NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd F-3, filed Jan 19, 2023
NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd. (NRSN)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 19, 2023
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
NEUROSENSE THERAPEUTICS LTD.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Israel | Not Applicable | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
11 Ha-Menofim Street, Building B
Herzliya 4672562 Israel
+972-9-799-6183
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Cogency Global Inc.
122 East 42nd Street,
18th Floor, New York, NY 10168
(212) 947-7200
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies of all communications, including communications sent to agent for service, should be sent to:
Brian K. Rosenzweig |
Perry Wildes Gross & Co. One Azrieli Center Tel Aviv 6702100, Israel Tel: +972 (3) 607-4444 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective as determined by market conditions
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
| † | The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012. |
The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information contained in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to completion, dated January 19, 2023
PROSPECTUS
$100,000,000
Ordinary Shares
Warrants
Debt Securities
Subscription Rights and/or Units
Offered by the Company
NEUROSENSE THERAPEUTICS LTD.
We may offer and sell to the public from time to time in one or more series or issuances up to $100,000,000 in the aggregate of ordinary shares, warrants to purchase ordinary shares and/or debt securities, debt securities (including convertible debt securities), subscription rights and/or units consisting of two or more of these classes or series of securities.
We refer to the ordinary shares, warrants, debt securities, subscription rights and units collectively as “securities” in this prospectus.
Each time we offer to sell securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the specific terms of the securities offered. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of securities by us unless accompanied by the applicable prospectus supplement. You should carefully read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectuses, as well as any documents incorporated by reference, before you invest in our securities.
We may, from time to time, offer to sell the securities, through public or private transactions, directly or through underwriters, agents or dealers, on or off the Nasdaq Capital Market, as applicable, at prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices. If any underwriters, agents or dealers are involved in the sale of any of these securities, the applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the names of the underwriter, agent or dealer and any applicable fees, commissions or discounts. For additional information on the methods of sale, you should refer to the section titled “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus and in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Our ordinary shares and warrants, each warrant exercisable for one ordinary share, are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “NRSN” and “NRSNW,” respectively. The last reported sale price for our ordinary shares on January 18, 2023 as quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $1.26 per share, and the last reported sale price for our warrants on January 18, 2023 as quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $0.235 per warrant.
As of January 18, 2023, the aggregate market value worldwide of our outstanding voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates was approximately $10.64 million, based on 11,781,963 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 8,444,108 ordinary shares were held by non-affiliates, and a per ordinary share price of $1.26 based on the closing sale price of our ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on January 18, 2023. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.5 of Form F-3, in no event will we sell, pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, securities with a value exceeding one-third of the aggregate market value of our outstanding ordinary shares held by non-affiliates in any 12-month period, so long as the aggregate market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $75.0 million. We have not offered or sold any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.5 on Form F-3 during the prior 12 calendar month period that ends on and includes the date of this prospectus.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “foreign private issuer” as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws, and as such, will be eligible for reduced public company disclosure requirements. See “About the Company—Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Foreign Private Issuer” for additional information.
Investing in these securities involves a high degree of risk. Please carefully consider the risks discussed in this prospectus under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4 and the “Risk Factors” in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any applicable prospectus supplement for a discussion of the factors you should consider carefully before deciding to purchase these securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities being offered by this prospectus, or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), utilizing a “shelf” registration process.
Under this shelf process, we may sell the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings up to a total price to the public of $100,000,000. The offer and sale of securities under this prospectus may be made from time to time, in one or more offerings, in any manner described under the section in this prospectus entitled “Plan of Distribution.”
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in the documents we have incorporated by reference herein, and may also contain information about any material federal income tax considerations relating to the securities covered by the prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, together with additional information under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.”
This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different or additional information other than that contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. We do not take any responsibility, and can make no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus being used in connection with the offering is accurate only as of the date on its respective cover, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
You should read this entire prospectus, including the financial statements and related notes and other financial data incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated herein and therein, before making an investment decision. This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include those discussed in “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements.”
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, in this prospectus, “NeuroSense,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
ii
Overview
We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing treatments for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (“ALS”), Alzheimer’s disease (“AD”) and Parkinson’s disease (“PD”). We believe these diseases represent some of the most significant unmet medical needs of our time, with limited effective therapeutic options available. The burden of these diseases on both patients and society is substantial. For example, the average annual cost of ALS alone is $180,000 per patient, and its estimated annual burden on the U.S. healthcare system is greater than $1 billion. Due to the complexity of neurodegenerative diseases, our strategy is utilize a combined therapeutic approach to target multiple disease-related pathways.
Our lead therapeutic candidate, PrimeC, is a novel extended-release oral formulation, fixed-dose combination of two FDA-approved drugs, ciprofloxacin and celecoxib. PrimeC is designed to treat ALS by modulating microRNA synthesis, iron accumulation, and neuroinflammation, all of which are hallmarks of ALS pathology. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”), have granted PrimeC orphan drug designation for the treatment of ALS. We believe PrimeC’s multifactorial mechanism of action has the potential to significantly prolong lifespan and improve ALS patients’ quality of life, thereby reducing the burden of this debilitating disease on both patients and healthcare systems.
In addition to PrimeC, we have conducted research and development efforts in AD and PD, with a similar strategy of combined products. The following chart represents our current product development pipeline:
PrimeC has been evaluated at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel in a Phase 2a clinical trial in 15 people living with ALS (NST002). The primary endpoint of the NST002 trial, which was safety and tolerability, was met. In this trial, the safety profile observed was consistent with known safety profiles of ciprofloxacin and celecoxib. Side effects were mild and transient in nature. There were no new or unexpected safety signals detected during the trial.
In addition, NST002 efficacy data demonstrated slower decline per month in both ALS Functional Rating Scale (“ALSFRS-R”) score and pulmonary vital capacity endpoint evaluations in ALS patients who were administered with PrimeC compared to matched controls from the PRO-ACT database (virtual controls). The analysis of key ALS pathology markers in neuron-derived exosomes (“NDEs”) indicated that there was a statistically significant reduction in the levels of TDP-43, a key protein in ALS pathology, and PgJ2, representing neuroinflammation, when compared to baseline measurements over 12 months following PrimeC treatment. Levels of LC3, a marker of autophagy, which has been shown to be impaired in ALS, were increased from baseline measurements to 12 months. The statistically significant changes following treatment of PrimeC in the biomarker analysis suggest early evidence of biological activity of the drug, which correlated to the clinical outcomes observed.
PrimeC is currently being evaluated in Paradigm, a Phase 2b randomized, multi-center, multinational, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, with an open label extension, to evaluate safety, tolerability, and efficacy of PrimeC in 69 people living with ALS. The study commenced recruitment of patients in Israel in May 2022 and is currently ongoing. To date, over 50% of the study participants have been enrolled. With new sites anticipated to be opening in Q1 2023, we expect to report top-line results in the second half of 2023. On October 14, 2022, we submitted an amendment to our Investigational New Drug Application for Paradigm to the FDA. On December 13, 2022, the FDA provided a comment that the data submitted do not support the entire study duration. We determined that we will not commence patient enrollment in the U.S. until we have addressed to satisfaction the FDA’s trial duration concern.
1
We continue to develop our pipeline. In January 2023, we reported positive final results from our Alzheimer’s Biomarker Study, which suggested that a novel biomarker, TDP-43, may be associated with AD. These findings indicate that NeuroSense’s platform technology has the potential to treat people who suffer from AD. NeuroSense intends to initiate a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study to assess its therapeutic potential in people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease in H1 2023. TDP-43 has been observed to colocalize with senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, suggesting a direct interaction between TDP-43 and amyloid-β (Aβ) or tau, which are known to be hallmark biomarkers in AD. TDP-43 has been found in up to 57% of AD cases and aggregates of TDP-43 have been shown to be cytotoxic both in vitro and in vivo.
Corporate Information
Our legal and commercial name is NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd. We were incorporated on February 13, 2017 and were registered as a private company limited by shares under the laws of the State of Israel. Our ordinary shares and warrants are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “NRSN” and “NRSNW,” respectively.
Our principal executive offices are located at 11 HaMenofim Street, Building B, Herzliya, 4672562 Israel, and our telephone number is +972-9-7996183. Our website address is www.neurosense-tx.com. The information on our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., c/o The Corporation Trust Company, located at 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 210, New York, New York 10036.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Foreign Private Issuer
Emerging Growth Company
As a company with less than $1.235 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As such, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other publicly traded entities that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include:
| ● | the option to present only two years of audited financial statements and a discussion of only two years of our Operating Financial Review and Prospects in our Annual Report on Form 20-F; |
| ● | not being required to have our registered independent public accounting firm attest to management’s assessment of our internal control over financial reporting; |
| ● | not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”), regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (i.e., an auditor discussion and analysis); |
| ● | not being required to submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes, such as “say-on-pay,” “say-on-frequency” and “say-on-golden parachutes”; and |
not being required to disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation.
As a result, the information contained in this prospectus, the prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein may be different from the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold shares. We may take advantage of these provisions for up until we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1.235 billion; (ii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the previous three years; (iii) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act; or (iv) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering.
2
Foreign Private Issuer
We are also a non-U.S. company with foreign private issuer status. Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, as long as we continue to qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we will be exempt from certain provisions of the Exchange Act that are applicable to U.S. domestic public companies, including:
| ● | the rules under the Exchange Act requiring domestic filers to issue financial statements prepared under U.S. GAAP; |
| ● | the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; |
| ● | the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their share ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and |
| ● | the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial statements and other specified information, and current reports on Form 8-K upon the occurrence of specified significant events. |
Notwithstanding these exemptions, we will file with the SEC, within four months after the end of each fiscal year, or such applicable time as required by the SEC, an annual report on Form 20-F containing financial statements audited by an independent registered public accounting firm.
We may take advantage of these exemptions until such time as we are no longer a foreign private issuer. We would cease to be a foreign private issuer at such time as more than 50% of our outstanding voting securities are held by U.S. residents and any of the following three circumstances applies: (i) the majority of our executive officers or directors are U.S. citizens or residents; (ii) more than 50% of our assets are located in the United States; or (iii) our business is administered principally in the United States.
Both foreign private issuers and emerging growth companies also are exempt from certain more stringent executive compensation disclosure rules. Thus, even if we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, but remain a foreign private issuer, we will continue to be exempt from the more stringent compensation disclosures required of companies that are neither an emerging growth company nor a foreign private issuer.
3
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be adversely affected by any of these risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors discussed under the caption “Item 3: Key Information—D. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021, and any updates to those risk factors in our reports on Form 6-K incorporated by reference herein, together with all of the other information appearing or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, before making your investment decision. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our operations. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, business prospects, financial condition or results of operations could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our ordinary shares to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. Please also read carefully the section below entitled “Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risks Related to our Financial Position
Our recurring operating losses have raised substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our recurring operating losses and our expectation to incur additional significant losses raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. We have no current source of revenue to sustain our present activities and we do not expect to generate revenue until, and unless, the FDA or other regulatory authorities approve, and we successfully commercialize, our product candidates. Accordingly, our ability to continue as a going concern will require us to obtain additional financing to fund our operations. The perception that we might be unable to continue as a going concern may make it more difficult for us to obtain financing for the continuation of our operations and could result in the loss of confidence by investors, suppliers and employees. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2022, we expect that our financial statements will include a going concern reference.
4
OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE
We may sell from time to time pursuant to this prospectus (as may be detailed in a prospectus supplement) an indeterminate number of ordinary shares, warrants to purchase ordinary shares and/or debt securities, subscription rights and/or units comprised of any of the foregoing securities as shall have a maximum aggregate offering price of $100,000,000. The actual price per share or per security of the securities that we will offer pursuant hereto will depend on a number of factors that may be relevant as of the time of offer. See “Plan of Distribution.”
5
We make forward-looking statements in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “expect,” “predict,” “potential,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on information we have when those statements are made or our management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include factors relating to:
| ● | our limited operating history and history of incurring significant losses and negative cash flows since our inception, which we anticipate will continue for the foreseeable future; |
| ● | our dependence on the success of our lead product candidate, PrimeC, including our obtaining of regulatory approval to market PrimeC in the United States; |
| ● | our limited experience in conducting clinical trials and reliance on clinical research organizations and others to conduct them; |
| ● | our ability to advance our preclinical product candidates into clinical development and through regulatory approval and commercialization; |
| ● | the results of our clinical trials, which may fail to adequately demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates; |
| ● | our ability to achieve the broad degree of physician adoption and use and market acceptance necessary for commercial success; |
| ● | our reliance on third parties in marketing, producing or distributing products and research materials for certain raw materials, compounds and components necessary to produce PrimeC for clinical trials and to support commercial scale production of PrimeC, if approved; |
| ● | our receipt of regulatory clarity and approvals for our therapeutic candidates and the timing of other regulatory filings and approvals; |
| ● | estimates of our expenses, revenues, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing; |
| ● | our efforts to obtain, protect or enforce our patents and other intellectual property rights related to our product candidates and technologies; and |
| ● | the impact of the public health, political and security situation in Israel, the U.S. and other countries in which we may obtain approvals for our products or our business. |
The preceding list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all of our risks and uncertainties. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all relevant information.
You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus for a discussion of these and other risks that relate to our business and investing in our ordinary shares. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations.
6
The table below sets forth our total capitalization as of September 30, 2022. The financial data in the following table should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto incorporated by reference herein.
| As of September 30, 2022 | ||||
| (in thousands) | ||||
| Ordinary shares, no par value per share | $ | - | ||
| Share premium and capital reserve | 25,482 | |||
| Accumulated deficit | (17,636 | ) | ||
| Total shareholders’ equity | 7,846 | |||
| Total capitalization | $ | 9,230 | ||
7
The Company’s ordinary shares and warrants began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on December 9, 2021 under the ticker symbol “NRSN” and “NRSNW,” respectively.
8
Unless otherwise indicated in an applicable prospectus supplement, we currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of securities to advance the clinical development of our lead product candidate, PrimeC for ALS, for the clinical development and preclinical research and development in support of potential investigational new drug applications for, CogniC for AD, StabiliC for PD, and for other indications, for future research and development of new product candidates and for working capital and general corporate purposes. We will retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of our securities offered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement.
9
DESCRIPTION OF ORDINARY SHARES
Our authorized share capital consists of 60,000,000 ordinary shares, no par value per share, of which 11,781,963 shares were issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2022.
All of our outstanding ordinary shares are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Our ordinary shares are not redeemable and do not have any preemptive rights.
A description of our ordinary shares can be found under the heading “Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered” in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A as filed with the SEC on November 18, 2021.
History of Share Capital
Since January 1, 2020, our issued share capital has changed as provided below.
On February 18, 2020, we entered into a crowd-funding transaction in which we issued 370,356 ordinary shares to 536 different investors for total net consideration of $447 thousand (net of $52 thousand issuance cost).
On April 26 2020, we entered into another crowd-funding transaction in which we issued 47,688 shares to 161 different investors for total net consideration of $61 thousand (net of $8 thousand issuance cost).
In February, May, June and July 2021, we entered into Simple Agreements for Future Equity (each, a “SAFE”) with four separate investors for aggregate proceeds of $800 thousand. Pursuant to the terms of each SAFE, upon consummation of an equity financing, we were required to issue to each investor the number of ordinary shares equal to the purchase amount divided by the SAFE price, which was defined as the price per share equal to 80% of the equity financing valuation (to be no less than $25,000 thousand). The SAFE Agreements also provide the investor the right to automatically receive ordinary shares in the case of a liquidity event, defined as a change of control event or an initial public offering. In the case of a liquidity event the investors are entitled to the number of ordinary shares equal to the investment amount divided by the liquidity price. The liquidity price is defined as the price per share equal to the Company’s valuation at the time of the liquidity event, multiplied by 80%, and divided by the Company’s capitalization (to be no less than $25,000 thousand). As part of our initial public offering, the SAFEs were converted at a price per share of $2.892 into 276,672 ordinary shares.
In May and October 2021, we issued 240,000 and 45,000 ordinary shares, respectively, pursuant to the exercise of options at an exercise price of $0.033 per share.
In August and September 2021, we issued 1,837,500 ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of warrants at a weighted average price of $0.67 per share.
On November 9, 2021, we implemented a 1-for-3 split of our share capital, resulting in an increase of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares.
On December 13, 2021, we completed our initial public offering and issued 2,000,000 units, each consisting of one ordinary share and a warrant representing the right to purchase one ordinary share with an exercise price of $6.00 per share, at an initial public offering price of $6.00 per unit.
In connection with the closing of our initial public offering, on December 13, 2021, we issued 961,440 ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of options at a weighted average exercise price of $0.079 per share.
In March 2022, we issued 645,000 ordinary shares upon exercise of warrants issued in our initial public offering at a price per share of $6.00.
In December 2022, we issued 72,000 ordinary shares pursuant to vesting of RSUs that were granted to our officers in November 2021.
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We may issue warrants to purchase ordinary shares and/or debt securities. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency for or with holders or beneficial owners of warrants. We may also choose to act as our own warrant agent. The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of the warrants we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable warrant agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer warrants.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe, among other things, the following terms of any warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered:
| ● | the title of such warrants; |
| ● | the aggregate number of such warrants; |
| ● | the price or prices at which such warrants will be issued and exercised, either for ordinary shares or for debt securities; |
| ● | the currency or currencies in which the price of such warrants will be payable; |
| ● | the type and number of securities purchasable upon exercise of such warrants; |
| ● | the date on which the right to exercise such warrants shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire; |
| ● | if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants which may be exercised at any one time; |
| ● | if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which such warrants are issued and the number of such warrants issued with each such security; |
| ● | if applicable, the date on and after which such warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable; |
| ● | information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; |
| ● | any material Israeli and United States federal income tax consequences; |
| ● | the anti-dilution or other adjustment provisions of the warrants, if any; |
| ● | any circumstances that will cause the warrants to be deemed to be automatically exercised or required to be exercised in order not to terminate by their terms; and |
| ● | any other terms of such warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such warrants. |
As of September 30, 2022, 1,755,000 of our warrants, each exercisable for one ordinary share, were outstanding and had an average exercise price of $6.09.
Amendments and Supplements to Warrant Agreement
We and the warrant agent may amend or supplement the warrant agreement for a series of warrants without the consent of the holders of the warrants issued thereunder to effect changes that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the warrants and that do not materially and adversely affect the interests of the holders of the warrants.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
We may issue debt securities from time to time, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any debt securities offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the indenture, we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities.
We will issue the debt securities under the indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the indenture. The indenture will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”). We have filed the form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
The following summary of material provisions of the debt securities and the indenture is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements and any related free writing prospectuses related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete indenture that contains the terms of the debt securities.
General
The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. It provides that we may issue debt securities up to the principal amount that we may authorize and may be in any currency or currency unit that we may designate. Except for the limitations on consolidation, merger and sale of all or substantially all of our assets contained in the indenture, the terms of the indenture do not contain any negative covenants or other provisions designed to give holders of any debt securities protection against changes in our operations, financial condition or transactions involving us.
We may issue the debt securities issued under the indenture as “discount securities,” which means they may be sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. These debt securities, as well as other debt securities that are not issued at a discount, may be issued with “original issue discount” (“OID”), for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of interest payment and other characteristics or terms of the debt securities. Material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to debt securities issued with OID will be described in more detail in any applicable prospectus supplement.
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:
| ● | the title of the series of debt securities; |
| ● | any limit upon the aggregate principal amount that may be issued; |
| ● | the maturity date or dates; |
| ● | the form of the debt securities of the series; |
| ● | the applicability of any guarantees; |
| ● | whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt; |
| ● | whether the debt securities rank as senior debt, senior subordinated debt, subordinated debt or any combination thereof, and the terms of any subordination; |
| ● | if the price (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which such debt securities will be issued is a price other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof, or if applicable, the portion of the principal amount of such debt securities that is convertible into another security or the method by which any such portion shall be determined; |
| ● | the interest rate or rates, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates; |
| ● | our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period; |
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| ● | if applicable, the date or dates after which, or the period or periods during which, and the price or prices at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions; |
| ● | the date or dates, if any, on which, and the price or prices at which we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable; |
| ● | the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; |
| ● | any and all terms, if applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the debt securities of that series and any security for our obligations with respect to such debt securities and any other terms which may be advisable in connection with the marketing of debt securities of that series; |
| ● | whether the debt securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a global security or securities; the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such global security or securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual securities; and the depositary for such global security or securities; |
| ● | if applicable, the provisions relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of the series and the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at our option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, the applicable conversion or exchange period and the manner of settlement for any conversion or exchange; |
| ● | if other than the full principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of debt securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof; |
| ● | additions to or changes in the covenants applicable to the particular debt securities being issued, including, among others, the consolidation, merger or sale covenant; |
| ● | additions to or changes in the events of default with respect to the securities and any change in the right of the trustee or the holders to declare the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, with respect to such securities to be due and payable; |
| ● | additions to or changes in or deletions of the provisions relating to covenant defeasance and legal defeasance; |
| ● | additions to or changes in the provisions relating to satisfaction and discharge of the indenture; |
| ● | additions to or changes in the provisions relating to the modification of the indenture both with and without the consent of holders of debt securities issued under the indenture; |
| ● | the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; |
| ● | whether interest will be payable in cash or additional debt securities at our or the holders’ option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made; |
| ● | the terms and conditions, if any, upon which we will pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the debt securities of the series to any holder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes; |
| ● | any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the debt securities of the series; and |
| ● | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, any other additions or changes in the provisions of the indenture, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations. |
Conversion or Exchange Rights
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock or our other securities. We will include provisions as to settlement upon conversion or exchange and whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock or our other securities that the holders of the series of debt securities receive would be subject to adjustment.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the indenture will not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of our assets as an entirety or substantially as an entirety. However, upon any such consolidation or merger (in each case, if we are not the survivor of such transaction) or any such sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition (other than a subsidiary of ours) the successor or acquiror must assume all of our obligations under the indenture or the debt securities, as appropriate.
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Events of Default under the Indenture
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities that we may issue:
| ● | if we fail to pay any installment of interest on any series of debt securities, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by us in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose; |
| ● | if we fail to pay the principal of, or premium, if any, on any series of debt securities as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to such series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such debt securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any; |
| ● | if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the debt securities or the indenture, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such is a notice of default thereunder, from the trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the applicable series; and |
| ● | if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur. |
If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of default specified in the last bullet point above, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in the last bullet point above occurs with respect to us, the principal amount of and accrued interest, if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and payable without any notice or other action on the part of the trustee or any holder.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences if we have paid or deposited with the trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of principal and interest upon all the debt securities of that series that shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration, except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event of default.
Subject to the terms of the indenture, if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the trustee reasonable indemnity. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee, with respect to the debt securities of that series, provided that:
| ● | the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; and |
| ● | subject to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act, the trustee need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the proceeding. |
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A holder of the debt securities of any series will have the right to institute a proceeding under the indenture or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies only if:
| ● | the holder has given written notice to the trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series; |
| ● | the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, |
| ● | such holders have offered to the trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred by the trustee in compliance with the request; and |
| ● | the trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series other conflicting directions within 90 days after the notice, request and offer. |
These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities.
We will periodically file statements with the trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indenture.
Modification of Indenture; Waiver
We and the trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to specific matters:
| ● | to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture or in the debt securities of any series; |
| ● | to comply with the provisions described above under “Description of Debt Securities—Consolidation, Merger or Sale;” |
| ● | to provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities; |
| ● | to add to our covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities, to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in the indenture; |
| ● | to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of debt securities, as set forth in the indenture; |
| ● | to make any change that does not adversely affect the interests of any holder of debt securities of any series in any material respect; |
| ● | to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the debt securities of any series as provided above under “Description of Debt Securities—General” to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities; |
| ● | to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under any indenture by a successor trustee; or |
| ● | to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act. |
In addition, under the indenture, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we and the trustee may make the following changes only with the consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:
| ● | extending the fixed maturity of any debt securities of any series; |
| ● | reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption of any series of any debt securities; or |
| ● | reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver. |
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Discharge
The indenture provides that we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for specified obligations, including obligations to:
| ● | provide for payment; |
| ● | register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series; |
| ● | replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series; |
| ● | pay principal of and premium and interest on any debt securities of the series; |
| ● | maintain paying agent agreements; |
| ● | recover excess money held by the trustee; |
| ● | compensate and indemnify the trustee; and |
| ● | appoint any successor trustee. |
In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we must deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, any premium, if any, and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
We will issue the debt securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indenture provides that we may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), or another depositary named by us and identified in the applicable prospectus supplement with respect to that series. To the extent the debt securities of a series are issued in global form and as book-entry, a description of terms relating to any book-entry securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the debt securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
Subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the debt securities may present the debt securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will impose no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.
We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series.
If we elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:
| ● | issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of less than all outstanding debt securities of the same series that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or |
| ● | register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities we are redeeming in part. |
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Information Concerning the Trustee
The trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under an indenture, undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable indenture. Upon an event of default under an indenture, the trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indenture at the request of any holder of debt securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.
Payment and Paying Agents
Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.
We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments by check that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders. Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office of the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.
All money we pay to a paying agent or the trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.
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DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS
We may issue subscription rights to purchase our ordinary shares. These subscription rights may be issued independently or together with any other security offered hereby and may or may not be transferable by the shareholder receiving the subscription rights in such offering. In connection with any offering of subscription rights, we may enter into a standby arrangement with one or more underwriters or other purchasers pursuant to which the underwriters or other purchasers may be required to purchase any securities remaining unsubscribed for after such offering.
The prospectus supplement relating to any subscription rights we offer, if any, will, to the extent applicable, include specific terms relating to the offering, including some or all of the following:
| ● | the price, if any, for the subscription rights; | |
| ● | the exercise price payable for each ordinary share upon the exercise of the subscription rights; | |
| ● | the number of subscription rights to be issued to each shareholder; | |
| ● | the number and terms of the ordinary shares which may be purchased per each subscription right; | |
| ● | the extent to which the subscription rights are transferable; | |
| ● | any other terms of the subscription rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the subscription rights; | |
| ● | the date on which the right to exercise the subscription rights shall commence, and the date on which the subscription rights shall expire; | |
| ● | the extent to which the subscription rights may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities; and | |
| ● | if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement which may be entered into by us in connection with the offering of subscription rights. |
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any subscription rights we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable subscription right agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer subscription rights. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable subscription right agreement if we offer subscription rights, see “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Information by Reference.” We urge you to read the applicable subscription right agreement and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.
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We may issue units comprised of one or more of the other securities that may be offered under this prospectus, in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time, or at any time before a specified date.
The prospectus supplement relating to any units we offer, if any, will, to the extent applicable, include specific terms relating to the offering, including some or all of the following:
| ● | the material terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
| ● | any material provisions relating to the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and |
| ● | any material provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described above. |
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any units we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable unit agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer units. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable unit agreement if we offer units, see “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Information by Reference”. We urge you to read the applicable unit agreement and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.
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The securities being offered by this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement may be sold, from time to time, in one or more transactions:
| ● | through agents; |
| ● | to or through one or more underwriters on a firm commitment or agency basis; |
| ● | through put or call option transactions relating to the securities; |
| ● | through broker-dealers; |
| ● | directly to a single purchaser or several purchasers, through a specific bidding or auction process, on a negotiated basis or otherwise; |
| ● | through any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law; or |
| ● | through a combination of any such methods of sale. |
We may also sell equity securities covered by this registration statement in an “at-the-market offering” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act. Such offering may be made into an existing trading market for such securities in transactions at other than a fixed price, either:
| ● | on or through the facilities of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), or any other securities exchange or quotation or trading service on which such securities may be listed, quoted or traded at the time of sale; and/or |
| ● | other than on Nasdaq or such other securities exchanges or quotation or trading services. |
Such at the market offerings, if any, may be conducted by underwriters acting as principal or agent.
At the time a particular offer of the securities covered by this prospectus is made, a revised prospectus or prospectus supplement (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you), if required, will be distributed which will set forth the terms of the offering, including:
| ● | the name or names of any underwriters, dealers, brokers or agents; |
| ● | the method of distribution; |
| ● | the public offering price or purchase price of the securities and any discounts, commissions, concessions and other items constituting compensation from us and any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; |
| ● | any options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us; |
| ● | any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed; and |
| ● | the group of investors targeted potential investors, if any. |
Such prospectus supplement, and, if necessary, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, will be filed with the SEC to reflect the disclosure of additional information with respect to the distribution of the securities covered by this prospectus. In order to comply with the securities laws of certain states, if applicable, the securities sold under this prospectus may only be sold through registered or licensed broker-dealers. In addition, in some states the securities may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.
The distribution of securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions, including block transactions and transactions on the Nasdaq Capital Market or any other organized market where the securities may be traded. The securities may be sold at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices relating to the prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. The consideration may be cash or another form negotiated by the parties. Agents, underwriters or broker-dealers may be paid compensation for offering and selling the securities. That compensation may be in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions to be received from us or from the purchasers of the securities. Any dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and compensation received by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts. If any such dealers or agents were deemed to be underwriters, they may be subject to statutory liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
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Agents may from time to time solicit offers to purchase the securities. If required, we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities and set forth any compensation payable to the agent. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. Any agent selling the securities covered by this prospectus may be deemed to be an underwriter, as that term is defined in the Securities Act, of the securities.
If underwriters are used in a sale, securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or under delayed delivery contracts or other contractual commitments. Securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. If an underwriter or underwriters are used in the sale of securities, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter or underwriters, as well as any other underwriter or underwriters, with respect to a particular underwritten offering of securities, and will set forth the terms of the transactions, including compensation of the underwriters and dealers and the public offering price, if applicable. The prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus authorized for use in connection with an offering will be used by the underwriters to resell the securities.
If a dealer is used in the sale of the securities, we or an underwriter will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. To the extent required, we will set forth in the prospectus supplement the name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
We may directly solicit offers to purchase the securities and may make sales of securities directly to institutional investors or others. These persons may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any resale of the securities. To the extent required, the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus authorized for use in connection with an offering will describe the terms of any such sales, including the terms of any bidding or auction process, if used.
Agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled under agreements which may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against specified liabilities, including liabilities incurred under the Securities Act, or to contribution by us to payments they may be required to make in respect of such liabilities. If required, the prospectus supplement will describe the terms and conditions of the indemnification or contribution. Some of the agents, underwriters or dealers, or their affiliates may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our subsidiaries.
Any person participating in the distribution of securities registered under the registration statement that includes this prospectus will be subject to applicable provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the applicable SEC rules and regulations, including, among others, Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of our securities by that person. Furthermore, Regulation M may restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of our securities to engage in market-making activities with respect to our securities. These restrictions may affect the marketability of our securities and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to our securities.
Certain persons participating in an offering may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions, short-covering transactions, penalty bids and other transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the offered securities. These activities may maintain the price of the offered securities at levels above those that might otherwise prevail in the open market, including by entering stabilizing bids, effecting syndicate covering transactions or imposing penalty bids, each of which is described below.
| ● | A stabilizing bid means the placing of any bid, or the effecting of any purchase, for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of a security. |
| ● | A syndicate covering transaction means the placing of any bid on behalf of the underwriting syndicate or the effecting of any purchase to reduce a short position created in connection with the offering. |
| ● | A penalty bid means an arrangement that permits the managing underwriter to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member in connection with the offering when offered securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in syndicate covering transactions. |
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These transactions may be effected on an exchange or automated quotation system, if the securities are listed on that exchange or admitted for trading on that automated quotation system, or in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from certain types of institutions to purchase offered securities from us at the public offering price set forth in such prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. Such contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the prospectus supplement and the prospectus supplement will set forth the commission payable for solicitation of such contracts.
In addition, ordinary shares may be issued upon conversion of or in exchange for debt securities or other securities.
Any underwriters to whom offered securities are sold for public offering and sale may make a market in such offered securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. The offered securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. No assurance can be given that there will be a market for the offered securities.
Any securities that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 or Regulation S under the Securities Act, may be sold under Rule 144 or Regulation S rather than pursuant to this prospectus.
To the extent that we make sales to or through one or more underwriters or agents in at-the-market offerings, we will do so pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement between us and the underwriters or agents. If we engage in at-the-market sales pursuant to a distribution agreement, we will sell our ordinary shares to or through one or more underwriters or agents, which may act on an agency basis or on a principal basis. During the term of any such agreement, we may sell ordinary shares on a daily basis in exchange transactions or otherwise as we agree with the underwriters or agents. The distribution agreement will provide that any ordinary shares sold will be sold at prices related to the then prevailing market prices for our ordinary shares. Therefore, exact figures regarding proceeds that will be raised or commissions to be paid cannot be determined at this time and will be described in a prospectus supplement. Pursuant to the terms of the distribution agreement, we also may agree to sell, and the relevant underwriters or agents may agree to solicit offers to purchase, blocks of our ordinary shares or warrants. The terms of each such distribution agreement will be set forth in more detail in a prospectus supplement to this prospectus.
In connection with offerings made through underwriters or agents, we may enter into agreements with such underwriters or agents pursuant to which we receive our outstanding securities in consideration for the securities being offered to the public for cash. In connection with these arrangements, the underwriters or agents may also sell securities covered by this prospectus to hedge their positions in these outstanding securities, including in short sale transactions. If so, the underwriters or agents may use the securities received from us under these arrangements to close out any related open borrowings of securities.
We may enter into derivative transactions with third parties or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with those derivatives, such third parties (or affiliates of such third parties) may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, such third parties (or affiliates of such third parties) may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of shares, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of shares. The third parties (or affiliates of such third parties) in such sale transactions will be underwriters and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment).
We may loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities using this prospectus. Such financial institution or third party may transfer its short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a simultaneous offering of other securities offered by this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or in connection with a simultaneous offering of other securities offered by this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.
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The material U.S. federal and Israeli income tax consequences, if any, relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our securities offered by this prospectus will be set forth in the prospectus supplement pertaining to the offering of such securities.
23
Certain legal matters with respect to Israeli law and with respect to the validity of the offered securities under Israeli law will be passed upon for us by Gross & Co. Certain legal matters with respect to U.S. law will be passed upon for us by Covington & Burling LLP, New York, New York
The financial statements of NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd. as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2021, have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the report of Somekh Chaikin, a member firm of KPMG International, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form F-3 we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act, with respect to the securities offered by this prospectus. However, as is permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC, this prospectus, which is part of our registration statement on Form F-3, omits certain non-material information, exhibits, schedules and undertakings set forth in the registration statement. For further information about us, and the securities offered by this prospectus, please refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as a part of the registration statement. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act that are applicable to a foreign private issuer. In accordance with the Exchange Act, we file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F by April 30 of each year. We also furnish to the SEC under cover of Form 6-K material information required to be made public in Israel, filed with and made public by any stock exchange or distributed by us to our shareholders.
The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, such as us, that file electronically with the SEC (http://www.sec.gov).
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements to shareholders and our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the “short-swing profits” reporting and liability provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related Exchange Act rules.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
We file annual and special reports and other information with the SEC (File Number 001-41084). These filings contain important information which does not appear in this prospectus. The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to other documents which we have filed or will file with the SEC. We are incorporating by reference in this prospectus the documents listed below and all amendments or supplements we may file to such documents, as well as any future filings we may make with the SEC on Form 20-F under the Exchange Act before the time that all of the securities offered by this prospectus have been sold or de-registered:
| ● | our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on April 14, 2022; |
| ● | our reports on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on May 31, 2022, June 27, 2022, June 30, 2022, July 13, 2022, September 20, 2022, September 28, 2022 and December 1, 2022 and our report on Form 6-K/A furnished to the SEC on January 19, 2023 (with respect to Exhibit 99.1, only the text under the headings “Business Update” (first two paragraphs), “Financial Summary”, “Forward-Looking Statements” and financial tables); and |
| ● | the description of our ordinary shares contained under the heading “Item 1. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered” in our registration statement on Form 8-A, as filed with the SEC on November 18, 2021, including any subsequent amendment or any report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
In addition, any reports on Form 6-K submitted to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement that we specifically identify in such forms as being incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and all subsequent annual reports on Form 20-F filed after the effective date of this registration statement and prior to the termination of this offering, shall be considered to be incorporated into this prospectus by reference and shall be considered a part of this prospectus from the date of filing or submission of such documents.
Certain statements in and portions of this prospectus update and replace information in the above listed documents incorporated by reference. Likewise, statements in or portions of a future document incorporated by reference in this prospectus may update and replace statements in and portions of this prospectus or the above listed documents.
We will provide each person, including any beneficial owner to whom a prospectus is delivered, without charge, upon a written or oral request, a copy of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, other than exhibits to such documents which are not specifically incorporated by reference into such documents. Please direct your written or telephone requests to NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd., 11 HaMenofim Street, Building B, Herzliya, 4672562, Israel, Attn: Or Eisenberg, telephone number +972587531153. You may also obtain information about us by visiting our website at www.neurosense-tx.com. Information contained in our website is not part of this prospectus.
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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are incorporated under the laws of the State of Israel. Service of process upon us and upon our directors and officers and the Israeli experts named in this prospectus, substantially all of whom reside outside the United States, may be difficult to obtain within the United States. Furthermore, because substantially all of our assets and substantially all of our directors and officers are located outside the United States, any judgment obtained in the United States against us or any of our directors and officers may not be collectible within the United States.
We have irrevocably appointed Cogency Global Inc. as our agent to receive service of process in any action against us in any U.S. federal or state court arising out of this offering or any purchase or sale of securities in connection with this offering. The address of our agent is 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 210, New York, New York 10036.
We have been informed by our legal counsel in Israel, Gross & Co., that it may be difficult to initiate an action with respect to U.S. securities law in Israel. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on an alleged violation of U.S. securities laws reasoning that Israel is not the most appropriate forum to hear such a claim. In addition, even if an Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that Israeli law and not U.S. law is applicable to the claim. If U.S. law is found to be applicable, the content of applicable U.S. law must be proved as a fact by expert witnesses which can be a time-consuming and costly process. Certain matters of procedure may also be governed by Israeli law.
Subject to certain time limitations and legal procedures, Israeli courts may enforce a U.S. judgment in a civil matter which, subject to certain exceptions, is non-appealable, including judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and including a monetary or compensatory judgment in a non-civil matter, provided that:
| ● | the judgment was rendered by a court which was, according to the laws of the state of the court, competent to render the judgment; |
| ● | the obligation imposed by the judgment is enforceable according to the rules relating to the enforceability of judgments in Israel and the substance of the judgment is not contrary to public policy; and |
| ● | the judgment is executory in the state in which it was given. |
Even if these conditions are met, an Israeli court will not declare a foreign civil judgment enforceable if:
| ● | the judgment was given in a state whose laws do not provide for the enforcement of judgments of Israeli courts (subject to exceptional cases); |
| ● | the enforcement of the judgment is likely to prejudice the sovereignty or security of the State of Israel; |
| ● | the judgment was obtained by fraud; |
| ● | the opportunity given to the defendant to bring its arguments and evidence before the court was not reasonable in the opinion of the Israeli court; |
| ● | the judgment was rendered by a court not competent to render it according to the laws of private international law as they apply in Israel; |
| ● | the judgment is contradictory to another judgment that was given in the same matter between the same parties and that is still valid; or |
| ● | at the time the action was brought in the foreign court, a lawsuit in the same matter and between the same parties was pending before a court or tribunal in Israel. |
If a foreign judgment is enforced by an Israeli court, it generally will be payable in Israeli currency, which can then be converted into non-Israeli currency and transferred out of Israel. The usual practice in an action before an Israeli court to recover an amount in a non-Israeli currency is for the Israeli court to issue a judgment for the equivalent amount in Israeli currency at the rate of exchange in force on the date of the judgment, but the judgment debtor may make payment in foreign currency. Pending collection, the amount of the judgment of an Israeli court stated in Israeli currency ordinarily will be linked to the Israeli consumer price index plus interest at the annual statutory rate set by Israeli regulations prevailing at the time. Judgment creditors must bear the risk of unfavorable exchange rates.
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EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE REGISTRATION
The following is a statement of expenses in connection with the distribution of the securities registered. All amounts shown are estimates except the SEC registration fee. The estimates do not include expenses related to offerings of particular securities. Each prospectus supplement describing an offering of securities will reflect the estimated expenses related to the offering of securities under that prospectus supplement.
| SEC registration fee | $ | 11,020 | ||
| FINRA filing fee | 15,500 | |||
| Legal fees and expenses | * | |||
| Accountants’ fees and expenses | 10,000 | |||
| Trustee fees and expenses | * | |||
| Miscellaneous | * | |||
| Total | $ | * |
| * | The calculation of these fees and expenses is dependent on the number of issuances and amount and types of securities offered and, accordingly, cannot be estimated at this time. |
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 8. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Under the Companies Law, a company may not exculpate an office holder from liability for a breach of the duty of loyalty. An Israeli company may exculpate an office holder in advance from liability to the company, in whole or in part, for damages caused to the company as a result of a breach of duty of care but only if a provision authorizing such exculpation is included in its articles of association. Our amended and restated articles of association include such a provision. A company may not exculpate in advance a director from liability arising from a breach of his or her duty of care in connection with a prohibited dividend or distribution to shareholders.
As permitted under the Companies Law, our amended and restated articles of association provide that we may indemnify an office holder in respect of the following liabilities, payments and expenses incurred for acts performed by him or her as an office holder, either in advance of an event or following an event:
| ● | As permitted under the Companies Law, our amended and restated articles of association provide that we may indemnify an office holder in respect of the following liabilities, payments and expenses incurred for acts performed by him or her as an office holder, either in advance of an event or following an event: |
| ● | reasonable litigation expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, which were incurred by the office holder as a result of an investigation or proceeding filed against the office holder by an authority authorized to conduct such investigation or proceeding, provided that such investigation or proceeding was either (i) concluded without the filing of an indictment against such office holder and without the imposition on him of any monetary obligation in lieu of a criminal proceeding, (ii) concluded without the filing of an indictment against the office holder but with the imposition of a monetary obligation on the office holder in lieu of criminal proceedings for an offense that does not require proof of criminal intent or (iii) in connection with a monetary sanction; |
| ● | reasonable litigation expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by the office holder or which were imposed on the office holder by a court (i) in a proceeding instituted against him or her by the company, on its behalf, or by a third party, (ii) in connection with criminal indictment of which the office holder was acquitted or (iii) in a criminal indictment for which the office holder was convicted of an offense that does not require proof of criminal intent; |
| ● | expenses he or she incurs as a result of administrative proceedings that may be instituted against him or her under Israeli securities laws, if applicable, and payments made to injured persons under specific circumstances thereunder; and |
| ● | any other matter in respect of which it is permitted or will be permitted under applicable law to indemnify an office holder in the company. As permitted under the Companies Law, our amended and restated articles of association provide that we may insure an office holder against the following liabilities incurred for acts performed by him or her as an office holder:. |
| ● | a breach of the duty of loyalty to the company, provided that the office holder acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not harm the company; |
| ● | a breach of duty of care to the company or to another person, to the extent such a breach arises out of the negligent conduct of the office holder; |
| ● | a monetary liability imposed on the office holder in favor of a third party; |
| ● | expenses he or she incurs as a result of administrative proceedings that may be instituted against him or her under the Israeli securities laws if applicable, and payments made to injured persons under specific circumstances thereunder; and |
| ● | any other matter in respect of which it is permitted or will be permitted under applicable law to insure the liability of an office holder in the company. |
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Under the Companies Law, a company may not indemnify, exculpate or insure an office holder against any of the following:
| ● | a breach of the duty of loyalty, except for indemnification and insurance for a breach of the duty of loyalty to the company to the extent that the office holder acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not prejudice the company; |
| ● | a breach of duty of care committed intentionally or recklessly, excluding a breach arising out of the negligent conduct of the office holder; |
| ● | an act or omission committed with intent to derive illegal personal benefit; or |
| ● | a fine or forfeit levied against the office holder. |
Under the Companies Law, exculpation, indemnification and insurance of office holders must be approved by the compensation committee and the board of directors and, with respect to directors or controlling shareholders, their relatives and third parties in which controlling shareholders have a personal interest, also by the shareholders.
Our amended and restated articles of association permit us to exculpate, indemnify and insure our office holders to the fullest extent permitted or to be permitted by law. Our office holders are currently covered by a directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy. As of the date of this prospectus, no claims for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance have been filed under this policy and we are not aware of any pending or threatened litigation or proceeding involving any of our office holders, including our directors, in which indemnification is sought.
We intend to enter into agreements with each of our current office holders exculpating them from a breach of their duty of care to us to the fullest extent permitted by law, subject to limited exceptions, and undertaking to indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by law, including, with respect to liabilities resulting from this offering, to the extent that these liabilities are not covered by insurance. This indemnification is limited, with respect to any monetary liability imposed in favor of a third party, to events determined as foreseeable by the board of directors based on our activities. The maximum aggregate amount of indemnification that we may pay to our office holders based on such indemnification agreement is the greater of (i) an amount equal to 25% of our shareholders’ equity on a consolidated basis, based on our most recent financial statements made publicly available before the date on which the indemnity payment is made, and (ii) $25 million. Such indemnification amounts are in addition to any insurance amounts. These indemnification agreements will supersede all previous letters of indemnification that we have provided to him or her in the past, if any. However, in the opinion of the SEC, indemnification of office holders for liabilities arising under the Securities Act is against public policy and therefore unenforceable.
Item 9. Exhibits
| * | To be filed, if applicable, by amendment, or as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K and incorporated herein by reference. |
| ** | To be filed, if applicable, in accordance with the requirements of Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. |
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Item 10. Undertakings
(1) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(a) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
| (i) | to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Act; |
| (ii) | to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and |
| (iii) | to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement; |
provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the Registration Statement.
(b) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(d) to file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A. of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Act need not be furnished, provided that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to registration statements on Form F-3, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Act or Item 8.A. of Form 20-F if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the Form F-3.
(e) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
| (i) | each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be a part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
| (ii) | each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date. |
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(f) that, for the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
| (i) | any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
| (ii) | any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant; |
| (iii) | the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| (iv) | any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
(2) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to supplement the prospectus, after the expiration of the subscription period, to set forth the results of the subscription offer, the transactions by the underwriters during the subscription period, the amount of unsubscribed securities to be purchased by the underwriters, and the terms of any subsequent reoffering thereof. If any public offering by the underwriters is to be made on terms differing from those set forth on the cover page of the prospectus, a post-effective amendment will be filed to set forth the terms of such offering.
(4) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions referred to in Item 8, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(5) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(6) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(7) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Trust Indenture Act”), in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it complies with all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Tel Aviv, Israel on January 19, 2023.
| NEUROSENSE THERAPEUTICS LTD. | ||
| By: | /s/ Or Eisenberg | |
| Name: | Or Eisenberg | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, each director and officer whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints, Mr. Alon Ben-Noon and Mr. Or Eisenberg, and each of them, individually, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and re-substitution, to sign in any and all capacities any and all amendments or post-effective amendments to this registration statement on Form F-3, and to sign any and all additional registration statements relating to the same offering of securities of the Registration Statement that are filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act, and to file the same with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting such attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do all such other acts and execute all such other documents as he may deem necessary or desirable in connection with the foregoing, as fully as the undersigned may or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact and agent may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons on the dates and in the capacities indicated.
| Signature | Title | |||
| /s/ Mark Leuchtenberger | Chairman of the Board of Directors | January 19, 2023 | ||
| Mark Leuchtenberger | ||||
| /s/ Alon Ben-Noon | Chief Executive Officer and Director | January 19, 2023 | ||
| Alon Ben-Noon | (Principal Executive Officer and Director) |
|||
| /s/ Or Eisenberg | Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer | January 19, 2023 | ||
| Or Eisenberg | and Principal Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Caren Deardorf | Director | January 19, 2023 | ||
| Caren Deardorf | ||||
| /s/ Revital Mandil-Levin | Director | January 19, 2023 | ||
| Revital Mandil-Levin | ||||
| /s/ Cary Claiborne | External Director | January 19, 2023 | ||
| Cary Claiborne | ||||
| /s/ Christine Pellizzari | External Director | January 19, 2023 | ||
| Christine Pellizzari |
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Signature of authorized representative in the United States
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant’s duly authorized representative has signed this Registration Statement on Form F-3 on this 19th day of January, 2023.
| By: | /s/ Colleen A. De Vries | |
| Name: | Colleen A. De Vries | |
| Title: | Sr. Vice-President, Authorized U.S. Representative – Cogency Global |
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Exhibit 4.1
NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd.,
Issuer
AND
[TRUSTEE],
Trustee
INDENTURE
Dated as of [●], 20[●]
Debt Securities
Table Of Contents
| Page | |||
| Article 1 DEFINITIONS | 1 | ||
| Section 1.01 | Definitions of Terms. | 1 | |
| Article 2 ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES | 5 | ||
| Section 2.01 | Designation and Terms of Securities. | 5 | |
| Section 2.02 | Form of Securities and Trustee’s Certificate. | 8 | |
| Section 2.03 | Denominations: Provisions for Payment. | 8 | |
| Section 2.04 | Execution and Authentications. | 10 | |
| Section 2.05 | Registration of Transfer and Exchange. | 10 | |
| Section 2.06 | Temporary Securities. | 12 | |
| Section 2.07 | Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities. | 12 | |
| Section 2.08 | Cancellation. | 13 | |
| Section 2.09 | Benefits of Indenture. | 13 | |
| Section 2.10 | Authenticating Agent. | 13 | |
| Section 2.11 | Global Securities. | 14 | |
| Section 2.12 | CUSIP Numbers. | 15 | |
| Article 3 REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS | 15 | ||
| Section 3.01 | Redemption. | 15 | |
| Section 3.02 | Notice of Redemption. | 15 | |
| Section 3.03 | Payment Upon Redemption. | 16 | |
| Section 3.04 | Sinking Fund. | 17 | |
| Section 3.05 | Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities. | 17 | |
| Section 3.06 | Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund. | 17 | |
| Article 4 COVENANTS | 18 | ||
| Section 4.01 | Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest. | 18 | |
| Section 4.02 | Maintenance of Office or Agency. | 18 | |
| Section 4.03 | Paying Agents. | 19 | |
| Section 4.04 | Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of Trustee. | 20 | |
| Article 5 SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE | 20 | ||
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| Section 5.01 | Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Securityholders. | 20 | |
| Section 5.02 | Preservation Of Information; Communications With Securityholders. | 20 | |
| Section 5.03 | Reports by the Company. | 21 | |
| Section 5.04 | Reports by the Trustee. | 21 | |
| Article 6 REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS ON EVENT OF DEFAULT | 22 | ||
| Section 6.01 | Events of Default. | 22 | |
| Section 6.02 | Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee. | 23 | |
| Section 6.03 | Application of Moneys Collected. | 25 | |
| Section 6.04 | Limitation on Suits. | 25 | |
| Section 6.05 | Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver. | 26 | |
| Section 6.06 | Control by Securityholders. | 26 | |
| Section 6.07 | Undertaking to Pay Costs. | 26 | |
| Article 7 CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE | 27 | ||
| Section 7.01 | Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee. | 27 | |
| Section 7.02 | Certain Rights of Trustee. | 28 | |
| Section 7.03 | Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance or Securities. | 29 | |
| Section 7.04 | May Hold Securities. | 30 | |
| Section 7.05 | Moneys Held in Trust. | 30 | |
| Section 7.06 | Compensation and Reimbursement. | 30 | |
| Section 7.07 | Reliance on Officer’s Certificate. | 31 | |
| Section 7.08 | Disqualification; Conflicting Interests. | 31 | |
| Section 7.09 | Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility. | 31 | |
| Section 7.10 | Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor. | 31 | |
| Section 7.11 | Acceptance of Appointment By Successor. | 32 | |
| Section 7.12 | Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business. | 33 | |
| Section 7.13 | Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company. | 34 | |
| Section 7.14 | Notice of Default. | 34 | |
| Article 8 CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS | 34 | ||
| Section 8.01 | Evidence of Action by Securityholders. | 34 | |
| Section 8.02 | Proof of Execution by Securityholders. | 35 | |
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| Section 8.03 | Who May be Deemed Owners. | 35 | |
| Section 8.04 | Certain Securities Owned by Company Disregarded. | 35 | |
| Section 8.05 | Actions Binding on Future Securityholders. | 35 | |
| Article 9 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES | 36 | ||
| Section 9.01 | Supplemental Indentures Without the Consent of Securityholders. | 36 | |
| Section 9.02 | Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders. | 37 | |
| Section 9.03 | Effect of Supplemental Indentures. | 37 | |
| Section 9.04 | Securities Affected by Supplemental Indentures. | 37 | |
| Section 9.05 | Execution of Supplemental Indentures. | 37 | |
| Article 10 SUCCESSOR ENTITY | 38 | ||
| Section 10.01 | Company May Consolidate, Etc. | 38 | |
| Section 10.02 | Successor Entity Substituted. | 38 | |
| Article 11 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE | 39 | ||
| Section 11.01 | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. | 39 | |
| Section 11.02 | Discharge of Obligations. | 39 | |
| Section 11.03 | Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust. | 39 | |
| Section 11.04 | Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents. | 40 | |
| Section 11.05 | Repayment to Company. | 40 | |
| Article 12 IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS | 40 | ||
| Section 12.01 | No Recourse. | 40 | |
| Article 13 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS | 40 | ||
| Section 13.0 | Effect on Successors and Assigns. | 40 | |
| Section 13.02 | Actions by Successor. | 40 | |
| Section 13.03 | Surrender of Company Powers. | 41 | |
| Section 13.04 | Notices. | 41 | |
| Section 13.05 | Governing Law; Jury Trial Waiver. | 41 | |
| Section 13.06 | Treatment of Securities as Debt. | 41 | |
| Section 13.07 | Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent. | 41 | |
| Section 13.08 | Payments on Business Days. | 41 | |
| Section 13.09 | Conflict with Trust Indenture Act. | 42 | |
| Section 13.10 | Counterparts. | 42 | |
| Section 13.11 | Separability. | 42 | |
| Section 13.12 | Compliance Certificates. | 42 | |
| Section 13.13 | U.S.A Patriot Act. | 42 | |
| Section 13.14 | Force Majeure. | 42 | |
| Section 13.15 | Table of Contents; Headings. | 42 | |
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INDENTURE
Indenture, dated as of [●], 20[●], among NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of Israel (the “Company”), and [Trustee], as trustee (the “Trustee”):
Whereas, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance of debt securities (hereinafter referred to as the “Securities”), in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued from time to time in one or more series as in this Indenture provided, as registered Securities without coupons, to be authenticated by the certificate of the Trustee;
Whereas, to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the execution of this Indenture; and
Whereas, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
Now, Therefore, in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed as follows for the equal and ratable benefit of the holders of Securities:
Article
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DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01 Definitions of Terms.
The terms defined in this Section (except as in this Indenture or any indenture supplemental hereto otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section and shall include the plural as well as the singular. All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined in the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or that are by reference in such Act defined in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (except as herein or any indenture supplemental hereto otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires), shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in said Trust Indenture Act and in said Securities Act as in force at the date of the execution of this instrument.
“Authenticating Agent” means the Trustee or an authenticating agent with respect to all or any of the series of Securities appointed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.10.
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors (or the functional equivalent thereof) of the Company or any duly authorized committee of such Board.
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“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors (or duly authorized committee thereof) and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification.
“Business Day” means, with respect to any series of Securities, any day other than a day on which federal or state banking institutions in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, or in the city of the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, are authorized or obligated by law, executive order or regulation to close.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
“Company” means NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of Israel, and, subject to the provisions of Article Ten, shall also include its successors and assigns.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at .
“Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.03.
“Depositary” means, with respect to Securities of any series for which the Company shall determine that such Securities will be issued as a Global Security, The Depository Trust Company, another clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case, shall be designated by the Company pursuant to either Section 2.01 or 2.11.
“Event of Default” means, with respect to Securities of a particular series, any event specified in Section 6.01, continued for the period of time, if any, therein designated.
“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder.
The term “given”, “mailed”, “notify” or “sent” with respect to any notice to be given to a Securityholder pursuant to this Indenture, shall mean notice (x) given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the standing instructions from the Depositary or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with accepted practices or procedures at the Depositary (in the case of a Global Security) or (y) mailed to such Holder by first class mail, postage prepaid, at its address as it appears on the Security Register (in the case of a definitive Security). Notice so “given” shall be deemed to include any notice to be “mailed” or “delivered,” as applicable, under this Indenture.
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“Global Security” means a Security issued to evidence all or a part of any series of Securities which is executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, all in accordance with the Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee.
“Governmental Obligations” means securities that are (a) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America that, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof at any time prior to the stated maturity of the Securities, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such Governmental Obligation or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such Governmental Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt; provided, however, that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Governmental Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the Governmental Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.
“herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and other words of similar import, refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into in accordance with the terms hereof and shall include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 2.01.
“Interest Payment Date”, when used with respect to any installment of interest on a Security of a particular series, means the date specified in such Security or in a Board Resolution or in an indenture supplemental hereto with respect to such series as the fixed date on which an installment of interest with respect to Securities of that series is due and payable.
“Officer” means, with respect to the Company, the chairman of the Board of Directors, a chief executive officer, a president, a chief financial officer, a chief operating officer, any executive vice president, any senior vice president, any vice president, the treasurer or any assistant treasurer, the controller or any assistant controller or the secretary or any assistant secretary.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by any Officer. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 13.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.
“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion in writing subject to customary exceptions of legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel for the Company, that is delivered to the Trustee in accordance with the terms hereof. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 13.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.
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“Outstanding”, when used with reference to Securities of any series, means, subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, as of any particular time, all Securities of that series theretofore authenticated and delivered by the Trustee under this Indenture, except (a) Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or any paying agent, or delivered to the Trustee or any paying agent for cancellation or that have previously been canceled; (b) Securities or portions thereof for the payment or redemption of which moneys or Governmental Obligations in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any paying agent (other than the Company) or shall have been set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own paying agent); provided, however, that if such Securities or portions of such Securities are to be redeemed prior to the maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall have been given as provided in Article Three, or provision satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been made for giving such notice; and (c) Securities in lieu of or in substitution for which other Securities shall have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.07.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, joint-stock company, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization, any other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.
“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 2.07 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.
“Responsible Officer” when used with respect to the Trustee means any officer within the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee (or any successor group of the Trustee) or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and in each case who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
“Securities” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Securityholder”, “holder of Securities”, “registered holder”, or other similar term, means the Person or Persons in whose name or names a particular Security is registered on the Security Register kept for that purpose in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.
“Security Register” and ”Security Registrar” shall have the meanings as set forth in Section 2.05.
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“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, association, partnership or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of capital stock or other interests (including partnership interests) entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, general partners or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by (i) such Person; (ii) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person; or (iii) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.
“Trustee” means , and, subject to the provisions of Article Seven, shall also include its successors and assigns, and, if at any time there is more than one Person acting in such capacity hereunder, “Trustee” shall mean each such Person. The term “Trustee” as used with respect to a particular series of the Securities shall mean the trustee with respect to that series.
“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
“U.S.A. Patriot Act” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-56, as amended and signed into law October 26, 2001.
Article 2
ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES
Section 2.01 Designation and Terms of Securities.
(a) The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series up to the aggregate principal amount of Securities of that series from time to time authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or pursuant to one or more indentures supplemental hereto. Prior to the initial issuance of Securities of any series, there shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto:
(1) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that series from all other Securities);
(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of that series);
(3) the maturity date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable;
(4) the form of the Securities of the series including the form of the certificate of authentication for such series;
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(5) the applicability of any guarantees;
(6) whether or not the Securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt;
(7) whether the Securities rank as senior debt, senior subordinated debt, subordinated debt or any combination thereof, and the terms of any subordination;
(8) if the price (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which such Securities will be issued is a price other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof, or if applicable, the portion of the principal amount of such Securities that is convertible into another security or the method by which any such portion shall be determined;
(9) the interest rate or rates, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates;
(10) the Company’s right, if any, to defer the payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period;
(11) if applicable, the date or dates after which, or the period or periods during which, and the price or prices at which, the Company may at its option, redeem the series of Securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions;
(12) the date or dates, if any, on which, and the price or prices at which the Company is obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the Securityholder’s option to purchase, the series of Securities and the currency or currency unit in which the Securities are payable;
(13) the denominations in which the Securities of the series shall be issuable, if other than denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof;
(14) any and all terms, if applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the Securities of that series and any security for the obligations of the Company with respect to such Securities and any other terms which may be advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that series;
(15) whether the Securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a Global Security or Securities; the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such Global Security or Securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual Securities; and the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities;
(16) if applicable, the provisions relating to conversion or exchange of any Securities of the series and the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at the Company’s option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, the applicable conversion or exchange period and the manner of settlement for any conversion or exchange, which may, without limitation, include the payment of cash as well as the delivery of securities;
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(17) if other than the full principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.01;
(18) additions to or changes in the covenants applicable to the series of Securities being issued, including, among others, the consolidation, merger or sale covenant;
(19) additions to or changes in the Events of Default with respect to the Securities and any change in the right of the Trustee or the Securityholders to declare the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, with respect to such Securities to be due and payable;
(20) additions to or changes in or deletions of the provisions relating to covenant defeasance and legal defeasance;
(21) additions to or changes in the provisions relating to satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture;
(22) additions to or changes in the provisions relating to the modification of this Indenture both with and without the consent of Securityholders of Securities issued under this Indenture;
(23) the currency of payment of Securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars;
(24) whether interest will be payable in cash or additional Securities at the Company’s or the Securityholders’ option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made;
(25) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the Company shall pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the Securities of the series to any Securityholder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes;
(26) any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the Securities of the series; and
(27) any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the Securities, any other additions or changes in the provisions of this Indenture, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations.
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to any such Board Resolution or in any indentures supplemental hereto.
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If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution of the Company, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officer’s Certificate of the Company setting forth the terms of the series.
Securities of any particular series may be issued at various times, with different dates on which the principal or any installment of principal is payable, with different rates of interest, if any, or different methods by which rates of interest may be determined, with different dates on which such interest may be payable and with different redemption dates.
Section 2.02 Form of Securities and Trustee’s Certificate.
The Securities of any series and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by such Securities shall be substantially of the tenor and purport as set forth in one or more indentures supplemental hereto or as provided in a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, and they may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements printed, lithographed or engraved thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange on which Securities of that series may be listed, or to conform to usage.
Section 2.03 Denominations: Provisions for Payment.
The Securities shall be issuable as registered Securities and in the denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof, subject to Section 2.01(a)(13). The Securities of a particular series shall bear interest payable on the dates and at the rate specified with respect to that series. Subject to Section 2.01(a)(23), the principal of and the interest on the Securities of any series, as well as any premium thereon in case of redemption or repurchase thereof prior to maturity, and any cash amount due upon conversion or exchange thereof, shall be payable in the coin or currency of the United States of America that at the time is legal tender for public and private debt, at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. Interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months.
The interest installment on any Security that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of that series shall be paid to the Person in whose name said Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest installment. In the event that any Security of a particular series or portion thereof is called for redemption and the redemption date is subsequent to a regular record date with respect to any Interest Payment Date and prior to such Interest Payment Date, interest on such Security will be paid upon presentation and surrender of such Security as provided in Section 3.03.
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Any interest on any Security that is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of the same series (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date by virtue of having been such holder; and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at its election, as provided in clause (1) or clause (2) below:
(1) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered in the Security Register at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each such Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall not be more than 15 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such special record date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor to be sent, to each Securityholder not less than 10 days prior to such special record date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor having been sent as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered in the Security Register on such special record date.
(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on any Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Unless otherwise set forth in a Board Resolution or one or more indentures supplemental hereto establishing the terms of any series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the term “regular record date” as used in this Section with respect to a series of Securities and any Interest Payment Date for such series shall mean either the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the first day of a month, or the first day of the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the fifteenth day of a month, whether or not such date is a Business Day.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security of a series delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security of such series shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, that were carried by such other Security.
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Section 2.04 Execution and Authentications.
The Securities shall be signed on behalf of the Company by one of its Officers. Signatures may be in the form of a manual or facsimile signature.
The Company may use the facsimile signature of any Person who shall have been an Officer (at the time of execution), notwithstanding the fact that at the time the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered or disposed of such Person shall have ceased to be such an officer of the Company. The Securities may contain such notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication by the Trustee.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated manually by an authorized signatory of the Trustee, or by an Authenticating Agent. Such signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, signed by an Officer, and the Trustee in accordance with such written order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.
Upon the Company’s delivery of any such authentication order to the Trustee at any time after the initial issuance of Securities under this Indenture, the Trustee shall be provided with, and (subject to Sections 315(a) through 315(d) of the Trust Indenture Act) shall be fully protected in relying upon, (1) an Opinion of Counsel or reliance letter and (2) an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent to the execution, authentication and delivery of such Securities are in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture.
The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s
own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner that is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Section 2.05 Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
(a) Securities of any series may be exchanged upon presentation thereof at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose, for other Securities of such series of authorized denominations, and for a like aggregate principal amount, upon payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, all as provided in this Section. In respect of any Securities so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange therefor the Security or Securities of the same series that the Securityholder making the exchange shall be entitled to receive, bearing numbers not contemporaneously outstanding.
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(b) The Company shall keep, or cause to be kept, at its office or agency designated for such purpose a register or registers (herein referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall register the Securities and the transfers of Securities as in this Article provided and which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the Trustee. The registrar for the purpose of registering Securities and transfer of Securities as herein provided shall be appointed as authorized by Board Resolution or Supplemental Indenture (the “Security Registrar”).
Upon surrender for transfer of any Security at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in the name of the transferee or transferees a new Security or Securities of the same series as the Security presented for a like aggregate principal amount.
The Company initially appoints the Trustee as initial Security Registrar for each series of Securities
All Securities presented or surrendered for exchange or registration of transfer, as provided in this Section, shall be accompanied (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) by a written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company or the Security Registrar, duly executed by the registered holder or by such holder’s duly authorized attorney in writing.
(c) Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, no service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Securities, or issue of new Securities in case of partial redemption of any series or repurchase, conversion or exchange of less than the entire principal amount of a Security, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 2.06, Section 3.03(b) and Section 9.04 not involving any transfer.
(d) The Company and the Security Registrar shall not be required (i) to issue, exchange or register the transfer of any Securities during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the sending of a notice of redemption of less than all the Outstanding Securities of the same series and ending at the close of business on the day of such sending, nor (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of any series or portions thereof called for redemption or surrendered for repurchase, but not validly withdrawn, other than the unredeemed portion of any such Securities being redeemed in part or not surrendered for repurchase, as the case may be. The provisions of this Section 2.05 are, with respect to any Global Security, subject to Section 2.11 hereof.
The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Security (including any transfers between or among Depositary participants or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Security) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.
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Section 2.06 Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities (printed, lithographed or typewritten) of any authorized denomination. Such temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, but with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for temporary Securities, all as may be determined by the Company. Every temporary Security of any series shall be executed by the Company and be authenticated by the Trustee upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with like effect, as the definitive Securities of such series. Without unnecessary delay the Company will execute and will furnish definitive Securities of such series and thereupon any or all temporary Securities of such series may be surrendered in exchange therefor (without charge to the Securityholders), at the office or agency of the Company designated for the purpose, and the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange for such temporary Securities an equal aggregate principal amount of definitive Securities of such series, unless the Company advises the Trustee to the effect that definitive Securities need not be executed and furnished until further notice from the Company. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of such series shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series authenticated and delivered hereunder.
Section 2.07 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities.
In case any temporary or definitive Security shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company (subject to the next succeeding sentence) shall execute, and upon the Company’s request the Trustee (subject as aforesaid) shall authenticate and deliver, a new Security of the same series, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Security, or in lieu of and in substitution for the Security so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for a substituted Security shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also furnish to the Company and the Trustee evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of the applicant’s Security and of the ownership thereof. The Trustee may authenticate any such substituted Security and deliver the same upon the written request or authorization of any officer of the Company. Upon the issuance of any substituted Security, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
In case any Security that has matured or is about to mature shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute Security, pay or authorize the payment of the same (without surrender thereof except in the case of a mutilated Security) if the applicant for such payment shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as they may require to save them harmless, and, in case of destruction, loss or theft, evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee of the destruction, loss or theft of such Security and of the ownership thereof.
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Every replacement Security issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the Company whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be found at any time, or be enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of the same series duly issued hereunder. All Securities shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities, and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) any and all other rights or remedies, notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement or payment of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.
Section 2.08 Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for the purpose of payment, redemption, repurchase, exchange, registration of transfer or conversion shall, if surrendered to the Company or any paying agent (or any other applicable agent), be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, or, if surrendered to the Trustee, shall be cancelled by it, and no Securities shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly required or permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture. On request of the Company at the time of such surrender, the Trustee shall deliver to the Company canceled Securities held by the Trustee. In the absence of such request the Trustee may dispose of canceled Securities in accordance with its standard procedures and deliver a certificate of disposition to the Company. If the Company shall otherwise acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
Section 2.09 Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and the holders of the Securities any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Indenture, or under any covenant, condition or provision herein contained; all such covenants, conditions and provisions being for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and of the holders of the Securities.
Section 2.10 Authenticating Agent.
So long as any of the Securities of any series remain Outstanding there may be an Authenticating Agent for any or all such series of Securities which the Trustee shall have the right to appoint. Said Authenticating Agent shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon exchange, transfer or partial redemption, repurchase or conversion thereof, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. All references in this Indenture to the authentication of Securities by the Trustee shall be deemed to include authentication by an Authenticating Agent for such series. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall be a corporation that has a combined capital and surplus, as most recently reported or determined by it, sufficient under the laws of any jurisdiction under which it is organized or in which it is doing business to conduct a trust business, and that is otherwise authorized under such laws to conduct such business and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities. If at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with these provisions, it shall resign immediately.
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Any Authenticating Agent may at any time resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time (and upon request by the Company shall) terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon resignation, termination or cessation of eligibility of any Authenticating Agent, the Trustee may appoint an eligible successor Authenticating Agent acceptable to the Company. Any successor Authenticating Agent, upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder, shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent pursuant hereto.
Section 2.11 Global Securities.
(a) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.01 that the Securities of a particular series are to be issued as a Global Security, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section 2.04, authenticate and deliver, a Global Security that (i) shall represent, and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of, all of the Outstanding Securities of such series, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction (or if the Depositary names the Trustee as its custodian, retained by the Trustee), and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect: “Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11 of the Indenture, this Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.”
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.05, the Global Security of a series may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the manner provided in Section 2.05, only to another nominee of the Depositary for such series, or to a successor Depositary for such series selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.
(c) If at any time the Depositary for a series of the Securities notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such series or if at any time the Depositary for such series shall no longer be registered or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, and a successor Depositary for such series is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be, or if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Company has received a request from the Depositary or from the Trustee, this Section 2.11 shall no longer be applicable to the Securities of such series and the Company will execute, and subject to Section 2.04, the Trustee will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. In addition, the Company may at any time determine that the Securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a Global Security and that the provisions of this Section 2.11 shall no longer apply to the Securities of such series. In such event the Company will execute and, subject to Section 2.04, the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officer’s Certificate evidencing such determination by the Company, will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange of the Global Security for such Securities in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, the Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Such Securities in definitive registered form issued in exchange for the Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the Depositary for delivery to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.
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Section 2.12 CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the “CUSIP” numbers.
Article 3
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS
Section 3.01 Redemption.
The Company may redeem the Securities of any series issued hereunder on and after the dates and in accordance with the terms established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.
Section 3.02 Notice of Redemption.
(a) In case the Company shall desire to exercise such right to redeem all or, as the case may be, a portion of the Securities of any series in accordance with any right the Company reserved for itself to do so pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the Company shall, or shall cause the Trustee to, give notice of such redemption to holders of the Securities of such series to be redeemed by mailing, first class postage prepaid (or with regard to any Global Security held in book entry form, by electronic mail in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary), a notice of such redemption not less than 30 days and not more than 90 days before the date fixed for redemption of that series to such Securityholders, unless a shorter period is specified in the Securities to be redeemed. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the registered holder receives the notice. In any case, failure duly to give such notice to the holder of any Security of any series designated for redemption in whole or in part, or any defect in the notice, shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Securities of such series or any other series. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate evidencing compliance with any such restriction.
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Each such notice of redemption shall identify the Securities to be redeemed (including CUSIP numbers, if any), specify the date fixed for redemption and the redemption price at which Securities of that series are to be redeemed, and shall state that payment of the redemption price of such Securities to be redeemed will be made at the office or agency of the Company, upon presentation and surrender of such Securities, that interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption will be paid as specified in said notice, that from and after said date interest will cease to accrue and that the redemption is from a sinking fund, if such is the case. If less than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the notice to the holders of Securities of that series to be redeemed in part shall specify the particular Securities to be so redeemed.
In case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice that relates to such Security shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed, and shall state that on and after the redemption date, upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities of such series in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued.
(b) If less than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the Company shall give the Trustee at least 45 days’ notice (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) in advance of the date fixed for redemption as to the aggregate principal amount of Securities of the series to be redeemed, and thereupon the Securities to be redeemed shall be selected, by lot, on a pro rata basis, or in such other manner as the Company shall deem appropriate and fair in its discretion and that may provide for the selection of a portion or portions (equal to one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of such Securities of a denomination larger than $1,000, the Securities to be redeemed and shall thereafter promptly notify the Company in writing of the numbers of the Securities to be redeemed, in whole or in part. The Company may, if and whenever it shall so elect, by delivery of instructions signed on its behalf by an Officer, instruct the Trustee or any paying agent to call all or any part of the Securities of a particular series for redemption and to give notice of redemption in the manner set forth in this Section, such notice to be in the name of the Company or its own name as the Trustee or such paying agent may deem advisable. In any case in which notice of redemption is to be given by the Trustee or any such paying agent, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to, or permit to remain with, the Trustee or such paying agent, as the case may be, such Security Register, transfer books or other records, or suitable copies or extracts therefrom, sufficient to enable the Trustee or such paying agent to give any notice by mail that may be required under the provisions of this Section.
Section 3.03 Payment Upon Redemption.
(a) If the giving of notice of redemption shall have been completed as above provided, the Securities or portions of Securities of the series to be redeemed specified in such notice shall become due and payable on the date and at the place stated in such notice at the applicable redemption price, together with interest accrued to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption and interest on such Securities or portions of Securities shall cease to accrue on and after the date fixed for redemption, unless the Company shall default in the payment of such redemption price and accrued interest with respect to any such Security or portion thereof. On presentation and surrender of such Securities on or after the date fixed for redemption at the place of payment specified in the notice, said Securities shall be paid and redeemed at the applicable redemption price for such series, together with interest accrued thereon to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption (but if the date fixed for redemption is an Interest Payment Date, the interest installment payable on such date shall be payable to the registered holder at the close of business on the applicable record date pursuant to Section 2.03).
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(b) Upon presentation of any Security of such series that is to be redeemed in part only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and the office or agency where the Security is presented shall deliver to the Securityholder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security of the same series of authorized denominations in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Security so presented.
Section 3.04 Sinking Fund.
The provisions of Sections 3.04, 3.05 and 3.06 shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.01 for Securities of such series.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment,” and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment”. If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 3.05. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series.
Section 3.05 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (i) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series and (ii) may apply as a credit Securities of a series that have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such series, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the redemption price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 3.06 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 45 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of the series, the portion thereof, if any, that is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 3.05 and the basis for such credit and will, together with such Officer’s Certificate, deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date shall be selected in the manner specified in Section 3.02 and the Company Shall cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.02. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Section 3.03.
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Article 4
COVENANTS
Section 4.01 Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
The Company will duly and punctually pay or cause to be paid the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities of that series at the time and place and in the manner provided herein and established with respect to such Securities. Payments of principal on the Securities may be made at the time provided herein and established with respect to such Securities by U.S. dollar check drawn on and mailed to the address of the Securityholder entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, or U.S. dollar wire transfer to, a U.S. dollar account if such Securityholder shall have furnished wire instructions to the Trustee no later than 15 days prior to the relevant payment date. Payments of interest on the Securities may be made at the time provided herein and established with respect to such Securities by U.S. dollar check mailed to the address of the Securityholder entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, or U.S. dollar wire transfer to, a U.S. dollar account if such Securityholder shall have furnished wire instructions in writing to the Security Registrar and the Trustee no later than 15 days prior to the relevant payment date.
Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
So long as any series of the Securities remain Outstanding, the Company agrees to maintain an office or agency with respect to each such series and at such other location or locations as may be designated as provided in this Section 4.02, where (i) Securities of that series may be presented for payment, (ii) Securities of that series may be presented as herein above authorized for registration of transfer and exchange, and (iii) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be given or served, such designation to continue with respect to such office or agency until the Company shall, by written notice signed by any officer authorized to sign an Officer’s Certificate and delivered to the Trustee, designate some other office or agency for such purposes or any of them. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, notices and demands. The Company initially appoints the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as its paying agent with respect to the Securities.
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Section 4.03 Paying Agents.
(a) If the Company shall appoint one or more paying agents for all or any series of the Securities, other than the Trustee, the Company will cause each such paying agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section:
(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series (whether such sums have been paid to it by the Company or by any other obligor of such Securities) in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto;
(2) that it will give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company (or by any other obligor of such Securities) to make any payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series when the same shall be due and payable;
(3) that it will, at any time during the continuance of any failure referred to in the preceding paragraph (a)(2) above, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such paying agent; and
(4) that it will perform all other duties of paying agent as set forth in this Indenture.
(b) If the Company shall act as its own paying agent with respect to any series of the Securities, it will on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on Securities of that series, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay such principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due on Securities of that series until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of such action, or any failure (by it or any other obligor on such Securities) to take such action. Whenever the Company shall have one or more paying agents for any series of Securities, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with the paying agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such paying agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of this action or failure so to act.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, (i) the agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section is subject to the provisions of Section 11.05, and (ii) the Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or direct any paying agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such paying agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same terms and conditions as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such paying agent; and, upon such payment by the Company or any paying agent to the Trustee, the Company or such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.
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Section 4.04 Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of Trustee.
The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.10, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.
Article
5
SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
Section 5.01 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Securityholders.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee (a) within 15 days after each regular record date (as defined in Section 2.03) a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the holders of each series of Securities as of such regular record date, provided that the Company shall not be obligated to furnish or cause to furnish such list at any time that the list shall not differ in any respect from the most recent list furnished to the Trustee by the Company and (b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided, however, that, in either case, no such list need be furnished for any series for which the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar.
Section 5.02 Preservation Of Information; Communications With Securityholders.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the holders of Securities contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 and as to the names and addresses of holders of Securities received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar (if acting in such capacity).
(b) The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
(c) Securityholders may communicate as provided in Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and, in connection with any such communications, the Trustee shall satisfy its obligations under Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the provisions of Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
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Section 5.03 Reports by the Company.
(a) The Company will at all times comply with Section 314(a) of the Trust Indenture Act. The Company covenants and agrees to provide (which delivery may be via electronic mail) to the Trustee within 30 days, after the Company files the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) that the Company is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to deliver to the Trustee any correspondence filed with the Commission or any materials for which the Company has sought and received confidential treatment by the Commission; and provided further, that so long as such filings by the Company are available on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (EDGAR), or any successor system, such filings shall be deemed to have been filed with the Trustee for purposes hereof without any further action required by the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, a failure by the Company to file annual reports, information and other reports with the Commission within the time period prescribed thereof by the Commission shall not be deemed a breach of this Section 5.03.
(b) Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee under Section 5.03 is for informational purposes only and the information and the Trustee’s receipt of the foregoing shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein, or determinable from information contained therein including the Company’s compliance with any of their covenants thereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on an Officer’s Certificate). The Trustee is under no duty to examine any such reports, information or documents delivered to the Trustee or filed with the Commission via EDGAR to ensure compliance with the provision of this Indenture or to ascertain the correctness or otherwise of the information or the statements contained therein. The Trustee shall have no responsibility or duty whatsoever to ascertain or determine whether the above referenced filings with the Commission on EDGAR (or any successor system) has occurred.
Section 5.04 Reports by the Trustee.
(a) If required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee, within sixty (60) days after each May 1, shall mail to the Securityholders a brief report dated as of such May 1, which complies with Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(b) The Trustee shall comply with Section 313(b) and 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Securityholders, be filed by the Trustee with the Company, with each securities exchange upon which any Securities are listed (if so listed) and also with the Commission. The Company agrees to notify the Trustee when any Securities become listed on any securities exchange.
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Article 6
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS ON EVENT OF DEFAULT
Section 6.01 Events of Default.
(a) Whenever used herein with respect to Securities of a particular series, “Event of Default” means any one or more of the following events that has occurred and is continuing:
(1) the Company defaults in the payment of any installment of interest upon any of the Securities of that series, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by the Company in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose;
(2) the Company defaults in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of that series as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such Securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any;
(3) the Company fails to observe or perform any other of its covenants or agreements with respect to that series contained in this Indenture or otherwise established with respect to that series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof (other than a covenant or agreement that has been expressly included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of Securities other than such series) for a period of 90 days after the date on which written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder, shall have been given to the Company by the Trustee, by registered or certified mail, or to the Company and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities of that series at the time Outstanding;
(4) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law (i) commences a voluntary case, (ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case, (iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property or (iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or
(5) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order under any Bankruptcy Law that (i) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case, (ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company for all or substantially all of its property or (iii) orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days.
(b) In each and every such case (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (4) or clause (5) above), unless the principal of all the Securities of that series shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Securityholders), may declare the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of that series to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become and shall be immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in clause (4) or clause (5) above occurs, the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of that series shall automatically be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or the holders of the Securities.
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(c) At any time after the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities of that series shall have been so declared due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if: (i) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest upon all the Securities of that series and the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any and all Securities of that series that shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent that such payment is enforceable under applicable law, upon overdue installments of interest, at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of that series to the date of such payment or deposit) and the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06, and (ii) any and all Events of Default under the Indenture with respect to such series, other than the nonpayment of principal on (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on Securities of that series that shall not have become due by their terms, shall have been remedied or waived as provided in Section 6.06.
No such rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
(d) In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right with respect to Securities of that series under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of such rescission or annulment or for any other reason or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceedings, the Company and the Trustee shall be restored respectively to their former positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Company and the Trustee shall continue as though no such proceedings had been taken.
Section 6.02 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
(a) The Company covenants that (i) in case it shall default in the payment of any installment of interest on any of the Securities of a series, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series as and when the same shall have become due and payable, and such default shall have continued for a period of 90 days, or (ii) in case it shall default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of a series when the same shall have become due and payable, whether upon maturity of the Securities of a series or upon redemption or upon declaration or otherwise then, upon demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Securities of that series, the whole amount that then shall have been become due and payable on all such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) or interest, or both, as the case may be, with interest upon the overdue principal (and premium, if any) and (to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law) upon overdue installments of interest at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of that series; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, and the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06.
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(b) If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceedings at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or other obligor upon the Securities of that series and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law or equity out of the property of the Company or other obligor upon the Securities of that series, wherever situated.
(c) In case of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, readjustment, arrangement, composition or judicial proceedings affecting the Company, or its creditors or property, the Trustee shall have power to intervene in such proceedings and take any action therein that may be permitted by the court and shall (except as may be otherwise provided by law) be entitled to file such proofs of claim and other papers and documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and of the holders of Securities of such series allowed for the entire amount due and payable by the Company under the Indenture at the date of institution of such proceedings and for any additional amount that may become due and payable by the Company after such date, and to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claim, and to distribute the same after the deduction of the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization is hereby authorized by each of the holders of Securities of such series to make such payments to the Trustee, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to such Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it under Section 7.06.
(d) All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or under any of the terms established with respect to Securities of that series, may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of such Securities, or the production thereof at any trial or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for payment to the Trustee of any amounts due under Section 7.06, be for the ratable benefit of the holders of the Securities of such series.
In case of an Event of Default hereunder, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any of such rights, either at law or in equity or in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in the Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.
Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities of that series or the rights of any Securityholder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such proceeding.
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Section 6.03 Application of Moneys Collected.
Any moneys collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article with respect to a particular series of Securities shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such moneys on account of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Securities of that series, and notation thereon of the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of costs and expenses of collection and of all amounts payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06;
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon Securities of such series for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and
THIRD: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or any other Person lawfully entitled thereto.
Section 6.04 Limitation on Suits.
No holder of any Security of any series shall have any right by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any suit, action or proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to this Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless (i) such Securityholder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance thereof with respect to the Securities of such series specifying such Event of Default, as hereinbefore provided; (ii) the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action, suit or proceeding in its own name as Trustee hereunder; (iii) such Securityholder or Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request; (iv) the Trustee for 90 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity, shall have failed to institute any such action, suit or proceeding and (v) during such 90 day period, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of that series do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.
Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary or any other provisions of this Indenture, the right of any holder of any Security to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Security, as therein provided, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security (or in the case of redemption, on the redemption date), or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates or redemption date, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such holder and by accepting a Security hereunder it is expressly understood, intended and covenanted by the taker and holder of every Security of such series with every other such taker and holder and the Trustee, that no one or more holders of Securities of such series shall have any right in any manner whatsoever by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of the holders of any other of such Securities, or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other such holder, or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all holders of Securities of such series. For the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and every Securityholder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be given either at law or in equity.
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Section 6.05 Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.07, all powers and remedies given by this Article to the Trustee or to the Securityholders shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any other powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the holders of the Securities, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the performance or observance of the covenants and agreements contained in this Indenture or otherwise established with respect to such Securities.
(b) No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any holder of any of the Securities to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Event of Default occurring and continuing as aforesaid shall impair any such right or power, or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such default or an acquiescence therein; and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.04, every power and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or the Securityholders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Securityholders.
Section 6.06 Control by Securityholders.
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding, determined in accordance with Section 8.04, shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to such series; provided, however, that such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture or subject the Trustee in its sole discretion to personal liability. Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer or officers of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed, subject to the Trustee’s duties under the Trust Indenture Act, would involve the Trustee in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the Securityholders not involved in the proceeding. The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding affected thereby, determined in accordance with Section 8.04, may on behalf of the holders of all of the Securities of such series waive any past default in the performance of any of the covenants contained herein or established pursuant to Section 2.01 with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any of the Securities of that series as and when the same shall become due by the terms of such Securities otherwise than by acceleration (unless such default has been cured and a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest and principal and any premium has been deposited with the Trustee (in accordance with Section 6.01(c)). Upon any such waiver, the default covered thereby shall be deemed to be cured for all purposes of this Indenture and the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Securities of such series shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.07 Undertaking to Pay Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any Securities by such holder’s acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Securityholder, or group of Securityholders, holding more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Securityholder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security of such series, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security or established pursuant to this Indenture.
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Article 7
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
Section 7.01 Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.
(a) The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing of all Events of Default with respect to the Securities of that series that may have occurred, shall undertake to perform with respect to the Securities of such series such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. In case an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series has occurred (that has not been cured or waived), the Trustee shall exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(b) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default with respect to that series that may have occurred:
(A) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of such series be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to the Securities of such series except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee may with respect to the Securities of such series conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture;
(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable to any Securityholder or to any other Person for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series;
(iv) none of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if there is reasonable ground for believing that the repayment of such funds or liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of this Indenture or adequate indemnity against such risk is not reasonably assured to it;
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(v) The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers or duties hereunder;
(vi) The permissive right of the Trustee to do things enumerated in this Indenture shall not be construed as a duty of the Trustee; and
(vii) No Trustee shall have any duty or responsibility for any act or omission of any other Trustee appointed with respect to a series of Securities hereunder.
Section 7.02 Certain Rights of Trustee.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01:
(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, security or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) Any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution or an instrument signed in the name of the Company by any authorized Officer of the Company (unless other evidence in respect thereof is specifically prescribed herein);
(c) The Trustee may consult with counsel and the opinion or written advice of such counsel or, if requested, any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or suffered or omitted hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;
(d) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Securityholders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably acceptable to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities that may be incurred therein or thereby; nothing contained herein shall, however, relieve the Trustee of the obligation, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to a series of the Securities (that has not been cured or waived), to exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and to use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs;
(e) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;
(f) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, security, or other papers or documents or inquire as to the performance by the Company of one of its covenants under this Indenture, unless requested in writing so to do by the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of the particular series affected thereby (determined as provided in Section 8.04); provided, however, that if the payment within a reasonable time to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or liabilities likely to be incurred by it in the making of such investigation is, in the opinion of the Trustee, not reasonably assured to the Trustee by the security afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee may require security or indemnity reasonably acceptable to the Trustee against such costs, expenses or liabilities as a condition to so proceeding. The reasonable expense of every such examination shall be paid by the Company or, if paid by the Trustee, shall be repaid by the Company upon demand;
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(g) The Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;
(h) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances;
(i) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action; and
(j) The Trustee agrees to accept and act upon instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured e-mail, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods; provided, however, that such instructions or directions shall be signed by an authorized representative of the party providing such instructions or directions. If the party elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding such instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The party providing electronic instructions agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk or interception and misuse by third parties. The Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to furnish the Trustee with Officer’s Certificates, Company Orders and any other matters or directions pursuant to this Indenture.
(k) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder and under the Securities, and each agent, custodian or other person employed to act under this Indenture.
(l) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default (other than an Event of Default constituting the failure to pay the interest on, or the principal of, the Securities if the Trustee also serves the paying agent for such Securities) until the Trustee shall have received written notification in the manner set forth in this Indenture or a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have obtained actual knowledge.
Section 7.03 Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance or Securities.
(a) The recitals contained herein and in the Securities shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the same. The Trustee shall not be responsible for any statement in any registration statement, prospectus, or any other document in connection with the sale of Securities. The Trustee shall not be responsible for any rating on the Securities or any action or omission of any rating agency.
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(b) The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities.
(c) The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any of the Securities or of the proceeds of such Securities, or for the use or application of any moneys paid over by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture or established pursuant to Section 2.01, or for the use or application of any moneys received by any paying agent other than the Trustee.
Section 7.04 May Hold Securities.
The Trustee or any paying agent or Security Registrar, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, paying agent or Security Registrar.
Section 7.05 Moneys Held in Trust.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11.05, all moneys received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any moneys received by it hereunder except such as it may agree with the Company to pay thereon.
Section 7.06 Compensation and Reimbursement.
(a) The Company shall pay to the Trustee for each of its capacities hereunder from time to time compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
(b) The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder against any loss, liability or expense (including the cost of defending itself and including the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel) incurred by it except as set forth in Section 7.06(c) in the exercise or performance of its powers, rights or duties under this Indenture as Trustee or Agent. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.
(c) The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee through negligence or bad faith.
(d) To ensure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all funds or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of or interest on particular Securities. When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(4) or (5), the expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for services in connection therewith are to constitute expenses of administration under any bankruptcy law. The provisions of this Section 7.06 shall survive the termination of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.
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Section 7.07 Reliance on Officer’s Certificate.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01, whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it reasonably necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee and such certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.
Section 7.08 Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire any “conflicting interest” within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee and the Company shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 7.09 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be a Trustee with respect to the Securities issued hereunder which shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or any state or territory thereof or of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or other Person permitted to act as trustee by the Commission, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least fifty million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000), and subject to supervision or examination by federal, state, territorial, or District of Columbia authority.
If such corporation or other Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation or other Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. The Company may not, nor may any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company, serve as Trustee. In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 7.10.
Section 7.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
(a) The Trustee or any successor hereafter appointed may at any time resign with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company and Securityholders of such series. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor trustee. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 30 days after the sending of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series, or any Securityholder of that series who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.
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(b) In case at any time any one of the following shall occur:
(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of Section 7.08 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months; or
(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.09 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Securityholder; or
(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or commence a voluntary bankruptcy proceeding, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or consented to, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation;
then, in any such case, the Company may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may, on behalf of that holder and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.
(c) The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding may at any time remove the Trustee with respect to such series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company and may appoint a successor Trustee for such series with the consent of the Company.
(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of a series pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section shall become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 7.11.
(e) Any successor trustee appointed pursuant to this Section may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more series or all of such series, and at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series.
Section 7.11 Acceptance of Appointment By Successor.
(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of any amounts due to it pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.06, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all the rights, powers, and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.
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(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates, (ii) shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust, that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee and that no Trustee shall be responsible for any act or failure to act on the part of any other Trustee hereunder; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein, such retiring Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates have no further responsibility for the exercise of rights and powers or for the performance of the duties and obligations vested in the Trustee under this Indenture, and each such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor trustee, to the extent contemplated by such supplemental indenture, the property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates.
(c) Upon request of any such successor trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.
(d) No successor trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.
(e) Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this Section, the Company shall send notice of the succession of such trustee hereunder to the Securityholders. If the Company fails to transmit such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be transmitted at the expense of the Company.
Section 7.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, including the administration of the trust created by this Indenture, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided that such corporation shall be qualified under the provisions of Section 7.08 and eligible under the provisions of Section 7.09, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.
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Section 7.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company.
The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, excluding any creditor relationship described in Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act. A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent included therein.
Section 7.14 Notice of Default.
If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing and if such Event of Default is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall send to each Securityholder in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act notice of the Event of Default within the earlier of 90 days after it occurs and 30 days after it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or written notice of it is received by the Trustee, unless such Event of Default has been cured; provided, however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Securityholders.
Article 8
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
Section 8.01 Evidence of Action by Securityholders.
Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of a majority or specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action the holders of such majority or specified percentage of that series have joined therein may be evidenced by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by such holders of Securities of that series in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing.
If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders of any series any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an Officer’s Certificate, fix in advance a record date for such series for the determination of Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be given before or after the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for the purposes of determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Securities of that series have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities of that series shall be computed as of the record date; provided, however, that no such authorization, agreement or consent by such Securityholders on the record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.
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Section 8.02 Proof of Execution by Securityholders.
Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, proof of the execution of any instrument by a Securityholder (such proof will not require notarization) or his or her agent or proxy and proof of the holding by any Person of any of the Securities shall be sufficient if made in the following manner:
(a) The fact and date of the execution by any such Person of any instrument may be proved in any reasonable manner acceptable to the Trustee.
(b) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register of such Securities or by a certificate of the Security Registrar thereof.
The Trustee may require such additional proof of any matter referred to in this Section as it shall deem necessary.
Section 8.03 Who May be Deemed Owners.
Prior to the due presentment for registration of transfer of any Security, the Company, the Trustee, any paying agent and any Security Registrar may deem and treat the Person in whose name such Security shall be registered upon the books of the Security Registrar as the absolute owner of such Security (whether or not such Security shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notice of ownership or writing thereon made by anyone other than the Security Registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of, premium, if any, and (subject to Section 2.03) interest on such Security and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any paying agent nor any Security Registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
Section 8.04 Certain Securities Owned by Company Disregarded.
In determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Securities of a particular series have concurred in any direction, consent or waiver under this Indenture, the Securities of that series that are owned by the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination, except that for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent or waiver, only Securities of such series that the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. The Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding for the purposes of this Section, if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not a Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other obligor. In case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee.
Section 8.05 Actions Binding on Future Securityholders.
At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any action by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any holder of a Security of that series that is shown by the evidence to be included in the Securities the holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee, and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Security. Except as aforesaid any such action taken by the holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future holders and owners of such Security, and of any Security issued in exchange therefor, on registration of transfer thereof or in place thereof, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Security. Any action taken by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such action shall be conclusively binding upon the Company, the Trustee and the holders of all the Securities of that series.
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Article 9
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 9.01 Supplemental Indentures Without the Consent of Securityholders.
In addition to any supplemental indenture otherwise authorized by this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect), without the consent of the Securityholders, for one or more of the following purposes:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect, or inconsistency herein or in the Securities of any series;
(b) to comply with Article Ten;
(c) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;
(d) to add to the covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions relating to the Company for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series), to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;
(e) to add to, delete from, or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication, and delivery of Securities, as herein set forth;
(f) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder in any material respect;
(g) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the Securities of any series as provided in Section 2.01, to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or any series of Securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of Securities;
(h) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee; or
(i) to comply with any requirements of the Commission or any successor in connection with the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.
The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the holders of any of the Securities at the time Outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 9.02.
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Section 9.02 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders.
With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 8.01) of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture or indentures at the time Outstanding, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect) for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner not covered by Section 9.01 the rights of the holders of the Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the holders of each Security then Outstanding and affected thereby, (a) extend the fixed maturity of any Securities of any series, or reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest thereon, or reduce any premium payable upon the redemption thereof or (b) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders of any series affected thereby under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 9.03 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.01, this Indenture shall, with respect to such series, be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the holders of Securities of the series affected thereby shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.
Section 9.04 Securities Affected by Supplemental Indentures.
Securities of any series affected by a supplemental indenture, authenticated and delivered after the execution of such supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.01, may bear a notation in form approved by the Company, provided such form meets the requirements of any securities exchange upon which such series may be listed, as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of that series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee and delivered in exchange for the Securities of that series then Outstanding.
Section 9.05 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by its Board Resolutions authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Securityholders required to consent thereto as aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion but shall not be obligated to enter into such supplemental indenture. The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, shall receive an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article is authorized or permitted by the terms of this Article and that all conditions precedent to the execution of the supplemental indenture have been complied with; provided, however, that such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel need not be provided in connection with the execution of a supplemental indenture that establishes the terms of a series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.
Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the Company shall (or shall direct the Trustee to) send a notice, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture, to the Securityholders of all series affected thereby .as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. Any failure of the Company to send, or cause the sending of, such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
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Article 10
SUCCESSOR ENTITY
Section 10.01 Company May Consolidate, Etc.
Nothing contained in this Indenture shall prevent any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company) or successive consolidations or mergers in which the Company or its successor or successors shall be a party or parties, or shall prevent any sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of the property of the Company or its successor or successors as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company or its successor or successors); provided, however, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that, upon any such consolidation or merger (in each case, if the Company is not the survivor of such transaction) or any such sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition (other than a sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition to a Subsidiary of the Company), the due and punctual payment of the principal of (premium, if any) and interest on all of the Securities of all series in accordance with the terms of each series, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and observance of all the covenants and conditions of this Indenture with respect to each series or established with respect to such series pursuant to Section 2.01 to be kept or performed by the Company shall be expressly assumed, by supplemental indenture (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, as then in effect) reasonably satisfactory in form to the Trustee executed and delivered to the Trustee by the entity formed by such consolidation, or into which the Company shall have been merged, or by the entity which shall have acquired such property.
Section 10.02 Successor Entity Substituted.
(a) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition and upon the assumption by the successor entity by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the obligations set forth under Section 10.01 on all of the Securities of all series Outstanding, such successor entity shall succeed to and be substituted for the Company with the same effect as if it had been named as the Company herein, and thereupon the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
(b) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, such changes in phraseology and form (but not in substance) may be made in the Securities thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.
(c) Nothing contained in this Article shall require any action by the Company in the case of a consolidation or merger of any Person into the Company where the Company is the survivor of such transaction, or the acquisition by the Company, by purchase or otherwise, of all or any part of the property of any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company).
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Article 11
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 11.01 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
If at any time: (a) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee for cancellation all Securities of a series theretofore authenticated and not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (other than any Securities that shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that shall have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.07 and Securities for whose payment money or Governmental Obligations have theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereupon repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 11.05); or (b) all such Securities of a particular series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation shall have become due and payable, or are by their terms to become due and payable within one year or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption, and the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds the entire amount in moneys or Governmental Obligations or a combination thereof, sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay at maturity or upon redemption all Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder with respect to such series by the Company then this Indenture shall thereupon cease to be of further effect with respect to such series except for the provisions of Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.07, 4.01, 4.02, 4.03 and 7.10, 11.05 and 13.04 that shall survive until the date of maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, and Sections 7.06 and 11.05, that shall survive to such date and thereafter, and the Trustee, on demand of the Company and at the cost and expense of the Company shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction of and discharging this Indenture with respect to such series.
Section 11.02 Discharge of Obligations.
If at any time all such Securities of a particular series not heretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation or that have not become due and payable as described in Section 11.01 shall have been paid by the Company by depositing irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds moneys or an amount of Governmental Obligations sufficient to pay at maturity or upon redemption all such Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company with respect to such series, then after the date such moneys or Governmental Obligations, as the case may be, are deposited with the Trustee the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to such series shall cease to be of further effect except for the provisions of Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.07, 4,01, 4.02, 4,03, 7.06, 7.10 and 11.05 and 13.04 hereof that shall survive until such Securities shall mature and be paid.
Thereafter, Sections 7.06 and 11.05 shall survive.
Section 11.03 Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust.
All moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Sections 11.01 or 11.02 shall be held in trust and shall be available for payment as due, either directly or through any paying agent (including the Company acting as its own paying agent), to the holders of the particular series of Securities for the payment or redemption of which such moneys or Governmental Obligations have been deposited with the Trustee.
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Section 11.04 Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents.
In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture all moneys or Governmental Obligations then held by any paying agent under the provisions of this Indenture shall, upon demand of the Company, be paid to the Trustee and thereupon such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations.
Section 11.05 Repayment to Company.
Any moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with any paying agent or the Trustee, or then held by the Company, in trust for payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of a particular series that are not applied but remain unclaimed by the holders of such Securities for at least two years after the date upon which the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such Securities shall have respectively become due and payable, or such other shorter period set forth in applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law, shall be repaid to the Company on May 31 of each year or upon the Company’s request or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and thereupon the paying agent and the Trustee shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations, and the holder of any of the Securities entitled to receive such payment shall thereafter, as a general creditor, look only to the Company for the payment thereof.
Article 12
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 12.01 No Recourse.
No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of this Indenture, or of any Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, past, present or future as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any such predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that this Indenture and the obligations issued hereunder are solely corporate obligations, and that no such personal liability whatever shall attach to, or is or shall be incurred by, the incorporators, stockholders, officers or directors as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, or any of them, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom; and that any and all such personal liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by constitution or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such incorporator, stockholder, officer or director as such, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of such Securities.
Article 13
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 13.01 Effect on Successors and Assigns.
All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture made by or on behalf of the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 13.02 Actions by Successor.
Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or officer of the Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the corresponding board, committee or officer of any corporation that shall at the time be the lawful successor of the Company.
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Section 13.03 Surrender of Company Powers.
The Company by instrument in writing executed by authority of its Board of Directors and delivered to the Trustee may surrender any of the powers reserved to the Company, and thereupon such power so surrendered shall terminate both as to the Company and as to any successor corporation.
Section 13.04 Notices.
Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, any notice, request or demand that by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be given, made or served by the Trustee, the Security Registrar, any paying or other agent under this Indenture or by the holders of Securities or by any other Person pursuant to this Indenture to or on the Company may be given or served by being deposited in first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Trustee), as follows: . Any notice, election, request or demand by the Company or any Securityholder or by any other Person pursuant to this Indenture to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or made in writing at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.
Section 13.05 Governing Law; Jury Trial Waiver.
This Indenture and each Security shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.
EACH PARTY HERETO, AND EACH HOLDER OF A SECURITY BY ACCEPTANCE THEREOF, HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS INDENTURE.
Section 13.06 Treatment of Securities as Debt.
It is intended that the Securities will be treated as indebtedness and not as equity for federal income tax purposes. The provisions of this Indenture shall be interpreted to further this intention.
Section 13.07 Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent.
(a) Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture (other than the certificate to be delivered pursuant to Section 13.12) relating to the proposed action have been complied with and, if requested, an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
(b) Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant in this Indenture (other than the certificate to be delivered pursuant to Section 13.12 of this Indenture or Section 314(a)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act) shall include (i) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; (iii) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he has made such examination or investigation as is reasonably necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 13.08 Payments on Business Days.
Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, in any case where the date of maturity of interest or principal of any Security or the date of redemption of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the nominal date of maturity or redemption, and no interest shall accrue for the period after such nominal date.
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Section 13.09 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Section 318(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties shall control.
Section 13.10 Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
Section 13.11 Separability.
In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Indenture or in the Securities of any series shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of such Securities, but this Indenture and such Securities shall be construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.
Section 13.12 Compliance Certificates.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year during which any Securities of any series were outstanding, an officer’s certificate stating whether or not the signers know of any Event of Default that occurred during such fiscal year. Such certificate shall contain a certification from the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer of the Company that a review has been conducted of the activities of the Company and the Company’s performance under this Indenture and that the Company has complied with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture. For purposes of this Section 13.12, such compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under this Indenture. If the officer of the Company signing such certificate has knowledge of such an Event of Default, the certificate shall describe any such Event of Default and its status.
Section 13.13 U.S.A Patriot Act.
The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.
Section 13.14 Force Majeure.
In no event shall the Trustee, the Security Registrar, any paying agent or any other agent under this Indenture be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions or utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee, the Security Registrar, any paying agent or any other agent under this Indenture shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
Section 13.15 Table of Contents; Headings.
The table of contents and headings of the articles and sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not intended to be considered a part hereof, and will not modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
42
In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.
| NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| [Trustee], as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE (1) Section of Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as Amended |
Section of Indenture | |
| 310(a) | 7.09 | |
| 310(b) | 7.08 | |
| 7.10 | ||
| 310(c) | Inapplicable | |
| 311(a) | 7.13 | |
| 311(b) | 7.13 | |
| 311(c) | Inapplicable | |
| 312(a) | 5.01 | |
| 5.02(a) | ||
| 312(b) | 5.02(c) | |
| 312(c) | 5.02(c) | |
| 313(a) | 5.04(a) | |
| 313(b) | 5.04(b) | |
| 313(c) | 5.04(a) | |
| 5.04(b) | ||
| 313(d) | 5.04(c) | |
| 314(a) | 5.03 | |
| 13.12 | ||
| 314(b) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(c) | 13.07(a) | |
| 314(d) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(e) | 13.07(b) | |
| 314(f) | Inapplicable | |
| 315(a) | 7.01(a) | |
| 7.01(b) | ||
| 315(b) | 7.14 | |
| 315(c) | 7.01 | |
| 315(d) | 7.01(b) | |
| 315(e) | 6.07 | |
| 316(a) | 6.06 | |
| 8.04 | ||
| 316(b) | 6.04 | |
| 316(c) | 8.01 | |
| 317(a) | 6.02 | |
| 317(b) | 4.03 | |
| 318(a) | 13.09 |
| (1) | This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions. |
Exhibit 5.1
January 19, 2023
NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd.
11 Ha-Menofim Street
Building B
Herzliya 4672562, Israel
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as Israeli counsel for NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd., an Israeli company organized under the laws of the State of Israel (the “Company”), in connection with the registration statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on January 19, 2023 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”). The Registration Statement relates to the proposed offer and sale by the Company from time to time, as set forth in the prospectus contained in the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”) and as shall be set forth in one or more supplements to the Prospectus (each, a “Prospectus Supplement”), of up to a $100,000,000 aggregate amount of any of all the following securities (the “Securities”): (i) ordinary shares, no par value per share, of the Company (“Ordinary Shares”), (ii) warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares and/or debt securities (“Warrants“), (iii) debt securities (“Debt Securities”) (iv) subscription rights (“Subscription Rights”) to purchase Ordinary Shares and/or (v) units comprised of one or more of the securities that are offered under the Prospectus (“Units”).
The Warrants will be issued under a warrant agreement (the “Warrant Agreement”) between the Company and a warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”). The Debt Securities will be issued under an Indenture (the “Indenture”) between the Company and a trustee. The Subscription Rights will be issued under a subscription rights agreement (the “Subscription Rights Agreement”) between the Company and a rights agent (the “Rights Agent”). The Units will be issued under a unit agreement (the “Unit Agreement”) between the Company and a unit agent (the “Unit Agent”).
In connection herewith, as Israeli counsel to the Company in connection with the registering of the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement, we have examined originals or copies, satisfactory to us, of the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Association and resolutions of the Board of Directors, and we have examined and relied without investigation as to matters of fact upon the Registration Statement and the exhibits thereto, and such certificates, statements and results of inquiries of public officials and officers and representatives of the Company and originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such other documents, corporate records, certificates and instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinions expressed herein. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures on all documents examined by us, the legal competence and capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity with authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.
We also have assumed that: (1) at the time of execution, issuance and delivery of any Subscription Rights, the related Subscription Rights Agreement will be the valid and legally binding obligation of the Rights Agent, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms; and (2) at the time of the execution, issuance and delivery of the Units, the related Unit Agreement will be the valid and legally binding obligation of the Unit Agent, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms.
We have assumed further that: (1) at the time of execution, issuance and delivery of any Subscription Rights, the related Subscription Rights Agreement will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Rights Agent; (2) at the time of execution, issuance and delivery of the Units, the Unit Agreement will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Unit Agent; and (3) at the time of the issuance and sale of any of the Securities, the terms of the Securities, and their issuance and sale, will have been established so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company.
For the purpose of the opinions expressed below, we have assumed further that after the issuance of the Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement, the total number of issued Ordinary Shares, together with the total number of Ordinary Shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise, exchange or conversion, as the case may be, of any exercisable, exchangeable or convertible security then outstanding, will not exceed the total number of authorized share capital under the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Association.
Based upon the foregoing, in reliance thereon and subject to the assumptions, comments, qualifications, limitations and exceptions stated herein and the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Act, we are of the opinion that:
| 1. | With respect to the Ordinary Shares, assuming the taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance of any Ordinary Shares, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters, upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the applicable convertible Securities, if any, such Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 2. | With respect to the Subscription Rights, assuming the (a) taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance and terms of any Subscription Rights, the related Subscription Rights Agreement and the Ordinary Shares underlying the Subscription Rights, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and (b) due execution, countersignature (where applicable), authentication, issuance and delivery of such Subscription Rights upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Subscription Rights Agreement, such Subscription Rights will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company to the extent governed by Israeli law. |
| 3. | With respect to the Units, assuming the (a) taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance and the terms of the Units, the related Unit Agreement and any Securities which are components of the Units, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and (b) due execution, countersignature (where applicable), authentication, issuance and delivery of the Units and the Securities that are components of such Units in each case upon the payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the applicable (i) Warrant Agreement, in the case of Warrants and (ii) Indenture, in case of Debt Securities and (iii) Subscription Rights Agreement, in case of Subscription Rights, such Units will be validly issued and will entitle the holders thereof to the rights specified in the Unit Agreements to the extent governed by Israeli law. |
In addition to the assumptions, comments, qualifications, limitations and exceptions set forth above, the opinions set forth herein are further limited by, subject to and based upon the following assumptions, comments, qualifications, limitations and exceptions:
| a) | We are members of the Israel Bar, and we express no opinion as to any matter relating to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of Israel and have not, for the purpose of giving this opinion, made any investigation of the laws of any other jurisdiction than the State of Israel. The opinions set forth herein are made as of the date hereof and are subject to, and may be limited by, future changes in the factual matters set forth herein, and we undertake no duty to advise you of the same. The opinions expressed herein are based upon the law in effect (and published or otherwise generally available) on the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to revise or supplement these opinions should such law be changed by legislative action, judicial decision or otherwise. In rendering our opinions, we have not considered, and hereby disclaim any opinion as to, the application or impact of any laws, cases, decisions, rules or regulations of any other jurisdiction, court or administrative agency. This opinion is expressly limited to the matters set forth above, and we render no opinion, whether by implication or otherwise, as to any other matters. |
2
| b) |
Our opinions herein are subject to and may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium and other similar laws affecting or relating to the rights and remedies of creditors generally including, without limitation, laws relative to fraudulent conveyances, preference and equitable subordination, (ii) general principles or equity (regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (iii) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, (iv) requirements that a claim with respect to any Securities denominated other than in United States dollars (or a judgment denominated other than in United States dollars with respect to such a claim) be converted into United States dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law, and (v) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States or in foreign currency or composite currency.
| |
|
|
c) | Our opinions are further subject to the effect of generally applicable rules of law arising from statutes, judicial and administrative decisions, and the rules and regulations of governmental authorities that: (i) limit or affect the enforcement of provisions of a contract that purport to require waiver of the obligations of good faith, fair dealing, diligence and reasonableness; (ii) limit the availability of a remedy under certain circumstances where another remedy has been elected; (iii) limit the enforceability of provisions releasing, exculpating or exempting a party from, or requiring indemnification of a party for, liability for its own action or inaction, to the extent the action or inaction involves negligence, recklessness, willful misconduct or unlawful conduct; (iv) may, where less than all of the contract may be unenforceable, limit the enforceability of the balance of the contract to circumstances in which the unenforceable portion is not an essential part of the agreed exchange and (v) govern and afford judicial discretion regarding the determination of damages and entitlement to attorneys' fees. |
| d) | We express no opinion as to the enforceability of any provision in any Subscription Rights Agreement, Unit Agreement or other agreement purporting or attempting to (A) confer exclusive jurisdiction and/or venue upon certain courts or otherwise waive the defenses of forum non conveniens or improper venue, (B) confer subject matter jurisdiction on a court not having independent grounds therefor, (C) modify or waive the requirements for effective service of process for any action that may be brought, (D) waive the right of the Company or any other person to a trial by jury, (E) provide that remedies are cumulative or that decisions by a party are conclusive, or (F) modify or waive the rights to notice, legal defenses, statutes of limitations or other benefits that cannot be waived under applicable law. |
| e) | We express no opinion as to the enforceability of any rights to indemnification or contribution provided for in any Subscription Rights Agreement, Unit Agreement or other agreement which are violative of public policy underlying any law, rule or regulation (including any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation) or the legality of such rights. |
| f) | You have informed us that you intend to issue the Securities from time to time on a delayed or continuous basis, and this opinion is limited to the laws, including the rules and regulations, as in effect on the date hereof. We understand that prior to issuing any Securities you will afford us an opportunity to review the operative documents pursuant to which such Securities are to be issued (including the applicable Prospectus Supplement) and will file such supplement or amendment to this opinion (if any) as we may reasonably consider necessary or appropriate by reason of the terms of such Securities. |
| g) | With respect to our opinion as to the Ordinary Shares, including any Ordinary Shares issued upon exercise or conversion of any Securities, we have assumed that, at the time of issuance and sale and to the extent any such issuance would exceed the maximum share capital of the Company currently authorized, the number of Ordinary Shares that the Company is authorized to issue shall have been increased in accordance with the Company’s Articles of Association and as described in the Registration Statement such that a sufficient number of Ordinary Shares are authorized and available for issuance under the Articles of Association. |
3
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. We also consent to your filing copies of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement with agencies of such states as you deem necessary in the course of complying with the laws of such states regarding the offering and sale of the Securities. In giving such consent, we do not thereby concede that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.
| Very truly yours, | |
| /s/ Gross & Co. |
4
Exhibit 5.2
 |
 |
January 19, 2023
NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd.
11 HaMenofim Street, Building B
Herzliya 4672562 Israel
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as United States counsel to NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd., a company organized under the laws of the State of Israel (the “Company”), in connection with the registration by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the offer and sale by the Company from time to time of up to $100,000,000 in aggregate amount of, among other things: (i) ordinary shares of the Company, no par value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), (ii) one or more series of debt securities (the “Debt Securities”), the terms of which will be determined by the board of directors of the Company prior to the issuance thereof, (iii) warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares or Debt Securities (the “Warrants” and, collectively with the Debt Securities, the “Covered Securities”), the terms of which will be determined by the board of directors of the Company prior to the issuance thereof, (iv) rights to subscribe for and to purchase Ordinary Shares (the “Subscription Rights”) and (v) units, consisting of any combination of Ordinary Shares, Debt Securities, Warrants or Subscription Rights, securing the holder’s obligation to purchase the securities under the applicable stock unit agreement (the “Units”), pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on the date hereof.
We have reviewed the Registration Statement, including the form of prospectus included therein, the form of indenture filed as Exhibit 4.1 thereto and such corporate records, certificates and other documents, and such questions of law, as we have considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion. We have assumed that all signatures are genuine, that all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic and that all copies of documents submitted to us conform to the originals.
We have assumed that, at the time of the issuance, sale and delivery of each issue of Covered Securities:
| (i) | the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the indenture in the form of Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement and any indenture supplement thereto (collectively, the “Indenture”) and warrant agreement (collectively, the “Documents”), as applicable, and all actions necessary for the issuance of the applicable Covered Securities and the form and terms thereof, will comply with all requirements and restrictions, if any, applicable to the Company, whether imposed by any agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound or any court or other governmental or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company; |
NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd.
January 19, 2023
Page 2
| (ii) | the Company will have duly authorized, executed and delivered any such Document and will have duly authorized the issuance of any such Covered Securities, and none of such authorizations will have been modified or rescinded, and there will not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity, legally binding character or enforceability thereof; |
| (iii) | the prospectus included in the Registration Statement will describe the Covered Securities offered thereby or an appropriate prospectus supplement will have been prepared, delivered and filed with the Commission in compliance with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder and will describe the Covered Securities offered thereby; and |
| (iv) | the Indenture and any supplements thereto will have been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and a trustee qualified to act under applicable law and such indenture will have been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. |
We have also assumed that the Covered Securities will be offered and sold in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and the appropriate prospectus supplement. We have assumed further that the Documents will be governed by the and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. We have further assumed that, at the time of the issuance, sale and delivery of any Covered Securities that are exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, Ordinary Shares, the Company will have a sufficient number of authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares under its articles of association. With respect to any Document executed or to be executed by any party other than the Company, we have assumed that such party has, or will have, duly authorized, executed and delivered the Documents to which it is a party and that each such Document is, or will be, the valid and binding obligation of such party, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms.
We have assumed further that the Company is a company duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Israel and has all requisite power, authority and legal right to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Covered Securities and the Documents. With respect to all matters of laws of the State of Israel, we note that you are relying on an opinion of Gross & Co., dated as of the date hereof, which opinion is filed as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement.
We have relied as to certain matters on information obtained from public officials, officers of the Company and other sources believed by us to be responsible.
NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd.
January 19, 2023
Page 3
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that when, as and if:
(1) With respect to the Debt Securities: (i) the Registration Statement and any required post-effective amendments thereto have all become effective under the Securities Act and all prospectus supplements required by applicable law have been delivered and filed as required by such laws; (ii) the Indenture (including any supplements thereto) has been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and a trustee qualified to act under applicable law and such Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended; (iii) all necessary corporate action has been taken by the Company to authorize, execute and deliver the Indenture and any necessary supplement thereto and to authorize the form, terms, execution and delivery of any Debt Securities; (iv) any legally required consents, approvals, authorizations and other orders of the Commission and other regulatory authorities have been obtained; (v) any Ordinary Shares issuable upon the conversion of such Debt Securities, as applicable, have been duly and validly authorized and reserved for issuance and sale and (vi) such Debt Securities have been duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the Indenture trustee in accordance with the Indenture and any applicable indenture supplement and have been duly issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with such corporate action and applicable law and as contemplated in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus supplement setting forth the terms of the Debt Securities and plan of distribution, then, upon the happening of such events, such Debt Securities (including any Debt Securities to be issued by the Company upon the conversion or exercise of other securities issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement) will constitute the valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.
(2) With respect to the Warrants: (i) the Registration Statement and any required post-effective amendments thereto have become effective under the Securities Act and all prospectus supplements required by applicable law have been delivered and filed as required by such laws; (ii) all necessary corporate action has been taken by the Company to authorize, execute and deliver any warrant agreement and to authorize the form, terms, execution and delivery of any Warrants and to fix or otherwise determine the consideration to be received for such Warrants and the terms of the offer and sale thereof; (iii) any legally required consents, approvals, authorizations and other orders of the Commission and other regulatory authorities have been obtained; (iv) any Ordinary Shares or any Debt Securities purchasable upon the exercise of such Warrants, as applicable, have been duly and validly authorized and reserved for issuance and sale; (v) the warrant agreement, if any, with respect to the Warrants has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the warrant agent and (vi) the Warrants have been duly executed and delivered by the Company against payment therefor in accordance with any applicable warrant agreement, in accordance with such corporate action and applicable law and as contemplated in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus supplement setting forth the terms of the Warrants and plan of distribution, then, upon the happening of such events, such Warrants (including any Warrants to be issued by the Company upon the conversion or exercise of other securities issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement) will constitute the valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.
NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd.
January 19, 2023
Page 4
We express no opinion as to: (i) waivers of defenses, subrogation and related rights, rights to trial by jury, rights to object to venue, or other rights or benefits bestowed by operation of law; (ii) releases or waivers of unmatured claims or rights; (iii) indemnification, contribution, exculpation, or arbitration provisions, or provisions for the non-survival of representations, to the extent they purport to indemnify any party against, or release or limit any party’s liability for, its own breach or failure to comply with statutory obligations, or to the extent such provisions are contrary to public policy; (iv) provisions for liquidated damages and penalties, penalty interest and interest on interest; (v) provisions purporting to supersede equitable principles, including provisions requiring amendments and waivers to be in writing and provisions making notices effective even if not actually received, (vi) restrictions upon transfers, pledges or assignments of a party’s rights under the Indenture (including any supplement thereto), or (vii) provisions purporting to make a party’s determination conclusive.
Our opinion above is qualified to the extent that the enforcement of any Covered Securities denominated in a currency other than United States dollars may be limited by requirements that a claim (or a foreign currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into United States dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law.
We are members of the bar of the State of New York. We do not express any opinion herein on any laws other than the laws of the State of New York.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement. We also hereby consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the Covered Securities constituting part of the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.
| Very truly yours, | |
| /s/ Covington & Burling LLP |
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the use of our report dated April 14, 2022, with respect to the financial statements of NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd., incorporated herein by reference and to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the prospectus.
Somekh Chaikin
Member Firm of KPMG International
Tel Aviv, Israel
January 19, 2023