6-K
RedCloud Holdings plc (RCT)
UNITEDSTATES
SECURITIESAND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,D.C. 20549
FORM6-K
REPORTOF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANTTO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDERTHE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Forthe month of July 2026
CommissionFile Number: 001-42557
RedCloudHoldings plc
(Registrant’sName)
50Liverpool Street,
London,EC2M 7PY, United Kingdom
(Addressof Principal Executive Offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F ☒ Form 40-F ☐
Entryinto a Material Definitive Agreement.
On July 21, 2026, RedCloud Holdings plc (the “Company”) entered into an At The Market Offering Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (“Wainwright”) providing for the sale and issuance by the Company of shares of its ordinary shares, par value £0.002 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”) from time to time, through or to Wainwright as the Company’s sales agent or principal in an “at the market offering” program and as set forth in the Sales Agreement (the “Offering”).
The Company filed a prospectus supplement, dated July 21, 2026, including an accompanying base prospectus, dated June 24, 2026, contained therein (the “ATM Prospectus Supplement”), which together form a part of the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-296836), initially filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on June 16, 2026, and declared effective by the SEC on June 24, 2026 (the “Registration Statement”) in connection with the offer and sale of Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Sales Agreement. The aggregate market value of the Ordinary Shares eligible for sale under the ATM Prospectus Supplement is currently $6,700,000.
Pursuant to the Sales Agreement, Wainwright has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with applicable state and federal law, rules and regulations, and the rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”), to sell the Ordinary Shares from time to time. The Company will designate the parameters for the sale of Ordinary Shares, including the number of shares to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, limitations on the number of shares that may be sold on any trading day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Sales Agreement, Wainwright may sell the shares by methods deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), including without limitation, sales made directly on Nasdaq or on any other existing trading market for the Ordinary Shares or to or through a market maker. In addition, with the Company’s prior written approval, Wainwright may also sell shares in privately negotiated transactions or block transactions. The gross sales price of the Ordinary Shares sold by Wainwright under the Sales Agreement as sales agent shall be the market price for the Ordinary Shares on Nasdaq at the time of sale.
The Company has no obligation to sell any Ordinary Shares under the Sales Agreement and the Company or Wainwright may at any time suspend offers under the Sales Agreement, pursuant to the terms therein. Wainwright is not obligated to purchase any Ordinary Shares on a principal basis pursuant to the Sales Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by Wainwright and the Company in a separate agreement. No assurance can be given that the Company will sell any Ordinary Shares under the Sales Agreement, or if such sales occur, no assurance can be given as to the price or number of shares that will be sold, or the dates on which any such sales will take place.
Pursuant to the terms of the Sales Agreement, the Company will pay Wainwright a sales commission equal to 3.0% of the gross sales price of the Ordinary Shares sold by Wainwright pursuant to the Sales Agreement. The Company has agreed to provide Wainwright and certain affiliates of Wainwright with customary indemnification and contribution rights, including for liabilities under the Securities Act. The Company also will reimburse Wainwright up to $50,000 for reasonable fees and expenses incurred by its legal counsel in connection with entering into the transactions contemplated by the Sales Agreement (excluding any periodic due diligence fees) and up to $5,000 per due diligence session update, plus any incidental expense incurred by Wainwright in connection therewith.
The Sales Agreement contains customary representations and warranties and conditions for the placements of Ordinary Shares pursuant thereto.
The foregoing description of the Sales Agreement is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such agreement, a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 6-K and incorporated herein by reference. A copy of the legal opinion of Winston Taylor International LLP regarding the legality of the Ordinary Shares that may be issued pursuant to the Sales Agreement is attached to this Current Report on Form 6-K as Exhibit 5.1.
This Current Report on Form 6-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities discussed herein, nor shall there be any sale of such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Departureof Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
On July 20, 2026, Raju Datla, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, provided written notice of his resignation as Chief Financial Officer, effective July 31, 2026, to allow for an orderly handover of his responsibilities. Mr. Datla’s resignation is not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices, including any matters concerning accounting, financial reporting or internal controls. Mr. Datla will support the transition of the finance function through his departure date.
The Company’s treasury and finance operations will continue under its existing finance leadership, while the company is conducting a search for a Chief Financial Officer.
This Report on Form 6-K shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-296836) and shall be deemed to be a part thereof from the date on which this report is furnished to the SEC, to the extent not superseded by documents or reports subsequently filed or furnished.
FinancialStatements and Exhibits.
The following exhibits are being filed herewith:
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| RedCloud Holdings plc | ||
|---|---|---|
| By: | /s/ Justin Floyd | |
| Name: | Justin Floyd | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
Date: July 22, 2026
Exhibit1.1
ATTHE MARKET OFFERING AGREEMENT
July 21, 2026
H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC
430 Park Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10022
Ladies and Gentlemen:
RedCloud Holdings plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of England and Wales (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (the “Manager”) as follows:
1. Definitions. The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.
“Accountants” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4(m).
“Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(p).
“Affiliate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(o).
“Applicable Time” shall mean, with respect to any Shares, the time of sale of such Shares pursuant to this Agreement or any relevant Terms Agreement.
“Base Prospectus” shall mean the base prospectus contained in the Registration Statement at the Execution Time.
“BHCA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(qq).
“Board” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(iii).
“Broker Fee” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(v).
“Business Day” shall mean any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, that, for purposes of clarity, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.
“Commission” shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Company Counsel” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4(l).
“DTC” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(vii).
“Distribution” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(ix).
“Effective Date” shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes effective.
“Environmental Laws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(s).
“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(y).
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Execution Time” shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto.
“Federal Reserve” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(qq).
“FINRA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(e).
“Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.
“GAAP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(m).
“Hazardous Materials” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(s).
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“Incorporated Documents” shall mean the documents or portions thereof filed with the Commission on or prior to the Effective Date that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and any documents or portions thereof filed with the Commission after the Effective Date that are deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
“Indebtedness” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(ee).
“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(v).
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433.
“IT Systems and Data” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(mm).
“Liens” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a).
“Losses” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 7(d).
“Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(b).
“Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(t).
“Maximum Amount” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.
“Money Laundering Laws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(rr).
“Net Proceeds” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(v).
“Ordinary Shares” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.
“Ordinary Share Equivalents” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(g).
“Permitted Free Writing Prospectus” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4(g).
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“Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(e).
“Placement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(c).
“Proceeding” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(b).
“Prospectus” shall mean the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the most recently filed Prospectus Supplement (if any).
“Prospectus Supplement” shall mean each prospectus supplement relating to the Shares prepared and filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) from time to time.
“Record Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(ix).
“Registration Statement” shall mean the shelf registration statement (File Number 333-296836) on Form F-3, including exhibits and financial statements filed with or incorporated by reference into such registration statement and any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B or 462(b) of the Securities Act, as amended on each Effective Date and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended.
“Representation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4(k).
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(e).
“Rule 158”, “Rule 164”, “Rule 172”, “Rule 173”, “Rule 405”, “Rule 415”, “Rule 424”, “Rule 430B” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Act.
“Sales Notice” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(i).
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(m).
“Settlement Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(b)(vii).
“Shares” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.
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“Subsidiary” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a).
“Terms Agreement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(a).
“Time of Delivery” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(c).
“Trading Day” means a day on which the Trading Market is open for trading.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Ordinary Shares are listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “contained,” “included” or “stated in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed under the Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of any specified date; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include, without limitation, the filing of any Incorporated Document to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of any specified date.
2. Sale and Delivery of Shares. The Company proposes to issue and sell through or to the Manager, as sales agent and/or principal, from time to time during the term of this Agreement and on the terms set forth herein, up to such number of shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s ordinary shares, £0.002 par value per share (“Ordinary Shares”), that does not exceed (a) the number or dollar amount of Ordinary Shares registered on the Prospectus Supplement, pursuant to which the offering is being made, (b) the number of authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares (less the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of any outstanding securities of the Company or otherwise reserved from the Company’s authorized share capital), or (c) the number or dollar amount of Ordinary Shares that would cause the Company or the offering of the Shares to not satisfy the eligibility and transaction requirements for use of Form F-3, including, if applicable, General Instruction I.B.5 of Registration Statement on Form F-3 (the lesser of (a), (b) and (c), the “Maximum Amount”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 2 on the number and aggregate sales price of Shares issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company and that the Manager shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance.
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(a) Appointment of Manager as Selling Agent; Terms Agreement. For purposes of selling the Shares through the Manager, the Company hereby appoints the Manager as exclusive agent of the Company for the purpose of selling the Shares of the Company pursuant to this Agreement and the Manager agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell the Shares on the terms and subject to the conditions stated herein. The Company agrees that, whenever it determines to sell the Shares directly to the Manager as principal, it will enter into a separate agreement (each, a “Terms Agreement”) in substantially the form of Annex I hereto, relating to such sale in accordance with Section 2 of this Agreement.
(b) Agent Sales. Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company will issue and agrees to sell Shares from time to time through the Manager, acting as sales agent, and the Manager agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell, as sales agent for the Company, on the following terms:
(i) The Shares are to be sold on a daily basis or otherwise as shall be agreed to by the Company and the Manager on any day that (A) is a Trading Day, (B) the Company has instructed the Manager by telephone (confirmed promptly by electronic mail) to make such sales (“Sales Notice”) and (C) the Company has satisfied its obligations under Section 6 of this Agreement. The Company will designate the maximum amount of the Shares to be sold by the Manager daily (subject to the limitations set forth in Section 2(d)) and the minimum price per Share at which such Shares may be sold. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Manager shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell on a particular day all of the Shares designated for the sale by the Company on such day. The gross sales price of the Shares sold under this Section 2(b) shall be the market price for the Ordinary Shares sold by the Manager under this Section 2(b) on the Trading Market at the time of sale of such Shares.
(ii) The Company acknowledges and agrees that (A) there can be no assurance that the Manager will be successful in selling the Shares, (B) the Manager will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other Person if it does not sell the Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Manager to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares as required under this Agreement, and (C) the Manager shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Manager and the Company pursuant to a Terms Agreement.
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(iii) The Company shall not authorize the issuance and sale of, and the Manager shall not be obligated to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell, any Share at a price lower than the minimum price therefor designated from time to time by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), or a duly authorized committee thereof, or such duly authorized officers of the Company, and notified to the Manager in writing. The Company or the Manager may, upon notice to the other party hereto by telephone (confirmed promptly by electronic mail), suspend the offering of the Shares for any reason and at any time; provided, however, that such suspension or termination shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice.
(iv) The Manager may sell Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 under the Act, including without limitation sales made directly on the Trading Market, on any other existing trading market for the Ordinary Shares or to or through a market maker. The Manager may also sell Shares (i) in privately negotiated transactions with the consent of the Company and if so provided in the “Plan of Distribution” section of the Prospectus Supplement or a supplement to the Prospectus Supplement or a new Prospectus Supplement disclosing the terms of such privately negotiated transaction or (ii) in block transactions. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to require either party to agree to the method of offer and sale specified in this Section 2(b)(iv), and (except as specified in clauses (i) and (ii) of the preceding sentence) the method of placement of any Shares by the Manager shall be at the Manager’s discretion.
(v) The compensation to the Manager for sales of the Shares under this Section 2(b) shall be a placement fee of 3.0% of the gross sales price of the Shares sold pursuant to this Section 2(b) (“Broker Fee”). The foregoing rate of compensation shall not apply when the Manager acts as principal, in which case the Company may sell Shares to the Manager as principal at a price agreed upon at the relevant Applicable Time pursuant to a Terms Agreement. The remaining proceeds, after deduction of the Broker Fee and deduction of any transaction fees imposed by any clearing firm, execution broker, or governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales, shall constitute the net proceeds to the Company for such Shares (the “Net Proceeds”).
(vi) The Manager shall provide written confirmation (which may be by electronic mail) to the Company following the close of trading on the Trading Market each day in which the Shares are sold under this Section 2(b) setting forth the number of the Shares sold on such day, the aggregate gross sales proceeds and the Net Proceeds to the Company, and the compensation payable by the Company to the Manager with respect to such sales.
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(vii) Unless otherwise agreed between the Company and the Manager, settlement for sales of the Shares will occur at 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the first (1st) Trading Day, or any other settlement cycle as may be in effect pursuant to Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act from time to time) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Shares being sold by crediting the Manager’s or its designee’s account (provided that the Manager shall have given the Company written notice of such designee at least one Trading Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which Shares in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, the Manager will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company. The Company agrees that, if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver duly authorized Shares on a Settlement Date, in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 7 hereto, the Company will (i) hold the Manager harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or reasonable, documented expense (including reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company, and (ii) pay to the Manager any commission, discount or other compensation to which the Manager would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.
(viii) At each Applicable Time, Settlement Date, and Representation Date, the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each representation and warranty contained in this Agreement as if such representation and warranty were made as of such date, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended as of such date. Any obligation of the Manager to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell the Shares on behalf of the Company shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the continuing satisfaction of the additional conditions specified in Section 6 of this Agreement.
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(ix) If the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of Ordinary Shares, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, shares or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution” and the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive the Distribution, the “Record Date”), the Company hereby covenants that, in connection with any sales of Shares pursuant to a Sales Notice on the Record Date, the Company shall issue and deliver such Shares to the Manager on the Record Date and the Record Date shall be the Settlement Date and the Company shall cover any additional costs of the Manager in connection with the delivery of Shares on the Record Date.
(c) Term Sales. If the Company wishes to sell the Shares pursuant to this Agreement in a manner other than as set forth in Section 2(b) of this Agreement (each, a “Placement”), the Company will notify the Manager of the proposed terms of such Placement. If the Manager, acting as principal, wishes to accept such proposed terms (which it may decline to do for any reason in its sole discretion) or, following discussions with the Company wishes to accept amended terms, the Manager and the Company will enter into a Terms Agreement setting forth the terms of such Placement. The terms set forth in a Terms Agreement will not be binding on the Company or the Manager unless and until the Company and the Manager have each executed such Terms Agreement accepting all of the terms of such Terms Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Terms Agreement, the terms of such Terms Agreement will control. A Terms Agreement may also specify certain provisions relating to the reoffering of such Shares by the Manager. The commitment of the Manager to purchase the Shares pursuant to any Terms Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. Each Terms Agreement shall specify the number of the Shares to be purchased by the Manager pursuant thereto, the price to be paid to the Company for such Shares, any provisions relating to rights of, and default by, underwriters acting together with the Manager in the reoffering of the Shares, and the time and date (each such time and date being referred to herein as a “Time of Delivery”) and place of delivery of and payment for such Shares. Such Terms Agreement shall also specify any requirements for opinions of counsel, accountants’ “comfort” letters and officers’ certificates pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement and any other information or documents required by the Manager.
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(d) Maximum Number of Shares. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Shares if, after giving effect to the sale of such Shares, the aggregate amount of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the lesser of (A) together with all sales of Shares under this Agreement, the Maximum Amount, (B) the amount available for offer and sale under the currently effective Registration Statement and (C) the amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Board, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive officer, and notified to the Manager in writing. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Shares pursuant to this Agreement at a price lower than the minimum price authorized from time to time by the Board, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive officer, and notified to the Manager in writing. Further, under no circumstances shall the Company cause or permit the aggregate offering amount of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement to exceed the Maximum Amount.
(e) Regulation M Notice. Unless the exceptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are satisfied with respect to the Shares, the Company shall give the Manager at least one (1) Business Day’s prior notice of its intent to sell any Shares in order to allow the Manager time to comply with Regulation M.
3. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Manager at the Execution Time and on each such time that the following representations and warranties are repeated or deemed to be made pursuant to this Agreement, as set forth below, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Incorporated Documents.
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries as defined under Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X (individually, a “Subsidiary”) of the Company are set forth on Exhibit 8.1 to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the share capital or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any “Liens” (which for purposes of this Agreement shall mean a lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction), and all of the issued and outstanding shares of share capital and other equity interests of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.
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(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor in default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or the Incorporated Documents, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under this Agreement (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no “Proceeding” (which for purposes of this Agreement shall mean any action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened) has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(c) Authorization and Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board or the Company’s shareholders in connection herewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
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(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, or, except as set forth in the SEC Reports, give to others any right of anti-dilution protection or any similar adjustments under, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other “Person” (defined as an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind, including the Trading Market) in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, other than (i) the filings required by this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus Supplement, (iii) the filing of application(s) to and approval by the Trading Market for the listing of the Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (iv) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws and the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
(f) Issuance of Shares. The Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized share capital the maximum number of Ordinary Shares issuable pursuant to this Agreement. The issuance by the Company of the Shares has been registered under the Act and all of the Shares are freely transferable and tradable by the purchasers thereof without restriction (other than any restrictions arising solely from an act or omission of such a purchaser). The Shares are being issued pursuant to the Registration Statement and the issuance of the Shares has been registered by the Company under the Act. The “Plan of Distribution” section within the Registration Statement permits the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement. Upon receipt of the Shares, the purchasers of such Shares will have good and marketable title to such Shares and the Shares will be freely tradable on the Trading Market.
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(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the SEC Reports. The Company has not issued any share capital since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee equity awards under the Company’s equity award plans, the issuance of Ordinary Shares to employees pursuant to the Company’s equity award plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of securities exercisable, exchangeable or convertible into Ordinary Shares (“Ordinary Share Equivalents”) outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any Ordinary Shares or the share capital of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents or share capital of any Subsidiary. The issuance and sale of the Shares will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to issue Ordinary Shares or other securities to any Person. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary with any provision that adjusts the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of such security or instrument upon an issuance of securities by the Company or any Subsidiary. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company does not have any share appreciation rights or “phantom share” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of share capital of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any shareholder, the Board or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Shares. There are no shareholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s share capital to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s shareholders.
(h) Registration Statement. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form F-3 under the Act and has prepared and filed with the Commission the Registration Statement, including the Base Prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Shares. Such Registration Statement is effective and available for the offer and sale of the Shares as of the date hereof. As filed, the Base Prospectus contains all information required by the Act and the rules thereunder, and, except to the extent the Manager shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to the Manager prior to the Execution Time or prior to any such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made. The Registration Statement, at the Execution Time, each such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) in connection with any offer or sale of the Shares, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x). The initial Effective Date of the Registration Statement was not earlier than the date three years before the Execution Time. The Company meets the transaction requirements as set forth in General Instruction I.B.1 of Form F-3 or, if applicable, as set forth in General Instruction I.B.5 of Form F-3 with respect to the aggregate market value of securities being sold pursuant to this offering and during the twelve (12) calendar months prior to such time that this representation is made or deemed to be made.
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(i) Accuracy of Incorporated Documents. The Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder, and none of the Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(j) Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Shares and (ii) as of the Execution Time and on each such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.
(k) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company is eligible to use Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus does not include any information the substance of which conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any Incorporated Documents and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Manager specifically for use therein. Any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Act and the rules thereunder. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) or that was prepared by or behalf of or used by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the rules thereunder. The Company will not, without the prior consent of the Manager, prepare, use or refer to, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.
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(l) Proceedings Related to Registration Statement. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Shares. The Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to issue a stop-order with respect to the Registration Statement or that the Commission otherwise has suspended or withdrawn the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, either temporarily or permanently, or intends or has threatened in writing to do so.
(m) SEC Reports. Other than the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.
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(n) Statistical and Market-Related Data. All statistical, demographic and market-related data included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate. To the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent for the use of such data from such sources.
(o) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date on which this representation is being made, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its shareholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its share capital, (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or “Affiliate” (defined as any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 144 under the Act), except pursuant to existing Company equity award plans, and (vi) no executive officer of the Company or member of the Board has resigned from any position with the Company. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement, no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least one (1) Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.
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(p) Litigation. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”). None of the Actions set forth in the SEC Reports, (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement or the Shares or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Act.
(q) Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(r) Compliance. Except for (i) the default under that certain senior convertible note issued by the Company on February 27, 2026 to 3i LP which was subsequently waived pursuant to that certain amendment and waiver dated June 16, 2026 by and among the Company, 3i LP and Tumin Stone Capital LLC and (ii) the default under that certain senior convertible note issued by the Company on February 27, 2026 to Alto Opportunity Master Fund, SPC – Segregated Master Portfolio B which was subsequently waived pursuant to that certain amendment and waiver dated June 16, 2026 by and among the Company, Alto Opportunity Master Fund, SPC – Segregated Master Portfolio B and Ayrton Capital LLC, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Before delivery of any Sales Notice, the Company will have satisfied in full every pre-condition, condition precedent, and requirement applicable to it under each of its existing agreements, including any requirements relating to notice, consent, absence of default, covenants, maintenance of representations, or the absence of any event that, with or without notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a breach, default or event of default thereunder (collectively, the “Requirements”), to the extent that such Requirements must be satisfied prior to or in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(s) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all federal, state, local and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands, or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations, issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
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(t) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.
(u) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.
(v) Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as could not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any facts that would preclude it from having valid license rights or clear title to the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company has no knowledge that it lacks or will be unable to obtain any rights or licenses to use all Intellectual Property Rights that are necessary to conduct its business.
(w) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.
(x) Affiliate Transactions. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, shareholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including equity award agreements under any equity award plan of the Company.
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(y) Sarbanes Oxley Compliance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in material compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”), and, except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, the disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no additional significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(z) Certain Fees. Other than payments to be made to the Manager, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Manager shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(aa) No Other Sales Agency Agreement. The Company has not entered into any other sales agency agreements or other similar arrangements with any agent or any other representative in respect of at the market offerings of the Shares.
(bb) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Shares, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
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(cc) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Ordinary Shares are listed on the Trading Market and the issuance of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Trading Market. The Ordinary Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Ordinary Shares under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Ordinary Shares are or have been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Ordinary Shares are currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.
(dd) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Shares.
(ee) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the date hereof, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt) within one year from the date hereof. The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the date hereof. The SEC Reports set forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
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(ff) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.
(gg) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
(hh) Accountants. The Company’s accounting firm is set forth in the SEC Reports. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026.
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(ii) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Shares, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Manager in connection with the Shares.
(jj) Reserved.
(kk) ERISA Compliance. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company, its Subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company or such Subsidiary is a member. No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates. No “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA). Neither the Company, its Subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code. Each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.
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(ll) Equity Award Plans. Each equity award granted by the Company under the Company’s equity award plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s equity award plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Ordinary Shares on the date such equity award would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No equity award granted under the Company’s equity award plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, equity awards prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of equity awards with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.
(mm) Cybersecurity. (i)(x) There has been no security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of its respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of it), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and (y) the Company and the Subsidiaries have not been notified of, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable safeguards to maintain and protect its material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and Data; and (iv) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.
(nn) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. (i) The Company and the Subsidiaries are, and at all times during the past three years were, in material compliance with all applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations, including, as applicable, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (EU 2016/679) (collectively, “Privacy Laws”); (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take appropriate steps reasonably designed to ensure compliance with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling and analysis of Personal Data (the “Policies”); (iii) the Company provides accurate notice of its applicable Policies to its customers, employees, third party vendors and representatives as required by Privacy Laws; and (iv) applicable Policies provide accurate and sufficient notice of the Company’s then-current privacy practices relating to its subject matter, and do not contain any material omissions of the Company’s then-current privacy practices, as required by Privacy Laws. “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, email address, photograph, social security number, bank information, or customer or account number; (ii) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; (iii) “personal data” as defined by GDPR; and (iv) any other piece of information that allows the identification of such natural person, or his or her family, or permits the collection or analysis of any identifiable data related to an identified person’s health or sexual orientation. (i) None of such disclosures made or contained in any of the Policies have been inaccurate, misleading, or deceptive in violation of any Privacy Laws and (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will not result in a breach of any Privacy Laws or Policies. Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries, (i) has, to the knowledge of the Company, received written notice of any actual or potential liability of the Company or the Subsidiaries under, or actual or potential violation by the Company or the Subsidiaries of, any of the Privacy Laws; (ii) is currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation or other corrective action pursuant to any regulatory request or demand pursuant to any Privacy Law; or (iii) is a party to any order, decree, or agreement by or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority that imposed any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.
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(oo) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any of the directors, officers or employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries, is an individual or entity that is, or is owned or controlled by an individual or entity that is: (i) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, the “Sanctions”), nor (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the transactions contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person: (i) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the transactions contemplated hereby, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise). For the past five years, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has knowingly engaged in, and is not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(pp) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon the Manager’s request.
(qq) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(rr) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no Action or Proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
(ss) FINRA Member Shareholders. There are no affiliations with any FINRA member firm among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent (5%) or greater shareholder of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus.
(tt) Forward-Looking Statements. Each financial or operational projection or other “forward-looking statement” (as defined by Section 27A of the Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (i) was so included by the Company in good faith and with reasonable basis after due consideration by the Company of the underlying assumptions, estimates and other applicable facts and circumstances and (ii) as required, is accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying those factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statement. No such statement was made that was false or misleading with the knowledge of a director or senior manager of the Company that it was false or misleading.
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4. Agreements. The Company agrees with the Manager that:
(a) Right to Review Amendments and Supplements to Registration Statement and Prospectus. During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act in connection with the offering or the sale of Shares, the Company will not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement (including any Prospectus Supplement) to the Base Prospectus unless the Company has furnished to the Manager a copy for its review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Manager reasonably objects (provided, however, that the Company will have no obligation to provide the Manager any advance copy of such filing or to provide the Manager an opportunity to object to such filing if the filing does not name the Manager and does not relate to the transactions under this Agreement). The Company has properly completed the Prospectus, in a form approved by the Manager, and filed such Prospectus, as amended at the Execution Time, with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) by the Execution Time and will cause any supplement to the Prospectus to be properly completed, in a form approved by the Manager, and will file such supplement with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed thereby and will provide evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Manager of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Manager (i) when the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), (ii) when, during any period when the delivery of a prospectus (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) is required under the Act in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective (other than any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act), (iii) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement, or for any supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to its use or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the occurrence of any such suspension or objection to the use of the Registration Statement and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and using its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.
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(b) Subsequent Events. If, at any time on or after an Applicable Time but prior to the related Settlement Date, any event occurs as a result of which the Registration Statement or Prospectus would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Manager so that any use of the Registration Statement or Prospectus may cease until such are amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any such amendment or supplement to the Manager in such quantities as the Manager may reasonably request.
(c) Notification of Subsequent Filings. During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act, any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement, file a new registration statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, including in connection with use or delivery of the Prospectus, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Manager of any such event, (ii) subject to Section 4(a), prepare and file with the Commission an amendment or supplement or new registration statement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, (iii) use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable in order to avoid any disruption in use of the Prospectus and (iv) supply any supplemented Prospectus to the Manager in such quantities as the Manager may reasonably request.
(d) Earnings Statements. As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Manager an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company’s compliance with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 4(d).
(e) Delivery of Registration Statement. Upon the request of the Manager, the Company will furnish to the Manager and counsel for the Manager, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by the Manager or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule), as many copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Manager may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.
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(f) Qualification of Shares. The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Shares for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Manager may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Shares, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
(g) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Manager, and the Manager agrees with the Company that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Manager or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (ii) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
(h) Subsequent Equity Issuances. The Company shall not deliver any Sales Notice hereunder (and any Sales Notice previously delivered shall not apply during such three (3) Business Days) for at least three (3) Business Days prior to any date on which the Company or any Subsidiary offers, sells, issues, contracts to sell, contracts to issue or otherwise disposes of, directly or indirectly, any other Ordinary Shares or any Ordinary Share Equivalents (other than the Shares), subject to Manager’s right to waive this obligation, provided that, without compliance with the foregoing obligation, the Company may issue and sell Ordinary Shares pursuant to any employee equity plan, share ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan of the Company in effect at the Execution Time and the Company may issue Ordinary Shares issuable upon the conversion or exercise of Ordinary Share Equivalents outstanding at the Execution Time.
(i) Market Manipulation. Until the termination of this Agreement, the Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation in violation of the Act, Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or otherwise violate any provision of Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
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(j) Notification of Incorrect Certificate. The Company will, at any time during the term of this Agreement, as supplemented from time to time, advise the Manager immediately after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect any opinion, certificate, letter and other document provided to the Manager pursuant to Section 6 herein.
(k) Certification of Accuracy of Disclosure. Upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (and upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder lasting more than thirty (30) Trading Days), and each time that (i) a new Registration Statement is filed and declared effective by the Commission, (ii) the Registration Statement or Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented, other than by means of Incorporated Documents, (iii) the Company files its Annual Report on Form 20-F under the Exchange Act, (iv) the Company files a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K under the Exchange Act containing financial information for the six months ended June 30, (v) the Company voluntarily files a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K under the Exchange Act containing financial information for the three months ended March 31, or the nine months ended September 30, (vi) the Company files a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K containing amended financial information (other than information that is furnished and not filed), if the Manager reasonably determines that the information in such Form 6-K is material, or (vii) the Shares are delivered to the Manager as principal at the Time of Delivery pursuant to a Terms Agreement (such commencement or recommencement date and each such date referred to in (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) above, a “Representation Date”), unless waived by the Manager, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Manager forthwith a certificate dated and delivered on the Representation Date, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Manager to the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section 6 of this Agreement which were last furnished to the Manager are true and correct at the Representation Date, as though made at and as of such date (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such date) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in said Section 6, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the date of delivery of such certificate.
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(l) Bring Down Opinions; Negative Assurance. Within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date, unless waived by the Manager, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Manager and to counsel to the Manager a written opinion of English counsel to the Company (“English Counsel”), and a written opinion of United States counsel to the Company (“US Counsel” and, collectively with English Counsel, “Company Counsel”) addressed to the Manager and dated and delivered within five (5) Trading Days of such Representation Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager, including a negative assurance representation. The requirement to furnish or cause to be furnished an opinion (but not with respect to a negative assurance representation) under this Section 4(l) shall be waived for any Representation Date other than a Representation Date on which a new Registration Statement is filed and declared effective by the Commission or a material amendment to the Registration Statement or Prospectus is made or the Company files its Annual Report on Form 20-F or a material amendment thereto under the Exchange Act, unless the Manager reasonably requests such deliverable required by this Section 4(l) in connection with a Representation Date, upon which request such deliverable shall be deliverable hereunder.
(m) Auditor Bring Down “Comfort” Letter. Within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date, unless waived by the Manager, the Company shall cause (1) the Company’s auditors (the “Accountants”), or other independent accountants satisfactory to the Manager forthwith to furnish the Manager a letter, and (2) the Chief Financial Officer of the Company forthwith to furnish the Manager a certificate, in each case dated within five (5) Trading Days of such Representation Date, in form satisfactory to the Manager, of the same tenor as the letters and certificate referred to in Section 6 of this Agreement but modified to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letters and certificate. The requirement to furnish or cause to be furnished a “comfort” letter under this Section 4(m) shall be waived for any Representation Date other than a Representation Date on which a new Registration Statement is filed and declared effective by the Commission or a material amendment to the Registration Statement or Prospectus is made or the Company files its Annual Report on Form 20-F or a material amendment thereto under the Exchange Act, unless the Manager reasonably requests the deliverables required by this Section 4(m) in connection with a Representation Date, upon which request such deliverable shall be deliverable hereunder.
(n) Due Diligence Session. Upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (and upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder lasting more than thirty (30) Trading Days), and at each Representation Date, the Company will conduct a due diligence session, in form and substance, reasonably satisfactory to the Manager, which shall include representatives of management and Accountants. The Company shall cooperate timely with any reasonable due diligence request from or review conducted by the Manager or its agents from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, providing information and available documents and access to appropriate corporate officers and the Company’s agents during regular business hours, and timely furnishing or causing to be furnished such certificates, letters and opinions from the Company, its officers and its agents, as the Manager may reasonably request. The Company shall reimburse the Manager for Manager’s counsel’s fees in each such due diligence update session, up to a maximum of $5,000 and $3,500 per update for which the Company is obligated to deliver a certification pursuant to clause (iii) of Section 4(k) and clauses (iv)-(vi) of Section 4(k), respectively, for which no waiver is applicable, plus any incidental expense incurred by the Manager in connection therewith.
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(o) Acknowledgment of Trading. The Company consents to the Manager trading in the Ordinary Shares for the Manager’s own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement or pursuant to a Terms Agreement.
(p) Disclosure of Shares Sold. The Company will disclose in its Annual Reports on Form 20-F and Reports of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K when disclosing interim financial reports, as applicable, the number of Shares sold through the Manager under this Agreement, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid by the Company with respect to sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement during the relevant quarter; and, if required by any subsequent change in Commission policy or request, more frequently by means of a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K or a further Prospectus Supplement.
(q) Rescission Right. If to the knowledge of the Company, the conditions set forth in Section 6 shall not have been satisfied as of the applicable Settlement Date, the Company will offer to any person who has agreed to purchase Shares from the Company as the result of an offer to purchase solicited by the Manager the right to refuse to purchase and pay for such Shares.
(r) Bring Down of Representations and Warranties. Each acceptance by the Company of an offer to purchase the Shares hereunder, and each execution and delivery by the Company of a Terms Agreement, shall be deemed to be an affirmation to the Manager that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such acceptance or of such Terms Agreement as though made at and as of such date, and an undertaking that such representations and warranties will be true and correct as of the Settlement Date for the Shares relating to such acceptance or as of the Time of Delivery relating to such sale, as the case may be, as though made at and as of such date (except that such representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such Shares).
(s) Reservation of Shares. The Company shall ensure that there are at all times sufficient Ordinary Shares to provide for the issuance, free of any preemptive rights, out of its authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Shares held in treasury, of the maximum aggregate number of Shares authorized for issuance by the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shares to be listed for trading on the Trading Market and to maintain such listing.
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(t) Obligation Under Exchange Act. During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172, 173 or any similar rule) to be delivered under the Act, the Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder.
(u) DTC Facility. The Company shall cooperate with the Manager and use its reasonable efforts to permit the Shares to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of DTC.
(v) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the Net Proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth in the Prospectus.
(w) Filing of Prospectus Supplement. If any sales are made pursuant to this Agreement which are not made in “at the market” offerings as defined in Rule 415, including, without limitation, any Placement pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the Company shall file a Prospectus Supplement describing the terms of such transaction, the amount of Shares sold, the price thereof, the Manager’s compensation, and such other information as may be required pursuant to Rule 424 and Rule 430B, as applicable, within the time required by Rule 424.
(x) Additional Registration Statement. To the extent that the Registration Statement is not available for the sales of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement, the Company shall file a new registration statement with respect to any additional Ordinary Shares necessary to complete such sales of the Shares and shall cause such registration statement to become effective as promptly as practicable. After the effectiveness of any such registration statement, all references to “Registration Statement” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include such new registration statement, including all documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3, and all references to “Base Prospectus” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the final form of prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in any such registration statement at the time such registration statement became effective.
(y) Compliance with the Requirements. The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not deliver any Sales Notice unless it has satisfied in full all applicable Requirements that must be satisfied prior to or in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The Sales Agent shall have no liability whatsoever to the Company or any other Person for any loss, claim, damage or expense arising out of or in connection with the Sales Agent’s execution of any Sales Notice that results in a breach of, default under, or non-compliance with, any of the Requirements. It being understood and agreed that the Company bears sole responsibility for determining whether all applicable Requirements have been satisfied prior to delivering any Sales Notice.
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5. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay the costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, including without limitation: (i) the preparation, printing or reproduction and filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits thereto), the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as may, in each case, be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Shares, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Shares; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, any blue sky memorandum and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the offering of the Shares; (v) the registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act, if applicable, and the listing of the Shares on the Trading Market; (vi) any registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Manager relating to such registration and qualification); (vii) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of Company representatives in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Shares; (viii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel (including local and special counsel) for the Company; (ix) the filing fee under FINRA Rule 5110; (x) the reasonable fees and expenses of the Manager’s counsel, not to exceed $50,000 (excluding any periodic due diligence fees provided for under Section 4(n)), which shall be paid upon the Execution Time; and (xi) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.
6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Manager. The obligations of the Manager under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be subject to (i) the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time, each Representation Date, and as of each Applicable Time, Settlement Date and Time of Delivery, (ii) the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and (iii) the following additional conditions:
(a) Filing of Prospectus Supplement. The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, required by Rule 424 to be filed with the Commission have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) with respect to any sale of Shares; each Prospectus Supplement shall have been filed in the manner required by Rule 424(b) within the time period required hereunder and under the Act; any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.
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(b) Delivery of Opinion. The Company shall have caused the English Counsel and US Counsel to furnish to the Manager their respective opinions and negative assurance statement of the US Counsel, dated as of such date and addressed to the Manager in form and substance acceptable to the Manager.
(c) Delivery of Officer’s Certificate. The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Manager a certificate of the Company signed by the Chief Executive Officer or the President and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated as of such date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement and any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements or amendments thereto and this Agreement and that:
(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of such date with the same effect as if made on such date and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such date;
(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and
(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents, there has been no Material Adverse Effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(d) Delivery of Accountants’ “Comfort” Letter. The Company shall have requested and caused the Accountants to have furnished to the Manager letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to the Manager), dated as of such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, confirming that they are independent accountants within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder and that they have performed a review of any unaudited interim financial information of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and provide customary “comfort” as to such review in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager.
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(e) No Material Adverse Event. Since the respective dates as of which information is disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents, except as otherwise stated therein, there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease in previously reported results specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (d) of this Section 6 or (ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the sole judgment of the Manager, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Incorporated Documents and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).
(f) Payment of All Fees. The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Act and, if applicable, shall have updated the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).
(g) No FINRA Objections. FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements under this Agreement.
(h) Shares Listed on Trading Market. The Shares shall have been listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the Trading Market, and satisfactory evidence of such actions shall have been provided to the Manager.
(i) Other Assurances. Prior to each Settlement Date and Time of Delivery, as applicable, the Company shall have furnished to the Manager such further information, certificates and documents as the Manager may reasonably request.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Manager and counsel for the Manager, this Agreement and all obligations of the Manager hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, any Settlement Date or Time of Delivery, as applicable, by the Manager. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone and confirmed in writing by email.
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The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered to the office of Haynes and Boone, LLP, counsel for the Manager, at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 26^th^ Floor, New York, New York 10112, email: [email protected], on each such date as provided in this Agreement.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification by Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Manager, the directors, officers, employees and agents of the Manager and each person who controls the Manager within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement for the registration of the Shares as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in the Base Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arise out of or are based upon any Proceeding, commenced or threatened (whether or not the Manager is a target of or party to such Proceeding) or result from or relate to any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Manager specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company may otherwise have.
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(b) Indemnification by Manager. The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Manager, but only with reference to written information relating to the Manager furnished to the Company by the Manager specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity; provided, however, that in no case shall the Manager be responsible for any amount in excess of the Broker Fee applicable to the Shares and paid hereunder. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Manager may otherwise have.
(c) Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding.
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(d) Contribution. In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Manager agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “Losses”) to which the Company and the Manager may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Manager on the other from the offering of the Shares; provided, however, that in no case shall the Manager be responsible for any amount in excess of the Broker Fee applicable to the Shares and paid hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Manager severally shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Manager on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Manager shall be deemed to be equal to the Broker Fee applicable to the Shares and paid hereunder as determined by this Agreement. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company on the one hand or the Manager on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Manager agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7, each person who controls the Manager within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of the Manager shall have the same rights to contribution as the Manager, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).
8. Termination.
(a) The Company shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in its sole discretion at any time upon ten (10) Business Days’ prior written notice. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that (i) with respect to any pending sale, through the Manager for the Company, the obligations of the Company, including in respect of compensation of the Manager, shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the termination and (ii) the provisions of Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, the second sentence of 13, 14 and 15 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
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(b) The Manager shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, the second sentence of 13, 14 and 15 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(c) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until such date that this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Sections 8(a) or (b) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties, provided that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, the second sentence of 13, 14 and 15 shall remain in full force and effect.
(d) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination, provided that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Manager or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date or Time of Delivery for any sale of the Shares, such sale of the Shares shall settle in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(b) of this Agreement.
(e) In the case of any purchase of Shares by the Manager pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the obligations of the Manager pursuant to such Terms Agreement shall be subject to termination, in the absolute discretion of the Manager, by prompt oral notice given to the Company prior to the Time of Delivery relating to such Shares, if any, and confirmed promptly by electronic mail, if since the time of execution of the Terms Agreement and prior to such delivery and payment, (i) trading in the Ordinary Shares shall have been suspended by the Commission or the Trading Market or trading in securities generally on the Trading Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State authorities or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Manager, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).
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9. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Manager set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by the Manager or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.
10. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and will be mailed, delivered, or e-mailed to the addresses of the Company and the Manager, respectively, set forth on the signature page hereto.
11. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
12. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Manager and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Manager is acting solely as sales agent and/or principal in connection with the purchase and sale of the Company’s securities and not as a fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Manager in connection with the offering and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the offering (irrespective of whether the Manager has advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Manager has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
13. Integration. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement supersede all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Manager with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the letter agreement, dated July 9, 2026, by and between the Company and the Manager shall continue to be effective and the terms therein shall continue to survive and be enforceable by the Manager in accordance with its terms, provided that, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the letter agreement and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.
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14. Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Manager. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.
15. Applicable Law. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York. Each of the Company and the Manager: (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be instituted exclusively in New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (ii) waives any objection which it may have or hereafter to the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) irrevocably consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in any such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Company and the Manager further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company, in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon the Manager mailed by certified mail to the Manager’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service process upon the Manager, in any such suit, action or proceeding. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provision of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
16.Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all rightto trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, any Terms Agreement or the transactions contemplatedhereby or thereby.
17. Counterparts. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon one and the same agreement. Counterparts may be delivered via electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
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18. Headings. The section headings used in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the Manager.
| Very truly yours, | ||
|---|---|---|
| RedCloud Holdings PLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Address for Notice: |
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first written above.
| H.C. WAINWRIGHT & CO., LLC | ||
|---|---|---|
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Address for Notice: |
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Formof Terms Agreement
ANNEXI
REDCLOUDHOLDINGS PLC
TERMSAGREEMENT
Dear Sirs:
Redcloud Holdings plc (the “Company”) proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the At The Market Offering Agreement, dated __________ (the “At The Market Offering Agreement”), between the Company and H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (“Manager”), to issue and sell to Manager the securities specified in the Schedule I hereto (the “Purchased Shares”).
Each of the provisions of the At The Market Offering Agreement not specifically related to the solicitation by the Manager, as agent of the Company, of offers to purchase securities is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be part of this Terms Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Each of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Terms Agreement and the Time of Delivery, except that each representation and warranty in Section 3 of the At The Market Offering Agreement which makes reference to the Prospectus (as therein defined) shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty as of the date of the At The Market Offering Agreement in relation to the Prospectus, and also a representation and warranty as of the date of this Terms Agreement and the Time of Delivery in relation to the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to relate to the Purchased Shares.
An amendment to the Registration Statement (as defined in the At The Market Offering Agreement), or a supplement to the Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Purchased Shares, in the form heretofore delivered to the Manager is now proposed to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the At The Market Offering Agreement which are incorporated herein by reference, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Manager and the latter agrees to purchase from the Company the number of shares of the Purchased Shares at the time and place and at the purchase price set forth in the Schedule I hereto.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us a counterpart hereof, whereupon this Terms Agreement, including those provisions of the At The Market Offering Agreement incorporated herein by reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between the Manager and the Company.
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| --- | | REDCLOUD HOLDINGS PLC | | | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | By: | | | | Name: | | | | Title: | | |
ACCEPTED as of the date first written above.
| H.C. WAINWRIGHT & CO., LLC | ||
|---|---|---|
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
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Exhibit5.1
| RedCloud<br> Holdings Plc | Winston<br> Taylor International LLP | |
|---|---|---|
| 50<br> Liverpool Street | Companies<br> House registration number: FC043202 | |
| London | 5<br> New Street Square | |
| United<br> Kingdom | London | |
| EC2M<br> 7PY | EC4A<br> 3TW | |
| Tel:<br> +44 (0)20 7300 7000 | ||
| Fax:<br> +44 (0)20 7300 7100 | ||
| DX<br> 41 London | ||
| www.winstontaylor.com | ||
| Direct<br> Tel +44 (0)20 7300 4245 | ||
| [email protected] | ||
| Date | Our<br> reference | |
| July<br> 21, 2026 | UTHP/RED92.U7 |
Dear Sirs/Madams
RedCloud Holdings Plc
With effect from 05:01am BST on 1 June 2026, Taylor Wessing LLP merged with Winston & Strawn LLP to form Winston Taylor International LLP (the “Merger”) and that, as part of the Merger, the business of Taylor Wessing LLP, including all of its assets and liabilities, transferred to Winston Taylor International LLP. References to “we” in this opinion letter are references to Winston Taylor International LLP.
We have acted as English legal advisers to RedCloud Holdings Plc, a public limited company incorporated in England and Wales (the “Company”), in relation to the proposed offering of ordinary shares of £0.002 each in the capital of the Company (“Ordinary Shares”) pursuant to the At the Market Offering Agreement dated on or around the date of this opinion letter between the Company and H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (the “Offering”).
The Offering is being effected pursuant to the registration statement on Form F-3 (No. 333-296836) (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “SecuritiesAct”), on June 16, 2026, and declared effective on June 24,2026 (including the information incorporated by reference therein), the base prospectus contained therein, dated June 24, 2026 (the “Base Prospectus”), and the prospectus supplement, dated July 21, 2026 (the “Prospectus Supplement” and together with the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”).
This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfil the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement.
In connection herewith, we have examined the originals, or photocopies or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of:
| (i) | the<br> form of the Registration Statement, to which this opinion letter is attached as an exhibit; | |
|---|---|---|
| (ii) | the<br> Prospectus; | |
| (iii) | the<br> articles of association of the Company, as currently in effect (the “Articles”);<br> and | |
| (iv) | such<br> other corporate records, agreements, documents and other instruments, and such certificates<br> or comparable documents of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company<br> as we have deemed relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinions hereafter set forth.<br> We have also made inquiries of such officers and representatives as we have deemed relevant<br> and necessary as a basis for the opinions hereafter set forth, (together, the “Documents”). |
| 2 |
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Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that upon payment to the Company of the consideration per Ordinary Share in such amount and form as has been determined by the Board, the Ordinary Shares, when issued and sold in the Offering as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, will be duly authorised, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (there being no recognised concept of assessability under the laws of England and Wales). In giving the opinion in this letter, we have assumed (without making enquiry or investigation) that:
| (i) | all<br> signatures, stamps, and seals on all documents that we reviewed are genuine; | |
|---|---|---|
| (ii) | all<br> original documents are complete, authentic, and up-to-date, and all documents submitted to<br> us as a copy (whether by email or otherwise) are complete and accurate and conform to the<br> original documents of which they are copies and that no amendments (whether oral, in writing<br> or by conduct of the parties) have been made to any of the documents since they were examined<br> by us; | |
| (iii) | where<br> a document has been examined by us in draft or specimen form, it will be or has been duly<br> executed in the form of that draft or specimen; | |
| (iv) | the<br> capacity, power, and authority to execute, deliver and perform the Documents by or on behalf<br> of each of the parties to such documents; | |
| (v) | none<br> of the documents examined by us has been or will be amended or modified in any way, and there<br> are no other arrangements or course of dealings which modify, supersede or otherwise affect<br> any of the terms thereof, and no unknown facts or circumstances (and no documents, agreements,<br> instruments or correspondence) which are not apparent from the face of the Documents or which<br> have not been disclosed to us that may affect the conclusions in this opinion; | |
| (vi) | the<br> Articles remain in full force and effect, and no alteration has been made or will be made<br> to such Articles, in each case prior to each date of allotment and issue of the Ordinary<br> Shares (each an “Allotment Date”); | |
| (vii) | as<br> at each Allotment Date, the Company has not taken any corporate or other action nor have<br> any steps been taken or legal proceedings been started against the Company for the liquidation,<br> winding up, dissolution, reorganisation or bankruptcy of, or for the appointment of a liquidator,<br> receiver, trustee, administrator, administrative receiver or similar officer of, the Company<br> or all or any of its assets (or any analogous proceedings in any jurisdiction) and the Company<br> is not unable to pay its debts as they fall due within the meaning of section 123 of the<br> Insolvency Act 1986, as amended, and will not become unable to pay its debts within the meaning<br> of that section as a result of any of the transactions contemplated herein, is not insolvent<br> and has not been dissolved or declared bankrupt; | |
| (viii) | all<br> official public records are accurate, complete and properly indexed and filed and all statutes,<br> judicial and administrative decisions and agency regulations are available in a format that<br> makes legal research reasonably feasible; |
| 3 |
| --- | | | (ix) | there<br> has not been any mutual mistake of fact or misunderstanding, fraud, duress, or undue influence<br> by or among any of the parties to each of the signed documents examined by us; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (x) | there<br> has not been and will not be any bad faith, breach of trust, fraud, coercion, duress, or<br> undue influence on the part of any of the Directors in relation to any allotment and issue<br> of Ordinary Shares; | | | | | | | (xi) | as<br> at each Allotment Date, the Directors will have all requisite authority to allot Ordinary<br> Shares and, to the extent required, statutory pre-emption rights under the Companies Act<br> 2006 will have been disapplied by special resolution of the shareholders of the Company,<br> in each case sufficient to permit the allotment and issue of the relevant Ordinary Shares;<br> and | | | | | | | (xii) | the<br> consideration to be received by the Company for each Ordinary Share to be issued will not<br> be less than the nominal value of such Ordinary Share. |
We have made no investigation of and express no opinion in relation to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws of England and Wales and we assume that no foreign law affects these opinions. This legal opinion is to be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and is limited to and is given on the basis of the laws of England and Wales in force on the date of this legal opinion and is based on legislation published, and cases fully reported, before that date. We express no opinion as to the validity, binding effect or enforceability of any agreement or instrument relating thereto, such matters being governed by laws other than the laws of England and Wales.
We express no opinion as to any agreement, instrument, or other document other than as specified in this letter.
The opinion given in this letter is strictly limited to the matters stated herein and does not extend, and should not be read as extending, by implication or otherwise, to any other matters.
This letter only applies to those facts and circumstances which exist as at today’s date and we assume no obligation or responsibility to update or supplement this letter to reflect any facts or circumstances which may subsequently come to our attention, any changes in laws which may occur after the effective date of the Registration Statement, or to inform the addressee of any change in circumstances happening after the effective date of the Registration Statement which would alter the opinion given in this letter.
This letter is given by Winston Taylor International LLP and no partner or employee assumes any personal responsibility for it nor shall owe any duty of care in respect of it.
Our liability to you in contract and in tort, including negligence, arising in relation to this legal opinion and any other legal opinion delivered by us to you on or around the date of this legal opinion is limited to £7 million. This limitation of liability shall not apply to any liability which cannot be lawfully excluded or limited or liability arising as a result of fraud on our part.
We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm appearing under the caption “Legal Matters” and, if applicable, “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act, the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder or Item 509 of the SEC’s Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.
This opinion letter is rendered as of the date hereof and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of facts, circumstances, events, or developments that may be brought to our attention after the effective date of the Registration Statement that may alter, affect, or modify the opinions expressed herein.
Yours faithfully
/s/ Winston Taylor International LLP
WinstonTaylor International LLP
Exhibit99.1
TheCompanies Act 2006
PUBLICCOMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
ARTICLESOF ASSOCIATION
of
REDCLOUDHOLDINGS PLC
(Adopted by special resolution passed on
25 February 2025)
TAYLOR WESSING LLP
5 New Street Square
London EC4A 3TW
Index
| Clause No. | Page No. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Preliminary | 1 | |
| 2. | Share<br> capital | 4 | |
| 3. | Shares | 6 | |
| 4. | Share<br> certificates | 7 | |
| 5. | Calls<br> on shares | 8 | |
| 6. | Forfeiture<br> and lien | 9 | |
| 7. | Transfer<br> of shares | 11 | |
| 8. | Uncertificated<br> shares | 13 | |
| 9. | Transmission<br> of shares | 14 | |
| 10. | Share<br> warrants to bearer | 15 | |
| 11. | General<br> meetings | 15 | |
| 12. | Notice<br> of general meetings | 16 | |
| 13. | Proceedings<br> at general meetings | 17 | |
| 14. | Votes<br> of members | 20 | |
| 15. | Disclosure<br> of interests | 22 | |
| 16. | Proxies | 25 | |
| 17. | Corporations<br> acting by representatives | 28 | |
| 18. | Directors | 28 | |
| 19. | Appointment<br> and retirement of directors | 33 | |
| 20. | Meetings<br> and proceedings of directors | 35 | |
| 21. | Committees<br> of the directors | 38 | |
| 22. | Powers<br> of directors | 39 | |
| 23. | Alternate<br> directors | 40 | |
| 24. | Secretary | 41 | |
| 25. | Provision<br> for employees | 41 | |
| 26. | Untraceable<br> members | 41 | |
| 27. | Borrowing<br> powers | 42 | |
| 28. | The<br> seal | 42 | |
| 29. | Authentication<br> of documents | 43 | |
| 30. | Reserves | 43 | |
| 31. | Dividends | 43 | |
| 32. | Capitalisation<br> of profits and reserves | 46 | |
| 33. | Accounts | 47 | |
| 34. | Auditors | 47 | |
| 35. | Notices | 48 | |
| 36. | Destruction<br> of documents | 52 | |
| 37. | Change<br> of name | 52 | |
| 38. | Winding<br> up | 53 | |
| 39. | Indemnity | 53 | |
| 40. | Forum<br> Selection | 54 |
TheCompanies Act 2006
COMPANYLIMITED BY SHARES
ARTICLESOF ASSOCIATION
of
REDCLOUDHOLDINGS PLC
(Adopted by special resolution passed on 25 February 2025)
| 1. | Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Table A and the Model Articles not to apply | |
| 1.1 | The<br> following articles shall be the articles of association of the Company and no regulations set out in any statute, or in any statutory<br> instrument or other subordinate legislation made under any statute, concerning companies shall apply as regulations or articles of<br> the Company. |
| Interpretation | |
| 1.2 | In<br> these articles, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and expressions have the meanings set out opposite them: |
| “Act”<br> means the Companies Act 2006; | |
| “these articles” means these articles of association as altered from time to time; | |
| “Board”<br> means the directors from time to time of the Company or the directors present at a meeting of the directors at which a quorum is<br> present; | |
| “Cash Memorandum Account” means an account so designated by the Operator of the relevant system concerned; | |
| “certificated”<br> in relation to a share means a share which is not an uncertificated share; | |
| “Company”<br> means RedCloud Holdings plc, registered in England and Wales with number 15647424; | |
| “CREST”<br> means the relevant system (as defined in the Regulations) of which Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited (formerly known as CRESTCo<br> Limited) is the Operator (as defined in the Regulations); | |
| “Depositary”<br> means any depositary, clearing agency, custodian, nominee or similar entity authorised under arrangements entered into by the Company,<br> or otherwise approved by the Board that holds legal title to shares in the capital of the Company for the purposes of facilitating<br> beneficial ownership of such shares (or the transfer thereof) by other persons, and may include a person that holds, or is interested<br> directly or indirectly, including through a nominee in shares or rights or interests in respect thereof, and that issues certificates,<br> instruments, securities or other documents of title, or maintains accounts evidencing or recording the entitlement of the holders<br> thereof, or account holders to or to receive such shares, rights or interests and shall include, where so approved by the Board,<br> the trustees (acting in their capacity as such) of any employees’ share scheme established by the Company, including for the<br> avoidance of doubt DTC; |
| 1 |
| --- | | | “DTC”<br> means The Depository Trust Company and any affiliate or nominee therefor, including Cede & Co. and any successors thereto; | | --- | --- | | | | | | “electronic form” and “electronic means” have the same meaning as in section 1168 of the Act; | | | | | | “hard copy form” has the same meaning as in section 1168 of the Act; “month” means calendar month; | | | | | | “NASDAQ”<br> means the NASDAQ Stock Market of the NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.; “NASDAQ Rules” means the rules of NASDAQ; | | | | | | “Operator”<br> has the meaning given in the Regulations; | | | | | | “Ordinary Shares” means the ordinary shares of £0.002 each in the capital of the Company from time to time; | | | | | | “paid”<br> means paid or credited as paid; | | | | | | “participating issuer” has the meaning given in the Regulations; “participating security” has the meaning given in<br> the Regulations; “Preference Amount” means £49,999.999 per Preference Share; | | | | | | “Preference Shares” means the preference shares of £49,999.999 each in the capital of the Company; | | | | | | “properly authenticated dematerialised instruction” shall have the meaning given in the Regulations; | | | | | | “record date” has the meaning given in article 31.17; “Register” means the register of members of the Company; | | | | | | “Registered Office” means the registered office of the Company from time to time; | | | | | | “Regulations”<br> means the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (SI 2001 no. 3755) including any rules made thereunder or any regulations made<br> in substitution for them for the time being in force; | | | | | | “Relevant Class” has the meaning given in article 8.5; “relevant system” has the meaning given in the Regulations; | | | | | | “SEC”<br> means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission; |
| 2 |
| --- | | | “Secretary”<br> means the secretary for the time being of the Company or any other person appointed to perform the duties of the secretary of the<br> Company including a joint, assistant or deputy secretary; | | --- | --- | | | | | | “Statutes”<br> means the Act and all other statutes, orders, prospectus rules, listing rules (including the NASDAQ Rules), transparency rules, regulations<br> and other subordinate legislation for the time being in force concerning companies so far as they apply to the Company; | | | | | | “Treasury Shares” has the meaning given in section 724 of the Act; | | | | | | “uncertificated”<br> in relation to a share means a share the title to which is recorded in the Register as being held in uncertificated form and which,<br> by virtue of the Regulations, may be transferred by means of a relevant system; | | | | | | “United Kingdom” includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but excludes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man; | | | | | | “working day” has the meaning given in section 1173(1) of the Act; and<br><br> <br><br><br> <br>“year”<br> means calendar year. | | | | | 1.3 | In<br> these articles: | | | (a) | reference<br> to any statute or statutory provision includes a reference to that statute or statutory provision as amended, extended or re-enacted<br> and for the time being in force and to any regulation, order, instrument or subordinate legislation under the relevant statute or<br> statutory provision; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | where<br> the context so admits words and expressions used in the Regulations shall bear the same meaning in these articles; | | | | | | | (c) | references<br> in these articles to a share (or to a holding of shares) being in uncertificated form or in certificated form are references, respectively,<br> to that share being an uncertificated unit of a security or a certificated unit of a security, provided that any reference to a share<br> in uncertificated form applies only to a class of share which is, for the time being, a participating security, and only for as long<br> as it remains a participating security; | | | | | | | (d) | a<br> dematerialised instruction shall be treated for the purposes of these articles as properly authenticated if it complies with the<br> specifications referred to in paragraph 5(b) of schedule 1 to the Regulations; | | | | | | | (e) | reference<br> to the singular includes a reference to the plural and vice versa; | | | | | | | (f) | reference<br> to any gender includes a reference to all other genders; | | | | | | | (g) | reference<br> to writing shall include a reference to typewriting, printing, lithography, photography and any other modes of representing or reproducing<br> words in a legible and non-transitory form, whether sent or supplied in electronic form or made available on a website or otherwise; | | | | | | | (h) | headings<br> are included only for convenience and shall not affect meaning; | | | | | | | (i) | references<br> to persons include bodies corporate, unincorporated associations and partnerships and any reference to any party who is an individual<br> is also deemed to include their respective legal personal representatives; |
| 3 |
| --- | | | (j) | unless<br> the context (or this article or article 1.2) otherwise require, words or expressions defined in the Act shall have the same meanings<br> in these articles; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (k) | reference<br> to presence at a general meeting or class meeting shall include presence of a member by one or more duly authorised representatives<br> and shall include presence which is deemed in accordance with these articles (and “presence” shall be construed<br> accordingly); and | | | | | | | (l) | references<br> to a relevant system shall be deemed to relate to the relevant system in which the particular share or class of shares or renounceable<br> right of allotment of a share concerned in the capital of the Company is a participating security for the time being and all references<br> in these articles to the giving of an instruction by means of a relevant system shall be deemed to relate to a properly authenticated<br> dematerialised instruction given in accordance with the Regulations and the giving of such instructions shall be subject to: | | | (i) | the<br> facilities and requirements of the relevant system; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | the<br> extent permitted by the Regulations; and | | | | | | | (iii) | the<br> extent permitted by or practicable under the rules, procedures and practices from time to time of the Operator of the relevant system. | | | Registered Office | | --- | --- | | | | | 1.4 | The<br> Registered Office shall be at such place in England and Wales as the Board shall from time to time appoint. | | | | | 2. | Share<br> capital | | | | | | Issued share capital | | | | | 2.1 | The<br> issued share capital of the Company at the date of adoption of these articles is made up of Ordinary Shares and the Preference Shares. | | | | | | Rights attached to the shares | | | | | 2.2 | Except<br> as otherwise provided in these articles, the Ordinary Shares and the Preference Shares shall rank pari passu but they constitute<br> separate classes of shares. | | | | | 2.3 | The<br> Preference Shares are redeemable in accordance with article 3.3. | | | | | 2.4 | On<br> a distribution of assets on a liquidation or a return of capital (other than a conversion, redemption or purchase of shares) the<br> surplus assets of the Company remaining after payment of its liabilities shall be applied (to the extent that the Company is lawfully<br> permitted to do so) first in paying to the holders of the Preference Shares, in priority to any other classes of shares, an amount<br> per share held equal to the Preference Amount (provided that if there are insufficient surplus assets to pay the amounts per share<br> equal to the Preference Amount, the remaining surplus assets shall be distributed to the holders of the Preference Shares pro rata<br> to their respective holdings of Preference Shares) and second in distributing the balance among the holders of Ordinary Shares pro<br> rata to their respective holdings of Ordinary Shares. | | | | | 2.5 | The<br> Preference Shares shall not confer any voting rights on their holders. |
| 4 |
| --- | | | Liability of members | | --- | --- | | | | | 2.6 | The<br> liability of the members is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares held by them. | | | | | | Variation of rights | | | | | 2.7 | Whenever<br> the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, the special rights for the time being attached to any<br> share or class of share in the Company may, subject to the Statutes, be varied or abrogated either with the consent in writing of<br> the holders of not less than three-quarters in nominal value of the issued shares of the class or with the sanction of a special<br> resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of the class (but not otherwise) and may be so varied<br> or abrogated whilst the Company is a going concern or during or in contemplation of a winding-up. To every such separate general<br> meeting all the provisions of these articles relating to general meetings of the Company and to the proceedings at such general meetings<br> shall with necessary modifications apply, except that: | | | (a) | the<br> necessary quorum shall be two persons holding or representing by proxy at least one-third in nominal value paid up of the issued<br> shares of the class (but so that if at any adjourned meeting a quorum as defined above is not present, any one holder of any shares<br> of the class present in person or by proxy shall be a quorum); and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | any<br> holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll and every such holder shall on a poll have one vote<br> for every share of the class held by him. | | 2.8 | Article<br> 2.7 shall apply to the variation or abrogation of the special rights attached to some only of the shares of any class as if each<br> group of shares of the class differently treated formed a separate class the special rights of which are to be varied. | | --- | --- | | | | | 2.9 | The<br> special rights attached to any class of shares having preferential rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms<br> of issue of that class of shares, be deemed to be varied: | | | (a) | by<br> the allotment or issue of further shares ranking as regards participation in the profits or assets of the Company in some or all<br> respects equally with such shares but in no respect in priority to such shares; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | by<br> the purchase by the Company of any of its own shares (and the holding of any such shares as Treasury Shares); or | | | | | | | (c) | by<br> the Board resolving that a class of shares shall become, or the Operator of the relevant system permitting such class of shares to<br> be, a participating security. | | | New shares | | --- | --- | | | | | 2.10 | All<br> new shares shall be subject to the provisions of the Statutes and of these articles with reference to allotment, payment of calls,<br> lien, transfer, transmission, forfeiture and otherwise. | | | | | | Sub-division of shares | | | | | 2.11 | Whenever<br> the Company sub-divides its shares, or any of them, into shares of smaller nominal value, the Company may, by ordinary resolution<br> determine that, as between the shares resulting from the sub-division, any of them may have any preference or advantage or be subject<br> to any restriction as compared to the others. |
| 5 |
| --- | | | Fractions on consolidation | | --- | --- | | | | | 2.12 | Whenever<br> as a result of a consolidation of shares any members would become entitled to fractions of a share, the Board may deal with the fractions<br> as it thinks fit and in particular may sell the shares representing the fractions to any person (including, subject to the Statutes,<br> the Company) and distribute the net proceeds of sale in due proportion among those members and the Board may authorise some person<br> to transfer or deliver the shares to, or in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. The person to whom any shares are transferred<br> or delivered shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money nor shall his title to the shares be affected by<br> any irregularity in, or invalidity of, the proceedings relating to the sale. | | | | | | Purchase of own shares | | | | | 2.13 | Where<br> there are in issue securities convertible into or carrying a right to subscribe for equity shares of a class proposed to be purchased,<br> a separate meeting of the holders of the convertible securities must be held and their approval by special resolution obtained before<br> the Company enters into any contract to purchase equity shares of the relevant class. Subject to this and notwithstanding anything<br> to the contrary contained in these articles, the rights and privileges attached to any class of shares shall be deemed not to be<br> altered or abrogated by anything done by the Company in pursuance of any resolution passed under the powers conferred by the Statutes. | | | | | 3. | Shares | | | | | | Trust etc. interest not recognised | | | | | 3.1 | Except<br> as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction or as required by law, the Company shall not be bound by or required in any way to<br> recognise (even when it has notice) the terms of any trust on which any shares are held or any equitable, contingent, future or partial<br> interest in any share or any interest in any fractional part of a share or (except only as otherwise provided by these articles or<br> by law) any other right in respect of any share except an absolute right of the holder to the entirety of such share. | | | | | | Rights attaching to shares on issue | | | | | 3.2 | Without<br> prejudice to any special rights for the time being conferred on the holders of any existing shares or class of shares, any share<br> in the Company may be issued with such preferred, deferred or other special rights, or subject to such restrictions, whether in regard<br> to dividend, return of capital, voting or otherwise, as the Company may from time to time by ordinary resolution determine (or, in<br> the absence of any such determination, as the Board may determine). | | | | | | Redeemable shares | | | | | 3.3 | Any<br> share may be issued which is or is to be liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company or the holder, and the directors may<br> determine from time to time the terms, conditions and manner of redemption of any such share. | | | | | | Board’s power to allot | | | | | 3.4 | Subject<br> to any resolution of the Company, the Board may allot shares in the Company up to the amount and for the duration specified in the<br> relevant resolution with or without conferring a right of renunciation, grant options over or otherwise dispose of shares to such<br> persons, at such times and on such terms as it thinks fit. |
| 6 |
| --- | | | Commissions on issue of shares | | --- | --- | | | | | 3.5 | The<br> Company may exercise the powers of paying commissions conferred by the Act. Subject to the Act and the NASDAQ Rules, any such commission<br> may be satisfied by the payment of cash or by the allotment of fully or partly paid shares, or partly in one way and partly in the<br> other and may be in respect of a conditional or absolute subscription. The Company may also on any issue of shares pay such brokerage<br> as may be lawful. | | | | | | Renunciation of allotment | | | | | 3.6 | The<br> Board may at any time after the allotment of any share but before any person has been entered in the Register as the holder recognise<br> a renunciation of such share by the allottee in favour of some other person and may accord to any allottee of a share a right to<br> effect such renunciation upon and subject to such terms and conditions as the Board may think fit to impose. | | | | | | Register | | | | | 3.7 | The<br> Company shall enter on the Register how many certificated and uncertificated shares each member holds. | | | | | 4. | Share<br> certificates | | | | | | General | | | | | 4.1 | The<br> Board may by resolution determine, either generally or in any particular case or cases, that share certificates need not be issued<br> under a seal. The Board may by resolution decide, either generally or in any particular case or cases, that any signatures on any<br> share certificate need not be autographic but may be applied to the certificates by mechanical means or may be printed on them or<br> that the certificates need not be signed by any person. | | | | | 4.2 | A<br> share certificate must include the following matters on its face (or on the reverse in the case of article 4.2(f)): | | | (a) | the<br> authority under which the issuer is constituted and the country of incorporation and registered number; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | the<br> number or amount and class of securities the certificate represents and, if applicable, the number and denomination of units (in<br> the top right-hand corner); | | | | | | | (c) | a<br> footnote stating that no transfer of the security or any portion of the security represented by the certificate can be registered<br> without production of the certificate; | | | | | | | (d) | if<br> applicable, the minimum amount and multiples of that amount in which the security is transferable; | | | | | | | (e) | the<br> date of the certificate; and | | | | | | | (f) | for<br> shares with preferential rights, on the face (or, if not practicable, on the reverse), a statement of the conditions as to capital,<br> dividends and (where applicable) conversion or redemption. |
| 7 |
| --- | | | Joint holders | | --- | --- | | | | | 4.3 | In<br> the case of a certificated share held jointly by several persons the Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate<br> for such certificated share and delivery of a certificate to one of two or more joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all. | | | | | | Issue of share certificate | | | | | 4.4 | Subject<br> to the provisions of these articles, every person whose name is entered in the Register in respect of any certificated shares of<br> any one class, shall upon the issue or transfer of such certificated shares, be entitled without payment to a certificate for such<br> certificated shares (in the case of issue) within one month (or such longer period as the terms of issue shall provide) after allotment<br> or (in the case of a transfer of fully-paid shares) within fourteen days after lodgement of the transfer or (in the case of a transfer<br> of partly-paid shares) within two months after lodgement of transfer. | | | | | | Balance certificate | | | | | 4.5 | Where<br> some only of the shares comprised in a share certificate are transferred the old certificate shall be cancelled and a new certificate<br> for the balance of such certificated shares shall be issued without charge. | | | | | | Replacement of share certificates | | | | | 4.6 | Any<br> two or more certificates representing certificated shares of any one class held by any member may at his request and or surrender<br> of the original certificates be cancelled and a single new certificate for such shares issued in lieu without charge. | | | | | 4.7 | If<br> any member shall surrender for cancellation a share certificate representing certificated shares held by him and request the Company<br> to issue in lieu two or more share certificates representing such shares in such proportion as he may specify, the Board may, if<br> it thinks fit, comply with such request. | | | | | 4.8 | If<br> a share certificate shall be defaced, worn out or alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, it shall be replaced without charge<br> (other than exceptional out-of-pocket expenses) but on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and to payment of any expenses<br> of the Company in investigating such evidence and preparing such indemnity as the Board may think fit and, where it is defaced or<br> worn out, after delivery of the old certificate to the Company. | | | | | 4.9 | In<br> the case of certificated shares held jointly by several persons any request for a new share certificate may be made by any one of<br> the joint holders. | | | | | 5. | Calls<br> on shares | | | | | | Power to make calls | | | | | 5.1 | The<br> Board may from time to time make calls upon the members in respect of any money unpaid on their shares (whether on account of the<br> nominal value of the shares or, when permitted, by way of premium) but subject always to the terms of issue of such shares. A call<br> shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Board authorising the call was passed and may be made payable<br> by instalments. A person upon whom a call is made shall remain liable on such call notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of shares<br> in respect of which the call was made. |
| 8 |
| --- | | | Liability for calls | | --- | --- | | | | | 5.2 | Each<br> member shall (subject to receiving no fewer than fourteen days’ notice specifying the time or times and place of payment) pay<br> to the Company at the time or times and place so specified the sum called on his shares. The joint holders of a share shall be jointly<br> and severally liable to pay all calls in respect of such share. A call may before receipt of the Company of any sum due thereunder<br> be revoked or postponed in whole or in part as regards all or any members as the Board may determine. | | | | | | Interest on overdue sums | | | | | 5.3 | If<br> a sum called in respect of a share is not paid before or on the day appointed for payment of such sum, the person from whom the sum<br> is due shall pay interest on the sum from the day appointed for payment of such sum to the time of actual payment at such rate (not<br> exceeding any maximum rate specified by the Act or by an order made by the Secretary of State) as the Board determines but the Board<br> shall be at liberty to waive payment of such interest wholly or in part. | | | | | | Other sums due on shares | | | | | 5.4 | Any<br> sum (whether on account of the nominal value of the share or by way of premium) which by the terms of issue of a share becomes payable<br> upon allotment or at any fixed date shall for all the purposes of these articles be deemed to be a call duly made and payable on<br> the date on which by the terms of issue the same becomes payable. In case of non-payment all the relevant provisions of these articles<br> as to payment of interest and expenses, forfeiture or otherwise shall apply as if such sum had become payable by virtue of a call<br> duly made and notified. | | | | | | Power to differentiate between holders | | | | | 5.5 | The<br> Board may on the allotment or issue of shares differentiate between the allottees or holders of such shares as to the calls to be<br> made and the times of payment. | | | | | | Payment of calls in advance | | | | | 5.6 | If<br> the Board thinks fit the Company may receive from any member who is willing to advance them all or any part of the moneys uncalled<br> and unpaid upon the shares held by him and upon all or any of the moneys so advanced may (until they would, but for the advance,<br> become payable) pay interest at such rate, not exceeding 5 per cent. per annum, or such other maximum amount as may be specified<br> by the Act or an order made by the Secretary of State, as the Board may decide. While any amount paid up in advance of calls on any<br> share may entitle the holder of the share to interest (if the directors so agree) it shall not entitle the holder to participate<br> in respect of that amount in any dividend. | | | | | 6. | Forfeiture<br> and lien | | | | | | Notice on failure to pay a call | | | | | 6.1 | If<br> a member fails to pay in full any call or instalment of a call on the due date for payment of such call or instalment, the Board<br> may at any time after the failure serve a notice on him or any person entitled to the shares by transmission requiring payment of<br> so much of the call or instalment as is unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued on such call or instalment and any<br> expenses incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment. The rate of interest may be fixed by the terms of the issue of the<br> shares or, if the rate is not fixed, may be determined by the Board but shall not exceed the maximum amount fixed by the Act. |
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| --- | | 6.2 | The<br> notice shall name a further day (being not fewer than seven days from the date of service of the notice) on or before which, and<br> the place where, the payment required by the notice is to be made, and shall state that in the event of non-payment in accordance<br> with such notice the shares on which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited. | | --- | --- | | | | | | Forfeiture for non-compliance | | | | | 6.3 | If<br> the requirements of any such notice as is referred to in the preceding article are not complied with, any share in respect of which<br> such notice has been given may at any time after the non-compliance, before payment of all calls and interest and expenses due in<br> respect of such share has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Board to that effect. Such forfeiture shall include all<br> dividends declared in respect of the forfeited share and not actually paid before forfeiture. The Board may accept a surrender of<br> any share liable to be forfeited under these articles. | | | | | | Notice on previous holder | | | | | 6.4 | Where<br> any share has been forfeited, notice of the forfeiture shall be served upon the person who was the holder of the share before forfeiture<br> or, in the case of a person entitled to such share by transmission, upon such person (as the case may be). An entry recording the<br> fact that notice of forfeiture has been given and that the share has been forfeited shall immediately be made in the Register in<br> respect of such share. However, no forfeiture shall be invalidated in any manner by any omission or neglect to give such notice or<br> make such entry. | | | | | | Disposal of forfeited shares | | | | | 6.5 | Subject<br> to the provisions of the Act, a share forfeited or surrendered shall become the property of the Company and may be sold, re-allotted<br> or disposed of in any other way either to the person who was the holder of such share or entitled to such share before such forfeiture<br> or surrender, or to any other person upon such terms and in such manner as the Board shall think fit and at any time before a sale,<br> re-allotment or other disposition the forfeiture may be annulled by the Board on such terms as it thinks fit. The Board may, if necessary,<br> authorise some person to transfer a forfeited or surrendered share to any such other person. | | | | | | Holder to remain liable despite forfeiture | | | | | 6.6 | A<br> member whose shares have been forfeited or surrendered shall cease to be a member in respect of the shares (and shall surrender to<br> the Company for cancellation the certificate for such shares) but shall notwithstanding the forfeiture or surrender remain liable<br> to pay to the Company all moneys which at the date of forfeiture or surrender were presently payable by him to the Company in respect<br> of the shares with interest on such shares at such rate (not exceeding any maximum amount specified by the Act or by an order made<br> by the Secretary of State) as the Board may determine from the date of forfeiture or surrender until payment. The Board may at its<br> absolute discretion enforce payment without any allowance for the value of the shares at the time of forfeiture or surrender or waive<br> payment in whole or in part. | | | | | | Lien on partly paid shares | | | | | 6.7 | The<br> Company shall have a first and paramount lien on every share (not being a fully paid share) for all moneys (whether presently payable<br> or not) called or payable at a fixed time in respect of such share. The Board may waive any lien which has arisen and may resolve<br> that any share shall for some limited period be exempt wholly or partially from the provisions of this article. |
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| --- | | | Sale of shares subject to lien | | --- | --- | | | | | 6.8 | The<br> Company may sell in such manner as the Board thinks fit any share on which the Company has a lien, but no sale shall be made unless<br> some sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable nor until the expiration of fourteen days after a notice in writing<br> stating and demanding payment of the sum presently payable and giving notice of intention to sell in default shall have been given<br> to the holder for the time being of the share or the person entitled to such share by reason of his death, bankruptcy, liquidation<br> or otherwise. | | | | | | Proceeds of sale of shares subject to lien | | | | | 6.9 | The<br> net proceeds of sale of shares subject to a lien (after payment of the costs of such sale) shall be applied in or towards payment<br> or satisfaction of the debts or liabilities in respect of which the lien exists so far as the same are presently payable and any<br> residue shall (subject to a like lien for liabilities not presently payable as existed upon the shares prior to the sale) be paid<br> to the person entitled to the shares at the time of the sale. For giving effect to any such sale the Board may authorise some person<br> to transfer the shares sold to, or in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. | | | | | | Evidence of forfeiture | | | | | 6.10 | A<br> statutory declaration in writing that the declarant is a director or the Secretary and that a share has been duly forfeited or surrendered<br> or sold to satisfy obligations covered by a lien of the Company on a date stated in the declaration shall be conclusive evidence<br> of the facts stated in the declaration as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the share. Such declaration shall (subject<br> to the execution of a transfer if the same be required) constitute a good title to the share and the person to whom the share is<br> sold, re-allotted or disposed of shall be registered as the holder of the share and shall be discharged from all calls made prior<br> to such sale or disposition and shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase moneys (if any) nor shall his title<br> to the share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating to the forfeiture, surrender, sale, re-allotment<br> or other disposal of the share. | | | | | 6.11 | The<br> forfeiture of a share shall extinguish at the time of forfeiture all interest in and claims and demands against the Company in respect<br> of the share and all other rights and liabilities incidental to the share as between the holder whose share is forfeited and the<br> Company, except only such of those rights and liabilities as are by these articles expressly saved, or as are by the Act given or<br> imposed in the case of past members. | | | | | 7. | Transfer<br> of shares | | | | | | Transfer of securities without a written instrument | | | | | 7.1 | Title<br> to any securities of the Company may be evidenced and title to and interests in securities may be transferred without a written instrument<br> in accordance with statutory regulations from time to time made under the Statutes, and the Board shall have power to implement any<br> arrangements it may think fit for such evidencing and transfer which accord with those regulations. | | | | | | Form of transfer | | | | | 7.2 | Subject<br> to articles 7.1 and 8, all transfers of certificated shares may be effected by transfer in writing in any usual or common form or<br> in any other form acceptable to the Board and may be under hand only. The instrument of transfer shall be signed by or on behalf<br> of the transferor and (except in the case of fully paid shares) by or on behalf of the transferee. In relation to both certificated<br> and uncertificated shares, the transferor shall remain the holder of the shares concerned until the name of the transferee is entered<br> in the Register in respect of such shares. All instruments of transfer which are registered may be retained by the Company. |
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| --- | | | Right to refuse to register a transfer | | --- | --- | | | | | 7.3 | The<br> Board may in its absolute discretion refuse to register any transfer of any certificated share which is not a fully paid share, provided<br> that the Board shall not refuse to register any transfer or renunciation of partly paid shares which are admitted to NASDAQ on the<br> grounds that they are partly paid shares in circumstances where such refusal would prevent dealings in such shares from taking place<br> on an open and proper basis. | | | | | | Other rights to decline registration | | | | | 7.4 | The<br> Board may decline to recognise any instrument of transfer relating to certificated shares unless: | | | (a) | the<br> instrument of transfer: | | --- | --- | --- | | | (i) | is<br> in respect of only one class of share; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | is<br> lodged at the Registered Office or such other place as the Board may appoint; | | | | | | | (iii) | is<br> accompanied by the relevant share certificate(s) and such other evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show the right of<br> the transferor to make the transfer (and, if the instrument of transfer is executed by some other person on his behalf, the authority<br> of that person so to do); | | | | | | | (iv) | is<br> duly stamped (if so required); and | | | (b) | in<br> the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders does not exceed four. | | --- | --- | --- | | | Notice of refusal | | --- | --- | | | | | 7.5 | If<br> the Board refuses to register a transfer, it shall send notice of the refusal to the transferee as soon as practicable and in any<br> event within two months of the date on which the transfer was lodged with the Company. Any instrument of transfer which the Board<br> refuses to register shall (except in the case of suspected or actual fraud) be returned to the person depositing it. | | | | | | Transfer without certificate | | | | | 7.6 | In<br> the case of a transfer by a recognised clearing house or a nominee of a recognised clearing house or of a recognised investment exchange<br> the lodgement of share certificates with the instrument of transfer will only be necessary if and to the extent that certificates<br> have been issued in respect of the shares in question. The expressions “recognised clearing house” and “recognised investment exchange” shall have the meanings given to them in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. | | | | | | Branch register | | | | | 7.7 | Subject<br> to and to the extent permitted by the Statutes and the Regulations, the Company, or the Board on behalf of the Company, may cause<br> a branch register to be kept in any territory of members resident in such territory, and the Board may make and vary such regulations<br> as they may think fit in respect of the keeping of any such register, provided, however, that those members who hold uncertificated<br> shares may not be entered as holders of those shares on an overseas branch register. |
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| --- | | | No fee for registration | | --- | --- | | | | | 7.8 | No<br> fee will be charged by the Company in respect of the registration of any instrument of transfer, or probate, or letters of administration,<br> or certificate of marriage or death, or stop notice, or power of attorney, or other document relating to or affecting the title to<br> any shares or otherwise for making any entry in the Register affecting the title to any shares. | | | | | 8. | Uncertificated<br> shares | | | | | 8.1 | Save<br> where NASDAQ otherwise agrees and subject to the NASDAQ Rules, all shares shall be eligible for electronic settlement, which includes<br> settlement by a relevant system. | | | | | 8.2 | Shares<br> of a class shall not be treated as forming a separate class from other shares of that class merely because any such shares are held<br> from time to time in uncertificated form or are permitted in accordance with the Regulations to become a participating security. | | | | | 8.3 | The<br> directors shall have power to implement such arrangements as they may, in their absolute discretion, think fit in order for any class<br> of shares to be a participating security (subject always to the Regulations and the facilities and requirements of the relevant system<br> concerned). Where they do so, articles 8.4 and 8.5 shall commence to have effect immediately prior to the time at which the Operator<br> of the relevant system concerned permits the class of shares concerned to be a participating security. | | | | | 8.4 | These<br> articles shall apply to uncertificated shares, save that, in relation to any class of shares which is, for the time being, a participating<br> security, and for so long as such class remains a participating security, no provision of these articles shall apply or have effect<br> to the extent that it is in any respect inconsistent with: | | | (a) | the<br> holding of shares of that class in uncertificated form; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | the<br> transfer of title to shares of that class by means of a relevant system; or | | | | | | | (c) | the<br> Regulations. | | 8.5 | Without<br> prejudice to the generality of article 8.4 and notwithstanding anything contained in these articles, where any class of shares is,<br> for the time being, a participating security (such class being referred to in these articles as the “Relevant Class”): | | --- | --- | | | (a) | the<br> register relating to the Relevant Class shall be maintained at all times in the United Kingdom; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | shares<br> of the Relevant Class may be issued in uncertificated form in accordance with and subject as provided in the Regulations; | | | | | | | (c) | unless<br> the directors otherwise determine, shares of the Relevant Class held by the same holder or joint holder in certificated form and<br> uncertificated form shall be treated as separate holdings; | | | | | | | (d) | shares<br> of the Relevant Class may be changed from uncertificated to certificated form, and from certificated to uncertificated form, in accordance<br> with and subject as provided in the Regulations; |
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| --- | | | (e) | title<br> to shares of the Relevant Class which are recorded on the register as being held in uncertificated form may be transferred by means<br> of the relevant system concerned and accordingly (and in particular) article 7 shall not apply in respect of such shares to the extent<br> that that article requires or contemplates the effecting of a transfer by an instrument in writing and the production of a certificate<br> for the share to be transferred; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (f) | no<br> provision of these articles shall apply so as to require the Company to issue a certificate to any person holding shares of the Relevant<br> Class in uncertificated form. | | 8.6 | Where<br> the Company is entitled under the Statutes, the Regulations, the rules, procedures or practices of any relevant system or in accordance<br> with the NASDAQ Rules to dispose of, forfeit, accept the surrender of, enforce a lien over, re-allot or sell, transfer or otherwise<br> procure the sale of any shares which are held in uncertificated form, the Board shall have the power to take such steps as the Board<br> considers appropriate, by instruction by means of a relevant system or otherwise, to effect such disposal, forfeiture, surrender,<br> enforcement, re-allotment, sale or transfer and such powers shall include the right to: | | --- | --- | | | (a) | request<br> or require the deletion of any computer-based entries in the relevant system relating to the holding of such shares in uncertificated<br> form; and/or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | alter<br> such computer-based entries so as to divest the registered holder of such shares of the power to transfer such shares to a person<br> other than the transferee, purchaser or his nominee identified by the Company for this purpose; and/or | | | | | | | (c) | require<br> any holder of any uncertificated shares which are the subject of any exercise by the Company of any such entitlement, by notice in<br> writing to the holder concerned, to convert his holding of such uncertificated shares into certificated form within such period as<br> may be specified in the notice prior to completion of any disposal, sale or transfer of such shares or direct the holder to take<br> such steps as may be necessary to sell or transfer such shares; and/or | | | | | | | (d) | appoint<br> any person to take such other steps in the name of the holder of such shares as may be required to effect the conversion and/or transfer<br> of such shares and such steps shall be as effective as if they had been taken by the registered holder of the uncertificated shares<br> concerned. | | 9. | Transmission<br> of shares | | --- | --- | | | | | | Persons entitled on death | | | | | 9.1 | On<br> the death of a shareholder, the survivors or survivor where the deceased was a joint holder, and the executors or administrators<br> of the deceased where he was a sole or only surviving holder, shall be the only person or persons recognised by the Company as having<br> any title to or interest in the shares, but nothing in this article shall release the estate of a deceased holder (whether sole or<br> joint) from any liability in respect of any share held by him. |
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| --- | | | Election by persons entitled by transmission | | --- | --- | | | | | 9.2 | Any<br> person becoming entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a member or of any other event giving rise by operation<br> of law to such entitlement may, (subject as provided in these articles) upon supplying to the Company such evidence as the Board<br> may reasonably require to show his title to the share, either be registered himself as holder of the share upon giving to the Company<br> notice in writing of his desire to be so registered or transfer such share to some other person. If he shall elect to have his nominee<br> registered, he shall signify his election: | | | (a) | if<br> such share is a certificated share, by signing an instrument of transfer of such share in favour of his nominee; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | if<br> such share is an uncertificated share, either by procuring that instructions are given by means of the relevant system to effect<br> the transfer of the share to that nominee or by changing the share to a certificated share and transfer it in accordance with article<br> 9.2(a). | | | All<br> the limitations, restrictions and provisions of these articles relating to the right to transfer and the registration of transfers<br> of shares shall be applicable to any such notice or transfer as if the death or bankruptcy of the member or other event had not occurred<br> and the notice or transfer were a transfer executed by such member. Where the entitlement of a person to a share in consequence of<br> the death or bankruptcy of a member or of any other event giving rise to its transmission by operation of law is proved to the satisfaction<br> of the Board, the Board shall, within two months after being so satisfied, cause the entitlement of that person to be noted in the<br> Register. | | --- | --- | | | | | | Rights of persons entitled by transmission | | | | | 9.3 | Save<br> as otherwise provided by or in accordance with these articles, a person becoming entitled to a share in consequence of the death<br> or bankruptcy of a member or other event giving rise by operation of law to such entitlement (upon supplying to the Company such<br> evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show his title to the share) shall be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages<br> as those to which he would be entitled if he were the registered holder of the share (and the rights of the registered holder in<br> relation to such share shall cease) except that he shall not be entitled in respect of such share (except with the authority of the<br> Board) to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company until he shall have been registered as<br> a member in respect of the share. The Board may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered<br> himself or to transfer the share and if the notice is not complied with within sixty days the Board may after that withhold payment<br> of all dividends and other moneys payable in respect of the share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with. | | | | | 10. | Share<br> warrants to bearer | | | | | | Share<br> warrants to bearer may be issued by the Board in respect of fully-paid shares on such terms and conditions as to voting and in all<br> other respects as they may prescribe, providing that no new share warrant to bearer shall be issued to replace one that has been<br> lost unless it is proved beyond reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of the Board to have been destroyed. The bearer of a share warrant<br> shall be subject to the terms and conditions governing share warrants for the time being in force, whether made before or after the<br> issue of such share warrant. | | | | | 11. | General<br> meetings | | | | | | Annual general meetings | | | | | 11.1 | The<br> Board shall convene and the Company shall hold general meetings as annual general meetings in accordance with the requirements of<br> the Statutes at such time and place as the Board may determine. |
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| --- | | | Calling of general meetings | | --- | --- | | | | | 11.2 | The<br> Board may whenever it thinks fit, and shall on members’ requests in accordance with the Act, proceed with proper expedition<br> to convene a general meeting. | | | | | 12. | Notice<br> of general meetings | | | | | | Length of notice for general meetings and persons entitled to receive notice | | | | | 12.1 | Any<br> notice of general meeting may be given by the Company: | | | (a) | in<br> hard copy form; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | in<br> electronic form; or | | | | | | | (c) | by<br> means of a website, | | | or<br> partly by one of these means and partly by another of these means, in each case, in accordance with any relevant provisions of the<br> Act. Notices of general meeting shall be given in accordance with article 35. | | --- | --- | | | | | 12.2 | An<br> annual general meeting and all other general meetings of the Company shall be called by at least such minimum notice period as is<br> prescribed or permitted under the Act. | | | | | 12.3 | The<br> notice shall be given to the members (other than any who, under the provisions of these articles or of any restrictions imposed on<br> any shares, are not entitled to receive notice from the Company), to the directors and to the auditors. The notice shall also be<br> given to any other person entitled to receive such notice under the Act. | | | | | 12.4 | The<br> Board may determine that persons entitled to receive notice of meetings are those persons entered on the Register at the close of<br> business on a day determined by the Board, but if the Company is a participating issuer, the day determined by the Board may not<br> be more than 21 days before the date upon which the relevant notice is being sent. | | | | | | Contents of notice of general meetings | | | | | 12.5 | Every<br> notice calling a general meeting shall: | | | (a) | specify<br> the place and the day and time of the meeting, and contain a reasonably prominent statement informing the member of his rights to<br> appoint proxies under the Act and any more extensive rights conferred by these articles (or such other statement as may from time<br> to time be required under the Statutes); | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | in<br> the case of an annual general meeting, specify the meeting as such; | | | | | | | (c) | in<br> the case of any annual general meeting (but not any other general meeting) at which business other than ordinary business is to be<br> transacted or any general meeting other than an annual general meeting, specify the general nature of such business; and | | | | | | | (d) | if<br> any resolution is to be proposed as a special resolution, set out in full the resolution to be proposed as a special resolution. |
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| --- | | | Ordinary business | | --- | --- | | | | | 12.6 | Ordinary<br> business in relation to an annual general meeting shall mean: | | | (a) | receiving,<br> considering and adopting the annual accounts and the report of the directors and the auditors on the annual reports; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | receiving,<br> considering and adopting the annual directors’ remuneration report; | | | | | | | (c) | declaring<br> a dividend; | | | | | | | (d) | reappointing<br> auditors and authorising the Board to fix their remuneration; and | | | | | | | (e) | renewing<br> or regranting an existing authority for a scrip dividend alternative. | | | Postponement of a general meeting | | --- | --- | | | | | 12.7 | If,<br> after the sending of notice of a general meeting but before the meeting is held (or after the adjournment of a general meeting but<br> before the adjourned meeting is held), the directors decide that it is impracticable or undesirable to hold the meeting at the declared<br> time and/or place(s) and/or use the declared means of attendance and participation, they may postpone the time at which the meeting<br> is to be held, change the place(s) and/or change the means of attendance and participation, and in any such case: | | | (a) | no<br> new notice of the meeting need be sent, but the directors shall, if practicable, advertise the new date, time and place(s) of, and<br> means of attendance and participation at, the meeting in at least two national daily newspapers and shall take reasonable steps to<br> ensure that any member attempting to attend the meeting at the original time, place(s) and means of attendance and participation<br> is informed of the new arrangements; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | a<br> proxy appointment in relation to the meeting may be delivered or received, at the address or addresses specified by or on behalf<br> of the Company in accordance with these articles, at any time not less than 48 hours before any postponed time appointed for holding<br> the meeting. | | 12.8 | The<br> directors may use the power under article 12.7 any number of times in relation to the same meeting. | | --- | --- | | | | | 13. | Proceedings<br> at general meetings | | | | | | Chairman | | | | | 13.1 | The<br> chairman of the Board (if any), failing whom the deputy chairman (if any), shall preside as chairman at a general meeting. If there<br> is no such chairman or deputy chairman, or if at any meeting neither the chairman nor deputy chairman is present within five minutes<br> after the time appointed for holding the meeting, or if neither of them is willing to act as chairman, the directors present shall<br> choose one of their number (or, if no director is present or if all the directors present decline to take the chair, the persons<br> present and entitled to vote on a poll shall choose one of their number), to be chairman of the meeting. | | | | | | Quorum | | | | | 13.2 | No<br> business other than the appointment of a chairman shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present at the time<br> when the meeting proceeds to business. Two members present in person or by proxy and entitled to attend and vote at that meeting<br> shall be a quorum for all purposes. |
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| --- | | | Directors and other persons may attend and speak | | --- | --- | | | | | 13.3 | Any<br> director and any person appointed as proxy (and any other person invited by the chairman to do so) shall, notwithstanding that he<br> is not a member, be entitled to attend and speak at any general meeting and at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of<br> shares of the Company. | | | | | | Adjournment | | | | | 13.4 | The<br> chairman may at any time without the consent of the meeting adjourn any meeting (whether or not it has commenced or a quorum is present)<br> to another time or place where it appears to him that: | | | (a) | the<br> members wishing to attend cannot be conveniently accommodated in the place appointed for the meeting; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | the<br> conduct of persons present prevents or is likely to prevent the orderly continuation of business; or | | | | | | | (c) | an<br> adjournment is otherwise necessary so that the business of the meeting may be properly conducted. | | 13.5 | The<br> chairman of any general meeting may with the consent of the meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the<br> meeting) adjourn the meeting from time to time (or without a date being fixed) and from place to place, but no business shall be<br> transacted at any adjourned meeting except business which might lawfully have been transacted at the meeting from which the adjournment<br> took place. Where a meeting is adjourned without a date being fixed, the time and place for any adjourned meeting shall be fixed<br> by the Board, provided that the time and place at which it is to be taken was announced at the meeting at which it was demanded. | | --- | --- | | | | | 13.6 | When<br> a meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more or without a date being fixed, not fewer than seven days’ notice of any adjourned<br> meeting shall be given in the same manner as in the case of the original meeting. | | | | | 13.7 | If<br> within five minutes (or such longer time not exceeding one hour as the chairman of the meeting may determine to wait) after the time<br> appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, or if during the meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting, if convened<br> on the requisition of members, shall be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to such other day (not being fewer<br> than fourteen nor more than twenty-eight days after such meeting) and at such other time or place as the chairman of the meeting<br> may determine and at such adjourned meeting one member present in person or by proxy (whatever the number of shares held by him)<br> shall be a quorum. The Company shall give not fewer than seven days’ notice in writing of any meeting adjourned through want<br> of a quorum and such notice shall state that one member present in person or by proxy (whatever the number of shares held by him)<br> shall be a quorum. | | | | | | Notice of adjourned meeting | | | | | 13.8 | Except<br> as expressly provided in these articles, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be<br> transacted at an adjourned meeting. | | | | | | Amendments to resolutions | | | | | 13.9 | If<br> an amendment shall be proposed to any resolution under consideration but shall in good faith be ruled out of order by the chairman<br> of the meeting the proceedings on the substantive resolution shall not be invalidated by an error in such ruling. In the case of<br> a resolution duly proposed as a special resolution no amendment to such resolution (other than a mere clerical amendment or to correct<br> a patent error) may in any event be considered or voted upon. |
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| --- | | | Security and other arrangements at meetings | | --- | --- | | | | | 13.10 | The<br> Board may from time to time make any arrangement and impose any restriction it considers appropriate to ensure the security of a<br> meeting including the requiring of evidence of identity to be produced by a person attending the meeting, the searching of a person<br> attending the meeting and the restriction of the items of property which may be taken into the meeting place. The Board may refuse<br> entry to, and/or remove from, a meeting any person who refuses to comply with these arrangements or restrictions. | | | | | | Declaration by chairman | | | | | 13.11 | Unless<br> a poll is required a declaration by the chairman of the meeting that a resolution has been carried on a show of hands, or carried<br> unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect in the minutes of the meeting signed or purporting<br> to be signed by the chairman of the meeting or by the chairman of the next following general meeting, shall in the absence of manifest<br> error, be conclusive evidence of that fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded for or against such resolution. | | | | | | Demand for poll | | | | | 13.12 | Subject<br> to article 13.18, at any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless (before<br> or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) a poll is demanded by: | | | (a) | the<br> chairman of the meeting; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | not<br> fewer than five members present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on the resolution; | | | | | | | (c) | a<br> member or members present in person or by proxy and representing not less than one-tenth of the total voting rights of all the members<br> having the right to vote on the resolution (excluding any voting rights attached to any shares in the Company held as Treasury Shares);<br> or | | | | | | | (d) | a<br> member or members present in person or by proxy and holding shares in the Company conferring a right to vote on the resolution, being<br> shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than one-tenth of the total sum paid up on all the shares conferring<br> that right (excluding shares in the Company conferring a right to vote on the resolution which are held as Treasury Shares). | | | Withdrawal of demand for poll | | --- | --- | | | | | 13.13 | A<br> demand for a poll may be withdrawn at any time before the poll is taken or the close of the meeting, whichever is earlier, but only<br> with the consent of the chairman and a demand so withdrawn shall not be taken to have invalidated the result of a show of hands declared<br> before the demand was made. | | | | | | Procedure on a poll | | | | | 13.14 | If<br> a poll is required, it shall be taken in such a manner (including the use of ballot or voting papers or tickets) as the chairman<br> of the meeting may direct, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded. |
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| --- | | | The<br> chairman of the meeting may (and if so directed by the meeting shall) appoint scrutineers and may adjourn the meeting to some place<br> and time fixed by him for the purpose of declaring the result of the poll. | | --- | --- | | | | | | Timing of poll | | | | | 13.15 | A<br> poll demanded on the election of a chairman of the meeting or on a question of adjournment shall be taken immediately. A poll demanded<br> on any other question shall be taken either immediately or at such subsequent time (not being more than thirty days from the date<br> of the meeting) and place as the chairman of the meeting may direct. No notice need be given of a poll not taken immediately, provided<br> that the time and place at which it is to be taken was announced at the meeting at which it was demanded. | | | | | | Continuing the meeting after a demand for a poll | | | | | 13.16 | A<br> demand for a poll shall not prevent the continuance of the meeting for the transaction of any business other than the question on<br> which the poll has been demanded. | | | | | | Telephone meetings | | | | | 13.17 | General<br> meetings and annual general meetings may take place by means of a conference telephone or similar communications system whereby all<br> those participating in the meeting can hear and address each other. Such participation shall be deemed to constitute presence in<br> person at such meeting for all purposes including that of establishing a quorum and entitlement to vote. A resolution passed at any<br> meeting held in the above manner, shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a general meeting or annual general<br> meeting, duly convened and held. | | | | | | Method of voting – shares held by DTC | | | | | 13.18 | For<br> so long as any shares in the Company are held in a settlement system operated by DTC: | | | (a) | any<br> resolution put to vote at a general meeting of the Company shall be decided on a poll; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | this<br> article 13.18 may only be removed, amended or varied by resolution of the members passed unanimously at a general meeting of the<br> Company. | | 14. | Votes<br> of members | | --- | --- | | | | | | Votes attaching to shares | | | | | 14.1 | Subject<br> to the provisions of the Act and the NASDAQ Rules and to any special rights or restrictions as to voting attached to any shares or<br> class of shares or otherwise provided by these articles: | | | (a) | on<br> a show of hands: | | --- | --- | --- | | | (i) | every<br> member who is present in person shall have one vote; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | every<br> proxy present who has been duly appointed by one or more members entitled to vote on the resolution shall have one vote, except that<br> if the proxy has been duly appointed by more than one member entitled to vote on the resolution and is instructed by one or more<br> of those members to vote for the resolution and by one or more others to vote against it, or is instructed by one or more of those<br> members to vote in one way and is given discretion as to how to vote by one or more others (and wishes to use that discretion to<br> vote in the other way) he shall have one vote for and one vote against the resolution; and | | | | | | | (iii) | every<br> corporate representative present who has been duly authorised by a corporation shall have the same voting rights as the corporation<br> would be entitled to; and |
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| --- | | | (b) | on<br> a poll every member who is present in person or by duly appointed proxy or corporate representative shall have one vote for every<br> share of which he is the holder or in respect of which his appointment of proxy or corporate representative has been made. | | --- | --- | --- | | 14.2 | A<br> member, proxy or corporate representative entitled to more than one vote need not, if he votes, use all his votes or cast all the<br> votes he uses the same way. | | --- | --- | | | | | | No chairman’s casting vote | | | | | 14.3 | In<br> the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, no person shall have a second or casting vote. | | | | | | Voting record date | | | | | 14.4 | For<br> the purposes of determining which persons are entitled to attend or vote at a general meeting and how many votes such persons may<br> cast, the Company may specify in the notice convening the meeting a time, being not more than 48 hours before the time fixed for<br> the meeting (and for this purpose no account shall be taken of any part of a day that is not a working day), by which a person must<br> be entered on the Register in order to have the right to attend or vote at the meeting. | | | | | | Votes of joint holders | | | | | 14.5 | In<br> the case of joint holders of a share the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted<br> to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders and for this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which<br> the names stand in the Register in respect of the share. | | | | | | Votes by guardian | | | | | 14.6 | Where<br> in the United Kingdom or elsewhere a guardian, receiver, curator bonis or other person (by whatever name called) has been appointed<br> by any court claiming jurisdiction in that behalf to exercise powers with respect to the property or affairs of any member on the<br> ground (however formulated) of mental disorder or being otherwise incapable of managing his affairs, the Board may in its absolute<br> discretion, upon or subject to production of such evidence of the appointment as the Board may require not less than 48 hours before<br> the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the right to vote is to be exercised, permit such guardian,<br> receiver, curator bonis or other person on behalf of such member to vote in person or by proxy at any general meeting or to exercise<br> any other right conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company. | | | | | | Restriction of rights of members where calls outstanding | | | | | 14.7 | Unless<br> the Board otherwise determines, no member shall be entitled to receive any dividend or to be present and vote at a general meeting<br> or at any separate general meeting of the holders of any class of shares either personally or by proxy, or to be reckoned in a quorum,<br> or to exercise any other right or privilege conferred by membership in respect of a share held by him in relation to meetings of<br> the Company unless and until he shall have paid all calls or other sums presently due and payable by him in respect of that share,<br> whether alone or jointly with any other person, to the Company. |
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| --- | | | Validity and result of vote | | --- | --- | | | | | 14.8 | No<br> objection shall be raised as to the admissibility of any vote or to the counting of, or failure to count, any vote except at the<br> meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is or may be given or tendered or at which any errors occurs and every<br> vote not disallowed at such meeting shall be valid for all purposes. Any such objection shall be referred to the chairman of the<br> meeting whose decision shall be final and conclusive. | | | | | 14.9 | The<br> Company is not obliged to check whether proxies, or corporate representatives, have voted in accordance with instructions given to<br> them by the member appointing them. Subject to article 14.10, a vote cast by a proxy or corporate representative which is not in<br> accordance with such instructions will not invalidate the results of the meeting. | | | | | 14.10 | Unless<br> a poll is taken a declaration by the chairman of the meeting that a resolution has been carried, or carried unanimously, or by a<br> particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect in the minute book, shall be conclusive evidence of that fact without proof<br> of the number or proportion of the votes recorded for or against such resolution. | | | | | 15. | Disclosure<br> of interests | | | | | 15.1 | For<br> the purposes of these articles, unless the context otherwise requires: | | | (a) | “Disclosure Notice” means a notice issued by or on behalf of the Company requiring information about interests in its shares pursuant<br> to section 793 of the Act; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | “Specified Shares” means all or, as the case may be, some of the shares specified in a Disclosure Notice; | | | | | | | (c) | “Restrictions”<br> means one or more, as determined by the Board, of the following: | | | (i) | that<br> the member holding the Specified Shares shall not be entitled, in respect of those shares, to attend or be counted in the quorum<br> or vote either personally or by proxy at any general meeting or at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares or<br> upon any poll or to exercise any other right or privilege in relation to any general meeting or any meeting of the holders of any<br> class of shares; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | that,<br> unless effected pursuant to article 15.3(c), no transfer of the Specified Shares in certificated form shall be effective or shall<br> be registered by the Company; | | | | | | | (iii) | that<br> no dividend or other money payable shall be paid in respect of the Specified Shares and that, in circumstances where an offer of<br> the right to elect to receive shares instead of cash in respect of any dividend is or has been made, any election made under that<br> offer in respect of such Specified Shares shall not be effective, | | | provided<br> that only the restriction referred to in article 15.1(c)(i) may be determined by the Board to apply if the Specified Shares represent<br> less than 0.25% of the relevant class (calculated exclusive of any Treasury Shares of that class) at the time of issue of the Disclosure<br> Notice; | | --- | --- |
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| --- | | | (d) | “Restriction Notice” means a notice issued by or on behalf of the Company stating, or substantially to the effect, that the Specified<br> Shares referred to in that notice shall be subject to one or more of the Restrictions stated in that notice; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (e) | a<br> person other than the member holding a share shall be treated as appearing to be interested (as that word is construed for the purposes<br> of Part 22 of the Act) in that share if: | | | (i) | the<br> member has informed the Company, whether under any statutory or regulatory provision relating to disclosure of interests or otherwise,<br> that the person is, or may be, or has been at any time during the three years immediately preceding the date upon which the Disclosure<br> Notice is issued, so interested; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | the<br> Board (after taking account of any information obtained from the member or, pursuant to a Disclosure Notice, from any other person)<br> knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the person is, or may be, or has been at any time during the three years immediately<br> preceding the date upon which the Disclosure Notice is issued, so interested; or | | | | | | | (iii) | in<br> response to a Disclosure Notice, the member or any other person appearing to be so interested has failed to establish the identities<br> of all those who are so interested and (after taking into account the response and any other relevant information) the Company has<br> reasonable cause to believe that such person is or may be so interested; and | | | (f) | the<br> Company shall not be treated as having received the information required by a Disclosure Notice in accordance with the terms of such<br> Disclosure Notice in circumstances where the Board knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the information provided is false<br> or materially incorrect. | | --- | --- | --- | | 15.2 | Notwithstanding<br> anything in these articles to the contrary, if: | | --- | --- | | | (a) | a<br> Disclosure Notice has been sent or supplied to a member or any other person appearing to be interested in the Specified Shares; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | the<br> Company has not received (in accordance with the terms of such Disclosure Notice) the information required in the notice in respect<br> of any of the Specified Shares within fourteen days after such Disclosure Notice was sent or supplied, | | | then<br> the Board may determine that the member holding the Specified Shares shall, upon the issue of a Restriction Notice referring to those<br> Specified Shares in respect of which information has not been received, be subject to the Restrictions referred to in such Restriction<br> Notice, and upon the issue of such Restriction Notice such member shall be so subject. As soon as practicable after the issue of<br> a Restriction Notice the Company shall serve a copy of the notice on the member holding the Specified Shares but the accidental omission<br> to do so, or the non-receipt by the member of the copy, shall not invalidate or otherwise affect the application of this article. | | --- | --- | | | | | 15.3 | The<br> Restrictions on shares shall cease to apply: | | | (a) | either<br> in whole or in part at any time the Board may determine; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | upon<br> the Company receiving in accordance with the terms of the relevant Disclosure Notice the information required in that Disclosure<br> Notice in respect of those shares; or |
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| --- | | | (c) | if<br> the Company receives an executed instrument of transfer (or a transfer of uncertificated shares is effected under the relevant system)<br> in respect of those shares, which would otherwise be given effect to, pursuant to a sale to a party not connected (within the meaning<br> given in section 839 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988) with the member holding such shares or with any other person appearing<br> to be interested in such shares where such sale is: | | --- | --- | --- | | | (i) | on<br> a NASDAQ or any other recognised investment exchange (within the meaning given in section 285 of the Financial Services and Markets<br> Act 2000); | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | on<br> any stock exchange outside the United Kingdom on which the Company’s shares are normally dealt; or | | | | | | | (iii) | on<br> the acceptance of an offer made to all the holders (or all the holders other than the person making the offer or his nominees) of<br> the shares of the class of which the shares subject to the Restrictions form part to acquire those shares or a specified portion<br> of them. | | 15.4 | Subject<br> to the requirements of the NASDAQ Rules, notwithstanding article 15.3(c) the Restrictions on shares shall continue to apply if within<br> ten days of receipt of the instrument of transfer the Board decides that it has reasonable cause to believe that the change in the<br> registered holder of those shares would not be as a result of an arm’s length sale resulting in a material change in the beneficial<br> interests in those shares. Where the Board makes a decision pursuant to this article 15.4, the Company shall notify the purported<br> transferee of the decision as soon as practicable and any person may make representations in writing to the Board concerning the<br> decision. The Company shall not be liable to any person as a result of having imposed Restrictions or deciding that such Restrictions<br> shall continue to apply if the Board acted in good faith. | | --- | --- | | | | | 15.5 | Where<br> dividends or other moneys are not paid as a result of Restrictions having been imposed on shares, such dividends or other moneys<br> shall accrue and, upon the relevant restriction ceasing to apply, shall be payable (without interest) to the person who would have<br> been entitled had the restriction not been imposed. | | | | | 15.6 | Shares<br> which the Company offers or procures to be offered pro rata (or pro rata ignoring fractional entitlements and ignoring shares not<br> offered to certain members by reason of legal or practical problems associated with offering shares outside the United Kingdom) to<br> holders of shares which are subject to Restrictions shall on issue become subject to the same Restrictions. | | | | | 15.7 | The<br> Board shall at all times have the right, at its discretion, to suspend, in whole or in part, any Restriction Notice either permanently<br> or for any given period and to pay to a trustee any dividend payable in respect of any shares subject to Restrictions or in respect<br> of any shares issued in right of shares subject to Restrictions. Notice of any suspension, specifying the sanctions suspended and<br> the period of suspension, shall be given to the relevant holder in writing within seven days after any decision to implement such<br> a suspension. | | | | | 15.8 | The<br> limitations on the powers of the Board to impose and retain Restrictions are without prejudice to the Company’s power to apply<br> to the court pursuant to the Statutes to apply the Restrictions or any other restrictions on any conditions. | | | | | 15.9 | Where<br> Specified Shares in which a person appears to be interested are held by a Depositary, the provisions of this article 15 (including<br> any Restrictions) shall be treated as applying only to those Specified Shares held by the Depositary in which such person appears<br> to be interested and not (insofar as such person’s apparent interest is concerned) to any other shares held by the Depositary<br> and references to Specified Share or Specified Shares shall be construed accordingly. |
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| --- | | 15.10 | Where<br> a member on whom a Disclosure Notice has been served is a Depositary, the obligations of the Depositary (acting solely in the Depositary’s<br> capacity as such) shall be limited to disclosing to the Company such information relating to any person appearing to be interested<br> in the Specified Shares held by it as has been recorded by the Depositary and the provision of such information shall be at the Company’s<br> cost. | | --- | --- | | | | | 16. | Proxies | | | | | | Proxy need not be a member | | | | | 16.1 | A<br> proxy need not be a member of the Company. | | | | | | More than one proxy may be appointed | | | | | 16.2 | A<br> member may appoint more than one proxy to attend on the same occasion, provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights<br> attached to a different share or shares held by the member. | | | | | 16.3 | When<br> two or more valid but differing appointments of proxy are delivered or received in respect of the same share for use at the same<br> meeting and in respect of the same matter, the one which is last validly delivered or received (regardless of its date or of the<br> date of its execution) shall be treated as replacing and revoking the other or others as regards that share. If the Company is unable<br> to determine which instrument was last validly delivered or received, the directors shall determine which instrument shall be treated<br> as valid in respect of that share or, if unable to do so, may determine that none of them shall be treated as valid in respect of<br> that share. | | | | | | Appointment of proxy | | | | | 16.4 | The<br> appointment of a proxy shall be executed in any usual or common form (including with respect to any shares held by a Depositary,<br> an omnibus proxy which enables the Depositary to exercise rights in a number of different ways for the shares that it holds) or in<br> any other form which the Board may approve; and (subject to article 16.8 below in the case of appointments in electronic form): | | | (a) | in<br> the case of an individual, an appointment of a proxy shall be signed by the appointor or by his attorney; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | in<br> the case of a corporation, an appointment of a proxy shall be either given under its common seal or signed on its behalf by an officer,<br> attorney or other person authorised to sign it. | | | Board may supply proxy forms | | --- | --- | | | | | 16.5 | The<br> Board may at the expense of the Company send, by post or otherwise, instruments of proxy (reply-paid or otherwise) to members for<br> use at any general meeting or at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares, either in blank or nominating in the<br> alternative any one or more of the directors or any other persons. If for the purpose of any meeting invitations to appoint as proxy<br> a person or one of a number of persons specified in the invitations are issued at the expense of the Company, such invitations shall,<br> subject to article 12.3, be issued to all (and not some only) of the members entitled to be sent a notice of the meeting and to vote<br> thereat by proxy. |
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| --- | | | Signature on proxy | | --- | --- | | | | | 16.6 | The<br> signature on an appointment of a proxy need not be witnessed. Subject to article 16.8 below in the case of appointments in electronic<br> form, where an appointment of a proxy is signed on behalf of the appointor by an attorney, the letter or power of attorney or a duly<br> certified copy of such letter or power of attorney must (failing previous registration with the Company) be lodged with a written<br> appointment of proxy pursuant to the following article, failing which the appointment may be treated as invalid. | | | | | | Receipt of appointment of proxy | | | | | 16.7 | An<br> appointment of a proxy must: | | | (a) | in<br> the case of an instrument in writing, be deposited at the Registered Office or such place or one of such places (if any) as may be<br> specified for that purpose in or by way of note to the notice convening the meeting or in any instrument of proxy sent out by the<br> Company no fewer than forty-eight hours (excluding days that are not a working day) before the time appointed for the holding of<br> the meeting or adjourned meeting; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | in<br> the case of an appointment in electronic form and sent by electronic means, where an address has been: | | | (i) | given<br> by the Company in the notice convening the meeting; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | given<br> by the Company in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting or otherwise given by the Company when<br> sending out an instrument of proxy for the purposes of the meeting; | | | | | | | (iii) | given<br> by the Company in any invitation in electronic form to appoint a proxy issued by the Company in relation to the meeting; or | | | | | | | (iv) | made<br> available on the website on which the information relating to the relevant general meeting required by section 311A (1) of the Act<br> is made available, | | | | be<br> received at such address no fewer than forty-eight hours (excluding days that are not a working day) before the time for holding<br> the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (c) | or,<br> in the case of a poll taken more than forty-eight hours (excluding days that are not a working day) after it was demanded (whether<br> the appointment is contained in an instrument in writing or in electronic form), no fewer than 24 hours (excluding days that are<br> not a working day) before the time appointed for the taking of the poll at which it is to be used, | | | and<br> an appointment of proxy which is not deposited, delivered or received in such a manner shall not be treated as valid. An appointment<br> of proxy relating to more than one meeting (including any adjournment of such meeting) having once been so delivered for the purposes<br> of any meeting shall not have to be delivered again for the purposes of any subsequent meeting to which it relates. | | --- | --- |
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| --- | | 16.8 | Without<br> limiting the foregoing, in relation to any shares which are held in uncertificated form, the directors may from time to time permit<br> appointments of a proxy to be made by electronic means in the form of an Uncertificated Proxy Instruction, (that is, a properly authenticated<br> dematerialised instruction, and/or other instruction or notification which is sent by means of the relevant system concerned and<br> received by such participant in that system acting on behalf of the Company as the directors may prescribe, in such form and subject<br> to such terms and conditions as may from time to time be prescribed by the directors (subject always to the facilities and requirements<br> of the relevant system concerned)); and may in a similar manner permit supplements to, or amendments or revocations of, any such<br> Uncertificated Proxy Instruction to be made by like means. The directors may in addition prescribe the method of determining the<br> time at which any such properly authenticated dematerialised instruction (and/or other instruction or notification) is to be treated<br> as received by the Company or such participant. The directors may treat any such Uncertificated Proxy Instruction which purports<br> to be or is expressed to be sent on behalf of a holder of a share as sufficient evidence of the authority of the person sending that<br> instruction to send it on behalf of that holder of a share. | | --- | --- | | | | | | Rights of proxy | | | | | 16.9 | An<br> appointment of a proxy shall be deemed to include the right to attend and to speak and vote at the meeting, together with the right<br> to demand or join in demanding a poll. The appointment shall, unless the contrary is stated on or in it, be valid as well for any<br> adjournment of the meeting as for the meeting to which it relates. No appointment of a proxy shall be valid, in the case of a written<br> instrument of proxy, after the expiration of twelve months from the date named in the instrument of proxy as the date of its execution<br> or, in the case of the appointment of a proxy in electronic form, after the expiration of twelve months from the date on which it<br> was received by or on behalf of the Company. Delivery of an appointment of a proxy shall not preclude a member from attending and<br> voting at the meeting or poll convened. | | | | | | Revocation of proxy | | | | | 16.10 | Neither<br> a vote cast or demand for a poll made by a proxy at a general meeting nor anything a proxy does as chairman of a general meeting<br> nor any decision as to whether a proxy counted in deciding whether there was a quorum at a general meeting shall be invalidated by<br> the previous death or insanity of the principal or by the revocation of the appointment of the proxy or by the revocation or determination<br> of the authority under which the appointment was made or the transfer of the share in respect of which the appointment of proxy was<br> executed unless written notice of such death, insanity, revocation, determination or transfer shall have been received by the Company: | | | (a) | at<br> the Registered Office (or at the address at which the instrument of proxy was duly deposited); or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | where<br> the appointment of the proxy was sent by electronic means, at the address at which such appointment was duly received, | | | at<br> least 48 hours (excluding days that are not a working day) before the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting, unless a<br> poll is taken: | | --- | --- | | | (i) | otherwise<br> than at or on the same day as the meeting or adjourned meeting; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | more<br> than 48 hours (excluding days that are not a working day) after it was demanded, | | | in<br> which case, at least 24 hours (excluding days that are not a working day) before the time appointed for the taking of the poll at<br> which the vote is cast. | | --- | --- | | | | | | Address | | | | | 16.11 | For<br> the purposes of this article 16, “address” in relation to communications in electronic form sent by electronic<br> means, includes any number or address, including (in the case of any Uncertificated Proxy Instruction permitted pursuant to article<br> 16.8, an identification number of a participant in the relevant system concerned) used for the purposes of such communications. |
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| --- | | 17. | Corporations<br> acting by representatives | | --- | --- | | | | | 17.1 | Any<br> corporation which is a member of the Company may by resolution of its directors or other governing body authorise such person or<br> persons as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class of members of the Company. Subject<br> to the Act, the person or any of the persons so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of such corporation<br> as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual member of the Company. | | | | | 17.2 | Such<br> corporation shall for the purpose of these articles be deemed to be present in person at any such meeting if a person so authorised<br> is present at such meeting. A director, the secretary or some person authorised for the purpose by the secretary may require the<br> corporation’s representative to produce a certified copy of the resolution so authorising him or such other evidence of his<br> authority reasonably satisfactory to them before permitting him to exercise his power. | | | | | 18. | Directors | | | | | | Number of directors | | | | | 18.1 | Subject<br> as provided in these articles the directors shall not be fewer than two nor more than ten in number. The Company may by ordinary<br> resolution from time to time vary the minimum number and/or maximum number of directors. | | | | | | Share qualification | | | | | 18.2 | A<br> director shall not be required to hold any shares of the Company by way of qualification. A director who is not a member of the Company<br> shall nevertheless be entitled to attend and speak at shareholders’ meetings. | | | | | | Directors’ fees | | | | | 18.3 | Unless<br> otherwise decided by the Company by ordinary resolution, the Company shall pay to the directors (but not alternate directors) such<br> amount of aggregate fees as the Board decides (not exceeding £750,000 per annum (exclusive of value added tax, if applicable)<br> in aggregate or such higher sum as the Company may decide by ordinary resolution). The aggregate fees shall (unless such resolution<br> otherwise provides) be divisible among the directors as the Board decides, or, if no decision is made, equally, except that any director<br> who shall hold office for part only of the period to which the remuneration relates shall be only entitled to a pro rata amount of<br> such remuneration. A fee payable to a director pursuant to this article is distinct from any salary, remuneration or other amount<br> payable to him pursuant to other provisions of the articles or otherwise and accrues from day to day. | | | | | 18.4 | Subject<br> to the Statutes and these articles, the Board may arrange for part of a fee payable to a director under article 18.3 to be provided<br> in the form of fully-paid shares in the capital of the Company. The amount of the fee payable in this way shall be at the discretion<br> of the Board and shall be applied in the purchase or subscription of shares on behalf of the relevant director. In the case of a<br> subscription of shares, the subscription price per share shall be deemed to be the closing middle-market quotation for a fully-paid<br> share of the Company of that class as published in the NASDAQ Daily List (or such other quotation derived from such other source<br> as the Board may deem appropriate) on the day of subscription. |
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| --- | | | Other remuneration of directors | | --- | --- | | | | | 18.5 | The<br> remuneration of a director appointed to any executive office shall be fixed by the Board and may be by way of salary, commission,<br> participation in profits or otherwise and either in addition to or inclusive of his remuneration as a director. | | | | | 18.6 | Any<br> director who performs, or undertakes to perform, services which the Board considers go beyond the ordinary duties of a director may<br> be paid such special remuneration (whether by way of fixed sum, bonus, commission, participation in profits or otherwise) as the<br> Board may determine. | | | | | 18.7 | Any<br> director who holds any executive office (including for this purpose the office of chairman or deputy chairman whether or not such<br> office is held in an executive capacity), or who serves on any committee of the Board, or who otherwise performs services which in<br> the opinion of the Board are outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a director, may be paid such extra remuneration by way of<br> salary, commission or otherwise or may receive such other benefits as the Board may determine. | | | | | | Directors’ expenses | | | | | 18.8 | The<br> Board may repay to any director all such reasonable expenses as he may properly incur in attending and returning from meetings of<br> the Board or of any committee of the Board or shareholders’ meetings or otherwise in connection with the performance of his<br> duties as a director of the Company. | | | | | | Directors’ pensions and other benefits | | | | | 18.9 | The<br> Board shall have power to pay and agree to pay gratuities, pensions or other retirement, superannuation, death or disability benefits<br> to (or to any person in respect of) any director or ex-director and for the purpose of providing any such gratuities, pensions or<br> other benefits to contribute to any scheme or fund or to pay premiums. | | | | | | Directors’ permitted interests | | | | | 18.10 | Provided<br> (if these articles so require) that he has declared to the directors, in accordance with the provisions of the Act and these articles,<br> the nature and extent of any interest of his, a director may (save as to the extent not permitted by law from time to time), notwithstanding<br> his office, have an interest of the following kind; namely: | | | (a) | where<br> a director (or a person connected with him) is party to or in any way directly or indirectly interested in, or has any duty in respect<br> of, any existing or proposed contract or arrangement or transaction with the Company or any other undertaking in which the Company<br> is in any way interested; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | where<br> a director (or a person connected with him) is a director, employee or other officer of, or a party to any arrangement or transaction<br> with, or in any way interested in, any body corporate promoted by the Company or in which the Company is in any way interested; | | | | | | | (c) | where<br> a director (or a person connected with him) is directly or indirectly interested in shares or share options of the Company or is<br> directly or indirectly interested in shares or share options of, or an employee, director or other officer of a parent undertaking<br> of, or a subsidiary undertaking of a parent undertaking of, the Company (as such terms are defined in section 1162 of the Act); | | | | | | | (d) | where<br> a director (or a person connected with him) holds and is remunerated in respect of any office or place of profit (other than the<br> office of auditor) under the Company or body corporate in which the Company is in any way interested; |
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| --- | | | (e) | where<br> a director is given a guarantee, or is to be given a guarantee, in respect of an obligation incurred by or on behalf of the Company<br> or any body corporate in which the Company is in any way interested; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (f) | where<br> a director (or a person connected with him or of which he is a member or employee) acts (or any body corporate promoted by the Company<br> or in which the Company is in any way interested of which he is a director, employee or other officer acts) in a professional capacity<br> for the Company or any body corporate promoted by the Company or in which the Company is in any way interested (other than as auditor)<br> whether or not he or it is remunerated for this; | | | | | | | (g) | an<br> interest which cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest; or | | | | | | | (h) | any<br> other interest authorised by ordinary resolution. | | | No<br> authorisation under article 18.12 shall be necessary in respect of any such interest. | | --- | --- | | | | | 18.11 | In<br> any situation or matter permitted by, or authorised under this article 18 (save as otherwise agreed by him) a director shall not<br> by reason of his office be accountable to the Company for any benefit which he derives from that situation or matter and no such<br> contract, arrangement or transaction shall be avoided on the grounds of any such interest or benefit. | | | | | | Authorisation of directors’ interests | | | | | 18.12 | For<br> the purposes of section 175 of the Act, the directors shall have the power, subject to articles 18.13 and 18.4, to authorise any<br> matter which would or might otherwise constitute or give rise to a breach of the duty of a director under that section to avoid a<br> situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests<br> of the Company. | | | | | 18.13 | Authorisation<br> of a matter under article 18.12 shall be effective only if: | | | (a) | the<br> matter in question is proposed in writing for consideration at a meeting of the directors, in accordance with the Board’s normal<br> procedures or in such other manner as the directors may determine; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | any<br> requirement as to the quorum at the meeting of the directors at which the matter is considered is met without counting the director<br> in question and any other interested director (together, the “Interested Directors”); and | | | | | | | (c) | the<br> matter is agreed to without the Interested Directors voting or would have been agreed to if the votes of the Interested Directors<br> had not been counted. | | 18.14 | Any<br> authorisation of a matter under article 18.12 may: | | --- | --- | | | (a) | extend<br> to any actual or potential conflict of interest which may arise out of the matter so authorised; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | be<br> given on such terms, and subject to such conditions or limitations as may be imposed by the authorising directors as they see fit<br> from time to time, including, without limitation: | | | (i) | restricting<br> the Interested Director from voting on any resolution put to a meeting of the directors or of a committee of the directors in relation<br> to the matter so authorised; | | --- | --- | --- |
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| --- | | | (ii) | restricting<br> the Interested Director from being counted in the quorum at a meeting of the directors or of a committee of the directors where the<br> matter so authorised is to be discussed; or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (iii) | restricting<br> the application of the provisions in articles 18.16 and 18.7, so far as is permitted by law, in respect of such Interested Director;<br> and | | | (c) | be<br> withdrawn, or varied at any time by the directors entitled to authorise the relevant interest as they see fit from time to time;<br> and | | --- | --- | --- | | | an<br> Interested Director must act in accordance with any such terms, conditions or limitations as may be imposed on him by the authorising<br> directors pursuant to such authorisation. | | --- | --- | | | | | 18.15 | Subject<br> to section 239 of the Act, the Company may by ordinary resolution ratify any contract, transaction or arrangement, or other proposal,<br> not properly authorised by reason of a contravention of any provisions of this article 18. | | | | | 18.16 | Subject<br> to article 18.17 (and without prejudice to any equitable principle or rule of law which may excuse or release the director from disclosing<br> information, in circumstances where disclosure may otherwise be required under this article), if a director, otherwise than by virtue<br> of his position as director, receives information in respect of which he owes a duty of confidentiality to a person other than the<br> Company, he shall not be required: | | | (a) | to<br> disclose such information to the Company or to the directors, or to any director, officer or employee of the Company; or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | otherwise<br> to use or apply such information for the purpose of or in connection with the performance of his duties as a director. | | 18.17 | Where<br> such duty of confidentiality arises out of a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts,<br> or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the Company, article 18.16 shall apply only if the conflict arises out of a matter<br> which is permitted by article 18.10 or has been authorised under article 18.12 (subject to any restrictions imposed by the authorising<br> directors). | | --- | --- | | | | | 18.18 | Where<br> a director has an interest which can reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest, the director may take<br> such additional steps as may be necessary or desirable for the purpose of managing such conflict of interest, including compliance<br> with any procedures laid down from time to time by the directors for the purpose of managing conflicts of interest generally and/or<br> any specific procedures approved by the directors for the purpose of or in connection with the situation or matter in question, including<br> without limitation: | | | (a) | absenting<br> himself from any discussions, whether in meetings of the directors or otherwise, at which the relevant situation or matter falls<br> to be considered; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | excluding<br> himself from documents or information made available to the directors generally in relation to such situation or matter and/or arranging<br> for such documents or information to be reviewed by a professional adviser to ascertain the extent to which it might be appropriate<br> for him to have access to such documents or information. |
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| --- | | | Provisions applicable to declarations of interest | | --- | --- | | | | | 18.19 | Subject<br> to section 182 of the Act and articles 18.20 to 18.22, a director shall declare to the other directors the nature and extent of his<br> interest: | | | (a) | if<br> such interest is permitted under article 18.10 and is not fully within article 18.10(g); | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | if<br> he is in any way, directly or indirectly, interested in a proposed transaction or arrangement with the Company; or | | | | | | | (c) | if<br> he is in any way, directly or indirectly, interested in a transaction or arrangement that has been entered into by the Company, unless<br> the interest has been declared under article 18.19(a) or 18.19(b). | | 18.20 | The<br> declaration of interest must (in the case of article 18.19(c)) and may, but need not (in the case of article 18.19(a) or 18.19(b))<br> be made: | | --- | --- | | | (a) | at<br> a meeting of the directors; or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | by<br> notice to the directors in accordance with: | | | (i) | section<br> 184 of the Act (notice in writing); or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | section<br> 185 of the Act (general notice). | | 18.21 | A<br> director need not declare an interest: | | --- | --- | | | (a) | if<br> it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | if,<br> or to the extent that, the other directors are already aware of it (and for this purpose the other directors are treated as aware<br> of anything of which they ought reasonably to be aware); or | | | | | | | (c) | if,<br> or to the extent that, it concerns terms of his service contract that have been or are to be considered: | | | (i) | by<br> a meeting of the directors; or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | by<br> a committee of the directors appointed for the purpose under the articles. | | 18.22 | The<br> following further provisions apply in respect of the declaration of interests: | | --- | --- | | | (a) | if<br> a declaration of interest proves to be, or becomes, inaccurate or incomplete, a further declaration must be made; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | any<br> declaration of interest required by articles 18.19(a) or 18.19(c) must be made as soon as is reasonably practicable; | | | | | | | (c) | any<br> declaration of interest required by article 18.19(b) must be made before the Company enters into the transaction or arrangement; | | | | | | | (d) | a<br> declaration in relation to an interest of which the director is not aware, or where the director is not aware of the transaction<br> or arrangement in question, is not required (and, for this purpose, a director is treated as being aware of matters of which he ought<br> reasonably to be aware); and | | | | | | | (e) | a<br> general notice to the directors that a director is to be regarded as having an interest of the nature and extent specified in the<br> notice in any transaction or arrangement in which a specified person or class of persons is interested shall be deemed to be a disclosure<br> that the director has an interest in any such transaction of the nature and extent so specified. |
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| --- | | | Appointment of executive directors | | --- | --- | | | | | 18.23 | The<br> Board may from time to time appoint one or more of their body to be the holder of any executive office (including, where considered<br> appropriate, the office of chairman or deputy chairman) on such terms and for such period as they may (subject to the provisions<br> of the Statutes) determine and, without prejudice to the terms of any contract entered into in any particular case, may at any time<br> revoke or vary the terms of any such appointment. | | | | | | Ceasing to be a director | | | | | 18.24 | The<br> appointment of any director to the office of chairman or deputy chairman or chief executive or managing or joint managing or deputy<br> or assistant managing director shall automatically determine if he ceases to be a director but without prejudice to any claim for<br> damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company. The appointment of any director to any other executive<br> office shall not automatically determine if he ceases from any cause to be a director, unless the contract or resolution under which<br> he holds office shall expressly state otherwise, in which event such determination shall be without prejudice to any claim for damages<br> for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company. | | | | | | Powers of executive directors | | | | | 18.25 | The<br> Board may entrust to and confer upon any director holding any executive office any of the powers exercisable by them as directors<br> upon such terms and conditions and with such restrictions as they think fit, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of<br> their own powers, and may from time-to-time revoke, withdraw, alter or vary all or any of such powers. | | | | | | Interpretation | | | | | 18.26 | For<br> the purposes of this article 18: | | | (a) | where<br> the context permits, any reference to an interest includes a duty and any reference to a conflict of interest includes a conflict<br> of interest and duty and a conflict of duties; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | an<br> interest of a person who is connected with a director shall be treated as an interest of the director; and | | | | | | | (c) | the<br> provisions of section 252 of the Act shall determine whether a person is connected with a director. | | 19. | Appointment<br> and retirement of directors | | --- | --- | | | | | | Power of Company to appoint directors | | | | | 19.1 | Subject<br> to the provisions of these articles and the NASDAQ Rules, the Company may by ordinary resolution appoint any person who is willing<br> to act to be a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an addition to the existing Board, but so that the total number of directors<br> shall not at any time exceed any maximum number fixed by or in accordance with these articles. | | | | | | Power of Board to appoint directors | | | | | 19.2 | Without<br> prejudice to the power of the Company in general meeting pursuant to any of the provisions of these articles to appoint any person<br> to be a director, the Board may appoint any person who is willing to act to be a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an addition<br> to the existing Board, but so that the total number of directors shall not at any time exceed any maximum number fixed by or in accordance<br> with these articles. |
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| --- | | | Vacation of office | | --- | --- | | | | | 19.3 | The<br> office of a director shall be vacated if: | | | (a) | he<br> ceases to be a director by virtue of any provision of the Statutes or he becomes prohibited by law from being a director; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | he<br> becomes bankrupt, has an interim receiving order made against him, makes any arrangement or compounds with his creditors generally<br> or applies to the court for an interim order under section 253 of the Insolvency Act 1986 in connection with a voluntary arrangement<br> under that act; | | | | | | | (c) | he<br> is, or may be suffering from mental disorder and either: | | | (i) | he<br> is admitted to hospital in pursuance of an application for admission for treatment pursuant to any statute relating to mental health;<br> or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | an<br> order is made by a court claiming jurisdiction (whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere) in matters concerning mental disorder<br> for his detention or for the appointment of a guardian, receiver or other person (by whatever name called) to exercise powers with<br> respect to his property or affairs; | | | (d) | he<br> resigns in writing delivered to the Registered Office or he offers in writing to resign and the Board resolves to accept such offer; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (e) | he<br> shall for more than six consecutive months have been absent without permission of the Board from meetings of the Board held during<br> that period and the Board resolves that his office be vacated; or | | | | | | | (f) | notice<br> stating he is removed from office as a director is served upon him signed by all his co-directors who must account to the members<br> at the next general meeting of the Company. If a director holds an appointment to an executive office which automatically determines<br> on his removal from office under this or the preceding sub-paragraph such removal shall be deemed an act of the Company and shall<br> have effect without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company. | | | Removal of director | | --- | --- | | | | | 19.4 | The<br> Company may, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of the Statutes, by ordinary resolution of which special notice has<br> been given remove any director from office (notwithstanding any provision of these articles or of any agreement between the Company<br> and such director, but without prejudice to any claim he may have for damages for breach of any such agreement) and elect another<br> person in place of a director so removed from office. | | | | | | Resolution as to vacancy conclusive | | | | | 19.5 | A<br> resolution of the Board declaring a director to have vacated office under the terms of article 19.4 shall be conclusive as to the<br> fact and grounds of vacation stated in the resolution. |
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| --- | | 20. | Meetings<br> and proceedings of directors | | --- | --- | | | | | | Convening of meetings of directors | | | | | 20.1 | Subject<br> to the provisions of these articles the Board may meet together for the despatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their<br> proceedings as they think fit. At any time any director may, and the Secretary at the request of a director shall, summon a meeting<br> of the Board. Notice of a Board meeting shall be deemed to be properly given to a director if it is given to him personally or by<br> word of mouth or sent in writing to him at his last known address or any other address given by him to the Company for that purpose.<br> Any director may waive notice of any meeting and any such waiver may be retroactive. | | | | | | Quorum | | | | | 20.2 | Save<br> as provided in article 20.17, the quorum necessary for the transaction of business of the Board may be fixed from time to time by<br> the Board and unless so fixed at any other number shall be two. A meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present shall be competent<br> to exercise all powers and discretions for the time being exercisable by the Board. | | | | | | Chairman | | | | | 20.3 | The<br> Board may elect from their number a chairman and a deputy chairman (or two or more deputy chairmen) and determine the period for<br> which each is to hold office and may at any time remove him or them from office. If no chairman or deputy chairman shall have been<br> appointed or if at any meeting of the Board no chairman or deputy chairman shall be present within five minutes after the time appointed<br> for holding the meeting, the directors present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting. | | | | | | Deputy chairman | | | | | 20.4 | If<br> at any time there is more than one deputy chairman the right in the absence of the chairman to preside as chairman at a meeting of<br> the Board or of the Company shall be determined as between the deputy chairmen present (if more than one) by seniority in length<br> of appointment or otherwise as resolved by the Board. | | | | | | Casting vote | | | | | 20.5 | Questions<br> arising at any meeting of the Board shall be determined by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman<br> of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. | | | | | | Restrictions on voting | | | | | 20.6 | Save<br> as provided in articles 20.7 and 20.8, and whether or not the interest is one which is permitted under article 18.10 or authorised<br> under article 18.12, a director shall not be permitted to vote on any resolution in respect of any contract, transaction or arrangement,<br> or any other proposal in which he (or a person connected with him) has an interest. A director shall not be counted in the quorum<br> at a meeting of the directors in relation to any resolution on which he is not entitled to vote. | | | | | 20.7 | Subject<br> to the Act, a director shall (in the absence of some interest other than is set out below and subject to any restrictions imposed<br> pursuant to article 18.14) be entitled to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of any resolution concerning any contract,<br> transaction or arrangement, or any other proposal: | | | (a) | in<br> which he has an interest of which he is not aware; | | --- | --- | --- |
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| --- | | | (b) | in<br> which he has an interest which cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (c) | in<br> which he has an interest only by virtue of interests in shares or debentures or other securities of the Company, or by reason of<br> any other interest in or through the Company; | | | | | | | (d) | which<br> involves the giving of any security, guarantee or indemnity to the director or any other person in respect of: | | | (i) | money<br> lent or obligations incurred by him or by any other person at the request of or for the benefit of the Company or any of its subsidiary<br> undertakings; or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | a<br> debt or obligation of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings for which he himself has assumed responsibility in whole<br> or part under a guarantee or indemnity or by the giving of security; | | | (e) | concerning<br> an offer of shares or debentures or other securities of or by the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings, in which offer the<br> director is or may be entitled to participate as a holder of securities, or in the underwriting or sub-underwriting of which the<br> director is to participate; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (f) | relating<br> to any other body corporate in which he is interested, directly or indirectly and whether as a director or other officer, shareholder,<br> creditor, employee or otherwise, provided that he (together with persons connected with him) does not hold an interest in shares<br> (as that term is defined in sections 820 to 825 of the Act) representing one per cent. or more of either any class of the equity<br> share capital, or the voting rights in such body corporate; | | | | | | | (g) | relating<br> to a pension, superannuation or similar scheme or retirement, death or disability benefits scheme or employees’ share scheme<br> which has been approved by HM Revenue & Customs or is conditional upon such approval or does not award him any privilege or benefit<br> not awarded to the employees to whom such scheme relates; | | | | | | | (h) | concerning<br> the purchase or maintenance by the Company of insurance for any liability for the benefit of directors or for the benefit of persons<br> including directors; | | | | | | | (i) | concerning<br> the giving of indemnities in favour of directors; | | | | | | | (j) | concerning<br> the funding of expenditure by any director or directors on (i) defending criminal, civil or regulatory proceedings or actions against<br> him or them, (ii) in connection with an application to the court for relief under sections 661(3) or (4) or 1157 of the Act or otherwise<br> or (iii) defending him or them in any regulatory investigations; | | | | | | | (k) | concerning<br> the doing of anything to enable any director or directors to avoid incurring expenditure as described in article 20.7(j); or | | | | | | | (l) | in<br> respect of which his interest, or the interest of directors generally, has been authorised by ordinary resolution. |
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| --- | | 20.8 | Where<br> proposals are under consideration concerning the appointment (including fixing or varying the terms of appointment) of two or more<br> directors to offices or employments with the Company or any body corporate in which the Company is interested, the proposals may<br> be divided and considered in relation to each director separately and in such case each of the directors concerned (if not debarred<br> from voting under article 20.7(f)) shall be entitled to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of each resolution except<br> that concerning his own appointment. | | --- | --- | | | | | 20.9 | If<br> a question arises at any time as to whether any interest of a director prevents him from voting, or being counted in the quorum,<br> under articles 20.6 to 20.8, and the question is not resolved by his voluntarily agreeing to abstain from voting or being counted<br> in the quorum, such question shall be referred to the chairman of the meeting and his ruling in relation to any director other than<br> himself shall be final and conclusive except in a case where the nature or extent of the interest of such director (so far as known<br> to him) has not been fairly disclosed. If any such question shall arise in respect of the chairman of the meeting, and such question<br> is not resolved by his voluntarily agreeing to abstain from voting or being counted in the quorum, such question shall be decided<br> by resolution of the directors or committee members present at the meeting (excluding the chairman) whose majority vote shall be<br> final and conclusive except in a case where the nature or extent of the interest of the chairman of the meeting (so far as known<br> to him) has not been fairly disclosed to the directors. | | | | | 20.10 | Subject<br> to the Act, the Company may by ordinary resolution ratify any transaction not duly authorised by reason of a contravention of any<br> restrictions in these articles of a director’s entitlement to vote. | | | | | 20.11 | For<br> the purposes of articles 20.6 to 20.9 and this article 20.11 (which shall each apply equally to alternate directors): | | | (a) | where<br> the context permits, any reference to an interest includes a duty and any reference to a conflict of interest includes a conflict<br> of interest and duty and a conflict of duties; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | an<br> interest of a person who is connected with a director shall be treated as an interest of the director; | | | | | | | (c) | the<br> provisions of section 252 of the Act shall determine whether a person is connected with a director; and | | | | | | | (d) | in<br> the case of an alternate director, an interest of his appointor shall be treated as an interest of the alternate in addition to any<br> interest which the alternate otherwise has. | | | Number of directors below minimum | | --- | --- | | | | | 20.12 | The<br> continuing directors may act notwithstanding any vacancies, but if and so long as the number of directors is reduced below the minimum<br> number fixed by or in accordance with these articles the continuing directors or director may act for the purpose of filling such<br> vacancies or of summoning a general meeting for the purpose of making such appointment, but not for any other purpose. If there are<br> no directors or director able or willing to act, then any two members may summon a general meeting for the purpose of appointing<br> directors. | | | | | | Written resolutions | | | | | 20.13 | A<br> resolution in writing executed by or on behalf of all the directors entitled to receive notice of a meeting of directors or of a<br> committee of directors shall be as effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the directors or, as the case may be, a committee<br> of directors duly convened and held and may consist of several documents each accurately stating the terms of the resolution and<br> each executed by or on behalf of one or more directors but a resolution executed by an alternate director need not also be executed<br> by his appointor and, if it is executed by a director who has appointed an alternate director, it need not also be executed by the<br> alternate director in that capacity. Such a resolution need not be signed by a director who is prohibited by these articles from<br> voting on that matter or by his alternate. |
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| --- | | 20.14 | Subject<br> to the provisions of the Act and where the Company has so agreed (generally or specifically), the confirmation to the Company by<br> a director of his assent to any resolution by electronic means, sent to the electronic address notified by the Company for this purpose,<br> shall be deemed to constitute a duly executed document for the purposes of article 20.13. | | --- | --- | | | | | | Validity of proceedings | | | | | 20.15 | All<br> acts done by any meeting of the Board, or of any committee of the Board, or by any person acting as a director or as a member of<br> any such committee, shall as regards all persons dealing in good faith with the Company, notwithstanding that there was some defect<br> in the appointment of any of those persons so acting, or that any such persons were disqualified or had vacated office, or were not<br> entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified and had continued to be a director<br> or member of the committee and had been entitled to vote. | | | | | | Telephone meetings | | | | | 20.16 | Save<br> as provided in article 20.17, any director or his alternate may participate in a meeting of directors by means of a conference telephone<br> or similar communications system whereby all those participating in the meeting can hear and address each other. Such participation<br> shall be deemed to constitute presence in person at such meeting for all purposes including that of establishing a quorum and entitlement<br> to vote. A meeting held by such means shall be deemed to take place where the largest group of participators in number is assembled.<br> In the absence of such a majority the location of the chairman shall be deemed to be the place of the meeting. A resolution passed<br> at any meeting held in the above manner, and signed by the chairman of the meeting, shall be as valid and effectual as if it had<br> been passed at a meeting of the Board (or committee, as the case may be), duly convened and held. | | | | | | Quarterly board meetings | | | | | 20.17 | The<br> Board shall convene and the Company shall hold board meetings at least once every calendar quarter and decisions that are key or<br> otherwise strategic in nature shall only be taken at such quarterly meetings (which can be convened more regularly should the need<br> arise, but must adhere to the principles of this article). Such meetings shall be held in London and a quorum shall only be declared<br> and such a meeting only take place circumstances where a majority of the directors including but not limited to the Chairman are<br> physically present in London. | | | | | 21. | Committees<br> of the directors | | | | | | Appointment and constitution of committees | | | | | 21.1 | The<br> Board may delegate any of their powers or discretions (including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing all powers<br> and discretions whose exercise involves or may involve the payment of remuneration to or the conferring of any other benefit on all<br> or any of the directors) to committees consisting of one or more directors and (if thought fit) one or more other named persons or<br> person to be co-opted as provided below. The Board may from time-to-time revoke, withdraw, alter or vary any of such powers and discharge<br> any such committee in whole or in part. Insofar as any such power or discretion is delegated to a committee, any reference in these<br> articles to the exercise by the Board of the power or discretion so delegated shall be read and construed as if it were a reference<br> to the exercise of such power or discretion by such committee. Any committee so formed shall in the exercise of the powers so delegated<br> conform to any regulations which may from time to time be imposed by the Board. Any such regulations may provide for or authorise<br> the co-option to the committee of persons other than directors and may provide for members who are not directors to have voting rights<br> as members of the committee but so that the number of members who are not directors shall be fewer than one-half of the total number<br> of members of the committee. |
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| --- | | | Proceedings of committee meetings | | --- | --- | | | | | 21.2 | The<br> meetings and proceedings of any such committee consisting of two or more persons shall (with necessary changes only) be governed<br> by the provisions of these articles regulating the meetings and proceedings of the Board, so far as the same are not superseded by<br> any regulations made by the Board under article 21.1. | | | | | 22. | Powers<br> of directors | | | | | | General powers | | | | | 22.1 | The<br> business and affairs of the Company shall be managed by the Board, who may pay all expenses incurred in forming and registering the<br> Company, and may exercise all such powers of the Company as are not by the Statutes or by these articles required to be exercised<br> by the Company in general meeting subject nevertheless to any regulations of these articles, to the provisions of the Statutes and<br> to such regulations as may be prescribed by special resolution of the Company, but no regulation so made by the Company shall invalidate<br> any prior act of the Board which would have been valid if such regulation had not been made. The general powers given by this article<br> 22.1 shall not be limited or restricted by any special authority or power given to the Board by any other article. | | | | | | Local boards | | | | | 22.2 | The<br> Board may establish any local boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company, either in the United Kingdom or<br> elsewhere, and may appoint any persons to be members of such local boards, or any managers or agents, and may fix their remuneration,<br> and may delegate to any local board, manager or agent any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in the Board, with power<br> to sub-delegate, and may authorise the members of any local boards, or any of them, to fill any vacancies in their number, and to<br> act notwithstanding vacancies, and any such appointment or delegation may be made upon such terms and subject to such conditions<br> as the Board may think fit, and the Board may remove any person so appointed, and may annul or vary any such delegation, but no person<br> dealing in good faith and without notice of any such annulment or variation shall be affected by such annulment or variation. | | | | | | Appointment of attorney | | | | | 22.3 | The<br> Board may from time to time and at any time by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any company, firm or person or any fluctuating<br> body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Board, to be the attorney or attorneys of the Company for such purposes<br> and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Board under these articles)<br> and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such appointment may contain such provisions for<br> the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorney as the Board may think fit, and may also authorise any such<br> attorney to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him. The Board may from time-to-time revoke,<br> withdraw, alter or vary any of such powers. |
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| --- | | | President | | --- | --- | | | | | 22.4 | The<br> Board may from time to time elect a president of the Company and may determine the period for which he shall hold office. Such president<br> may be either honorary or paid such remuneration as the Board in its discretion shall think fit, and need not be a director but shall,<br> if not a director, be entitled to receive notice of and attend and speak, but not to vote, at all meetings of the Board. | | | | | | Associate directors | | | | | 22.5 | The<br> Board may appoint any person (not being a director) to any office or employment having a designation or title including the word<br> “director” or attach to any existing office or employment with the Company such designation or title and may terminate<br> any such appointment or the use of such designation or title. The inclusion of the word “director” in the designation<br> or title of any such office or employment shall not imply that such person is, or is deemed to be, or is empowered in any respect<br> to act as, a director for any of the purposes of the Act or these articles. | | | | | | Signature on cheques etc. | | | | | 22.6 | All<br> cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange, and other negotiable or transferable instruments, and all receipts for moneys<br> paid to the Company, shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed, or otherwise executed, as the case may be, in such manner as the<br> Board shall from time to time by resolution determine. | | | | | 23. | Alternate<br> directors | | | | | 23.1 | Any<br> director (other than an alternate director) may at any time by writing under his hand and deposited at the Registered Office, or<br> delivered at a meeting of the Board, appoint any person (other than another director) to be his alternate director and may in like<br> manner at any time terminate such appointment. Such appointment, unless previously approved by the Board or unless the appointee<br> is another director, shall have effect only upon and subject to being approved by the Board. | | | | | 23.2 | The<br> appointment of an alternate director shall determine on the happening of any event which if he were a director would cause him to<br> vacate such office or if his appointor ceases to be a director. | | | | | 23.3 | An<br> alternate director shall be entitled to receive notices of meetings of the Board and shall be entitled to attend and vote as a director<br> at any such meeting at which the director appointing him is not personally present and generally at such meeting to perform all functions<br> of his appointor as a director and for the purposes of the proceedings at such meeting the provisions of these articles shall apply<br> as if he (instead of his appointor) were a director. If he shall be himself a director (or shall attend any such meeting as an alternate<br> for more than one director), his voting rights shall be cumulative but he shall not be counted more than once for the purposes of<br> the quorum. If his appointor is for the time being temporarily unable to act through ill health or disability his signature to any<br> resolution in writing of the Board shall be as effective as the signature of his appointor. To such extent as the Board may from<br> time to time determine in relation to any committees of the Board the foregoing provisions of this article shall also apply with<br> necessary changes only to any meeting of any such committee of which his appointor is a member. An alternate director shall not (save<br> as aforesaid) have power to act as a director, nor shall he be deemed to be a director for the purposes of these articles, nor shall<br> he be deemed to be the agent of his appointor. |
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| --- | | 23.4 | An<br> alternate director shall be entitled to contract and be interested in and benefit from contracts or arrangements or transactions<br> with the Company and to be repaid expenses and to be indemnified to the same extent with necessary changes only as if he were a director<br> but he shall not be entitled to receive from the Company in respect of his appointment as alternate director any remuneration except<br> only such part (if any) of the remuneration otherwise payable to his appointor as such appointor may by notice in writing to the<br> Company from time to time direct. | | --- | --- | | | | | 24. | Secretary | | | | | | The<br> Secretary shall be appointed by the Board on such terms and for such period as they may think fit. Any Secretary so appointed may<br> at any time be removed from office by the Board, but without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any contract of service<br> between him and the Company. If thought fit two or more persons may be appointed as joint secretaries. The Board may also appoint<br> from time to time on such terms as they may think fit one or more deputy and/or assistant secretaries. Any provision of the Act or<br> these articles requiring or authorising a thing to be done by or to a director and the Secretary shall not be satisfied by it being<br> done by or to the same person acting both as director and as, or in place of, the Secretary. | | | | | 25. | Provision<br> for employees | | | | | | The<br> Board may by resolution exercise any power conferred by the Statutes to make provision for the benefit of persons employed or formerly<br> employed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in connection with the cessation or the transfer to any person of the whole or<br> part of the undertaking of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. | | | | | 26. | Untraceable<br> members | | | | | 26.1 | The<br> Company shall be entitled to cease sending dividend warrants by post if such warrants have been returned undelivered or left uncashed,<br> provided that this power may not be exercised until either such warrants have been so returned or left uncashed on two consecutive<br> occasions or, following one such occasion, reasonable enquiries have failed to establish any new address of the registered holder. | | | | | 26.2 | The<br> Company shall be entitled to sell at the best price reasonably obtainable at the time of sale the shares of a member or the shares<br> to which a person is entitled by transmission on death or bankruptcy or otherwise by operation of law provided that this power may<br> not be exercised unless: | | | (a) | during<br> the period of 12 years prior to the date of the publication of the advertisements referred to in article 26.2(b) (or, if published<br> on different dates, the latest date) no communication has been received by the Company from the member or the person entitled by<br> transmission and no cheque or warrant sent by the Company in respect of the shares has been cashed and no fewer than three dividends<br> in respect of the shares have become payable during such period and no dividend in respect of those shares has been claimed; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | the<br> Company shall on expiry of such period of 12 years have inserted advertisements in both a national daily newspaper and in a newspaper<br> circulating in the area in which the last known address of the member or the address at which service of notices may be effected<br> in the manner authorised by these articles is located giving notice of its intention to sell the shares; | | | | | | | (c) | during<br> such period of 12 years and the period of three months following the publication of such advertisements (or, if published on different<br> dates, the latest date) and prior to the exercise of the power of sale, the Company shall have received no communication from such<br> member or person; and |
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| --- | | | (d) | (if<br> that the Company has any of its securities admitted to NASDAQ) the Company has given notice to NASDAQ or the SEC of its intention<br> to make such sale, if shares of the class concerned are listed on NASDAQ. | | --- | --- | --- | | 26.3 | To<br> give effect to any such sale pursuant to article 26.2 the Company may appoint any person to execute as transferor an instrument of<br> transfer of the said shares and such instrument of transfer shall be as effective as if it had been executed by the registered holder<br> of or person entitled by transmission on death or bankruptcy or otherwise by operation of law to such shares and the title of the<br> transferee shall not be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating to the transfer nor shall the transferee<br> be bound to see the application of the purchase moneys. The net proceeds of sale shall belong to the Company which shall be obliged<br> to account to the former member or other person previously entitled for a sum equal to such proceeds and shall enter the name of<br> such former member or other person in the books of the Company as a creditor for such sum which shall be a permanent debt of the<br> Company. No trust shall be created in respect of the debt, no interest shall be payable in respect of the same and the Company shall<br> not be required to account for any money earned on the net proceeds, which may be employed in the business of the Company or invested<br> in such investments (other than shares of the Company or its holding company if any) as the Board may from time to time think fit. | | --- | --- | | | | | 27. | Borrowing<br> powers | | | | | | The<br> Board may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money, to give guarantees and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property<br> and assets (present and future) and uncalled capital, and to issue debentures and other securities, whether outright or as collateral<br> security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party. | | | | | 28. | The<br> seal | | | | | 28.1 | The<br> Board shall provide for the safe custody of the common seal of the Company which shall not be used without the authority of the Board<br> or of a committee authorised by the Board in that behalf. | | | | | 28.2 | Every<br> instrument to which the common seal of the Company shall be affixed shall be signed by one director and the Secretary or by two directors<br> save that as regards any certificates for shares or debentures or other securities of the Company the Board may by resolution determine<br> that such signature or either of them be dispensed with or affixed by some method or system of mechanical signatures. | | | | | 28.3 | Any<br> instrument signed by one director (in the presence of a witness who attests the signature), one director and the Secretary, or by<br> two directors and expressed to be executed by the Company shall have the same effect as if executed under the common seal of the<br> Company, provided that no instrument which makes it clear on its face that it is intended to have effect as a deed shall be so signed<br> without the authority of the Board or of a committee authorised by the Board in that behalf. |
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| --- | | 29. | Authentication<br> of documents | | --- | --- | | | | | | Any<br> director or the Secretary or any person appointed by the Board for the purpose shall have power to authenticate any documents affecting<br> the constitution of the Company and any resolution passed by the Company or the Board or any committee, and any book, record, document<br> or account relating to the business of the Company and to certify copies or extracts of such resolution, book, record, document or<br> account as true copies or extracts, and if any resolution, book, record, document or account is elsewhere than at the Registered<br> Office the local manager or other officer of the Company having the custody of them shall be deemed to be a person appointed by the<br> Board. A document purporting to be a copy of a resolution, or an extract from the minutes of a meeting, of the Company or of the<br> Board or any committee, which is certified shall be conclusive evidence in favour of all persons dealing with the Company upon the<br> faith of such certified copy that such resolution has been duly passed or, as the case may be, that any minute so extracted is a<br> true and accurate record of proceedings at a duly constituted meeting. | | | | | 30. | Reserves | | | | | | The<br> Board may from time to time set aside out of the profits of the Company and carry to reserve such sums as they think proper which,<br> at the discretion of the Board, shall be applicable for any purpose to which the profits of the Company may properly be applied and<br> pending such application may either be employed in the business of the Company or be invested. The Board may divide the reserve into<br> such special funds as they think fit and may consolidate into one fund any special funds or any parts of any special funds into which<br> the reserve may have been divided. The Board may also without placing the same to reserve carry forward any profits. In carrying<br> sums to reserve and in applying the same, the Board shall comply with the provisions of the Statutes. | | | | | 31. | Dividends | | | | | | Final dividends | | | | | 31.1 | Subject<br> to the provisions of the Act and of these articles, the Company may by ordinary resolution declare dividends to be paid to members<br> according to their respective rights and interests but no such dividends shall exceed the sum recommended by the Board. | | | | | | Interim dividends | | | | | 31.2 | In<br> so far as in the opinion of the Board the profits of the Company justify such payments, the Board may declare and pay the fixed dividends<br> on any class of shares carrying a fixed dividend expressed to be payable on fixed dates on the half-yearly or other dates prescribed<br> for the payment of such dividends and may also from time to time declare and pay interim dividends on shares of any class of such<br> sums and on such dates and in respect of such periods as it thinks fit. Provided the directors act in good faith they shall not incur<br> any liability to the holders of shares conferring preferred rights for any loss they may suffer by the lawful payment of an interim<br> dividend on any shares having deferred or non-preferred rights. | | | | | | Ranking of shares for dividend | | | | | 31.3 | Unless<br> and to the extent that the rights attached to any shares or the terms of issue of such shares otherwise provide, all dividends or<br> other sums which amount to a distribution will be distributed among the holders of the Preference Shares, and the Ordinary Shares<br> so that the holders of Preference Shares receive a total of one pound in aggregate (as a class), payment of which may be made to<br> any holder of Preference Shares on behalf of the class, and the remainder shall be distributed to the holders of the Ordinary Shares<br> pro rata to their respective holdings of Ordinary Shares. |
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| --- | | | No dividend except out of profits | | --- | --- | | | | | 31.4 | No<br> dividend shall be paid otherwise than out of profits available for distribution under the provisions of the Statutes. | | | | | | No interest on dividends | | | | | 31.5 | No<br> dividend or other moneys payable on or in respect of a share shall bear interest as against the Company. | | | | | | Retention of dividends | | | | | 31.6 | The<br> Board may retain any dividend or other moneys payable on or in respect of a share on which the Company has a lien, and may apply<br> the same in or towards satisfaction of the debts, liabilities or obligations in respect of which the lien exists. | | | | | 31.7 | The<br> Board may retain the dividends payable upon shares in respect of which any person is under the provisions as to the transmission<br> of shares in these articles entitled to become a member, or which any person is under those provisions entitled to transfer, until<br> such person shall become a member in respect of such shares or shall transfer the same. | | | | | | Waiver of dividend | | | | | 31.8 | The<br> waiver in whole or in part of any dividend on any share by any document (whether or not executed as a deed) shall be effective only<br> if such document is signed by the holder of such share (or the person becoming entitled to the share in consequence of the death,<br> bankruptcy or mental disorder of the holder or by operation of law or any other event) and delivered to the Company and if or to<br> the extent that the same is accepted as such or acted upon by the Company. | | | | | | Unclaimed dividend | | | | | 31.9 | All<br> dividends, interest or other sum payable and unclaimed for 12 months after having become payable may be invested or otherwise made<br> use of by the Board for the benefit of the Company until claimed and the Company shall not be constituted a trustee in respect thereof.<br> Any dividend unclaimed after a period of twelve years from the date the dividend became due for payment shall be forfeited and shall<br> revert to the Company. | | | | | | Distribution in specie | | | | | 31.10 | The<br> Company may upon the recommendation of the Board by ordinary resolution direct payment of a dividend in whole or in part by the distribution<br> of specific assets (and in particular of paid-up shares or debentures of any other company) and the Board shall give effect to such<br> resolution. Where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Board may settle the same as it thinks expedient and<br> in particular: | | | (a) | may<br> issue fractional certificates; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | may<br> fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part of such specific assets; | | | | | | | (c) | may<br> determine that cash payments shall be made to any member upon the footing of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of<br> all members; and | | | | | | | (d) | may<br> vest any such specific assets in trustees as may seem expedient to the Board. |
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| --- | | | Manner of payment of dividends | | --- | --- | | | | | 31.11 | Any<br> dividend or other moneys payable in cash on or in respect of a share may be paid by one or more of the following methods to be determined<br> by the Board from time to time as it sees fit: | | | (a) | by<br> cheque, warrant or other financial instrument (made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent or to such person as the<br> holder or joint holders or person or persons entitled to the share in consequence of the death, bankruptcy or mental disorder of<br> the holder or by operation of law or any other event may direct) sent through the post to the registered address of the member or<br> person entitled to such dividend or other moneys (or, if two or more persons are registered as joint holders of the share or are<br> entitled to such share in consequence of the death, bankruptcy or mental disorder of the holder or by operation of law or any other<br> event, to any one of such persons) or to such person and such address as such member or person or persons may in writing direct; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | by<br> means of the relevant system (including, without limitation, CREST) in respect of an uncertificated share if the Board decides and<br> the person entitled to payment has in writing authorised the payment to be made by means of that system; or | | | | | | | (c) | by<br> such other method as the person entitled to the payment may agree in writing. | | 31.12 | Payment<br> by cheque or warrant or other financial instrument by the banker upon whom it is drawn shall be a good discharge to the Company.<br> Every such cheque or warrant or other financial instrument shall be sent at the risk of the person entitled to the money represented<br> by such cheque or warrant or other financial instrument and shall (where relevant) be crossed in accordance with the Cheques Act<br> 1992. Payment by bank or other funds transfer, by means of relevant systems (which, if the relevant system is CREST, may include<br> the sending by the Company or by any person on its behalf of an instruction to the Operator of the relevant system to credit the<br> Cash Memorandum Account of the holder or joint holders or, if permitted by the Company, of such person as the holder or joint holders<br> may direct) or by another method at the direction of the person(s) entitled to payment shall be a good discharge to the Company and<br> the Company shall have no responsibility for any amounts lost or delayed in the course of making that payment. If any such cheque,<br> warrant or other financial instrument has been, or shall be alleged to have been, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Board may, at the<br> request of the person(s) entitled to it, issue a replacement cheque, warrant or other financial instrument or other form of payment<br> subject to compliance with such conditions as to evidence and indemnity and the payment of such out-of-pocket expenses incurred by<br> the Company in connection with the request as the Board may think fit. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles relating<br> to payments in respect of shares, where: | | --- | --- | | | (a) | the<br> Board determines to make payments in respect of uncertificated shares through the relevant system, it may also determine or enable<br> any holder of uncertificated shares to elect not to receive dividends through the relevant system and, in such event, establish procedures<br> to enable such holder to make, vary or revoke any such election; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | the<br> Company receives an authority in respect of such payments in respect of shares in a form satisfactory to it from a holder of any<br> shares (whether such authority is given in writing or by means of the relevant system or otherwise), the Company may make, or procure<br> the making of, such payments in accordance with such authority and any payment made in accordance with such authority shall constitute<br> a good discharge therefore. |
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| --- | | 31.13 | Subject<br> to the provisions of these articles and to the rights attaching to, or the terms of issue of, any shares, any dividend or other moneys<br> payable on or in respect of a share may be paid in such currency as the Board may determine. | | --- | --- | | | | | 31.14 | If<br> any dividend or other moneys payable on or in respect of a share are to be paid in a currency other than sterling, the Board may<br> make such provisions as it thinks fit to enable such payment to be made, including making arrangements to enable payment to be made<br> in the relevant currency for value on the date due for payment or on such later date as the Board may decide. | | | | | 31.15 | Where<br> a dividend or other moneys payable on or in respect of a share are to be paid in a currency other than sterling, the rate of exchange<br> to be used to calculate the relevant amount of foreign currency shall be such market rate selected by the Board as it shall consider<br> appropriate, ruling at any time between the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the day on which the Board<br> publicly announces its intention to pay or recommend (as the case may be) the relevant dividend and the close of business on the<br> day on which that dividend is paid. | | | | | | Joint holders | | | | | 31.16 | If<br> two or more persons are registered as joint holders of any share, or are entitled jointly to a share in consequence of the death,<br> bankruptcy or mental disorder of the holder or otherwise by operation of law or any other event, any one of them may give effectual<br> receipts for any dividend or other money payable or property distributable on or in respect of the share. | | | | | | Record date for dividends, issues of shares etc. | | | | | 31.17 | Subject<br> to the Statutes and the NASDAQ Rules, the Company in general meeting, or the Board by resolution, may specify any date (the “record date”) as the date at the close of business on which persons registered as the holders of shares shall be entitled to receipt<br> of any dividend, distribution, interest, allotment, issue or other right and such record date may be on, or at any time before or<br> after, that on which the resolution is passed. Upon that date the dividend, distribution, interest, allotment, issue or other right<br> shall then be payable or due to them in accordance with their respective holdings so registered, but without prejudice to the rights<br> between transferors and transferees of any such shares in respect of such dividend, distribution, interest, allotment, issue or other<br> right. | | | | | 32. | Capitalisation<br> of profits and reserves | | | | | 32.1 | The<br> Board may, with the sanction of an ordinary resolution of the Company, capitalise any sum standing to the credit of any of the Company’s<br> reserve accounts (including any share premium account, capital redemption reserve, or other undistributable reserve) or any sum standing<br> to the credit of profit and loss account. | | | | | 32.2 | Subject<br> to article 18.4, such capitalisation shall be effected by appropriating such sum to the holders of ordinary shares on the Register<br> at the close of business on the date of the resolution (or such other date as may be specified in such resolution or determined as<br> provided in such resolution) in proportion to their holdings of ordinary shares and applying such sum on their behalf in paying up<br> in full unissued ordinary shares (or, subject to any special rights previously conferred on any shares or class of shares for the<br> time being issued, unissued shares of any other class not being redeemable shares) for allotment and distribution credited as fully<br> paid up to and amongst them in proportion to their holdings. |
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| --- | | 32.3 | The<br> Board may do all acts and things considered necessary or expedient to give effect to any such capitalisation, with full power to<br> the Board to make such provision as it thinks fit for any fractional entitlements which would arise on the basis aforesaid (including<br> provisions whereby fractional entitlements are disregarded or the benefit of such fractional entitlements accrues to the Company<br> rather than to the members concerned). The Board may authorise any person to enter on behalf of all the members interested into an<br> agreement with the Company providing for any such capitalisation and matters incidental to such capitalisation and any agreement<br> made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all concerned. | | --- | --- | | | | | 33. | Accounts | | | | | | Accounting records | | | | | 33.1 | Accounting<br> records sufficient to show and explain the Company’s transactions and otherwise complying with the Statutes shall be kept at<br> the Registered Office, or at such other place as the Board thinks fit, and shall always be open to inspection by the officers of<br> the Company. No member of the Company or other person shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company<br> except as conferred by Statute or these articles or as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction or as authorised by the Board. | | | | | | Copies of accounts for members | | | | | 33.2 | A<br> copy of every balance sheet and profit and loss account which is to be laid before a general meeting of the Company (including every<br> document required by law to be comprised in such balance sheet and profit and loss account or attached or annexed to such balance<br> sheet and profit and loss account) shall no fewer than twenty-one days before the date of the annual general meeting be sent or supplied<br> to every member of, and every holder of debentures of, the Company and to every other person who is entitled to receive notice of<br> meetings from the Company under the provisions of the Statutes or of these articles. Provided that this article shall not require<br> a copy of these documents to be sent or supplied to any member to whom a summary financial statement is sent in accordance with the<br> Statutes nor to more than one of joint holders nor to any person of whose address the Company is not aware, but any member or holder<br> of debentures to whom a copy of these documents has not been sent or supplied shall be entitled to receive a copy free of charge<br> on application at the Registered Office. | | | | | 34. | Auditors | | | | | | Validity of auditor’s acts | | | | | 34.1 | Subject<br> to the provisions of the Statutes, all acts done by any person acting as an auditor shall, as regards all persons dealing in good<br> faith with the Company, be valid, notwithstanding that there was some defect in his appointment or that he was at the time of his<br> appointment not qualified for appointment or subsequently became disqualified. | | | | | | Auditor’s rights to attend general meetings | | | | | 34.2 | An<br> auditor shall be entitled to attend any general meeting and to receive all notices of and other communications relating to any general<br> meeting which any member is entitled to receive and to be heard at any general meeting on any part of the business of the meeting<br> which concerns him as auditor. |
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| --- | | 35. | Notices | | --- | --- | | | | | | Service of notices and other documents | | | | | 35.1 | Subject<br> to the requirements set out in the Act and provided that the Company has complied with all applicable regulatory requirements, any<br> notice given or document sent or supplied to or by any person under these articles, or otherwise sent by the Company under the Act,<br> may be given, sent or supplied: | | | (a) | in<br> hard copy form; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | in<br> electronic form; or | | | | | | | (c) | (by<br> the Company) by means of a website (other than notices calling a meeting of directors), | | | or<br> partly by one of these means and partly by another of these means. | | --- | --- | | | | | | Notices<br> shall be given and documents supplied in accordance with the procedures set out in the Act, except to the extent that a contrary<br> provision is set out in this article 35. | | | | | | Notices in hard copy form | | | | | 35.2 | Any<br> notice or other document in hard copy form given or supplied under these articles may be delivered or sent by first class post (airmail<br> if overseas): | | | (a) | to<br> the Company at the Registered Office or any other company at its registered office; or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | to<br> the address notified to or by the Company for that purpose; or | | | | | | | (c) | in<br> the case of a member or his legal personal representative or trustee in bankruptcy, to such member’s address as shown in the<br> Register; or | | | | | | | (d) | in<br> the case of an intended recipient who is a director or alternate, to his address as shown in the register of directors; or | | | | | | | (e) | to<br> any other address to which any provision of the Companies Acts (as defined in the Act) authorises the document or information to<br> be sent or supplied; or | | | | | | | (f) | where<br> the Company is the sender, if the Company is unable to obtain an address falling within one of the addresses referred to in (a) –<br> (e) above, to the intended recipient’s last address known to the Company. | | 35.3 | In<br> the case of a member registered on a branch register, if any such notice or document is posted in hard copy or electronic form it<br> may be posted either in the United Kingdom or in the territory in which such branch register is maintained. | | --- | --- | | | | | 35.4 | Any<br> notice or other document in hard copy form given or supplied under these articles shall be deemed to have been served and be effective: | | | (a) | if<br> delivered, at the time of delivery; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | if<br> posted, on receipt or 48 hours after the time it was posted, whichever occurs first. |
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| --- | | | Notices in electronic form | | --- | --- | | | | | 35.5 | Subject<br> to the provisions of the Act and provided that the Company has complied with all applicable regulatory requirements, any notice or<br> other document in electronic form given or supplied under these articles may: | | | (a) | if<br> sent by fax or email (provided that a fax number or an address for email has been notified to or by the Company for that purpose),<br> be sent by the relevant electronic form to that address; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | if<br> delivered or sent by first class post (airmail if overseas) in an electronic form (such as sending a disk by post), be so delivered<br> or sent as if in hard copy form under article 35.2; or | | | | | | | (c) | be<br> sent by such other electronic means (as defined in section 1168 of the Act) as the Company may specify: | | | (i) | on<br> its website from time to time; or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | by<br> notice (in hard copy or electronic form) to all members of the Company from time to time. | | 35.6 | Any<br> notice or other document in electronic form given or supplied under these articles shall be deemed to have been served and be effective: | | --- | --- | | | (a) | if<br> sent by facsimile or email (where a fax number or an address for email has been notified to or by the Company for that purpose),<br> on receipt or 48 hours after the time it was sent, whichever occurs first; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | if<br> posted in an electronic form, on receipt or 48 hours after the time it was posted, whichever occurs first; | | | | | | | (c) | if<br> delivered in an electronic form, at the time of delivery; and | | | | | | | (d) | if<br> sent by any other electronic means as referred to in article 35.5(c), at the time such delivery is deemed to occur under the Act. | | 35.7 | Where<br> the Company is able to show that any notice or other document given or sent under these articles by electronic means was properly<br> addressed with the electronic address supplied by the intended recipient, the giving or sending of that notice or other document<br> shall be effective notwithstanding any receipt by the Company at any time of notice either that such method of communication has<br> failed or of the intended recipient’s non-receipt. | | --- | --- | | | | | | Notice by means of a website | | | | | 35.8 | Subject<br> to the provisions of the Act and provided that the Company has complied with all applicable regulatory requirements, any notice or<br> other document or information to be given, sent or supplied by the Company to members under these articles (or to any other person<br> with rights to receive copies of such notices or other documents or information to be given, sent or supplied by the Company to members)<br> may be given, sent or supplied by the Company by making it available on the Company’s website, provided that: | | | (a) | the<br> member has expressly agreed (generally or specifically) that documents or notices may be sent by means of a website to him or he<br> has been asked (individually) to agree that documents and notices can be sent by means of a website and the Company has received<br> no response to that request within 28 days from the date on which the request was sent; and | | --- | --- | --- |
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| --- | | | (b) | the<br> documents are documents to which the agreement applies; and | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (c) | the<br> member is notified of the presence of the documents on the website, the address of the website, the place on the website where the<br> documents may be accessed and how they may be accessed. | | 35.9 | Documents<br> must be available on the website for a period of not less than 28 days from the date of notification unless the Statutes make provision<br> for any other time period. | | --- | --- | | | | | 35.10 | If<br> the documents are published on the website for a part only of the period of time referred to in the above Article, they will be treated<br> as being published throughout the period is the failure to publish throughout the period is wholly attributable to circumstances<br> which it would not be reasonable to have expected the Company to prevent or avoid. | | | | | | Documents sent by the Company in electronic form | | | | | 35.11 | Subject<br> to any requirement of the Act and provided that the Company has complied with all applicable regulatory requirements, the Company<br> may send any documents or notices to its members in electronic form and such documents or notices will be validly sent provided that: | | | (a) | the<br> member has agreed (generally or specifically) (or in the case of a company is deemed to have agreed by a provision in the Statutes)<br> that documents or notices can be sent in electronic form; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | the<br> documents are documents to which the agreement applies; and | | | | | | | (c) | copies<br> of the documents are sent in electronic form to the address notified by the member to the Company for that purpose. | | | General | | --- | --- | | | | | 35.12 | The<br> accidental omission to give notice to or the non-receipt of notice by any person entitled to such notice shall not invalidate any<br> general meeting or any proceedings at such general meeting. | | | | | 35.13 | Without<br> prejudice to article 35.12, where the Company is able to show that any notice of general meeting or other notice or document sent<br> by electronic means was properly addressed with the electronic address supplied by the intended recipient, the giving of that notice<br> or sending of that document shall be effective notwithstanding any receipt by the Company at any time of notice either that such<br> method of communication has failed or of the intended recipient’s non-receipt. | | | | | 35.14 | Without<br> prejudice to article 35.12, where notice is given or document sent by means of a website, the accidental failure to make the notice<br> or document available on the website throughout the requisite period shall, subject to the provisions of the Act, not invalidate<br> any general meeting or any proceedings at such general meeting and the giving of that notice or sending of that document shall be<br> effective. | | | | | 35.15 | A<br> member present either in person or by proxy, at any meeting of the Company or the holders of any class of shares in the Company shall<br> be deemed to have received notice of the meeting and, where requisite, of the purpose for which it was called. |
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| --- | | | Joint holders | | --- | --- | | | | | 35.16 | Any<br> notice given to the joint holder of a share whose name stands first in the Register in respect of the share (the “Primary Holder”) shall be sufficient notice to all the joint holders in their capacity as such. For such purpose a joint holder<br> having no registered address in the United Kingdom and not having supplied an address within the United Kingdom for the service of<br> notices shall be disregarded for the purposes of determining the Primary Holder. | | | | | 35.17 | Anything<br> agreed or specified by the Primary Holder in relation to the service, sending or supply of notices, documents or other information<br> shall be treated as the agreement or specification of all the joint holders in their capacity as such (whether for the purposes of<br> the Act or otherwise). | | | | | | Deceased and bankrupt members | | | | | 35.18 | A<br> person entitled to a share in consequence of the death, bankruptcy or mental disorder of a member or by operation of law or any other<br> event upon supplying to the Company such evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show his title to the share, and upon supplying<br> also an address within the United Kingdom for the service of notices, shall be entitled to have served upon or delivered to him at<br> such address any notice or document to which the member but for his death or bankruptcy or other event would be entitled, and such<br> service or delivery shall for all purposes be deemed a sufficient service or delivery of such notice or document on all persons interested<br> (whether jointly with or as claiming through or under him) in the share. Save as aforesaid any notice or document delivered or sent<br> by post to or left at the address of any member in pursuance of these articles shall, notwithstanding that such member is then dead<br> or bankrupt or in liquidation, and whether or not the Company has received notice of his death or bankruptcy or liquidation, be deemed<br> to have been duly served or delivered in respect of any share registered in the name of such member as sole or first-named joint<br> holder. | | | | | | Overseas members | | | | | 35.19 | A<br> member who (having no registered address within the United Kingdom) has not supplied to the Company either an address within the<br> United Kingdom or a valid email address for the service of notices shall not be entitled to receive notices from the Company. | | | | | | Suspension of postal services | | | | | 35.20 | If<br> at any time by reason of the suspension or curtailment of postal services or threat thereof within the United Kingdom the Company<br> is or would be unable to convene a general meeting effectively by notices sent through the post, a general meeting may be convened<br> by a notice advertised on the same date in no fewer than one national daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom with appropriate<br> circulation and, where the Company keeps an overseas branch register, in at least one daily newspaper published in the territory<br> where such register is maintained and such notice shall be deemed to have been duly served on all members entitled to such notice<br> at noon on the day when the advertisement appears. In any such case the Company shall send confirmatory copies of the notice by post<br> if at least seven days prior to the meeting the posting of notices to addresses throughout the United Kingdom again becomes practicable.<br> All members are deemed to have agreed to this method of communication in the circumstances referred to in this article. |
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| --- | | | Statutory requirements as to notices | | --- | --- | | | | | 35.21 | The<br> provisions in these articles regarding the serving of notices and other documents are subject to any requirements in the Statutes<br> that a particular offer, notice or other document be served in any particular manner. | | | | | 36. | Destruction<br> of documents | | | | | | The<br> Company may destroy: | | | (a) | any<br> share certificate which has been cancelled at any time after the expiry of one year from the date of such cancellation; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | any<br> variation or cancellation of any dividend mandate at any time after the expiry of two years from the date such variation or cancellation<br> was recorded by the Company; | | | | | | | (c) | any<br> notification of change of name or address at any time after the expiry of two years from the date such notification was recorded<br> by the Company; | | | | | | | (d) | any<br> instrument of transfer of shares which has been registered at any time after the expiry of six years from the date of registration;<br> and | | | | | | | (e) | any<br> other document on the basis of which any entry in the Register is made at any time after the expiry of six years from the date an<br> entry in the Register was first made in respect of it, | | | and<br> it shall conclusively be presumed in favour of the Company that every share certificate so destroyed was a valid certificate duly<br> and properly cancelled and that every instrument of transfer so destroyed was a valid and effective instrument duly and properly<br> registered and that every other document destroyed under this article was a valid and effective document in accordance with the recorded<br> particulars of that document in the books or records of the Company. Provided always that: | | --- | --- | | | (i) | the<br> foregoing provisions of this article shall apply only to the destruction of a document in good faith and without express notice to<br> the Company that the preservation of such document was relevant to a claim; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (ii) | nothing<br> contained in this article shall be construed as imposing upon the Company any liability in respect of the destruction of any document<br> earlier than as stated in this article or in any case where the conditions of proviso (i) are not fulfilled; and | | | | | | | (iii) | references<br> in this article to the destruction of any document include references to its disposal in any manner. | | 37. | Change<br> of name | | --- | --- | | | | | | The<br> Company may change its name by resolution of the directors |
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| --- | | 38. | Winding<br> up | | --- | --- | | | | | | Directors’ power to petition | | | | | 38.1 | The<br> Board shall have power in the name and on behalf of the Company to present a petition to the court for the Company to be wound up. | | | | | | Distribution of assets in specie | | | | | 38.2 | If<br> the Company shall be wound up (whether the liquidation is voluntary, under supervision, or by the court) the liquidator may, with<br> the authority of a special resolution and subject to any provision sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of the Insolvency<br> Act 1986, divide among the members in specie or kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and whether or not the assets<br> shall consist of property of one kind or shall consist of properties of different kinds, and may for such purpose set such value<br> as he deems fair upon any one or more class or classes of property and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between<br> the members or different classes of members. The liquidator may, with the like authority, vest any part of the assets in trustees<br> upon such trusts for the benefit of members as the liquidator with the like authority shall think fit, and the liquidation of the<br> Company may be closed and the Company dissolved, but so that no contributory shall be compelled to accept any shares or other property<br> in respect of which there is a liability. The liquidator may make any provision referred to in and sanctioned in accordance with<br> the provisions of the Insolvency Act 1986. | | | | | | Transfer or sale under section 110 Insolvency Act 1986 | | | | | 38.3 | A<br> special resolution sanctioning a transfer or sale to another company duly passed pursuant to section 110 of the Insolvency Act 1986<br> may in the like manner authorise the distribution of any shares or other consideration receivable by the liquidator among the members<br> otherwise than in accordance with their existing rights and any such determination shall be binding on all the members subject to<br> the right of dissent and consequential rights conferred by that section. | | | | | 39. | Indemnity | | | | | 39.1 | Subject<br> to the provisions of and so far as may be permitted by the Statutes, every director or other officer of the Company (excluding the<br> Company’s auditors) shall be entitled to be indemnified by the Company (and the Company shall also be able to indemnify directors<br> of any associated company (as defined in section 256 of the Act)) out of the Company’s assets against all liabilities incurred<br> by him in the actual or purported execution or discharge of his duties or the exercise or purported exercise of his powers or otherwise<br> in relation to or in connection with his duties, powers or office, provided that no director of the Company or any associated company<br> is indemnified by the Company against: | | | (a) | any<br> liability incurred by the director to the Company or any associated company; or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | any<br> liability incurred by the director to pay a fine imposed in criminal proceedings or a sum payable to a regulatory authority by way<br> of a penalty in respect of non-compliance with any requirements of a regulatory nature; or | | | | | | | (c) | any<br> liability incurred by the director: | | | (i) | in<br> defending any criminal proceedings in which he is convicted; | | --- | --- | --- |
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| --- | | | (ii) | in<br> defending civil proceedings brought by the Company or any associated company in which final judgment (within the meaning set out<br> in section 234 of the Act) is given against him; or | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (iii) | in<br> connection with any application under sections 661(3) or 661(4) or 1157 of the Act (as the case may be) for which the court refuses<br> to grant him relief, | | | save<br> that, in respect of a provision indemnifying a director of a company (whether or not the Company) that is a trustee of an occupational<br> pension scheme (as that term is used in section 235 of the Act) against liability incurred in connection with that company’s<br> activities as trustee of the scheme, the Company shall also be able to indemnify any such director without the restrictions in articles<br> 39.1(a), 39.1(c)(ii) and 39.1(c)(iii) applying | | --- | --- | | 39.2 | Subject<br> to the provisions of and so far as may be permitted by the Statutes, and without prejudice to article 39.1, the Board shall have<br> power to purchase and maintain insurance at the expense of the Company for or for the benefit of any persons who are or were at any<br> time directors, officers or employees of any Relevant Company (as defined in the following article) or who are or were at any time<br> trustees of any pension fund or employees’ share scheme in which employees of any Relevant Company are interested, including<br> (without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing) insurance against any liability incurred by such persons in respect of any<br> negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which they may be guilty in relation to a Relevant Company arising out<br> of any act or omission in the actual or purported execution or discharge of their duties or in the exercise or purported exercise<br> of their powers or otherwise in relation to their duties, powers or offices in relation to any Relevant Company, or any such pension<br> fund or employees’ share scheme. | | --- | --- | | | | | 39.3 | For<br> the purpose of article 39.2, “Relevant Company” shall mean the Company, any holding company of the Company or<br> any other body, whether or not incorporated, in which the company or such holding company or any of the predecessors of the Company<br> or of such holding company has or had any interest whether direct or indirect or which is in any way allied to or associated with<br> the Company, or any subsidiary undertaking of the Company or of such other body. | | | | | 40. | Forum<br> Selection | | | | | 40.1 | Unless<br> the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the courts of England and Wales shall, to the fullest extent<br> permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for: | | | (a) | any<br> derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company; | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | (b) | any<br> action commenced by a member of the Company in its own name or on behalf of the Company, asserting a claim of breach of any fiduciary<br> or other duty owned by any director, officer or other employee of the Company (including but not limited to duties arising under<br> the Act); | | | | | | | (c) | an<br> action arising out of or in connection with these Articles (pursuant to any provision of the laws of England and Wales or the Company’s<br> memorandum of association and Articles (as either may be amended from time to time)), or otherwise in any way relating to the constitution<br> or the Company; or | | | | | | | (d) | any<br> action asserting a claim against the Company governed by the “Internal Affairs Doctrine” (as such concept is recognised<br> under the laws of the United States of America). | | 40.2 | Unless<br> the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America<br> shall be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a clause of action arising under the United States<br> Securities Act 1933, as amended or any successor thereto. | | --- | --- | | | | | 40.3 | For<br> the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained in this article 40 shall apply to any action brought to enforce a duty or liability created<br> by the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor thereto,<br> or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are, as a matter of the laws of the United States,<br> the sole and exclusive forum for determination of such a claim. |
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