As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 9, 2017.

Registration No. 333-220962  

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

FORM F-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

InflaRx N.V.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

The Netherlands 2834 Not Applicable
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
  Winzerlaer Str. 2
07745 Jena, Germany
(+49) 3641 508180
 
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

 

 

Cogency Glo2bal Inc.  

10 E 40th Street, 10th floor

New York, New York 10016

+1 (800) 221-0102

 
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

 

 

 

 Copies to:

Sophia Hudson

Deanna L. Kirkpatrick

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
(212) 450-4000

Petra Zijp

NautaDutilh N.V.

Beethovenstraat 400

1082 PR Amsterdam

The Netherlands

+31 20 717 1000

Arthur R. McGivern

Mitchell S. Bloom

Goodwin Procter LLP

100 Northern Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts

(617) 570-1000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public : As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.

 

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.

 

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. __________

 

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. 333-220962

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

Emerging growth company  If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.

 

† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explanatory Note

 

This Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-220962) is filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), solely to update Exhibits 3.2, 4.2 and 5.1 to such Registration Statement. This Registration Statement shall become effective upon filing with the Commission in accordance with Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act.

 

 

 

PART II – Information not required in the prospectus

 

Item 8. Exhibits

 

(a) The following documents are filed as part of this registration statement:

 

Exhibit Number Description
1.1* Form of Underwriting Agreement
3.1* Articles of Association

3.2

Articles of Association of InflaRx N.V.

3.3* Form of Board Rules
4.1* Form of Share Issue Deed
4.2 Registration Rights Agreement
5.1 Opinion of NautaDutilh N.V., Dutch counsel of InflaRx N.V., as to the validity of the common shares
8.1* Opinion of NautaDutilh N.V., Dutch counsel of Fireman B.V., as to Dutch tax matters
8.2* Opinion of Taylor Wessing Partnerschaftsgesellschaft von Rechtsanwälten, as to German tax matters
8.3* Opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, as to U.S. tax matters
10.1* English language summary of Lease Agreement dated January 15, 2008 between InflaRx GmbH and Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung, as amended and supplemented from time to time
10.2* English language summary of Lease Agreement dated April 10, 2017 between InflaRx GmbH and Immoprojekt Grundstücksveraltungsgesellschaft mbh
10.3†* Co-Development Agreement dated December 28, 2015 between InflaRx GmbH and Beijing Defengrei Biotechnology Co. Ltd., as supplemented by Addendum No. 1 dated December 28, 2015
10.4* Form of Indemnification Agreement for directors and executive officers
10.5* Investment and Shareholders’ Agreement dated July 21, 2016 between InflaRx GmbH and the Shareholders of InflaRx Gmbh
10.6* Investment and Adherence Agreement dated October 12, 2017 between InflaRx GmbH, the Shareholders of InflaRx Gmbh and the Investors in the Series D Preferred Shares Financing
14.1* Code of Ethics of Fireman B.V.
21.1* Subsidiaries of the Registrant
23.1* Consent of KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
23.2 Consent of NautaDutilh N.V. (included in Exhibit 5.1 and 8.1)
23.3* Consent of Taylor Wessing Partnerschaftsgesellschaft von Rechtsanwälten (included in Exhibit 8.2)
23.4* Consent of Davis Polk & Wardwell llp (included in Exhibit 8.3)
23.5* Consent of KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
24.1* Powers of Attorney (included on signature page to the registration statement)
99.1* Consent of Nicolas Fulpius, as director nominee
99.2* Consent of Katrin Uschmann, as director nominee
99.3* Consent of Mark Kuebler, as director nominee
99.4* Consent of Lina Ma, as director nominee

 

 
* Previously filed.
Application has been made to the Securities and Exchange Commission for confidential treatment of certain provisions. Omitted material for which confidential treatment has been requested has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number Description
1.1* Form of Underwriting Agreement
3.1* Articles of Association

3.2

Articles of Association of InflaRx N.V.

3.3* Form of Board Rules
4.1* Form of Share Issue Deed
4.2 Registration Rights Agreement
5.1 Opinion of NautaDutilh N.V., Dutch counsel of InflaRx N.V., as to the validity of the common shares
8.1* Opinion of NautaDutilh N.V., Dutch counsel of Fireman B.V., as to Dutch tax matters
8.2* Opinion of Taylor Wessing Partnerschaftsgesellschaft von Rechtsanwälten, as to German tax matters
8.3* Opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, as to U.S. tax matters
10.1* English language summary of Lease Agreement dated January 15, 2008 between InflaRx GmbH and Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung, as amended and supplemented from time to time
10.2* English language summary of Lease Agreement dated April 10, 2017 between InflaRx GmbH and Immoprojekt Grundstücksveraltungsgesellschaft mbh
10.3†* Co-Development Agreement dated December 28, 2015 between InflaRx GmbH and Beijing Defengrei Biotechnology Co. Ltd., as supplemented by Addendum No. 1 dated December 28, 2015
10.4* Form of Indemnification Agreement for directors and executive officers
10.5* Investment and Shareholders’ Agreement dated July 21, 2016 between InflaRx GmbH and the Shareholders of InflaRx Gmbh
10.6* Investment and Adherence Agreement dated October 12, 2017 between InflaRx GmbH, the Shareholders of InflaRx Gmbh and the Investors in the Series D Preferred Shares Financing
14.1* Code of Ethics of Fireman B.V.
21.1* Subsidiaries of the Registrant
23.1* Consent of KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
23.2 Consent of NautaDutilh N.V. (included in Exhibit 5.1 and 8.1)
23.3* Consent of Taylor Wessing Partnerschaftsgesellschaft von Rechtsanwälten (included in Exhibit 8.2)
23.4* Consent of Davis Polk & Wardwell llp (included in Exhibit 8.3)
23.5* Consent of KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
24.1* Powers of Attorney (included on signature page to the registration statement)
99.1* Consent of Nicolas Fulpius, as director nominee
99.2* Consent of Katrin Uschmann, as director nominee
99.3* Consent of Mark Kuebler, as director nominee
99.4* Consent of Lina Ma, as director nominee

 

 
* Previously filed.
Application has been made to the Securities and Exchange Commission for confidential treatment of certain provisions. Omitted material for which confidential treatment has been requested has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

 

  

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-1 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Jena, Germany on November 9, 2017.

 

  INFLARX N.V.
   
   
  By: /s/ Niels Riedemann
    Name: Niels Riedemann
    Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature Title Date
     
/s/ Niels Riedemann Chief Executive Officer
(principal executive officer)
November 9, 2017
Niels Riedemann    
     
/s/ Arnd Christ

Chief Financial Officer

(principal financial and accounting officer)

November 9, 2017
Arnd Christ    
     
/s/ Niels Riedemann Director November 9, 2017
Niels Riedemann    
     
/s/ Nicolas Fulpius Chairman and Director November 9, 2017
Nicolas Fulpius    
     
/s/ Renfeng Guo Director November 9, 2017
Renfeng Guo    
     
/s/ Katrin Uschmann Director November 9, 2017
Katrin Uschmann    
     

/s/ Lina Ma

Director November 9, 2017
Lina Ma    
     

/s/ Mark Kuebler

Director November 9, 2017
Mark Kuebler    
     
*

Authorized Representative

in the United States

November 9, 2017

Colleen A. De Vries

Senior Vice President

   

 

By: /s/ Niels Riedemann  
  Niels Riedemann, Attorney-in-Fact  

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.2  

  1

 

 

 

Unofficial Translation of Articles of Association of InflaRx N.V.

 

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION ( STATUTEN )

 

DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

 

Article 1

 

1.1 In these articles of association the following definitions shall apply:

 

  Article An article of these articles of association.
     
  Board of Directors The Company's board of directors.
     
  Board Rules The internal rules applicable to the Board of Directors, as drawn up by the Board of Directors.
     
  CEO The Company's chief executive officer.
     
  Chairman The chairman of the Board of Directors.
     
  Class Meeting The meeting of holders of shares of a certain class.
     
  Company The company to which these articles of association pertain.
     
  DCC The Dutch Civil Code.
     
  Director A member of the Board of Directors.

 

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  EURIBOR The EURIBOR interest rate, as published by Thomson Reuters or another institution chosen by the Board of Directors, for loans with a maturity of three, six, nine or twelve months, whichever has had the highest mathematical average over the financial year (or the relevant part thereof) in respect of which the relevant distribution is made, but in any event no less than zero percent.
     
  Executive Director An executive Director.
     
  General Meeting The Company's general meeting of shareholders.
     
  Group Company An entity or partnership which is organisationally connected with the Company in an economic unit within the meaning of Section 2:24b DCC.
     
  Indemnified Officer A current or former Director and such other current or former officer or employee of the Company or its Group Companies as designated by the Board of Directors.
     
  Meeting Rights With respect to the Company, the rights attributed by law to the holders of depository receipts issued for shares with a company's cooperation, including the right to attend and address a General Meeting.
     
  Non-Executive Director A non-executive Director.
     
  Person with Meeting Rights A shareholder, a usufructuary or pledgee with voting rights or a holder of depository receipts for shares issued with the Company's cooperation.
     
  Preferred Distribution

A distribution on the preferred shares for an amount equal to the Preferred Interest Rate calculated over the aggregate amount paid up on those preferred shares, whereby:

 

a.              any amount paid up on those preferred shares (including as a result of an issue of preferred shares) during the financial year (or the relevant part thereof) in respect of which the distribution is made shall only be taken into account proportionate to the number of days that elapsed during that financial year (or the relevant part thereof) after the payment was made on those preferred shares;

 

b.              any reduction of the aggregate amount paid up on preferred shares during the financial year (or the relevant part thereof) in respect of which the distribution is made shall be taken into account proportionate to the number of days that elapsed during that financial year (or the relevant part thereof) until such reduction was effected; and

 

c.              if the distribution is made in respect of part of a

 

 

3  

    financial year, the amount of the distribution shall be proportionate to the number of days that elapsed during that part of the financial year.
     
  Preferred Interest Rate The mathematical average, calculated over the financial year (or the relevant part thereof) in respect of which a distribution is made on preferred shares, of the relevant EURIBOR interest rate, plus a margin not exceeding five hundred basis points (500bps) to be determined by the Board of Directors each time when, or before, preferred shares are issued without preferred shares already forming part of the Company's issued share capital.
     
  Registration Date The date of registration for a General Meeting as provided by law.
     
  Simple Majority More than half of the votes cast.
     
  Subsidiary

A subsidiary of the Company within the meaning of Section 2:24a DCC, including:

 

a.              an entity in whose general meeting the Company or one or more of its Subsidiaries can exercise, whether or not by virtue of an agreement with other parties with voting rights, individually or collectively, more than half of the voting rights; and

 

b.              an entity of which the Company or one or more of its Subsidiaries are members or shareholders and can appoint or dismiss, whether or not by virtue of an agreement with other parties with voting rights, individually or collectively, more than half of the managing directors or of the supervisory directors, even if all parties with voting rights cast their votes.

 

1.2 Unless the context requires otherwise, references to "shares" or "shareholders" without further specification are to any class of shares or to the holders thereof, respectively.

 

1.3 References to statutory provisions are to those provisions as they are in force from time to time.

 

1.4 Terms that are defined in the singular have a corresponding meaning in the plural.

 

1.5 Words denoting a gender include each other gender.

 

1.6 Except as otherwise required by law, the terms "written" and "in writing" include the use of electronic means of communication.

 

NAME AND SEAT

 

Article 2

 

2.1 The Company's name is InflaRx N.V.

 

2.2 The Company has its corporate seat in Amsterdam.

 

OBJECTS

 

 

4  

Article 3

 

The Company's objects are:

 

a. to develop, license, manufacture and commercialize pharmaceutical products;

 

b. to develop and commercialize tests and analytical methods;

 

c. to participate in, to finance, to hold any other interest in and to conduct the management or supervision of other entities, companies, partnerships and businesses;

 

d. to acquire, administer, exploit, invest, encumber and dispose of assets and liabilities;

 

e. to furnish guarantees, to provide security, to warrant performance in any other way and to assume liability, whether jointly and severally or otherwise, in respect of obligations of Group Companies or other parties; and

 

f. to do anything which, in the widest sense, is connected with or may be conducive to the objects described above.

 

SHARES - AUTHORISED SHARE CAPITAL AND DEPOSITORY RECEIPTS

 

Article 4

 

4.1 The Company's authorised share capital amounts to nine million six hundred thousand euro (EUR 9,600,000).

 

4.2 The authorised share capital is divided into:

 

a. forty million (40,000,000) ordinary shares; and

 

b. forty million (40,000,000) preferred shares,

 

each having a nominal value of twelve eurocents (EUR 0.12).

 

4.3 The Board of Directors may resolve that one or more shares are divided into such number of fractional shares as may be determined by the Board of Directors. Unless specified differently, the provisions of these articles of association concerning shares and shareholders apply mutatis mutandis to fractional shares and the holders thereof, respectively.

 

4.4 The Company may cooperate with the issue of depository receipts for shares in its capital.

 

SHARES - FORM OF SHARES AND SHARE REGISTER

 

Article 5

 

5.1 All shares are registered shares.

 

5.2 Shares shall be numbered consecutively, starting from 1 for each class of shares.

 

5.3 The Board of Directors shall keep a register setting out the names and addresses of all shareholders and all holders of a usufruct or pledge in respect of shares. The register shall also set out any other particulars that must be included in the register pursuant to applicable law. Part of the register may be kept outside the Netherlands to comply with applicable local law or pursuant to stock exchange rules.

 

5.4 Shareholders, usufructuaries and pledgees shall provide the Board of Directors with the necessary particulars in a timely fashion. Any consequences of not, or incorrectly, notifying such particulars shall be borne by the party concerned.

 

5.5 All notifications may be sent to shareholders, usufructuaries and pledgees at their respective addresses as set out in the register.

 

SHARES - ISSUE

 

Article 6

 

6.1 Shares can be issued pursuant to a resolution of the General Meeting or of another body

 

 

5  

authorised by the General Meeting for this purpose for a specified period not exceeding five years. When granting such authorisation, the number of shares that may be issued must be specified. The authorisation may be extended, in each case for a period not exceeding five years. Unless stipulated differently when granting the authorisation, the authorisation cannot be revoked. For as long as and to the extent that another body has been authorised to resolve to issue shares, the General Meeting shall not have this authority.

 

6.2 In order for a resolution of the General Meeting on an issuance or an authorisation as referred to in Article ‎6.1 to be valid, a prior or simultaneous approval shall be required from each Class Meeting of shares whose rights are prejudiced by the issuance.

 

6.3 The preceding provisions of this ‎Article 6 apply mutatis mutandis to the granting of rights to subscribe for shares, but do not apply in respect of issuing shares to a party exercising a previously acquired right to subscribe for shares.

 

6.4 The Company may not subscribe for shares in its own capital.

 

SHARES - PRE-EMPTION RIGHTS

 

Article 7

 

7.1 Upon an issue of shares, each holder of ordinary shares shall have a pre-emption right in proportion to the aggregate nominal value of his ordinary shares. No pre-emption rights are attached to preferred shares.

 

7.2 In deviation of Article ‎7.1, holders of ordinary shares do not have pre-emption rights in respect of:

 

a. preferred shares;

 

b. shares issued against non-cash contribution; or

 

c. shares issued to employees of the Company or of a Group Company.

 

7.3 The Company shall announce an issue with pre-emption rights and the period during which those rights can be exercised in the State Gazette and in a daily newspaper with national distribution, unless the announcement is sent in writing to all shareholders at the addresses submitted by them.

 

7.4 Pre-emption rights may be exercised for a period of at least two weeks after the date of announcement in the State Gazette or after the announcement was sent to the shareholders.

 

7.5 Pre-emption rights may be limited or excluded by a resolution of the General Meeting or of the body authorised as referred to in Article ‎6.1, if that body was authorised by the General Meeting for this purpose for a specified period not exceeding five years. The authorisation may be extended, in each case for a period not exceeding five years. Unless stipulated differently when granting the authorisation, the authorisation cannot be revoked. For as long as and to the extent that another body has been authorised to resolve to limit or exclude pre-emption rights, the General Meeting shall not have this authority.

 

7.6 A resolution of the General Meeting to limit or exclude pre-emption rights, or to grant an authorisation as referred to in Article ‎7.5, shall require a majority of at least two thirds of the votes cast if less than half of the issued share capital is represented at the General Meeting.

 

7.7 The preceding provisions of this ‎Article 7 apply mutatis mutandis to the granting of rights to subscribe for shares, but do not apply in respect of issuing shares to a party exercising a

 

 

6  

previously acquired right to subscribe for shares.

 

SHARES - PAYMENT

 

Article 8

 

8.1 Without prejudice to Section 2:80(2) DCC, the nominal value of a share and, if the share is subscribed for at a higher price, the difference between these amounts must be paid up upon subscription for that share. However, it may be stipulated that part of the nominal value of a preferred share, not exceeding three quarters thereof, need not be paid up until the Company has called for payment. The Company shall observe a reasonable notice period of at least one month with respect to any such call for payment.

 

8.2 Shares must be paid up in cash, except to the extent that payment by means of a contribution in another form has been agreed.

 

8.3 Payment in a currency other than the euro may only be made with the Company's consent. Where such a payment is made, the payment obligation is satisfied for the amount in euro for which the paid amount can be freely exchanged. Without prejudice to the last sentence of Section 2:80a(3) DCC, the date of the payment determines the exchange rate.

 

SHARES - FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

 

Article 9

 

9.1 The Company may not provide security, give a price guarantee, warrant performance in any other way or commit itself jointly and severally or otherwise with or for others with a view to the subscription for or acquisition of shares or depository receipts for shares in its capital by others. This prohibition applies equally to Subsidiaries.

 

9.2 The Company and its Subsidiaries may not provide loans with a view to the subscription for or acquisition of shares or depository receipts for shares in the Company's capital by others, unless the Board of Directors resolves to do so and Section 2:98c DCC is observed.

 

9.3 The preceding provisions of this ‎Article 9 do not apply if shares or depository receipts for shares are subscribed for or acquired by or for employees of the Company or of a Group Company.

 

SHARES - ACQUISITION OF OWN SHARES

 

Article 10

 

10.1 The acquisition by the Company of shares in its own capital which have not been fully paid up shall be null and void.

 

10.2 The Company may only acquire fully paid up shares in its own capital for no consideration or if and to the extent that the General Meeting has authorised the Board of Directors for this purpose and all other relevant statutory requirements of Section 2:98 DCC are observed.

 

10.3 An authorisation as referred to in Article ‎10.2 remains valid for no longer than eighteen months. When granting such authorisation, the General Meeting shall determine the number of shares that may be acquired, how they may be acquired and within which range the acquisition price must be. An authorisation shall not be required for the Company to acquire ordinary shares in its own capital in order to transfer them to employees of the Company or of a Group Company pursuant to an arrangement applicable to them, provided

 

 

7  

that these ordinary shares are included on the price list of a stock exchange.

 

10.4 Without prejudice to Articles ‎10.1 through ‎10.3, the Company may acquire shares in its own capital for cash consideration or for consideration satisfied in the form of assets. In the case of a consideration being satisfied in the form of assets, the value thereof, as determined by the Board of Directors, must be within the range stipulated by the General Meeting as referred to in Article ‎10.3.

 

10.5 The previous provisions of this ‎Article 10 do not apply to shares acquired by the Company under universal title of succession.

 

10.6 In this ‎Article 10, references to shares include depository receipts for shares.

 

SHARES - REDUCTION OF ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL

 

Article 11

 

11.1 The General Meeting can resolve to reduce the Company's issued share capital by cancelling shares or by reducing the nominal value of shares by virtue of an amendment to these articles of association. The resolution must designate the shares to which the resolution relates and it must provide for the implementation of the resolution.

 

11.2 A resolution to cancel shares may only relate to:

 

a. shares held by the Company itself or in respect of which the Company holds the depository receipts; and

 

b. all preferred shares, with repayment of the amounts paid up in respect thereof and provided that, to the extent allowed under Articles ‎30.1 and ‎30.2, a distribution is made on those preferred shares, in proportion to the amounts paid up on those preferred shares, immediately prior to such cancellation becoming effective, for an aggregate amount of:

 

i. the total of all Preferred Distributions (or parts thereof) in relation to financial years prior to the financial year in which the cancellation occurs, to the extent that these should have been distributed but have not yet been distributed as described in Article ‎32.1; and

 

ii. the Preferred Distribution calculated in respect of the part of the financial year in which the cancellation occurs, for the number of days that have elapsed during such part of the financial year.

 

11.3 A resolution to reduce the Company's issued share capital, shall require a prior or simultaneous approval from each Class Meeting of shares whose rights are prejudiced. However, if such a resolution relates to preferred shares, such resolution shall always require the prior or simultaneous approval of the Class Meeting of preferred shares.

 

11.4 A resolution of the General Meeting to reduce the Company's issued share capital shall require a majority of at least two thirds of the votes cast if less than half of the issued share capital is represented at the General Meeting. The previous sentence applies mutatis mutandis to a resolution as referred to in Article ‎11.3.

 

SHARES - ISSUE AND TRANSFER REQUIREMENTS

 

Article 12

 

12.1 Except as otherwise provided or allowed by Dutch law, the issue or transfer of a share shall require a deed to that effect and, in the case of a transfer and unless the Company it

 

 

8  

self is a party to the transaction, acknowledgement of the transfer by the Company.

 

12.2 The acknowledgement shall be set out in the deed or shall be made in such other manner as prescribed by law.

 

12.3 For as long as any ordinary shares are admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Stock Market or on any other regulated stock exchange operating in the United States of America, the laws of the State of New York shall apply to the property law aspects of the ordinary shares reflected in the register administered by the relevant transfer agent, without prejudice to Sections 10:140 and 10:141 DCC.

 

SHARES - USUFRUCT AND PLEDGE

 

Article 13

 

13.1 Shares can be encumbered with a usufruct or pledge. The creation of a pledge on preferred shares shall require the prior approval of the Board of Directors.

 

13.2 The voting rights attached to a share which is subject to a usufruct or pledge vest in the shareholder concerned.

 

13.3 In deviation of Article ‎13.2:

 

a. the holder of a usufruct or pledge on ordinary shares shall have the voting rights attached thereto if this was provided when the usufruct or pledge was created; and

 

b. the holder of a usufruct or pledge on preferred shares shall have the voting rights attached thereto if this was provided when the usufruct or pledge was created and this was approved by the Board of Directors.

 

13.4 Usufructuaries and pledgees without voting rights shall not have Meeting Rights.

 

SHARES - TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS

 

Article 14

 

14.1 A transfer of preferred shares shall require the prior approval of the Board of Directors. A shareholder wishing to transfer preferred shares must first request the Board of Directors to grant such approval. A transfer of ordinary shares is not subject to transfer restrictions under these articles of association.

 

14.2 A transfer of the preferred shares to which the request for approval relates must take place within three months after the approval of the Board of Directors has been granted or is deemed to have been granted pursuant to Article ‎14.3.

 

14.3 The approval of the Board of Directors shall be deemed to have been granted:

 

a. if no resolution granting or denying the approval has been passed by the Board of Directors within three months after the Company has received the request for approval; or

 

b. if the Board of Directors, when denying the approval, does not notify the requesting shareholder of the identity of one or more interested parties willing to purchase the relevant preferred shares.

 

14.4 If the Board of Directors denies the approval and notifies the requesting shareholder of the identity of one or more interested parties, the requesting shareholder shall notify the Board of Directors within two weeks after having received such notice whether:

 

a. he withdraws his request for approval, in which case the requesting shareholder cannot transfer the relevant preferred shares; or

 

 

9  

b. he accepts the interested party(ies), in which case the requesting shareholder shall promptly enter into negotiations with the interested party(ies) regarding the price to be paid for the relevant preferred shares.

 

If the requesting shareholder does not notify the Board of Directors of his choice in a timely fashion, he shall be deemed to have withdrawn his request for approval, in which case he cannot transfer the relevant preferred shares.

 

14.5 If an agreement is reached in the negotiations referred to in Article ‎14.4 paragraph b. within two weeks after the end of the period referred to in Article ‎14.4, the relevant preferred shares shall be transferred for the agreed price within three months after such agreement having been reached. If no agreement is reached in these negotiations in a timely fashion:

 

a. the requesting shareholder shall promptly notify the Board of Directors thereof; and

 

b. the price to be paid for the relevant preferred shares shall be equal to the value thereof, as determined by one or more independent experts to be appointed by the requesting shareholder and the interested party(ies) by mutual agreement.

 

14.6 If no agreement is reached on the appointment of the independent expert(s) as referred to in Article ‎14.5 paragraph b. within two weeks after the end of the period referred to in Article ‎14.5:

 

a. the requesting shareholder shall promptly notify the Board of Directors thereof; and

 

b. the requesting shareholder shall promptly request the president of the district court in whose district the Company has its corporate seat to appoint three independent experts to determine the value of the relevant preferred shares.

 

14.7 If and when the value of the relevant preferred shares has been determined by the independent expert(s), irrespective of whether he/they was/were appointed by mutual agreement or by the president of the relevant district court, the requesting shareholder shall promptly notify the Board of Directors of the value so determined. The Board of Directors shall then promptly inform the interested party(ies) of such value, following which the/each interested party may withdraw from the sale procedure by giving notice thereof the Board of Directors within two weeks.

 

14.8 If any interested party withdraws from the sale procedure in accordance with Article ‎14.7, the Board of Directors:

 

a. shall promptly inform the requesting shareholder and the other interested party(ies), if any, thereof; and

 

b. shall give the opportunity to the/each other interested party, if any, to declare to the Board of Directors and the requesting shareholder, within two weeks, his willingness to acquire the preferred shares having become available as a result of the withdrawal, for the price determined by the independent expert(s) (with the Board of Directors being entitled to determine the allocation of such preferred shares among any such willing interested party(ies) at its absolute discretion).

 

14.9 If it becomes apparent to the Board of Directors that all relevant preferred shares can be transferred to one or more interested parties for the price determined by the independent

 

 

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expert(s), the Board of Directors shall promptly notify the requesting shareholder and such interested party(ies) thereof. Within three months after sending such notice the relevant preferred shares shall be transferred.

 

14.10 If it becomes apparent to the Board of Directors that not all relevant preferred shares can be transferred to one or more interested parties for the price determined by the independent expert(s):

 

a. the Board of Directors shall promptly notify the requesting shareholder thereof; and

 

b. the requesting shareholder shall be free to transfer all relevant preferred shares, provided that the transfer takes place within three months after having received the notice referred to in paragraph a.

 

14.11 The Company may only be an interested party under this ‎Article 14 with the consent of the requesting shareholder.

 

14.12 All notices given pursuant to this ‎Article 14 shall be provided in writing.

 

14.13 The preceding provisions of this ‎Article 14 do not apply:

 

a. to the extent that a shareholder is under a statutory obligation to transfer preferred shares to a previous holder thereof;

 

b. if it concerns a transfer in connection with an enforcement of a pledge pursuant to Section 3:248 DCC in conjunction with Section 3:250 or 3:251 DCC; or

 

c. if it concerns a transfer to the Company, except in the case that the Company acts as an interested party pursuant to Article ‎14.11.

 

14.14 This ‎Article 14 applies mutatis mutandis in case of a transfer of rights to subscribe for preferred shares.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - COMPOSITION

 

Article 15

 

15.1 The Company has a Board of Directors consisting of:

 

a. one or more Executive Directors, being primarily charged with the Company's day-to-day operations; and

 

b. one or more Non-Executive Directors, being primarily charged with the supervision of the performance of the duties of the Directors.

 

The Board of Directors shall be composed of individuals.

 

15.2 The Board of Directors shall determine the number of Executive Directors and the number of Non-Executive Directors.

 

15.3 The Board of Directors shall elect an Executive Director to be the CEO. The Board of Directors may dismiss the CEO, provided that the CEO so dismissed shall subsequently continue his term of office as an Executive Director without having the title of CEO.

 

15.4 The Board of Directors shall elect a Non-Executive Director to be the Chairman. The Board of Directors may dismiss the Chairman, provided that the Chairman so dismissed shall subsequently continue his term of office as a Non-Executive Director without having the title of Chairman.

 

15.5 If a Director is absent or incapacitated, he may be replaced temporarily by a person whom the Board of Directors has designated for that purpose and, until then, the other Director(s)

 

 

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shall be charged with the management of the Company. If all Directors are absent or incapacitated, the management of the Company shall be attributed to the person who most recently ceased to hold office as the Chairman. If such former Chairman is unwilling or unable to accept that position, the management of the Company shall be attributed to the person who most recently ceased to hold office as the CEO. If such former CEO is also unwilling or unable to accept that position, the management of the Company shall be attributed to one or more persons whom the General Meeting has designated for that purpose. The person(s) charged with the management of the Company in this manner, may designate one or more persons to be charged with the management of the Company in addition to, or together with, such person(s).

 

15.6 A Director shall be considered to be unable to act within the meaning of Article ‎15.5:

 

a. during the existence of a vacancy on the Board of Directors, including as a result of:

 

i. his death;

 

ii. his dismissal by the General Meeting, other than at the proposal of the Board of Directors;

 

iii. his voluntary resignation before his term of office has expired;

 

iv. not being reappointed by the General Meeting, notwithstanding a (binding) nomination to that effect by the Board of Directors; or

 

v. his suspension,

 

provided that the Board of Directors may always decide to decrease the number of Directors such that a vacancy no longer exists;

 

b. in a period during which the Company has not been able to contact him (including as a result of illness), provided that such period lasted longer than five consecutive days (or such other period as determined by the Board of Directors on the basis of the facts and circumstances at hand); or

 

c. in the deliberations and decision-making of the Board of Directors on matters in relation to which he has declared to have, or in relation to which the Board of Directors has established that he has, a conflict of interests as described in Article ‎18.7.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - APPOINTMENT, SUSPENSION AND DISMISSAL

 

Article 16

 

16.1 The General Meeting shall appoint the Directors and may at any time suspend or dismiss any Director. In addition, the Board of Directors may at any time suspend an Executive Director.

 

16.2 The General Meeting can only appoint Directors upon a nomination by the Board of Directors. The General Meeting may at any time resolve to render such nomination to be non-binding by a majority of at least two thirds of the votes cast representing more than half of the issued share capital. If a nomination is rendered non-binding, a new nomination shall be made by the Board of Directors. If the nomination comprises one candidate for a vacancy, a resolution concerning the nomination shall result in the appointment of the candidate, unless the nomination is rendered non-binding. A second meeting as referred to

 

 

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in Section 2:120(3) DCC cannot be convened.

 

16.3 At a General Meeting, a resolution to appoint a Director can only be passed in respect of candidates whose names are stated for that purpose in the agenda of that General Meeting or the explanatory notes thereto.

 

16.4 Upon the appointment of a person as a Director, the General Meeting shall determine whether that person is appointed as Executive Director or as Non-Executive Director.

 

16.5 A resolution of the General Meeting to suspend or dismiss a Director shall require a majority of at least two thirds of the votes cast representing more than half of the issued share capital, unless the resolution is passed at the proposal of the Board of Directors. A second meeting as referred to in Section 2:120(3) DCC cannot be convened.

 

16.6 If a Director is suspended and the General Meeting does not resolve to dismiss him within three months from the date of such suspension, the suspension shall lapse.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - DUTIES AND ORGANISATION

 

Article 17

 

17.1 The Board of Directors is charged with the management of the Company, subject to the restrictions contained in these articles of association. In performing their duties, Directors shall be guided by the interests of the Company and of the business connected with it.

 

17.2 The Board of Directors shall draw up Board Rules concerning its organisation, decision-making and other internal matters, with due observance of these articles of association. In performing their duties, the Directors shall act in compliance with the Board Rules.

 

17.3 The Directors may allocate their duties amongst themselves in or pursuant to the Board Rules or otherwise pursuant to resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors, provided that:

 

a. the Executive Directors shall be charged with the Company's day-to-day operations;

 

b. the task of supervising the performance of the duties of the Directors cannot be taken away from the Non-Executive Directors;

 

c. the Chairman must be a Non-Executive Director; and

 

d. the making of proposals for the appointment of a Director and the determination of the compensation of the Executive Directors cannot be allocated to an Executive Director.

 

17.4 The Board of Directors may determine in writing, in or pursuant to the Board Rules or otherwise pursuant to resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors, that one or more Directors can validly pass resolutions in respect of matters which fall under his/their duties.

 

17.5 The Board of Directors shall establish the committees which the Company is required to have and otherwise such committees as are deemed to be appropriate by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall draw up (and/or include in the Board Rules) rules concerning the organisation, decision-making and other internal matters of its committees.

 

17.6 The Board of Directors may perform the legal acts referred to in Section 2:94(1) DCC without the prior approval of the General Meeting.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - DECISION-MAKING

 

Article 18

 

 

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18.1 Without prejudice to Article ‎18.5, each Director may cast one vote in the decision-making of the Board of Directors.

 

18.2 A Director can be represented by another Director holding a written proxy for the purpose of the deliberations and the decision-making of the Board of Directors.

 

18.3 Resolutions of the Board of Directors and resolutions of the group of Non-Executive Directors shall be passed, irrespective of whether this occurs at a meeting or otherwise, by Simple Majority unless the Board Rules provide differently.

 

18.4 Invalid votes, blank votes and abstentions shall not be counted as votes cast. Directors who casted an invalid or blank vote or who abstained from voting shall be taken into account when determining the number of Directors who are present or represented at a meeting of the Board of Directors.

 

18.5 Where there is a tie in any vote of the Board of Directors, the Chairman shall have a casting vote. In case the Chairman does not exercise his casting vote as referred to in the preceding sentence due to (i) his absence in a meeting of the Board of Directors, (ii) him having a conflict of interests as referred to in Article ‎18.7 or (iii) him abstaining from voting, the CEO may exercise such casting vote instead, except for resolutions concerning the compensation of the Executive Directors. The foregoing only applies if there are at least three Directors in office. Otherwise, the relevant resolution shall not have been passed.

 

18.6 The Executive Directors shall not participate in the decision-making concerning the determination of the compensation of Executive Directors.

 

18.7 A Director shall not participate in the deliberations and decision-making of the Board of Directors on a matter in relation to which he has a direct or indirect personal interest which conflicts with the interests of the Company and of the business connected with it. If, as a result thereof, no resolution can be passed by the Board of Directors, the resolution may nevertheless be passed by the Board of Directors as if none of the Directors has a conflict of interests as described in the previous sentence.

 

18.8 Meetings of the Board of Directors can be held through audio-communication facilities, unless a Director reasonably objects thereto.

 

18.9 Resolutions of the Board of Directors may, instead of at a meeting, be passed in writing, provided that all Directors are familiar with the resolution to be passed and none of them reasonably objects to this decision-making process. Articles ‎18.1 through ‎18.7 apply mutatis mutandis.

 

18.10 The approval of the General Meeting is required for resolutions of the Board of Directors concerning a material change to the identity or the character of the Company or the business, including in any event:

 

a. transferring the business or materially all of the business to a third party;

 

b. entering into or terminating a long-lasting alliance of the Company or of a Subsidiary either with another entity or company, or as a fully liable partner of a limited partnership or general partnership, if this alliance or termination is of significant importance for the Company; and

 

c. acquiring or disposing of an interest in the capital of a company by the Company

 

 

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or by a Subsidiary with a value of at least one third of the value of the assets, according to the balance sheet with explanatory notes or, if the Company prepares a consolidated balance sheet, according to the consolidated balance sheet with explanatory notes in the Company's most recently adopted annual accounts.

 

18.11 The absence of the approval of the General Meeting of a resolution as referred to in Article ‎18.10 shall result in the relevant resolution being null and void pursuant to Section 2:14(1) DCC but shall not affect the powers of representation of the Board of Directors or of the Directors.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - COMPENSATION

 

Article 19

 

19.1 The General Meeting shall determine the Company's policy concerning the compensation of the Board of Directors with due observance of the relevant statutory requirements.

 

19.2 The compensation of Directors shall be determined by the Board of Directors with due observance of the policy referred to in Article ‎19.1.

 

19.3 The Board of Directors shall submit proposals concerning arrangements in the form of shares or rights to subscribe for shares to the General Meeting for approval. This proposal must at least include the number of shares or rights to subscribe for shares that may be awarded to the Board of Directors and which criteria apply for such awards or changes thereto. The absence of the approval of the General Meeting shall not affect the powers of representation.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - REPRESENTATION

 

Article 20

 

20.1 The Board of Directors is entitled to represent the Company.

 

20.2 The power to represent the Company also vests in the CEO individually, as well as in any other two Executive Directors acting jointly.

 

20.3 The Company may also be represented by the holder of a power of attorney to that effect. If the Company grants a power of attorney to an individual, the Board of Directors may grant an appropriate title to such person.

 

INDEMNITY

 

Article 21

 

21.1 The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each of its Indemnified Officers against:

 

a. any financial losses or damages incurred by such Indemnified Officer; and

 

b. any expense reasonably paid or incurred by such Indemnified Officer in connection with any threatened, pending or completed suit, claim, action or legal proceedings of a civil, criminal, administrative or other nature, formal or informal, in which he becomes involved,

 

to the extent this relates to his current or former position with the Company and/or a Group Company and in each case to the extent permitted by applicable law.

 

21.2 No indemnification shall be given to an Indemnified Officer:

 

a. if a competent court or arbitral tribunal has established that the acts or omissions of such Indemnified Officer that led to the financial losses, damages, expenses, suit, claim, action or legal proceedings as described in Article ‎21.1 are of an un

 

 

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lawful nature (including acts or omissions which are considered to constitute malice, gross negligence, intentional recklessness and/or serious culpability attributable to such Indemnified Officer);

 

b. to the extent that his financial losses, damages and expenses are covered under an insurance and the relevant insurer has settled, or has provided reimbursement for, these financial losses, damages and expenses (or has irrevocably undertaken to do so); or

 

c. in relation to proceedings brought by such Indemnified Officer against the Company, except for proceedings brought to enforce indemnification to which he is entitled pursuant to these articles of association, pursuant to an agreement between such Indemnified Officer and the Company which has been approved by the Board of Directors or pursuant to an insurance taken out by the Company for the benefit of such Indemnified Officer.

 

21.3 The Board of Directors may stipulate additional terms, conditions and restrictions in relation to the indemnification referred to in Article ‎21.1.

 

GENERAL MEETING - CONVENING AND HOLDING MEETINGS

 

Article 22

 

22.1 Annually, at least one General Meeting shall be held. This annual General Meeting shall be held within six months after the end of the Company's financial year.

 

22.2 A General Meeting shall also be held:

 

a. within three months after the Board of Directors has considered it to be likely that the Company's equity has decreased to an amount equal to or lower than half of its paid up and called up capital, in order to discuss the measures to be taken if so required; and

 

b. whenever the Board of Directors so decides.

 

22.3 General Meetings must be held in the place where the Company has its corporate seat or in Arnhem, The Hague, Rotterdam, Schiphol (Haarlemmermeer) or Utrecht.

 

22.4 If the Board of Directors has failed to ensure that a General Meeting as referred to in Articles ‎22.1 or ‎22.2 paragraph a. is held, each Person with Meeting Rights may be authorised by the court in preliminary relief proceedings to do so.

 

22.5 One or more Persons with Meeting Rights who collectively represent at least the part of the Company's issued share capital prescribed by law for this purpose may request the Board of Directors in writing to convene a General Meeting, setting out in detail the matters to be discussed. If the Board of Directors has not taken the steps necessary to ensure that the General Meeting could be held within the relevant statutory period after the request, the requesting Person(s) with Meeting Rights may be authorised, at his/their request, by the court in preliminary relief proceedings to convene a General Meeting.

 

22.6 Any matter of which the discussion has been requested in writing by one or more Persons with Meeting Rights who, individually or collectively, represent at least the part of the Company's issued share capital prescribed by law for this purpose shall be included in the convening notice or announced in the same manner, if the Company has received the substantiated request or a proposal for a resolution no later than on the sixtieth day prior to

 

 

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that of the General Meeting.

 

22.7 Persons with Meeting Rights who wish to exercise their rights as described in Articles ‎22.5 and ‎22.6 should first consult the Board of Directors. If the intended exercise of such rights might result in a change to the Company's strategy, including by dismissing one or more Directors, the Board of Directors shall be given the opportunity to invoke a reasonable period to respond to such intention. Such period shall not exceed the term stipulated by Dutch law and/or the Dutch Corporate Governance Code for that purpose. The Person(s) with Meeting Rights concerned should respect the response time stipulated by the Board of Directors. If invoked, the Board of Directors shall use such response period for further deliberation and constructive consultation, in any event with the Person(s) with Meeting Rights concerned, and shall explore the alternatives. At the end of the response time, the Board of Directors shall report on this consultation and the exploration of alternatives to the General Meeting. This shall be supervised by the Non-Executive Directors. The response period may be invoked only once for any given General Meeting and shall not apply:

 

a. in respect of a matter for which a response period has been previously invoked; or

 

b. if a shareholder holds at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the Company's issued share capital as a consequence of a successful public bid.

 

22.8 A General Meeting must be convened with due observance of the relevant statutory minimum convening period.

 

22.9 All Persons with Meeting Rights must be convened for the General Meeting in accordance with applicable law. The shareholders may be convened for the General Meeting by means of convening letters sent to the addresses of those shareholders in accordance with Article ‎5.5. The previous sentence does not prejudice the possibility of sending a convening notice by electronic means in accordance with Section 2:113(4) DCC.

 

GENERAL MEETING - PROCEDURAL RULES

 

Article 23

 

23.1 The General Meeting shall be chaired by one of the following individuals, taking into account the following order of priority:

 

a. by the Chairman, if there is a Chairman and he is present at the General Meeting;

 

b. by the CEO, if there is a CEO and he is present at the General Meeting;

 

c. by another Director who is chosen by the Directors present at the General Meeting from their midst; or

 

d. by another person appointed by the General Meeting.

 

The person who should chair the General Meeting pursuant to paragraphs a. through d. may appoint another person to chair the General Meeting instead of him.

 

23.2 The chairman of the General Meeting shall appoint another person present at the General Meeting to act as secretary and to minute the proceedings at the General Meeting. The minutes of a General Meeting shall be adopted by the chairman of that General Meeting or by the Board of Directors. Where an official report of the proceedings is drawn up by a civil law notary, no minutes need to be prepared. Every Director may instruct a civil law notary to draw up such an official report at the Company's expense.

 

 

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23.3 The chairman of the General Meeting shall decide on the admittance to the General Meeting of persons other than:

 

a. the persons who have Meeting Rights at that General Meeting, or their proxyholders; and

 

b. those who have a statutory right to attend that General Meeting on other grounds.

 

23.4 The holder of a written proxy from a Person with Meeting Rights who is entitled to attend a General Meeting shall only be admitted to that General Meeting if the proxy is determined to be acceptable by the chairman of that General Meeting.

 

23.5 The Company may direct that any person, before being admitted to a General Meeting, identify himself by means of a valid passport or driver's license and/or should be submitted to such security arrangements as the Company may consider to be appropriate under the given circumstances. Persons who do not comply with these requirements may be refused entry to the General Meeting.

 

23.6 The chairman of the General Meeting has the right to eject any person from the General Meeting if he considers that person to disrupt the orderly proceedings at the General Meeting.

 

23.7 The General Meeting shall be conducted in English. The chairman of the General Meeting may determine to conduct the General Meeting in a language other than the English language.

 

23.8 The chairman of the General Meeting may limit the amount of time that persons present at the General Meeting are allowed to take in addressing the General Meeting and the number of questions they are allowed to raise, with a view to safeguarding the orderly proceedings at the General Meeting. The chairman of the General Meeting may also adjourn the meeting if he considers that this shall safeguard the orderly proceedings at the General Meeting.

 

GENERAL MEETING - EXERCISE OF MEETING AND VOTING RIGHTS

 

Article 24

 

24.1 Each Person with Meeting Rights has the right to attend, address and, if applicable, vote at General Meetings, whether in person or represented by the holder of a written proxy. Holders of fractional shares together constituting the nominal value of a share of the relevant class shall exercise these rights collectively, whether through one of them or through the holder of a written proxy.

 

24.2 The Board of Directors may decide that each Person with Meeting Rights is entitled, whether in person or represented by the holder of a written proxy, to participate in, address and, if applicable, vote at the General Meeting by electronic means of communication. For the purpose of applying the preceding sentence it must be possible, by electronic means of communication, for the Person with Meeting Rights to be identified, to observe in real time the proceedings at the General Meeting and, if applicable, to vote. The Board of Directors may impose conditions on the use of the electronic means of communication, provided that these conditions are reasonable and necessary for the identification of the Person with Meeting Rights and the reliability and security of the communication. Such conditions must be announced in the convening notice.

 

 

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24.3 The Board of Directors can also decide that votes cast through electronic means of communication or by means of a letter prior to the General Meeting are considered to be votes that are cast during the General Meeting. These votes shall not be cast prior to the Registration Date.

 

24.4 For the purpose of Articles ‎24.1 through ‎24.3, those who have voting rights and/or Meeting Rights on the Registration Date and are recorded as such in a register designated by the Board of Directors shall be considered to have those rights, irrespective of whoever is entitled to the shares or depository receipts at the time of the General Meeting. Unless Dutch law requires otherwise, the Board of Directors is free to determine, when convening a General Meeting, (i) whether the previous sentence applies and (ii) that the Registration Date is applied with respect to shares of a specific class only.

 

24.5 Each Person with Meeting Rights must notify the Company in writing of his identity and his intention to attend the General Meeting. This notice must be received by the Company ultimately on the seventh day prior to the General Meeting, unless indicated otherwise when such General Meeting is convened. Persons with Meeting Rights that have not complied with this requirement may be refused entry to the General Meeting. When a General Meeting is convened the Board of Directors may stipulate not to apply the previous provisions of this Article ‎24.5 in respect of the exercise of Meeting Rights and/or voting rights attached to preferred shares at such General Meeting.

 

GENERAL MEETING - DECISION-MAKING

 

Article 25

 

25.1 Each share, irrespective of which class it concerns, shall give the right to cast one vote at the General Meeting. Fractional shares of a certain class, if any, collectively constituting the nominal value of a share of that class shall be considered to be equivalent to such a share.

 

25.2 No vote may be cast at a General Meeting in respect of a share belonging to the Company or a Subsidiary or in respect of a share for which any of them holds the depository receipts. Usufructuaries and pledgees of shares belonging to the Company or its Subsidiaries are not, however, precluded from exercising their voting rights if the usufruct or pledge was created before the relevant share belonged to the Company or a Subsidiary. Neither the Company nor a Subsidiary may vote shares in respect of which it holds a usufruct or a pledge.

 

25.3 Unless a greater majority is required by law or by these articles of association, all resolutions of the General Meeting shall be passed by Simple Majority.

 

25.4 Invalid votes, blank votes and abstentions shall not be counted as votes cast. Shares in respect of which an invalid or blank vote has been cast and shares in respect of which an abstention has been made shall be taken into account when determining the part of the issued share capital that is represented at a General Meeting.

 

25.5 Where there is a tie in any vote of the General Meeting, the relevant resolution shall not have been passed.

 

25.6 The chairman of the General Meeting shall decide on the method of voting and the voting

 

 

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procedure at the General Meeting.

 

25.7 The determination during the General Meeting made by the chairman of that General Meeting with regard to the results of a vote shall be decisive. If the accuracy of the chairman's determination is contested immediately after it has been made, a new vote shall take place if the majority of the General Meeting so requires or, where the original vote did not take place by response to a roll call or in writing, if any party with voting rights who is present so requires. The legal consequences of the original vote shall lapse as a result of the new vote.

 

25.8 The Board of Directors shall keep a record of the resolutions passed. The record shall be available at the Company's office for inspection by Persons with Meeting Rights. Each of them shall, upon request, be provided with a copy of or extract from the record, at no more than the cost price.

 

25.9 Shareholders may pass resolutions outside a meeting, unless the Company has cooperated with the issuance of depository receipts for shares in its capital. Such resolutions can only be passed by a unanimous vote of all shareholders with voting rights. The votes shall be cast in writing and may be cast through electronic means.

 

25.10 The Directors shall, in that capacity, have an advisory vote at the General Meetings.

 

GENERAL MEETING - SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS

 

Article 26

 

26.1 The following resolutions can only be passed by the General Meeting at the proposal of the Board of Directors:

 

a. the issue of shares or the granting of rights to subscribe for shares;

 

b. the limitation or exclusion of pre-emption rights;

 

c. the designation or granting of an authorisation as referred to in Articles ‎6.1, ‎7.5 and ‎10.2, respectively;

 

d. the reduction of the Company's issued share capital;

 

e. the making of a distribution from the Company's profits or reserves on the ordinary shares;

 

f. the making of a distribution in the form of shares in the Company's capital or in the form of assets, instead of in cash;

 

g. the amendment of these articles of association;

 

h. the entering into of a merger or demerger;

 

i. the instruction of the Board of Directors to apply for the Company's bankruptcy; and

 

j. the Company's dissolution.

 

26.2 For purposes of Article ‎26.1, a resolution shall not be considered to have been proposed by the Board of Directors if such resolution has been included in the convening notice or announced in the same manner by or at the request of one or more Persons with Meeting Rights pursuant to Articles ‎22.5 and/or ‎22.6, unless the Board of Directors has expressly indicated its support of such resolution in the agenda of the General Meeting concerned or in the explanatory notes thereto.

 

CLASS MEETINGS

 

 

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Article 27

 

27.1 A Class Meeting shall be held whenever a resolution of that Class Meeting is required by Dutch law or under these articles of association and otherwise whenever the Board of Directors so decides.

 

27.2 Without prejudice to Article ‎27.1, for Class Meetings of ordinary shares, the provisions concerning the convening of, drawing up of the agenda for, holding of and decision-making by the General Meeting apply mutatis mutandis.

 

27.3 For Class Meetings of preferred shares, the following shall apply:

 

a. Articles ‎22.3, ‎22.9, ‎23.3, ‎25.1, ‎25.2 through ‎25.10 apply mutatis mutandis;

 

b. a Class Meeting must be convened no later than on the eighth day prior to that of the meeting;

 

c. a Class Meeting shall appoint its own chairman; and

 

d. where the rules laid down by these articles of association in relation to the convening, location of or drawing up of the agenda for a Class Meeting have not been complied with, legally valid resolutions may still be passed by that Class Meeting by a unanimous vote at a meeting at which all shares of the relevant class are represented.

 

REPORTING - FINANCIAL YEAR, ANNUAL ACCOUNTS AND MANAGEMENT REPORT

 

Article 28

 

28.1 The Company's financial year shall coincide with the calendar year.

 

28.2 Annually, within the relevant statutory period, the Board of Directors shall prepare the annual accounts and the management report and deposit them at the Company's office for inspection by the shareholders.

 

28.3 The annual accounts shall be signed by the Directors. If any of their signatures is missing, this shall be mentioned, stating the reasons.

 

28.4 The Company shall ensure that the annual accounts, the management report and the particulars to be added pursuant to Section 2:392(1) DCC shall be available at its offices as from the convening of the General Meeting at which they are to be discussed. The Persons with Meeting Rights are entitled to inspect such documents at that location and to obtain a copy at no cost.

 

28.5 The annual accounts shall be adopted by the General Meeting.

 

REPORTING - AUDIT

 

Article 29

 

29.1 The General Meeting shall instruct an auditor as referred to in Section 2:393 DCC to audit the annual accounts. Where the General Meeting fails to do so, the Board of Directors shall be authorised.

 

29.2 The instruction may be revoked by the General Meeting and, if the Board of Directors has granted the instruction, by the Board of Directors. The instruction can only be revoked for well-founded reasons; a difference of opinion regarding the reporting or auditing methods shall not constitute such a reason.

 

DISTRIBUTIONS – GENERAL

 

 

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Article 30

 

30.1 A distribution can only be made to the extent that the Company's equity exceeds the amount of the paid up and called up part of its capital plus the reserves which must be maintained by law.

 

30.2 The Board of Directors may resolve to make interim distributions, provided that it appears from interim accounts to be prepared in accordance with Section 2:105(4) DCC that the requirement referred to in Article ‎30.1 has been met and, if it concerns an interim distribution of profits, taking into account the order of priority described in Article ‎32.1.

 

30.3 No entitlement to distributions is attached to preferred shares, other than as described in Articles ‎11.2, ‎32.1 and ‎33.3.

 

30.4 Distributions shall be made in proportion to the aggregate nominal value of the shares . In deviation of the previous sentence, distributions on preferred shares (or to the former holders of preferred shares) shall be made in proportion to the amounts paid up (or formerly paid up) on those preferred shares.

 

30.5 The parties entitled to a distribution shall be the relevant shareholders, usufructuaries and pledgees, as the case may be, at a date to be determined by the Board of Directors for that purpose. This date shall not be earlier than the date on which the distribution was announced.

 

30.6 The General Meeting may resolve, subject to ‎Article 26, that all or part of such distribution, instead of being made in cash, shall be made in the form of shares in the Company's capital or in the form of the Company's assets.

 

30.7 A distribution shall be payable on such date and, if it concerns a distribution in cash, in such currency as determined by the Board of Directors. If it concerns a distribution in the form of the Company's assets, the Board of Directors shall determine the value attributed to such distribution for purposes of recording the distribution in the Company's accounts with due observance of applicable law (including the applicable accounting principles).

 

30.8 A claim for payment of a distribution shall lapse after five years have expired after the distribution became payable.

 

30.9 For the purpose of calculating the amount or allocation of any distribution, shares held by the Company in its own capital shall not be taken into account. No distribution shall be made to the Company in respect of shares held by it in its own capital.

 

DISTRIBUTIONS - RESERVES

 

Article 31

 

31.1 All reserves maintained by the Company shall be attached exclusively to the ordinary shares.

 

31.2 Subject to ‎Article 26, the General Meeting is authorised to resolve to make a distribution from the Company's reserves.

 

31.3 Without prejudice to Articles ‎31.4 and ‎32.2, distributions from a reserve shall be made exclusively on the class of shares to which such reserve is attached.

 

31.4 The Board of Directors may resolve to charge amounts to be paid up on shares against the Company's reserves, irrespective of whether those shares are issued to existing shareholders.

 

 

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DISTRIBUTIONS - PROFITS

 

Article 32

 

32.1 Subject to Article ‎30.1, the profits shown in the Company's annual accounts in respect of a financial year shall be appropriated as follows, and in the following order of priority:

 

a. to the extent that any preferred shares have been cancelled without the distribution described in Article ‎11.2 paragraph b. having been paid in full and without any such deficit subsequently having been paid in full as described in this Article ‎32.1 or Article ‎32.2, an amount equal to any such (remaining) deficit shall be distributed to those who held those preferred shares at the moment of such cancellation becoming effective;

 

b. to the extent that any Preferred Distribution (or part thereof) in relation to previous financial years has not yet been paid in full as described in this Article ‎32.1 or Article ‎32.2, an amount equal to any such (remaining) deficit shall be distributed on the preferred shares;

 

c. the Preferred Distribution shall be distributed on the preferred shares in respect of the financial year to which the annual accounts pertain;

 

d. the Board of Directors shall determine which part of the remaining profits shall be added to the Company's reserves; and

 

e. subject ‎Article 26, the remaining profits shall be at the disposal of the General Meeting for distribution on the ordinary shares.

 

32.2 To the extent that the distributions described in Article ‎32.1 paragraphs a. through c. (or any part thereof) cannot be paid out of the profits shown in the annual accounts, any such deficit shall be distributed from the Company's reserves, subject to Articles ‎30.1 and ‎30.2.

 

32.3 Without prejudice to Article ‎30.1, a distribution of profits shall be made after the adoption of the annual accounts that show that such distribution is allowed.

 

DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION

 

Article 33

 

33.1 In the event of the Company being dissolved, the liquidation shall be effected by the Board of Directors, unless the General Meeting decides otherwise.

 

33.2 To the extent possible, these articles of association shall remain in effect during the liquidation.

 

33.3 To the extent that any assets remain after payment of all of the Company's debts, those assets shall be distributed as follows, and in the following order of priority:

 

a. the amounts paid up on the preferred shares shall be repaid on such preferred shares;

 

b. to the extent that any preferred shares have been cancelled without the distribution described in Article ‎11.2 paragraph b. having been paid in full and without any such deficit subsequently having been paid in full as described in Articles ‎32.1 and ‎32.2, an amount equal to any such (remaining) deficit shall be distributed to those who held those preferred shares at the moment of such cancellation becoming effective;

 

c. to the extent that any Preferred Distribution (or part thereof) in relation to finan

 

 

23  

cial years prior to the financial year in which the distribution referred to in paragraph a. occurs has not yet been paid in full as described in Articles ‎32.1 and ‎32.2, an amount equal to any such (remaining) deficit shall be distributed on the preferred shares;

 

d. the Preferred Distribution shall be paid on the preferred shares calculated in respect of the part of the financial year in which the distribution referred to in paragraph a. is made, for the number of days that have already elapsed during such part of the financial year; and

 

e. any remaining assets shall be distributed to the holders of ordinary shares.

 

33.4 After the Company has ceased to exist, its books, records and other information carriers shall be kept for the period prescribed by law by the person designated for that purpose in the resolution of the General Meeting to dissolve the Company. Where the General Meeting has not designated such a person, the liquidators shall do so.

 

TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

 

Article 34

 

34.1 Upon the Company's issued share capital increasing to an amount of at least two million six hundred forty thousand euro (EUR 2,640,000):

 

a. the Company's authorised share capital described in Article ‎4.1 shall immediately and automatically increase to an amount of thirteen million two hundred thousand euro (EUR 13,200,000); and

 

b. the composition of the authorised share capital described in Article ‎4.2 shall immediately and automatically be adjusted, such that the authorised share capital shall be divided into:

 

i. fifty-five million (55,000,000) ordinary shares; and

 

ii. fifty-five million (55,000,000) preferred shares,

 

each having a nominal value of twelve eurocents (EUR 0.12).

 

This Article ‎34.1 shall lapse and shall no longer form part of these articles of association at the moment immediately after the increase of the Company's issued share capital as described in the first sentence of this Article ‎34.1 shall have become effective.

 

34.2 The Company's first financial year ends on the thirty-first day of December two thousand and seventeen. This entire ‎Article 34 shall lapse and shall no longer form part of these articles of association on the first day of the Company's second financial year.

 

 

Exhibit 4.2

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

dated as of

November 7, 2017

among

INFLARX N.V.

and

THE SHAREHOLDERS PARTY HERETO

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

ARTICLE 1

Definitions

 

Section 1.01 . Definitions. 1
Section 1.02 . Other Definitional and Interpretative Provisions. 4

 

ARTICLE 2

Registration Rights

Section 2.01 . Demand Registration. 5
Section 2.02 . Piggyback Registration. 7
Section 2.03 . Shelf Registration. 8
Section 2.04 . Registration Procedures. 9
Section 2.05 . Participation In Public Offering. 12
Section 2.06 . Rule 144 Sales; Cooperation By The Company. 13

 

ARTICLE 3

Indemnification and Contribution

Section 3.01 . Indemnification by the Company. 13
Section 3.02 . Indemnification by Participating Shareholders. 13
Section 3.03 . Undertaking. 14
Section 3.04 . Liability. 14
Section 3.05 . Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. 14
Section 3.06 . Contribution. 15

 

ARTICLE 4

Miscellaneous

 

Section 4.01 . Binding Effect; Assignability; Benefit. 16
Section 4.02 . Notices. 17
Section 4.03 . Waiver; Amendment; Termination. 17
Section 4.04 . Governing Law. 18
Section 4.05 . Jurisdiction. 18
Section 4.06 . WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. 18
Section 4.07 . Specific Enforcement. 18
Section 4.08 . Counterparts; Effectiveness . 18
Section 4.09 . Entire Agreement . 19
Section 4.10 . Severability . 19
Section 4.11 . Confidentiality. 19
Section 4.12 . Independent Nature of Shareholders' Obligations and Rights. 20

 

 

Exhibit A Joinder Agreement

 

 

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT dated as of November 7, 2017 (this “ Agreement ”) by and among InflaRx N.V., a Dutch public company with limited liability (the “ Company ”), and the shareholders listed on the signature pages hereto, as well as any Permitted Transferees (as defined below).

 

In consideration of the mutual promises made herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE 1

Definitions

 

Section 1.01 . Definitions. (a) The following terms, as used herein, have the following meanings:

 

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person, provided that no securityholder of the Company shall be deemed an Affiliate of any other securityholder solely by reason of any investment in the Company, and provided further that “Affiliate” with respect to those Shareholders that are advisory clients of a Person shall include other funds and accounts managed by such Person. For the purpose of this definition, the term “ control ” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “ controlling ”, “ controlled by ” and “ under common control with ”), as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

 

Business Day ” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City or Amsterdam, the Netherlands are authorized by law to close.

 

Common Shares ” means ordinary shares, nominal value €0.12 per share, of the Company and any shares into which such Common Shares may thereafter be converted or changed (including, without limitation, by way of share dividend, share split, reverse share split, combination, reclassification or similar change in the capital structure of the Company involving such ordinary shares).

 

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

FINRA ” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (formerly, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.) and any successor thereto.

 

First Public Offering ” means the Company’s initial Public Offering.

 

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Permitted Transferee ” means in the case of any Shareholder, a Person to whom Registrable Securities are Transferred by such Shareholder in accordance with Section 4.01(b); provided that (i) such Transfer does not violate any agreements between such Shareholder and the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries, (ii) such Transfer is not made in a registered offering or pursuant to Rule 144 and (iii) such transferee shall only be a Permitted Transferee if and to the extent the transferor designates the transferee as a Permitted Transferee entitled to rights hereunder pursuant to Section 4.01(b).

 

Person ” means an individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, trust or other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.

 

Public Offering ” means an underwritten public offering of Registrable Securities of the Company pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, other than pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-4, Form F-4 or Form S-8 or any similar or successor form.

 

Registrable Securities ” means, at any time, any Common Shares and any other securities issued or issuable by the Company or any of its successors or assigns in respect of any such Common Shares by way of conversion, exchange, exercise, dividend, split, reverse split, combination, recapitalization, reclassification, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, sale of assets, other reorganization or otherwise until (i) a registration statement covering such Common Shares or such other securities has been declared effective by the SEC and such Common Shares or such other securities have been disposed of pursuant to such effective registration statement, (ii) such Common Shares or such other securities are sold under circumstances in which all of the applicable conditions of Rule 144 are met or (iii) such Common Shares or such other securities are eligible for sale by the holder thereof without registration under Rule 144 without volume limitation during a three-month period.

 

Registration Expenses ” means any and all expenses incident to the performance of, or compliance with, any registration or marketing of Registrable Securities, including all (i) registration and filing fees, and all other fees and expenses payable in connection with the listing of securities on any securities exchange or automated interdealer quotation system, (ii) fees and expenses of compliance with any securities or “blue sky” laws (including reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with “blue sky” qualifications of the securities registered), (iii) expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, mailing and delivery of any registration statements, prospectuses and other documents in connection therewith and any amendments or supplements thereto, (iv) security engraving and printing expenses, (v) internal expenses of the Company (including all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), (vi) reasonably incurred fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and customary fees and expenses for independent certified public accountants retained by the Company (including

 

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the expenses relating to any comfort letters or costs associated with the delivery by independent certified public accountants of any comfort letters requested pursuant to Section 2.04(g)), (vii) reasonable fees and expenses of any special experts retained by the Company in connection with such registration, (viii) reasonably incurred fees and disbursements of one counsel for all of the Shareholders participating in the offering selected by the Shareholders holding the majority of the Registrable Securities to be sold in the offering for the account of all Shareholders in the offering, (ix) fees and expenses in connection with any review by FINRA of the underwriting arrangements or other terms of the offering, and all fees and expenses of any “qualified independent underwriter,” including the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of any counsel thereto, (x) reasonable fees and disbursements of underwriters customarily paid by issuers or sellers of securities, but excluding any underwriting fees, discounts and commissions attributable to the sale of Registrable Securities and covered fees (other than pursuant to clause (ix) hereof), (xi) costs of printing and producing any agreements among underwriters, underwriting agreements, any “blue sky” or legal investment memoranda and any selling agreements and other documents in connection with the offering, sale or delivery of the Registrable Securities, (xii) transfer agents’ and registrars’ fees and expenses and the fees and expenses of any other agent or trustee appointed in connection with such offering and (xiii) expenses relating to any analyst or investor presentations or any “road shows” undertaken in connection with the registration, marketing or selling of the Registrable Securities. Except as set forth in clause (viii) above, Registration Expenses shall not include any out-of-pocket expenses of the Shareholders (or the agents who manage their accounts). For the avoidance of doubt, Registration Expenses shall not include any underwriting fees, discounts, commissions or taxes attributable to the sale of Registrable Securities.

 

Rule 144 ” means Rule 144 (or any successor or similar provisions) under the Securities Act.

 

SEC ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Shareholder ” means at any time, any Person (other than the Company) who shall then be a party to or bound by this Agreement, so long as such Person shall “beneficially own” (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) any Registrable Securities.

 

Transfer ” means, with respect to any Registrable Securities, (i) when used as a verb, to sell, assign, dispose of, exchange, pledge, encumber, hypothecate or otherwise transfer such Registrable Securities or any participation or interest therein, whether directly or indirectly, or agree or commit to do any of the foregoing and (ii) when used as a noun, a direct or indirect sale, assignment, disposition, exchange, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation, or other transfer of

 

3  

 

such Registrable Securities or any participation or interest therein or any agreement or commitment to do any of the foregoing.

 

(b) Each of the following terms is defined in the Section set forth opposite such term:

 

Term Section
Agreement Preamble
Company Preamble
Damages 3.01
Demand Notice 2.01(a)
Demand Registration 2.01(a)
Indemnified Party 3.05
Indemnifying Party 3.05
Initial Requesting Shareholders 2.01(a)
Initial Shelf Requesting Shareholders 2.03
Joinder Agreement 4.01(b)
Maximum Offering Size 2.01(e)
Notice 4.02
Piggyback Registration 2.02(a)
Requesting Shareholder 2.01(a)
Shelf Registration 2.03
Shelf Requesting Shareholder 2.03
Underwritten Takedown 2.03

 

Section 1.02. Other Definitional and Interpretative Provisions. The words “hereof”, “herein” and “hereunder” and words of like import used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement. The captions herein are included for convenience of reference only and shall be ignored in the construction or interpretation hereof. References to Articles, Sections or Exhibits are to Articles, Sections and Exhibits of this Agreement unless otherwise specified. All Exhibits annexed hereto or referred to herein are hereby incorporated in and made a part of this Agreement as if set forth in full herein. Any capitalized term used in any Exhibit but not otherwise defined therein shall have the meaning as defined in this Agreement. Any singular term in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the plural, and any plural term the singular. Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”, whether or not they are in fact followed by those words or words of like import. “Writing”, “written” and comparable terms refer to printing, typing and other means of reproducing words (including electronic

 

4  

 

media) in a visible form. References to any agreement or contract are to that agreement or contract as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof. References to any Person include the successors and permitted assigns of that Person. References from or through any date mean, unless otherwise specified, from and including or through and including, respectively.

 

ARTICLE 2

Registration Rights

 

Section 2.01. Demand Registration . (a) If at any time after 180 days following the completion of the First Public Offering, the Company shall receive a request from a Shareholder or group of Shareholders, in each case holding at least 40% of the outstanding Registrable Securities (the requesting Shareholder(s) shall be referred to herein as the “ Initial Requesting Shareholders ”), that the Company effect the registration under the Securities Act of all or any portion of such Initial Requesting Shareholder’s Registrable Securities, and specifying the intended method of disposition thereof, then the Company shall give notice (a “ Demand Notice ”) of such requested registration (each such request shall be referred to herein as a “ Demand Registration ”) to the other Shareholders, which notice shall be given not later than five Business Days prior to the anticipated filing date of the registration statement relating to such Demand Registration. Such other Shareholders may, upon notice received by the Company no later than two Business Days after the date of notice of a Demand Registration, request that the Company also effect the registration under the Securities Act of all or any portion of each such other Shareholder’s Registrable Securities (such other requesting Shareholders, together with the Initial Requesting Shareholder(s), shall be referred to herein as the “ Requesting Shareholders ”). Thereafter, subject to the restrictions in Section 2.01(e), the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration under the Securities Act of all Registrable Securities for which the Requesting Shareholders have requested registration under this Section 2.01 to the extent necessary to permit the disposition of the Registrable Securities so to be registered (in accordance with the intended methods thereof as aforesaid), provided that the Company shall be permitted to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities other than the Registrable Securities (including for the benefit of Persons not party to this Agreement) as part of any Demand Registration; provided further that the Company shall not be obligated to effect a Demand Registration unless the aggregate gross proceeds expected to be received from the sale of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Demand Registration equals or exceeds $20,000,000 or such lesser amount that constitutes all of the Requesting Shareholder’s Registrable Securities (provided that such lesser amount is at least $10,000,000). In no event shall the Company be required to effect (i) more than one Demand Registration hereunder within any six-month period or (ii) any Demand Registration if, at the time of such request, six or more Demand

 

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Registrations and Underwritten Takedowns (as defined below) have previously been effected ((i) and (ii) hereinafter collectively referred to as the “ Demand Registration Limitations ”).

 

(b)            At any time prior to the effective date of the registration statement relating to a Demand Registration, a Shareholder may withdraw from the related registration by providing written notice to the Company. If sufficient Registrable Securities are so withdrawn such that the number of Registrable Securities to be included in such Demand Registration does not meet the applicable threshold required for such Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.01(a), the Company may cease all efforts to effect such Demand Registration, and upon the Company ceasing all efforts to effect registration, such Demand Registration shall be deemed revoked. A request, so revoked, shall be considered to be a Demand Registration for purposes of the Demand Registration Limitations unless (i) such revocation arose out of the fault of the Company or (ii) the Requesting Shareholders reimburse the Company for all Registration Expenses (other than the expenses set forth under clause (v) of the definition of the term Registration Expenses) incurred prior to such revocation, pro rata among such Requesting Shareholders on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities of such Requesting Shareholders that were to be included in such revoked Demand Registration.

 

(c)            The Company shall be liable for and shall pay all Registration Expenses in connection with any Demand Registration, regardless of whether such registration is effected, unless the Requesting Shareholders elect to pay such Registration Expenses as described in the last sentence of Section 2.01(b).

 

(d)            A Demand Registration shall not be deemed to have occurred (other than as provided in (b)) unless the registration statement relating thereto (i) has become effective under the Securities Act and (ii) has remained effective for a period of at least 30 days (or such shorter period in which all Registrable Securities of the Requesting Shareholders included in such registration have actually been sold thereunder).

 

(e)            If a Demand Registration involves a Public Offering and the managing underwriter advises the Company and the Requesting Shareholder that, in its view, the number of shares of Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration (including any securities that the Company proposes to be included that are not Registrable Securities) exceeds the largest number of shares that can be sold without having an adverse effect on such offering, including the price at which such shares can be sold (the “ Maximum Offering Size ”), the Company shall include in such registration, in the priority listed below, up to the Maximum Offering Size:

 

(i)           first, all Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by all Requesting Shareholders (allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata among

 

6  

 

such Shareholders on the basis of the relative number of Registrable Securities so requested to be included in such registration by each such Shareholder, and

 

(ii) second, any securities proposed to be registered by the Company (including for the benefit of any other Persons not party to this Agreement).

 

(f) Upon notice to the Requesting Shareholders, the Company may postpone effecting a Demand Registration on two occasions during any period of twelve consecutive months for a reasonable time specified in the notice but not exceeding 90 days in the aggregate in any period of twelve consecutive months, if

 

(i) the Company reasonably determines in good faith that effecting the registration would materially and adversely affect an offering of securities of the Company the preparation of which had then been commenced, or (ii) the Company is in possession of material non-public information the disclosure of which during the period specified in such notice the Company reasonably believes would not be in the best interests of the Company.

 

Section 2.02. Piggyback Registration . (a) If at any time later than 180 days after the Initial Public Offering the Company proposes to register any Common Shares under the Securities Act (other than (i) a Shelf Registration, which will be subject to the provisions of Section 2.03; provided that any Underwritten Takedown will be subject to this Section 2.02, or (ii) a registration on Form S-8, F-4 or S-4, or any successor or similar forms, relating to Common Shares issuable upon exercise of employee stock options or in connection with any employee benefit or similar plan of the Company or in connection with a direct or indirect acquisition by the Company of another Person), whether or not for sale for its own account, the Company shall each such time give prompt notice at least two Business Days prior to the anticipated filing date of the registration statement relating to such registration to each Shareholder, which notice shall set forth such Shareholder’s rights under this Section 2.02 and shall offer such Shareholder the opportunity to include in such registration statement the number of Registrable Securities of the same class or series as those proposed to be registered as each such Shareholder may request (a “ Piggyback Registration ”). Any such Shareholder may, within two Business Days after the receipt of notice from the Company, request that the Company also effect the registration under the Securities Act of all or any portion of such Shareholder’s Registrable Securities. Thereafter, subject to the provisions of Section 2.02(b), the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration under the Securities Act of all Registrable Securities that the Company has been so requested to register by all such Shareholders, to the extent necessary to permit the disposition of the Registrable Securities so to be registered, provided that (A) if such registration involves a Public Offering, all such Shareholders requesting to be included in the Company’s registration must sell their Registrable Securities to the underwriters selected as provided in Section 2.05(f) on the same terms and conditions as apply to the Company, and (B) if, at any time after giving notice of its intention to

 

7  

 

register any Common Shares pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) and prior to the effective date of the registration statement filed in connection with such registration, the Company shall determine for any reason not to register such securities, the Company shall give notice to all such Shareholders and, thereupon, shall be relieved of its obligation to register any Registrable Securities in connection with such registration. No registration effected under this Section 2.02 shall relieve the Company of its obligations to effect a Demand Registration to the extent required by Section 2.01 or a Shelf Registration to the extent required by Section 2.03. The Company shall pay all Registration Expenses in connection with each Piggyback Registration.

 

(b) If a Piggyback Registration involves a Public Offering and the managing underwriter advises the Company that, in its view, the number of Shares that the Company and such Shareholders intend to include in such registration exceeds the Maximum Offering Size, the Company shall include in such registration, in the following priority, up to the Maximum Offering Size:

 

(i)            first, so much of the Common Shares proposed to be registered for the account of the Company, as would not cause the offering to exceed the Maximum Offering Size,

 

(ii)           second, all Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any Shareholders pursuant to this Section 2.02 (allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata among such Shareholders on the basis of the relative number of shares of Registrable Securities so requested to be included in such registration by each such Shareholder, and

 

(iii)            third, any securities proposed to be registered for the account of any other Persons with such priorities among them as the Company shall determine.

 

Section 2.03. Shelf Registration . (a) At any time after the first anniversary of the First Public Offering, if the Company is eligible to use Form F-3 or Form S-3, a Shareholder or group of Shareholders, in each case holding at least 20% of the Registrable Securities (the requesting Shareholder(s) shall be referred to herein as the “ Initial Shelf Requesting Shareholders ”), may request the Company to effect a registration of some or all of the Registrable Securities held by such Initial Shelf Requesting Shareholders under a Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor or similar rule) (a “ Shelf Registration ”). The Company shall give notice of such requested Shelf Registration to the other Shareholders at least two Business Days prior to the anticipated filing date of the registration statement relating to such Shelf Registration. Such other Shareholders may, upon notice received by the Company no later than two Business Days after the date of the notice of a Shelf Registration, request that the Company also effect a registration of some or all of the Registrable Securities held by such other Shareholders (such other requesting

 

8  

 

Shareholders, together with the Initial Shelf Requesting Shareholders, the “ Shelf Requesting Shareholders ”). Thereafter, subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 2.01(e), the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration under the Securities Act of all Registrable Securities for which the Shelf Requesting Shareholders have requested registration under this Section 2.03 to the extent necessary to permit the disposition of the Registrable Securities so to be registered on such Shelf Registration, provided that the Company shall be permitted to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities other than the Registrable Securities (including for the benefit of Persons not party to this Agreement) as part of any Shelf Registration. The Company shall only be required to effectuate one Public Offering from such Shelf Registration (an “ Underwritten Takedown ”) within any six-month period, which offering shall be deemed a Demand Registration for purposes of the Company’s obligation to effect no more than six Demand Registrations in the aggregate as set forth in Section 2.01(a).

 

(b) The provisions of Section 2.01 shall apply mutatis mutandis to each Underwritten Takedown except as otherwise provided in this Section 2.03, with references to “filing of the registration statement” or “effective date” being deemed references to filing of a prospectus or supplement for such offering, references to “registration” being deemed references to the offering, references to “Demand Registration” being deemed references to “Shelf Registration” or “Underwritten Takedown” as applicable and references to “Requesting Shareholders” being deemed references to “Shelf Requesting Shareholders”; provided that Shelf Requesting Shareholders shall only include Shareholders whose Registrable Securities are included in such Shelf Registration or may be included therein without the need for an amendment to such Shelf Registration (other than an automatically effective amendment). So long as the Shelf Registration is effective, no Shareholder may request any Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.01 with respect to Registrable Securities that are registered or registrable without the need for an amendment (other than an automatically effective amendment) on such Shelf Registration.

 

Section 2.04. Registration Procedures . Whenever Shareholders request that any Registrable Securities be registered pursuant to Section 2.01, 2.02, or 2.03, subject to the provisions of such Sections, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration and the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof as promptly as practicable, and, in connection with any such request:

 

(a) The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to prepare and file with the SEC within 120 days of such request or such later date as necessary to comply with applicable law, a registration statement on any form for which the Company then qualifies or that counsel for the Company shall deem appropriate and which form shall be available for the sale of the Registrable

 

9  

 

Securities to be registered thereunder in accordance with the intended method of distribution thereof, and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such filed registration statement to become and remain effective for a period of not less than 30 days, or in the case of a Shelf Registration, three years (or such shorter period in which all of the Registrable Securities of the Shareholders included in such registration statement shall have actually been sold thereunder or cease to be Registrable Securities).

 

(b)           Prior to filing a registration statement or prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (other than any report filed pursuant to the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference therein), the Company shall, if requested, furnish to each participating Shareholder and each underwriter, if any, of the Registrable Securities covered by a registration statement or prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto copies of such registration statement, prospectus, amendment or supplement in the form as proposed to be filed, and thereafter the Company shall furnish to such Shareholder and underwriter, if any, such number of copies of such registration statement, prospectus, amendment and supplement (in each case excluding all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein unless specifically requested), the prospectus included in such registration statement (including each preliminary prospectus and any summary prospectus) and any other prospectus filed under Rule 424, Rule 430A, Rule 430B or Rule 430C under the Securities Act as such Shareholder or underwriter may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Shareholder.

 

(c)           After the filing of the registration statement, the Company shall (i) cause the related prospectus to be supplemented by any required prospectus supplement and, as so supplemented, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, (ii) comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement during the applicable period in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the Shareholders thereof set forth in such registration statement or supplement to such prospectus and (iii) promptly notify each Shareholder holding Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement of any stop order issued or threatened by the SEC or any state securities commission and take all reasonable actions required to prevent the entry of such stop order or to remove it if entered.

 

(d)           The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as any Shareholder holding such Registrable Securities reasonably (in light of such Shareholder’s intended plan of distribution) requests; 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 Section 2.04(d), (B) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction or (C) consent to general service of process in any such jurisdiction.

 

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(e)           The Company shall as promptly as practicable notify each Shareholder holding such Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement, at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the occurrence of an event requiring the preparation of a supplement or amendment to such prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such Registrable Securities, such prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and promptly prepare and make available to each such Shareholder and file with the SEC any such supplement or amendment.

 

(f)            The Company shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to select an underwriter or underwriters in connection with any Public Offering resulting from any exercise of a Demand Registration or Underwritten Takedown. In connection with any Public Offering, the Company shall enter into customary agreements (including an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take such all other actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in any such Public Offering, including if necessary in the judgment of Company counsel, the engagement of a “qualified independent underwriter” in connection with the qualification of the underwriting arrangements with FINRA.

 

(g)           In connection with any Public Offering, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to furnish to each underwriter, if any, a signed counterpart, addressed to such underwriter, of (i) an opinion or opinions of counsel to the Company and (ii) a comfort letter or comfort letters from the Company’s independent public accountants, each in customary form and covering such matters of the kind customarily covered by opinions or comfort letters, as the case may be, as the managing underwriter(s) therefor reasonably requests.

 

(h)           The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earning statement or such other document covering a period of 12 months, beginning within three months after the effective date of the registration statement, which earning statement satisfies the requirements of Rule 158 under the Securities Act.

 

(i)            The Company may require each Shareholder promptly to furnish in writing to the Company such information regarding the distribution of the Registrable Securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably request and such other information as may be legally required in connection with such registration. In connection with a Shelf Registration, any Shareholder that does not provide such information within two Business Days of a request by the Company may have its Registrable Securities excluded from such Shelf Registration.

 

11  

 

(j)            Each Shareholder agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 2.04(e), such Shareholder shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to the registration statement covering such Registrable Securities until such Shareholder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 2.04(e), and, if so directed by the Company, such Shareholder shall deliver to the Company all copies, other than any permanent file copies then in such Shareholder’s possession, of the most recent prospectus covering such Registrable Securities at the time of receipt of such notice. If the Company shall give such notice, the Company shall extend the period during which such registration statement shall be maintained effective (including the period referred to in Section 2.04(a)) by the number of days during the period from and including the date of the giving of notice pursuant to Section 2.04(e) to the date when the Company shall make available to such Shareholder a prospectus supplemented or amended to conform with the requirements of Section 2.04(e).

 

(k)            The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to list all Registrable Securities sold pursuant to an offering conducted pursuant to this Agreement on any securities exchange or quotation system on which the Common Shares are then listed or traded.

 

(l)            In any Public Offering conducted pursuant to a Demand Registration, the Company shall have appropriate officers of the Company (i) be available to prepare and make presentations at any “road shows” and before analysts and (ii) otherwise use their reasonable efforts to cooperate as reasonably requested by the underwriters in the offering, marketing or selling of the Registrable Securities.

 

(m)            Each Shareholder agrees that, in connection with any offering conducted pursuant to this Agreement, it will not prepare or use or refer to, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) without the prior written authorization of the Company (which authorization shall not be unreasonably withheld) and will not distribute any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Registrable Securities pursuant to any Public Offering conducted hereunder other than the prospectus and any such free writing prospectus so authorized.

 

Section 2.05 . Participation In Public Offering. No Shareholder may participate in any Public Offering hereunder unless such Shareholder (a) agrees to sell such Shareholder’s Registrable Securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and consistent with the provisions of this Agreement and (b) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents consistent with the provisions of this Agreement and reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements and the provisions of this Agreement in respect of registration rights.

 

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Section 2.06 . Rule 144 Sales; Cooperation By The Company. If any Shareholder shall transfer any Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 144, the Company shall cooperate, to the extent commercially reasonable, with such Shareholder and shall provide to such Shareholder such information as such Shareholder shall reasonably request. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company shall at any time after any of the Company’s Common Shares are registered under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act: (i) make and keep available public information, as those terms are contemplated by Rule 144; (ii) timely file with the SEC all reports and other documents required to be filed under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act; and (iii) furnish to each Shareholder forthwith upon request a written statement by the Company as to its compliance with the reporting requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company, and such other information as such Shareholder may reasonably request in order to avail itself of any rule or regulation of the SEC allowing such Shareholder to sell any Registrable Securities without registration.

 

ARTICLE 3

Indemnification and Contribution

 

Section 3.01. Indemnification by the Company . The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Shareholder holding Registrable Securities covered by a registration statement, and all officers, directors and employees of such Shareholder, and each Person, if any, who controls such Shareholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable and documented expenses of investigation and reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees and expenses) (collectively, “ Damages ”) caused by or relating to any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any registration statement or prospectus relating to the Registrable Securities (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) or any preliminary prospectus, or caused by or relating to any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such Damages are caused by or related to any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission so made based upon information furnished in writing to the Company by such Shareholder or on such Shareholder’s behalf expressly for use therein. The Company also agrees to indemnify any underwriters of the Registrable Securities, their officers and directors and each Person who controls such underwriters within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act on substantially the same basis as that of the indemnification of the Shareholders provided in this Section 3.01.

 

Section 3.02. Indemnification by Participating Shareholders . (a) Each Shareholder holding Registrable Securities covered by a registration statement

 

13  

 

agrees, severally but not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its officers, directors and agents and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity from the Company to such Shareholder provided in Section 3.01, but only with respect to information furnished in writing by such Shareholder or on such Shareholder’s behalf relating to such Shareholder or the Registrable Securities held by it expressly for use in any registration statement or prospectus relating to the Registrable Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any preliminary prospectus. Each such Shareholder also agrees to indemnify and hold harmless underwriters of the Registrable Securities, their officers and directors and each Person who controls such underwriters within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act on substantially the same basis as that of the indemnification of the Company provided in this Section 3.02.

 

Section 3.03. Undertaking. As a condition to including Registrable Securities in any registration statement filed in accordance with Article 2, the Company may require that it shall have received an undertaking reasonably satisfactory to it from any underwriter to indemnify and hold it harmless to the extent customarily provided by underwriters with respect to similar securities

 

Section 3.04. Liability . No Shareholder shall be liable for indemnification obligations under Section 3.02 for any Damages in excess of the net proceeds realized by such Shareholder in the sale of Registrable Securities of such Shareholder to which such Damages relate.

 

Section 3.05. Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings . If any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be brought or asserted against any Person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 3.01 or 3.02 such Person (an “ Indemnified Party ”) shall promptly notify the Person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “ Indemnifying Party ”) in writing and the Indemnifying Party shall assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party, and shall assume the payment of all reasonable and documented fees and expenses, provided that the failure of any Indemnified Party so to notify the Indemnifying Party shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its obligations hereunder except to the extent that the Indemnifying Party is materially prejudiced by such failure to notify. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party unless (a) the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (b) in the reasonable judgment of such Indemnified Party representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, including one or more defenses or counterclaims that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Party. It is understood that, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for the reasonable

 

14  

 

and documented fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys (in addition to one local counsel per jurisdiction) at any time for all such Indemnified Parties, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. In the case of any such separate firm for the Indemnified Parties, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Indemnified Parties. The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent, or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Party shall indemnify and hold harmless such Indemnified Parties from and against any loss or liability (to the extent stated above) by reason of such settlement or judgment. Without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, no Indemnifying Party shall effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability arising out of such proceeding.

 

Section 3.06. Contribution . (a) If the indemnification provided for in Section 3.01 or 3.02 is unavailable to the Indemnified Parties in respect of any Damages, then each Indemnifying Party, in lieu of indemnifying the Indemnified Parties, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Damages as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of such Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or relates to information supplied by, such Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action, statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of any Damages shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, any reasonable attorneys’ or other reasonable fees or expenses incurred by such party in connection with any proceeding to the extent such party would have been indemnified for such fees or expenses if the indemnification provided for in Sections 3.01 or 3.02 was available to such party in accordance with its terms.

 

(b) The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 3.06 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 3.06, no Shareholder shall be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount by which the proceeds actually received by such Shareholder from the sale of the Registrable Securities subject to the proceeding exceeds the amount of any damages that such Shareholder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of

 

15  

 

such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission, except in the case of fraud by such Shareholder. Each Shareholder’s obligation to contribute pursuant to this Section 3.06 is several in the proportion that the proceeds of the offering received by such Shareholder bears to the total proceeds of the offering received by all such Shareholders and not joint. No Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Article 3 are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties.

 

ARTICLE 4

Miscellaneous

 

Section 4.01 . Binding Effect; Assignability; Benefit. (a) This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective heirs, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns. Any Shareholder that ceases to own beneficially any Registrable Securities shall cease to be bound by the terms hereof (other than (i) the provisions of Article 3 applicable to such Shareholder with respect to any offering of Registrable Securities completed before the date such Shareholder ceased to own any Registrable Securities and (ii) this Article 4).

 

(b)            Neither this Agreement nor any right, remedy, obligation or liability arising hereunder or by reason hereof shall be assignable by any party hereto pursuant to any Transfer of Registrable Securities or otherwise, except that each Shareholder may assign all or any portion of its rights hereunder to any Permitted Transferee of such Shareholder with respect to not less than 5% of the outstanding Common Shares at the time of such transfer; provided , however , that no such minimum share assignment requirement shall be necessary for an assignment by a Shareholder which is a (i) partnership to its partners in accordance with their partnership interests, (ii) a limited liability company to its members in accordance with their interests in the limited liability company, (iii) a corporation to its stockholders in accordance with their interests in the corporation or (iv) to an Affiliate of such Shareholder. Any such Permitted Transferee must (unless already bound hereby) execute and deliver to the Company an agreement to be bound by this Agreement in the form of Exhibit A hereto (a “ Joinder Agreement ”) and shall thenceforth be a “Shareholder.” Any such transfer to a Permitted Transferee must be in compliance with the Securities Act and any other applicable securities “blue sky” laws.

 

(c)            Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, is intended to confer on any Person other than the parties hereto, and their respective heirs, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns, any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

16  

 

Section 4.02. Notices . All notices, requests and other communications (each, a “ Notice ”) to any party shall be in writing and shall be delivered in person, mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, or sent by facsimile transmission or email transmission,

 

if to the Company to:

 

InflaRx N.V.

Winzerlaer Str. 2

 

07745 Jena, Germany

Attention: Niels Riedemann, Chief Executive Officer 

Email: Niels.Riedemann@inflarx.de

 

with a copy to:

 

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

450 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Attention: Sophia Hudson

Fax: (212) 701-4762 

Email: sophia.hudson@davispolk.com

 

if to any Shareholder, at the address for such Shareholder listed on the signature pages below or otherwise provided to the Company as set forth below.

 

Any Notice shall be deemed received on the date of receipt by the recipient thereof if received prior to 5:00 p.m. in the place of receipt and such day is a Business Day in the place of receipt. Otherwise, such Notice shall be deemed not to have been received until the next succeeding Business Day in the place of receipt. Any Person that becomes a Shareholder after the date hereof shall provide its address, fax number and email address to the Company.

 

Section 4.03. Waiver; Amendment; Termination . (a) The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given without the written consent of the Company and holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities; provided, however, that in no event shall the obligations of any holder of Registrable Securities be materially increased or the rights of any Stockholder be adversely affected (without similarly adversely affecting the rights of all Stockholders), except upon the written consent of such holder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of holders of Registrable Securities whose securities are being sold pursuant to a Registration Statement and that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other holders of Registrable Securities may be given by holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities being sold by such holders pursuant to such Registration Statement.

 

17  

 

(b) This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) the fifth anniversary of the First Public Offering and (ii) the date on which there are no remaining Registrable Securities held by the Shareholders party hereto.

 

Section 4.04. Governing Law . This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflicts of laws rules of such state.

 

Section 4.05. Jurisdiction . The parties hereby agree that any suit, action or proceeding seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising out of or in connection with, this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be brought in any state or federal court in The City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, so long as one of such courts shall have subject matter jurisdiction over such suit, action or proceeding, and that any cause of action arising out of this Agreement shall be deemed to have arisen from a transaction of business in the State of New York, and each of the parties hereby irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of such courts (and of the appropriate appellate courts therefrom) in any such suit, action or proceeding and irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding in any such court or that any such suit, action or proceeding which is brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Process in any such suit, action or proceeding may be served on any party anywhere in the world, whether within or without the jurisdiction of any such court. Without limiting the foregoing, each party agrees that service of process on such party as provided in Section 4.02 shall be deemed effective service of process on such party.

 

Section 4.06. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

Section 4.07. Specific Enforcement . Each party hereto acknowledges that the remedies at law of the other parties for a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement would be inadequate and, in recognition of this fact, any party to this Agreement, without posting any bond or furnishing other security, and in addition to all other remedies that may be available, shall be entitled to obtain equitable relief in the form of specific performance, a temporary restraining order, a temporary or permanent injunction or any other equitable remedy that may then be available.

 

Section 4.08. Counterparts; Effectiveness . This Agreement may be executed (including by facsimile or other electronic image scan transmission) with counterpart signature pages or in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which shall, taken together, be considered one and the same agreement, it being understood that each party need

 

18  

 

not sign the same counterpart. This Agreement shall become effective when each party hereto shall have executed and delivered this Agreement. Until and unless each party has executed and delivered this Agreement, this Agreement shall have no effect and no party shall have any right or obligation hereunder (whether by virtue of any other oral or written agreement or other communication).

 

Section 4.09. Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements and understandings, both oral and written, among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

Section 4.10. Severability . If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such a determination, the parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner so that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.

 

Section 4.11 . Confidentiality. Each Shareholder agrees that it will use, and will cause each of its affiliates, and each of its and their respective partners, members, managers, shareholders, directors, officers, employees and agents (collectively, “ Agents ”) to use, all commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the confidentiality of all confidential information disclosed to it by the Company and identified in writing as confidential and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use such confidential information other than in connection with the transactions contemplated herein. The foregoing shall not apply to confidential information that (a) is known or becomes known to the public in general (other than as a result of a breach of this Section 4.11 by such Shareholder), (b) is or has been independently developed or conceived by the Shareholder without use of the Company’s confidential information, or (c) is or has been made known or disclosed to the Shareholder by a third party without a breach of any obligation of confidentiality such third party may have to the Company; provided, however, that any Shareholder may disclose confidential information (i) to its attorneys, accountants, consultants, and other professionals to the extent necessary to obtain their services in connection with monitoring its investment in the Company and for the purpose of evaluating its investment in the Company; (ii) to any prospective purchaser of any Registrable Securities from such Shareholder, if such prospective purchaser is not a competitor to the Company (as determined in good faith by the Company’s Board of Directors) and agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Section 4.11; (iii) to a member, partner, stockholder or wholly owned subsidiary of such Shareholder in the

 

19  

 

ordinary course of business, provided that such Shareholder informs such Person that such information is confidential and directs such Person to maintain the confidentiality of such information; or (iv) as may otherwise be required by law. Each Shareholder further agrees that any notice received pursuant to this Agreement, including any notice of a proposed public offering, postponement of an offering or other similar notice regarding the Company’s securities, is confidential information and that any trading in securities of the Company following receipt of such information may only be done in compliance with all applicable securities laws. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 4.11, any Shareholder or any Shareholder’s partner, member, investment manager, subsidiary or parent may identify only the Company and the value of such Shareholder’s security holdings in the Company (and not, for the avoidance of doubt, other confidential information with respect to the Company’s business) without prior notice to or consent from the Company and such Shareholder shall otherwise comply with the confidentiality obligations set forth in this Section 4.11.

 

Section 4.12 . Independent Nature of Shareholders' Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Shareholder hereunder are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Shareholder hereunder, and no Shareholder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Shareholder hereunder. Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any Shareholder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Shareholders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Shareholders are in any way acting in concert with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each Shareholder shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Shareholder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.

 

[Signature pages follow.]

 

20  

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement or have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

  INFLARX N.V.
       
       
  By: /s/ Niels Riedemann
    Name: Niels Riedemann
    Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

21  

 

 

  Prof. Dr. Niels Riedemann
       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

22  

 

 

  Prof. Dr. Renfeng Guo
       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

 

23  

 

 

Nicolas Fulpius

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

24  

 

 

 

  Arnd Christ

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

25  

 

 

 

  University of Michigan

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

26  

 

 

 

  Mark Kübler

 

       
   
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

27  

 

 

 

  Rolf Kübler

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

28  

 

 

 

  Ammann Group Holding AG

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

29  

 

 

  Private Equity Thüringen GmbH & Co. KG

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

30  

 

 

 

 

Private Equity Thüringen GmbH & Co.

Zweite Beteiligungen KG

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

31  

 

 

 

  Prof. Dr. Konrad Reinhart

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

32  

 

 

 

  Kamalaka Enterprises Limited

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

33  

 

 

 

  Cabita Investments Limited

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

34  

 

 

 

  Carla Comelli

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

35  

 

 

 

 

Staidson Hong Kong Investment Company Limited

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

36  

 

 

 

  Metall Zug AG

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

37  

 

 

  Guillermo Francisco Vogel Hinojosa

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

38  

 

 

  Angel Servando Sosa Hurtado

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

39  

 

 

 

  Daniel Pérez Gil de Hoyos

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

40  

 

 

 

  Mita Maria Paola Castiglioni Grassi

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

41  

 

 

 

  Marco Simeoni

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

42  

 

 

 

  Philippe Real

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

43  

 

 

 

  Pierre-Alain Racine

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

44  

 

 

 

  DocEpsilon LLC

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

45  

 

 

  Romaria Investment Corp.

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

46  

 

 

 

Philippe Meyer

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

47  

 

 

  Mulberry Invest AG

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

48  

 

 

  Blackwell Partners LLC – Series A

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

49  

 

 

  RA Capital Healthcare Fund, L.P.

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

50  

 

 

 

  BCLS Investco, L.P.

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

51  

 

 

  Cormorant Private Healthcare Fund I LP

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

52  

 

 

 

Cormorant Global Healthcare Master Fund LP

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

53  

 

 

  CRMA SPV L.P.

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

54  

 

 

 

BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities

Portfolio, a series of BlackRock Funds

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

55  

 

 

  BlackRock Health Sciences Trust

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

56  

 

 

 

 

BlackRock Health Sciences Master Unit Trust

 

       
       
  By: /s/ J.J. van de Winckel
    Name: J.J. van de Winckel
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

57  

 

 

 

  KfW Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts

 

       
       
  By: /s/ M. Rojahn
    Name: M. Rojahn
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

58  

 

  InflaRx GmbH

 

       
       
  By: /s/ Marvin Singh
    Name: Marvin Singh
    Title: attorney-in-writing

 

 

 

  Address for Notices :
  Address:
   
  Fax number:
  Email address:

 

[ Signature page to the Registration Rights Agreement ]

 

59  

 

EXHIBIT A

 

JOINDER TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

This Joinder Agreement (this “ Joinder Agreement ”) is made as of the date written below by the undersigned (the “ Joining Party ”) in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of November 7, 2017 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “ Registration Rights Agreement ”), by and among InflaRx N.V. and the shareholders party thereto listed on the signature pages, as well as any Permitted Transferees. Capitalized terms used, but not defined, herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

The Joining Party hereby acknowledges, agrees and confirms that, by its execution of this Joinder Agreement, the Joining Party shall be deemed to be a party to the Registration Rights Agreement as of the date hereof as a Permitted Transferee of a Shareholder thereto, and shall have all of the rights and obligations of a “Shareholder” thereunder as if it had executed the Registration Rights Agreement. The Joining Party hereby ratifies, as of the date hereof, and agrees to be bound by, all of the terms, provisions and conditions contained in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Joinder Agreement as of the date written below.

 

Date: ___________ ___, ______

 

  [NAME OF JOINING PARTY]
   
   
  By:  
    Name:  
    Title:  

 

 

 

  Address for Notices:
  [Address]
  [Fax number]
  [Email address]

 

 

60  

ATTORNEYS • CIVIL LAW NOTARIES • TAX ADVISERS
   

P.O. Box 7113 

1007 JC Amsterdam 

Beethovenstraat 400 

1082 PR Amsterdam 

T +31 20 71 71 000 

F +31 20 71 71 111

 

 

Amsterdam, November 9, 2017

 

InflaRx N.V. 

Winzerlaer Strasse 2 

07745 Jena 

Germany

 

Exhibit 5.1 and 23.2  
     

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as legal counsel as to Netherlands law to the Company in connection with the Offering. This opinion letter is rendered to you in order to be filed with the SEC as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

 

Capitalised terms used in this opinion letter have the meanings set forth in Exhibit A. The section headings used in this opinion letter are for convenience of reference only and are not to affect its construction or to be taken into consideration in its interpretation.

 

This opinion letter is strictly limited to the matters stated in it and may not be read as extending by implication to any matters not specifically referred to in it. Nothing in this opinion letter should be taken as expressing an opinion in respect of any representations or warranties, or other information, contained in any document.

 

In rendering the opinions expressed in this opinion letter, we have reviewed and relied upon drafts of the Deeds of Issue and pdf copies of each of the Corporate Documents and the Underwriting Agreement and we have assumed that the Reviewed Documents have been, or shall be, entered into for bona fide commercial reasons. In addition, we have examined such documents and performed such other investigations as we considered necessary for the purpose of this opinion. We have not investigated or verified any factual matter disclosed to us in the course of our review.

 

This opinion letter sets out our opinion on certain matters of the laws with general applicability of the Netherlands, and, insofar as they are directly applicable in the Netherlands, of the European Union, as at today's date and as presently interpreted under published authoritative case law of the Netherlands courts, the General Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union.

 

This opinion letter, the opinions expressed therein, and any matters relating thereto are governed by and are to be construed and interpreted in accordance with Netherlands law.

 

In this opinion letter, legal concepts are expressed in English terms. The Netherlands legal concepts concerned may not be identical in meaning to the

 

 

 

 

   

2

 

concepts described by the English terms as they exist under the law of other jurisdictions. In the event of a conflict or inconsistency, the relevant expression shall be deemed to refer only to the Netherlands legal concepts described by the English terms.

 

For the purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed that:

 

a. drafts of the documents reviewed by us will be signed in the form of the drafts of those documents as described in Exhibit C, each copy of a document conforms to the original, each original is authentic, and each signature is the genuine signature of the individual purported to have placed that signature;

  

b. (i) no regulations ( reglementen ) have been adopted by any corporate body of the Company which would affect the resolutions recorded in the Resolutions, (ii) the Current Articles are the Articles of Association currently in force and (iii) the Current Articles are the Articles of Association as they will be in force at each Relevant Moment. The Extract supports item (ii) of this assumption;

 

c. no works council ( ondernemingsraad ) has been established or is in the process of being established with respect to the business of the Company. This assumption is supported by the confirmation in this respect as included in the Resolutions;

 

d. except as reflected specifically in the Resolutions, no director ( bestuurder ) of the Company has a direct or indirect personal interest which conflicts with the interest of the Company or its business in respect of any of the resolutions recorded in the Resolutions;

 

e. each Power of Attorney (i) is in full force and effect, and (ii) under any applicable law other than Netherlands law, validly authorises the person or persons purported to be granted power of attorney, to represent and bind the Company vis-à-vis other parties in relation to the transactions contemplated by and for the purposes stated in the Reviewed Documents;

 

f. the Offering, to the extent made in the Netherlands, has been, is and will be made in conformity with the NFSA and the rules promulgated thereunder;

 

g. the Option (i) will have been validly exercised prior to the issuance of the Option Shares in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting

 

 

 

 

   

3

 

Agreement and (ii) will be, at the time of exercise, in full force and effect;

 

h. at each Relevant Moment, each of the assumptions made in this opinion letter will be correct in all aspects by reference to the facts and circumstances then existing; and

 

i. none of the opinions stated in this opinion letter will be affected by any foreign law.

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set forth in this opinion letter and to any matters, documents or events not disclosed to us, we express the following opinions:

 

Corporate Status

 

1. The Company has been duly incorporated as a besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid .

 

Offer Shares and Option Shares

 

2. Subject to receipt by the Company of payment in full for the Offer Shares and the Option Shares (if any) as provided for in the Deeds of Issue and the Underwriting Agreement, and when issued and accepted in accordance with the respective Deeds of Issue, the Resolutions and the Underwriting Agreement, the Offer Shares and the Option Shares (if any) will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:

 

A. The opinion expressed in paragraph ‎1 ( Corporate Status ) of this opinion letter must not be read to imply that the Company cannot be dissolved ( ontbonden ). A company such as the Company may be dissolved, inter alia by the competent court at the request of the company's board of directors, any interested party ( belanghebbende ) or the public prosecution office in certain circumstances, such as when there are certain defects in the incorporation of the company. Any such dissolution will not have retro-active effect.

 

B. The information contained in the Extract does not constitute conclusive evidence of the facts reflected in it.

 

C. Pursuant to Article 2:7 NCC, any transaction entered into by a legal entity may be nullified by the legal entity itself or its liquidator in bankruptcy proceedings ( curator ) if the objects of that entity were

 

 

 

 

   

4

 

transgressed by the transaction and the other party to the transaction knew or should have known this without independent investigation ( wist of zonder eigen onderzoek moest weten ). The Netherlands Supreme Court ( Hoge Raad der Nederlanden ) has ruled that in determining whether the objects of a legal entity are transgressed, not only the description of the objects in that legal entity's articles of association ( statuten ) is decisive, but all (relevant) circumstances must be taken into account, in particular whether the interests of the legal entity were served by the transaction. Based on the objects clause contained in the Current Articles, we have no reason to believe that by entering into the Reviewed Documents the Company would transgress the description of the objects contained in the Current Articles. However, we cannot assess whether there are other relevant circumstances that must be taken into account, in particular whether the interests of the Company are served by entering into the Reviewed Documents since this is a matter of fact.

 

D. The opinions expressed in this opinion letter may be limited or affected by:

 

a. any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganisation, moratorium or other similar laws or procedures now or hereafter in effect, relating to or affecting the enforcement or protection of creditors' rights generally;

 

b. the provisions of fraudulent preference and fraudulent conveyance ( Actio Pauliana ) and similar rights available in other jurisdictions to liquidators in bankruptcy proceedings or creditors;

 

c. claims based on tort ( onrechtmatige daad );

 

d. sanctions and measures, including but not limited to those concerning export control, pursuant to European Union regulations, under the Sanctions Act 1977 ( Sanctiewet 1977 ) or other legislation;

 

e. the Anti-Boycott Regulation and related legislation; and

 

f. the rules of force majeure ( niet toerekenbare tekortkoming ), reasonableness and fairness ( redelijkheid en billijkheid ), suspension ( opschorting ), dissolution ( ontbinding ), unforeseen circumstances ( onvoorziene omstandigheden ) and vitiated consent (i.e. duress ( bedreiging ), fraud ( bedrog ), abuse of circumstances ( misbruik van omstandigheden ) and error

 

 

 

 

   

5

 

( dwaling )) or a difference of intention ( wil ) and declaration ( verklaring ), set-off ( verrekening ), and other defences afforded by Netherlands law to obligors general.

 

E. The term "non-assessable" has no equivalent in the Dutch language and for purposes of this opinion letter such term should be interpreted to mean that a holder of a share will not by reason of merely being such a holder be subject to assessment or calls by the Company or its creditors for further payment on such share.

 

F. The Underwriting Agreement refers to Offer Shares or Option Shares being issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters and Offer Shares or Option Shares being purchased by the Underwriters from the Company. For the purposes of this opinion letter, we have interpreted those references as the Company agreeing to issue such Offer Shares or Option Shares to, or at the instruction of, the Underwriters and the Underwriters agreeing to subscribe for, or instruct the subscription for, such Offer Shares or Option Shares from the Company.

 

G. This opinion letter does not purport to express any opinion or view on the operational rules and procedures of any clearing or settlement system or agency.

 

We consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and also consent to the reference to NautaDutilh in the Registration Statement under the caption " Legal Matters ".

 

Sincerely yours,

 

 

/s/ NautaDutilh N.V.

NautaDutilh N.V.

 

 

 

 

   

6

 

EXHIBIT A

 

LIST OF DEFINITIONS

 

" Anti-Boycott Regulation "

 

the Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/96 of 22 November 1996 on protecting against the effects of the extra-territorial application of legislation adopted by a third country, and actions based thereon or resulting therefrom

 

" Articles of Association "

 

the articles of association of the Company, as they may read from time to time

 

" Board Certificate "

a certificate dated November 9, 2017 of the board of directors ( bestuur ) of the Company certifying on the accuracy of the following factual matters:

 

(a) that the Company has not (i) been dissolved (ontbonden), (ii) ceased to exist pursuant to a merger ( fusie ) or a division ( splitsing ), (iii) been converted ( omgezet ) into another legal form, either national or foreign (except pursuant to the Deed of Conversion), (iv) had its assets placed under administration ( onder bewind gesteld ), (v) been declared bankrupt ( failliet verklaard ) or granted a suspension of payments ( surseance van betaling verleend ) or (vi) been made subject to similar proceedings in any jurisdiction or otherwise been limited in its power to dispose of its assets; and

 

(b) that the resolutions recorded in the Resolutions, are in full force and effect, the factual statements made therein are complete and correct, and such Resolutions correctly reflect the resolutions reflected therein

 

" Commercial Register "

 

the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce Commercial Register

 

" Company "

 

InflaRx N.V., a naamloze vennootschap ,

 

 

 

 

   

7

 

  registered with the Commercial Register under number 68904312, previously named Fireman B.V.
   

" Corporate Documents "

 

the documents listed in Exhibit B

 

" Current Articles " the Articles of Association as they read after the execution of the Deed of Conversion, following which, according to the Extract, no amendment to the Articles of Association was effected
   
" Deed of Conversion " the deed of conversion of the Company's legal form and amendment to the Articles of Association dated November 8, 2017
   

" Deed of Incorporation "

 

the deed of incorporation ( akte van oprichting ) of the Company, dated June 6, 2017

 

" Deeds of Issue "

 

the draft deed of issue and transfer of Offer Shares with reference number 82041678 M 22393334, and the draft deed of issue of Option Shares with reference number 82041678 M 22393368

 

" Exhibit "

an exhibit to this opinion letter

 

" Extract "

an extract from the Commercial Register relating to the Company, dated the date of this opinion letter

 

" NautaDutilh "

 

NautaDutilh N.V.

 

" NCC "

 

the Netherlands Civil Code ( Burgerlijk Wetboek )

 

" the Netherlands "

 

the European territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

 

" NFSA "

 

the Netherlands Financial Supervision Act ( Wet op het financieel toezicht )

 

" Offering "

 

the initial public offering and admission of the

 

 

 

 

   

8

 

  Offer Shares and Option Shares, if any, to listing and trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market

" Offer Shares "

 

6,667,000 Shares

" Option "

 

the option granted to the Underwriters under the Underwriting Agreement with respect to Option Shares

 

" Option Shares "

 

up to 1,000,050 Shares, or such lesser number of Shares in respect of which the Option is exercised

 

" Power of Attorney "

 

any power of attorney as contained in the Resolutions

 

" Registration Statement "

 

the registration statement on Form F-1 under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 filed with the SEC in connection with the Offering and declared effective by the SEC on November 7, 2017

 

" Relevant Moment "

 

each time when Offer Shares or Option Shares are issued pursuant to any of the Deeds of Issue

 

" Resolutions "

 

the document or documents containing the following resolutions:

 

-     the resolutions of the board of directors ( bestuur ) of the Company, dated July 12, 2017, October 30, 2017 and November 7, 2017; and

 

-     the resolutions of the general meeting of the Company, dated October 30, 2017 and November 8, 2017

 

" Reviewed Documents "

 

the documents listed in Exhibit C

" SEC "

 

the United States Securities and Exchange Commission

 

" Shares "

 

common shares in the capital of the Company,

 

 

 

 

   

9

 

  having a nominal value of EUR 0.12 each
   

" Underwriters "

 

the Representatives and each of the other underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement

 

" Underwriting Agreement "

 

the underwriting agreement entered into between the Company and the Representatives, as defined therein, acting on behalf of the Underwriters, dated November 7, 2017

 

 

 

 

   

10

 

EXHIBIT B

LIST OF CORPORATE DOCUMENTS

 

1. the Deed of Incorporation;

 

2. the Deed of Conversion

 

3. the Current Articles;

 

4. the Board Certificate;

 

5. the Extract;

 

6. the Resolutions; and

 

7. the Registration Statement.

 

 

 

 

   

11

 

EXHIBIT C

LIST OF reviewed documents

 

1. the Underwriting Agreement; and

 

2. drafts of the Deeds of Issue.