UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): October 25, 2021
The Vita Coco Company, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Delaware | 001-40950 | 11-3713156 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) 250 Park Avenue South Seventh Floor New York, NY 10003 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||
(212) 206-0763 | 10003 | |||
(Registrants telephone number, including area code) | (Zip Code) |
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425). |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12). |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)). |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)). |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 Per Share | COCO | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On October 25, 2021, The Vita Coco Company, Inc. (the Company) closed its initial public offering (IPO) of 11,500,000 shares of the Companys common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the Common Stock), at an offering price of $15.00 per share, pursuant to the Companys registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-259825), as amended (the Registration Statement). In connection therewith and with the closing of the IPO, the Company entered into the following agreements previously filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement:
| a Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 20, 2021, by and among the Company and each other person identified on the schedule of investors attached thereto, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference; and |
| an Investor Rights Agreement, dated October 20, 2021, by and among the Company and each other person identified on the schedule of investors attached thereto, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference. |
The terms of these agreements are substantially the same as the terms set forth in the forms of such agreements filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement and as described therein.
Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.
On October 25, 2021, the Company filed its Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the Certificate of Incorporation) and the Companys Amended and Restated Bylaws (the Bylaws) became effective on such date. The Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws are filed herewith as Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference. The terms of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws are substantially the same as the terms set forth in the forms previously filed as Exhibits 3.3 and 3.4, respectively, to the Registration Statement and as described therein.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
* | Filed herewith. |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
THE VITA COCO COMPANY, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Kevin Benmoussa | |
Name: | Kevin Benmoussa | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
Date: October 25, 2021
Exhibit 3.1
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
THE VITA COCO COMPANY, INC.
(A DELAWARE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION)
The Vita Coco Company, Inc. (the Corporation), a public benefit corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time (the DGCL), does hereby certify that:
FIRST. The Corporation was initially incorporated in the State of Delaware under the name All Market Inc. by the filing of its original Certificate of Incorporation (the Certificate of Incorporation) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 17, 2007. An Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the First Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation) was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 6, 2021 reflecting the new designation of the Corporation as a public benefit corporation as contemplated by subchapter XV of the DGCL, or any successor provisions. A Certificate of Amendment was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 9, 2021 changing the name of the Corporation to The Vita Coco Company, Inc. A Certificate of Amendment was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on October 11, 2021 effecting a forward stock split of the Corporations common stock.
SECOND. This Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation), which restates and integrates, and further amends, the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by the First Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and each Certificate of Amendment and as heretofore in effect, has been approved by the board of directors and stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with Sections 242, 245 and 228 of the DGCL.
THIRD. The text of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended to date, is hereby amended and restated in its entirety by this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to read in its entirety as set forth in EXHIBIT A attached hereto.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been signed on behalf of the Corporation by its duly authorized officer effective this 25th day of October, 2021.
THE VITA COCO COMPANY, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Michael Kirban | |
Name: | Michael Kirban | |
Title: | Co-Chief Executive Officer |
EXHIBIT A
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
THE VITA COCO COMPANY, INC.
(A DELAWARE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION)
ARTICLE I
The name of the corporation is The Vita Coco Company, Inc. (the Corporation).
ARTICLE II
The address of the Corporations registered office in the State of Delaware is 251 Little Falls Drive, County of New Castle, Wilmington, Delaware 19808. The name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.
ARTICLE III
The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL) as it now exists or may hereafter be amended and supplemented.
The Corporation is a public benefit corporation under Subchapter XV of the DGCL, or any successor provisions, that is intended to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner and to produce a public benefit or benefits, and is to be managed in a manner that balances the stockholders pecuniary interests, the best interests of those materially affected by the Corporations conduct and the public benefit or benefits identified in this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. Accordingly, it is intended that the business and operations of the Corporation create a positive impact on society and the environment, taken as a whole. If the DGCL is amended to alter or further define the management and operation of public benefit corporations, then this Corporation shall be managed and operated in accordance with the DGCL as so amended.
The specific public benefit to be promoted by the Corporation is to harness, while protecting, the environment and natures resources by producing ethical, sustainable, and nourishing beverage and consumer goods products.
ARTICLE IV
The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 510,000,000 shares, consisting of 500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock), and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Preferred Stock). Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, the number of authorized shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.
ARTICLE V
The designations and the powers, preferences, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation are as follows:
A. Common Stock.
1. General. The voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights, preferences and powers of the holders of Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of any series of Preferred Stock as may be designated by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the Board of Directors) and outstanding from time to time.
2. Voting. Except as otherwise provided herein or expressly required by law, at all meetings of stockholders and on all matters on which stockholders are generally entitled to vote, each holder of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote on such matter; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation (as defined below)) that relates solely to the rights, powers, preferences (or the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof) or other terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation) or pursuant to the DGCL. There shall be no cumulative voting.
3. Dividend Rights. Subject to applicable law and the preferential or other rights and preferences of any holders of Preferred Stock then outstanding, the holders of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to receive, pro rata in proportion to the number of shares of Common Stock held by each stockholder, the payment of dividends on the Common Stock when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors from time to time out of funds legally available therefor in accordance with applicable law.
4. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Subject to the preferential or other rights of any holders of Preferred Stock then outstanding and after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of the Corporation, upon the dissolution, distribution of assets, liquidation or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, the funds and assets of the Corporation that may be legally distributed to the Corporations stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of the outstanding Common Stock pro rata in proportion to the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder.
B. Preferred Stock.
Shares of Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such terms as stated or expressed herein and in the resolution or resolutions providing for the creation and issuance of such series adopted by the Board of Directors as hereinafter provided. Any shares of Preferred Stock which may be redeemed, purchased or acquired by the Corporation may be reissued except as otherwise provided by law.
Authority is hereby expressly granted to the Board of Directors from time to time to issue the Preferred Stock in one or more series, and in connection with the creation of any such series, by adopting a resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of the shares thereof and by filing a certificate of designation relating thereto in accordance with the DGCL (a Certificate of Designation), to determine and fix the number of shares of such series and such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation thereof, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences and to increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock) or decrease (but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding) the number of shares of any series as shall be stated and expressed in such resolutions, all to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolution or resolutions providing for the creation and issuance of any series of Preferred Stock may provide that such series shall be superior or rank equally or be junior to any other series of Preferred Stock to the extent permitted by law and this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation).
ARTICLE VI
For the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation it is further provided that:
A. General Powers. Except as otherwise expressly provided by the DGCL or this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. In addition to the powers and authority expressly conferred upon them by applicable law or by this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws, the directors are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation.
B. Investor Rights Agreement. The Corporation and certain of its existing stockholders, directors and officers are party to that certain Investor Rights Agreement dated October 20, 2021 (as may be amended, restated, or otherwise modified from time to time, the Investor Rights Agreement, a copy of which will be provided to any stockholder of the Corporation upon written request therefor). For so long as the Investor Rights Agreement is effective, the Corporation shall lack the power to take any action that violates the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, and any action taken by the Corporation in violation of the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement shall be null and void and of no effect. For so long as the Investor Rights Agreement shall remain in effect, any amendment, repeal or modification of this Section B, or the adoption of any provision of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Section B, shall not adversely affect any right or protection of the parties to the Investor Rights Agreement without such parties prior written consent.
C. Number of Directors; Election of Directors. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors and subject to the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, the number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be fixed exclusively by one or more resolutions adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors.
D. Classes of Directors. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes, designated as Class I, Class II and Class III. The initial Class I directors shall serve for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of the stockholders following the time at which the initial classification of the Board of Directors becomes effective; the initial Class II directors shall serve for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of the stockholders following the time at which the initial classification of the Board of Directors becomes effective; and the initial Class III directors shall serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting following the time at which the initial classification of the Board of Directors becomes effective. At each annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation following the time at which the initial classification of the Board of Directors becomes effective, subject to any special rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the successors of the class of directors whose term expires at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a three-year term and until the election and qualification of their respective successors in office. The Board of Directors is authorized to assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to classes at the time the initial classification of the Board of Directors becomes effective.
E. Term and Removal. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, and subject to the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, each director shall hold office until the annual meeting at which such directors term expires and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors and subject to the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, the entire Board of Directors or any individual director may be removed from office at any time only for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of capital stock representing at least two-thirds of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon.
F. Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors and except as otherwise provided by the Investor Rights Agreement or by law, any newly created directorship that results from an increase in the number of directors or any vacancy on the Board of Directors that results from the death, disability, resignation, disqualification or removal of any director or from any other cause shall be filled solely by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and shall not be filled by the stockholders unless the Board of Directors determines by resolution that any such vacancy or newly created directorship shall be filled by the stockholders. Subject to the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, any director elected to fill a newly created directorship or vacancy in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office until the next election of the class of directors to which such director is elected and until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification, or removal.
G. Preferred Stock Directors. Whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right as provided for herein (including any Certificate of Designation), voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series, to elect directors at an annual meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, removal and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article VI, during the period when the holders of any series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right to elect additional directors, the number of directors to be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the number fixed pursuant to paragraph C of this Article VI, and the total number of directors constituting the whole Board of Directors shall be automatically increased by such number of directors to be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock and each such additional director shall serve until such directors successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until such directors right to hold such office terminates pursuant to said provisions, whichever occurs earlier, subject to his or her earlier death, disqualification, resignation or removal. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Designation(s) in respect of any series of Preferred Stock, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect additional directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation), the terms of office of all such additional directors elected by the holders of such series of Preferred Stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate (in which case each such director thereupon shall cease to be qualified as, and shall cease to be, a director) and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be reduced accordingly.
H. Vote by Ballot. The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation (as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the Bylaws) so provide.
I. Conflicts with the Investor Rights Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement and the terms of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement shall govern.
ARTICLE VII
A. Consent of Stockholders In Lieu of Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, and shall not be taken by consent in lieu of a meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action required or permitted to be taken solely by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more other such series, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, to the extent expressly so provided by the applicable Certificate of Designation relating to such series of Preferred Stock, if a consent or consents, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant series of Preferred Stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL.
B. Special Meetings of Stockholders. Except as otherwise required by law, and except as otherwise provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article V.B hereof (including any Certificate of Designation(s)), special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called at any time only by or at the direction of (i) the Chairperson of the Board of Directors (if any), (ii) the Chief Executive Officer or (iii) the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Board of Directors. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors.
C. Stockholder Nominations and Introduction of Business, Etc. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for election of directors and other business proposed to be brought by stockholders before a meeting of stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner and to the extent provided by the Bylaws of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VIII
No director of the Corporation shall have any personal liability to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or hereafter may be amended. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article VIII, or the adoption of, or any subsequent amendment to any, provision of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article VIII, shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, repeal, modification or adoption. If the DGCL is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article VIII to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended.
ARTICLE IX
The Corporation shall have the power to provide rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses to its current and former officers, directors, employees and agents and to any person who is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.
ARTICLE X
Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, (a) (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action, suit or proceeding that is based upon a violation of a duty owed by any current or former director, officer, other employee or stockholder of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporations stockholders (iii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws (as either may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time) or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the Court of Chancery), or (iv) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against the Corporation, its current or former directors, officers or other employees, or stockholders governed by the internal affairs doctrine, shall be exclusively brought in the Court of Chancery or, if such court does not have, or declines to accept, jurisdiction thereof the federal district court of the State of Delaware; and (b) the federal district courts of the United States (the Federal Courts) shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. If any provision or provisions of this Article X shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article X (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Article X containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope of the first sentence of this Article X, is filed in a court other than the Court of Chancery or the Federal Courts, as applicable, (a Foreign Action) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery or the Federal Courts, as applicable, in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the first sentence of this Article X and (ii) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholders counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder. To the fullest extent permitted by law, any Person purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article X without any further action by such holder or the Corporation.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Article X shall not apply to claims seeking to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any other claim for which the federal courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction (the Exchange Act).
ARTICLE XI
A. Section 203 of the DGCL. The Corporation expressly elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL and the restrictions and limitations set forth therein.
B. Interested Stockholder Transactions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, at any point in time at which the Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, the Corporation shall not engage in any Business Combination (as defined below) with any Interested Stockholder (as defined below) for a period of three (3) years following the time that such stockholder became an Interested Stockholder, unless:
a. prior to such time that such stockholder became an Interested Stockholder, the Board of Directors approved either the Business Combination or the transaction which resulted in such stockholder becoming an Interested Stockholder; or
b. upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an Interested Stockholder, the Interested Stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock (as defined below) of the Corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the Interested Stockholder) those shares owned by (i) persons who are directors and also officers and (ii) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or
c. at or subsequent to such time that such stockholder became an Interested Stockholder, the Business Combination is approved by the Board of Directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting stock which is not owned by such Interested Stockholder.
C. The restrictions contained in the foregoing Section B of Article XI shall not apply if:
a. a stockholder becomes an Interested Stockholder inadvertently and (i) as soon as practicable divests itself of ownership of sufficient shares so that the stockholder ceases to be an Interested Stockholder and (ii) would not, at any time, within the three-year period immediately prior to the Business Combination between the Corporation and such stockholder, have been an Interested Stockholder but for the inadvertent acquisition of ownership, or
b. the Business Combination is proposed prior to the consummation or abandonment of and subsequent to the earlier of the public announcement or the notice required hereunder of a proposed transaction which (i) constitutes one of the transactions described in the second sentence of this Section C(b) of Article XI, (ii) is with or by a Person who either was not an Interested Stockholder during the previous three years or who became an Interested Stockholder with the approval of the Board of Directors and (iii) is approved or not opposed by a majority of the directors then in office (but not less than one) who were directors prior to any Person becoming an Interested Stockholder during the previous three years or were recommended for election or elected to succeed such directors by a majority of such directors. The proposed transactions referred to in the preceding sentence are limited to (x) a merger or consolidation of the Corporation (except for a merger in respect of which, pursuant to Section 251(f) of the DGCL, no vote of the stockholders of the Corporation is required), (y) a sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (other than to any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary or to the Corporation) having an aggregate market value equal to fifty percent or more of either that aggregate market value of all the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the Corporation or (z) a proposed tender or exchange offer for fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation. The Corporation shall give not less than 20 days notice to all Interested Stockholders prior to the consummation of any of the transactions described in clause (x) or (y) of the second sentence of this Section C(b) of Article XI.
D. For purposes of this Article XI, references to:
a. Affiliate means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, another person.
b. associate, when used to indicate a relationship with any person, means: (i) any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity of which such person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the owner of 20% or more of any class of shares of voting stock of the Corporation; (ii) any trust or other estate in which such person has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which such person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (iii) any relative or spouse of such person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same residence as such person.
c. Business Combination, when used in reference to the Corporation and any Interested Stockholder of the Corporation, means (i) any merger or consolidation of the Corporation (other than a merger effected pursuant to Sections 253 or 267 of the DGCL) or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (a) with the Interested Stockholder, or (b) with any other corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity if the merger or consolidation is caused by the Interested Stockholder and as a result of such merger or consolidation Part B of this Article XI or Section 203(a) of the DGCLis not applicable to the surviving entity; (ii) any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one (1) transaction or a series of transactions), except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation, to or with the Interested Stockholder, whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which assets have an aggregate market value equal to 10% or more of either the aggregate market value of all the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation; (iii) any transaction which results in the issuance or transfer by the Corporation or by any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation of any stock of the Corporation or of such subsidiary to the Interested Stockholder, except: (a) pursuant to the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which securities were outstanding prior to the time that the Interested Stockholder became such; (b) pursuant to a merger under Section 251(g), 253 or 267 of the DGCL; (c) pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made, or the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which security is distributed, pro rata to all holders of a class or series of stock of the Corporation subsequent to the time the Interested Stockholder became such; (d) pursuant to an exchange offer by the Corporation to purchase stock made on the same terms to all holders of said stock; or (e) any issuance or transfer of stock by the Corporation; provided, however, that in no case under items (c) through (e) of this subsection (iii) shall there be an increase in the Interested Stockholders proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the Corporation or of the voting stock of the Corporation (except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments); (iv) any transaction involving the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series, or securities convertible into the stock of any class or series, of the Corporation or of any such subsidiary which is owned by the Interested Stockholder, except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments or as a result of any purchase or redemption of any shares of stock not caused, directly or indirectly, by the interested stockholder; or (v) any receipt by the Interested Stockholder of the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges, or other financial benefits (other than those expressly permitted in clauses (i) through (iv) of this Section D(c) of Article XI above) provided by or through the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary.
d. Control, including the terms controlling, controlled by and under common control with, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting stock, by contract or otherwise. A Person who is the owner of 20% or more of the outstanding voting stock of any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity shall be presumed to have control of such entity, in the absence of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to the contrary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a presumption of control shall not apply where such Person holds voting stock, in good faith and not for the purpose of circumventing this section, as an agent, bank, broker, nominee, custodian or trustee for one or more owners who do not individually or as a group have control of such entity.
e. Interested Stockholder means any Person (other than the Corporation and any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation) that (i) is the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation, or (ii) is an Affiliate or associate of the Corporation and was the owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation that are entitled to vote at any time within the three-year period immediately prior to the date on which it is sought to be determined whether such Person is an Interested Stockholder, and the Affiliates and associates of such Person. Notwithstanding anything in this Article XI to the contrary, the term Interested Stockholder shall not include: (1) Verlinvest Beverages SA or any of its Affiliate transferees, current or future Affiliates, associates or portfolio companies of the foregoing, including any investment funds managed by such Persons, or any other Person with whom any of the foregoing are acting as a group or in concert for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of voting stock of the Corporation, or (2) any Person whose ownership of shares in excess of the 15% limitation set forth herein is the result of any action taken solely by the Corporation; provided, further, that in the case of clause (2) such Person shall be an Interested Stockholder if thereafter such Person acquires additional shares of voting stock of the Corporation, except as a result of further corporate action not caused, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
f. owner, including the terms own and owned, when used with respect to any stock, means a Person that individually or with or through any of its Affiliates or associates:
i. beneficially owns such stock, directly or indirectly; or
ii. has (a) the right to acquire such stock (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the owner of stock tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such person or any of such Persons Affiliates or associates until such tendered stock is accepted for purchase or exchange; or (b) the right to vote such stock pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the owner of any stock because of such Persons right to vote such stock if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such stock arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to ten or more Persons; or
iii. has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent as described in item (b) of subsection ii. above), or disposing of such stock with any other Person that beneficially owns, or whose Affiliates or associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, such stock.
g. Person means any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity.
h. stock means, with respect to any corporation, capital stock and, with respect to any other entity, any equity interest.
i. voting stock means, with respect to any corporation, stock of any class or series entitled to vote generally in the election of directors and, with respect to any entity that is not a corporation, any equity interest entitled to vote generally in the election of the governing body of such entity. Every reference to a percentage of voting stock shall refer to such percentages of the votes of such voting stock.
ARTICLE XII
A. To the fullest extent permitted by law and in accordance with Section 122(17) of the DGCL, (i) the Corporation hereby renounces all interest and expectancy that it otherwise would be entitled to have in, and all rights to be offered an opportunity to participate in, any business opportunity that from time to time may be presented to Verlinvest Beverages SA, or its affiliates (other than the Corporation and its subsidiaries), and any of its principals, members, directors, partners, stockholders, officers, employees or other representatives (other than any such person who is also an employee of the Corporation or its subsidiaries), or any director of the Corporation who is not employed by the Corporation or its subsidiaries (each such person, an Exempt Person); (ii) no Exempt Person will have any duty to refrain from (1) engaging in a corporate opportunity in the same or similar lines of business in which the Corporation or its subsidiaries from time to time is engaged or proposes to engage or (2) otherwise competing, directly or indirectly, with the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries; and (iii) if any Exempt Person acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity both for such Exempt Person or any of his or her respective affiliates, on the one hand, and for the Corporation or its subsidiaries, on the other hand, such Exempt Person shall have no duty to communicate or offer such transaction or business opportunity to the Corporation or its subsidiaries and such Exempt Person may take any and all such transactions or opportunities for itself or offer such transactions or opportunities to any other Person, unless in each case of clauses (i) to (iii), such matter, transaction or interest is presented to, or acquired, created or developed by, or otherwise comes into the possession of, an Exempt Person expressly and solely in such Exempt Perons capacity as a director of the Corporation.
B. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no potential transaction or business opportunity may be deemed to be a corporate opportunity of the Corporation or its subsidiaries unless (i) the Corporation or its subsidiaries would be permitted to undertake such transaction or opportunity in accordance with this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, (ii) the Corporation or its subsidiaries at such time have sufficient financial resources to undertake such transaction or opportunity, (iii) the Corporation or its subsidiaries have an interest or expectancy in such transaction or opportunity and (iv) such transaction or opportunity would be in the same or similar line of business in which the Corporation or its subsidiaries are then engaged or a line of business that is reasonably related to, or a reasonable extension of, such line of business.
C. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Verlinvest Beverages SA nor any director will be liable to the Corporation or its subsidiaries or stockholders for breach of any duty solely by reason of any activities or omissions of the types referred to in this Article XII, except to the extent such actions or omissions are in breach of this Article XII.
D. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article XII, or the adoption of any provision of the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article XII, shall not adversely affect any right or protection of Verlinvest Beverages SA or a director of the Corporation with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, repeal, modification or adoption.
ARTICLE XIII
A. Amendment of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation) in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by the laws of the State of Delaware, and all powers, preferences and rights of any nature conferred upon stockholders, directors, or any other persons pursuant to this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation) in its present form or as hereafter amended are granted subject to this reservation; provided, however, that, except as otherwise provided in this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any provision of a Certificate of Designation), and in addition to any other vote required by law, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (66 2/3%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, shall be required to adopt, amend or repeal any provision of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
B. Amendment of Bylaws. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred upon it by the DGCL, but subject to the terms of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, the Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation. The stockholders may not adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation unless such action is approved, in addition to any other vote required by law or by this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Certificate of Designation), by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (66 2/3%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.
C. Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (ii) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the provisions of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service to or for the benefit of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law.
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Exhibit 3.2
AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS
OF
THE VITA COCO COMPANY, INC.
(a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation)
Dated as of October 25th, 2021
Table of Contents
Page | ||||||
Article I - Corporate Offices |
1 | |||||
1.1 |
Registered Office | 1 | ||||
1.2 |
Other Offices | 1 | ||||
Article II - Meetings of Stockholders |
1 | |||||
2.1 |
Place of Meetings | 1 | ||||
2.2 |
Annual Meeting | 1 | ||||
2.3 |
Special Meeting | 1 | ||||
2.4 |
Notice of Business to be Brought before a Meeting. | 1 | ||||
2.5 |
Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board. | 5 | ||||
2.6 |
Additional Requirements for Valid Nomination of Candidates to Serve as Director and, if Elected, to be Seated as Directors. | 7 | ||||
2.7 |
Notice of Stockholders Meetings | 8 | ||||
2.8 |
Quorum | 8 | ||||
2.9 |
Adjourned Meeting; Notice | 9 | ||||
2.10 |
Conduct of Business | 9 | ||||
2.11 |
Voting | 9 | ||||
2.12 |
Record Date for Stockholder Meetings and Other Purposes | 10 | ||||
2.13 |
Proxies | 10 | ||||
2.14 |
List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote | 10 | ||||
2.15 |
Action by Written Consent of Stockholders. | 11 | ||||
2.16 |
Inspectors of Election | 11 | ||||
2.17 |
Delivery to the Corporation. | 12 | ||||
Article III - Directors |
12 | |||||
3.1 |
Powers | 12 | ||||
3.2 |
Number of Directors | 12 | ||||
3.3 |
Election, Qualification and Term of Office of Directors | 12 | ||||
3.4 |
Resignation and Vacancies | 12 | ||||
3.5 |
Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone | 13 | ||||
3.6 |
Regular Meetings | 13 | ||||
3.7 |
Special Meetings; Notice | 13 | ||||
3.8 |
Quorum | 13 | ||||
3.9 |
Board Action without a Meeting | 14 | ||||
3.10 |
Fees and Compensation of Directors | 14 | ||||
Article IV - Committees |
14 | |||||
4.1 |
Committees of Directors | 14 | ||||
4.2 |
Committee Minutes | 14 | ||||
4.3 |
Meetings and Actions of Committees | 14 | ||||
4.4 |
Subcommittees. | 15 |
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Page | ||||||
Article V - Officers |
15 | |||||
5.1 |
Officers | 15 | ||||
5.2 |
Appointment of Officers | 15 | ||||
5.3 |
Subordinate Officers | 15 | ||||
5.4 |
Removal and Resignation of Officers | 16 | ||||
5.5 |
Vacancies in Offices | 16 | ||||
5.6 |
Representation of Shares of Other Corporations | 16 | ||||
5.7 |
Authority and Duties of Officers | 16 | ||||
5.8 |
Compensation. | 16 | ||||
Article VI - Records |
16 | |||||
Article VII - General Matters |
17 | |||||
7.1 |
Execution of Corporate Contracts and Instruments | 17 | ||||
7.2 |
Stock Certificates | 17 | ||||
7.3 |
Special Designation of Certificates. | 18 | ||||
7.4 |
Lost Certificates | 18 | ||||
7.5 |
Shares Without Certificates | 18 | ||||
7.6 |
Construction; Definitions | 18 | ||||
7.7 |
Dividends | 18 | ||||
7.8 |
Fiscal Year | 19 | ||||
7.9 |
Seal | 19 | ||||
7.10 |
Transfer of Stock | 19 | ||||
7.11 |
Stock Transfer Agreements | 19 | ||||
7.12 |
Registered Stockholders | 19 | ||||
7.13 |
Waiver of Notice | 19 | ||||
Article VIII - Notice |
20 | |||||
8.1 |
Delivery of Notice; Notice by Electronic Transmission | 20 | ||||
Article IX - Indemnification |
21 | |||||
9.1 |
Indemnification of Directors and Officers | 21 | ||||
9.2 |
Indemnification of Others | 21 | ||||
9.3 |
Prepayment of Expenses | 21 | ||||
9.4 |
Determination; Claim | 21 | ||||
9.5 |
Non-Exclusivity of Rights | 22 | ||||
9.6 |
Insurance | 22 | ||||
9.7 |
Other Indemnification | 22 | ||||
9.8 |
Continuation of Indemnification | 22 | ||||
9.9 |
Amendment or Repeal; Interpretation | 22 | ||||
Article X - Amendments |
23 | |||||
Article XI - Public Benefit Corporation Provisions |
23 | |||||
11.1 |
Required Statement in Stockholder Meeting Notice. | 23 | ||||
11.2 |
Periodic Statements. | 23 | ||||
Article XII - Definitions |
24 |
ii
Article ICorporate Offices
1.1 Registered Office.
The address of the registered office of The Vita Coco Company, Inc., a public benefit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the Corporation), and the name of its registered agent at such address, shall be as set forth in the Corporations certificate of incorporation, as the same may be amended and/or restated or otherwise modified from time to time (the Certificate of Incorporation).
1.2 Other Offices.
The Corporation may have additional offices at any place or places, within or outside the State of Delaware, as the Corporations board of directors (the Board) may from time to time establish or as the business of the Corporation may require.
Article IIMeetings of Stockholders
2.1 Place of Meetings.
Meetings of stockholders shall be held at any place, if any, within or outside the State of Delaware, as may be designated by the Board. The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL). In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders meetings shall be held at the Corporations principal executive office.
2.2 Annual Meeting.
The annual meeting of stockholders shall be held for the election of directors at such date and time as may be designated by or in the manner determined by resolution of the Board from time to time. Any other business as may be properly brought before the annual meeting in accordance with Section 2.4 may be transacted at the annual meeting. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any annual meeting of stockholders previously scheduled by the Board.
2.3 Special Meeting.
Except as otherwise provided by law, special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by such persons and only in such manner as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation, including any Certificate of Designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock (each hereinafter referred to as a Preferred Stock Designation). No business may be transacted at any special meeting of stockholders other than the business specified in the notice of such meeting. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders.
2.4 Notice of Business to be Brought before a Meeting.
(a) At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (i) specified in a notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board, (ii) if not specified in a notice of meeting, otherwise brought before the meeting by the Board or the Chairman of the Board or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder present in person who (A) (1) was a record owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.4 and at the time of the meeting, (2) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (3) has complied with this Section 2.4 in all applicable respects or (B) properly made such proposal in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the Exchange Act). The foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders. Stockholders will not be permitted to propose business to be brought before a special meeting of the stockholders, and the only matters that may be brought before a special meeting are the matters specified in the Corporations notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors. For purposes of this Section 2.4, a stockholder present in person shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the annual meeting of the Corporation, or a qualified representative of such proposing stockholder, appear at such annual meeting. A qualified representative of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders, a copy of which authorization must be provided to the Corporation in writing (and not by electronic transmission) at least five (5) days prior to the meeting of stockholders. Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the Board must comply with Section 2.5 and Section 2.6, and this Section 2.4 shall not be applicable to nominations except as expressly provided in Section 2.5 and Section 2.6.
(b) Without qualification, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.4. To be timely, a stockholders notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting which, in the case of the first annual meeting of stockholders following the closing of the Corporations initial underwritten public offering of common stock, the date of the preceding years annual meeting shall be deemed to be June 5, 2021; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made by the Corporation (such notice within such time periods, Timely Notice). In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting for which notice has been given or the announcement thereof commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of Timely Notice as described above.
(c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.4, a stockholders notice to the Secretary shall set forth:
2
(i) As to each Proposing Person (as defined below), (A) the name and address of such Proposing Person (including, if applicable, the name and address that appear on the Corporations books and records); and (B) the class or series and number of shares of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by such Proposing Person, except that such Proposing Person shall in all events be deemed to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) and (B) are referred to as Stockholder Information);
(ii) As to each Proposing Person, (A) the full notional amount of any securities that, directly or indirectly, underlie any derivative security (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) that constitutes a call equivalent position (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) (Synthetic Equity Position) and that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by such Proposing Person with respect to any shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation; provided that, for the purposes of the definition of Synthetic Equity Position, the term derivative security shall also include any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a derivative security as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence, in which case the determination of the amount of securities into which such security or instrument would be convertible or exercisable shall be made assuming that such security or instrument is immediately convertible or exercisable at the time of such determination; and, provided, further, that any Proposing Person satisfying the requirements of Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (other than a Proposing Person that so satisfies Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act solely by reason of Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)) shall not be deemed to hold or maintain the notional amount of any securities that underlie a Synthetic Equity Position held by such Proposing Person as a hedge with respect to a bona fide derivatives trade or position of such Proposing Person arising in the ordinary course of such Proposing Persons business as a derivatives dealer, (B) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (C) any material pending or threatened legal proceeding in which such Proposing Person is a party or material participant involving the Corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the Corporation, (D) any other material relationship between such Proposing Person, on the one hand, and the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation, on the other hand, (E) any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement of such Proposing Person with the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement), (F) a representation that such Proposing Person intends or is part of a group which intends to deliver a proxy statement or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporations outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such proposal, (G) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act, and (H) a representation that such Proposing Person (or a qualified representative) intends to appear at the meeting to propose such business (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (H) are referred to as Disclosable Interests); provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and
3
(iii) As to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (A) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person, (B) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the Bylaws, the language of the proposed amendment), and (C) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings (x) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (y) between or among any Proposing Person and any other record or beneficial holder(s) or person(s) who have a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future of the shares of any class or series of the Corporation or any other person or entity (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder; and (D) any other information relating to such item of business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that the disclosures required by this paragraph (iii) shall not include any disclosures with respect to any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner.
For purposes of this Section 2.4, the term Proposing Person shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act) with such stockholder in such solicitation.
(d) A Proposing Person shall update and supplement its notice to the Corporation of its intent to propose business at an annual meeting, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.4 shall be true and correct as of the record date for notice of the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for notice of the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporations rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at an annual meeting that is not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4. The Board or the presiding officer of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that the business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4, and if the Board or such presiding officer should so determine, the Board or such presiding officer shall so declare to the meeting and, if so declared, any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, unless otherwise determined by the Board or the presiding officer of the meeting, if the stockholder proposing the business (or such stockholders qualified representative) is not present in person at the meeting to present the proposed business, such business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such business may have been received by the Corporation.
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(f) This Section 2.4 is expressly intended to apply to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders other than any proposal made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and included in the Corporations proxy statement. In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.4 with respect to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, each Proposing Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such business. Nothing in this Section 2.4 shall be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporations proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.
(g) For purposes of these Bylaws, public disclosure shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
2.5 Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board.
(a) Nominations of any person for election to the Board at an annual meeting or at a special meeting (but, in the case of a special meeting, only if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting) may be made at such meeting only (i) by or at the direction of the Board, including by any committee or persons authorized to do so by the Board or these Bylaws, or (ii) by a stockholder present in person (A) who was a record owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.5 and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (C) has complied with this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 as to such notice and nomination. For purposes of this Section 2.5, a stockholder present in person shall mean that the stockholder making any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board, or a qualified representative of such stockholder, appear at such meeting. A qualified representative of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders , a copy of which authorization must be provided to the Corporation in writing (and not by electronic transmission) at least five (5) days prior to the meeting of stockholders. The foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting or special meeting.
(b) (i) Without qualification, for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting, the stockholder must (1) provide Timely Notice (as defined in Section 2.4) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation, (2) provide the information, agreements and questionnaires with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required to be set forth by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 and (3) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6.
(ii) Without qualification, if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling a special meeting, then for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at a special meeting, the stockholder must (i) provide timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (ii) provide the information, agreements and questionnaires with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 and (iii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5. Except as otherwise provided in the Investor
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Rights Agreement, to be timely, a stockholders notice for nominations to be made at a special meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of the date of such special meeting was first made.
(iii) In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting for which notice has been given or special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholders notice as described above.
(iv) In no event may a Nominating Person (as defined below) provide timely notice under Sections 2.5(b)(i) or (ii) with respect to a greater number of director candidates than are subject to election by stockholders at the applicable meeting. If the Corporation shall, subsequent to such notice, increase the number of directors subject to election at an annual or special meeting, such notice as to any additional nominees shall be due on the later of (i) the conclusion of the time period for Timely Notice, (ii) the date set forth in Section 2.5(b)(ii) or (iii) the tenth day following the date of public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of such increase.
(c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.5, a stockholders notice to the Secretary shall set forth:
(i) As to each Nominating Person, the Stockholder Information (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(i), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5 the term Nominating Person shall be substituted for the term Proposing Person in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(i));
(ii) As to each Nominating Person, any Disclosable Interests (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(ii), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5 the term Nominating Person shall be substituted for the term Proposing Person in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(ii) and the disclosure with respect to the business to be brought before the meeting in Section 2.4(c)(ii) shall be made with respect to the election of directors at the meeting); and
(iii) As to each candidate whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, (A) all information with respect to such candidate for nomination that would be required to be set forth in a stockholders notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 if such candidate for nomination were a Nominating Person, (B) all information relating to such candidate for nomination that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including such candidates written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected), (C) a description of any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement between or among any Nominating Person, on the one hand, and each candidate for nomination or his or her respective associates or any other participants in such solicitation, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the registrant for purposes of such rule and the candidate for nomination were a director or executive officer of such registrant (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (C) are referred to as Nominee Information), and (D) all completed and signed questionnaires, representations and agreements as provided in Section 2.6(a).
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For purposes of this Section 2.5, the term Nominating Person shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting is made, and (iii) any other participant in such solicitation.
(d) A stockholder providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 shall be true and correct as of the record date notice of the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for notice of the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporations rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any nomination or to submit any new nomination.
(e) In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.5 with respect to any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting, each Nominating Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such nominations.
2.6 Additional Requirements for Valid Nomination of Candidates to Serve as Director and, if Elected, to be Seated as Directors.
(a) To be eligible to be a candidate for election as a director of the Corporation at an annual or special meeting, a candidate must be nominated in the manner prescribed in Section 2.5 and the candidate for nomination, whether nominated by the Board or by a stockholder of record, must have previously delivered (in accordance with the time period prescribed for delivery in a notice to such candidate given by or on behalf of the Board), to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (i) all completed written questionnaires requested by the Corporation (in the forms provided by the Corporation) with respect to the background, qualifications, stock ownership and independence of such proposed nominee and (ii) a written representation and agreement (in form provided by the Corporation) that such candidate for nomination (A) is not and, if elected as a director during his or her term of office, will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given and will not give any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a Voting Commitment) or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominees ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such proposed nominees fiduciary duties under applicable law, (B) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation or reimbursement for service as a director that has not been disclosed therein or to the Corporation, (C) if elected as a director of the Corporation, will comply with all applicable corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality, stock ownership and trading and other policies and guidelines of the Corporation applicable to directors and in effect during such persons term in office as a director (and, if requested by any candidate for nomination, the Secretary of the Corporation shall provide to such candidate for nomination all such policies and guidelines then in effect), and (D) currently intends to serve as a director for the full term for which such person is standing for election.
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(b) The Board may also require any proposed candidate for nomination as a Director to furnish such other information as may reasonably be requested by the Board in writing prior to the meeting of stockholders at which such candidates nomination is to be acted upon in order for the Board to determine the eligibility of such candidate for nomination to be an independent director of the Corporation in accordance with the Corporations Corporate Governance Guidelines or any applicable listing standard.
(c) A candidate for nomination as a director shall further update and supplement the materials delivered pursuant to this Section 2.6, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided pursuant to this Section 2.6 shall be true and correct as of the record date for notice of the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (or any other office specified by the Corporation in any public announcement) not later than five (5) business days after the record date for notice of the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporations rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders.
(d) No candidate shall be eligible for nomination as a director of the Corporation unless such candidate for nomination and the Nominating Person seeking to place such candidates name in nomination has complied with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6, as applicable. The Board or the presiding officer at the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that a nomination was not properly made in accordance with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6, and if he or she should so determine, the Board or the presiding officer shall so declare such determination to the meeting, and if so declared, the defective nomination shall be disregarded and any ballots cast for the candidate in question (but in the case of any form of ballot listing other qualified nominees, only the ballots cast for the nominee in question) shall be void and of no force or effect. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, unless otherwise determined by the Board or the presiding officer of the meeting, if the stockholder proposing the nominee (or such stockholders qualified representative) is not present in person at the meeting to make the nomination, such nomination shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation, and any votes cast for the candidate in question (but in the case of any form of ballot listing other qualified nominees, only the votes cast for the nominee in question) shall be void and of no force or effect.
(e) Subject to Section 2.6(f) of these Bylaws, no candidate for nomination shall be eligible to be seated as a director of the Corporation unless nominated and elected in accordance with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6.
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(f) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, for so long as any party to that certain Investors Rights Agreement, dated as of ___, 2021, by and among the Corporation, Verlinvest Beverages SA, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, and any of their respective affiliate transferees (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented and/or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with its terms, the Investor Rights Agreement, a copy of which will be provided to any stockholder of the Corporation upon written request therefor) is entitled to nominate a director or directors pursuant to the Investors Rights Agreement, such party shall not be subject to Section 2.5 or this Section 2.6 with respect to a nomination made pursuant to the Investors Rights Agreement.
(g) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Bylaws, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement and the terms of these Bylaws, the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement shall govern.
2.7 Notice of Stockholders Meetings.
Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be sent or otherwise given in accordance with Section 8.1 of these Bylaws not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting. The notice shall specify the place, if any, date and time of the meeting, the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.
2.8 Quorum.
Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the holders of a majority of the voting power of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the stockholders; provided, however, that where a separate vote by a class or series or classes or series is required, a majority of the voting power of the stock of such class or series or classes or series outstanding and entitled to vote on that matter, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to such matter. If, however, a quorum is not present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, then either (i) the person presiding over the meeting or (ii) a majority of the voting power of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall have power to recess or adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 2.9 of these Bylaws until a quorum is present or represented. At any recessed or adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed. Subject to applicable law, if a quorum initially is present at any meeting of stockholders, the stockholders may continue to transact business until adjournment or recess, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum, but if a quorum is not present at least initially, no business other than adjournment or recess may be transacted.
2.9 Adjourned or Recessed Meeting; Notice.
When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, if any, unless these Bylaws otherwise require, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time, place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At any adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date for
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determination of stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board shall fix as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date so fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting.
2.10 Conduct of Business.
The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders shall vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting. The Board may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board, the person presiding over any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any reason) to recess and/or adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures (which need not be in writing) and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such presiding person, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting and the safety of those in attendance. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the person presiding over the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present (including, without limitation, rules and procedures for removal of disruptive persons from the meeting); (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the person presiding over the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; (v) limitations on the time allotted (if any) to questions or comments by participants; (vi) regulations for the opening and closing of the polls for balloting and matters which are to be voted on by ballot (if any); and (vii) procedures (if any) requiring attendees to provide the Corporation advance notice of their intent to attend the meeting. The presiding person at any meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting (including, without limitation, determinations with respect to the administration and/or interpretation of any of the rules, regulations or procedures of the meeting, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the person presiding over the meeting), shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a matter of business was not properly brought before the meeting and if such presiding person should so determine, such presiding person shall so declare to the meeting and, if so declared, any such matter or business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted or considered. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the person presiding over the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
2.11 Voting.
Except as may be otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation), these Bylaws or the DGCL, each stockholder shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder. No holder of shares of capital stock shall have the right to cumulate votes.
Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, at all duly called or convened meetings of stockholders at which a quorum is present, for the election of directors, a plurality of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect a director. Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, or applicable law or pursuant to any regulation applicable to the Corporation or its securities, each other matter presented to the stockholders at a duly called or convened meeting at which a quorum is present shall be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes) on such matter.
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2.12 Record Date for Stockholder Meetings and Other Purposes.
In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) days nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be the close of business on the next day preceding the day on which notice is first given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting; and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned meeting.
In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment or any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of capital stock, or for the purposes of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no such record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.
2.13 Proxies.
Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall have the right to do so either in person or by one or more persons authorized to act for such stockholder by proxy authorized by an instrument in writing or by a transmission permitted by law filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212 of the DGCL. A proxy may be in the form of an electronic transmission which sets forth or is submitted with information from which it can be determined that the transmission was authorized by the stockholder.
2.14 List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote.
The Corporation shall prepare, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, that if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. The Corporation shall not be required to include electronic mail addresses or other electronic contact information on such list. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane
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to the meeting for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting: (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (ii) during ordinary business hours, at the Corporations principal place of business. In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, then the list shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be examined by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting. Except as otherwise provided by law, the stock ledger (as defined in Section 219(c) of the DGCL) shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the list of stockholders required by this Section 2.14 or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.
2.15 Action by Written Consent of Stockholders.
Except as otherwise provided for or fixed with respect to actions required or permitted to be taken solely by holders of Preferred Stock pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation), no action that is required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation may be effected by consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting of stockholders.
2.16 Inspectors of Election.
Before any meeting of stockholders, the Corporation may, and shall if required by law, appoint an inspector or inspectors of election to act at the meeting and make a written report thereof. Inspectors may be employees of the Corporation. The Corporation may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If any person appointed as inspector or any alternate fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, then the person presiding over the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting.
Such inspectors shall:
(i) ascertain the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, and determine the number of shares represented at the meeting and the validity of any proxies and ballots;
(ii) count all votes and ballots;
(iii) determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspector(s); and
(iv) certify its or their determination of the number of shares represented at the meeting and its or their count of all votes and ballots.
Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of inspector, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspection with strict impartiality and according to the best of such inspectors ability. Any report or certificate made by the inspectors of election is prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein. The inspectors of election may appoint such persons to assist them in performing their duties as they determine. Inspectors need not be stockholders. No director or nominee for the office of director at an election shall be appointed as an inspector at such election.
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2.17 Delivery to the Corporation.
Whenever this Article II requires one or more persons (including a record or beneficial owner of stock) to deliver a document or information to the Corporation or any officer, employee or agent thereof (including any notice, request, questionnaire, revocation, representation or other document or agreement), such document or information shall be in writing exclusively (and not in an electronic transmission) and shall be delivered exclusively by hand (including, without limitation, overnight courier service) or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, and the Corporation shall not be required to accept delivery of any document not in such written form or so delivered. For the avoidance of doubt, the Corporation expressly opts out of Section 116 of the DGCL with respect to the delivery of information and documents to the Corporation required by this Article II.
Article IIIDirectors
3.1 Powers.
Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation) or the DGCL, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board.
3.2 Number of Directors.
Subject to the Certificate of Incorporation, the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement and the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the total number of directors constituting the Board shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board. The Board shall be classified in a manner provided in the Certificate of Incorporation. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before that directors term of office expires.
3.3 Election, Qualification and Term of Office of Directors.
Subject to the Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation) and the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship, shall hold office until the expiration of the term of the class, if any, for which elected and until such directors successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until such directors earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. Directors need not be stockholders. The Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws may prescribe qualifications for directors.
3.4 Resignation and Vacancies.
Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board or the Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein or upon the happening of an event specified therein, and if no time or event is specified, upon delivery. Unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Directors of the Corporation may be removed only as expressly provided in the Certificate of Incorporation and subject to the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement. Newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies on the Board resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall be filled only as expressly provided in the Certificate of Incorporation and subject to the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement.
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3.5 Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone.
The Board may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or outside the State of Delaware.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, members of the Board, or any committee designated by the Board, may participate in a meeting of the Board, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting pursuant to this bylaw shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
3.6 Regular Meetings.
Regular meetings of the Board may be held within or outside the State of Delaware and at such time and at such place as which has been designated by the Board and publicized among all directors, either orally or in writing, by telephone, including a voice-messaging system or other system designed to record and communicate messages, facsimile or by electronic mail or other means of electronic transmission. No further notice shall be required for regular meetings of the Board.
3.7 Special Meetings; Notice.
Special meetings of the Board for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairperson, the Chief Executive Officer or a majority of the directors then in office and shall be held at such time, date and place, if any, within or without the State of Delaware as he or she or they shall fix. Notice to directors of the date, place and time of any special meeting of the Board shall be given to each director by the Secretary or by the officer or one of the directors calling the meeting. Notice may be given in person, by United States first-class mail, or by e-mail, telephone, facsimile or other means of electronic transmission. If the notice is delivered in person, by e-mail, telephone facsimile or other means of electronic transmission, it shall be delivered or sent at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of holding of the meeting. If the notice is sent by mail, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least four (4) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. The notice need not specify the place of the meeting (if the meeting is to be held at the Corporations principal executive office) nor the purpose of the meeting.
3.8 Quorum.
At all meetings of the Board, unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these Bylaws, a majority of the total number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board. The vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board, then the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.
3.9 Board Action without a Meeting.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting, provided that all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission. After an action is taken, the consent or consents relating thereto shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board, or the committee thereof, in the same paper or electronic form as the
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minutes are maintained. Such action by written consent or consent by electronic transmission shall have the same force and effect as a unanimous vote of the Board. Any person (whether or not then a director) may provide, whether through instruction to an agent or otherwise, that a consent to action shall be effective at a future time (including a time determined upon the happening of an event), no later than 60 days after such instruction is given or such provision is made and such consent shall be deemed to have been given at such effective time so long as such person is then a director and did not revoke the consent prior to such time. Any such consent shall be revocable prior to its becoming effective.
3.10 Fees and Compensation of Directors.
Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board shall have the authority to fix the compensation, including fees and reimbursement of expenses, of directors for services to the Corporation in any capacity.
3.11 Emergency Bylaws.
This Section 3.11 shall be operative during any emergency condition as contemplated by Section 110 of the DGCL (an Emergency), notwithstanding any different or conflicting provisions in these Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation or the DGCL. In the event of any Emergency, or other similar emergency condition, the director or directors in attendance at a meeting of the Board or a standing committee thereof shall constitute a quorum. Such director or directors in attendance may further take action to appoint one or more of themselves or other directors to membership on any standing or temporary committees of the Board as they shall deem necessary and appropriate. Except as the Board may otherwise determine, during any Emergency, the Corporation and its directors and officers, may exercise any authority and take any action or measure contemplated by Section 110 of the DGCL.
Article IVCommittees
4.1 Committees of Directors.
The Board may designate one (1) or more committees, each committee to consist, of one (1) or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board may designate one (1) or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent permitted by applicable law and provided in the resolution of the Board or in these Bylaws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers that may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority to (i) approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval (other than the election or removal of directors), or (ii) adopt, amend or repeal any bylaw of the Corporation.
4.2 Committee Minutes.
Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board when required or requested by the Board.
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4.3 Meetings and Actions of Committees.
Meetings and actions of committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of:
(i) Section 3.5 (place of meetings; meetings by telephone);
(ii) Section 3.6 (regular meetings);
(iii) Section 3.7 (special meetings; notice);
(iv) Section 3.9 (board action without a meeting); and
(v) Section 7.13 (waiver of notice),
with such changes in the context of those bylaws as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board and its members. However:
(i) the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the Board or by resolution of the committee;
(ii) special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the Board or the chairperson of the applicable committee;
(iii) the Board may adopt rules for the governance of any committee to override the provisions that would otherwise apply to the committee pursuant to this Section 4.3, provided that such rules do not violate the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law; and
(iv) in no case shall a quorum be less than one-third of the directors then serving on the committee.
4.4 Subcommittees.
Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or the resolutions of the Board designating the committee, a committee may create one (1) or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one (1) or more members of the committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee.
Article V - Officers
5.1 Officers.
The officers of the Corporation shall include a Chief Executive Officer and a Secretary. The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board, a Chairperson of the Board, a Vice Chairperson of the Board, a President, a Chief Financial Officer, a Treasurer, a Chief Legal Officer, one (1) or more Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Treasurers, one (1) or more Assistant Secretaries, and any such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. No officer need be a stockholder or director of the Corporation.
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5.2 Appointment of Officers.
The Board shall appoint the officers of the Corporation, except such officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 of these Bylaws.
5.3 Subordinate Officers.
The Board may appoint, or empower the Chief Executive Officer or President or, in the absence of a Chief Executive Officer or President, the Chief Financial Officer, to appoint, such other officers and agents as the business of the Corporation may require. Each of such officers and agents shall hold office for such period, have such authority, and perform such duties as are provided in these Bylaws or as the Board may from time to time determine.
5.4 Removal and Resignation of Officers.
Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board or, except in the case of an officer chosen by the Board, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board.
Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice. Unless otherwise specified in the notice of resignation, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. If a resignation is made effective at a later date and the Corporation accepts the future effective date, the Board may fill the pending vacancy before the effective date if the Board provides that the successor shall not take office until the effective date. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.
5.5 Vacancies in Offices.
Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board or as provided in Section 5.2.
5.6 Representation of Shares of Other Corporations.
The Chairperson of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, or the President of this Corporation, or any other person authorized by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President, is authorized to vote, represent and exercise on behalf of this Corporation all rights incident to any and all shares or voting securities of any other corporation or other person standing in the name of this Corporation. The authority granted herein may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by such person having the authority.
5.7 Authority and Duties of Officers.
All officers of the Corporation shall respectively have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the business of the Corporation as may be provided herein or designated from time to time by the Board and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board.
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5.8 Compensation.
The compensation of the officers of the Corporation for their services as such and the manner and time of the payment of such compensation shall be fixed from time to time by or at the direction of the Board or by a duly authorized officer and may be altered by the Board from time to time as it deems appropriate, subject to the rights, if any, of such officers under any contract of employment. An officer of the Corporation shall not be prevented from receiving compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also a director of the Corporation.
5.9 Delegation.
The Board of Directors may from time to time delegate the powers or duties of any officer to any other officers or agents, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article V.
Article VI - Records
A stock ledger consisting of one or more records in which the names of all of the Corporations stockholders of record, the address and number of shares registered in the name of each such stockholder, and all issuances and transfers of stock of the corporation are recorded in accordance with Section 224 of the DGCL shall be administered by or on behalf of the Corporation. Any records administered by or on behalf of the Corporation in the regular course of its business, including its stock ledger, books of account, and minute books, may be kept on, or by means of, or be in the form of, any information storage device, or method, or one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases), provided that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible paper form within a reasonable time and, with respect to the stock ledger, that the records so kept (i) can be used to prepare the list of stockholders specified in Sections 219 and 220 of the DGCL, (ii) record the information specified in Sections 156, 159, 217(a) and 218 of the DGCL, and (iii) record transfers of stock as governed by Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in the State of Delaware.
Article VII - General Matters
7.1 Execution of Corporate Contracts and Instruments.
The Board, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, may determine the method, and designate (or authorize officers of the Corporation to designate) the person or persons who shall have the authority to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation; such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
7.2 Stock Certificates; Public Benefit Corporation Notice.
The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board by resolution may provide that some or all of the shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation shall be uncertificated. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Certificates for the shares of stock, if any, shall be in such form as is consistent with the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law. Certificates for shares of stock shall note
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conspicuously that that the Corporation is a public benefit corporation formed pursuant to Subchapter XV of the DGCL. Any notice given by the Corporation pursuant to Section 151(f) of the DGCL upon the issuance or transfer of uncertificated shares shall state conspicuously that the Corporation is a public benefit corporation formed pursuant to Subchapter XV of the DGCL.
Every holder of stock represented by a certificate shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, any two officers authorized to sign stock certificates representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. The Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, the President, Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation shall be specifically authorized to sign stock certificates. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.
The Corporation may issue the whole or any part of its shares as partly paid and subject to call for the remainder of the consideration to be paid therefor. Upon the face or back of each stock certificate issued to represent any such partly paid shares, or upon the books and records of the Corporation in the case of uncertificated partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor and the amount paid thereon shall be stated. Upon the declaration of any dividend on fully paid shares, the Corporation shall declare a dividend upon partly paid shares of the same class, but only upon the basis of the percentage of the consideration actually paid thereon.
7.3 Special Designation of Certificates.
If the Corporation is authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, then the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or on the back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock (or, in the case of uncertificated shares, set forth in a notice provided pursuant to Section 151 of the DGCL); provided, however, that except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the DGCL, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face of back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock (or, in the case of any uncertificated shares, included in the aforementioned notice) a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
7.4 Lost Certificates.
Except as provided in this Section 7.4, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace a previously issued certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the Corporation and cancelled at the same time. The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owners legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares.
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7.5 Shares Without Certificates
The Corporation may adopt a system of issuance, recordation and transfer of its shares of stock by electronic or other means not involving the issuance of certificates, provided the use of such system by the Corporation is permitted in accordance with applicable law.
7.6 Construction; Definitions.
Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction and definitions in the DGCL shall govern the construction of these Bylaws. Without limiting the generality of this provision, the singular number includes the plural and the plural number includes the singular.
7.7 Dividends.
The Board, subject to any restrictions contained in either (i) the DGCL or (ii) the Certificate of Incorporation, may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of its capital stock. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property or in shares of the Corporations capital stock.
The Board may set apart out of any of the funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve. Such purposes shall include but not be limited to equalizing dividends, repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, and meeting contingencies.
7.8 Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board and may be changed by the Board.
7.9 Seal.
The Corporation may adopt a corporate seal, which shall be adopted and which may be altered by the Board. The Corporation may use the corporate seal by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.
7.10 Transfer of Stock.
Shares of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these Bylaws. Shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferred on the books of the Corporation only by the holder of record thereof or by such holders attorney duly authorized in writing, upon surrender to the Corporation of the certificate or certificates, if any, representing such shares endorsed by the appropriate person or persons (or by delivery of duly executed instructions with respect to uncertificated shares), with such evidence of the authenticity of such endorsement or execution, transfer, authorization and other matters as the Corporation may reasonably require, and accompanied by all necessary stock transfer stamps. No transfer of stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing the names of the persons from and to whom it was transferred.
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7.11 Stock Transfer Agreements.
The Corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes or series of stock of the Corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the Corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.
7.12 Registered Stockholders.
The Corporation:
(i) shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends and to vote as such owner; and
(ii) shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of another person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Delaware.
7.13 Waiver of Notice.
Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a written waiver, signed by the person entitled to notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders, the Board, or a committee of the Board need be specified in any written waiver of notice or any waiver by electronic transmission unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.
7.14 Subject to Law and Certificate of Incorporation.
All powers, duties and responsibilities provided for in these Bylaws, whether or not explicitly so qualified, are qualified by the Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation) and applicable law.
Article VIII - Notice
8.1 Delivery of Notice; Notice by Electronic Transmission.
Except as otherwise required by law or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Exchange Act then applicable to the Corporation, without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provisions of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these Bylaws may be given in writing directed to the stockholders mailing address (or by electronic transmission directed to the stockholders electronic mail address, as applicable) as it appears on the records of the Corporation and shall be given (1) if mailed, when the notice is deposited in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid, (2) if delivered by courier service, the earlier of when the notice is received or left at such stockholders address or (3) if given by electronic mail, when directed to such
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stockholders electronic mail address unless the stockholder has notified the Corporation in writing or by electronic transmission of an objection to receiving notice by electronic mail or such notice is prohibited by Section 232(e) of the DGCL. A notice by electronic mail must include a prominent legend that the communication is an important notice regarding the Corporation and otherwise comply with Section 232(d) of the DGCL.
Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice or electronic transmission to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, the Corporation may give a notice by electronic mail in accordance with the first paragraph of this section without obtaining the consent required by this paragraph.
Any notice given pursuant to the preceding paragraph shall be deemed given:
(i) | if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice; |
(ii) | if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and |
(iii) | if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a notice may not be given by an electronic transmission from and after the time that (1) the Corporation is unable to deliver by such electronic transmission two (2) consecutive notices given by the Corporation and (2) such inability becomes known to the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation or to the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice, provided, however, the inadvertent failure to discover such inability shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.
An affidavit of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or of the transfer agent or other agent of the Corporation that the notice has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.
Article IX - Indemnification
9.1 Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
(a) The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any person who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a Proceeding) by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans (a covered person), against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys fees, judgments, fines ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement)
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reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 9.4, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify a person in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such person only if the Proceeding was authorized in the specific case by the Board.
(b) To the extent that a covered person has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any Proceeding (or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein), such covered person shall be indemnified under this Section 9.1(b) against expenses (including attorneys fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such defense. Indemnification under this Section 9.1(b) shall not be subject to satisfaction of a standard of conduct, and the Corporation may not assert the failure to satisfy a standard of conduct as a basis to deny indemnification or recover amounts advanced, including in a suit brought pursuant to Section 9.4 (notwithstanding anything to the contrary therein); provided, however, that, any covered person who is not a current or former director or officer (as such term is defined in the final sentence of Section 145(c)(1) of the DGCL) shall be entitled to indemnification under Section 9.1(a) and this Section 9.1(b) only if such covered person has satisfied the standard of conduct required for indemnification under Section 145(a) or Section 145(b) of the DGCL.
9.2 Indemnification of Others.
The Corporation shall have the power to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any person who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding.
9.3 Prepayment of Expenses.
The Corporation shall to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law pay the expenses (including attorneys fees) reasonably incurred by any covered person, and may pay the expenses reasonably incurred by any employee or agent of the Corporation, in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article IX or otherwise.
9.4 Determination; Claim.
If a claim for indemnification (following the final disposition of such Proceeding) under this Article IX is not paid in full within sixty (60) days, or a claim for advancement of expenses under this Article IX is not paid in full within thirty (30) days, after a written claim therefor has been received by the Corporation the claimant may thereafter (but not before) file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law. In any such action the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the claimant was not entitled to the requested indemnification or payment of expenses under applicable law.
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9.5 Non-Exclusivity of Rights.
The rights conferred on any person by this Article IX shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.
9.6 Insurance.
The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust enterprise or non-profit entity against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of the DGCL.
9.7 Other Indemnification.
The Corporations obligation, if any, to indemnify or advance expenses to any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit enterprise.
9.8 Continuation of Indemnification.
The rights to indemnification and to prepayment of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article IX shall continue notwithstanding that the person has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of the estate, heirs, executors, administrators, legatees and distributees of such person.
9.9 Amendment or Repeal; Interpretation.
The provisions of this Article IX shall constitute a contract between the Corporation, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, each individual who serves or has served as a director or officer of the Corporation (whether before or after the adoption of these Bylaws), in consideration of such persons performance of such services, and pursuant to this Article IX the Corporation intends to be legally bound to each such current or former director or officer of the Corporation. With respect to current and former directors and officers of the Corporation, the rights conferred under this Article IX are present contractual rights and such rights are fully vested, and shall be deemed to have vested fully, immediately upon adoption of these Bylaws. With respect to any directors or officers of the Corporation who commence service following adoption of these Bylaws, the rights conferred under this provision shall be present contractual rights and such rights shall fully vest, and be deemed to have vested fully, immediately upon such director or officer commencing service as a director or officer of the Corporation. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article IX shall not adversely affect any right or protection (i) hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification or (ii) under any agreement providing for indemnification or advancement of expenses to an officer or director of the Corporation in effect prior to the time of such repeal or modification.
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Any reference to an officer of the Corporation in this Article IX shall be deemed to refer exclusively to the Chief Executive Officer, President, and Secretary, or other officer of the Corporation appointed by (x) the Board pursuant to Article V of these Bylaws or (y) an officer to whom the Board has delegated the power to appoint officers pursuant to Article V of these Bylaws, and any reference to an officer of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be deemed to refer exclusively to an officer appointed by the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of such other entity pursuant to the certificate of incorporation and Bylaws (or equivalent organizational documents) of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise. The fact that any person who is or was an employee of the Corporation or an employee of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise has been given or has used the title of Vice President or any other title that could be construed to suggest or imply that such person is or may be an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall not result in such person being constituted as, or being deemed to be, an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for purposes of this Article IX.
Article X - Amendments
In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal these Bylaws. The stockholders also shall have power to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that such action by stockholders shall require, except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation), these Bylaws or applicable law, the affirmative vote the holders of at least two-thirds (66 2/3%) of the voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.
Article XI - Public Benefit Corporation Provisions
11.1 Required Statement in Stockholder Meeting Notice.
The Corporation shall include in every notice of a meeting of stockholders a statement to the effect that it is a public benefit corporation under Subsection XV of the DGCL.
11.2 Periodic Statements.
The Corporation shall no less than biennially provide the stockholders with a statement as to the Corporations promotion of the public benefit or public benefits identified in the Certificate of Incorporation and of the best interests of those materially affected by the Corporations conduct. The statement shall include:
(i) | the objectives the Board has established to promote such public benefit or public benefits and interests; |
(ii) | the standards the Board has adopted to measure the Corporations progress in promoting such public benefit or public benefits and interests; |
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(iii) | objective factual information based on those standards regarding the Corporations success in meeting the objectives for promoting such public benefit or public benefits and interests; and |
(iv) | an assessment of the Corporations success in meeting the objectives and promoting such public benefit or public benefits and interests. |
Article XII - Definitions
As used in these Bylaws, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
An electronic transmission means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, including the use of, or participation in, one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases), that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.
An electronic mail means an electronic transmission directed to a unique electronic mail address (which electronic mail shall be deemed to include any files attached thereto and any information hyperlinked to a website if such electronic mail includes the contact information of an officer or agent of the Corporation who is available to assist with accessing such files and information).
An electronic mail address means a destination, commonly expressed as a string of characters, consisting of a unique user name or mailbox (commonly referred to as the local part of the address) and a reference to an internet domain (commonly referred to as the domain part of the address), whether or not displayed, to which electronic mail can be sent or delivered.
The term person means any individual, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, business trust, joint stock company, joint venture, unincorporated association, cooperative or association or any other legal entity or organization of whatever nature, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
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Exhibit 10.1
Certain portions of this exhibit (indicated by ####) have been omitted pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 601(a)(6).
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this Agreement) is made as of October 20, 2021 (the Effective Date), by and among The Vita Coco Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company) and (i) Verlinvest Beverages SA, a company organized and existing under Belgian Law (the Lead Investor), and (ii) each other Person identified on the Schedule of Holders attached hereto as of the date hereof (together with the Lead Investor, the Investors).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company is contemplating an offer and sale of shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Shares), to the public in an underwritten initial public offering (the IPO);
WHEREAS, the Investors are party to that certain Third Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, dated January 15, 2021 (the Prior Agreement), by and among the Company and the Investors;
WHEREAS the parties to such Prior Agreement desire to amend and restate the Prior Agreement and to accept the rights and covenants hereof in lieu of their rights and covenants under the Prior Agreement;
WHEREAS, in connection with the IPO and the transactions described above, the Company has agreed to grant to the Holders (as defined below) certain rights with respect to the registration of Registrable Securities (as defined below) on the terms and conditions set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement shall become effective upon the Effective Date, and in the event the IPO is abandoned at any time after the Effective Date and prior to the closing of the IPO this Agreement shall automatically terminate and be of no further force or effect without further action on the part of any party hereto and the Prior Agreement shall be reinstated and will continue in full force and effect.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Investors agree that, effective as of the Effective Date, the Prior Agreement shall be amended and restated in its entirety by entering into this Agreement, and the parties to this Agreement hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings specified in this Section 1:
Acquired Shares has the meaning set forth in Section 9.
Additional Holder has the meaning set forth in Section 9, and shall be deemed to include each such Persons Affiliates, immediate family members, heirs, successors and assigns who may succeed to such Person as a Holder hereunder.
Affiliate of any Person means any other Person controlled by, controlling or under common control with such Person; provided that the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed to be Affiliates of any Holder. As used in this definition, control (including, with its correlative meanings, controlling, controlled by and under common control with) shall mean possession, directly or indirectly, of power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies (whether through ownership of securities, by contract or otherwise).
Agreement has the meaning set forth in the recitals.
Automatic Shelf Registration Statement has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
Business Day means any day of the year on which national banking institutions in New York are open to the public for conducting business and are not required or authorized to close.
Capital Stock means (i) with respect to any Person that is a corporation, any and all shares, interests or equivalents in capital stock of such corporation (whether voting or nonvoting and whether common or preferred), (ii) with respect to any Person that is not a corporation, individual or governmental entity, any and all partnership, membership, limited liability company or other equity interests of such Person that confer on the holder thereof the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or the distribution of assets of the issuing Person, and (iii) any and all warrants, rights (including conversion and exchange rights) and options to purchase any security described in the clause (i) or (ii) above.
Common Stock means all classes of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company and any and all securities of any kind whatsoever which may be issued after the date hereof in respect of, or in exchange for, such shares of common stock of the Company pursuant to a merger, consolidation, stock split, stock dividend or recapitalization of the Company or otherwise.
Common Stock Equivalents means, with respect to the Company, all options, warrants and other securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for (at any time or upon the occurrence of any event or contingency and without regard to any vesting or other conditions to which such securities may be subject), shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any note or debt security convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company).
Company has the meaning set forth in the recitals.
Demand Registrations has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
End of Suspension Notice has the meaning set forth in Section 2(f)(ii).
Exchange Act means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor federal law then in force, together with all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
FINRA means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
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Free-Writing Prospectus means a free-writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.
Holder means any Person that is a party to this Agreement from time to time, as set forth on the signature pages hereto.
Holder Indemnified Parties has the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).
IPO has the meaning set forth in the recitals.
Joinder has the meaning set forth in Section 5(d).
Lead Investor has the meaning set forth in the recitals.
Long-Form Registrations has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
Majority of the Registrable Securities means, with respect to any group of Registrable Securities described in this Agreement, the Holders of a majority of such group of Registrable Securities.
MNPI means material non-public information within the meaning of Regulation FD promulgated under the Exchange Act.
Person means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization and a governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof.
Piggyback Registrations has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
Public Offering means any sale or distribution to the public of Common Stock of the Company pursuant to an offering registered under the Securities Act, whether by the Company, by Holders and/or by any other holders of the Companys Common Stock.
Registrable Securities means (i) the shares of Common Stock (including those held as a result of, or issuable upon, the conversion or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents) of the Company owned by any Holder at the time of determination and (ii) any shares of Common Stock issued or issuable in exchange for or with respect to the Common Stock referenced in clause (i) by way of a stock split, stock dividend, reclassification, subdivision or reorganization, recapitalization or similar event; excluding in all cases, however, any Registrable Securities sold by a person in a transaction in which the applicable rights under this Agreement are not transferred in compliance with this Agreement, and excluding any shares for which registration rights have terminated pursuant to this Agreement. As to any particular Registrable Securities owned by any Person, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities on the date such securities (a) have been sold or distributed pursuant to a Public Offering, (b) have been sold in compliance with Rule 144 following the consummation of the IPO or (c) have been repurchased by the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company.
Registration Expenses has the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).
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Representatives has the meaning set forth in Section 14(b).
Rule 144, Rule 158, Rule 405 and Rule 415 mean, in each case, such rule promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor provision) by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the same shall be amended from time to time, or any successor rule then in force.
Schedule of Holders means the schedule attached to this Agreement entitled Schedule of Holders, which shall reflect each Holder from time to time party to this Agreement.
Securities Act means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, or any successor federal law then in force, together with all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Shares has the meaning set forth in the recitals.
Shelf Offering has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d)(ii).
Shelf Offering Notice has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d)(ii).
Shelf Offering Request has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d)(ii).
Shelf Registrable Securities has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d)(ii).
Shelf Registration has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
Shelf Registration Statement has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d)(i).
Short-Form Registrations has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
Subsidiary means, with respect to the Company, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity of which (i) if a corporation, a majority of the total voting power of Capital Stock of such Person entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company, or (ii) if a limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity, either (x) a majority of the Capital Stock of such Person entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of managers, general partners or other oversight board vested with the authority to direct management of such Person is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company or (y) the Company or one of its Subsidiaries is the sole manager or general partner of such Person.
Suspension Event has the meaning set forth in Section 2(f)(ii).
Suspension Notice has the meaning set forth in Section 2(f)(ii).
Suspension Period has the meaning set forth in Section 2(f)(i).
Underwritten Takedown has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d)(ii).
Violation has the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).
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WKSI means a well-known seasoned issuer as defined under Rule 405.
Section 2. Demand Registrations.
(a) Requests for Registration. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, (i) on any two (2) occasions from and after 180 days following the IPO or, if earlier, the release (whether in whole or in part) of the Shares held by a Holder pursuant to the lock-up agreement entered into with the underwriters pursuant to the IPO, (A) Holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Registrable Securities or (B) the Lead Investor, so long as the Lead Investor holds at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the Registrable Securities, may, in each case, request registration under the Securities Act of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the Registrable Securities on Form S-1 or any similar long-form registration (Long-Form Registrations), and (ii) on no more than two (2) occasions in any twelve (12) month period, Holders of at least twenty percent (20%) of the Registrable Securities may request registration under the Securities Act of all or any portion of their Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or any similar short-form registration (Short-Form Registrations) if available; provided that the Company shall not be obligated to file registration statements relating to any (A) Long-Form Registration under this Section 2(a) unless the market value of the Registrable Securities proposed to be registered is at least $50 million or (B) Short-Form Registration under this Section 2(a) unless the market value of the Registrable Securities proposed to be registered is at least $20 million. All registrations requested pursuant to this Section 2(a) are referred to herein as Demand Registrations. Following such Demand Registration, the Company shall use reasonable commercial efforts to file a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the registration of all Registrable Securities that the relevant Holders request to be registered (as set out below) as promptly as possible but in any event within sixty (60) days of the mailing of the Companys notice pursuant to this Section 2(a), provided that all necessary documents for such registration can be obtained and prepared within such 60-day period. The Holders making a Demand Registration may request that the registration be made pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (a Shelf Registration) and, if the Company is a WKSI at the time any request for a Demand Registration is submitted to the Company, that such Shelf Registration be an automatic shelf registration statement (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) (an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement). Except to the extent that Section 2(d) applies, upon receipt of the request for the Demand Registration, the Company shall as promptly as reasonably practicable (but in no event later than ten days after receipt of the request for the Demand Registration) give written notice of the Demand Registration to all other Holders who hold Registrable Securities and, subject to the terms of Section 2(e), shall include in such Demand Registration (and in all related registrations and qualifications under state blue sky laws and in any related underwriting) all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within (x) 15 days, in the case of any notice with respect to a Long-Form Registration, or (y) ten days, in the case of any notice with respect to a Short-Form Registration, after the receipt of the Companys notice. Each Holder agrees that such Holder shall treat as confidential the receipt of the notice of Demand Registration and shall not disclose or use the information contained in such notice of Demand Registration without the prior written consent of the Company or until such time as the information contained therein is or becomes available to the public generally, other than as a result of disclosure by the Holder in breach of the terms of this Agreement.
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(b) Long-Form Registrations. (A) Holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Registrable Securities or (B) the Lead Investor, so long as the Lead Investor holders at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the Registrable Securities, may, in each case, request, from and after 180 days following the IPO or, if earlier, the release (whether in whole or in part) of the Shares held by a Holder pursuant to the lock-up agreement entered into with the underwriters pursuant to the IPO, two (2) Long-Form Registrations in which the Company shall pay all Registration Expenses, regardless of whether any registration statement is filed or any such Demand Registration is consummated. All Long-Form Registrations shall be underwritten registrations unless otherwise approved by the applicable Holders.
(c) Short-Form Registrations. In addition to the Long-Form Registrations, Holders of at least twenty percent (20%) of the Registrable Securities may request, on no more than two (2) occasions in any twelve (12) month period, Short-Form Registrations in which the Company shall pay all Registration Expenses, regardless of whether any registration statement is filed or any such Demand Registration is consummated. Demand Registrations shall be Short-Form Registrations whenever the Company is permitted to use any applicable short form and if the managing underwriters (if any) agree to the use of a Short-Form Registration. After the Company has become subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to make Short-Form Registrations available for the sale of Registrable Securities.
(d) Shelf Registrations.
(i) Subject to the availability of required financial information, as promptly as practicable after the Company receives written notice of a request for a Shelf Registration, but in any event within sixty (60) days of the mailing of the Companys notice pursuant to Section 2(a) (provided that all necessary documents for such registration can be obtained and prepared within such 60-day period), the Company shall file with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act for the Shelf Registration (a Shelf Registration Statement). The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause any Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as soon as practicable after the initial filing of such Shelf Registration Statement, and once effective, the Company shall cause such Shelf Registration Statement to remain continuously effective for such time period as is specified in the request by the Holders, but for no time period longer than the period ending on the earliest of (A) the third anniversary of the initial effective date of such Shelf Registration Statement, (B) the date on which all Registrable Securities covered by such Shelf Registration Statement have been sold pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement, and (C) the date as of which there are no longer any Registrable Securities covered by such Shelf Registration Statement in existence. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to prepare a Shelf Registration Statement with respect to all of the Registrable Securities owned by or issuable to the Holders requesting such Shelf Registration to enable and cause such Shelf Registration Statement to be filed and maintained with the Securities and Exchange Commission as soon as practicable after the later to occur of (x) the expiration of the Lock-Up Period (as defined below) and (y) the Company becoming eligible to file a Shelf Registration Statement for a Short-Form Registration. In order for any Holder to be named as a selling securityholder in such Shelf
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Registration Statement, the Company may require such Holder to deliver all information about such Holder that is required to be included in such Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with applicable law, including Item 507 of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 2(d)(ii), any Holder that is named as a selling securityholder in such Shelf Registration Statement may make a secondary resale under such Shelf Registration Statement without the consent of the Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities or any other Holder if such resale does not require a supplement to the Shelf Registration Statement.
(ii) In the event that a Shelf Registration Statement is effective, Holders representing Registrable Securities either (a) with a market value of at least $25 million, or (b) that represent at least 10% of the aggregate market value of the Registrable Securities registered pursuant to such Shelf Registration Statement shall have the right at any time or from time to time to elect to sell pursuant to an offering (including an underwritten offering (an Underwritten Takedown)) Registrable Securities available for sale pursuant to such registration statement (Shelf Registrable Securities), so long as the Shelf Registration Statement remains in effect, and the Company shall pay all Registration Expenses in connection therewith; provided that the Lead Investor shall have the right at any time and from time to time to elect to sell pursuant to an offering (including an Underwritten Takedown) pursuant to a Shelf Offering Request (as defined below) made by the Lead Investor. The applicable Holders shall make such election by delivering to the Company a written request (a Shelf Offering Request) for such offering specifying the number of Shelf Registrable Securities that such Holders desire to sell pursuant to such offering (the Shelf Offering). In the case of an Underwritten Takedown, as promptly as practicable, but no later than two Business Days after receipt of a Shelf Offering Request, the Company shall give written notice (the Shelf Offering Notice) of such Shelf Offering Request to all other Holders of Shelf Registrable Securities. The Company, subject to Section 2(e) and Section 8 hereof, shall include in such Shelf Offering the Shelf Registrable Securities of any other Holder that shall have made a written request to the Company for inclusion in such Shelf Offering (which request shall specify the maximum number of Shelf Registrable Securities intended to be sold by such Holder) within five Business Days after the receipt of the Shelf Offering Notice. The Company shall, as expeditiously as possible (and in any event within ten Business Days after the receipt of a Shelf Offering Request, unless a longer period is agreed to by the Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities that made the Shelf Offering Request), use its reasonable best efforts to facilitate such Shelf Offering. Each Holder agrees that such Holder shall treat as confidential the receipt of the Shelf Offering Notice and shall not disclose or use the information contained in such Shelf Offering Notice without the prior written consent of the Company or until such time as the information contained therein is or becomes available to the public generally, other than as a result of disclosure by the Holder in breach of the terms of this Agreement.
(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Holder desires to effect a sale of Shelf Registrable Securities that does not constitute an Underwritten Takedown, the Holder shall deliver to the Company a Shelf Offering Request no later than two Business Days prior to the expected date of the sale of such Shelf Registrable Securities, and subject to the limitations set forth in Section 2(d)(i), the Company shall file and effect an amendment or supplement to its Shelf Registration Statement for such purpose as soon as reasonably practicable.
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(iv) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Lead Investor wishes to engage in an underwritten block trade off of a Shelf Registration Statement (either through filing an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement or through a take-down from an existing Shelf Registration Statement), then notwithstanding the foregoing time periods, the Lead Investor only needs to notify the Company of the block trade Shelf Offering three Business Days prior to the day such offering is to commence and the Company shall promptly notify other Holders and such other Holders must elect whether or not to participate by the Business Day prior to the day such offering is to commence and the Company shall as expeditiously as possible use its reasonable best efforts to facilitate such offering (which may close as early as two Business Days after the date it commences); provided that the Lead Investor shall use commercially reasonable efforts to work with the Company and the underwriters prior to making such request in order to facilitate preparation of the registration statement, prospectus and other offering documentation related to the underwritten block trade.
(v) The Company shall, at the request of Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities covered by a Shelf Registration Statement, file any prospectus supplement or, if the applicable Shelf Registration Statement is an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, any post-effective amendments and otherwise take any action necessary to include therein all disclosure and language deemed necessary or advisable by such Holders to effect such Shelf Offering.
(e) Priority on Demand Registrations and Shelf Offerings. The Company shall not include in any Demand Registration or Shelf Offering any securities that are not Registrable Securities without the prior written consent of Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities included in such registration or offering and of the Lead Investor. If a Demand Registration or a Shelf Offering is an underwritten offering and the managing underwriters advise the Company in writing that in their opinion the number of Registrable Securities and, if permitted hereunder, other securities requested to be included in such offering exceeds the number of Registrable Securities and other securities, if any, that can be sold therein without adversely affecting the marketability, proposed offering price, timing or method of distribution of the offering, the Company shall include in such registration or offering, as applicable, (i) first, the Registrable Securities of Holders requested to be included in such registration which, in the opinion of the underwriters, can be sold without any such adverse effect, pro rata among such Holders on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities owned by each such Holder that such Holder of Registrable Securities shall have requested to be included therein, (ii) second, other securities requested to be included in such registration which, in the opinion of the underwriters, can be sold without any such adverse effect, and (iii) third, securities the Company requested to be included in such registration for its own account which, in the opinion of the underwriters, can be sold without any such adverse effect. Alternatively, if the number of Registrable Securities which can be included on a Shelf Registration Statement is otherwise limited by Instruction [I.B.5] to Form S-3 (or any successor provision thereto), the Company shall include in such registration or offering prior to the inclusion of any securities which are not Registrable Securities the number of Registrable Securities requested to be included which can be included on such Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of Form S-3, pro rata among the respective Holders thereof on the basis of the amount of Registrable Securities owned by each such Holder that such Holder of Registrable Securities shall have requested to be included therein.
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(f) Restrictions on Demand Registration and Shelf Offerings.
(i) The Company shall not be obligated to effect any Demand Registration within 90 days after the effective date of a previous Demand Registration or a previous registration in which Registrable Securities were included pursuant to Section 3. The Company may postpone, for up to 90 days from the date of the request, the filing or the effectiveness of a registration statement for a Demand Registration or suspend the use of a prospectus that is part of a Shelf Registration Statement for up to 90 days from the date of the Suspension Notice (as defined below) and therefore suspend sales of the Shelf Registrable Securities (such period, the Suspension Period) by providing written notice to the Holders of Registrable Securities or Shelf Registrable Securities, as applicable, if (A) the Companys board of directors determines in its reasonable good faith judgment that the offer or sale of Registrable Securities would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on any proposal or plan by the Company or any Subsidiary to engage in any material acquisition of assets or stock (other than in the ordinary course of business) or any material merger, consolidation, tender offer, recapitalization, reorganization or other transaction involving the Company or any Subsidiary, (B) upon advice of counsel, the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to the registration statement would require disclosure of MNPI not otherwise required to be disclosed under applicable law, and (C) either (x) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving the confidentiality of such transaction or (y) disclosure of such MNPI would have a material adverse effect on the Company or the Companys ability to consummate such transaction; provided that in such event, the Holders shall be entitled to withdraw such request for a Demand Registration or underwritten Shelf Offering and the Company shall pay all Registration Expenses in connection with such Demand Registration or Shelf Offering. The Company may delay a Demand Registration hereunder only once in any twelve-month period, except with the consent of the Lead Investor. The Company also may extend the Suspension Period with the consent of the Lead Investor.
(ii) In the case of an event that causes the Company to suspend the use of a Shelf Registration Statement as set forth in paragraph (f)(i) above or pursuant to applicable subsections of Section 5(a)(vi) (a Suspension Event), the Company shall give a notice to the Holders of Registrable Securities registered pursuant to such Shelf Registration Statement (a Suspension Notice) to suspend sales of the Registrable Securities and such notice shall state generally the basis for the notice and that such suspension shall continue only for so long as the Suspension Event or its effect is continuing. If the basis of such suspension is nondisclosure of MNPI, the Company shall not be required to disclose the subject matter of such MNPI to Holders. A Holder shall not effect any sales of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such Shelf Registration Statement (or such filings) at any time after it has received a Suspension Notice from the Company and prior to receipt of an End of Suspension Notice (as defined below). Each Holder agrees that such Holder shall treat as confidential the receipt of the Suspension Notice and shall not disclose or use the information contained in such Suspension Notice without the prior written consent of the
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Company or until such time as the information contained therein is or becomes available to the public generally, other than as a result of disclosure by the Holder in breach of the terms of this Agreement. Holders may recommence effecting sales of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement (or such filings) following further written notice to such effect (an End of Suspension Notice) from the Company, which End of Suspension Notice shall be given by the Company to the Holders and their counsel, if any, promptly following the conclusion of any Suspension Event provided that in no event shall an End of Suspension Notice be given after the end of the Suspension Period unless with the consent of the Lead Investor.
(iii) Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, if the Company gives a Suspension Notice with respect to any Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to this Section 2(f), the Company agrees that it shall (A) extend the period of time during which such Shelf Registration Statement shall be maintained effective pursuant to this Agreement by the number of days during the period from the date of receipt by the Holders of the Suspension Notice to and including the date of receipt by the Holders of the End of Suspension Notice, and (B) provide copies of any supplemented or amended prospectus necessary to resume sales, with respect to each Suspension Event; provided that such period of time shall not be extended beyond the date that there are no longer Registrable Securities covered by such Shelf Registration Statement.
(g) Selection of Underwriters. Holder(s) initiating any Demand Registration representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities included in such Demand Registration shall have the right to select the investment banker(s) and manager(s) to administer the offering (including assignment of titles), subject to the Companys approval not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. If any Shelf Offering is an Underwritten Takedown, the Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities participating in such Underwritten Takedown shall have the right to select the investment banker(s) and manager(s) to administer the offering relating to such Shelf Offering (including assignment of titles), subject to the Companys approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Lead Investor is participating in any Demand Registration or Underwritten Takedown, the relevant Holders will consult with the Lead Investor prior to appointing any investment banker(s) and manager(s) to administer the offering.
(h) Fulfillment of Registration Obligations. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, a registration requested pursuant to this Section 2 shall not be deemed to have been effected: (i) if the number of Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Long-Form Registration by the initiating Holders is cut back by the managing underwriters pursuant to Section 2(e) by more than twenty percent (20%); (ii) if the registration statement is withdrawn without becoming effective in accordance with Section 2(f) or otherwise without the consent of the initiating Holders; (iii) if after it has become effective such registration is interfered with by any stop order, injunction or other order or requirement of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other governmental authority for any reason other than a misrepresentation or an omission by the Holder making such Demand Registration, or an Affiliate of such Holder (other than the Company and its controlled Affiliates), and, as a result thereof, the Registrable Securities requested to be registered cannot be completely distributed in accordance with the plan of distribution set forth in the related registration statement; (iv) if the registration does not
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contemplate an underwritten offering, if it does not remain effective for at least 180 days (or such shorter period as will terminate when all securities covered by such registration statement have been sold or withdrawn); or if such registration statement contemplates an underwritten offering, if it does not remain effective for at least 180 days plus such longer period as, in the opinion of counsel for the underwriter or underwriters, a prospectus is required by applicable law to be delivered in connection with the sale of Registrable Securities by an underwriter or dealer; or (v) in the event of an underwritten offering, if the conditions to closing (including any condition relating to an overallotment option) specified in the purchase agreement or underwriting agreement entered into in connection with such registration are not satisfied or waived other than by reason of some wrongful act or omission by the Holder that made the Demand Registration, or an Affiliate of such Holder.
(i) Other Registration Rights. The Company represents and warrants that it is not a party to, or otherwise subject to, any other agreement granting registration rights to any other Person with respect to any securities of the Company. Except as provided in this Agreement, the Company shall not grant to any Persons the right to request the Company or any Subsidiary to register any Common Stock of the Company or of any Subsidiary, or any securities convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for such securities, without the prior written consent of the Lead Investor.
Section 3. Piggyback Registrations.
(a) Right to Piggyback. Following the IPO, whenever the Company proposes to register any of its securities under the Securities Act (other than (i) pursuant to a Demand Registration, (ii) in connection with registrations on Form S-4 or S-8 promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor or similar forms or (iii) a registration on any form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of Registrable Securities) and the registration form to be used may be used for the registration of Registrable Securities (a Piggyback Registration), the Company shall give prompt written notice to all Holders who hold Registrable Securities of its intention to effect such Piggyback Registration and, subject to the terms of Section 3(c), shall include in such Piggyback Registration (and in all related registrations or qualifications under blue sky laws and in any related underwriting) all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within fifteen days after delivery of the Companys notice.
(b) Piggyback Expenses. The Registration Expenses of the Holders shall be paid by the Company in all Piggyback Registrations, whether or not any such registration became effective.
(c) Priority on Primary Registrations. If a Piggyback Registration is an underwritten primary registration on behalf of the Company, and the managing underwriters advise the Company in writing that in their opinion the number of securities requested to be included in such registration exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering without adversely affecting the marketability, proposed offering price, timing or method of distribution of the offering, the Company shall include in such registration (i) first, the securities the Company proposes to sell, (ii) second, the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration which, in the opinion of the underwriters, can be sold without any such adverse effect, pro rata among the
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Holders on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities owned by each such Holder that such Holder of Registrable Securities shall have requested to be included therein, and (iii) third, other securities requested to be included in such registration which, in the opinion of the underwriters, can be sold without any such adverse effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall any Registrable Securities be excluded from such offering unless all other shareholders securities have been first excluded from the offering.
(d) Selection of Underwriters. If any Piggyback Registration is an underwritten offering, the selection of investment banker(s) and manager(s) for the offering shall be at the election of the Company (in the case of a primary registration) or at the election of the Holders of other Company securities requesting such registration (in the case of a secondary registration); provided that Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities included in such Piggyback Registration may request that one or more investment banker(s) or manager(s) be included in such offering (such request not to be binding on the Company or such other initiating Holders of Company securities).
(e) Right to Terminate Registration. The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this Section 3 whether or not any Holder has elected to include securities in such registration. The Registration Expenses of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Section 6.
Section 4. Lock-Up Agreements(a) . (a) In connection with the IPO, each Holder (each a Lock-Up Party) has entered into a customary lock-up agreement with Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, and Evercore Group L.L.C, as representatives (the Underwriter Representatives) of the several underwriters, pursuant to which each Lock-Up Party has agreed to certain restrictions relating to the shares of Common Stock and certain other securities held by them (collectively, the Lock-Up Restrictions) during the period ending 180 days after the date of the final prospectus issued in connection with the IPO (such period, the Lock-Up Period). Each Holder agrees (whether or not such Holder can participate in any such offering), (i) to the extent requested by a managing underwriter, if any, of the Public Offering pursuant to a registration or Public Offering pursuant to Section 2 or Section 3, to enter into a customary lock up agreement with the several underwriters, pursuant to which each such Holder will agree to certain Lock-Up Restrictions during a period not to exceed ninety (90) days from the pricing date of such Public Offering or such shorter period as the managing underwriter shall agree.
Section 5. Registration Procedures.
(a) Whenever the Holders have requested that any Registrable Securities be registered pursuant to this Agreement or have initiated a Shelf Offering, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration and the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall as expeditiously as possible:
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(i) in accordance with the Securities Act and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (subject to the availability of required financial information) a registration statement, and all amendments and supplements thereto and related prospectuses, with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective (provided that at least five Business Days before filing a registration statement or prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto, the Company shall furnish to the counsel selected by the Holder(s) initiating a Demand Registration or, in all other cases, the Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement copies of all such documents proposed to be filed, which documents shall be subject to the review and comment of such counsel);
(ii) notify each Holder of Registrable Securities of (A) the issuance by the Securities and Exchange Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose, (B) the receipt by the Company or its counsel of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and (C) the effectiveness of each registration statement filed hereunder;
(iii) prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission such amendments and supplements to such registration statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep such registration statement effective for a period ending when all of the securities covered by such registration statement have been disposed of in accordance with the intended methods of distribution by the sellers thereof set forth in such registration statement (but in any event not before the expiration of any longer period required under the Securities Act or, if such registration statement relates to an underwritten Public Offering, such longer period as in the opinion of counsel for the underwriters a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with sale of Registrable Securities by an underwriter or dealer) and comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement during such period in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the sellers thereof set forth in such registration statement;
(iv) furnish to each seller of Registrable Securities thereunder such number of copies of such registration statement, each amendment and supplement thereto, the prospectus included in such registration statement (including each preliminary prospectus), each Free-Writing Prospectus and such other documents as such seller may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such seller;
(v) use its reasonable best efforts to register or qualify such Registrable Securities under such other securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as any seller reasonably requests and do any and all other acts and things which may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable such seller to consummate the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities owned by such seller (provided that the Company shall not be required to (A) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this subparagraph, (B) consent to general service of process in any such jurisdiction or (C) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction);
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(vi) notify each seller of such Registrable Securities (A) promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the date and time when such registration statement and each post-effective amendment thereto has become effective or a prospectus or supplement to any prospectus relating to a registration statement has been filed and when any registration or qualification has become effective under a state securities or blue sky law or any exemption thereunder has been obtained, (B) promptly after receipt thereof, of any request by the Securities and Exchange Commission for the amendment or supplementing of such registration statement or prospectus or for additional information and (C) at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event as a result of which the prospectus included in such registration statement contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits any fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and, subject to Section 2(f), at the request of any such seller, the Company shall prepare a supplement or amendment to such prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such Registrable Securities, such prospectus shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;
(vii) use reasonable best efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed and, if not so listed, to be listed on a securities exchange and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to arrange for at least two market markers to register as such with respect to such Registrable Securities with FINRA;
(viii) use reasonable efforts to provide a transfer agent and registrar for all such Registrable Securities not later than the effective date of such registration statement;
(ix) enter into and perform such customary agreements (including underwriting agreements in customary form) and take all such other actions as the Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities being sold or the underwriters, if any, reasonably request in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities (including, without limitation, effecting a stock split, combination of shares, recapitalization or reorganization);
(x) make available for inspection by any seller of Registrable Securities, any underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by any such seller or underwriter, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate and business documents and properties of the Company as shall be necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence responsibility, and cause the Companys officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives and independent accountants to supply all information reasonably requested by any such seller, underwriter, attorney, accountant or agent in connection with such registration statement;
(xi) take all reasonable actions to ensure that any Free-Writing Prospectus utilized in connection with any Demand Registration or Piggyback Registration hereunder complies in all material respects with the Securities Act, is filed in accordance with the Securities Act to the extent required thereby, is retained in accordance with the Securities Act to the extent required thereby and, when taken together with the related prospectus, shall not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
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(xii) otherwise use its reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve months beginning with the first day of the Companys first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the registration statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158;
(xiii) to the extent that a Holder, in its sole and exclusive judgment, might be deemed to be an underwriter of any Registrable Securities or a controlling person of the Company, permit such Holder to participate in the preparation of such registration or comparable statement and allow such Holder to provide language for insertion therein, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, which in the reasonable judgment of such Holder and its counsel should be included;
(xiv) in the event of the issuance of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a registration statement, or the issuance of any order suspending or preventing the use of any related prospectus or suspending the qualification of any Shares included in such registration statement for sale in any jurisdiction, use reasonable efforts promptly to obtain the withdrawal of such order;
(xv) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary to enable the sellers thereof to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities;
(xvi) cooperate with the Holders of Registrable Securities covered by the registration statement and the managing underwriter or agent, if any, to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates (not bearing any restrictive legends) representing securities to be sold under the registration statement and enable such securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as the managing underwriter, or agent, if any, or such Holders may request;
(xvii) cooperate with each Holder of Registrable Securities covered by the registration statement and each underwriter or agent participating in the disposition of such Registrable Securities and their respective counsel in connection with any filings required to be made with FINRA;
(xviii) use its reasonable best efforts to make available the executive officers of the Company to participate with the Holders of Registrable Securities covered by the registration statement and any underwriters in any road shows or other selling efforts that may be reasonably requested by the Holders in connection with the methods of distribution for the Registrable Securities;
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(xix) in the case of any underwritten Public Offering, use its reasonable best efforts to obtain one or more cold comfort letters from the Companys independent public accountants in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by cold comfort letters as the Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities being sold reasonably request;
(xx) in the case of any underwritten Public Offering, use its reasonable best efforts to provide a legal opinion of the Companys outside counsel, dated the closing date of the Public Offering, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by legal opinions of such nature, which opinion shall be addressed to the underwriters and the Holders of such Registrable Securities being sold;
(xxi) if the Company files an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement covering any Registrable Securities, use its reasonable best efforts to remain a WKSI (and not become an ineligible issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act)) during the period during which such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement is required to remain effective;
(xxii) if the Company does not pay the filing fee covering the Registrable Securities at the time an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement is filed, pay such fee at such time or times as the Registrable Securities are to be sold; and
(xxiii) if the Automatic Shelf Registration Statement has been outstanding for at least three (3) years, at the end of the third year, file a new Automatic Shelf Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities, and, if at any time when the Company is required to re-evaluate its WKSI status the Company determines that it is not a WKSI, use its reasonable efforts to refile the Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 and, if such form is not available, Form S-1 and keep such registration statement effective during the period during which such registration statement is required to be kept effective.
(b) Any officer of the Company who is a Holder agrees that if and for so long as he or she is employed by the Company or any Subsidiary thereof, he or she shall participate fully in the sale process in a manner customary and reasonable for persons in like positions and consistent with his or her other duties with the Company and in accordance with applicable law, including the preparation of the registration statement and the preparation and presentation of any road shows.
(c) The Company may require each Holder requesting, or electing to participate in, any registration to furnish the Company such information regarding such Holder and the distribution of such Registrable Securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably request in writing and as is required to effect any such registration.
(d) If the Holders or any of their respective Affiliates seek to effectuate one or more distribution(s), sale(s) or other form of transfer(s) of all or part of their respective Registrable Securities to their respective direct or indirect equityholders, the Company shall, subject to any applicable lock-ups, work with the foregoing persons to facilitate such distribution in the manner reasonably requested, and such distributee shall have the right to become a party to this Agreement by an executed joinder to this Agreement in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (a Joinder) and thereby have all of the rights of such distributing Holder under this Agreement, other than the Demand Registration rights of the Lead Investor.
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Section 6. Registration Expenses.
(a) The Companys Obligation. All expenses incident to the Companys performance of or compliance with this Agreement (including, without limitation, all registration, qualification and filing fees, fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws, printing expenses, messenger and delivery expenses, fees and disbursements of custodians, and fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and all independent certified public accountants, underwriters (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions) and other Persons retained by the Company) (all such expenses being herein called Registration Expenses), shall be borne by the Company, and for the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall, in any event, pay its internal expenses (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit or quarterly review, the expense of any liability insurance and the expenses and fees for listing the securities to be registered on each securities exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed. Each Person that sells securities pursuant to a Demand Registration or Piggyback Registration hereunder shall bear and pay all underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the securities sold for such Persons account.
(b) Counsel Fees and Disbursements. In connection with each Demand Registration, each Piggyback Registration and each Shelf Offering, the Company shall reimburse the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration for the reasonable fees and disbursements of not more than one law firm (as selected by the Lead Investor, if participating in such registration, and otherwise by Holders a majority of the number of shares of Registrable Securities included in such registration).
Section 7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) By the Company. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder, such Holders officers, directors, managers, employees, partners, stockholders, members, trustees, Affiliates, agents and representatives, and each Person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) (the Holder Indemnified Parties) against all losses, claims, actions, damages, liabilities and expenses (including with respect to actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, and including reasonable attorney fees and expenses) caused by, resulting from, arising out of, based upon or related to any of the following statements, omissions or violations (each a Violation) by the Company: (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in (A) any registration statement, prospectus, preliminary prospectus or Free-Writing Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or (B) any application or other document or communication (in this Section 7, collectively called an application) executed by or on behalf of the Company or based upon written information furnished by or on behalf of the Company filed in any jurisdiction in order to qualify any securities covered by such registration under the securities laws thereof, (ii) any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act or any other similar federal or state securities laws or any rule or regulation
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promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company and relating to action or inaction required of the Company in connection with any such registration, qualification or compliance. In addition, the Company will reimburse such Holder Indemnified Party for any legal or any other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such losses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such losses result from, arise out of, are based upon, or relate to an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission, made in such registration statement, any such prospectus, preliminary prospectus or Free-Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any application, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information prepared and furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder Indemnified Party expressly for use therein or by such Holder Indemnified Partys failure to deliver a copy of the registration statement or prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto after the Company has furnished such Holder Indemnified Party with a sufficient number of copies of the same. In connection with an underwritten offering, the Company shall indemnify such underwriters, their officers and directors, and each Person who controls such underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided above with respect to the indemnification of the Holder Indemnified Parties.
(b) By Each Holder. In connection with any registration statement in which a Holder is participating, each such Holder shall furnish to the Company in writing such information as the Company reasonably requests which is required for use in connection with any such registration statement or prospectus and, to the extent permitted by law, shall indemnify the Company, its officers, directors, managers, employees, agents and representatives, and each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses resulting from any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in the registration statement, prospectus or preliminary prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing by such Holder; provided that the obligation to indemnify shall be individual, not joint and several, for each Holder and shall be limited to the net amount of proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such registration statement.
(c) Claim Procedure. Any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall impair any Persons right to indemnification hereunder only to the extent such failure has prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (ii) unless in such indemnified partys reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. In such instance, the conflicted indemnified parties shall have a right to retain one separate counsel, chosen by the Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities included in the registration by such Holders that are conflicted indemnified parties, at the expense of the indemnifying party.
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(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to, or is insufficient to hold harmless, an indemnified party or is otherwise unenforceable with respect to any loss, claim, damage, liability or action referred to herein, then the indemnifying party shall contribute to the amounts paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, liability or action in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and of the indemnified party on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided that the maximum amount of liability in respect of such contribution shall be limited, in the case of each seller of Registrable Securities, to an amount equal to the net proceeds actually received by such seller from the sale of Registrable Securities effected pursuant to such registration. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just or equitable if the contribution pursuant to this Section 7(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account such equitable considerations. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to herein shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending against any action or claim which is the subject hereof. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(t) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who is not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
(e) Release. No indemnifying party shall, except with the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement that does not include as an unconditional term thereof giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 7, an indemnifying party shall not be liable for any amounts paid in settlement of any loss, claim, damage, liability, or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of the indemnifying party, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.
(f) Non-exclusive Remedy; Survival. The indemnification and contribution provided for under this Agreement shall be in addition to any other rights to indemnification or contribution that any indemnified party may have pursuant to law or contract and shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling Person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of Registrable Securities and the termination or expiration of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the provisions on indemnification and contribution contained in the underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering are in conflict with the foregoing provisions, the provisions in the underwriting agreement shall control.
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Section 8. Underwritten Registrations.
(a) Participation. No Person may participate in any Public Offering hereunder which is underwritten unless such Person (i) agrees to sell such Persons securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Person or Persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements (including, without limitation, pursuant to any over-allotment or green shoe option requested by the underwriters; provided that no Holder shall be required to sell more than the number of Registrable Securities such Holder has requested to include) and (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements, custody agreements and other documents required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements. Each Holder shall execute and deliver such other agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Company and the lead managing underwriter(s) that are consistent with such Holders obligations under Section 4, Section 5 and this Section 8(a) or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. To the extent that any such agreement is entered into pursuant to, and consistent with, Section 4 and this Section 8(a), the respective rights and obligations created under such agreement shall supersede the respective rights and obligations of the Holders, the Company and the underwriters created pursuant to this Section 8(a).
(b) Price and Underwriting Discounts. In the case of an underwritten Demand Registration or Underwritten Takedown requested by the Holders pursuant to this Agreement, the price, underwriting discount and other financial terms of the related underwriting agreement for the Registrable Securities shall be determined by (i) the Holders representing a Majority of the Registrable Securities included in such underwritten offering and, (ii) solely to the extent participating in the Public Offering, the Lead Investor.
(c) Suspended Distributions. Each Person that is participating in any registration under this Agreement, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 5(a)(vi)(B) or (C), shall immediately discontinue the disposition of its Registrable Securities pursuant to the registration statement until such Persons receipt of the copies of a supplemented or amended prospectus as contemplated by Section 5(a)(vi). In the event the Company has given any such notice, the applicable time period set forth in Section 5(a)(iii) during which a registration statement is to remain effective shall be extended by the number of days during the period from and including the date of the giving of such notice pursuant to this Section 8(c) to and including the date when each seller of Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement shall have received the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 5(a)(vi).
Section 9. Additional Parties; Joinder. Subject to the prior written consent of the Lead Investor, the Company may make any Person who acquires Shares or rights to acquire Shares from the Company after the date hereof a party to this Agreement (each such Person, an Additional Holder) and to succeed to all of the rights and obligations of a Holder under this Agreement by obtaining a Joinder from such Additional Holder in the form of Exhibit A hereto. Upon the execution and delivery of a Joinder by such Additional Holder, the Shares (or Shares to be issued upon the conversion of the undersigneds shares convertible into Shares) of the Company acquired by such Additional Holder (the Acquired Shares) shall be Registrable Securities to the extent provided herein, such Additional Holder shall be a Holder under this Agreement with respect to the Acquired Shares, and the Company shall add such Additional Holders name and address to the Schedule of Holders and circulate such information to the parties to this Agreement.
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Section 10. Rule 144. At all times after the Company has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the requirements of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Company shall (i) make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144, at all times after the effective date of the IPO, (ii) file all reports and other documents required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (iii) furnish to any Holder, so long as the Holder owns any Registrable Securities, forthwith upon request (A) to the extent accurate, a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of Rule 144 (at any time after ninety (90) days after the effective date of the first registration statement filed by the Company), the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (at any time after it has become subject to such reporting requirements), or that it qualifies as a registrant whose securities may be resold pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after it so qualifies), (B) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents so filed by the Company, which may be furnished through the Companys filing on the Securities and Exchange Commissions EDGAR site, and (C) such other information as may be reasonably requested to avail any Holder of any rule or regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission that permits the selling of any such securities without registration (at any time after the Company has become subject to the reporting requirements under the Securities Act or pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after the Company so qualifies to use such form)), and (iv) shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, including (x) instructing the transfer agent for the Registrable Securities to remove restrictive legends from any Registrable Securities sold pursuant to Rule 144 (to the extent such removal is permitted under Rule 144 and other applicable law), and (y) cooperating with the Holder of such Registrable Securities to facilitate the transfer of such securities through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, in such amounts and credited to such accounts as such Holder may request (or, if applicable, the preparation and delivery of certificates representing such securities, in such denominations and registered in such names as such Holder may request), all to the extent required to enable the Holders to sell Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 144. Upon request, the Company shall deliver to any Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements.
Section 11. Transfer of Registrable Securities. Section 12. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, except in the case of (i) a transfer to the Company, (ii) a transfer by any Holder or any of its Affiliates to its respective equityholders, (iii) a Public Offering, (iv) a sale pursuant to Rule 144 after the completion of the IPO or (v) a transfer in connection with a sale of the Company, prior to transferring any Registrable Securities to any Person (including, without limitation, by operation of law), the transferring Holder shall cause the prospective transferee to execute and deliver to the Company a Joinder agreeing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Lead Investor effectuates one or more distribution(s), sale(s) or other form of transfer(s) such that any of its Affiliates holds any of its Registrable Securities directly rather than indirectly through the Lead Investor, then, to the extent designated by the Lead Investor, such Affiliate shall each constitute a Lead Investor and shall each have the rights of the Lead Investor under this Agreement; provided, that the Lead Investor and each Affiliate of the Lead Investor deemed to be a Lead Investor pursuant to this Section 11 shall
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acknowledge and agree that to the extent there are multiple Lead Investors, the rights exercisable by those Lead Investors under this Agreement will be controlled by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities held by such Lead Investors. Any transfer or attempted transfer of any Registrable Securities in violation of any provision of this Agreement shall be void, and the Company shall not record such transfer on its books or treat any purported transferee of such Registrable Securities as the owner thereof for any purpose.
Section 13. MNPI Provisions.
(a) Each Holder acknowledges that the provisions of this Agreement that require communications by the Company or other Holders to such Holder may result in such Holder and its Representatives (as defined below) acquiring MNPI (which may include, solely by way of illustration, the fact that an offering of the Companys securities is pending or the number of Company securities or the identity of the selling Holders).
(b) Each Holder agrees that it will maintain the confidentiality of such MNPI and, to the extent such Holder is not a natural person, such confidential treatment shall be in accordance with procedures adopted by it in good faith to protect confidential information of third parties delivered to such Holder (Policies); provided that a Holder may deliver or disclose MNPI to (i) its directors, officers, employees, agents, attorneys, affiliates and financial and other advisors, but solely to the extent such disclosure reasonably relates to its evaluation of exercise of its rights under this Agreement and the sale of any Registrable Securities in connection with the subject of the notice, (ii) any federal or state regulatory authority having jurisdiction over such Holder, (iii) any Person if necessary to effect compliance with any law, rule, regulation or order applicable to such Holder, (iv) in response to any subpoena or other legal process, or (v) in connection with any litigation to which such Holder is a party; provided further, that in the case of clause (i), the recipients of such MNPI are subject to the Policies or agree to hold confidential the MNPI in a manner substantially consistent with the terms of this Section 13 and that in the case of clauses (ii) through (v), such disclosure is required by law and such Holder shall promptly notify the Company of such disclosure to the extent such Holder is legally permitted to give such notice.
(c) Each Holder shall have the right, at any time and from time to time (including after receiving information regarding any potential Public Offering), to elect to not receive any notice that the Company or any other Holders otherwise are required to deliver pursuant to this Agreement by delivering to the Company a written statement signed by such Holder that it does not want to receive any notices hereunder (an Opt-Out Request); in which case and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement the Company and other Holders shall not be required to, and shall not, deliver any notice or other information required to be provided to Holders hereunder to the extent that the Company or such other Holders reasonably expect would result in a Holder acquiring MNPI. An Opt-Out Request may state a date on which it expires or, if no such date is specified, shall remain in effect indefinitely. A Holder who previously has given the Company an Opt-Out Request may revoke such request at any time, and there shall be no limit on the ability of a Holder to issue and revoke subsequent Opt-Out Requests; provided that each Holder shall use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize the administrative burden on the Company arising in connection with any such Opt-Out Requests.
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Section 14. Termination of Registration Rights. The right of any Holder to request registration or inclusion of Registrable Securities in any registration pursuant to Section 2 or Section 3 terminate upon the earliest to occur of:
(a) when, following a Public Offering, all of such Holders Registrable Securities may be disposed of pursuant to Rule 144 in a single transaction without volume limitation or other restrictions on transfer thereunder; or
(b) the fifth anniversary of the IPO.
Section 15. Preferential Participation Rights. If any shareholder of the Company has more preferential participation or registration rights, either at or after the IPO, than the Lead Investor, then the Company shall ensure that the Lead Investor will be automatically granted such preferential rights to the extent permitted under applicable law.
Section 16. General Provisions.
(a) Amendments and Waivers. Except as otherwise provided herein, the provisions of this Agreement may be amended, modified, terminated or waived only with the prior written consent of the Company and the Lead Investor; provided that no such amendment, modification, termination or waiver that would materially and adversely affect a Holder (provided that the accession by Additional Holders to this Agreement pursuant to Section 9 shall not be deemed to adversely affect any Holder), shall be effective against such Holder without the consent of such Holder that is materially and adversely affected thereby. The failure or delay of any Person to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall in no way be construed as a waiver of such provisions and shall not affect the right of such Person thereafter to enforce each and every provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms. A waiver or consent to or of any breach or default by any Person in the performance by that Person of his, her or its obligations under this Agreement shall not be deemed to be a consent or waiver to or of any other breach or default in the performance by that Person of the same or any other obligations of that Person under this Agreement.
(b) Remedies. The parties to this Agreement shall be entitled to enforce their rights under this Agreement specifically (without posting a bond or other security), to recover damages caused by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights existing in their favor. The parties hereto agree and acknowledge that a breach of this Agreement would cause irreparable harm and money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any such breach and that, in addition to any other rights and remedies existing hereunder, any party shall be entitled to specific performance and/or other injunctive relief from any court of law or equity of competent jurisdiction (without posting any bond or other security) in order to enforce or prevent violation of the provisions of this Agreement.
(c) Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be prohibited, invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under any applicable law or regulation in any jurisdiction, such prohibition, invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement in such jurisdiction or in any other jurisdiction, but this Agreement shall be reformed, construed and enforced in such jurisdiction as if such prohibited, invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein.
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(d) Effectiveness. This Agreement shall become effective upon the Effective Date. In the event the IPO is abandoned at any time after the Effective Date and prior to the closing of the IPO not consummated by November 30, 2021, this Agreement shall automatically terminate and be of no further force or effect without action on the part of any party hereto and the Prior Agreement shall be reinstated and will continue in full force and effect.
(e) Entire Agreement. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement contains the complete agreement and understanding among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes and preempts any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties hereto, written or oral, which may have related to the subject matter hereof in any way, including the Prior Agreement.
(f) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit and be enforceable by the Company and its successors and assigns and the Holders and their respective successors and assigns (whether so expressed or not). In addition, whether or not any express assignment has been made, the provisions of this Agreement which are for the benefit Holders are also for the benefit of, and enforceable by, any subsequent or successor Holder. Any Holder may assign its rights and obligation under this agreement to its Affiliates, provided that such Affiliates enters into a joinder to this Agreement.
(g) Notices. Any notice, demand or other communication to be given under or by reason of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given (i) when delivered personally to the recipient, (ii) when sent by confirmed electronic mail or facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient but, if not, then on the next Business Day, (iii) one Business Day after it is sent to the recipient by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid) or (iv) three Business Days after it is mailed to the recipient by first class mail, return receipt requested. Such notices, demands and other communications shall be sent to the Company at the address specified below and to any Holder or to any other party subject to this Agreement at such address as indicated on the Schedule of Holders, or at such address or to the attention of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by prior written notice to the sending party. Any party may change such partys address for receipt of notice by providing prior written notice of the change to the sending party as provided herein.
The Companys address is:
c/o The Vita Coco Company, Inc.
250 Park Avenue South, Seventh floor
New York, NY 10003
Attn: General Counsel
Email: ygoettsch@vitacoco.com
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With a copy to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Attn: Ian D. Schuman, Esq.; Stelios G. Saffos
Email: ####; ####
The Lead Investors address is:
c/o Verlinvest Beverages SA
Place Eugène Flagey 18
1050 Ixelles, Belgium
Attention: Rafaël Hulpiau and Anne-Sophie De Clercq
Email: ####; ####
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice or service of process) to:
Verlinvest USA, Inc.
215 Park Ave. South, Suite 2005
New York, NY 10003
Attention: Clément Pointillart
Max Levine
Email: ####
####
and
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
30 Rockefeller Center
New York, New York 10112
Attention: Ariel Yehezkel
Email: ####
or to such other address or to the attention of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by prior written notice to the sending party.
(h) Business Days. If any time period for giving notice or taking action hereunder expires on a day that is not a Business Day, the time period shall automatically be extended to the immediately following Business Day.
(i) Governing Law. The corporate law of the State of Delaware shall govern all issues and questions concerning the relative rights of the Company and its shareholders. All other issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforcement of this Agreement and the exhibits and schedules hereto shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.
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(j) MUTUAL WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. AS A SPECIFICALLY BARGAINED FOR INDUCEMENT FOR EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT (AFTER HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSULT WITH COUNSEL), EACH PARTY HERETO EXPRESSLY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LAWSUIT OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO OR ARISING IN ANY WAY FROM THIS AGREEMENT OR THE MATTERS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
(k) CONSENT TO JURISDICTION AND SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH OF THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LOCATED IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF NEW YORK BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE PURPOSES OF ANY SUIT, ACTION OR OTHER PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, ANY RELATED AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO FURTHER AGREES THAT SERVICE OF ANY PROCESS, SUMMONS, NOTICE OR DOCUMENT BY U.S. REGISTERED MAIL TO SUCH PARTYS RESPECTIVE ADDRESS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL BE EFFECTIVE SERVICE OF PROCESS FOR ANY ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTERS TO WHICH IT HAS SUBMITTED TO JURISDICTION IN THIS PARAGRAPH. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, ANY RELATED DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE, AND HEREBY AND THEREBY FURTHER IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES AND AGREES NOT TO PLEAD OR CLAIM IN ANY SUCH COURT THAT ANY SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN ANY SUCH COURT HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM.
(l) No Recourse. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company and each Holder agrees and acknowledges that no recourse under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection with this Agreement, shall be had against any current or future director, officer, employee, general or limited partner or member of any Holder or of any Affiliate or assignee thereof, whether by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding, or by virtue of any statute, regulation or other applicable law, it being expressly agreed and acknowledged that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, be imposed on or otherwise be incurred by any current or future officer, agent or employee of any Holder or any current or future member of any Holder or any current or future director, officer, employee, partner or member of any Holder or of any Affiliate or assignee thereof, as such for any obligation of any Holder under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection with this Agreement for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation.
(m) Descriptive Headings; Interpretation. The descriptive headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute a part of this Agreement. The use of the word including in this Agreement shall be by way of example rather than by limitation.
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(n) No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.
(o) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, any one of which need not contain the signature of more than one party, but all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
(p) Electronic Delivery. This Agreement, the agreements referred to herein, and each other agreement or instrument entered into in connection herewith or therewith or contemplated hereby or thereby, and any amendments hereto or thereto, to the extent executed and delivered by means of a photographic, photostatic, facsimile or similar reproduction of such signed writing using a facsimile machine or electronic mail shall be treated in all manner and respects as an original agreement or instrument and shall be considered to have the same binding legal effect as if it were the original signed version thereof delivered in person. At the request of any party hereto or to any such agreement or instrument, each other party hereto or thereto shall re-execute original forms thereof and deliver them to all other parties. No party hereto or to any such agreement or instrument shall raise the use of a facsimile machine or electronic mail to deliver a signature or the fact that any signature or agreement or instrument was transmitted or communicated through the use of a facsimile machine or electronic mail as a defense to the formation or enforceability of a contract and each such party forever waives any such defense.
(q) Further Assurances. In connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, each Holder shall execute and deliver any additional documents and instruments and perform any additional acts that may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate and perform the provisions of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
(r) No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company shall not hereafter enter into any agreement with respect to its securities which is inconsistent with or violates the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement.
(s) Affiliates. All Registrable Securities held or acquired by Affiliated entities or Persons shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement.
* * * * *
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
THE VITA COCO COMPANY, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Martin Roper | |
Name: | Martin Roper | |
Title: | Co-Chief Executive Officer |
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THE LEAD INVESTOR: | ||
VERLINVEST BEVERAGES SA | ||
By: | /s/ Axelle Henry | |
Name: | Axelle Henry | |
Title: | CFO | |
By: | /s/ Eric Melloul | |
Name: | Eric Melloul | |
Title: | Director |
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RW VC S.A.R.L. | ||
By: | ||
its | ||
By: | /s/ Yi-Chun Lai | |
Name: | Yi-Chun Lai | |
Title: | Class A Manager | |
/s/ Michael Kirban | ||
Michael Kirban | ||
/s/ Ira Liran | ||
Ira Liran | ||
/s/ Kenneth R. Sadowsky | ||
Kenneth R. Sadowsky | ||
/s/ John Sadowsky | ||
John Sadowsky | ||
/s/ Stuart Kirban | ||
Stuart Kirban | ||
/s/ Charles Ochman | ||
Charles Ochman |
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SCHEDULE OF HOLDERS
Holder |
RW VC S.A.R.L. Michael Kirban Ira Liran |
Kenneth R. Sadowsky
John Sadowsky
Stuart Kirban
Charles Ochman
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EXHIBIT A
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT JOINDER
The undersigned is executing and delivering this Joinder pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of _____, 2021 (as the same may hereafter be amended, the Registration Rights Agreement), among The Vita Coco Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), and the other persons named as parties therein. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Joinder have the meanings ascribed to them in the Registration Rights Agreement.
By executing and delivering this Joinder to the Registration Rights Agreement, and upon acceptance hereof by the Company upon the execution of a counterpart hereof, the undersigned hereby agrees to become a party to, to be bound by, and to comply with the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement as a Holder of Registrable Securities in the same manner as if the undersigned were an original signatory to the Registration Rights Agreement, and the undersigneds Shares shall be included as Registrable Securities under the Registration Rights Agreement to the extent provided therein. The Company is directed to add the address below the undersigneds signature on this Joinder to the Schedule of Holders attached to the Registration Rights Agreement.
Accordingly, the undersigned has executed and delivered this Joinder as of the day of _______________, 20__.
Signature of Shareholder |
|
Print Name of Shareholder |
Its: |
Address: |
Agreed and Accepted as of _______________, 20__
The Vita Coco Company, Inc. | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Its: |
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Exhibit 10.2
Certain portions of this exhibit (indicated by ####) have been omitted pursuant to Regulation S-K, Item 601(a)(6).
INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this Agreement), dated as of October 20, 2021 (the Effective Date), is among The Vita Coco Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), Verlinvest Beverages SA, a company organized and existing under Belgian law (Verlinvest), Michael Kirban and Ira Liran.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, each of Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and the Ira Liran (and/or their respective Affiliates) are party to that certain Third Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, dated as of January 15, 2021 (the Prior Agreement);
WHEREAS, the Company is contemplating an offering and sale of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock) in an underwritten initial public offering (the IPO);
WHEREAS, in order to induce the parties hereto (x) to approve the sale and issuance of Common Stock in connection with the IPO and (y) to take such other actions as shall be necessary to effectuate the transactions contemplated by the IPO, the parties hereto desire to set forth the agreement with respect to the matters set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement shall become effective upon the Effective Date, and in the event the IPO is abandoned at any time after the Effective Date prior to the closing of the IPO this Agreement shall automatically terminate and be of no further force or effect without further action on the part of any party hereto and the Prior Agreement shall remain in place in full force and effect.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and agreements contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, effective as of the Effective Date, the parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS; RULES OF CONSTRUCTION
SECTION 1.01 Definitions. The following terms, as used herein, have the following meanings:
Affiliate means, (i) with respect to any Person generally, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person, and (ii) with respect to any Person that is an individual, his or her spouse, parent, grandparent, child, stepchild or grandchild, or the spouse thereof (each, and Immediate Family Member), or a trust (or other estate planning vehicle) or similar entity of which there are no principal beneficiaries other than any one or more of such individuals or any of the Immediate Family Members of such individuals, and (iii) with respect to any Person that is a partnership or a limited liability company, the general or limited partners thereof, the members or managers thereof, and the record owners of equity securities of such general or limited partners and such members or managers. For the purposes of this definition, control when used with respect to any Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms controlling and controlled have meanings correlative to the foregoing. No Person shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of another Person solely by virtue of the fact that both Persons own shares of the Companys Capital Stock.
Agreement has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.
Bylaws means the amended and restated bylaws of the Company, dated as of the date hereof, as the same may be further amended, restated, amended and restated or otherwise modified from time to time.
Capital Stock means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights in or other equivalents (however designated) of such Persons capital stock, and any rights, warrants or options exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into such capital stock.
Charter means the amended and restated certificate of incorporation of the Company, effective as of the date hereof, as the same may be further amended, restated, amended and restated or otherwise modified from time to time.
Common Stock has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.
Company has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
Effective Date has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
Permitted Transferee means:
(i) a charitable organization that is controlled by such stockholder or a community foundation which permits donor participation in directing charitable donations from charitable gifts given by such stockholder;
(ii) any Affiliate of such stockholder;
(iii) to the extent such stockholder is an investment fund, (a) any Related Person of such stockholder, (b) any investor in such stockholder that receives a pro rata distribution of shares of Common Stock to all investors in such stockholder, and (c) any Person acquiring all or substantially all of the investment portfolio of such stockholder;
provided, that in any of such cases, such Permitted Transferee (i) is an accredited investor within the meaning of Regulation D under the 1933 Act and (ii) executes a Joinder Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.
Kirban Designees has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(b).
Liran Designees has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(c).
Person means an individual, a corporation, a general or limited partnership, a limited liability company, a joint stock company, an association, a trust or any other entity or organization, including a government, a political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.
Related Person means, with respect to any Person, (i) an Affiliate of such Person, (ii) any investment manager, investment partnership, investment adviser or general partner of such Person, (iii) any investment fund, investment partnership, investment account or other investment Person whose investment manager, investment adviser, managing member or general partner is such Person or a Related Person of such Person and (iv) any equity investor, partner, officer, member or manager of such Person; provided, however, that no Person shall be deemed an Affiliate of another Person solely by virtue of the fact that both Persons own shares of the Capital Stock of the Company.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933.
Verlinvest means Verlinvest Beverages SA.
Verlinvest Designees has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(a).
SECTION 1.02 Rules of Construction.
(a) Whenever any provision of this Agreement calls for any calculation based on a number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding or held by a stockholder, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding or held by that stockholder, unless specifically stated otherwise, as applicable, shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock then issued and outstanding or owned by the stockholder and its Permitted Transferees.
(b) Any provision of this Agreement that refers to the words include, includes or including shall be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation. References to numbered or letter articles, sections and subsections refer to articles, sections and subsections, respectively, of this Agreement unless expressly stated otherwise. All references to this Agreement include, whether or not expressly referenced, the Exhibits and Schedules attached hereto. References to a Section, paragraph, Exhibit or Schedule shall be to a Section or paragraph of, or Exhibit or Schedule to, this Agreement unless otherwise indicated. The words hereof, herein and hereunder and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement. The word or when used in this Agreement is not exclusive. The definitions contained in this Agreement are applicable to the singular as well as the plural forms of such terms. Any agreement, instrument, law or statute defined or referred to herein or in any agreement or instrument that is referred to herein means such agreement, instrument, or statute as from time to time amended, modified or supplemented, including (in the case of agreements or instruments) by waiver or consent and (in the case of statutes) by succession of comparable successor statutes and references to all attachments thereto and instruments incorporated therein unless otherwise indicated. References to a Person are also to its permitted successors and assigns. In the event that any claim is made by any Person relating to any conflict, omission or ambiguity in this Agreement, no presumption or burden of proof or persuasion shall be implied by virtue of the fact that this Agreement was prepared by or at the request of a particular Person or its counsel.
ARTICLE II.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
Each of the parties hereby severally represents and warrants to each of the other parties as follows:
SECTION 2.01 Authority; Enforceability. Such party (a) has the legal capacity or organizational power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement and (b) (in the case of parties that are not natural persons) is duly organized and validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such party and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of such party, enforceable against such party in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and to the exercise of judicial discretion in accordance with general principles of equity (whether applied by a court of law or of equity).
SECTION 2.02 Consent. No consent, waiver, approval, authorization, exemption, registration, license or declaration is required to be made or obtained by such party, other than those that have been made or obtained on or prior to the date hereof, in connection with (a) the execution or delivery of this Agreement or (b) the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby.
ARTICLE III.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 3.01 Election of the Board of Directors.
(a) Verlinvest Designees.
(i) Subject to this Section 3.01, Verlinvest shall have the right, but not the obligation, to nominate to the Board (such nominees, the Verlinvest Designees) (subject to their election by the stockholders of the Company) up to three directors from time to time. The Verlinvest Designees shall be apportioned among the three (3) classes of directors as nearly equal in number as possible. The right of Verlinvest to nominate the Verlinvest Designees as set forth in this Section 3.01(a) shall be subject to the following:
(a) if at any time Verlinvest and its Permitted Transferees beneficially own, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate at least 30% or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, Verlinvest shall be entitled to nominate three Verlinvest Designees;
(b) if at any time Verlinvest and its Permitted Transferees beneficially own, directly or indirectly, less than 30% but at least 20% or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, Verlinvest shall be entitled to nominate two Verlinvest Designees;
(c) if at any time Verlinvest and its Permitted Transferees beneficially own, directly or indirectly, less than 20% but at least 10% or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, Verlinvest shall be entitled to nominate one Verlinvest Designee; and
(d) Verlinvest shall not be entitled to designated any Verlinvest Designees in accordance with this Section 3.02(a) if at any time Verlinvest and its Permitted Transferees beneficially own, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate, less than 10% of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock.
(ii) Commencing on the one year anniversary of the date on which the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, at least one of the Verlinvest Designees shall be independent in accordance with the rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (Nasdaq) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding board and audit committee independence; provided, that in the event Verlinvest is only entitled to nominate one Verlinvest Designee, the requirement for at least one of the Verlinvest Designees to be independent under this Section 3.01(a)(ii) shall no longer apply.
(iii) If Verlinvest has nominated fewer than the total number of Verlinvest Designees Verlinvest is entitled to nominate pursuant to this Section 3.01(a), Verlinvest shall have the right, at any time, to nominate such additional number of Verlinvest Designees to which it is entitled, in which case the other parties to this Agreement and the directors of the Company shall take all necessary action, as requested by Verlinvest, to (x) increase the size of the Board as required to enable Verlinvest to so nominate such additional Verlinvest Designees and (y) designate such additional Verlinvest Designees nominated by Verlinvest to fill such newly created vacancy or vacancies, as applicable.
(b) Kirban Designees.
(i) Subject to this Section 3.01(b)(i), Michael Kirban shall have the right, but not the obligation, to nominate to the Board (such nominees, the Kirban Designees) (subject to the election by the stockholders of the Company) up to two directors from time to time. The right of Michael Kirban to nominate the Kirban Designees as set forth in this Section 3.01(b) shall be subject to the following:
(a) if at any time Michael Kirban, together with his Affiliates and Permitted Transferees, beneficially own, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate at least two and a half percent (2.5%) or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, Michael Kirban shall be entitled to nominate two Kirban Designees; and
(b) if at any time Michael Kirban, either (x) together with his Affiliates and Permitted Transferees beneficial own, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate at least one percent (1%) of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock or (y) Michael Kirban is employed by the Company, Michael Kirban shall be entitled to nominate one Kirban Designee.
(ii) Commencing on the one year anniversary of the date on which the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, one of the Kirban Designees shall be independent in accordance with the rules of Nasdaq and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding board and audit committee independence; provided, that in the event Michael Kirban is only entitled to nominate one Kirban Designee, the requirement for at least one of the Kirban Designees to be independent under this Section 3.01(b)(ii) shall no longer apply.
(iii) If Michael Kirban has nominated fewer than the total number of Kirban Designees Michael Kirban is entitled to nominate pursuant to this Section 3.01(b), Michael Kirban shall have the right, at any time, to nominate such additional number of Kirban Designees to which Michael Kirban is entitled, in which case the other parties to this Agreement and the directors of the Company shall take all necessary action, as requested by Michael Kirban, to (x) increase the size of the Board as required to enable Michael Kirban to so nominate such additional Kirban Designees and (y) designate such additional Kirban Designees nominated by Michael Kirban to fill such newly created vacancy or vacancies, as applicable.
(c) Liran Designee.
(i) Subject to this Section 3.01(c), Ira Liran shall have the right, but not the obligation, to nominate to the Board (such nominee, the Liran Designee) (subject to the election by the stockholders of the Company) one director from time to time. Ira Liran shall not be entitled to nominate the Liran Designee in accordance with this Section 3.01(c) upon the later to occur of (i) Ira Liran ceases to be an employee of the Company and (ii) Ira Liran, together with his Affiliates and other Permitted Transferees, beneficially own, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate less than 1% of the then issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock.
(ii) If Ira Liran has nominated fewer than the total number of Liran Designees Ira Liran is entitled to nominate pursuant to this Section 3.01(c), Ira Liran shall have the right, at any time, to nominate such additional number of Liran Designees to which he is entitled, in which case the other parties to this Agreement and the directors of the Company shall take all necessary action, as requested by the Ira Liran, to (x) increase the size of the Board as required to enable Ira Liran to so nominate such additional Liran Designees and (y) designate such additional Liran Designees nominated by Ira Liran to fill such newly created vacancy or vacancies, as applicable.
(d) Subject to Sections 3.01(a), (b) and (c), each of Verlinvest (or any of its Permitted Transferees), Michael Kirban and Ira Liran hereby agrees to vote, or cause to be voted, or otherwise give its consent in respect of all outstanding shares of Common Stock held by such Person (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Company at which directors of the Company are to be elected or removed, or to take all necessary action in favor of the election or removal of the Verlinvest Designees, the Kirban Designees and the Liran Designee, as provided herein.
SECTION 3.02 Vacancies and Replacements.
(a) If the number of directors that Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran have the right to designate to the Board is decreased pursuant to Sections 3.01(a), (b) and (c) (each such occurrence, a Decrease in Designation Rights), then:
(i) if requested by a majority of directors in writing, each of Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, as applicable, shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause each of (x) the appropriate number of Verlinvest Designees that Verlinvest and its Permitted Transferees cease to have the right to nominate, (y) the Kirban Designees that Michael Kirban ceases to have the right to nominate or (z) the Liran Designee that Ira Liran ceases to have the right to nominate, respectively, to offer to tender his, her or their resignation(s), and each of such Verlinvest Designees, Kirban Designees and/or Liran Designee so tendering a resignation, as applicable, shall resign within thirty (30) days from the date that Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and/or Ira Liran, as applicable, incurs a Decrease in Designation Rights. In the event that any such Verlinvest Designee, Kirban Designee or Liran Designee, as applicable, does not resign as a director by such time as is required by the foregoing, Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, as holders of Common Stock, the Company and the Board, to the fullest extent permitted by law and, with respect to the Board, subject to its fiduciary duties to the Companys stockholders, shall thereafter take all necessary action, including voting in accordance with Section 3.01(d), to cause the removal of such individual as a director; and
(ii) the vacancy or vacancies created by such resignation(s) and/or removal(s) shall be filled with one or more directors, as applicable, designated by the Board upon the recommendation of the nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board, so long as it is established.
(b) Each of Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran shall have the sole right to request that one or more of their respective designated directors, as applicable, tender their resignations as directors of the Board (each, a Removal Right), in each case, with or without cause at any time, by sending a written notice to such director and the Companys Secretary stating the name of the director or directors whose resignation from the Board is requested (the Removal Notice). If the director subject to such Removal Notice does not resign within thirty (30) days from receipt thereof by such director, Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, as holder of Common Stock, the Company and the Board, to the fullest extent permitted by law and, with respect to the Board, subject to its fiduciary duties to the Companys stockholders shall thereafter take all necessary action, including voting in accordance with Section 3.01(d) to cause the removal of such director from the Board (and such director shall only be removed by the parties to this Agreement in such manner as provided herein).
(c) Each of Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, as applicable, shall have the exclusive right to designate a replacement director for nomination or election by the Board to fill vacancies created as a result of not nominating their respective director(s) initially or by death, disability, retirement, resignation, removal (with or without cause) or their respective director(s), or otherwise by designation a successor for nomination or election by the Board to fill the vacancy or their respective director(s) created thereby on the terms and subject to the conditions of Section 3.01.
SECTION 3.03 Initial Directors. As of the Effective Date, the Board shall be comprised of nine directors as follows:
(a) The initial Verlinvest Designees pursuant to Section 3.01(a) shall be Eric Melloul (as a Class III Director), John Leahy (as a Class II Director) and Axelle Henry (as a Class I Director); the initial Kirban Designees pursuant to Section 3.01(b) shall be Michael Kirban (as a Class II Director) and whom shall serve as Chairman of the Board for the initial term, in accordance with this Agreement and the Bylaws (after which the Chairman of the Board shall be determined in accordance with the Bylaws), and John Zupo (as a Class I Director]); and the initial Liran Designee shall be Ira Liran (as a Class III Director;
(b) Martin Roper, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, as a Class I Director;
(c) Jane Morreau, as a Class III Director; and
(d) Kenneth Sadowsky, as a Class II Director.
ARTICLE IV.
COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
(a) The Company agrees to take all necessary action to cause (i) the Board to be comprised at least of nine directors or such other number of directors as the Board may determine, subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Charter or the Bylaws of the Company; (ii) the individuals designated in accordance with Section 3 to be included in the slate of nominees to be elected to the Board at the next annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Company at which directors are to be elected, in accordance with the Bylaws, Charter and General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and at each annual meeting of stockholders of the Company thereafter at which such directors term expires; (iii) the individuals designated in accordance with Section 3 to fill the applicable vacancies on the Board, in accordance with the Bylaws, Charter, Securities Laws, General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the Nasdaq rules; (iv) to adhere to, implement and enforce the provisions set forth in Section 4.
(b) Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran shall comply with the requirements of the Charter and Bylaws when designating and nominating individuals as directors, in each case, to the extent such requirements are applicable to directors generally. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, in the event that the Board determines, within sixty (60) days after compliance with the first sentence of this Section 4(b), in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that its nomination, appointment or election of a particular director designated in accordance with Section 3, would constitute a breach of its fiduciary duties to the Companys stockholders or does not otherwise comply with any requirements of the Charter or Bylaws, then the Board shall inform Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and/or Ira Liran, as applicable, of such determination in writing and explain in reasonable detail the basis for such determination and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, nominate, appoint or elect another individual designated for nomination, election or appointment to the Board by Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and/or Ira Liran, as applicable (subject in each case to this Section 4(b)). The Board and the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, take all necessary actions required by this Section 4 with respect to the election of such substitute designees to the Board.
(c) So long as Verlinvest beneficially owns, in the aggregate, at least ten percent (10%) of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Company shall, upon written request, use commercially reasonable efforts to provide Verlinvest or its authorized representatives with reasonable access to visit and inspect any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, including its and their books of account, monthly management reports, operating and capital expenditure budgets, periodic information packages relating to the operations and cash flows of the Company and other records, and to discuss the Companys or its subsidiaries affairs, finances and accounts with its and their officers, during normal business hours, following reasonable notice.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Charter or Bylaws of the Company, unless otherwise provided by law, for so long as Verlinvest is entitled to nominate at least two Verlinvest Designees pursuant to Section 3.01(a) of this Agreement, at any regular meeting of the Board, one Verlinvest Designee shall be present at such meeting to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business; provided, however, if the Company provides notice to the Verlinvest Designees at least five (5) business days before the time of the holding of a regular meeting of the Board, a Verlinvest Designee shall not be required to constitute a quorum of the Board; provided further in connection with any special meeting of the Board pursuant to Section 3.7 of the Bylaws, if the Company provides notice to the Verlinvest Designees in accordance with the notice periods set forth in Section 3.7 of the Bylaws, a Verlinvest Designee shall not be required to constitute a quorum of the Board at such special meeting of the Board.
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 5.01 Notices. All notices, demands or requests made pursuant to, under or by virtue of this Agreement must be in writing and sent to the party to which the notice, demand or request is being made at the address or email address set forth on the signature pages hereof or such other address or email address as such party may hereafter specify in writing in accordance with this Section 5.01; provided, that:
(a) unless otherwise specified by Verlinvest in a notice delivered by Verlinvest in accordance with this Section 5.01, any notice required to be delivered to Verlinvest shall be properly delivered if delivered to:
Verlinvest Beverages SA
c/o Verlinvest Beverages SA
Place Eugène Flagey 18
1050 Ixelles, Belgium
Attention: Rafaël Hulpiau and Anne-Sophie De Clercq
Email: ####; ####
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice or service of process) to:
Verlinvest USA, Inc.
215 Park Ave. South, Suite 2005
New York, NY 10003
Attention: Clément Pointillart
Max Levine
Email: ####
####
and
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
30 Rockefeller Center
New York, New York 10112
Attention: Ariel Yehezkel
Email: #####
(b) unless otherwise specified by Michael Kirban in a notice delivered by Michael Kirban in accordance with this Section 5.01, any notice required to be delivered to Michael Kirban shall be properly delivered if delivered to:
Attention: |
Telephone: |
Email Address: |
with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Attention: |
Telephone: |
Email Address: |
(c) unless otherwise specified by Ira Liran in a notice delivered by Ira Liran in accordance with this Section 5.01, any notice required to be delivered to Ira Liran shall be properly delivered if delivered to:
Attention: |
Telephone: |
Email Address: |
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Attention: |
Telephone: |
Email Address: |
and
(d) unless otherwise specified by the Company in a notice delivered by the Company in accordance with this Section 5.01, any notice required to be delivered to the Company shall be properly delivered if delivered to:
The Vita Coco Company, Inc. 250 Park Avenue South Seventh Floor New York, NY 10003 | ||
Attention: |
General Counsel | |
Email Address: |
#### |
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Latham & Watkins LLP 1271 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10020 | ||
Attention: |
Ian D. Schuman; Stelios G. Saffos | |
Email Address: |
####; #### |
Notice shall be delivered (i) by nationally recognized overnight courier delivery for next business day delivery, (ii) by hand delivery, or (iii) by electronic mail transmission if confirmation of transmission is received by the sender or no failure message is generated. Legal counsel for the respective parties may send to the other party any notices, requests, demands or other communications required or permitted to be given hereunder by such party. Each such notice or other communication shall for all purposes of this Agreement be treated as effective, or as having been given, only upon receipt thereof at the address specified hereunder.
SECTION 5.02 Binding Effect; Benefits. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties to this Agreement and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or shall be construed to give any person other than the parties to this Agreement or their respective successors or permitted assigns any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of any agreement or any provision contained herein.
SECTION 5.03 Amendment; Termination; Effectiveness. This Agreement shall become effective upon the Effective Date. In the event the IPO is abandoned at any time after the Effective Date and prior to the closing of the IPO this Agreement shall automatically terminate and be of no further force or effect without further action on the part of any party hereto and the Prior Agreement shall be reinstated and will continue in full force and effect. This Agreement may not be amended, restated, modified or supplemented in any respect and the observance of any term of this Agreement may not be waived except by a written instrument executed by the Company, Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran.
SECTION 5.04 Assignability. Except as otherwise provided herein, all of the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon, shall inure to the benefit of and shall be enforceable by the respective successors and permitted assigns of the parties hereto. This Agreement may not be assigned (by operation of law or otherwise) without the express prior written consent of the other parties hereto, and any attempted assignment, without such consents, will be null and void; provided, however, that each of Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran is permitted to assign this Agreement to their respective Permitted Transferees. Each of Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran shall cause any of their respective Permitted Transferees to become a party to this Agreement.
SECTION 5.05 Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to its principles of conflict of laws. The parties hereto irrevocably submit, in any legal action or proceeding relating to this Agreement, to the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States located in the State of New York or in any New York state court located in New York county and consent that any such action or proceeding may be brought in such courts and waive any objection that they may now or hereafter have to the venue of such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient forum.
SECTION 5.06 Waiver of Jury Trial. Each party to this Agreement, for itself and its Related Persons, hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise) arising out of or relating to the actions of the parties hereto or their respective Related Persons pursuant to this Agreement or in the negotiation, administration, performance or enforcement of this Agreement.
SECTION 5.07 Specific Performance; Enforcement. Without limiting or waiving in any respect any rights or remedies of the parties hereto under this Agreement now or hereinafter existing at law or in equity or by statute, each of the parties hereto will be entitled to seek specific performance of the obligations to be performed by the other in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement in any court of competent jurisdiction. Each party further agrees that none of the other parties hereto shall be required to obtain, furnish or post any bond or similar instrument in connection with or as a condition to obtaining any remedy set forth in this Agreement, and each party hereto (i) irrevocably waives any right it may have to require the obtaining, furnishing or posting of any such bond or similar instrument and (ii) shall cooperate fully in any attempt by any other party in obtaining such equitable relief.
SECTION 5.08 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement 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. If any of this Agreement is so broad as to be unenforceable, the provision shall be interpreted to be only so broad as is enforceable.
SECTION 5.09 Additional Securities Subject to Agreement. All shares of Common Stock that any party hereto hereafter acquires by means of a stock split, stock dividend, distribution, exercise of options or warrants or otherwise (other than pursuant to a public offering) whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise (including shares of a surviving corporation into which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged in such transaction) will be subject to the provisions of this Agreement to the same extent as if held on the date hereof.
SECTION 5.10 Section and Other Headings. The section and other headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
SECTION 5.11 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed, including by way of electronic signature (pdf formats included), in any number of counterparts, each of which may be executed by less than all of the parties hereto, each of which shall be enforceable against the parties actually executing such counterparts, and all of which together shall constitute one instrument.
SECTION 5.12 Further Assurances. Each party agrees that he, she or it shall, from time to time after the date of this Agreement, execute and deliver such other documents and instruments and take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by any other party to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
SECTION 5.13 Complete Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the complete agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior discussions, negotiations and understandings, including the Prior Agreement.
[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company, Verlinvest, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
THE VITA COCO COMPANY, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Martin Roper | |
Name: Martin Roper | ||
Title: Co-Chief Executive Officer | ||
Verlinvest Beverages SA | ||
By: | /s/ Axelle Henry | |
By: | /s/ Eric Melloul | |
Name: Eric Melloul | ||
Title: Director | ||
By: Michael Kirban | ||
By: | /s/ Michael Kirban | |
Name: Michael Kirban | ||
By: Ira Liran | ||
By: | /s/ Ira Liran | |
Name: Ira Liran |