a restrictive legend.
5.3 Fractional Warrants. The Warrant Agent shall not be required to effect any registration of transfer or exchange which shall result in the issuance of a warrant certificate or book-entry position for a fraction of a warrant.
5.4 Service Charges. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Warrants.
5.5 Warrant Execution and Countersignature. The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Warrants required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5, and the Company, whenever required by the Warrant Agent, shall supply the Warrant Agent with Warrants duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose.
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6. Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Warrants.
6.1 No Rights as Shareholder. A Warrant does not entitle the Registered Holder thereof to any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to vote or to consent or to receive notice as shareholders in respect of the general meeting or the appointment of directors of the Company or any other matter.
6.2 Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Warrants. If any Warrant is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the Company and the Warrant Agent may on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Warrant, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Warrant of like denomination, tenor, and date as the Warrant so lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. Any such new Warrant shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed Warrant shall be at any time enforceable by anyone.
6.3 Reservation of Ordinary Shares. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares that shall be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Warrants issued pursuant to this Agreement.
6.4 Cashless Exercise. If, from the date of issuance of the Warrants until the Tranche A Expiration Date or the Tranche B Expiration Date, as applicable, there is, at such time as a Warrant is exercised in accordance with Section 3.3, no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for, the resale of the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, unless, upon the exercise of Warrants and the issuance of Ordinary Shares underlying such Warrants, a Registered Holder can resell such Ordinary Shares at such time pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission under the Securities Act without limitation as to volume and manner of sale restrictions, the Registered Holders of Warrants shall have the right to exercise such Warrants on a “cashless basis,” by exchanging the Warrants (in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (or any successor rule) or another exemption) for that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “Fair Market Value” (as defined below) over the Warrant Price by (y) the Fair Market Value. For purposes of this Subsection 6.4, “Fair Market Value” shall mean the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (10) Trading Day period ending on the Trading Day prior to the date that notice of exercise is received by the Warrant Agent from the holder of such Warrants or its securities broker or intermediary. The date that notice of “cashless exercise” is received by the Warrant Agent shall be conclusively determined by the Warrant Agent. In connection with the “cashless exercise” of a Warrant, the Company shall, upon request, provide the Warrant Agent with an opinion of counsel for the Company (which shall be an outside law firm with securities law experience) stating that (i) the exercise of the Warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with this Section 6.4 is not required to be registered under the Securities Act and (ii) the Ordinary Shares issued upon such exercise shall be freely tradable under United States federal securities laws by anyone who is not an affiliate (as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (or any successor rule)) of the Company and, accordingly, shall not be required to bear a restrictive legend.
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6.5 Limitation on Monetary Damages. In no event shall the Registered Holder of a Warrant be entitled to receive monetary damages for failure to settle any Warrant exercise if the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants have not been registered with the Commission pursuant to an effective registration statement or if a current prospectus is not available for delivery by the Warrant Agent, provided the Company has fulfilled its obligations under Subsection 6.4 to use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration under the Securities Act of the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
7. Concerning the Warrant Agent and Other Matters.
7.1 Payment of Taxes. The Company shall from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Warrant Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of the Warrants, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Warrants or such Ordinary Shares.
7.2 Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Warrant Agent.
7.2.1 Appointment of Successor Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days’ notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Warrant Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Warrant Agent in place of the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of a Warrant (who shall, with such notice, submit his, her or its Warrant for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Warrant may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Warrant Agent at the Company’s cost. Any successor Warrant Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Warrant Agent with like effect as if originally named as Warrant Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Warrant Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Warrant Agent all the authority, powers, and rights of such predecessor Warrant Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Warrant Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Warrant Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations.
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7.2.2 Notice of Successor Warrant Agent. In the event a successor Warrant Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Warrant Agent and the Transfer Agent for the Ordinary Shares not later than the effective date of any such appointment.
7.2.3 Merger or Consolidation of Warrant Agent. Any corporation into which the Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent shall be a party shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Agreement without any further act.
7.3 Fees and Expenses of Warrant Agent.
7.3.1 Remuneration. The Company agrees to pay the Warrant Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Warrant Agent hereunder and shall, pursuant to its obligations under this Agreement, reimburse the Warrant Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Warrant Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder.
7.3.2 Further Assurances. The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge, and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged, and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments, and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Warrant Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement.
7.4 Liability of Warrant Agent.
7.4.1 Reliance on Company Statement. Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, President, Executive Vice President, Vice President, Secretary or Chairman of the Board of the Company and delivered to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
7.4.2 Indemnity. The Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. The Company agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Warrant Agent in the execution of this Agreement, except as a result of the Warrant Agent’s gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith.
7.4.3 Exclusions. The Warrant Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or with respect to the validity or execution of any Warrant (except its countersignature thereof). The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant. The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible to make any adjustments required under the provisions of Section 4 hereof or responsible for the manner, method, or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Warrant or as to whether any Ordinary Shares shall, when issued, be valid and fully paid and non-assessable.
| 13 |
7.5 Acceptance of Agency. The Warrant Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth and among other things, shall account promptly to the Company with respect to Warrants exercised and concurrently account for, and pay to the Company, all monies received by the Warrant Agent for the purchase of Ordinary Shares through the exercise of the Warrants.
8. Miscellaneous Provisions.
8.1 Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.
8.2 Notices. Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of any Warrant to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by email, hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five (5) days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Warrant Agent), as follows:
Vertical Aerospace Ltd.
Unit 1 Camwal Court, Chapel Street
Bristol, BS2 0UW
United Kingdom
+44 117 457 2094
with a copy (which will not constitute notice) to:
Latham & Watkins (London) LLP
99 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 3XF, United Kingdom
Attn: David Stewart and Robbie McLaren
Email: ###############@###### and ##############@######
Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the holder of any Warrant or by the Company to or on the Warrant Agent shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five (5) days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Warrant Agent with the Company), as follows:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Attention: Compliance Department
| 14 |
in each case, with copies to:
Latham & Watkins (London) LLP
99 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 3XF, United Kingdom
Attn: David Stewart and Robbie McLaren
Email: ###############@###### and ##############@######
8.3 Applicable Law. The validity, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and of the Warrants shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of New York. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
8.4 Persons Having Rights under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person or corporation other than the parties hereto and the Registered Holders of the Warrants any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and assigns and of the Registered Holders of the Warrants.
8.5 Examination of the Warrant Agreement. A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Warrant Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, for inspection by the Registered Holder of any Warrant. The Warrant Agent may require any such holder to submit such holder’s Warrant for inspection by the Warrant Agent.
8.6 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
8.7 Effect of Headings. The section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.
8.8 Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any Registered Holder (i) for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, or curing, correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained herein or adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Registered Holders in any material respect, and (ii) to provide for the delivery of Alternative Issuance pursuant to Section 4.4. All other modifications or amendments with respect to Tranche A Warrants, including any modification or amendment to increase the Warrant Price of the Tranche A Warrants or shorten the Tranche A Exercise Period shall require the vote or written consent of the Registered Holders of a majority of the number of the then outstanding Tranche A Warrants. All other modifications or amendments with respect to Tranche B Warrants, including any modification or amendment to increase the Warrant Price of the Tranche B Warrants or shorten the Tranche B Exercise Period shall require the vote or written consent of the Registered Holders of a majority of the number of the then outstanding Tranche B Warrants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may lower the Warrant Price of Tranche A Warrants or Tranche B Warrants or extend the duration of the Tranche A Exercise Period or the Tranche B Exercise Period, as applicable, pursuant to Sections 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, without the consent of the Registered Holders.
| 15 |
8.9 Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.
8.10 Remedies. Any Registered Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to seek specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
[Signature Page Follows]
| 16 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
| VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD. | |||
| By: | /s/ Stuart Simpson | ||
| Name: | Stuart Simpson | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
[Signature Page to Warrant Agreement]
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, as Warrant Agent | |||
| By: | /s/ Steven Vacante | ||
| Name: | Steven Vacante | ||
| Title: | Vice President | ||
[Signature Page to Warrant Agreement]
EXHIBIT A-1
Form of Warrant Certificate (Tranche A)
[FACE]
Number
Warrants
THIS WARRANT SHALL BE VOID IF NOT EXERCISED
PRIOR TO
THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXERCISE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR
IN THE WARRANT AGREEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW
VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD.
Incorporated Under the Laws of the Cayman Islands
ISIN ______
Warrant Certificate (Tranche A)
This Warrant Certificate certifies that ________________, or registered assigns, is the registered holder of warrant(s) evidenced hereby (the “Warrants” and each, a “Warrant”) to purchase Ordinary Shares, $0.001 par value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), of Vertical Aerospace Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise during the period set forth in the Warrant Agreement referred to below, to receive from the Company that number of fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Shares as set forth below, at the exercise price (the “Warrant Price”) as determined pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, payable in lawful money of the United States of America (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate and payment of the Warrant Price at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent referred to below, subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the Warrant Agreement. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Each whole Warrant is initially exercisable for one fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Share. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of any Warrant. If, upon the exercise of Warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the Warrant holder. The number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
The initial Warrant Price per Ordinary Share for any Warrant is equal to $6.00 per share. The Warrant Price is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Subject to the conditions set forth in the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants may be exercised only during the Exercise Period and to the extent not exercised by the end of such Exercise Period, such Warrants shall become void.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Warrant Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid unless countersigned by the Warrant Agent, as such term is used in the Warrant Agreement.
This Warrant Certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
| VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD. |
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, | |
| as Warrant Agent |
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
[Form of Warrant Certificate (Tranche A)]
[Reverse]
The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly authorized issue of Warrants entitling the holder on exercise to receive Ordinary Shares and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement (Tranche A) dated as of _______________, 2025 (the “Warrant Agreement”), duly executed and delivered by the Company to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York Limited Purpose Trust Company, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”), which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Warrant Agent, the Company and the holders (the words “holders” or “holder” meaning the Registered Holders or Registered Holder, respectively) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
The Warrants may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may exercise them by surrendering this Warrant Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth hereon properly completed and executed, together with payment of the Warrant Price as specified in the Warrant Agreement (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the number of Warrants exercised shall be less than the total number of Warrants evidenced hereby, there shall be issued to the holder hereof or his, her or its assignee, a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants not exercised.
The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted. If, upon exercise of a Warrant, the holder thereof would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company shall, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the holder of the Warrant.
Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent by the Registered Holder thereof in person or by legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.
Upon due presentation for registration of transfer of this Warrant Certificate at the office of the Warrant Agent a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee(s) in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.
The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Registered Holder(s) hereof as the absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Neither the Warrants nor this Warrant Certificate entitles any holder hereof to any rights of a shareholder of the Company.
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise of Warrant)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive _____ Ordinary Shares [and herewith tenders payment for such Ordinary Shares to the order of Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (the “Company”) in the amount of $_____________][in accordance with the formula set forth in Subsection 6.4.2 of the Warrant Agreement, pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in the Warrant Agreement] in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of _____________, whose address is _____________and that such Ordinary Shares be delivered to _____________, whose address is _______________. If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of ___________________, whose address is _______________ and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to _______________, whose address is _______________.
[Signature Page Follows]
| Date: ____________, 20___ | |
| Signature | |
| (Address) | |
| (Tax Identification Number) | |
[Signature Guaranteed:
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)).]
EXHIBIT A-2
Form of Warrant Certificate (Tranche B)
[FACE]
Number
Warrants
THIS WARRANT SHALL BE VOID IF NOT EXERCISED
PRIOR TO
THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXERCISE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR
IN THE WARRANT AGREEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW
VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD.
Incorporated Under the Laws of the Cayman Islands
ISIN ______
Warrant Certificate (Tranche B)
This Warrant Certificate certifies that ________________, or registered assigns, is the registered holder of warrant(s) evidenced hereby (the “Warrants” and each, a “Warrant”) to purchase Ordinary Shares, $0.001 par value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), of Vertical Aerospace Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise during the period set forth in the Warrant Agreement referred to below, to receive from the Company that number of fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Shares as set forth below, at the exercise price (the “Warrant Price”) as determined pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, payable in lawful money of the United States of America (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate and payment of the Warrant Price at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent referred to below, subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the Warrant Agreement. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Each whole Warrant is initially exercisable for one fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Share. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of any Warrant. If, upon the exercise of Warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the Warrant holder. The number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
The initial Warrant Price per Ordinary Share for any Warrant is equal to $7.50 per share. The Warrant Price is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Subject to the conditions set forth in the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants may be exercised only during the Exercise Period and to the extent not exercised by the end of such Exercise Period, such Warrants shall become void.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Warrant Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid unless countersigned by the Warrant Agent, as such term is used in the Warrant Agreement.
This Warrant Certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
| VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD. |
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
| CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, | |
| as Warrant Agent |
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
[Form of Warrant Certificate (Tranche B)]
[Reverse]
The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly authorized issue of Warrants entitling the holder on exercise to receive Ordinary Shares and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement (Tranche B) dated as of _______________, 2025 (the “Warrant Agreement”), duly executed and delivered by the Company to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York Limited Purpose Trust Company, as warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”), which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Warrant Agent, the Company and the holders (the words “holders” or “holder” meaning the Registered Holders or Registered Holder, respectively) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
The Warrants may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may exercise them by surrendering this Warrant Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth hereon properly completed and executed, together with payment of the Warrant Price as specified in the Warrant Agreement (or through “cashless exercise” as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the number of Warrants exercised shall be less than the total number of Warrants evidenced hereby, there shall be issued to the holder hereof or his, her or its assignee, a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants not exercised.
The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted. If, upon exercise of a Warrant, the holder thereof would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company shall, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the holder of the Warrant.
Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent by the Registered Holder thereof in person or by legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.
Upon due presentation for registration of transfer of this Warrant Certificate at the office of the Warrant Agent a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee(s) in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.
The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Registered Holder(s) hereof as the absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Neither the Warrants nor this Warrant Certificate entitles any holder hereof to any rights of a shareholder of the Company.
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise of Warrant)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive _____ Ordinary Shares [and herewith tenders payment for such Ordinary Shares to the order of Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (the “Company”) in the amount of $_____________][in accordance with the formula set forth in Section 6.4.2 of the Warrant Agreement, pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in the Warrant Agreement] in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of _____________, whose address is _____________and that such Ordinary Shares be delivered to _____________, whose address is _______________. If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of ___________________, whose address is _______________ and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to _______________, whose address is _______________.
[Signature Page Follows]
| Date: ____________, 20___ | |
| Signature | |
| (Address) | |
| (Tax Identification Number) | |
[Signature Guaranteed:
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)).]
Exhibit 5.1
| 23 January 2025 | Our Ref: AB/slh/ V1410-175594 |
|
Vertical Aerospace Ltd. c/o Walkers Corporate Limited 190 Elgin Avenue George Town Grand Cayman KY1-9008 Cayman Islands |
VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD.
We have been asked to provide this legal opinion to you with regard to the laws of the Cayman Islands in connection with the registration of an underwritten initial public offering by Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (the "Company"), of:
| 1. | up to 15,000,000 units (the "Units"), each Unit consisting of one ordinary share in the capital of the Company, par value US$0.001 per share (each an "Ordinary Share" and together, the "Ordinary Shares") and one-half of one Tranche A Warrant to purchase one Ordinary Share (each whole warrant, a "Tranche A Warrant"); and one-half of one Tranche B Warrant to purchase one ordinary share (each whole warrant, a "Tranche B Warrant" and together with the Tranche A Warrants, the "Warrants"); |
| 2. | all Ordinary Shares and all Warrants issued as part of the Units; and |
| 3. | all Ordinary Shares that may be issued upon exercise of the Warrants included in the Units, |
in each case under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and pursuant to the terms of the Registration Statement (as defined in Schedule 1).
For the purposes of giving this opinion, we have examined and relied solely upon the originals or copies of the documents listed in Schedule 1.
We are Cayman Islands Attorneys at Law and express no opinion as to any laws other than the laws of the Cayman Islands in force and as interpreted at the date of this opinion.
Based upon the foregoing examinations and the assumptions and qualifications set out below and having regard to legal considerations which we consider relevant, and under the laws of the Cayman Islands, as at the date hereof, we give the following opinions in relation to the matters set out below.
Walkers
190 Elgin Avenue, George Town
Grand Cayman KY1-9001, Cayman Islands
T +1 345 949 0100 F +1 345 949 7886 www.walkersglobal.com
Bermuda | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Dubai | Guernsey | Hong Kong | Ireland | Jersey | London | Singapore
| WALKERS | Page 2 |
| 1. | The Company is an exempted company duly incorporated with limited liability, validly existing under the laws of the Cayman Islands and in good standing with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands (the "Registrar"). |
| 2. | The Ordinary Shares to be issued as part of the Units, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, have been duly authorised by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and upon the issue of the Ordinary Shares (by the entry of the name of the registered owner thereof in the Register of Members of the Company confirming that such Ordinary Shares have been issued and credited as fully paid), delivery and payment therefor by the purchaser in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles (as defined in Schedule 1) and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Underwriting Agreement (as defined in Schedule 1), the Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (meaning that no additional sums may be levied in respect of such Ordinary Shares on the holder thereof by the Company). |
| 3. | The Ordinary Shares to be issued upon exercise or redemption of the Warrants as contemplated by the Warrant Documents (as defined in Schedule 1), have been duly authorised by all necessary corporate action of the Company and upon the issue of such Ordinary Shares (by the entry of the name of the registered owner thereof in the Register of Members of the Company confirming that such Ordinary Shares have been issued and credited as fully paid), delivery and exercise or redemption of the Warrants in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Warrant Documents, such Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (meaning that no additional sums may be levied in respect of such Ordinary Shares on the holder thereof by the Company). |
| 4. | The execution, delivery and performance of the Warrant Documents has been authorised by and on behalf of the Company and, once the Warrant Documents have been executed and unconditionally delivered by the Company, the Warrant Documents will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms. |
The foregoing opinions are given based on the following assumptions.
| 1. | The originals of all documents examined in connection with this opinion are authentic. The signatures, initials and seals on the Documents and Resolutions (each as defined in Schedule 1) are, or will be, genuine and are, or will be, those of a person or persons stated therein. All documents purporting to be sealed have been, or will be, so sealed. All copies are complete and conform to their originals. The Documents when executed will conform in every material respect to the latest drafts of the same produced to us prior to the date hereof and, where provided in successive drafts, have been marked up to indicate all changes to such Documents. |
| 2. | The Memorandum and Articles will be the memorandum and articles of association of the Company in effect at the time of the issue of the Ordinary Shares and the Company will continue to have sufficient authorised and unissued Ordinary Shares to issue the Ordinary Shares required to be issued under the terms of the Warrant Documents. |
| WALKERS | Page 3 |
| 3. | We have relied upon the statements and representations of directors, officers and other representatives of the Company as to factual matters. |
| 4. | The Company will receive consideration in money or money’s worth for each Ordinary Share offered by the Company when issued at the agreed issue price as per the terms of the Registration Statement, such price in any event not being less than the stated par or nominal value of each Ordinary Share. |
| 5. | Each of the Documents will be duly authorised (other than by the Company with regard to the laws of the Cayman Islands), executed and delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties prior to the issue and sale of the Ordinary Shares and will be legal, valid, binding and enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with their terms under the laws of the State of New York and all other relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands). |
| 6. | The choice of New York law as the governing law of the Documents has been made in good faith and would be regarded as a valid and binding selection which will be upheld by the courts of the State of New York as a matter of New York law and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands). |
| 7. | The power, authority and legal right of all parties under all relevant laws and regulations (other than the Company under the laws of the Cayman Islands) to enter into, execute and perform their respective obligations under the Documents. |
| 8. | The Resolutions and any power of attorney given by the Company to execute the Documents will remain in force and effect and will not have been revoked or varied. |
| 9. | All preconditions to the obligations of the parties to the Underwriting Agreement and the Warrant Documents will be satisfied or duly waived prior to the issue and sale of the Ordinary Shares and there will be no breach of the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and the Warrant Documents. |
The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:
| 1. | The term "enforceable" and its cognates as used in this opinion means that the obligations assumed by any party under the Documents are of a type which the courts of the Cayman Islands (the "Courts" and each a "Court") enforce. This does not mean that those obligations will necessarily be enforced in all circumstances in accordance with their terms. In particular: |
| (a) | enforcement of obligations and the priority of obligations may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, restructuring, reorganisation, readjustment of debts or moratorium and other laws of general application relating to or affecting the rights of creditors or by prescription or lapse of time; |
| (b) | enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity and, in particular, the availability of certain equitable remedies such as injunction or specific performance of an obligation may be limited where a Court considers damages to be an adequate remedy; |
| WALKERS | Page 4 |
| (c) | claims may become barred under statutes of limitation or may be or become subject to defences of set-off, counterclaim, estoppel and similar defences; |
| (d) | where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, they may not be enforceable in the Cayman Islands to the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of, or contrary to the public policy of, that jurisdiction; |
| (e) | a judgment of a Court may be required to be made in Cayman Islands dollars; |
| (f) | to the extent that any provision of the Documents is adjudicated to be penal in nature, it will not be enforceable in the Courts; in particular, the enforceability of any provision of the Documents that is adjudicated to constitute a secondary obligation which imposes a detriment on the contract-breaker out of all proportion to any legitimate interest of the innocent party in the enforcement of the primary obligation may be limited; |
| (g) | to the extent that the performance of any obligation arising under the Documents would be fraudulent or contrary to public policy, it will not be enforceable in the Courts; |
| (h) | in the case of an insolvent liquidation of the Company, its liabilities are required to be translated into the functional currency of the Company (being the currency of the primary economic environment in which it operated as at the commencement of the liquidation) at the exchange rates prevailing on the date of commencement of the voluntary liquidation or the day on which the winding up order is made (as the case may be); |
| (i) | a Court will not necessarily award costs in litigation in accordance with contractual provisions in this regard; and |
| (j) | the effectiveness of terms in the Documents excusing any party from a liability or duty otherwise owed or indemnifying that party from the consequences of incurring such liability or breaching such duty shall be construed in accordance with, and shall be limited by, applicable law, including generally applicable rules and principles of common law and equity. |
| 2. | Our opinion as to good standing is based solely upon receipt of the Certificate of Good Standing issued by the Registrar. The Company shall be deemed to be in good standing under section 200A of the Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands (the "Companies Act") on the date of issue of the certificate if all fees and penalties under the Companies Act have been paid and the Registrar has no knowledge that the Company is in default under the Companies Act. |
| 3. | There is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands) which would or might affect the opinions set out herein. |
This opinion is limited to the matters referred to herein and shall not be construed as extending to any other matter or document not referred to herein. This opinion is given solely for your benefit and the benefit of your legal advisers acting in that capacity in relation to this transaction and may not be relied upon by any other person, other than persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act, without our prior written consent.
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This opinion shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm, as Cayman Islands counsel to the Company, in the Registration Statement.
| Yours faithfully | |
| WalkerS (CAYMAN) LLP |
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Schedule 1
LIST OF DOCUMENTS EXAMINED
| 1. | The Certificate of Incorporation dated 21 May 2021, Register of Directors and Register of Officers, in each case, of the Company, copies of which have been provided to us by its registered office in the Cayman Islands (together the "Company Records"), and the Fourth Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association as adopted on 23 December 2024 (the "Memorandum and Articles"). |
| 2. | The Cayman Online Registry Information System (CORIS), the Cayman Islands' General Registry's online database, searched on 22 January 2025. |
| 3. | The Register of Writs and other Originating Process of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands kept at the Clerk of Court's Office, George Town, Grand Cayman, examined at 9.00 am on 22 January 2025. |
| 4. | A copy of a Certificate of Good Standing dated 22 January 2025 in respect of the Company issued by the Registrar (the "Certificate of Good Standing"). |
| 5. | A copy of executed written resolutions of the directors of the Company approving various matters, including the offering for sale of the Ordinary Shares dated 20 January 2025 (the "Resolutions"). |
| 6. | Copies of the following documents (the "Documents"): |
| (a) | the Registration Statement on Form F-3 (Registration No. 333-275430), which became effective on 16 November 2023, and preliminary prospectus supplement filed on 23 January 2025 by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission registering the Units, Ordinary Shares and Warrants under the Securities Act (as filed, the "Registration Statement"); |
| (b) | a draft of the form of the warrant agreement to be entered into by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company as warrant agent and the warrant certificate constituting the Warrants (the "Warrant Documents"); and |
| (c) | a draft of the form of the underwriting agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") to be entered into between the Company and the underwriters listed therein. |
Exhibit 99.1
VERTICAL AEROSPACE ANNOUNCES PRICING OF UPSIZED UNDERWRITTEN PUBLIC OFFERING
LONDON, January 23, 2025 - Vertical Aerospace (Vertical) (NYSE: EVTL) ("Vertical” or the “Company”), a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering electric aviation, today announced that it has priced its underwritten public offering of $90 million of units at a public offering price of $6.00 per unit (the "Offering”). Each unit consists of one ordinary share and one-half of one Tranche A warrant and one-half of one Tranche B warrant. The ordinary shares and the warrants comprising the units are immediately separable and will be issued separately in the Offering. The Offering is expected to close on or about January 24, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
The Tranche A warrants will expire on the earlier of: (i) upon the satisfaction of both of the following conditions: (a) Vertical successfully demonstrating a wing-borne flight of its VX4 prototype aircraft and (b) the 10-day volume weighted average price of the Company’s ordinary shares, following the public disclosure of such successful wing-borne flight, being equal to or greater than, 103% of the exercise price of the warrants, the 30th day following the date of such disclosure; and (ii) the five-year anniversary of the date of issuance. The Tranche A warrants are exercisable at an exercise price of $6.00 per whole ordinary share. The Tranche B warrants will expire five years from the date of issuance and are exercisable at an exercise price of $7.50 per whole ordinary share.
William Blair is acting as lead bookrunner and Canaccord Genuity is acting as joint bookrunner for the Offering.
Vertical intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund its research and development expenses as Vertical continues to develop the VX4 and its expenditures in the expansion of its testing and certification capacities, as well as for general working capital and other general corporate purposes.
The Company’s ordinary shares trade on the NYSE under the symbol “EVTL”. The offered warrants will not be listed on any exchange.
The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement to the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-275430) previously filed with the SEC on November 9, 2023 and declared effective by the SEC on November 16, 2023. Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the Offering may be obtained from the SEC’s website, or from: William Blair & Company, L.L.C., Attention: Prospectus Department, 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606, by telephone at (800) 621-0687, or by email at prospectus@williamblair.com; or Canaccord Genuity LLC, Attention: Syndication Department, One Post Office Square, Suite 3000, Boston, MA 02109, by telephone at (800) 225-6104, or by email at prospectus@cgf.com.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
- Ends –
Enquiries please contact:
Vertical Aerospace Media
Justin Bates, Head of Communications
justin.bates@vertical-aerospace.com +44 7878 357 463
Investor Relations
Samuel Emden, Head of Investor Affairs
samuel.emden@vertical-aerospace.com +44 7816 459 904
About Vertical Aerospace
Vertical Aerospace is a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation. Vertical is creating a safer, cleaner and quieter way to travel. Vertical’s VX4 is a piloted, four passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions. Vertical combines partnering with leading aerospace companies, including GKN Aerospace, Honeywell and Leonardo, with developing its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop the world’s most advanced and safest eVTOL.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the expected closing of and use of proceeds from the transaction, our future results of operations and financial position, our plans for capital expenditures, the design and manufacture of the VX4, our business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including the building and testing of our prototype aircrafts on timelines projected, certification and the commercialization of the VX4 and our ability to achieve regulatory certification of our aircraft product on any particular timeline or at all, expectations surrounding pre-orders and commitments, the features and capabilities of the VX4, the transition towards a net-zero emissions economy, as well as statements that include the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “will,” “aim,” “potential,” “continue,” “are likely to” and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation: market conditions and satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the Offering; our limited operating history without manufactured non-prototype aircraft or completed eVTOL aircraft customer order; our history of losses and the expectation to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future; the market for eVTOL aircraft being in a relatively early stage; our potential inability to produce, certify or launch aircraft in the volumes or timelines projected; the potential inability to obtain the necessary certifications for production and operation within any projected timeline, or at all; any accidents or incidents involving eVTOL aircraft could harm our business; our dependence on partners and suppliers for the components in our aircraft and for operational needs; the potential that certain strategic partnerships may not materialize into long-term partnership arrangements; all of the pre-orders received are conditional and may be terminated at any time and any pre-delivery payments may be fully refundable upon certain specified dates; the inability for our aircraft to perform at the level we expect and may have potential defects; any potential failure to effectively manage our growth; our inability to recruit and retain senior management and other highly skilled personnel, our ability to raise additional funds when we need or want them, or at all, to fund our operations; our limited cash and cash equivalents and recurring losses from our operations raise significant doubt (or raise substantial doubt as contemplated by PCAOB standards) regarding our ability to continue as a going concern; the fact that we have previously identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting which if we fail to properly remediate, could adversely affect our results of operations, investor confidence in us and the market price of our ordinary shares; the fact that as a foreign private issuer, we follow certain home country corporate governance rules, are not subject to U.S. proxy rules and are subject to Exchange Act reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of a U.S. domestic public company; and the other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 14, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. We disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.