Wah Fu Education & Technology Group Ltd F-3, filed Jun 15, 2021
Wah Fu Education & Technology Group Ltd. (WAFU)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 14, 2021.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Wah Fu Education Group Limited
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Not Applicable
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
| British Virgin Islands | 8200 | Not Applicable | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
L207b, Hesheng Fortune Plaza, No.13 Deshengmenwai Street
Xicheng District, Beijing, China 100088
Tel: 86 10 57925024
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Yang Yu
Tel: + 86 10 57925024
L207b, Hesheng Fortune Plaza, No.13 Deshengmenwai Street
Xicheng District, Beijing, China 100088
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
David Selengut, Esq.
Richard I. Anslow, Esq.
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10105
Tel: (212) 370-1300
Fax: (212) 370-7889
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement as determined in light of market conditions.
If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| Title of each class of securities to be registered | Amount to be registered(1) | Proposed maximum aggregate price per unit (1) | Proposed maximum aggregate offering price (1)(2) | Amount of registration fee(3) | ||||||||||||
| Ordinary shares, par value $0.01 per share | ||||||||||||||||
| Warrants | ||||||||||||||||
| Debt Securities (which may be senior or subordinated, convertible or non-convertible, secured or unsecured) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rights | ||||||||||||||||
| Depositary Shares | ||||||||||||||||
| Units | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 25,000,000 | $ | 2,727.5 | (4) | |||||||||||
| (1) | Not specified as to each class of securities to be registered pursuant to General Instruction II.C. of Form F-3. |
| (2) | The registrant is hereby registering an indeterminate number of securities of each identified class as may from time to time be offered at unspecified prices or upon conversion, exchange or exercise of securities registered hereunder to the extent such securities are, by their terms, exercisable for, such securities. The maximum aggregate offering price of all securities covered by this Registration Statement will not exceed $25,000,000. The Registrant has estimated the proposed maximum aggregate offering price solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The securities registered hereunder include securities that may be purchased by underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any. |
| (3) | Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act. |
| (4) | Paid herewith. |
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to Section 8(a), may determine.
Subject to Completion, dated June 14, 2021.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We cannot sell these securities until the registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where their offer or sale is not permitted.
PROSPECTUS
Wah Fu Education Group Limited
US$25,000,000
Ordinary Shares
Warrants
Debt Securities
Rights
Depositary Shares
Units
We may offer the securities described in this prospectus from time to time in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined at or prior to the time of the offering. We refer to the ordinary shares, the warrants, the debt securities, the rights, the depositary shares and the units comprised of, or other combinations of, the foregoing securities as the “Securities”. This prospectus describes the general manner in which the Securities may be offered using this prospectus. We will provide specific terms and offering prices of these Securities in supplements to this prospectus. Any supplement to this prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplements carefully before you invest in the Securities.
We may offer the Securities through underwriting syndicates managed or co-managed by one or more underwriters or dealers, through agents or directly to investors (including our shareholders), on a continuous or delayed basis. The supplement to this prospectus for each offering of Securities will describe in detail the plan of distribution for that offering.
Our ordinary shares are listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market, or “NASDAQ”, under the symbol “WAFU.”
We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable U.S. federal securities laws and are eligible for reduced public company reporting requirements.
Investing in the Securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page [8] of this prospectus and under similar headings in any amendment or supplement to this prospectus or as updated by any subsequent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that is incorporated by reference herein.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the Securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is June 14, 2021.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
You should rely only on the information provided by this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any information incorporated by reference. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different or additional information or to make any representations other than those contained in or incorporated by reference to this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement. We have not taken any action to permit a public offering of the securities described in this prospectus outside the United States or to permit the possession or distribution of this prospectus outside the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must observe any restrictions relating to the offering of the securities described in this prospectus and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States. This prospectus is not an offer to sell, or solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities in any circumstances under which the offer of solicitation is unlawful.
i
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form F-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this process, we may, from time to time, sell any combination of the Securities in one or more offerings. The Securities to be sold pursuant to this registration statement may have a total aggregate value of up to US$25,000,000. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. You should refer to the registration statement including the exhibits before making a decision to purchase any securities described in this prospectus.
The information in this prospectus is accurate as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor the sale of any securities described in this prospectus means that information contained in this prospectus is correct after the date of this prospectus or as of any other date. We will provide a prospectus supplement each time we sell any securities described in this prospectus and you should read both this prospectus and the prospectus supplement, together with any information incorporated by reference, before making an investment decision.
A prospectus supplement may provide updated, changed or additional information to the information contained in this prospectus. You should rely on the information contained in the prospectus supplement to the extent there is any conflict between the information contained in this prospectus and the prospectus supplement. Any statement in a prospectus supplement or any document incorporated by reference with a later date will supersede or modify an earlier statement in any document with an earlier date. Any information incorporated by reference is only accurate as of the date of the document incorporated by reference.
You may access the registration statement, exhibits and other reports we file with the SEC on its website. More information regarding how you can access this and other information is included under the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
Unless otherwise indicated or the context implies otherwise:
| ● | “Wah Fu”, “we”, “us”, “our”, the “Company” or “WAFU” refers to Wah Fu Education Group Limited and its subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise; |
| ● | “ordinary shares” refers to our ordinary shares, par value $0.01 per share; |
| ● | “warrants” refers to our warrants to be issued under this registration statement; |
| ● | “debt securities” refers to our debt securities to be issued under this registration statement; |
| ● | “depositary shares” refers to our depositary shares to be issued under this registration statement; |
| ● | “rights” refers to our rights to be issued under this registration statement; and |
| ● | “units” refers to our units to be issued under this registration statement; and |
Unless otherwise noted, all other financial and other data related to WAFU in this prospectus is presented in U.S. dollars. All references to “Renminbi” or “RMB” are to the legal currency of the People’s Republic of China. All references to “$” or “US$” in this prospectus mean U.S. dollars unless the context otherwise requires.
Our fiscal year end is March 31. References to a particular “fiscal year” are to our fiscal year ended March 31 of that calendar year.
ii
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any prospectus supplement, any free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, any free writing prospectus, or the documents incorporated by reference, regarding our strategy, future operations, financial position, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, any free writing prospectus, or the documents incorporated by reference, the words “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “continue,” “predict,” “potential,” “project,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, any free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference, we caution you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and important factors currently known by us and our expectations of the future, about which we cannot be certain.
Forward-looking statements may include statements about:
| ● | our ability to effectively compete in our industry; |
| ● | the strength of our brand; |
| ● | our ability to operate as a going concern; |
| ● | the liquidity of our securities; |
| ● | the potential impact on our business of the economic, political and social conditions of the People’s Republic of China (“China” or the “PRC”); |
| ● | the potential impact on our business of the interpretation and/or application of the PRC laws; |
| ● | expectations regarding expenses, ongoing losses, future revenue and capital needs; |
| ● | our use of proceeds from any offering made pursuant to this prospectus; |
| ● | the length of time over which we expect our cash and cash equivalents to be sufficient; and | |
| ● | the effects of COVID-19 on our business operations. |
All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus or, in the case of any prospectus supplement, any free writing prospectus, or any document incorporated by reference, that prospectus supplement, free writing prospectus or document. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements we make in this prospectus are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations are disclosed and described under “Risk Factors,” elsewhere in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, any free writing prospectus and in filings incorporated by reference.
The forward-looking statements made in this prospectus relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this prospectus. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
iii
This summary provides a brief overview of information contained elsewhere in this prospectus and incorporated by reference. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in the Securities. You should read the entire prospectus carefully before making an investment decision, including the information presented under the headings “Risk Factors,” “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and all information incorporated by reference, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F and the accompanying historical consolidated financial statements and the related notes to those financial statements.
Overview
We are primarily engaged, through our subsidiaries and affiliated entities in China, in providing online education services and technological development and operation services in China. We were incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands as an offshore holding company on July 23, 2012, under the name “Wah Fu Trade Limited.” In 2016, we changed our name to our current name, Wah Fu Education Group Limited. On May 19, 2016, we established our wholly-owned Hong Kong subsidiary, Wah Fu Education Holding Limited, which currently exists as a holding company. We conduct all of our business and operations through our subsidiaries and affiliated entities in China, which are described below.
| ● | Beijing Huaxia Dadi Distance Learning Services Co., Ltd. (“Distance Learning”): our wholly owned subsidiary formed under the laws of PRC in 1999. The current business operations of Distance Learning include research and development of long-distance education software and development of long-distance education resources and information. |
| ● | Beijing Huaxia Dadi Digital Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“Digital Information”): our variable interest entity (“VIE”) formed under the laws of PRC in September 2000. Due to PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership and investment in the value-added telecommunications market, we operate our online platform through Digital Information. Digital Information holds our Internet Content Provider (ICP) license necessary to operate our online platform in China, our domain names, including www.edu-edu.com, our registered trademarks in China and our registered software copyrights that are essential to the Company’s online operation in PRC. We rely on a series of contractual arrangements among Digital Information and its shareholders to operate our online and mobile platforms in China. These contractual arrangements, which are described in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC, and incorporated by reference herein, enable us to: |
| o | exercise effective control over Digital Information; |
| o | receive substantially all of the economic benefits of Digital Information in consideration for the services provided by us; and |
| o | have an exclusive option to purchase all of the equity interests in Digital Information when and to the extent permitted under PRC law. |
The current business operations of Digital Information include platform development, upgrading, maintenance and other related services.
| ● | Shanghai Xin Fu Network Technology Co., Ltd.: our wholly owned subsidiary formed under the laws of PRC in July 2015 to engage in the business of development of internet technology and computer technology, technological consulting, services and transfer. This entity currently does not have any business operations. |
| ● | Shanghai Xia Shu Network Technology Co., Ltd.: our wholly owned subsidiary formed under the laws of PRC in April 2016 to enter into agreements relating to the platform in Shanghai for tax reasons. |
| ● | Hunan Huafu Haihui Learning Technology Co., Ltd.: our subsidiary formed under the laws of PRC in June 2015. We own 75% of the equity interests of this entity. Its primary business purpose is to provide technology services in Hunan relating to online platforms for preparation of various examinations. |
| ● | Huaxia MOOC (Hubei) Network Technology Co., Ltd.: a company formed under the laws of PRC in March 2017 to provide exam preparation services in Hubei. We currently own 65% of the equity interest of this entity. Cuntao Hou, our Vice President of Sales, currently owns 5% of the equity interest in this entity. The rest of its equity interest is owned by third party individuals and entities that are not affiliated with us or any of our officers and directors. |
| ● | Nanjin Suyun Education Technology Co., Ltd.: a company formed under the laws of PRC in March 2017 to provide exam preparation services in Jiangsu. We currently own 70% of the equity interest of this entity. The rest of its equity interest is owned by third party individuals and entities that are not affiliated with us or any of our officers and directors. |
1
| ● | Guizhou Huafu Qianyun Network Technology Co., Ltd.: a company formed under the laws of PRC in April 2017 to provide exam preparation services in Guizhou. We currently own 51% of the equity interest of this entity. The rest of its equity interest is owned by third party individuals and entities that are not affiliated with us or any of our officers and directors. |
| ● | Fuzhou Huafu Mingjiao Technology Co., Ltd.: a company formed under the laws of PRC in May 2018 to provide exam preparation services in Fujian. We currently own 65% of the equity interest of this entity. The rest of its equity interest is owned by third party individuals that are not affiliated with us or any of our officers and directors. |
| ● | Liaoning Huafu Zhongtai Learning Technology Co., Ltd.: a company formed under the laws of PRC in June 2018 to provide exam preparation services in Liaoning. We currently own 70% of the equity interest of this entity. The rest of its equity interest is owned by third parties that are not affiliated with us or any of our officers and directors. |
| ● | Guangxi Huafu Quanping Education Technology Cot., Ltd.: a company formed under the laws of PRC in August 2019 to provide online education services. We currently own 55% of the equity interest of this entity. The rest of its equity interest is owned by a third party company. |
| ● | Huafu Wanrun (Guangzhou) Education Technology Co., Ltd.: a company formed under the laws of PRC in October 2019 to provide online education services. We currently own 60% of the equity interest of this entity. The rest of its equity interest is owned by two individuals that are not affiliated with us or any of our officers and director. |
| ● | Sichuan Huafu Gengyun Education Technology Co., Ltd.: a company formed under the laws of PRC in November 2019 to provide online education services. We currently own 60% of the equity interest of this entity. The rest of its equity interest is owned by two individuals that are not affiliated with us or any of our officers and director. |
We do not own equity interests in Digital Information. However, as a result of contractual arrangements described above, we are the primary beneficiary of Digital Information and treat it as our consolidated VIE under U.S. GAAP. We depend upon dividends and other distributions paid to us by our PRC subsidiaries, primarily Distance Learning. Distance Learning partially relies on service fees paid by our VIE, Digital Information. Current PRC laws and regulations set forth restrictions on payment of dividends by PRC companies, foreign exchange and foreign investment in PRC companies. As such, we do not have unfettered access to revenues of our PRC subsidiaries and variable interest entity.
Our Services
We currently offer online education services and technology research & development services. Our online education services currently comprises Online Education Cloud Services and Online Training Services.
2
Online Education Cloud Service (“B2B2C”)
We provide online education platforms to institutions, such as universities and training institutions, and online course development service companies. Our teachers are well regarded and recommended by our clients, which include universities and academic institutions. Through our product development team, we interview and enlist teachers who we use to record teaching sessions. In return, we provide fixed compensation to teachers. We have developed three separate types of B2B2C platforms: a self-study examination platform, a continuing education platform and a non-diploma training platform (which allows students to enroll in courses for college credit). These platforms are available both online and via mobile app that we design for each of our clients. Currently, we are primarily focused on providing clients with B2B2C services relating to self-study examinations, which are a set of standard national examinations necessary to obtain college degrees in China. We have offered such services since September 2009. We also entered into the adult education field and commenced offering continuing education platforms in late 2016. Currently, over 1,950 courses are available on such platforms and approximately 95 universities and education institutions are using and testing our platforms. We commenced offering our non-diploma training platforms in March 2017. We currently provide services in ten provinces in China and believe that we are the leading service provider in this market.
The flow chart below shows our B2B2C service:
| ● | Self-Study Examination Platform |
This platform is a cloud based education system for universities, government examination officials as well as students who would like obtain college degrees through self-taught higher education examination. We created customized homepage systems for each university that uses our platform. Our system allows the university management to import their student data into the data base of our platform and will generate accounts for each specific student. Students can login the platform, choose to participate in recorded or live courses that are available on the platform. The platform will grant government examination officials the authority to monitor the learning process of each student. The platform can record the student’s learning data, giving each student a score for evaluation of the performance of each course for use by the university and government officials.
| ● | Continuing Education Platform |
This platform is also cloud based and targets college students and students aiming to complete adult higher education. Similar to the self-study examination platform, this platform offers customized interface for each university using the platform where the school management can integrate their student data into the platform. Students can log in and take courses. The system will keep track of the students’ leaning data and generate scores based on students’ performance for school evaluation. What’s different from the self-study examination platform, this platform offers additional teaching administrative functions, including student profile management, tuition payment, management of different campus, course arrangement as well as statistical screening management, etc.
3
| ● | Non-Diploma Training Platform |
This platform is cloud based as well, but services training institutions and individual students. A large number of traditional face-to-face training institutions can use this platform to provide their training courses online without overspending on personnel, servers and online training platform. Similar to the other systems, the training institutions have their own interfaces and can create accounts for their students to take courses on the platform. In addition, the platform also provides a large number of online educational operations to the training institutions, including the management of their own courses, and pricing, promotion, enrollment and payment functions.
| ● |
Vocational Education 1+X and Higher Vocational Enrollment Expansion Teaching and Educational Administration Platform |
This is a cloud computing platform for vocational education information management and online teaching. According to the policy requirements set forth under the “National Vocational Education Reform Implementation Plan” and other relevant policy requirements of the PRC Ministry of Education as well as the actual needs of higher vocational colleges, the platform provides information services for vocational colleges to implement “Academic Certificate + Several Vocational Skill Level Certificates” or “1+X” and higher vocational enrollment expansion business. It covers admission evaluation management, educational administration management, teaching resource management, online learning and other related aspects, and provides complete solutions for occupational colleges by providing hardware, software, resources and services.
| ● | Huafu E-School System |
Huafu e-school system is a website setup system for individuals, educational institutions and enterprise training centers. It helps customers without in-house technical capacities to create their own brand online schools for free, and provides one-stop “Internet + education” service. The e-school system supports two cooperation models: online education self-supporting and cooperative operation. The platform supports multiple terminals, PC online school, mobile app online school, etc. The self-supporting program is for our own online training programs and the cooperative operation is for institutions that we work with. These institutions can have an independent homepage, which supports their independent domain name and independent brand. The platform can authorize the use of Huafu’s existing curriculum resources to institutions or they can also setup and sell their own training courses.
| ● | Paperless examination platform |
This platform is a complete online examination solution for paperless examination of all subjects. The platform integrates key aspects for testing by most universities in China, such as management of question database, test paper, examination, grading, management of examination paper monitoring, etc., and provides related technical services for colleges. Through the platform, the school carries out routine examination evaluation activities such as tests, final examinations and make-up examinations. Students’ examination terminals can carry out examinations through app, browser or client-side. The examination process monitoring can adopt face recognition or ID card reader recognition for identity authentication. Teachers can grade papers online or export answers for marking up paper.
For all five platforms, we will be paid by the schools or training institutions based on the number of courses taken by their students.
4
Online Training Service (“B2C”)
We provide online training and examination preparation services directly to students for a fee. We have provided this service since 2000, however, due to limited marketing efforts, the revenue generated from this service has been limited. We have been increasing our marketing efforts for our B2C service since early 2017 and our revenue from this service has stabilized during the year ended March 31, 2019. With the increased demand for continuing education, we plan to expand our B2C service. In connection with our B2C service, we provide an online cloud education platform targeting end users, which is available both online and via the mobile app we design for each program. We can also license this platform to other offline education and training institutions for them to offer online services, and to manage their online courses and online users. Students that use this service are primarily college students and students preparing for the self-study examination. During the year ended March 31, 2020, we provided approximately 1,104,000 courses to students. The flow chart below illustrates our B2C services:
Technology Research & Development Services
Another major aspect of our business is dedicated to developing and maintaining online education platforms and online courses for our clients, comprising universities, government agencies and private clients such as publishers. We also provide consulting, maintenance and updating services relating to online education programs we have developed for our clients. We have provided these services to our clients since Beijing Distance Learning commenced operations in 1999. Our largest clients in this segment are World Publishing (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and the State Intellectual Property Bureau Training Center. Pursuant to our agreements with World Publishing (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., we develop and update platforms for its Electric Backpack program, an online interactive teaching program for elementary and middle school students in China. We have been providing online course development services to the State Intellectual Property Bureau Training Center since 2002. Our services to the center include training course recording, editing and posting as well as platform maintenance and updating for a fixed fee agreed upon by both parties.
5
Our Strengths
We believe that the following competitive strengths contribute to, and will continue to reinforce, our success and leading market position in the online self-taught education industry in the PRC and differentiate us from our competitors:
| ● | Education Cloud Platform Advantage. We are dedicated to the development of our education platforms and actual operations and is one of the companies with the longest history in the industry. Our platforms are constantly improved and upgraded and have been well recognized by its users for being comprehensive and easy to use. | |
| ● | Leading Service Provider in Online Preparation of Self-Taught Examination. According to CRI, we are the leading provider and standards setter of online education service of self-study examination courses in the PRC and the first company in China that provides such services. The Company has over 920 online courses and provides services to over 83 universities and colleges across 14 provinces in China. |
| ● | Leading Service Provider in Online Adult Education. We launched our adult continue education platform in late 2016. There are approximately 84 schools that currently have service agreements with us and approximately 91 that are testing our services. The platform has become well-known in the industry. | |
| ● | Strong Brand Recognition with Nationwide Experience in Online Education. After many years in operation, our brand is well recognized. “Huaxiadadi华夏大地” is an online education course brand in PRC. We kept improving our course designs over the years. With an experienced and cooperative team, we are able to provide quality services and exceed customer expectations. In 2015, we were awarded “2015 Chinese Brand Influence Educational Institution” by Sina Education. In 2016, we were recognized as “2016 Famous Online Education Brand” by Tencent Echo China. In 2017, we were awarded “2017 China Internet Education Brand Enterprise” by the Online Study magazine of China Long-Distance Education Magazine and China Online Education Leaders Association. | |
| ● | Technology Advantage. We have dedicated considerable resources to our technology and product development efforts. More than 25% of our employees are in our technology and product development departments and are very experienced with research and development. 30% of these employees hold master or doctor degrees. In addition, we have 30 registered copyrights and have accumulated two decade’s experience. |
Our Strategies
Our goal is to strengthen our position as a leading provider of online self-taught courses in PRC by pursuing the following business strategies:
| ● | In response to the increased demand from over 3,000 universities in China, we plan to expand our client base for our B2B2C service. | |
| ● | We continue to improve on the breadth and quality of our online courses, which are key components for our B2B2C and B2C services. |
| ● | In addition to cloud services, we intend to provide offline training and testing services to supplement the online services provided to universities and colleges based on their demand. | |
| ● | While implementing our national expansion strategy, we intend to acquire or set up local training companies to localize our B2B2C service. We intend to continue to increase our research and development department. | |
| ● | We intend to expand internationally by setting up branches or acquiring training institutions in North America and also leveraging international education resources to operations in China. |
6
Our Mission, Vision and Values
Our mission is to improve education in China. Recognizing the unmet demand for higher education and the potential social and commercial value of private education, we started our business by providing education services focusing on long-distance learning. Our vision is to utilize our technology advantages accumulated over our nearly two-decade operations to become the best education technology company in China. We believe the core of distance-learning is service – customer satisfaction and innovation are critical to our success and we strive to promote and adhere to these values.
Corporate information
Our principal executive offices are located at L207b, Hesheng Fortune Plaza, No.13 Deshengmenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China and Room 1303A, 1303B, Building 40, No. 1 Shengbei Road, Economic Development Zone, Daxing District, Beijing, China. Our telephone number at this address is + 86 10 57925024. Our registered office in the British Virgin Islands is located at Kingston Chambers, PO Box 173, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Puglisi & Associates.
Our principal website is www.edu-edu.com. The information contained on our website or any third-party websites is not a part of this prospectus.
7
Investment in the Securities involves significant risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC, and all other information contained in, or incorporated by reference in, this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or related free writing prospectus before you decide to invest in the Securities. If any such risks actually occurs, then our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow could be materially and adversely affected, thus potentially causing the trading price of any or all of our securities to decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Such risks are not exhaustive. We may face additional risks that are presently unknown to us or that we believe to be immaterial as of the date of this prospectus. Known and unknown risks and uncertainties may significantly impact and impair our business operations.
As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.
Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable
We may sell from time to time pursuant to this prospectus (as may be detailed in one or more prospectus supplements) an indeterminate number of securities as shall have a maximum aggregate offering price of $25,000,000. The actual price of the securities that we will offer pursuant hereto will depend on a number of factors that may be relevant as of the time of offer. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.5 of Form F-3, in no event will we sell securities pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part with a value of more than one-third of the aggregate market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates in any 12 calendar month period, so long as the aggregate market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $75,000,000. In the event that subsequent to the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, the aggregate market value of our outstanding ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $75,000,000, then the one-third limitation on sales shall not apply to additional sales made pursuant to this registration statement. We will state on the cover of each prospectus supplement the amount of our outstanding ordinary shares held by non-affiliates, the amount of securities being offered and the amount of securities sold during the prior 12 calendar month period that ends on, and includes, the date of the prospectus supplement.
8
Unless otherwise indicated in an accompanying prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities for general corporate purposes and to advance our commercial operations. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds towards the possible acquisition of, or investment in, complementary technologies and businesses. Proceeds may also be used at our discretion for specific purposes described in any prospectus supplement. Pending these uses, we intend to invest the net proceeds primarily in bank deposits.
As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds we may have upon completion of an offering or offerings. Accordingly, we will retain broad discretion over the use of these proceeds.
A prospectus supplement or report on Form 6-K incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part will include information on our consolidated capitalization.
General. Our authorized share capital is US$300,000 divided into 30,000,000 ordinary shares, with a par value of US$0.01. Holders of ordinary shares will have the same rights. All of our outstanding ordinary shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Certificates representing the ordinary shares are issued in registered form. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the British Virgin Islands may freely hold and transfer their ordinary shares.
Dividends. The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors. Our M&AA provide that dividends may be declared and paid at such time, and in such an amount, as the directors determine subject to their being satisfied that the Company will meet the statutory solvency test immediately after the dividend. Holders of ordinary shares will be entitled to the same amount of dividends, if declared.
Rights. In respect of all matters subject to a shareholders’ vote, each ordinary share is entitled to one vote for each ordinary share registered in his or her name on our register of members. Holders of ordinary shares shall at all times vote together on all resolutions submitted to a vote of the members. Voting at any meeting of shareholders is by show of hands unless a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by the chairman of such meeting or any one shareholder.
A quorum required for a meeting of shareholders consists of two or more shareholders who hold at least one-half of all voting power of our share capital in issue at the date of the meeting present in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorized representative. Shareholders’ meetings may be held annually. Each general meeting, other than an annual general meeting, shall be an extraordinary general meeting. Extraordinary general meetings may be called by a majority of our board of directors or our chairman or upon a requisition of shareholders holding at the date of deposit of the requisition not less than 30% of the aggregate voting power of our company. Advance notice of at least 10 days is required for the convening of our annual general meeting and other general meetings unless such notice is waived in accordance with our M&AA.
Transfer of Ordinary shares. Under the Act the transfer of a registered share which is not listed on a recognized exchange is by a written instrument of transfer signed by the transferor and containing the name of the transferee. However, the instrument must also be signed by the transferee if registration would impose a liability on the transferee to the company. The instrument of transfer must be sent to the company for registration. Subject to our M&AA, we shall on receipt of an instrument of transfer enter the name of the transferee of the share in the register of members unless the directors resolve to refuse or delay registration of the transfer for reasons that should be specified in a resolution of directors. The transfer of a registered share is effective when the name of the transferee is entered in the register of members. The entry of the name of a person in the company’s register of members is prima facie evidence that legal title in the share vests in that person.
9
The procedure is different for the transfer of shares that are listed on a recognized exchange. Such shares may be transferred without the need for a written instrument of transfer if the transfer is carried out in accordance with the laws, rules, procedures and other requirements applicable to shares listed on the recognized exchange and subject to our M&AA.
The registration of transfers may, after compliance with any notice required of NASDAQ, be suspended and the register closed at such times and for such periods as our board of directors may from time to time determine, provided, however, that the registration of transfers shall not be suspended nor the register closed for more than 30 days in any year as our board may determine.
Liquidation. On a return of capital on winding up or otherwise (other than on conversion, redemption or purchase of ordinary shares), assets available for distribution among the holders of ordinary shares shall be distributed among the holders of the ordinary shares on a pro rata basis. Any distribution of assets or capital to holders of an ordinary share will be the same in any liquidation event.
Calls on Ordinary shares and Forfeiture of Ordinary shares. Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their ordinary shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 clear days prior to the specified time of payment. The ordinary shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid are subject to forfeiture.
Redemption of Ordinary shares. The Act and our M&AA permit us to purchase our own shares with the prior written consent of the relevant shareholders and resolution of directors and applicable law.
Variation of Rights of Shares. All or any of the special rights attached to any class of shares may, subject to the provisions of the Act, only be varied with the written consent of the holders of a majority of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class. The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with such existing class of shares.
Inspection of Books and Records. A member of a company is entitled, on giving written notice to the company, to inspect (a) the M&AA; (b) the register of members; (c) the register of directors; and (d) the minutes of meetings and resolutions of members and of those classes of members of which he is a member; and to make copies of or take extracts from the documents and records. Subject to our M&AA, the directors may, if they are satisfied that it would be contrary to the company’s interests to allow a member to inspect any document, or part of a document, specified in (b), (c) and (d) above, refuse to permit the member to inspect the document or limit the inspection of the document, including limiting the making of copies or the taking of extracts from the records.
Where a company fails or refuses to permit a member to inspect a document or permits a member to inspect a document subject to limitations, that member may apply to the BVI High Court for an order that he should be permitted to inspect the document or to inspect the document without limitation.
A company is required to keep at the office of its registered agent: the M&AA of the company; the register of members or a copy of the register of members; the register of directors or a copy of the register of directors; and copies of all notices and other documents filed by the company in the previous ten years.
Issuance of Additional Shares. Our M&AA authorizes our board of directors to issue additional ordinary shares from time to time as our board of directors shall determine, to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares.
10
We may issue warrants to purchase ordinary shares in one or more series, together with other securities or separately, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. A general description of terms and provisions of the warrants we may offer is included below. A prospectus supplement and warrant agreement will contain specific terms of any warrants.
The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants will contain, as applicable, the following:
| ● | the designation, amount and terms of the securities purchasable on exercise of the warrants; |
| ● | the specific designation and aggregate number of, and the price at which we will issue, the warrants; |
| ● | the exercise price for ordinary shares and the number of ordinary shares to be received upon exercise of the warrants, if applicable; |
| ● | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will begin and the date on which that right will expire; |
| ● | whether the warrants will be issued in fully registered form or bearer form, in definitive or global form, or in any combination of these forms; |
| ● | any material U.S. federal or foreign income tax consequences; |
| ● | the identity of the warrant agent and of any other depositaries, paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents; |
| ● | the proposed listing, if any, of the warrants or any securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants on any securities exchange; |
| ● | the date from and after which the warrants and the ordinary shares will be separately transferable, if applicable; |
| ● | the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any time, if applicable; |
| ● | any information with respect to book-entry procedures; |
| ● | any anti-dilution provisions of the warrants; |
| ● | any redemption or call provisions of the warrants; and |
| ● | any additional terms of the warrants, including procedures and limitations with regard to the exercise and exchange of the warrants. |
11
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
As used in this prospectus, the term “debt securities” means the debentures, notes, bonds and other evidences of indebtedness that we may issue from time to time. The debt securities will either be senior debt securities, senior subordinated debt or subordinated debt securities. We may also issue convertible debt securities. Debt securities issued under an indenture (which we refer to herein as an Indenture) will be entered into between us and a trustee to be named therein. It is likely that convertible debt securities will not be issued under an Indenture.
The Indenture or forms of Indentures, if any, will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The statements and descriptions in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement regarding provisions of the Indentures and debt securities are summaries thereof, do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the Indentures (and any amendments or supplements we may enter into from time to time which are permitted under each Indenture) and the debt securities, including the definitions therein of certain terms.
General. Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be direct secured or unsecured obligations of our company. The senior debt securities will rank equally with any of our other unsecured senior and unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to any senior indebtedness.
We may issue debt securities from time to time in one or more series, in each case with the same or various maturities, at par or at a discount. Unless indicated in a prospectus supplement, we may issue additional debt securities of a particular series without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of such series outstanding at the time of the issuance. Any such additional debt securities, together with all other outstanding debt securities of that series, will constitute a single series of debt securities under the applicable Indenture and will be equal in ranking.
Should an indenture relate to unsecured indebtedness, in the event of a bankruptcy or other liquidation event involving a distribution of assets to satisfy our outstanding indebtedness or an event of default under a loan agreement relating to secured indebtedness of our company or its subsidiaries, the holders of such secured indebtedness, if any, would be entitled to receive payment of principal and interest prior to payments on the senior indebtedness issued under an Indenture.
Prospectus Supplement. Each prospectus supplement will describe the terms relating to the specific series of debt securities being offered. These terms will include some or all of the following:
| ● | the title of debt securities and whether they are subordinated, senior subordinated or senior debt securities; | |
| ● | any limit on the aggregate principal amount of debt securities of such series; | |
| ● | the percentage of the principal amount at which the debt securities of any series will be issued; | |
| ● | the ability to issue additional debt securities of the same series; | |
| ● | the purchase price for the debt securities and the denominations of the debt securities; | |
| ● | the specific designation of the series of debt securities being offered; | |
| ● | the maturity date or dates of the debt securities and the date or dates upon which the debt securities are payable and the rate or rates at which the debt securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, which may be fixed or variable, or the method by which such rate shall be determined; | |
| ● | the basis for calculating interest if other than 360-day year or twelve 30-day months; |
12
| ● | the date or dates from which any interest will accrue or the method by which such date or dates will be determined; | |
| ● | the duration of any deferral period, including the maximum consecutive period during which interest payment periods may be extended; | |
| ● | whether the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the debt securities may be determined with reference to any index, formula or other method, such as one or more currencies, commodities, equity indices or other indices, and the manner of determining the amount of such payments; | |
| ● | the dates on which we will pay interest on the debt securities and the regular record date for determining who is entitled to the interest payable on any interest payment date; | |
| ● | the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the debt securities will be payable, where any securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange or conversion, as applicable, and notices and demands may be delivered to or upon us pursuant to the applicable Indenture; | |
| ● | the rate or rates of amortization of the debt securities; | |
| ● | if we possess the option to do so, the periods within which and the prices at which we may redeem the debt securities, in whole or in part, pursuant to optional redemption provisions, and the other terms and conditions of any such provisions; | |
| ● | our obligation or discretion, if any, to redeem, repay or purchase debt securities by making periodic payments to a sinking fund or through an analogous provision or at the option of holders of the debt securities, and the period or periods within which and the price or prices at which we will redeem, repay or purchase the debt securities, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation, and the other terms and conditions of such obligation; | |
| ● | the terms and conditions, if any, regarding the option or mandatory conversion or exchange of debt securities; | |
| ● | the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any debt securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part at our option and, if other than by a board resolution, the manner in which any election by us to redeem the debt securities shall be evidenced; | |
| ● | any restriction or condition on the transferability of the debt securities of a particular series; | |
| ● | the portion, or methods of determining the portion, of the principal amount of the debt securities which we must pay upon the acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities in connection with any event of default if other than the full principal amount; | |
| ● | the currency or currencies in which the debt securities will be denominated and in which principal, any premium and any interest will or may be payable or a description of any units based on or relating to a currency or currencies in which the debt securities will be denominated; | |
| ● | provisions, if any, granting special rights to holders of the debt securities upon the occurrence of specified events; | |
| ● | any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the events of default or our covenants with respect to the applicable series of debt securities, and whether or not such events of default or covenants are consistent with those contained in the applicable Indenture; |
13
| ● | any limitation on our ability to incur debt, redeem stock, sell our assets or other restrictions; | |
| ● | the application, if any, of the terms of the applicable Indenture relating to defeasance and covenant defeasance (which terms are described below) to the debt securities; | |
| ● | what subordination provisions will apply to the debt securities; | |
| ● | the terms, if any, upon which the holders may convert or exchange the debt securities into or for our ordinary shares or other securities or property; | |
| ● | whether we are issuing the debt securities in whole or in part in global form; | |
| ● | any change in the right of the trustee or the requisite holders of debt securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable because of an event of default; | |
| ● | the depositary for global or certificated debt securities, if any; | |
| ● | any material federal income tax consequences applicable to the debt securities, including any debt securities denominated and made payable, as described in the prospectus supplements, in foreign currencies, or units based on or related to foreign currencies; | |
| ● | any right we may have to satisfy, discharge and defease our obligations under the debt securities, or terminate or eliminate restrictive covenants or events of default in the Indentures, by depositing money or U.S. government obligations with the trustee of the Indentures; | |
| ● | the names of any trustees, depositories, authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars or other agents with respect to the debt securities; |
| ● | to whom any interest on any debt security shall be payable, if other than the person in whose name the security is registered, on the record date for such interest, the extent to which, or the manner in which, any interest payable on a temporary global debt security will be paid if other than in the manner provided in the applicable Indenture; | |
| ● | if the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities is to be payable in one or more currencies or currency units other than as stated, the currency, currencies or currency units in which it shall be paid and the periods within and terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made and the amounts payable (or the manner in which such amount shall be determined); | |
| ● | the portion of the principal amount of any debt securities which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities pursuant to the applicable Indenture if other than the entire principal amount; | |
| ● | if the principal amount payable at the stated maturity of any debt security of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the stated maturity, the amount which shall be deemed to be the principal amount of such debt securities as of any such date for any purpose, including the principal amount thereof which shall be due and payable upon any maturity other than the stated maturity or which shall be deemed to be outstanding as of any date prior to the stated maturity (or, in any such case, the manner in which such amount deemed to be the principal amount shall be determined); and | |
| ● | any other specific terms of the debt securities, including any modifications to the events of default under the debt securities and any other terms which may be required by or advisable under applicable laws or regulations. |
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not be listed on any securities exchange. Holders of the debt securities may present registered debt securities for exchange or transfer in the manner described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as limited by the applicable Indenture, we will provide these services without charge, other than any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the exchange or transfer.
14
Debt securities may bear interest at a fixed rate or a variable rate as specified in the prospectus supplement. In addition, if specified in the prospectus supplement, we may sell debt securities bearing no interest or interest at a rate that at the time of issuance is below the prevailing market rate, or at a discount below their stated principal amount. We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement any special federal income tax considerations applicable to these discounted debt securities.
We may issue debt securities with the principal amount payable on any principal payment date, or the amount of interest payable on any interest payment date, to be determined by referring to one or more currency exchange rates, commodity prices, equity indices or other factors. Holders of such debt securities may receive a principal amount on any principal payment date, or interest payments on any interest payment date, that are greater or less than the amount of principal or interest otherwise payable on such dates, depending upon the value on such dates of applicable currency, commodity, equity index or other factors. The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information as to how we will determine the amount of principal or interest payable on any date, as well as the currencies, commodities, equity indices or other factors to which the amount payable on that date relates and certain additional tax considerations.
We may issue rights to purchase our securities. The rights may or may not be transferable by the persons purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with any rights offering, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other persons would purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agent agreement to be entered into between us and one or more banks, trust companies or other financial institutions as rights agent, which we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the rights and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights.
The prospectus supplement relating to any rights that we offer will include specific terms relating to the offering, including, among other matters:
| ● | the date of determining the security holders entitled to the rights distribution; | |
| ● | the aggregate number of rights issued and the aggregate amount of securities purchasable upon exercise of the rights; | |
| ● | the exercise price; | |
| ● | the conditions to completion of the rights offering; | |
| ● | the date on which the right to exercise the rights will commence and the date on which the rights will expire; and | |
| ● | any applicable federal income tax considerations. |
Each right would entitle the holder of the rights to purchase for cash the principal amount of securities at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for the rights provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights will become void.
If less than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than our security holders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
15
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
We may offer fractional shares, rather than full shares. If we decide to offer fractional shares, we will issue receipts for depositary shares. Each depositary share will represent a fraction of a share of a particular series of our ordinary shares, and the applicable prospectus supplement will indicate that fraction. The ordinary shares represented by depositary shares will be deposited under a deposit agreement between us and a depositary that is a bank or trust company that meets certain requirements and is selected by us. The depositary will be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each owner of a depositary share will be entitled to all of the rights of the ordinary shares represented by the depositary share. The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the deposit agreement. Depositary receipts will be distributed to those persons purchasing the fractional shares in accordance with the terms of the offering. We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a current report on Form 6-K that we file with the SEC, forms of the deposit agreement, form of depositary receipts and any other related agreements.
Dividends and Other Distributions. The depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash distributions received by it in respect of the ordinary shares to the record holders of depositary shares relating to such ordinary shares in proportion to the numbers of depositary shares held on the relevant record date.
In the event of a distribution other than in cash, the depositary will distribute securities or property received by it to the record holders of depositary shares in proportion to the numbers of depositary shares held on the relevant record date, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make such distribution. In that case, the depositary may make the distribution by such method as it deems equitable and practicable. One such possible method is for the depositary to sell the securities or property and then distribute the net proceeds from the sale as provided in the case of a cash distribution.
Redemption of Depositary Shares. Whenever we redeem the ordinary shares, the depositary will redeem a number of depositary shares representing the same number of ordinary shares so redeemed. If fewer than all of the depositary shares are to be redeemed, the depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected by lot, pro rata or by any other equitable method as the depositary may determine.
Voting of Underlying Shares. Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of our ordinary shares of any series are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail the information contained in the notice of the meeting to the record holders of the depositary shares relating to that series of ordinary shares. Each record holder of the depositary shares on the record date will be entitled to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights represented by the number of ordinary shares underlying the holder’s depositary shares. The depositary will endeavor, to the extent it is practical to do so, to vote the number of whole ordinary shares underlying such depositary shares in accordance with such instructions. We will agree to take all action that the depositary may deem reasonably necessary in order to enable the depositary to do so. To the extent the depositary does not receive specific instructions from the holders of depositary shares relating to such ordinary shares, it will abstain from voting such ordinary shares.
Withdrawal of Shares. Upon surrender of depositary receipts representing any number of whole shares at the depositary’s office, unless the related depositary shares previously have been called for redemption, the holder of the depositary shares evidenced by the depositary receipts will be entitled to delivery of the number of whole shares of the related series of ordinary shares and all money and other property, if any, underlying such depositary shares. However, once such an exchange is made, the ordinary shares cannot thereafter be re-deposited in exchange for depositary shares. Holders of depositary shares will be entitled to receive whole shares of the related series of ordinary shares on the basis set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. If the depositary receipts delivered by the holder evidence a number of depositary shares representing more than the number of whole ordinary shares of the related series to be withdrawn, the depositary will deliver to the holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing the excess number of depositary shares.
16
Amendment and Termination of Depositary Agreement. The form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares and any provision of the applicable depositary agreement may at any time be amended by agreement between us and the depositary. We may, with the consent of the depositary, amend the depositary agreement from time to time in any manner that we desire. However, if the amendment would materially and adversely alter the rights of the existing holders of depositary shares, the amendment would need to be approved by the holders of at least a majority of the depositary shares then outstanding.
The depositary agreement may be terminated by us or the depositary if:
| ● | all outstanding depositary shares have been redeemed; or |
| ● | there has been a final distribution in respect of the ordinary shares of the applicable series in connection with our liquidation, dissolution or winding up and such distribution has been made to the holders of depositary receipts. |
Resignation and Removal of Depositary. The depositary may resign at any time by delivering to us notice of its election to do so. We may remove a depositary at any time. Any resignation or removal will take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of appointment.
Charges of Depositary. We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of any depositary arrangements. We will pay all charges of each depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the ordinary shares of any series, the initial issuance of the depositary shares, any redemption of such ordinary shares and any withdrawals of such ordinary shares by holders of depositary shares. Holders of depositary shares will be required to pay any other transfer taxes.
Notices. Each depositary will forward to the holders of the applicable depositary shares all notices, reports and communications from us which are delivered to such depositary and which we are required to furnish the holders of the ordinary shares represented by such depositary shares.
Miscellaneous. The depositary agreement may contain provisions that limit our liability and the liability of the depositary to the holders of depositary shares. Both the depositary and we are also entitled to an indemnity from the holders of the depositary shares prior to bringing, or defending against, any legal proceeding. We or any depositary may rely upon written advice of counsel or accountants, or information provided by persons presenting ordinary shares for deposit, holders of depositary shares or other persons believed by us to be competent and on documents believed by us or them to be genuine.
We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we may issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent, if any, may be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent, if any, in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units. Specific unit agreements, if any, will contain additional important terms and provisions. We will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from a current report that we file with the SEC, the form of unit and the form of each unit agreement, if any, relating to units offered under this prospectus.
If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable
| ● | the title of the series of units; | |
| ● | identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units; |
17
| ● | the price or prices at which the units will be issued; | |
| ● | the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities comprising the units will be separately transferable; | |
| ● | a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and | |
| ● | any other material terms of the units and their constituent securities. |
We may sell the Securities in any one or more of the following ways from time to time, including any combination thereof:
| ● | to or through underwriters; |
| ● | to or through dealers; |
| ● | to our shareholders under a rights entitlement offering; |
| ● | through agents; or |
| ● | directly to purchasers, including our affiliates. |
The prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering of our Securities will set forth the terms of such offering, including:
| ● | the type of Securities to be offered; |
| ● | the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the amounts of the Securities underwritten or purchased by each of them; |
| ● | the purchase price of the offered Securities and the proceeds to us from such sale; |
| ● | any underwriting discounts and commissions or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation; |
| ● | the initial offering price; |
| ● | any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed to be paid to dealers; and |
| ● | any securities exchanges on which the offered Securities may be listed. |
Any initial offering prices, discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. In compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), the maximum commission or discount to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker dealer may not exceed 8% of the aggregate value of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus.
The distribution of the Securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices.
18
If the Securities are sold by means of an underwritten offering, we will execute an underwriting agreement with an underwriter or underwriters, and the names of the specific managing underwriter or underwriters, as well as any other underwriters, and the terms of the transaction, including commissions, discounts and any other compensation of the underwriters and dealers, if any, will be set forth in the prospectus supplement which will be used by the underwriters to sell the Securities. If underwriters are utilized in the sale of the Securities, the Securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at fixed public offering prices or at varying prices determined by the underwriters at the time of sale.
Our Securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by the managing underwriters. If any underwriter or underwriters are utilized in the sale of the Securities, unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, the underwriting agreement will provide that the obligations of the underwriters are subject to conditions precedent and that the underwriters with respect to a sale of the Securities will be obligated to purchase all of those Securities if they purchase any of those Securities.
We may grant to the underwriters options to purchase additional Securities to cover over-allotments, if any, at the public offering price with additional underwriting discounts or commissions. If we grant any over-allotment option, the terms of any over-allotment option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to those Securities.
If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the Securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will sell those Securities to the dealer as principal. The dealer may then resell those Securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. Any reselling dealer may be deemed to be an underwriter, as the term is defined in the Securities Act, of the Securities so offered and sold. The name of the dealer and the terms of the transaction will be set forth in the related prospectus supplement.
Offers to purchase the Securities may be solicited by agents designated by us from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of the Securities will be named, and any commissions payable by us to the agent will be set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, any agent will be acting on a reasonable best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. Any agent may be deemed to be an underwriter, as that term is defined in the Securities Act, of the Securities so offered and sold.
Offers to purchase the Securities may be solicited directly by us and the sale of those Securities may be made by us directly to institutional investors or others, who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any resale of those Securities. The terms of any sales of this type will be described in the related prospectus supplement.
If so indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by institutions to purchase Securities from us pursuant to contracts providing for payments and delivery on a future date. Institutions with which contracts of this type may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and others, but in all cases those institutions must be approved by us. The obligations of any purchaser under any contract of this type will be subject to the condition that the purchase of the Securities shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which the purchaser is subject. The underwriters and other persons acting as our agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of those contracts.
Disclosure in the prospectus supplement of our use of delayed delivery contracts will include the commission that underwriters and agents soliciting purchases of the Securities under delayed contracts will be entitled to receive in addition to the date when we will demand payment and delivery of the Securities under the delayed delivery contracts. These delayed delivery contracts will be subject only to the conditions that we describe in the prospectus supplement.
19
In connection with the offering of the Securities, persons participating in the offering, such as any underwriters, may purchase and sell the Securities in the open market. These transactions may include over-allotment and stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover syndicate short positions created in connection with the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the Securities, and syndicate short positions involve the sale by underwriters of a greater number of Securities than they are required to purchase from any issuer in the offering. Underwriters also may impose a penalty bid, whereby selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other broker-dealers in respect of the Securities sold in the offering for their account may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the Securities are repurchased by the syndicate in stabilizing or covering transactions. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the Securities, which may be higher than the price that might prevail in the open market, and these activities, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
Underwriters, dealers, agents and remarketing firms may be entitled under relevant agreements entered into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act that may arise from any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in this prospectus, any supplement or amendment hereto, or in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, or to contribution with respect to payments which the agents, underwriters or dealers may be required to make.
If Securities are sold by means of a rights entitlement offering, the prospectus supplement will set forth the terms and conditions of any such rights entitlement offering, including the manner in which it will be conducted and details on how our shareholders can participate in any such offering. A rights entitlement offering conducted under applicable foreign rules and regulations is a pro rata offering of additional securities to all our eligible shareholders, as at a specified record date.
Set forth below is an itemization of the estimated expenses currently expected to be incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the Securities. The amounts in the table below are estimates, with the exception of the SEC registration fee. Additional expenses relating to offerings of particular Securities are not included in the table below. Each prospectus supplement describing an offering of Securities will provide estimated expenses related to the Securities offered under that prospectus supplement.
| SEC fees | US$ | 2,727.5 | ||
| Legal fees and expenses | 120,000 | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses | $40,000 | |||
| Other miscellaneous fees and expenses | 1,000 | |||
| Total | US$ | 163,727.5 |
The validity of the debt securities and depositary shares and certain legal matters relating to the offering as to this offering will be passed upon for us by Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP. The validity of the ordinary shares, rights, warrants and units and certain legal matters relating to the offering as to British Virgin Islands law will be passed upon for us by Maples and Calder. In addition, certain legal matters in connection with any offering of securities under this prospectus will be passed upon for any underwriters, dealers or agents by counsel to be designated at the time of the offering by such underwriters, dealers or agents with respect to matters of applicable law.
20
The audited financial statements incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement have been so incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of Friedman LLP, which is included as exhibit to this registration statement upon the authority and consent of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We were incorporated in the British Virgin Islands in order to enjoy the following benefits:
| ● | political and economic stability; |
| ● | an effective judicial system; |
| ● | a favorable tax system; |
| ● | the absence of exchange control or currency restrictions; and |
| ● | the availability of professional and support services. |
However, certain disadvantages accompany incorporation in the British Virgin Islands. These disadvantages include, but are not limited to, the following:
| ● | the British Virgin Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States and these securities laws provide significantly less protection to investors; and |
| ● | British Virgin Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the federal courts of the United States. |
Our constitutional documents do not contain provisions requiring that disputes, including those arising under the securities laws of the United States, between us, our officers, directors and shareholders, be arbitrated. All of our current operations are conducted in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), and all of our assets are located in the PRC. All of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents of the PRC and a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for a shareholder to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons, or to enforce against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
We have appointed Puglisi & Associates, located at 850 Library Ave, Suite 204, Newark, DE 19711, as our agent upon whom process may be served in any action brought against us under the securities laws of the United States.
Maples and Calder, our counsel as to British Virgin Islands law, and Beijing Haotai Law Firm, our counsel as to PRC law, have advised us, respectively, that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the British Virgin Islands and China, respectively, would:
| ● | recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; or |
| ● | entertain original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. |
21
Maples and Calder has informed us that it is uncertain whether the courts of the British Virgin Islands will allow shareholders of our company to originate actions in the British Virgin Islands based upon securities laws of the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty with regard to British Virgin Islands law related to whether a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws will be determined by the courts of the British Virgin Islands as penal or punitive in nature. If such a determination is made, the courts of the British Virgin Islands will not recognize or enforce the judgment against a British Virgin Islands company, such as our company. As the courts of the British Virgin Islands have yet to rule on making such a determination in relation to judgments obtained from U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws, it is uncertain whether such judgments would be enforceable in the British Virgin Islands. Maples Group has further advised us that the courts of the British Virgin Islands would recognize as a valid judgment a final and conclusive judgment in personam obtained in the federal or state courts in the United States under which a sum of money is payable (other than a sum of money payable in respect of multiple damages, taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty) or, in certain circumstances, an in personam judgment for non-monetary relief, and would give a judgment based thereon provided that: (i) such courts had proper jurisdiction over the parties subject to such judgment; (ii) such courts did not contravene the rules of natural justice of the British Virgin Islands; (iii) such judgment was not obtained by fraud; (iv) the enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to the public policy of the British Virgin Islands; (v) no new admissible evidence relevant to the action is submitted prior to the rendering of the judgment by the courts of the British Virgin Islands; and (vi) there is due compliance with the correct procedures under the laws of the British Virgin Islands.
We have been advised by Beijing Haotai Law Firm that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would enforce judgments of United States courts or British Virgin Islands courts obtained against us or these persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the United States federal and state securities laws. Beijing Haotai Law Firm has further advised us that the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other form of reciprocity with the United States or the British Virgin Islands that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States or in the British Virgin Islands.
22
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus. This means we are able to disclose important information to you by referring you to other documents that we have filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is considered a part of this prospectus and should be read carefully. Certain information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus. Certain information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which it is a part the following documents, including any amendments to such filings:
| ● | our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 (filed on August 17, 2020); |
| ● | the description of our ordinary shares that is contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on August 2, 2018; |
| ● | any annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC after the date of this prospectus; |
| ● | our Current Report on Form 6-K, furnished to the SEC on March 31, 2021, relating to our half yearly financial results for the six months ended September 30, 2020; |
| ● | any half yearly report on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of this offering of Securities; and |
| ● | any other Report on Form 6-K submitted to the SEC after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of this offering of securities, but only to the extent that those forms expressly state that we incorporate them by reference in this prospectus. |
We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with additional or different information to the information included in and incorporated by reference to this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. You should rely only on the information provided by and incorporated by reference to this prospectus and any prospectus supplement.
Upon written or oral request, we shall provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this prospectus is delivered a copy of any or all of the documents that are incorporated by reference to this prospectus but not delivered with this prospectus. You may request a copy of these filings by contacting us at Wah Fu Education Group Limited, L207b, Hesheng Fortune Plaza, No.13 Deshengmenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China, Attention: Chief Executive Officer, telephone: + 86-10-57925024.
23
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have a registration statement on Form F-3 filed with the SEC, including relevant exhibits, under the Securities Act with respect to the securities offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits. As this prospectus does not contain all of the information contained in the registration statement, you should read the registration statement, its exhibits and the documents incorporated by reference for further information with respect to us and our securities. All information we file with the SEC is available through the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system, which may be accessed through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
We are subject to periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as applicable to foreign private issuers. Our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2020, has been filed with the SEC and an annual report on Form 20-F for subsequent years will be due within four months following the fiscal year end.
We are not required to disclose certain other information that is required from U.S. domestic issuers. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange Act from, among other things, the rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our executive officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act and Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure), which was adopted to ensure that select groups of investors are not privy to specific information about an issuer before other investors.
We are, however, still subject to the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as Rule 10b-5. Since many of the disclosure obligations required of us as a foreign private issuer are different than those required by companies filing as a domestic issuer, our shareholders, potential shareholders and the investing public in general should not expect to receive information about us in the same amount and at the same time as information is received from, or provided by, companies filing as a domestic issuer. We are liable for violations of the rules and regulations of the SEC that apply to us as a foreign private issuer.
Only the specific documents incorporated by reference above, or incorporated by reference in any prospectus supplement, are to be deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which it is a part. No information available on or through our website, or any other website reference herein, shall be deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
24
Wah Fu Education Group Limited
US$25,000,000
Ordinary Shares
Warrants
Debt Securities
Rights
Depositary Shares
Units
| PROSPECTUS |
June 14, 2021
No dealer, salesperson or any other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this offering other than those contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is unlawful.
PART II INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS
| Item 8. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
We are a British Virgin Islands company. British Virgin Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the BVI High Court to be contrary to public policy (e.g. for purporting to provide indemnification against the consequences of committing a crime). An indemnity will be void and of no effect and will not apply to a person unless the person acted honestly and in good faith and in what he believed to be in the best interests of the company and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. Our M&AA permits indemnification of officers and directors for losses, damages, costs and expenses incurred in their capacities as such unless such losses or damages arise from dishonesty or fraud of such directors or officers. This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that provide such persons with additional indemnification beyond that provided in our M&AA.
In so far as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
II-1
| Item 9. | Exhibits. |
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibits | Description | |
| 1.1 | Form of Underwriting Agreement* | |
| 3.1 | Articles of Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 filed with the SEC on May 10, 2018)*** | |
| 3.2 | Amended and Restated Memorandum of Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1/A filed with the SEC on April 11, 2018)*** | |
| 4.1 | Specimen Ordinary Share Certificate* | |
| 4.2 | Form of Warrant and/or Warrant Agent Agreement** | |
| 4.3 | Form of Indenture*** | |
| 4.4 | Form of Debt Securities** | |
| 4.5 | Form of Rights Agreement and Form of Rights Certificate** | |
| 4.6 | Form of Unit Agreement and Form of Unit Certificate** | |
| 4.7 | Form of Depositary Receipt** | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Maples and Calder*** | |
| 23.1 | Consent of Maples Group (included in Exhibit 5.1) *** | |
| 23.3 | Consent of Friedman LLP*** | |
| 24.1 | Power of Attorney (contained on the signature page to this registration statement) *** |
| * | To be filed as an amendment or as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC. |
| ** | To be filed as an amendment or as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC and incorporated by reference herein if any warrants rights are offered under this registration statement. |
| *** | Filed herewith. |
II-2
| Item 10. | Undertakings |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales of the registered securities are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
| (i) | To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933; |
| (ii) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; |
| (iii) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) to this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post- effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the Registration Statement. |
| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
| (4) | To file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A. of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Act need not be furnished, provided that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Act or Item 8.A. of Form 20-F if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement. |
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser: |
| (i) | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
II-3
| (ii) | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such Securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date. |
| (6) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
| (i) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
| (ii) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
| (iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| (iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
| (1) | For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
| (2) | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (“Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under section 305(b)(2) of the Act.
II-4
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Beijing, China, on June 14, 2021.
| Wah Fu Education Group Limited | |||
| By: | /s/ Yang Yu | ||
| Name: | Yang Yu | ||
| Title: | Chairman of the Board of Directors | ||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Yang Yu | ||||
| Yang Yu | Chairman of the Board of Directors | June 14, 2021 | ||
| /s/ Shuting Ai | ||||
| Shuting Ai | Chief Financial Officer | June 14, 2021 | ||
| (principal financial and accounting officer) | ||||
| /s/ Xinghui Yang | ||||
| Xinghui Yang | Director and Chief Executive Officer | June 14, 2021 | ||
| (principal executive officer) | ||||
| /s/ Defang Li | ||||
| Defang Li | Director | June 14, 2021 | ||
| /s/ Yik C Chan | ||||
| Yik C Chan | Director | June 14, 2021 | ||
| /s/ Wenxiang Xing | ||||
| Wenxiang Xing | Director | June 14, 2021 |
II-5
AUTHORIZED U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Wah Fu Education Group Limited, has signed this registration statement in Newark, Delaware, on June 11, 2021.
| Authorized U.S. Representative | |||
| Puglisi & Associates | |||
| By: | /s/ Donald J. Puglisi | ||
| Name: | Donald J. Puglisi | ||
| Title: | Managing Director | ||
II-6
Exhibit 4.3
WAH FU EDUCATION GROUP LTD.
and
, as Trustee
FORM OF INDENTURE
Dated as of ,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| PAGE | |||
| ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE | 1 | ||
| 1.1. | DEFINITIONS | 1 | |
| 1.2. | OTHER DEFINITIONS | 5 | |
| 1.3. | INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT | 5 | |
| 1.4. | RULES OF CONSTRUCTION | 6 | |
| ARTICLE 2 THE SECURITIES | 6 | ||
| 2.1. | ISSUABLE IN SERIES | 6 | |
| 2.2. | ESTABLISHMENT OF TERMS OF SERIES OF SECURITIES | 6 | |
| 2.3. | EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION | 8 | |
| 2.4. | REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT | 9 | |
| 2.5. | PAYING AGENT TO HOLD ASSETS IN TRUST | 10 | |
| 2.6. | SECURITYHOLDER LISTS | 10 | |
| 2.7. | TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE | 10 | |
| 2.8. | REPLACEMENT SECURITIES | 11 | |
| 2.9. | OUTSTANDING SECURITIES | 11 | |
| 2.10. | WHEN TREASURY SECURITIES DISREGARDED; DETERMINATION OF HOLDERS’ ACTION | 12 | |
| 2.11. | TEMPORARY SECURITIES | 12 | |
| 2.12. | CANCELLATION | 12 | |
| 2.13. | PAYMENT OF INTEREST; DEFAULTED INTEREST; COMPUTATION OF INTEREST | 12 | |
| 2.14. | CUSIP NUMBER | 13 | |
| 2.15. | PROVISIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITIES | 13 | |
| 2.16. | PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS | 14 | |
| ARTICLE 3 REDEMPTION | 14 | ||
| 3.1. | NOTICES TO TRUSTEE | 14 | |
| 3.2. | SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED | 14 | |
i
| 3.3. | NOTICE OF REDEMPTION | 15 | |
| 3.4. | EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION | 15 | |
| 3.5. | DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE | 15 | |
| 3.6. | SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART | 16 | |
| ARTICLE 4 COVENANTS | 16 | ||
| 4.1. | PAYMENT OF SECURITIES | 16 | |
| 4.2. | SEC REPORTS | 16 | |
| 4.3. | COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE | 17 | |
| 4.4. | CORPORATE EXISTENCE | 17 | |
| ARTICLE 5 SUCCESSOR CORPORATION | 17 | ||
| 5.1. | LIMITATION ON CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALE OF ASSETS | 17 | |
| 5.2. | SUCCESSOR PERSON SUBSTITUTED | 18 | |
| ARTICLE 6 DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES | 18 | ||
| 6.1. | EVENTS OF DEFAULT | 18 | |
| 6.2. | ACCELERATION | 19 | |
| 6.3. | REMEDIES | 19 | |
| 6.4. | WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS AND EVENTS OF DEFAULT | 20 | |
| 6.5. | CONTROL BY MAJORITY | 20 | |
| 6.6. | LIMITATION ON SUITS | 20 | |
| 6.7. | RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT | 21 | |
| 6.8. | COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE | 21 | |
| 6.9. | TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM | 21 | |
| 6.10. | PRIORITIES | 21 | |
| 6.11. | UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS | 22 | |
| ARTICLE 7 TRUSTEE | 22 | ||
| 7.1 | DUTIES OF TRUSTEE | 22 | |
| 7.2. | RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE | 23 | |
| 7.3. | INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE | 24 | |
ii
| 7.4. | TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER | 24 | |
| 7.5. | NOTICE OF DEFAULT | 24 | |
| 7.6. | REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS | 24 | |
| 7.7. | COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY | 24 | |
| 7.8. | REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE | 25 | |
| 7.9. | SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR CONVERSION | 26 | |
| 7.10. | ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION | 26 | |
| 7.11. | PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY | 26 | |
| 7.12. | PAYING AGENTS | 26 | |
| ARTICLE 8 AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS | 26 | ||
| 8.1. | WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS | 26 | |
| 8.2. | WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS | 27 | |
| 8.3. | COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT | 28 | |
| 8.4. | REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS | 28 | |
| 8.5. | NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES | 29 | |
| 8.6. | TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC. | 29 | |
| ARTICLE 9 DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE | 29 | ||
| 9.1. | DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE | 29 | |
| 9.2. | LEGAL DEFEASANCE | 29 | |
| 9.3. | COVENANT DEFEASANCE | 30 | |
| 9.4. | CONDITIONS TO LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE | 30 | |
| 9.5. | DEPOSITED MONEY AND U.S. AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS | 31 | |
| 9.6. | REINSTATEMENT | 32 | |
| 9.7. | MONEYS HELD BY PAYING AGENT | 32 | |
| 9.8. | MONEYS HELD BY TRUSTEE | 32 | |
| ARTICLE 10 MISCELLANEOUS | 32 | ||
| 10.1. | TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS | 32 | |
iii
| 10.2. | NOTICES | 33 | |
| 10.3. | COMMUNICATIONS BY HOLDERS WITH OTHER HOLDERS | 34 | |
| 10.4. | CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT | 34 | |
| 10.5. | STATEMENT REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE AND OPINION | 34 | |
| 10.6. | RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS | 34 | |
| 10.7. | BUSINESS DAYS; LEGAL HOLIDAYS; PLACE OF PAYMENT | 34 | |
| 10.8. | GOVERNING LAW | 35 | |
| 10.9. | NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS | 35 | |
| 10.10. | NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS | 35 | |
| 10.11. | SUCCESSORS | 35 | |
| 10.12. | MULTIPLE COUNTERPARTS | 35 | |
| 10.13. | TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC. | 35 | |
| 10.14. | SEVERABILITY | 35 | |
| 10.15. | SECURITIES IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY OR IN EUROS | 36 | |
| 10.16. | JUDGMENT CURRENCY | 36 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
| TIA SECTION | INDENTURE SECTION | |
| 310(a)(1)(2)(5) | 7.10 | |
| 310(a)(3)(4) | Inapplicable | |
| 310(b) | 7.8; 7.10 | |
| 310(c) | Inapplicable | |
| 311(a)(b) | 7.11 | |
| 312(a) | 2.6 | |
| 312(b)(c) | 10.3 | |
| 313(a)(b) | 7.6 | |
| 313(c) | 7.6; 10.2 | |
| 313(d) | 7.6 | |
| 314(a) | 4.2; 4.4; 10.2 | |
| 314(b) | N/A | |
| 314(c)(1)(2) | 10.4; 10.5 | |
| 314(c)(3) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(d) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(e) | 10.5 | |
| 314(f) | Inapplicable |
iv
| 315(a) | 7.1, 7.2 | |
| 315(b) | 7.5; 10.2 | |
| 315(c) | 7.1 | |
| 315(d) | 7.1; 7.2 | |
| 315(e) | 6.11 | |
| 316(a)(last sentence) | 2.10 | |
| 316(a)(1)(A) | 6.5 | |
| 316(a)(1)(B) | 6.4 | |
| 316(a)(2) | 8.2 | |
| 316(b) | 6.7 | |
| 316(c) | 8.4 | |
| 317(a)(1) | 6.8 | |
| 317(a)(2) | 6.9 | |
| 317(b) | 2.5; 7.12 | |
| 318(a) | 10.1 | |
| 318(b) | Inapplicable | |
| 318(c) | Inapplicable |
Note: This Cross-Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.
v
FORM OF INDENTURE
INDENTURE, dated as of , , by and between Wah Fu Education Group Ltd., a British Virgin Islands company, as Issuer (the “Company”) and , a organized under the laws of , as Trustee (the “Trustee”).
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its secured or unsecured debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness to be issued in one or more series (the “Securities”), as herein provided, on such terms and up to such principal amount as may from time to time be authorized in or pursuant to one or more resolutions of the Board of Directors or by supplemental indenture.
All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company in accordance with its terms have been done, and the execution and delivery thereof have been in all respects duly authorized by the parties hereto.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities of a Series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
| 1.1. | DEFINITIONS. |
“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person which, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by or is under common control with, such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise.
1
“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent, co-registrar or agent for service of notices and demands.
“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee duly authorized to act therefor.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification which has been delivered to the Trustee.
“Capital Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares or other equivalents (however designated) of capital stock, partnership interests or any other participation, right or other interest in the nature of an equity interest in such Person or any option, warrant or other security convertible into any of the foregoing.
“Company” means the party named as such in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor replaces such party pursuant to Article 5 of this Indenture, and thereafter means the successor and any other primary obligor on the Securities.
“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers, one of whom must be its Chief Executive Officer or its Chief Financial Officer.
“Company Request” means any written request signed in the name of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any Vice President, its Chief Financial Officer or its Treasurer and attested to by its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered.
“Default” means any event that is, or that with the passing of time or giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Depository” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the Person designated as Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, until a successor Depository shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Depository” shall mean each Person who is then a Depository hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, such Persons.
“Dollars” means the currency of the United States of America.
“Euro” means the single currency of participating member states of the economic and monetary union as contemplated in the Treaty on European Union.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of the United States of America.
2
“Foreign Government Obligations” means, with respect to Securities that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, (i) direct obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by, or acting as an agency or instrumentality of, such government, the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by such government, which, in either case under clauses (i) and (ii), are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied as in effect in the United States of America from time to time.
“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2, evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities issued to the Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee, and bearing the legend set forth in Section 2.15(c) (or such other legend(s) as may be applied to such Securities in accordance with Section 2.2(24)).
“Holder” or “Securityholder” means the Person in whose name a Security is registered on the Registrar’s books.
“Indebtedness” means (without duplication), with respect to any Person, any indebtedness at any time outstanding, secured or unsecured, contingent or otherwise, which is for borrowed money (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such Person or only to a portion thereof), or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments, or representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property (excluding any balances that constitute accounts payable or trade payables, and other accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business), if and to the extent any of the foregoing indebtedness would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP.
“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time.
“Interest Payment Date,” when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
“Lien” means, with respect to any property or assets of any Person, any mortgage or deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, security interest, lien, charge, easement, encumbrance, preference, priority or other security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever on or with respect to such property or assets (including, without limitation, any capitalized lease obligation, conditional sales or other title retention agreement having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).
“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security, or an installment of principal, becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, notice of option to elect payment or otherwise.
“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company, or any other officer designated by the Board of Directors, as the case may be.
“Officers’ Certificate” means, with respect to any Person, a certificate signed by the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Senior or Executive Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer or any Treasurer of such Person, that shall comply with applicable provisions of this Indenture.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel, which counsel is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.
3
“Person” means any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government (including any agency or political subdivision thereof).
“Redemption Date,” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption pursuant to this Indenture.
“Responsible Officer,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the corporate trust department or division of the Trustee (or any successor group of the Trustee) or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers, and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as constituted from time to time, or any successor performing substantially the same functions.
“Securities” means the securities that are issued under this Indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time pursuant to this Indenture.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes, bonds or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2.
“Significant Subsidiary” means (i) any direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such regulation is in effect on the date hereof, or (ii) any group of direct or indirect Subsidiaries of the Company that, taken together as a group, would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such regulation is in effect on the date hereof.
“Stated Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security, or such installment of principal or interest, is due and payable, and when used with respect to any other Indebtedness, means the date specified in the instrument governing such Indebtedness as the fixed date on which the principal of such Indebtedness, or any installment of interest thereon, is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” of any specified Person means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association or other business entity, whether now existing or hereafter organized or acquired, (i) in the case of a corporation, of which more than 50% of the total voting power of the Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors thereof is held, directly or indirectly, by such Person or any of its Subsidiaries; or (ii) in the case of a partnership, joint venture, association or other business entity, with respect to which such Person or any of its Subsidiaries has the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such entity by contract or otherwise, or if in accordance with GAAP such entity is consolidated with such Person for financial statement purposes.
“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Section 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture (except as provided in Section 8.3).
4
“Trustee” means the party named as such in this Indenture until a successor replaces it pursuant to this Indenture, and thereafter means the successor, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.
“U.S. Government Obligations” means direct non-callable obligations of, or non-callable obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which obligation or guarantee the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged.
| 1.2. | OTHER DEFINITIONS. |
The definitions of the following terms may be found in the sections indicated as follows:
| TERM | DEFINED IN SECTION | |
| “Bankruptcy Law” | 6.1 | |
| “Business Day” | 10.7 | |
| “Covenant Defeasance” | 9.3 | |
| “Custodian” | 6.1 | |
| “Event of Default” | 6.1 | |
| “Journal” | 10.15 | |
| “Judgment Currency” | 10.16 | |
| “Legal Defeasance” | 9.2 | |
| “Legal Holiday” | 10.7 | |
| “Market Exchange Rate” | 10.15 | |
| “Paying Agent” | 2.4 | |
| “Place of Payment” | 10.7 | |
| “Registrar” | 2.4 | |
| “Required Currency” | 10.16 | |
| “Service Agent” | 2.4 | |
| 1.3. | INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT. |
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the portion of such provision required to be incorporated herein in order for this Indenture to be qualified under the TIA is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“Commission” means the SEC.
5
“indenture securities” means the Securities.
“indenture securityholder” means a Holder or Securityholder.
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.
“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.
“obligor on the indenture securities” means the Company.
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined in the TIA by reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule have the meanings therein assigned to them.
| 1.4. | RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. |
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it herein, whether defined expressly or by reference;
(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(3) “or” is not exclusive;
(4) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;
(5) words used herein implying any gender shall apply to each gender; and
(6) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
ARTICLE 2
THE SECURITIES
| 2.1. | ISSUABLE IN SERIES. |
The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is $[ ]. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to the authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, Stated Maturity, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, PROVIDED, that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
| 2.2. | ESTABLISHMENT OF TERMS OF SERIES OF SECURITIES. |
At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection 2.2(1) and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections 2.2(2) through 2.2(24)) by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, in each case, pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution:
(1) the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series);
6
(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 8.5);
(3) the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;
(4) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;
(5) the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date;
(6) the place or places where the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series shall be payable, or the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;
(7) if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof, and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(9) the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof, and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;
(10) if other than denominations of $[ ] and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;
(11) the forms of the Securities of the Series in bearer (if to be issued outside of the United States of America) or fully registered form (and, if in fully registered form, whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities);
(12) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;
7
(13) the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or any Foreign Currency, including, but not limited to, the Euro, and, if such currency of denomination is a composite currency other than the Euro, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;
(14) the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series will be made;
(15) if payments of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;
(16) the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, or interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series will be determined, if such amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
(17) the provisions, if any, relating to any collateral provided for the Securities of the Series;
(18) any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Articles 4 or 5 that applies to Securities of the Series;
(19) any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series, and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;
(20) the terms and conditions, if any, for conversion of the Securities into or exchange of the Securities for shares of common stock or preferred stock of the Company that apply to Securities of the Series;
(21) any depositories, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein;
(22) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the Securities shall be subordinated in right of payment to other Indebtedness of the Company;
(23) if applicable, that the Securities of the Series, in whole or any specified part, shall be defeasible pursuant to Article 9; and
(24) any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by Section 8.1, but which may modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series).
All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time, and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate referred to above, however, the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate.
| 2.3. | EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION. |
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by two Officers of the Company or an Officer and an Assistant Secretary of the Company. Each such signature may be either manual or facsimile. The Company’s seal may be impressed, affixed, imprinted or reproduced on the Securities and may be in facsimile form.
8
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture. The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents, which oral instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.
Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officers’ Certificate complying with Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of any Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised in writing by outside counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or vice-presidents shall reasonably determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability, or cause it to have a conflict of interest with respect to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Any appointment shall be evidenced by an instrument signed by an authorized officer of the Trustee, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Company. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
| 2.4. | REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT. |
The Company shall maintain in each Place of Payment for any Series of Securities (i) an office or agency where such Securities may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“Registrar”), (ii) an office or agency where such Securities may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”), and PROVIDED, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the register for the Securities maintained by the Registrar), and (iii) an office or agency where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served (“Service Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register of the Securities and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may have one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office, or to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the address of the Trustee as set forth in Section 10.2. If the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money held by it for the payment of principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities and hold it as a separate trust fund. The Company may change any Paying Agent, Registrar, co-registrar or any other Agent without notice to any Securityholder.
9
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes, and may from time to time rescind such designations; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company hereby initially designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as such office of the Company. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of such designation or rescission, and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar or Paying Agent not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such Agent. The Company shall notify the Trustee of the name and address of any such Agent. If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent, or agent for service of notices and demands, or fails to give the foregoing notice, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued. .
| 2.5. | PAYING AGENT TO HOLD ASSETS IN TRUST. |
The Trustee as Paying Agent shall, and the Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that each Paying Agent shall, hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of any Series of Securities or the Trustee all assets held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such Series of Securities (whether such assets have been distributed to it by the Company or any other obligor on such Series of Securities), and the Company and the Paying Agent shall notify the Trustee in writing of any Default by the Company (or any other obligor on such Series of Securities) in making any such payment. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the Trustee and account for any assets disbursed, and the Trustee may, at any time during the continuance of any payment default with respect to any Series of Securities, upon written request to a Paying Agent, require such Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the Trustee and to account for any assets distributed. Upon distribution to the Trustee of all assets that shall have been delivered by the Company to the Paying Agent, the Paying Agent shall have no further liability for such assets.
| 2.6. | SECURITYHOLDER LISTS. |
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee as of each regular record date for the payment of interest on the Securities of a Series and before each related Interest Payment Date, and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.
| 2.7. | TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE. |
When Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar with a request to register the transfer thereof, the Registrar shall register the transfer as requested if the requirements of applicable law are met, and when such Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar with a request to exchange them for an equal principal amount of other authorized denominations of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall make the exchange as requested. To permit transfers and exchanges, upon surrender of any Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 2.4, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request.
If Securities are issued as Global Securities, the provisions of Section 2.15 shall apply.
10
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Registrar or a co-registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar or a co-registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
Any exchange or transfer shall be without charge, except that the Company may require payment by the Holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation to a transfer or exchange, but this provision shall not apply to any exchange pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.6 or 8.5. The Trustee shall not be required to register transfers of Securities of any Series, or to exchange Securities of any Series, for a period of [ ] days before the record date for selection for redemption of such Securities. The Trustee shall not be required to exchange or register transfers of Securities of any Series called or being called for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of such Security being redeemed in part.
| 2.8. | REPLACEMENT SECURITIES. |
If a mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, or if the Holder of a Security presents evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee that the Security has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a replacement Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding. An indemnity bond may be required by the Company or the Trustee that is sufficient in the reasonable judgment of the Company or the Trustee, as the case may be, to protect the Company, the Trustee or any Agent from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced. The Company may charge such Holder for the Company’s out-of-pocket expenses in replacing a Security, including the fees and expenses of the Trustee. Every replacement Security shall constitute an original additional obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.
| 2.9. | OUTSTANDING SECURITIES. |
Securities outstanding at any time are all Securities authenticated by the Trustee, except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section 2.9 as not outstanding.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8 (other than a mutilated Security surrendered for replacement), it ceases to be outstanding until the Company and the Trustee receive proof satisfactory to each of them that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser. A mutilated Security ceases to be outstanding upon surrender of such Security and replacement thereof pursuant to Section 2.8.
If a Paying Agent holds on a Redemption Date or the Stated Maturity money sufficient to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on, Securities payable on that date, and is not prohibited from paying such money to the Holders thereof pursuant to the terms of this Indenture (PROVIDED, that if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made), then on and after that date such Securities cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.
A Security does not cease to be outstanding solely because the Company or an Affiliate holds the Security.
11
| 2.10. | WHEN TREASURY SECURITIES DISREGARDED; DETERMINATION OF HOLDERS’ ACTION. |
In determining whether the Holders of the required aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any Series have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, the Securities of any Series owned by the Company or any other obligor on such Securities, or by any Affiliate of any of them, shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Securities of such Series which the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities of such Series so owned which have been pledged in good faith shall not be disregarded if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to the Securities of such Series and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of such Series, or an Affiliate of any of them.
| 2.11. | TEMPORARY SECURITIES. |
Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, temporary Securities. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form, and shall carry all rights, of definitive Securities, but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, definitive Securities in exchange for temporary Securities without charge to the Holder.
| 2.12. | CANCELLATION. |
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption or registration of transfer or exchange, or for credit against any sinking fund payment, shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee or, at the direction of the Trustee, the Registrar or the Paying Agent, and no one else, shall cancel, and at the written request of the Company shall dispose of, all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation. If the Company shall acquire any of the Securities, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the Indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation pursuant to this Section 2.12. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section 2.12, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture.
| 2.13. | PAYMENT OF INTEREST; DEFAULTED INTEREST; COMPUTATION OF INTEREST. |
Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 2.2 with respect to any Series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest, as provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the terms of such Series.
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Securities, it shall pay the defaulted amounts, plus any interest payable on defaulted amounts pursuant to Section 4.1, to the Persons who are Securityholders on a subsequent special record date, which date shall be the [ ] day next preceding the date fixed by the Company for the payment of defaulted interest, or the next succeeding Business Day if such date is not a Business Day. At least [ ] days before the special record date, the Company shall mail or cause to be mailed to each Securityholder, with a copy to the Trustee, a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of defaulted interest, and interest payable on such defaulted interest, if any, to be paid.
12
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series, interest on the Securities of each Series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
| 2.14. | CUSIP NUMBER. |
The Company in issuing the Securities may use one or more “CUSIP” numbers, and, if the Company does so, the Trustee shall use the CUSIP number(s) in notices of redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders, PROVIDED, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number(s) printed in the notice or on the Securities, and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and that any such redemption or exchange shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of any such numbers.
| 2.15. | PROVISIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITIES. |
(a) A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, and the Depository for such Global Securities or Securities.
(b) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 and in addition thereto, if, and only if the Depository (i) at any time is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and (ii) a successor Depository is not appointed by the Company within [ ] days after the date the Company is so informed in writing or becomes aware of the same, the Company promptly will execute and deliver to the Trustee definitive Securities, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Request for the authentication and delivery of such definitive Securities (which the Company will promptly execute and deliver to the Trustee) and an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable, will authenticate and deliver definitive Securities, without charge, registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depository shall direct in writing (pursuant to instructions from its direct and indirect participants or otherwise) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms. Upon the exchange of a Global Security for definitive Securities, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for definitive Securities, as provided in this Section 2.15(b), a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.
(c) Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to, and is registered in the name of the Depository or a nominee of the Depository. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a Person other than the Depository or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.”
(d) The Depository, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.
(e) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, any Global Security shall be made to the Depository or its nominee in its capacity as the Holder thereof.
(f) Except as provided in Section 2.15(e) above, the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a Person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of any Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depository (which may be in the form of a participants’ list for such Series) with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, PROVIDED, that until the Trustee is so provided with a written statement, it may treat the Depository or any other Person in whose name a Global Security is registered as the owner of such Global Security for the purpose of receiving payment of the principal of, and any premium and (subject to Section 2.13) any interest on, such Global Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, and none of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
13
| 2.16. | PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. |
Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and any agent of the Company, the Registrar or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of the principal of, and any premium and (subject to Section 2.13) any interest on, such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, and none of the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar or any agent of the Company, the Trustee or the Registrar shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
ARTICLE 3
REDEMPTION
| 3.1. | NOTICES TO TRUSTEE. |
The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities, or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof, prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities or the related Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company elects to redeem all or part of such Series of Securities, it shall notify the Trustee of the Redemption Date and the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed at least 45 days (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) before the Redemption Date. Any such notice may be canceled at any time prior to notice of such redemption being mailed to any Holder, and shall thereby be void and of no effect.
| 3.2. | SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED. |
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series of Securities by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, if fewer than all of the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities of a Series to be redeemed pro rata, by lot or by any other method that the Trustee considers fair and appropriate (unless the Company specifically directs the Trustee otherwise) and, if such Securities are listed on any securities exchange, by a method that complies with the requirements of such exchange.
The Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of a Series outstanding and not previously called for redemption, and shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Security selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed at least [ ] but not more than [ ] days before the Redemption Date. Securities of a Series in denominations of $[ ] may be redeemed only in whole. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities of a Series that have denominations larger than $[ ]. Securities of a Series and portions of them it selects shall be in amounts of $[ ] or, with respect to Securities of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2(10), the minimum principal denomination for each Series and integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption.
14
| 3.3. | NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. |
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, at least [ ] days, and no more than [ ] days, before a Redemption Date, the Company shall mail, or cause to be mailed, a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at his or her last address as the same appears on the registry books maintained by the Registrar. The notice shall identify the Securities to be redeemed and shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date;
(2) the redemption price, and that such redemption price shall become due and payable on the Redemption Date;
(3) if any Security of a Series is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Security of a Series to be redeemed and that, after the Redemption Date and upon surrender of such Security of a Series, a new Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion will be issued;
(4) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(5) that Securities of a Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price, and the place or places where each such Security is to be surrendered for such payment;
(6) that, unless the Company defaults in making the redemption payment, interest on the Securities of a Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on the Redemption Date, and the only remaining right of the Holders of such Securities is to receive payment of the redemption price upon surrender to the Paying Agent of the Securities redeemed;
(7) if fewer than all of the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the identification of the particular Securities of a Series (or portion thereof) to be redeemed, as well as the aggregate principal amount of Securities of a Series to be redeemed and the aggregate principal amount of Securities of a Series to be outstanding after such partial redemption.
(8) the CUSIP number, if any, printed on the Securities being redeemed; and
(9) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.
At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s sole expense.
| 3.4. | EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. |
Once the notice of redemption described in Section 3.3 is mailed, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the Redemption Date and at the redemption price, plus interest, if any, accrued to the Redemption Date. Upon surrender to the Trustee or Paying Agent, such Securities of a Series shall be paid at the redemption price, plus accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date; PROVIDED, that if the Redemption Date is after a regular interest payment record date and on or prior to the next Interest Payment Date, the accrued interest shall be payable to the Holder of the redeemed Securities registered on the relevant record date, as specified by the Company in the notice to the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.1.
| 3.5. | DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE. |
On or prior to the Redemption Date (but no later than 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time on such date), the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date other than Securities or portions thereof called for redemption on that date which have been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation.
15
On and after any Redemption Date, if money sufficient to pay the redemption price of, and accrued interest on, Securities called for redemption shall have been made available in accordance with the preceding paragraph and the Company and the Paying Agent are not prohibited from paying such moneys to Holders, the Securities called for redemption will cease to accrue interest and the only right of the Holders of such Securities will be to receive payment of the redemption price of and, subject to the proviso in Section 3.4, accrued and unpaid interest on such Securities to the Redemption Date. If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid, interest will be paid, from the Redemption Date until such redemption payment is made, on the unpaid principal of the Security and any interest or premium, if any, not paid on such unpaid principal, in each case, at the rate and in the manner provided in the Securities.
| 3.6. | SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART. |
Upon surrender of a Security of a Series that is redeemed in part, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, for a Holder a new Security of the same Series equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
ARTICLE 4
COVENANTS
| 4.1. | PAYMENT OF SECURITIES. |
The Company shall pay the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, each Series of Securities on the dates and in the manner provided in such Securities and this Indenture.
An installment of principal or interest shall be considered paid on the date it is due if the Trustee or Paying Agent holds on that date money designated for and sufficient to pay such installment and is not prohibited from paying such money to the Holders pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or otherwise.
The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal, and overdue interest, to the extent lawful, at the rate specified in the Series of Securities.
| 4.2. | SEC REPORTS. |
The Company will deliver to the Trustee within [ ] days after the filing of the same with the SEC, copies of the quarterly and annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports, if any, which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that each such report or document will be deemed to be so delivered to the Trustee if the Company files such report or document with the SEC through the SEC’s EDGAR database no later than the time such report or document is required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act. Notwithstanding that the Company may not be subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company will file with the SEC, to the extent permitted, and provide the Trustee with, such quarterly and annual reports and such information, documents and other reports specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company will also comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a).
16
| 4.3. | COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE. |
(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within [ ] days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers’ Certificate which complies with TIA Section 314(a)(4) stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during such fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and that there is no default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto) and that to the best of his or her knowledge no event has occurred and remains in existence by reason of which payments on account of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities is prohibited, or if such event has occurred, a description of the event and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
(b) (i) If any Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or (ii) if any Holder seeks to exercise any remedy hereunder with respect to a claimed Default under this Indenture or the Securities, within five Business Days after the Company becoming aware of such occurrence the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying such event, notice or other action and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
| 4.4. | CORPORATE EXISTENCE. |
Subject to Article 5, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence, in accordance with the organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Company and the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or its corporate existence, if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.
ARTICLE 5
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
| 5.1. | LIMITATION ON CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALE OF ASSETS. |
(a) The Company will not, in any transaction or series of transactions, merge or consolidate with or into, or sell, assign, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties and assets (as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in one transaction or a series of related transactions), to any Person or Persons, unless at the time of and after giving effect thereto (i) either (A) if the transaction or series of transactions is a merger or consolidation, the Company shall be the surviving Person of such merger or consolidation, or (B) the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which the properties and assets of the Company are transferred (any such surviving Person or transferee Person being the “Surviving Entity”) shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, or a corporation or comparable legal entity organized under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction and shall expressly assume by a supplemental indenture executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the obligations of the Company (including, without limitation, the obligation to pay the principal of, and premium and interest, if any, on, the Securities and the performance of the other covenants) under the Securities of each Series and this Indenture, and in each case, this Indenture shall remain in full force and effect; and (ii) immediately before and immediately after giving effect to such transaction or series of transactions on a pro forma basis (including, without limitation, any Indebtedness incurred or anticipated to be incurred in connection with or in respect of such transaction or series of transactions), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
17
(b) In connection with any consolidation, merger or transfer of assets contemplated by this Section 5.1, the Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer, and the supplemental indenture in respect thereto, comply with this Section 5.1, and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction or transactions have been complied with.
| 5.2. | SUCCESSOR PERSON SUBSTITUTED. |
Upon any consolidation, merger or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1 above, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation, or into which the Company is merged or to which such transfer is made, shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor corporation had been named as the Company herein, and thereafter (except with respect to any such transfer which is a lease) the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
ARTICLE 6
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
| 6.1. | EVENTS OF DEFAULT. |
“Events of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:
(1) there is a default in the payment of any principal of, or premium, if any, on, the Securities when the same becomes due and payable at Maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise;
(2) there is a default in the payment of any interest on any Security of a Series when the same becomes due and payable, and the Default continues for a period of [ ] days;
(3) the Company defaults in the observance or performance of any other covenant in the Securities of a Series or in this Indenture for [ ] days after written notice from the Trustee or the Holders of not less than [ ]% in the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then outstanding, which notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that the notice is a “Notice of Default”;
(4) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:
(A) commences a voluntary case,
(B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,
(C) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,
(D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or
18
(E) generally is not paying its debts as they become due;
(5) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(A) is for relief against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary in an involuntary case;
(B) appoints a Custodian of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, or for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary; or
(C) orders the liquidation of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for [ ] consecutive days; or
(6) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2(19).
The term “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
The Trustee may withhold notice of any Default (except in the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities) to the Holders of the Securities of any Series in accordance with Section 7.5. When a Default is cured, it ceases to exist.
| 6.2. | ACCELERATION. |
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding (other than an Event of Default arising under Section 6.1(4) or (5)) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee by written notice to the Company, or the Holders of not less than [ ]% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that Series then outstanding by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may declare that the entire principal amount of all the Securities of that Series then outstanding plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of acceleration are immediately due and payable, in which case such amounts shall become immediately due and payable; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that after such acceleration but before a judgment or decree based on such acceleration is obtained by the Trustee, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may rescind and annul such acceleration and its consequences if (i) all existing Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of accelerated principal, interest or premium, if any, that has become due solely because of the acceleration, have been cured or waived, (ii) to the extent the payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest and overdue principal, which has become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration, has been paid and (iii) the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree. No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereto. In case an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(4) or (5) with respect to the Company occurs, such principal, premium, if any, and interest amount with respect to all of the Securities of that Series shall be due and payable immediately without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or the Holders of the Securities of that Series.
| 6.3. | REMEDIES. |
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy by proceeding at law or in equity to collect the payment of the principal of, or interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of that Series, or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities of that Series or this Indenture.
19
The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities of that Series or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Securityholder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy. All available remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.
| 6.4. | WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS AND EVENTS OF DEFAULT. |
Subject to Sections 6.2, 6.7 and 8.2, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series then outstanding have the right to waive any existing Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series or compliance with any provision of this Indenture (with respect to such Series) or the Securities of such Series. Upon any such waiver, such Default with respect to such Series shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default with respect to such Series arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereto. This Section 6.4 shall be in lieu of TIA Section 316(a)(1)(B), and TIA Section 316(a)(1)(B) is hereby expressly excluded from this Indenture and Section as permitted by the TIA.
| 6.5. | CONTROL BY MAJORITY. |
Subject to Sections 6.2, 6.7 and 8.2, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series then outstanding may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee by this Indenture with respect to such Series. The Trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture, or that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of another Securityholder, or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability; PROVIDED, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction. This Section 6.5 shall be in lieu of TIA Section 316(a)(1)(A), and TIA Section 316(a)(1)(A) is hereby expressly excluded from this Indenture and Section as permitted by the TIA.
| 6.6. | LIMITATION ON SUITS. |
Subject to Section 6.7, a Securityholder may not institute any proceeding or pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Securities of a Series unless:
(1) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;
(2) the Holders of at least [ ]% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then outstanding make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;
(3) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee does not comply with the request within [ ] days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such [ ]-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then outstanding.
A Securityholder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Securityholder, or to obtain a preference or priority over another Securityholder.
20
| 6.7. | RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT. |
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Security of a Series to receive payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Security of such Series on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Security of such Series, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, is absolute and unconditional, and shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the Holder.
| 6.8. | COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE. |
If an Event of Default in payment of principal, interest or premium, if any, specified in Section 6.1(1) or (2) with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company (or any other obligor on the Securities of that Series) for the whole amount of unpaid principal and premium, if any, and accrued interest remaining unpaid, together with interest on overdue principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest, in each case at the rate then borne by the Securities of that Series, and such further amounts as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, as set forth in Section 7.7.
| 6.9. | TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM. |
The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents, and take other actions (including sitting on a committee of creditors), as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Securityholders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company (or any other obligor on the Securities), any of their respective creditors or any of their respective property, and the Trustee shall be entitled and empowered to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute the same after deduction of its charges and expenses to the extent that any such charges and expenses are not paid out of the estate in any such proceedings, and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Securityholder to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to, or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder, any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities of a Series or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such proceedings.
| 6.10. | PRIORITIES. |
If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money in the following order:
FIRST: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.7;
SECOND: to Securityholders for amounts then due and unpaid for the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities in respect of which, or for the benefit of which, such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities; for principal and any premium and interest, respectively; and
21
THIRD: to the Company.
The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Securityholders pursuant to this Section 6.10. At least [ ] days before such record date, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder a notice that states the record date, the payment date and amount to be paid.
| 6.11. | UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS. |
In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.7 or a suit by Holders of more than [ ]% in principal amount of the Securities of a Series then outstanding.
ARTICLE 7
TRUSTEE
| 7.1. | DUTIES OF TRUSTEE. |
(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent Person would exercise or use under the same circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(1) The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no covenants or obligations shall be implied in this Indenture against the Trustee.
(2) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture, but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(1) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 7.1.
(2) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
(3) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Sections 6.2 and 6.5.
(d) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds, or otherwise incur any financial liability, in the performance of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity satisfactory to it against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
22
(e) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section 7.1 shall govern every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee.
(f) The Trustee and Paying Agent shall not be liable for interest on any money received by either of them, except as the Trustee and Paying Agent may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by the law.
(g) The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections, immunities and standard of care set forth in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) of this Section 7.1 and in Section 7.2 with respect to the Trustee.
| 7.2. | RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE. |
(a) Subject to Section 7.1:
(1) The Trustee may rely on, and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon, any document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.
(2) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel, or both, which shall conform to the provisions of Section 10.5. The Trustee shall be protected and shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such certificate or opinion.
(3) The Trustee may act through agents and attorneys, and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed by it with due care.
(4) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it reasonably believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers.
(5) The Trustee may consult with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, which may be counsel to the Company, and the advice or opinion of such counsel as to matters of law shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel.
(6) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred therein or thereby.
(7) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any fact or matter (including, without limitation, a Default or Event of Default) unless such fact or matter is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee.
(8) Unless otherwise expressly provided herein or in the Securities of a Series or the related Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, the Trustee shall not have any responsibility with respect to reports, notices, certificates or other documents filed with it hereunder, except to make them available for inspection, at reasonable times, by Securityholders, it being understood that delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (except as set forth in Section 4.4).
23
| 7.3. | INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE. |
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities, and may make loans to, accept deposits from, perform services for or otherwise deal with the Company, or any Affiliate thereof, with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee, however, shall be subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
| 7.4. | TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER. |
The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities (except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture and authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations hereunder), and the Trustee shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the sale of Securities or any money paid to the Company pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its certificates of authentication.
| 7.5. | NOTICE OF DEFAULT. |
If a Default or an Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series, and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series notice of the Default or the Event of Default, as the case may be, within [ ] days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default (except if such Default or Event of Default has been validly cured or waived before the giving of such notice). Except in the case of a Default or an Event of Default in payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as the Board of Directors of the Trustee, the executive committee or any trust committee of such board and/or its Responsible Officers in good faith determine(s) that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Securityholders of that Series.
| 7.6. | REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS. |
If and to the extent required by the TIA, within 60 days after April 1 of each year, commencing the April 1 following the date of this Indenture, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder a brief report dated as of such April 1 that complies with TIA Section 313(a). The Trustee also shall comply with TIA Sections 313(b) and 313(c).
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders shall be filed with the SEC and any stock exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when the Securities of any Series are listed on any stock exchange or any delisting thereof, and the Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 313(d).
| 7.7. | COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY. |
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for its services. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee within [ ] days after receipt of request for all reasonable out-of-pocket disbursements and expenses incurred or made by it in connection with its duties under this Indenture, including the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it harmless against, any and all loss or liability incurred by it in connection with the acceptance or performance of its duties under this Indenture including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim asserted against the Trustee for which it may seek indemnity.
24
The failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not however relieve the Company of its obligations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company need not reimburse the Trustee for any expense or indemnify it against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee through its negligence or bad faith. To secure the payment obligations of the Company in this Section 7.7, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee except such money or property held in trust to pay the principal of, interest and premium, if any, on particular Securities of that Series.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(4) or (5) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
For purposes of this Section 7.7, the term “Trustee” shall include any trustee appointed pursuant to this Article 7.
| 7.8. | REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE. |
The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company in writing at least [ ] days in advance of such resignation.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by notifying the removed Trustee in writing and may appoint a successor Trustee with respect to that Series with the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series at its election if:
(1) the Trustee fails to comply with, or ceases to be eligible under, Section 7.10;
(2) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent, or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee, under any Bankruptcy Law;
(3) a Custodian or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(4) the Trustee otherwise becomes incapable of acting.
(5) If the Trustee resigns or is removed, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee, with respect to any Series of Securities for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint, by Board Resolution, a successor Trustee.
If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series does not take office within [ ] days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least [ ]% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
If the Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series fails to comply with Section 7.10, any Securityholder of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately following such delivery, (i) the retiring Trustee with respect to one or more Series shall, subject to its rights under Section 7.7, transfer all property held by it as Trustee with respect to such Series to the successor Trustee, (ii) the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and (iii) the successor Trustee with respect to such Series shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series shall mail notice of its succession to each Securityholder of such Series.
25
| 7.9. | SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR CONVERSION. |
If the Trustee, or any Agent, consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust assets to, another corporation, subject to Section 7.10, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee or Agent, as the case may be.
| 7.10. | ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION. |
This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Sections 310(a)(1), (2) and (5) in every respect. The Trustee (or in the case of a Trustee that is a Person included in a bank holding company system, the related bank holding company) shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b), including the provision in Section 310(b)(1). In addition, if the Trustee is a Person included in a bank holding company system, the Trustee, independently of such bank holding company, shall meet the capital requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(2). If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.10, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article 7.
| 7.11. | PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY. |
The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.
| 7.12. | PAYING AGENTS. |
The Company shall cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to it and the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 7.12:
(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as agent for the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities (whether such sums have been paid to it by the Company or by any obligor on the Securities) in trust for the benefit of Holders of the Securities or the Trustee;
(2) that it will at any time during the continuance of any Event of Default, upon written request from the Trustee, deliver to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by it together with a full accounting thereof; and
(3) that it will give the Trustee written notice within three Business Days after any failure of the Company (or by any obligor on the Securities) in the payment of any installment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities when the same shall be due and payable.
ARTICLE 8
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
| 8.1. | WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS. |
The Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without notice to or consent of any Securityholder:
(1) to comply with Section 5.1;
26
(2) to provide for certificated Securities in addition to uncertificated Securities;
(3) to comply with any requirements of the SEC under the TIA;
(4) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, or to make any other change herein or in the Securities that does not materially and adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder;
(5) to provide for the issuance of, and establish the form and terms and conditions of, Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture; or
(6) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series, and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee.
The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture, and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations which may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture which adversely affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture.
| 8.2. | WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS. |
(a) The Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series with the written consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series affected by such amendment or supplement without notice to any Securityholder. The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each such Series affected by such amendment or supplement may waive compliance by the Company in a particular instance with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities of such Series without notice to any Securityholder. Subject to Section 8.4, without the consent of each Securityholder affected, however, an amendment, supplement or waiver may not:
(1) reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver to this Indenture or the Securities;
(2) reduce the rate of, or change the time for payment of, interest on any Security;
(3) reduce the principal, or change the Stated Maturity, of any Security, or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;
(4) make any Security payable in money other than that stated in the Security;
(5) change the amount or time of any payment required by the Securities, or reduce the premium payable upon any redemption of the Securities, or change the time before which no such redemption may be made;
(6) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
27
(7) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security, or change any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of any Securities;
(8) make any changes in Section 6.6 or this Section 8.2, except to increase any percentage of Securities the Holders of which must consent to any matter; or
(9) take any other action otherwise prohibited by this Indenture to be taken without the consent of each Holder affected thereby.
(b) Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by a Board Resolution authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the receipt by the Trustee of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Securityholders as aforesaid and of the documents described in Section 8.6, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture, unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such supplemental indenture.
(c) It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this section to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.
After an amendment or supplement under this Section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to Securityholders a notice briefly describing the amendment or supplement. Any failure of the Company to mail any such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any supplemental indenture.
| 8.3. | COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT. |
Every amendment to, or supplement of, this Indenture or the Securities shall comply with the TIA as then in effect.
| 8.4. | REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS. |
Until an amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent conclusive and binding upon such Holder and every subsequent Holder of the same Security or portion thereof, and of any Security issued upon the transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in place thereof, even if notation of the consent is not made on any such Security. Any such Holder or subsequent Holder, however, may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security, if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective.
The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to consent to any amendment, supplement or waiver, which record date shall be at least [ ] days prior to the first solicitation of such consent. If a record date is fixed, then, notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to consent to such amendment, supplement or waiver, or to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date.
After an amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective, it shall bind every Securityholder, unless it makes a change described in any of clauses (1) through (9) of Section 8.2. In that case, the amendment, supplement, waiver or other action shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security; PROVIDED, that any such waiver shall not impair or affect the right of any Holder to receive payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, a Security, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates without the consent of such Holder.
28
| 8.5. | NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES. |
If an amendment, supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Security of any Series, the Trustee may request the Holder of such Security to deliver it to the Trustee. In such case, the Trustee shall place an appropriate notation on such Security about the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, the Company, in exchange for such Security, may issue, and the Trustee shall authenticate, a new security that reflects the changed terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Security shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.
| 8.6. | TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC. |
The Trustee shall sign any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to this Article 8 if the amendment, supplement or waiver does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. If it does, the Trustee may, but need not, sign it. In signing or refusing to sign such amendment, supplement or waiver the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and, subject to Section 7.1, shall be fully protected in relying upon an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that such amendment, supplement or waiver is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Company may not sign an amendment or supplement until the Board of Directors of the Company approves it.
ARTICLE 9
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE
| 9.1. | DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE. |
The Company may terminate its obligations under the Securities of any Series and this Indenture with respect to such Series, except the obligations referred to in the last paragraph of this Section 9.1, if there shall have been canceled by the Trustee, or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, all Securities of such Series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than any Securities of such Series that are asserted to have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that shall have been replaced as provided in Section 2.8) and the Company has paid all sums payable by it hereunder or deposited all required sums with the Trustee.
After such delivery the Trustee upon request shall acknowledge in a writing prepared by or on behalf of the Company the discharge of the Company’s obligations under the Securities of such Series and this Indenture, except for those surviving obligations specified below.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company in Sections 7.7, 9.5 and 9.6 shall survive.
| 9.2. | LEGAL DEFEASANCE. |
The Company may at its option, by Board Resolution, be discharged from its obligations with respect to the Securities of any Series on the date upon which the conditions set forth in Section 9.4 below are satisfied (hereinafter, “Legal Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Legal Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the Securities of such Series and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, subject to Section 9.6, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same, as are delivered to it by the Company), except for the following, which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (A) the rights of Holders of outstanding Securities of such Series to receive solely from the trust funds described in Section 9.4 and as more fully set forth in such section, payments in respect of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of such Series when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to the Securities of such Series under Sections 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8 and 2.9, (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder (including claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 7.7) and (D) this Article 9. Subject to compliance with this Article 9, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 9.2 with respect to the Securities of any Series notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 9.3 below with respect to the Securities of such Series.
29
| 9.3. | COVENANT DEFEASANCE. |
At the option of the Company, pursuant to a Board Resolution, the Company shall be released from its obligations with respect to the outstanding Securities of any Series under Sections 4.2 through 4.5, inclusive, and Section 5.1, with respect to the outstanding Securities of such Series, on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 9.4 are satisfied (hereinafter, “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified section or portion thereof, whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such specified Section or portion thereof or by reason of any reference in any such specified section or portion thereof to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and the Securities of any Series shall be unaffected thereby.
| 9.4. | CONDITIONS TO LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE. |
The following shall be the conditions to application of Section 9.2 or Section 9.3 to the outstanding Securities of a Series:
(1) the Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 7.10 who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Article 9 applicable to it) as funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Securities, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of, and accrued interest and premium, if any, on, the outstanding Securities of such Series at the Stated Maturity of such principal, interest or premium, if any, or on dates for payment and redemption of such principal, interest and premium, if any, selected in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and of the Securities of such Series;
(2) no Event of Default or Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit, or shall have occurred and be continuing at any time during the period ending on the 91st day after the date of such deposit or, if longer, ending on the day following the expiration of the longest preference period under any Bankruptcy Law applicable to the Company in respect of such deposit as specified in the Opinion of Counsel identified in paragraph (8) below (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period);
(3) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest for purposes of the TIA with respect to any securities of the Company;
(4) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute default under, any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;
30
(5) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that, as a result of such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, neither the trust nor the Trustee will be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
(6) in the case of an election under Section 9.2, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling to the effect that or (ii) there has been a change in any applicable Federal income tax law with the effect that, and such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of the outstanding Securities of such Series or Persons in their positions will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes solely as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner, including as a result of prepayment, and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(7) in the case of an election under Section 9.3, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the outstanding Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance, and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(8) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Article 9 relating to either the Legal Defeasance under Section 9.2 or the Covenant Defeasance under Section 9.3 (as the case may be) have been complied with;
(9) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit under clause (1) was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Company or others; and
(10) the Company shall have paid, or duly provided for payment under terms mutually satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee, all amounts then due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.7.
| 9.5. | DEPOSITED MONEY AND U.S. AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. |
All money, U.S. Government Obligations and Foreign Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 9.4 in respect of the outstanding Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, accrued interest and premium, if any, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations and Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 9.4 or the principal, interest and premium, if any, received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Securities.
Anything in this Article 9 to the contrary notwithstanding, but subject to payment of any of its outstanding fees and expenses, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held by the Trustee as provided in Section 9.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally-recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
31
| 9.6. | REINSTATEMENT. |
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations in accordance with Section 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 or 9.4 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article 9 until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations, as the case may be, in accordance with Section 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 or 9.4; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, or accrued interest or premium, if any, on, any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
| 9.7. | MONEYS HELD BY PAYING AGENT. |
In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, all moneys then held by any Paying Agent under the provisions of this Indenture shall, upon demand of the Company, be paid to the Trustee, or, if sufficient moneys have been deposited pursuant to Section 9.1, to the Company, and thereupon such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys.
| 9.8. | MONEYS HELD BY TRUSTEE. |
Any moneys deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent or then held by the Company in trust for the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, any Security that are not applied but remain unclaimed by the Holder of such Security for [ ] after the date upon which the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such Security shall have respectively become due and payable shall be repaid to the Company upon Company Request, or if such moneys are then held by the Company in trust, such moneys shall be released from such trust; and the Holder of such Security entitled to receive such payment shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for the payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money shall thereupon cease; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Trustee or any such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may, at the expense of the Company, either mail to each Securityholder affected, at the address shown in the register of the Securities maintained by the Registrar, or cause to be published once a week for two successive weeks, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published each Business Day and of general circulation in the City of New York, New York, a notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than [ ] days from the date of such mailing or publication, any unclaimed balance of such moneys then remaining will be repaid to the Company. After payment to the Company or the release of any money held in trust by the Company, Securityholders entitled to the money must look only to the Company for payment as general creditors, unless applicable abandoned property law designates another Person.
ARTICLE 10
MISCELLANEOUS
| 10.1. | TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS. |
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision which is required to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, the required provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the TIA which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.
32
| 10.2. | NOTICES. |
Any notice or communication shall be given in writing and delivered in Person, sent by facsimile (and receipt confirmed by telephone or electronic transmission report), delivered by commercial courier service or mailed by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
If to the Company:
Wah Fu Education Group Limited
L207b, Hesheng Fortune Plaza, No.13 Deshengmenwai Street
Xicheng District, Beijing, China 100088
Copy to:
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
Fax: (212) 370-7889
Attention: Barry I. Grossman, Esq.
If to the Trustee:
[ ]
The Company or the Trustee by written notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications. Any notice or communication to the Company or the Trustee shall be deemed to have been given or made as of the date so delivered if personally delivered; when receipt is confirmed by telephone or electronic transmission report, if sent by facsimile; and three Business Days after mailing if sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (except that a notice of change of address shall not be deemed to have been given until actually received by the addressee).
Any notice or communication mailed to a Securityholder shall be mailed to such Securityholder by first-class mail, postage prepaid, at such Securityholder’s address shown on the register kept by the Registrar.
Failure to mail, or any defect in, a notice or communication to a Securityholder shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders. If a notice or communication to a Securityholder is mailed in the manner provided above, it shall be deemed duly given, three Business Days after such mailing, whether or not the addressee receives it.
In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service, or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impossible to mail any notice as required by this Indenture, then such method of notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient mailing of such notice.
In the case of Global Securities, notices or communications to be given to Securityholders shall be given to the Depository, in accordance with its applicable policies as in effect from time to time.
33
In addition to the manner provided for in the foregoing provisions, notices or communications to Securityholders shall be given by the Company by release made to Reuters Economic Services and Bloomberg Business News.
| 10.3. | COMMUNICATIONS BY HOLDERS WITH OTHER HOLDERS. |
Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or any other Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and any other Person shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).
| 10.4. | CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT. |
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
(1) an Officers’ Certificate (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.5 below) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(2) an Opinion of Counsel (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.5 below) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.
| 10.5. | STATEMENT REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE AND OPINION. |
Each certificate and opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than pursuant to Section 4.4) shall include:
(1) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, it or he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable it or him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such covenant or condition has been complied with.
| 10.6. | RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS. |
The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at meetings of Securityholders. The Registrar and Paying Agent may make reasonable rules for their functions.
| 10.7. | BUSINESS DAYS; LEGAL HOLIDAYS; PLACE OF PAYMENT. |
A “Business Day” is a day that is not a Legal Holiday. A “Legal Holiday” is a Saturday, a Sunday, a federally-recognized holiday or a day on which banking institutions are not authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to be open in the State of New York.
34
If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a Place of Payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period. “Place of Payment” means the place or places where the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of a Series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 2.2. If the regular record date is a Legal Holiday, the record date shall not be affected.
| 10.8. | GOVERNING LAW. |
THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AS APPLIED TO CONTRACTS MADE AND PERFORMED WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW.
| 10.9. | NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS. |
This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan, security or debt agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary thereof. No such indenture, loan, security or debt agreement may be used to interpret this Indenture.
| 10.10. | NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. |
A director, officer, employee, stockholder or incorporator, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. Such waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of the Securities.
| 10.11. | SUCCESSORS. |
All covenants and agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind the Company’s successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not. All agreements of the Trustee, any additional trustee and any Paying Agents in this Indenture shall bind their respective successors and assigns.
| 10.12. | MULTIPLE COUNTERPARTS. |
The parties may sign multiple counterparts of this Indenture. Each signed counterpart shall be deemed an original, but all of them together represent one and the same agreement.
| 10.13. | TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC. |
The table of contents, cross-reference sheet and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
| 10.14. | SEVERABILITY. |
Each provision of this Indenture shall be considered separable, and if for any reason any provision which is not essential to the effectuation of the basic purpose of this Indenture or the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, and a Holder shall have no claim therefor against any party hereto.
35
| 10.15. | SECURITIES IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY OR IN EUROS. |
Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 with respect to a particular Series of Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Series or all Series affected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Series which are denominated in a coin or currency other than Dollars (including Euros), then the principal amount of Securities of such Series which shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such amount at the Market Exchange Rate at such time. For purposes of this Section 10.15, “Market Exchange Rate” shall mean the noon Dollar buying rate in New York City for cable transfers of that currency as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, in the case of Euros, Market Exchange Rate shall mean the rate of exchange determined by the Commission of the European Union (or any successor thereto) as published in the Official Journal of the European Union (such publication or any successor publication, the “Journal”). If such Market Exchange Rate is not available for any reason with respect to such currency, the Trustee shall use, in its sole discretion and without liability on its part, such quotation of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or, in the case of Euros, the rate of exchange as published in the Journal, as of the most recent available date, or quotations or, in the case of Euros, rates of exchange from one or more major banks in New York City or in the country of issue of the currency in question or, in the case of Euros, in Luxembourg or such other quotations or, in the case of Euros, rates of exchange as the Trustee, upon consultation with the Company, shall deem appropriate. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Series denominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.
All decisions and determinations of the Trustee regarding the Market Exchange Rate or any alternative determination provided for in the preceding paragraph shall be in the Trustee’s sole discretion, and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive to the extent permitted by law for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Company and all Holders.
| 10.16. | JUDGMENT CURRENCY. |
The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, or other amount on, the Securities of any Series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which, in accordance with normal banking procedures, the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a Business Day, in which instance, the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which, in accordance with normal banking procedures, the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the Business Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender or any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)) in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
| Wah Fu Education Group Limited | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| [Name of Trustee] | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
36
Exhibit 5.1
Our ref: CHX/733942-000005/29299402v3
|
Wah Fu Education Group Limited Kingston Chambers P.O. Box 173 Road Town, Tortola British Virgin Islands |
14 June 2021
Dear Sirs
Wah Fu Education Group Limited (the "Company")
We have acted as counsel as to British Virgin Islands law to the Company and have been asked to provide this legal opinion in connection with the Company's registration statement on Form F-3, including all amendments or supplements thereto, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "SEC Act"), as amended (the "Registration Statement"), under which the Company may from time to time issue (i) shares with a par value of US$0.01 each (the "Shares"), (ii) warrants (the "Warrants") to purchase Debt Securities (as later defined) or Shares, (iii) debt securities (the "Debt Securities"), (iv) rights (the "Rights") to purchase Securities (as defined below) of the Company, (v) depositary shares or depositary receipts representing Shares (the "Depositary Shares") and units consisting of any combination of Securities (as defined below) (the "Units", and together with the Shares, the Warrants, the Debt Securities, the Rights and the Depositary Shares, the “Securities”).
| 1 | Documents Reviewed |
We have reviewed originals, copies, drafts or conformed copies of the following documents:
| 1.1 | The public records of the Company on file and available for public inspection at the Registry of Corporate Affairs in the British Virgin Islands (the "Registry of Corporate Affairs") on 10 June 2021, including the Company's Certificate of Incorporation and its Memorandum and Articles of Association (the "Memorandum and Articles"). |
| 1.2 | The records of proceedings available from a search of the electronic records maintained on the Judicial Enforcement Management System from 1 January 2000 and available for inspection on 10 June 2021 at the British Virgin Islands High Court Registry (the "High Court Registry"). |
| 1.3 | The written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company dated 11 June 2021 (the "Resolutions"). |
| 1.4 | A Certificate of Incumbency dated 10 June 2021, issued by Maples Corporate Services (BVI) Limited, the Company's registered agent (the "Registered Agent's Certificate"). |
| 1.5 | A certificate from a director of the Company (the "Director's Certificate"). |
| 1.6 | The Registration Statement. |
| 2 | Assumptions |
The following opinions are given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion letter. These opinions only relate to the laws of the British Virgin Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion letter. In giving the following opinions we have relied (without further verification) upon the completeness and accuracy, as at the date of this opinion letter, of the Registered Agent's Certificate and the Director's Certificate. We have also relied upon the following assumptions, which we have not independently verified:
| 2.1 | The indenture to be entered into by the Company and any trustee pursuant to which the Debt Securities will be issued (the "Indenture"), the Warrants, the warrant agreements to be entered into between the Company and the financial institutions designated as warrant agent thereunder pursuant to which the Warrants will be issued (the “Warrant Agreements”), the Debt Securities, the deposit agreements to be entered into between the Company and the financial institutions designated as depositaries thereunder pursuant to which the Depositary Shares will be issued (the "Deposit Agreements"), the Rights, the rights agreements to be entered into by the Company and the financial institutions designated as rights agent thereunder pursuant to which the Rights will be issued (the “Rights Agreements”), the Depository Shares, the Units and the unit agreements to be entered into by the Company pursuant to which the Units will be issued (the “Unit Agreements”, together with the Indenture, the Warrant Agreements, the Deposit Agreements, the Rights Agreements, the Unit Agreements and any certificates evidencing the Warrants, the Rights or the Units, the "Agreements") have been, or will be, authorised and duly executed and unconditionally delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws. |
| 2.2 | The Securities (other than the Shares) and the Agreements are, or will be, legal, valid, binding and enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with their terms under the laws of the State of New York and all other relevant laws. |
| 2.3 | The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law of the Securities (other than the Shares) and the Agreements has, or will have, been made in good faith and would be regarded as a valid and binding selection which will be upheld by the courts of the State of New York and any other relevant jurisdiction (other than the laws of the British Virgin Islands) as a matter of the laws of the State of New York and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the British Virgin Islands). |
| 2.4 | The capacity, power, authority and legal right of all parties under all relevant laws and regulations (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws and regulations of the British Virgin Islands) to enter into, execute, unconditionally deliver and perform their respective obligations under the Agreements and the Securities (other than the Shares) issuable under the respective Agreements. |
2
| 2.5 | Any Securities (other than the Shares) will be issued and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of all relevant duly authorised, executed and delivered Agreement. |
| 2.6 | The Securities (other than the Shares) and the Agreements will be, or have been, duly executed and delivered by an authorised person of the parties thereto. |
| 2.7 | There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under British Virgin Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations under Securities (other than the Shares) and the Agreements. |
| 2.8 | No monies paid to or for the account of any party under the Agreements represent or will represent proceeds of criminal conduct (as defined in the Proceeds of Criminal Conduct Act, 1997). |
| 2.9 | The issue of the Securities and entry into, and performance of, the Agreements will be of commercial benefit to the Company. |
| 2.10 | Copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals. |
| 2.11 | All signatures, initials and seals are genuine. |
| 2.12 | That all public records of the Company which we have examined are accurate and that the information disclosed by the searches which we conducted against the Company at the Registry of Corporate Affairs and the High Court Registry is true and complete and that such information has not since then been altered and that such searches did not fail to disclose any information which had been delivered for registration but did not appear on the public records at the date of our searches. |
| 2.13 | The Memorandum and Articles remain in full force and effect and are unamended save to the extent that any amendments are required in connection with the issuance of the Securities, in which case, we assume that such amendments will be made and, at the time of such amendment, will remain in full force and effect. There will be sufficient Shares authorised for issue under the Memorandum and Articles. |
| 2.14 | The Resolutions were signed by a majority of the directors in the manner prescribed in the Memorandum and Articles of the Company, including as to the disclosure of any director's interests, and have not been amended, varied or revoked in any respect. |
| 2.15 | The members of the Company (the "Members") have not restricted or limited the powers of the directors of the Company in any way. |
| 2.16 | No invitation has been or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the British Virgin Islands to subscribe for any of the Shares or other Securities. |
| 2.17 | The Company will receive cash in consideration for the issue of the Shares, and none of the Shares were or will be issued for less than par value. |
| 2.18 | There is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the British Virgin Islands) or the final form of the Agreements which would or might affect the opinions set out below. Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of the laws of the State of New York. |
3
Save as aforesaid we have not been instructed to undertake and have not undertaken any further enquiry or due diligence in relation to the transaction the subject of this opinion.
| 3 | Opinions |
Based upon, and subject to, the foregoing assumptions and the qualifications set out below, and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:
| 3.1 | The Company is a company limited by shares duly incorporated with limited liability under the BVI Business Companies Act (as amended), is in good standing at the Registry of Corporate Affairs and is validly existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands. |
| 3.2 | The issue of the Shares by the Company as contemplated by the Registration Statement has been authorised, and when approved, issued and paid for in the manner described in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the Resolutions, such Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. As a matter of British Virgin Islands law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members of the Company. |
| 3.3 | With respect to the Warrant Agreements and the Warrants, when (i) the board of directors of the Company has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation and terms of the Warrants and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) a Warrant Agreement relating to the Warrants shall have been duly authorised and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the financial institution designated as warrant agent thereunder; and (iii) the certificates representing the Warrants have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered in accordance with the Warrant Agreement relating to the Warrants and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors of the Company upon payment of the consideration therefor provided therein, the Warrant Agreements and the Warrants issued thereunder will be duly authorised, legal and binding obligations of the Company. |
| 3.4 | With respect to each issue of Debt Securities pursuant to the Indenture, when (i) the board of directors of the Company has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) the Indenture relating to the Debt Securities shall have been duly authorised and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the trustee thereunder; and (iii) when such Debt Securities issued thereunder have been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and authenticated in the manner set forth in the Indenture relating to such issue of Debt Securities and delivered against due payment therefor pursuant to, and in accordance with, the terms of the Registration Statement and any relevant prospectus supplement, such Indenture and the Debt Securities issued pursuant to the Indenture will have been duly executed, issued and delivered. |
| 3.5 | With respect to the Rights Agreements and the Rights, when (i) the board of directors of the Company has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation and terms of the Rights and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) a Rights Agreement relating to the Rights shall have been duly authorised and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the financial institution designated as rights agent thereunder; and (iii) the certificates representing the Rights have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered in accordance with the Rights Agreement relating to the Rights and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors of the Company upon payment of the consideration therefor provided therein, the Rights Agreements and the Rights issued thereunder will be duly authorised, legal and binding obligations of the Company. |
4
| 3.6 | With respect to the Deposit Agreements and the Depositary Shares, when (i) the board of directors of the Company has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation and terms of the Depositary Shares and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) a Deposit Agreement relating to the Depositary Shares shall have been duly authorised and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the financial institution designated as depositary thereunder; and (iii) the certificates representing the Depositary Shares have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered in accordance with the Deposit Agreement relating to the Depositary Shares and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors of the Company upon payment of the consideration therefor provided therein, the Deposit Agreements and the Depositary Shares issued thereunder will be duly authorised, legal and binding obligations of the Company. |
| 3.7 | With respect to the Unit Agreements and the Units, when (i) the board of directors of the Company has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation and terms of the Units and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) a Unit Agreement relating to the Units shall have been duly authorised and validly executed and delivered by the Company and other parties thereto; and (iii) the certificates representing the Units have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered in accordance with the Unit Agreement relating to the Units and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors of the Company upon payment of the consideration therefor provided therein, the Unit Agreements and the Units issued thereunder will be duly authorised, legal and binding obligations of the Company. |
| 4 | Qualifications |
The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:
| 4.1 | We have not reviewed the Agreements or the terms of the Securities (other than the Shares) and our opinions are qualified accordingly. |
| 4.2 | The obligations assumed by the Company under the Agreements and the issuance of the Securities thereunder will not necessarily be enforceable in all circumstances in accordance with their terms. In particular: |
| (a) | enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, reorganisation, readjustment of debts or moratorium or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the rights of creditors; |
| (b) | enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity. For example, equitable remedies such as specific performance may not be available, inter alia, where damages are considered to be an adequate remedy; |
| (c) | some claims may become barred under relevant statutes of limitation or may be or become subject to defences of set off, counterclaim, estoppel and similar defences; |
| (d) | where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the British Virgin Islands, they may not be enforceable in the British Virgin Islands to the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of that jurisdiction; |
| (e) | the courts of the British Virgin Islands have jurisdiction to give judgment in the currency of the relevant obligation; |
| (f) | arrangements that constitute penalties will not be enforceable; |
5
| (g) | enforcement may be prevented by reason of fraud, coercion, duress, undue influence, misrepresentation, public policy or mistake or limited by the doctrine of frustration of contracts; |
| (h) | an agreement made by a person in the course of carrying on unauthorised financial services business is unenforceable against the other party under section 50F of the Financial Services Commission Act, 2001; |
| (i) | provisions imposing confidentiality obligations may be overridden by compulsion of applicable law or the requirements of legal and/or regulatory process; |
| (j) | the courts of the British Virgin Islands may decline to exercise jurisdiction in relation to substantive proceedings brought under or in relation to the Agreements in matters where they determine that such proceedings may be tried in a more appropriate forum; |
| (k) | a person who is not a party to an Agreement that is governed by British Virgin Islands law will not have the benefit of and will not be able to enforce its terms; |
| (l) | any provision of an Agreement that is governed by British Virgin Islands law which expresses any matter to be determined by future agreement may be void or unenforceable; |
| (m) | we reserve our opinion as to the enforceability of the relevant provisions of an Agreement to the extent that it purports to grant exclusive jurisdiction as there may be circumstances in which the courts of the British Virgin Islands would accept jurisdiction notwithstanding such provisions; and |
| (n) | a company cannot, by agreement or in its articles of association, restrict the exercise of a statutory power and there is doubt as to the enforceability of any provision in the Agreements whereby the Company covenants to restrict the exercise of powers specifically given to it under the Act including, without limitation, the power to increase its maximum number of shares, amend its memorandum and articles of association or present a petition to a British Virgin Islands court for an order to wind up the Company |
| 4.3 | Applicable court fees will be payable in respect of enforcement of the Agreements. |
| 4.4 | To maintain the Company in good standing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, annual filing fees must be paid to the Registry of Corporate Affairs. |
| 4.5 | Preferred creditors under British Virgin Islands law will rank ahead of unsecured creditors of the Company. Furthermore, all costs, charges and expenses properly incurred in the winding up of a company, including the remuneration of the liquidators, are payable out of the assets of the company in priority to all other unsecured claims. |
| 4.6 | The obligations of the Company may be subject to restrictions pursuant to United Nations sanctions as implemented under the laws of the British Virgin Islands and/or restrictive measures adopted by the European Union Council for Common Foreign and Security Policy extended to the British Virgin Islands by the Order of Her Majesty in Council |
| 4.7 | A certificate, determination, calculation or designation of any party to an Agreement as to any matter provided therein might be held by a British Virgin Islands court not to be conclusive final and binding if, for example, it could be shown to have an unreasonable or arbitrary basis, or in the event of manifest error |
6
| 4.8 | We reserve our opinion as to the extent to which the courts of the British Virgin Islands would, in the event of any relevant illegality or invalidity, sever the relevant provisions of an Agreement and enforce the remainder of the Agreement or the transaction of which such provisions form a part, notwithstanding any express provisions in an Agreement in this regard. |
| 4.9 | We express no opinion as to the meaning, validity or effect of any references to foreign (i.e. non-British Virgin Islands) statutes, rules, regulations, codes, judicial authority or any other promulgations and any references to them in an Agreement. |
| 4.10 | Under section 42 of the Act, the entry of the name of a person in the register of members of a company as a holder of a share in a company is prima facie evidence that legal title in the share vests in that person. A third party interest in the shares in question would not appear. An entry in the register of members may yield to a court order for rectification (for example, in the event of inaccuracy or omission). |
| 4.11 | In this opinion letter the phrase "non-assessable" means, with respect to the issuance of shares, that a shareholder shall not, in respect of the relevant shares and in the absence of a contractual arrangement, or an obligation pursuant to the memorandum and articles of association, to the contrary, have any obligation to make further contributions to the Company's assets (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil). |
| 4.12 | We express no view as to the commercial terms of the Securities or the Agreements or whether such terms represent the intentions of the parties and we make no comment with respect to any representations and warranties which may be made by or with respect to the Company in any of the documents or instruments cited in this opinion or otherwise with respect to the commercial terms of the transactions the subject of this opinion. |
| 4.13 | We have not been asked to review and we therefore have not reviewed the Agreements or any of the ancillary documents relating to the Agreements and express no opinion or observation upon the terms of any such document. |
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the headings "Legal Matters" and "Enforceability of Civil Liabilities" in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In providing our consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the SEC Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
This opinion is addressed to you and may be relied upon by you, your counsel and purchasers of Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement. This opinion is strictly limited to the matters detailed herein and is not to be read as an opinion with respect to any other matter.
Yours faithfully
Maples and Calder
7
Exhibit 23.3
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form F-3 (“Registration Statement”) of our report dated August 17, 2020, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Wah Fu Education Group Limited included in its annual report (Form 20-F) for the year ended March 31, 2020. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ Friedman LLP
New York, New York
June 14, 2021