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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2016
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Cayman Islands
|
6770
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
N/A
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
65 East 55th Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Telephone: (212) 593-6900
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)
Ben Silbert
General Counsel and Secretary
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
65 East 55th Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Telephone: (212) 593-6900
Facsimile: (212) 593-6901
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to: |
||
Jennifer A. Bensch, Esq.
|
Gregg A. Noel, Esq.
|
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. o
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
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. o
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. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer o |
Accelerated filer o |
Non-accelerated filer
ý
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Smaller reporting company o |
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
|
||||||||
Title of Each Class of Security
Being Registered |
Amount Being
Registered |
Proposed Maximum
Offering Price per Security(1) |
Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering Price(1) |
Amount of
Registration Fee |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value, and one warrant(2) |
34,500,000 Units | $10.00 | $345,000,000 | $34,742 | ||||
Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units(3) |
34,500,000 Shares | (4) | ||||||
Warrants included as part of the units(3) |
34,500,000 Warrants | (4) | ||||||
Total |
$345,000,000 | $34,742 | ||||||
|
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 2, 2016
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$300,000,000
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
30,000,000 Units
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. is a newly organized blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not identified any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to focus our search for a target business in the healthcare industry.
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share. Two warrants may be exercised for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder. As a result, warrant holders not purchasing an even number of warrants must sell any odd number of warrants in order to obtain any value from the fractional interest that will not be issued. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering, and will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, as described in this prospectus. We have also granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 4,500,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any.
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account described below as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding Class A ordinary shares that were sold as part of the units in this offering, which we refer to collectively as our public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to applicable law and as further described herein.
Our initial shareholders have committed to purchase an aggregate of 16,000,000 warrants (or 17,800,000 warrants if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $0.50 per warrant ($8,000,000 in the aggregate or $8,900,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. We refer to these warrants throughout this prospectus as the private placement warrants. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share. Two private placement warrants are exercisable to purchase one whole Class A ordinary share at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein.
Prior to this offering, Avista Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (which we refer to as our "sponsor" throughout this prospectus), purchased 8,625,000 Class B ordinary shares (up to 1,125,000 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised). The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in this offering and related to the closing of the business combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of all Class A ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering, plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the business combination, excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the business combination. Holders of the Class B ordinary shares will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination. On any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, holders of the Class B ordinary shares and holders of the Class A ordinary shares will vote together as a single class, except as required by law.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants. We have applied to list our units on the NASDAQ Capital Market, or NASDAQ, under the symbol "AHPAU" on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on NASDAQ. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, containing an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds of this offering and issuing a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on NASDAQ under the symbols "AHPA" and "AHPAW," respectively.
We are an "emerging growth company" under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves risks. See "Risk Factors "on page 34. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
|
Price to
Public |
Underwriting
Discounts and Commissions(1) |
Proceeds, before
expenses, to us |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per Unit |
$10.00 | $0.55 | $9.45 | |||
Total |
$300,000,000 | $16,500,000 | $283,500,000 |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $300.0 million or $345.0 million if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders.
The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. Delivery of the units will be made on or about , 2016.
Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
No offer or invitation to subscribe for units may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Credit Suisse
The date of this prospectus is , 2016
We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the units offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.
Until , 2016, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealer's obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.
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This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under "Risk Factors" and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus, references to:
All references in this prospectus to shares of AHPAC being forfeited shall take effect as surrenders for no consideration of such shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. Registered trademarks referred to in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.
General
We are a newly organized blank check company incorporated on December 4, 2015 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not identified any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with respect to identifying any business combination target.
Our founders are two of the founders and managing partners of Avista. Avista is a middle market private equity firm focused on control buyout and growth investments in the healthcare, communications and industrial sectors, with offices in New York, Houston and London. Thompson Dean, our Executive Chairman, and David Burgstahler, our President and Chief Executive Officer, were two of the founders of Avista in 2005. Our founders have worked together for over 20 years. Over the past 10 years, Avista has raised four private equity funds (Avista Capital Partners I, II, III and IV L.P.) and had approximately $6 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2016. We expect that Avista will raise additional funds and / or successor funds in the future.
Our management team has significant experience sourcing, analyzing, acquiring and operating healthcare related businesses. Since inception, Avista funds have invested in 15 healthcare portfolio companies.
While we may acquire a target business in any industry or location, our initial focus will be to acquire and operate a North American or European healthcare-related business. AHPAC will target businesses in the healthcare industry that it considers to have strong management teams, stable cash flows and robust growth prospects. We believe that we derive significant benefit from our management team and board members (the "AHPAC team") as well as our affiliation with Avista. We believe that the AHPAC team brings a distinctive blend of private equity investing experience, deal sourcing capabilities and operating expertise. Our team has extensive experience not only identifying and executing such acquisitions, but also running and operating the businesses post transaction. In addition, the AHPAC team has significant experience working with private companies to reshape their operations and help drive value creation. Not all of such companies have achieved the same level of value creation.
We believe that the AHPAC team is well positioned to identify attractive acquisition candidates because of their extensive contacts and transaction sources, including a broad list of industry executives, public board members, private owners, wealthy families, private capital managers, private equity funds, investment bankers and other transaction intermediaries. A central component of our acquisition strategy is our management team's ability to implement value creation initiatives designed to drive shareholder value as they have done in the past for Avista portfolio companies, not all of which have achieved the same level of shareholder value. The AHPAC team blends financial sophistication, operating perspective and business management skills to execute on these initiatives.
Thompson Dean, our Executive Chairman, has more than 30 years of private equity experience. Prior to co-founding Avista Capital Partners in 2005, Mr. Dean led DLJ Merchant Banking Partners ("DLJMB") for 10 years. Mr. Dean served as Managing Partner of DLJMB I, II and III and DLJ Growth Capital Partners, and he was Chairman of their respective Investment Committees until his departure in 2005. Under Mr. Dean's leadership at DLJMB, members of the Avista team sourced, led and/or were substantially involved in 56 private equity investments and under his leadership at Avista the team has made 49 private equity investments.
David Burgstahler, our President and Chief Executive Officer, has more than 20 years of experience in private equity. Prior to co-founding Avista Capital Partners in 2005, Mr. Burgstahler was a Partner of DLJMB and Head of Global Healthcare. Mr. Burgstahler joined Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette ("DLJ") in 1995 and was with DLJMB from 1997 to 2005. Mr. Burgstahler has played a key leadership role in originating and/or executing 14 private equity backed investments during his career. Through his involvement at the board level, he has helped some of these portfolio companies reshape their operations and strategy with add-on acquisitions and, in many cases, utilized his operating and strategy formulation experience to refine and optimize their business strategies. In addition, Mr. Burgstahler has helped several portfolio companies prepare for and execute their initial public offerings.
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Our management team is supplemented by a board of directors that includes four healthcare industry veterans who are also exclusive Healthcare Industry Advisors of Avista Capital Partners. We believe these directors will be instrumental in helping AHPAC source and evaluate a potential acquisition, and, more importantly, in seeking to add value to the company post acquisition.
Håkan Björklund has over 30 years of healthcare industry experience and is the former Chief Executive Officer of Nycomed A/S, a global pharmaceutical company, which was sold to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in September 2011. Dr. Björklund worked closely with the Avista team on the development of Nycomed A/S prior to its sale to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. In 2006, Dr. Björklund led the integration of Altana Pharma AG, a German-based company that was acquired by Nycomed A/S. During his tenure, Nycomed A/S also grew in emerging markets, including through the acquisition of Guangdong Techpool Bio-Pharma Co., Ltd, a Chinese bio-pharmaceutical company, in 2010. Prior to Nycomed A/S, Dr. Björklund was Regional Director at Astra AB (now AstraZeneca plc) and, prior to that he was President of Astra Draco AB. Dr. Björklund is Chairman of the Board of Directors at Acino Pharma AG, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (SOBI) and Trimb Healthcare AB and is a member of the Board of Directors of Alere Inc., Coloplast A/S, Kibion AB and Atos Medical AB. Dr. Björklund was formerly the Chairman of the Board of Directors at H. Lundbeck A/S.
Charles Harwood has nearly 30 years of experience in the overall healthcare industry and has been an operator in the clinical diagnostics and pharmaceutical services industries. Mr. Harwood is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of BioReliance Corp., a contract research organization and Avista portfolio company, which was sold to Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC in 2012. He helped the Avista team evaluate the company pre-acquisition and operate BioReliance Corp. post-acquisition in 2007. He was initially Executive Chairman of BioReliance Corp., later became Chief Executive Officer, and then led the company for over a year under Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC's ownership to facilitate the transition of leadership. From 2002 to 2006, Mr. Harwood was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Focus Diagnostics, Inc., a company in which the Avista team invested while at DLJMB. Focus Diagnostics, Inc. was sold in two nearly simultaneous transactions to Quest Diagnostics Inc. and Eurofins Scientific in 2006. From 1993 to 2001, Mr. Harwood held several positions, including Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Venture Development at Covance Inc., where he spearheaded numerous acquisitions and divestitures as well as the spin-off of Covance Inc. from Corning Inc. Mr. Harwood is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACP Mountain Holdings, Inc. and currently serves on the Board of Directors of INC Research Holdings, Inc.
Brian Markison is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 30 years of operational, marketing, commercial development and sales experience with international pharmaceutical companies. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp. Prior to that he was the President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company in dermatology, prior to its sale to Sandoz Ltd., the generics division of Novartis AG. Before leading Fougera, Mr. Markison was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which he joined as Chief Operating Officer in March 2004, and was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer later that year, and elected Chairman in 2007. Prior to joining King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mr. Markison held various senior leadership positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, including President of Oncology, Virology and Oncology Therapeutics Network; President of Neuroscience, Infectious Disease and Dermatology; and Senior Vice President, Operational Excellence and Productivity. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Lantheus Holdings, Inc., Osmotica Holdings S.C.Sp. and Rosetta Genomics Ltd. and is on the Boards of Directors of Alere Inc. and Immunomedics, Inc.
Robert O'Neil has more than 35 years of operational and strategic business leadership experience and a track record of building healthcare businesses in the pharmaceutical and consumer sectors. Most recently, he was Worldwide Vice President of Business Development for Johnson & Johnson's
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Consumer Group of Companies. Mr. O'Neil held a variety of roles at Johnson & Johnson over a 20-year career with the company. Concurrent with his most recent position, he was a member of the Consumer Group Operating Committee and a Board Member for the Johnson & Johnson Development Corp. Previously, he was Vice President, Business Development, for Johnson & Johnson's Pharmaceutical Group from 1994 to 2002. From 1991 to 1993, Mr. O'Neil was Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing, New Product Development, for Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical (a wholly-owned company of Johnson & Johnson). He was also a member of the Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical Management Board of Directors. Prior to that role, Mr. O'Neil held various leadership positions in sales and marketing with that company beginning in 1974. Mr. O'Neil currently serves on the Board of Directors of Trimb Healthcare AB.
In addition to the foregoing examples, our officers and directors have been involved with other public and private companies, not all of which achieved similar performance levels. Past performance by Avista or the AHPAC team, including with respect to the foregoing and other examples in this prospectus, is not a guarantee either (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of Avista's or the AHPAC team's performance as indicative of our future performance. None of our officers or directors has had experience with any blank check companies in the past.
Business Strategy
Our acquisition and value creation strategy is to identify, acquire and, after our initial business combination, build a company in the healthcare sector in the public markets that complements the experience and expertise of the AHPAC team. Elements of our business strategy will include the following:
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Industry Opportunity
Consistent with this strategy, AHPAC intends to target businesses in the healthcare industry that we consider to have strong management teams, stable cash flows and robust growth prospects. AHPAC believes that the healthcare industry will experience growth over the foreseeable future as a result of global economic growth and long-term demographic drivers such as: the aging population in the developed world; steady global growth in medical procedures; improving healthcare standards worldwide with a focus on continued innovation in new technologies, products, and healthcare delivery models; and growing demand for better healthcare across emerging markets as a result of a growing middle class.
Worldwide healthcare spending has experienced strong growth, rising to an estimated $7.3 trillion in 2015, representing a growth of 2.9% annually over the past five years (2010-2015). We believe the healthcare industry will continue its strong growth, driven by the continued aging of the global population, increased prevalence of chronic disease states, increased demand for higher standards of healthcare, especially in the emerging economies, and new product innovation and investment in research and development. Given these factors, total global healthcare spending is expected to grow by 5.6% annually over the 2016-2019 period. U.S. healthcare spending, in particular, is projected to increase to approximately 17.2% of gross domestic product and remain the highest proportion globally, as a result of expanded coverage driven by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as
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amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (collectively, the "Health Care Reform Act"), and Medicaid expansion.
In the pharmaceutical sector, demographics and disease trends have continued to boost long-term drug consumption globally. In the United States, the expansion of insurance coverage via health insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansion is projected to increase revenues for pharmaceutical companies; however, greater scrutiny of branded drug pricing is likely to persist for the foreseeable future. Many national healthcare systems continue to encourage greater use of generic drugs due to ongoing government budgetary pressures, creating significant growth opportunities for generic pharmaceutical companies. We believe that fast-growing emerging markets also provide a source of long-term and sustained growth opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry, driven by increasing wealth and awareness of health issues in these markets. In order to exploit these growth opportunities, and to drive operating and tax efficiencies, many pharmaceutical companies have pursued aggressive acquisition strategies in recent years, and we expect consolidation to remain a core theme in the years to come in the pharmaceutical sector.
We believe that, going forward, the medical device sector will continue to benefit from positive industry fundamentals, increased customer focus on clinical benefits delivered, recovery in certain key areas and increased investment into emerging markets and pipelines. We intend to target companies with differentiated technologies and IP positions, strong innovation capabilities, exposure to new product cycles, and an increasing emerging market focus. In particular, we believe that the robust industry consolidation in recent years will create strong buying opportunities in 2016 and beyond as larger industry players look to rationalize their portfolios.
The pharmaceutical and medical device outsourcing sectors benefit from continued growth in research and development spending and increasing penetration of outsourcing within this sector. Pharmaceutical and medical device companies turn to outsourcing to access the greater global infrastructure, enhanced efficiency (in cost and speed) along with the therapeutic expertise that the contract research organization brings. We believe that outsourced research spending will continue to grow over the next five years due to the underlying demand.
The healthcare distribution, technology and services sectors serve the needs of the growing healthcare industry by offering global reach, purchasing efficiency as well as go-to-market business models. Increasingly customers are taking a more proactive role in determining the cost and quality of healthcare they receive. We intend to selectively evaluate opportunities that capitalize on these trends.
Growing healthcare costs and associated reform are giving rise to healthcare consumerism, with self-medication and preventive care emerging as increasingly common methods to avoid costly medical treatments. Average annual growth of out-of-pocket health care expenditure is projected to rise to approximately 5.0% by 2023 from 3.2% in 2013. We believe the trend towards the consumer directing more healthcare buying decisions will benefit over-the-counter, dietary supplements, functional foods and other personal care consumer products companies.
Acquisition Process
Utilizing the processes developed while at Avista, our management team's emphasis during the due diligence stage will be on how to maximize value, reduce risk and preserve the capital of a potential acquisition. Our team's due diligence review includes the development of a plan to assess each critical success factor and risk associated with an acquisition opportunity. In an effort to mitigate potential risks, our team has typically conducted extensive due diligence in a variety of areas, including business,
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finance, competitive analysis, management assessment, accounting, legal, employee benefits, insurance and risk management. The diligence process typically has included:
Consistent with the approach utilized over the past 20 years at DLJMB and Avista, the AHPAC team intends to take an active role in seeking to drive value creation. Our approach to operational value creation will require active involvement and close partnership with potential management teams. Blending our team's financial sophistication, operating perspective and business management skills, we will endeavor to provide a proactive, value added approach which leverages the experiences of our board members. We believe areas for value creation include:
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Our acquisition criteria, due diligence processes and value creation methods are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.
Other Acquisition Considerations
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our ordinary shares and/or private placement warrants following this offering, and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
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We currently do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually identified or considered a target business for our initial business combination nor have they had any discussions regarding possible target businesses amongst themselves or with our underwriters or other advisors. All of the members of our management team are employed by Avista. Avista is continuously made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue, for a business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) contacted any prospective target business or had any discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a business combination transaction. We have not (nor have any of our agents or affiliates) been approached by any candidates (or representative of any candidates) with respect to a possible acquisition transaction with us and we will not consider a business combination with any company that has already been identified to Avista as a suitable acquisition candidate for it. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.
Avista manages several investment vehicles, and we expect that Avista will raise additional funds and/or successor funds in the future, which may be during the period in which we are seeking our initial business combination. The Avista funds and their portfolio companies may compete with us for acquisition opportunities. In particular, Avista funds currently manage nine portfolio companies focused on the healthcare industry. These portfolio companies may be seeking acquisition opportunities and related financing at any time. We may compete with any one or more of them on any given acquisition opportunity. However, we do not expect to directly compete with these Avista entities in seeking our initial business combination, primarily due to the anticipated differences in the expected size of the equity investment by any such Avista entity in an acquisition and by us in our initial business combination; the later stage of Avista's investment in many of these entities; and the public nature of our acquisition strategy. In addition, all of our officers and certain of our directors have fiduciary and contractual duties to Avista. As a result, these officers and directors may have a duty to offer acquisition opportunities to certain Avista funds or portfolio companies subject to their fiduciary duties as a matter of Cayman Islands law. If these funds decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within Avista may be suitable for both us and for a current or future Avista fund or portfolio company and may be directed to such fund or portfolio company rather than to us, subject to applicable fiduciary duties. Neither Avista nor members of our management team who are also employed by Avista have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware solely in their capacities as officers or managing directors of Avista. Avista and/or our management, in their capacities as officers or managing directors of Avista or in their other endeavors, may choose to present potential business combinations to the related entities described above, current or future Avista investment vehicles, or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us, subject to applicable fiduciary duties. Avista will determine which entity will be allocated any such business opportunity based on a number of factors, including the size of the target business and potential synergies with existing businesses. We do not expect these duties to present a significant conflict of interest with our search for an initial business combination. Avista's traditional private equity activities typically involve investing in private companies, and while Avista will often take companies public, it typically invests in those entities several years prior to an initial public offering, not at the time of such offering.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such
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entity, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written letter agreement, not to participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company until we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering. None of our officers or directors has been involved with any blank check companies in the past.
Initial Business Combination
The NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. If our Board of Directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
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Corporate Information
We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not "emerging growth companies" including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an "emerging growth company" can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an "emerging growth company" can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.0 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to "emerging growth company" shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Exempted companies are Cayman Islands companies wishing to conduct business outside the Cayman Islands and, as such, are exempted from complying with certain provisions of the Companies Law. As an exempted company, we have applied for and expect to receive a tax exemption undertaking from the Cayman Islands government that, in accordance with Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Law (2011 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, for a period of 20 years from the date of the undertaking, no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations shall apply to us or our operations and, in addition, that no tax to be levied on profits, income, gains or appreciations or which is in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall be payable (i) on or in respect of our shares, debentures or other obligations or (ii) by way of the withholding in whole or in part of a payment of dividend or other distribution of income or capital by us to our shareholders or a payment of principal or interest or other sums due under a debenture or other obligation of us.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company formed on December 4, 2015. Our executive offices are located at 65 East 55th St., 18th Floor, New York, NY 10022 and our telephone number is 212-593-6900.
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In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled "Risk Factors" beginning on page 34 of this prospectus.
Securities offered |
30,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of: | |
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one Class A ordinary share; and |
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one warrant to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share. |
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NASDAQ symbols |
Units: "AHPAU" |
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Class A Ordinary Shares: "AHPA" |
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Warrants: "AHPAW" |
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Trading commencement and separation of Class A ordinary shares and warrants |
The units will begin trading promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares and warrants. |
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Separate trading of the Class A ordinary shares and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K |
In no event will the Class A ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option. |
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Units: |
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Number outstanding before this offering |
0 |
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Number outstanding after this offering |
30,000,000 1 |
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Ordinary shares: |
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Number outstanding before this offering |
8,625,000 2 |
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Number outstanding after this offering |
37,500,000 1, 3, 4 |
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Warrants: |
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Number of private placement warrants to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering |
16,000,000 |
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Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the private placement |
46,000,000 |
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Exercisability |
Each warrant offered in this offering is exercisable to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder. As a result, warrant holders not purchasing an even number of warrants must sell any odd number of warrants in order to obtain any value from the fractional interest that will not be issued. |
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We structured each warrant to be exercisable for one-half of one Class A ordinary share, as compared to warrants issued by some other similar blank check companies which are exercisable for one whole share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination as compared to units that each contain a warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. |
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if, and only if, the last sale price of our Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $24.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
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We will not redeem the warrants unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those ordinary shares is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. |
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If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a "cashless basis." In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a "cashless basis," our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our shareholders of issuing the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the "fair market value" (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The "fair market value" shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. Please see |
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the section entitled "Description of SecuritiesWarrantsPublic Shareholders' Warrants" for additional information. |
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None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees. |
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Election of directors; voting rights |
Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the election of directors. Holders of our public shares will |
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not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting in a general meeting. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our shareholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by law, holders of our founder shares and holders of our public shares will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote. |
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Founder shares |
In December 2015, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 8,625,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to us by the number of founder shares issued. In 2016, our sponsor transferred 50,000 founder shares to each of our independent director nominees at their original per share purchase price. In addition, at such time, each of our independent directors purchased an additional founder shares from our sponsor at their original purchase price. These additional shares are subject to forfeiture on a pro rata basis with the shares held by our sponsor to the extent the underwriters' over-allotment option is not exercised in full. If, prior to our initial business combination, any independent director resigns from our board of directors for any reason or is removed from our board of directors for cause, our sponsor will have the right to repurchase such independent director's additional shares at their original per share purchase price. Our initial shareholders will collectively own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase units in this offering). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our initial shareholders at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 1,125,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our initial shareholders depending on the extent to which the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised. |
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issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up. |
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Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights |
We have issued 8,625,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share. The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in this offering and related to the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which the Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of all ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination, excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in our initial business combination. Holders of founder shares may also elect to convert their Class B ordinary shares into an equal number of shares of Class A ordinary shares, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time. |
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Private placement warrants |
Our initial shareholders have committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 16,000,000 private placement warrants (or 17,800,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $0.50 per warrant ($8,000,000 in the aggregate or $8,900,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of this amount, our sponsor will purchase private placement warrants (or if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full), and each of our independent directors will purchase private placement warrants (or if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full). If, prior to our initial business combination, any independent director resigns from our board of directors for any reason or is removed |
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from our board of directors for cause, our sponsor will have the right to repurchase such independent director's private placement warrants at their original purchase price. Each private placement warrant is exercisable to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share at a price of $5.75 per one-half share (or two private placement warrants for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share), subject to adjustment as provided herein. Private placement warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of shares. If any fractional interests would be issuable upon exercise of a private placement warrant, we will round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the holder. The purchase price of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. The private placement warrants will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees (except as described below under "Principal ShareholdersTransfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants"). If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than the initial shareholders or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. Our initial shareholders, as well as their permitted transferees, have the option to exercise the private placement warrants on a cashless basis. |
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Transfer restrictions on private placement warrants |
The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. |
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Proceeds to be held in trust account |
The rules of NASDAQ provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a trust account. Of the $308.0 million in proceeds we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, or $353.9 million if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full, $300.0 million ($10.00 per unit), or $345.0 million ($10.00 per unit) if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full, (including $10,500,000 (or up to $12,075,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option |
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is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions), will be deposited into a non-interest bearing trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $2.0 million will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering. Beginning in January 2017, the funds in the trust account will be invested only in specified U.S. government treasury bills or in specified money market funds. |
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Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering and the private placement will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public shareholders. |
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Anticipated expenses and funding sources |
Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes. Based upon current interest rates, we expect the trust account to generate approximately $60,000 of interest annually (assuming an interest rate of 0.02% per year) following the investment of such funds in specified U.S. government treasury bills or in specified money market funds beginning in January 2017. Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from: |
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the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $1,100,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $900,000 in expenses relating to this offering; and |
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any loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation to advance funds or invest in us, and provided any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of a business combination. |
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Conditions to completing our initial business combination |
There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. The NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. |
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If our Board of Directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm. We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination transaction. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test, provided that in the event that our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses. |
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Permitted purchases of public shares by our affiliates |
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Please see "Proposed BusinessPermitted purchases of our securities" for a description of how such persons will determine which shareholders to seek |
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to acquire shares from. There is no limit on the number of shares such persons may purchase, or any restriction on the price that they may pay. Any such price per share may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. In the event our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates determine to make any such purchases at the time of a shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, such purchases could have the effect of influencing the vote necessary to approve such transaction. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing shares during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) to clear all trades with our legal counsel prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary. |
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We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules. Our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates will not make any purchases if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. |
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Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination |
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal |
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to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. |
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The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares they may acquire during or after this offering in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. |
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Manner of conducting redemptions |
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement. Asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval. We intend to conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons. |
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If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other |
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legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association: |
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conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and |
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file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
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Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our ordinary shares in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. |
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In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001, after payment of the deferred underwriting commission (so that we are not subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination. |
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If, however, shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will: |
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conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and |
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file proxy materials with the SEC. |
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We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our NASDAQ listing or Exchange Act registration. |
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If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. In such case, pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree) to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. We expect that at the time of any shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. |
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Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules). Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all ordinary |
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shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof. |
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Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption
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We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in "street name," to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve our initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company's DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder's option, rather than simply voting against the initial business combination. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. |
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Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold shareholder vote |
Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a "group" (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering. We believe the restriction described above will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us or our sponsor or its affiliates to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination if such holder's shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor or its affiliates at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders' ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in this |
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offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders' ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those shareholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have, pursuant to a letter agreement entered into with us, waived their right to have any founder shares or public shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination. Unless any of our other affiliates acquires founder shares through a permitted transfer from an initial shareholder, and thereby becomes subject to the letter agreement, no such affiliate is subject to this waiver. However, to the extent any such affiliate acquires public shares in this offering or thereafter through open market purchases, it would be a public shareholder and subject to the 15% limitation in connection with any such redemption right. |
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Redemption Rights in connection with proposed amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association |
Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain charter provisions. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that any of its provisions, including those related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein, but excluding the provision of the articles relating to the appointment of directors), may be amended if approved by holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our ordinary shares. Our initial shareholders, who will beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement |
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with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. |
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Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination |
On the completion of our initial business combination, all amounts held in the trust account will be released to us. We will use these funds to pay amounts due to any public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights as described above under "Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination," to pay the underwriters their deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. |
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Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination |
Our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 24-month period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten |
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business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders' rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 24-month time period. |
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Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial shareholders acquire public shares after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 24-month time frame. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares. |
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Our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of |
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taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules). |
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Limited payments to insiders |
There will be no finder's fees, reimbursements or cash payments made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination: |
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repayment of an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; |
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payment to an affiliate of our sponsor of a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services; |
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reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination; and |
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repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. |
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These payments may be funded using the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account or, upon completion of the initial business combination, from any amounts remaining from the proceeds of the trust account released to us in connection therewith. |
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Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates. |
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Audit committee |
Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, we will have established and will maintain an audit committee (which will be composed entirely of independent directors), to among other things, monitor compliance with the terms described above and the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to immediately take all action necessary |
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to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. For more information, see the section entitled "ManagementCommittees of the Board of DirectorsAudit Committee." |
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Conflicts of interest |
Avista manages several investment vehicles, and we expect that Avista will raise additional funds and/or successor funds in the future, which may be during the period in which we are seeking our initial business combination. The Avista funds and their portfolio companies may compete with us for acquisition opportunities. In particular, Avista funds currently manage nine portfolio companies focused on the healthcare industry. These portfolio companies may be seeking acquisition opportunities and related financing at any time. We may compete with any one or more of them on any given acquisition opportunity. However, we do not expect to directly compete with these Avista entities in seeking our initial business combination, primarily due to the anticipated differences in the expected size of the equity investment by any such Avista entity in an acquisition and by us in our initial business combination; the later stage of Avista's investment in many of these entities; and the public nature of our acquisition strategy. In addition, all of our officers and certain of our directors have fiduciary and contractual duties to Avista. As a result, these officers and directors may have a duty to offer acquisition opportunities to certain Avista funds or portfolio companies subject to their fiduciary duties as a matter of Cayman Islands law. If these funds decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within Avista may be suitable for both us and for a current or future Avista fund or portfolio company and may be directed to such fund or portfolio company rather than to us, subject to applicable fiduciary duties. Neither Avista nor members of our management team who are also employed by Avista have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware solely in their capacities as officers or managing directors of Avista. Avista and/or our management, in their capacities as officers or managing directors of Avista or in their other endeavors, may choose to present potential business combinations to the related entities described above, current or future Avista investment vehicles, or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us, subject to applicable fiduciary duties. Avista will determine which entity will be allocated any such business opportunity based on a number of factors, including the size of the target business and potential synergies with existing businesses. |
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We do not expect these duties to present a significant conflict of interest with our search for an initial business combination. Avista's traditional private equity activities typically involve investing in private companies, and while Avista will often take companies public, it typically invests in those entities several years prior to an initial public offering, not at the time of such offering. |
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Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. |
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Indemnity |
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor's only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations. |
Risks
We are a newly formed company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no
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operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, please see "Proposed BusinessComparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419." You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" beginning on page 34 of this prospectus.
Summary Financial Data
The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data is presented.
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June 30, 2016 | ||||||
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Actual | As Adjusted | |||||
Balance Sheet Data: |
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Working capital (deficit)(1) |
$ | (503,651 | ) | $ | 290,583,788 | ||
Total assets(2) |
$ | 593,501 | $ | 301,083,788 | |||
Total liabilities(3) |
$ | 609,713 | $ | 10,500,000 | |||
Value of ordinary shares that may be redeemed in connection with our initial business combination ($10.00 per share)(4) |
$ | | $ | 285,583,780 | |||
Shareholders' equity (deficit)(5) |
$ | (16,212 | ) | $ | 5,000,008 |
If no business combination is completed within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such 24-month time period.
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An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
We are a newly formed company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a newly formed company established under the laws of the Cayman Islands with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.
Our independent registered public accounting firm's report contains an explanatory paragraph that expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a "going concern."
As of June 30, 2016, we had $106,062 in cash and cash equivalents and a working capital deficiency of $503,651. Further, we expect to incur significant costs in pursuit of our acquisition plans. Management's plans to address this need for capital through this offering are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." Our plans to raise capital and to consummate our initial business combination may not be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result from our inability to consummate this offering or our inability to continue as a going concern.
Our public shareholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public shareholders do not support such a combination.
We may not hold a shareholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the business combination would require shareholder approval under applicable Cayman Islands law or the rules of NASDAQ or if we decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other reasons. For instance, the NASDAQ rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a shareholder meeting but would still require us to obtain shareholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares to a target business as consideration in any business combination. Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares, we would seek shareholder approval of such business combination. However, except as required by law, the decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow shareholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would otherwise require us to seek shareholder approval. Accordingly, we may consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares do not approve of the business combination we consummate. Please see the section entitled "Proposed BusinessEffecting Our Initial Business CombinationShareholders may not have the ability to approve our initial business combination" for additional information.
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If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public shareholders vote.
Unlike many other blank check companies in which the initial shareholders agree to vote their founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by the public shareholders in connection with an initial business combination, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any founder shares held by them, as well as any public shares purchased during or after this offering, in favor of our initial business combination. We expect that our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares at the time of any such shareholder vote. Accordingly, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, it is more likely that the necessary shareholder approval will be received than would be the case if such persons agreed to vote their founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by our public shareholders.
Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek shareholder approval of the business combination.
At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of one or more target businesses. Since our Board of Directors may complete a business combination without seeking shareholder approval, public shareholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination, unless we seek such shareholder approval. Accordingly, if we do not seek shareholder approval, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public shareholders in which we describe our initial business combination.
The ability of our public shareholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target.
We may seek to enter into a business combination transaction agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets, after payment of the deferred underwriting commissions, to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination. Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us.
The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.
At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, and therefore we will need to structure the
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transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements, or arrange for third party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares are submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third party financing. Raising additional third party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure.
The ability of our public shareholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your shares.
If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful is increased. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your shares in the open market; however, at such time our shares may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your shares in the open market.
The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may decrease our ability to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our shareholders.
Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.
We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the
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aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders' rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See "If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share" and other risk factors herein.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors and their affiliates may elect to purchase shares from public shareholders, which may influence a vote on a proposed business combination and reduce the public "float" of our ordinary shares.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation to do so. Please see "Proposed BusinessPermitted purchases of our securities" for a description of how such persons will determine which shareholders to seek to acquire shares from. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. The purpose of such purchases could be to vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination or to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public "float" of our ordinary shares and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
If a shareholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a shareholder fails to receive our tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such shareholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the tender offer documents or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in
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connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or redeem public shares. In the event that a shareholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See "Proposed BusinessBusiness StrategyTendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights."
You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
NASDAQ may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors' ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We intend to apply to have our units listed on NASDAQ on or promptly after the date of this prospectus and our Class A ordinary shares and warrants listed on or promptly after their date of separation. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet, on a pro forma basis, the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the NASDAQ listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on NASDAQ in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on NASDAQ prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in shareholders' equity (generally $2,500,000) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 round-lot holders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with NASDAQ's initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than NASDAQ's continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on NASDAQ. For instance, our share price would generally be required to be at least $4 per share and our shareholders' equity would generally be required to be at least $5 million. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.
If NASDAQ delists our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
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The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as "covered securities." Because we expect that our units and eventually our Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be listed on NASDAQ, our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants will be covered securities. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the state of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on NASDAQ, our securities would not be covered securities and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been identified, we may be deemed to be a "blank check" company under the United States securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the successful completion of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of an initial business combination. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, please see "Proposed BusinessComparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419."
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a "group" of shareholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A ordinary shares.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a "group" (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the "Excess Shares." However, we would not be restricting our shareholders' ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
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Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there are numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, if we are obligated to pay cash for the Class A ordinary shares redeemed and, in the event we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we make purchases of our Class A ordinary shares, potentially reducing the resources available to us for our initial business combination. Any of these obligations may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In such case, our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See "If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share" and other risk factors herein.
If the net proceeds of this offering not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.
The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We expect to incur significant costs in pursuit of our acquisition plans. Management's plans to address this need for capital through this offering and potential loans from certain of our affiliates are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." However, our affiliates are not obligated to make loans to us in the future, and we may not be able to raise additional financing from unaffiliated parties necessary to fund our expenses. Any such event in the future may negatively impact the analysis regarding our ability to continue as a going concern at such time.
We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account, will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the next 24 months; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business. We could also use a portion of the funds as a down payment or to fund a "no-shop" provision (a provision in letters of intent designed to keep target businesses from "shopping" around for transactions with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into a letter of intent where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were
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subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a target business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In such case, our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See "If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share" and other risk factors herein.
If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search, to pay our taxes and to complete our initial business combination.
Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, only approximately $1,100,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $900,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $900,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to advance funds to us in such circumstances. Any such advances would be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. Consequently, our public shareholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share on our redemption of our public shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. In such case, our public shareholders may only receive $10.00 per share, and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public shareholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See "If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share" and other risk factors herein.
Subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to subsequently take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our share price, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will surface all material issues that may be present inside a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our
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securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining post-combination debt financing. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party's engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative.
Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public shareholders could be less than the $10.00 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors.
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor's only assets are securities of our company. Our sponsor may not have sufficient funds available to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations, and therefore, no funds are currently set aside to cover any such obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust
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account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Our directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public shareholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a "preferential transfer" or a "fraudulent conveyance." As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover all amounts received by our shareholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our shareholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public shareholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our shareholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.
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If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:
each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.
In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:
We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. Beginning in January 2017, the proceeds held in the trust account may be invested by the trustee only in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Prior to such time, such proceeds will not be invested and will be held in a non-interest bearing trust account. Because the investment of the proceeds will be restricted to these instruments, we believe we will meet the requirements for the exemption provided in Rule 3a-1 promulgated under the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to consummate a business combination. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to complete a business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, investments and results of operations.
We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months of the closing of this offering, our public shareholders may be forced to wait beyond such 24 months before redemption from our trust account.
If we are unable to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (less up to $50,000 of the net interest earned thereon to pay dissolution expenses), pro rata to our
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public shareholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. Any redemption of public shareholders from the trust account shall be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to windup, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our public shareholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the Companies Law. In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond the initial 24 months before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption or liquidation unless we consummate our initial business combination prior thereto and only then in cases where investors have sought to redeem their ordinary shares. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public shareholders be entitled to distributions if we are unable to complete our initial business combination.
Our shareholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
If we are forced to enter into an insolvent liquidation, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed as an unlawful payment if it was proved that immediately following the date on which the distribution was made, we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. As a result, a liquidator could seek to recover all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to us or our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing themselves and our company to claims, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons. We and our directors and officers who knowingly and willfully authorized or permitted any distribution to be paid out of our share premium account while we were unable to pay our debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business would be guilty of an offence and may be liable to a fine of $15,000 and to imprisonment for five years in the Cayman Islands.
We may not hold an annual meeting of shareholders until after the consummation of our initial business combination. Our public shareholders will not have the right to elect directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.
In accordance with NASDAQ corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until no later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on NASDAQ. There is no requirement under the Companies Law for us to hold annual or general meetings or elect directors. Until we hold an annual meeting of shareholders, public shareholders may not be afforded the opportunity to discuss company affairs with management. In addition, as holders of our Class A ordinary shares, our public shareholders will not have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to consummation of our initial business combination.
We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis and potentially causing such warrants to expire worthless.
We are not registering the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) business days after the closing of our initial business combination, to use our best efforts to file a registration statement under the Securities Act covering such shares and maintain a current prospectus relating to
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the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis. However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption is available. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a "covered security" under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so a "cashless basis" in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and no exemption is available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the Class A ordinary shares included in the units. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying Class A ordinary shares for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
The grant of registration rights to our initial shareholders and holders of our private placement warrants may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class A ordinary shares.
Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees can demand that we register their founder shares, after those shares convert to our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination. In addition, holders of our private placement warrants and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants, and holders of warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register such warrants or the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to conclude. This is because the shareholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares that is expected when the ordinary shares owned by our initial shareholders, holders of our private placement warrants or holders of our working capital loans or their respective permitted transferees are registered.
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Because we are not limited to a particular industry or any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business's operations.
Although we expect to focus our search for a target business in the healthcare industry, we may seek to complete a business combination with an operating company in any industry or sector. However, we will not, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet identified or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business's operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
Because we intend to seek a business combination with a target business in the healthcare industry, we expect our future operations to be subject to risks associated with this industry.
Healthcare related companies are generally subject to greater governmental regulation than most other industries at the U.S. state and federal levels, and internationally. In recent years, both local and national governmental budgets have come under pressure to reduce spending and control healthcare costs, which could both adversely affect regulatory processes and public funding available for healthcare products, services and facilities. In March 2010, comprehensive healthcare reform legislation was enacted in the United States through the Health Care Reform Act. These laws are intended to increase health insurance coverage through individual and employer mandates, subsidies offered to lower income individuals, tax credits available to smaller employers and broadening of Medicaid eligibility. While one intent of healthcare reform is to expand health insurance coverage to more individuals, it may also involve additional regulatory mandates and other measures designed to constrain medical costs, including coverage and reimbursement for healthcare services. The Health Care Reform Act has had a significant impact on the healthcare sector in the U.S. and consequently has the ability to affect the companies within the healthcare industry. The ultimate effects of federal healthcare reform or any future legislation or regulation, or healthcare initiatives, if any, on the healthcare sector, whether implemented at the federal or state level, or internationally, cannot be predicted with certainty and such reform, legislation, regulation or initiatives, including the Health Care Reform Act or any successor legislation, may adversely affect the performance of a potential business combination.
Changes in governmental policies may have a material effect on the demand for or costs of certain products and services. A healthcare related company must receive government approval before introducing new drugs and medical devices or procedures. This process may delay the introduction of these products and services to the marketplace, resulting in increased development costs, delayed cost recovery and loss of competitive advantage to the extent that rival companies have developed competing products or procedures, adversely affecting the company's revenues and profitability. Failure
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to obtain governmental approval of a key drug or device or other regulatory action could have a material adverse effect on the business of a portfolio company. Additionally, expansion of facilities by healthcare related providers is subject to "determinations of need" by the appropriate government authorities. This process not only increases the time and cost involved in these expansions, but also makes expansion plans uncertain, limiting the revenue and profitability growth potential of healthcare related facilities operators.
Certain healthcare related companies depend on the exclusive rights or patents for the products they develop and distribute. Patents have a limited duration and, upon expiration, other companies may market substantially similar "generic" products that are typically sold at a lower price than the patented product, causing the original developer of the product to lose market share and/or reduce the price charged for the product, resulting in lower profits for the original developer. As a result, the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. The profitability of healthcare related companies may also be affected, among other factors, by restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising or falling costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, a limited product offering, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Finally, because the products and services of healthcare related companies affect the health and well-being of many individuals, these companies are especially susceptible to product liability lawsuits.
The healthcare industry spends heavily on research and development. Research findings (e.g., regarding side effects or comparative benefits of one or more particular treatments, services or products) and technological innovation (together with patent expirations) may make any particular treatment, service or product less attractive if previously unknown or underappreciated risks are revealed, or if a more effective, less costly or less risky solution is or becomes available. Any such development could have a material adverse effect on the companies that are target businesses for investment.
Past performance by Avista, including our management team, may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in the Company.
Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, Avista and its affiliates is presented for informational purposes only. Past performance by Avista, including the AHPAC team, is not a guarantee either (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of Avista's or the AHPAC team's performance as indicative of our future performance of an investment in the company or the returns the company will, or is likely to, generate going forward. None of our officers or directors has had experience with any blank check companies in the past.
We may seek acquisition opportunities in industries or sectors that may be outside of our management's areas of expertise.
We will consider a business combination outside of our management's areas of expertise if a business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of the areas of our management's expertise, our management's expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our management's expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
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Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of shareholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain shareholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We may seek acquisition opportunities with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings.
To the extent we complete our initial business combination with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include volatile revenues or earnings and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors and we may not have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking or from an independent accounting firm, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that the price we are paying is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our shareholders will be relying on the judgment of our Board of Directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.
We may issue additional Class A ordinary or preferred shares to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares upon the conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our shareholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary
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shares, par value $0.0001 per share and 1,000,000 undesignated preferred shares, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 147,000,000 and 12,500,000 (assuming in each case that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued Class A and Class B ordinary shares available, respectively, for issuance, which amount takes into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants but not upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares. Class B ordinary shares are convertible into Class A ordinary shares, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein. Immediately after this offering, there will be no preferred shares issued and outstanding.
We may issue a substantial number of additional ordinary shares, and may issue preferred shares, in order to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue Class A ordinary shares upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional ordinary shares that would entitle the holders thereof to (i) receive funds from the trust account or (ii) vote on any initial business combination. The issuance of additional ordinary shares or preferred shares:
We may be a passive foreign investment company, or "PFIC," which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. holder (as defined in the section of this prospectus captioned "Income Tax ConsiderationsCertain U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsU.S. Holders") of our ordinary shares or warrants, the U.S. holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our PFIC status for our current and subsequent taxable years may depend on whether we qualify for the PFIC start-up exception (see the section of this prospectus captioned "Income Tax ConsiderationsCertain U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsU.S. HoldersPassive Foreign Investment Company Rules"). Depending on the particular circumstances the application of the start-up exception may be subject to uncertainty, and there cannot be any assurance that we will qualify for the start-up exception. Accordingly, there can be no assurances with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year. Our actual PFIC status for any taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Moreover, if we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. holder such information as the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. holder to make and maintain a "qualified electing fund" election, but there can be no assurance that we will timely provide such required information, and such election would be unavailable with respect to our warrants in all cases. We urge U.S. holders to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules to holders of our ordinary shares and warrants. For a more detailed explanation of the tax consequences of PFIC classification to U.S. holders, see the section of this prospectus captioned "Income Tax
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ConsiderationsCertain U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsU.S. HoldersPassive Foreign Investment Company Rules."
We may reincorporate in another jurisdiction in connection with our initial business combination and such reincorporation may result in taxes imposed on shareholders.
We may, in connection with our initial business combination and subject to requisite shareholder approval under the Companies Law, reincorporate in the jurisdiction in which the target company or business is located. The transaction may require a shareholder to recognize taxable income in the jurisdiction in which the shareholder is a tax resident or in which its members are resident if it is a tax transparent entity. We do not intend to make any cash distributions to shareholders to pay such taxes. Shareholders may be subject to withholding taxes or other taxes with respect to their ownership of us after the reincorporation.
Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We are dependent upon our officers and directors and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals and, in particular, Mr. Dean and Mr. Burgstahler and our other officers and directors. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. In addition, our officers and directors are not required to commit any specified amount of time to our affairs and, accordingly, will have conflicts of interest in allocating management time among various business activities, including identifying potential business combinations and monitoring the related due diligence. Moreover, certain of our officers and directors have time and attention requirements for private investment funds of which affiliates of Avista are the investment managers. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
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Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be totally dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, it is likely that some or all of the management of the target business will remain in place. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.
Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them to receive compensation following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business combination is the most advantageous.
Our key personnel may be able to remain with the company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination. There is no certainty, however, that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination. We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with us. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.
When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business's management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target's management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target's management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any shareholders who choose to remain shareholders following the business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their shares. Such shareholders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of a business combination target's key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an acquisition candidates' key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be
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ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate's management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.
Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Each of our officers is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. In particular, certain of our officers and directors are employed by Avista, which are the investment managers to various private investment funds which make investments in securities or other interests of or relating to companies in industries we may target for our initial business combination. Our independent directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. If our officers' and directors' other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. For a complete discussion of our officers' and directors' other business affairs, please see "ManagementDirectors and Officers."
Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented.
Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our sponsor and officers and directors are, or may in the future become, affiliated with entities that are engaged in a similar business. Moreover, certain of our officers and directors have time and attention requirements for private investment funds of which affiliates of Avista are the investment managers.
Our officers and directors also may become aware of business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us and the other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties. Accordingly, they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to other entities prior to its presentation to us, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law.
For a complete discussion of our officers' and directors' business affiliations and the potential conflicts of interest that you should be aware of, please see "ManagementDirectors and Officers," "ManagementConflicts of Interest" and "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions."
Our officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.
We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact,
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we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with our sponsor, our directors or officers, although we do not intend to do so. Nor do we have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.
In particular, Avista and affiliates of our sponsor have invested in industries as diverse as healthcare, energy, consumer, industrials, communications and media. As a result, there may be substantial overlap between companies that would be a suitable business combination for us and companies that would make an attractive target for such other affiliates.
We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with our sponsor, officers, directors or existing holders which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other entities, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with our sponsor, officers and directors. Our officers and directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under "ManagementConflicts of Interest." Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no preliminary discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for a business combination as set forth in "Proposed BusinessEffecting Our Initial Business CombinationSelection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination" and such transaction was approved by a majority of our disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with our officers, directors or existing holders, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public shareholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
Since our sponsor, officers and directors will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
In December 2015, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 8,625,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. In 2016, our sponsor transferred founder shares to each of our independent director nominees at their original per share purchase price. As such, our initial shareholders will collectively own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase units in this offering). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. In addition, our initial shareholders have committed to purchase an aggregate of 16,000,000 (or 17,800,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants, each exercisable for one-half of one Class A ordinary share, for a purchase price of $8,000,000 in the aggregate or $8,900,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $0.50 per warrant, that will also be worthless if we do not complete a business combination. Two private placement warrants may be exercised for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein.
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The founder shares are identical to the ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering except that (i) holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to our initial business combination, (ii) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, (iii) our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (B) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame) and (iv) the founder shares are automatically convertible into our Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein.
The personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination.
Since our sponsor, officers and directors will not be eligible to be reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses if our initial business combination is not completed, a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.
At the closing of our initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf. These financial interests of our sponsor, officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination and completing an initial business combination.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our shareholders' investment in us.
Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our initial business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per-share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
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We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability.
The net proceeds from this offering and the private placement of warrants will provide us with $289,500,000 (or $332,925,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) that we may use to complete our initial business combination (after payment of $10,500,000, or up to $12,075,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full, of deferred underwriting commissions being held in the trust account).
We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.
We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and
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delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our acquisition strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. By definition, very little public information exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
We may structure a business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-transaction company owns 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new ordinary shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new ordinary shares, our shareholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding ordinary shares subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority shareholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company's stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain our control of the target business.
We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete a business combination with which a substantial majority of our shareholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets, after payment of the deferred underwriting commissions, to be less than $5,000,001 (such that we are not subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public shareholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and do
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not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination.
The exercise price for the public warrants is higher than in many similar blank check company offerings in the past, and, accordingly, the warrants are more likely to expire worthless.
The exercise price of the public warrants is higher than is typical in many similar blank check companies in the past. Historically, the exercise price of a warrant was generally a fraction of the purchase price of the units in the initial public offering. The exercise price for our public warrants is $5.75 per one-half share, or $11.50 per whole share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. As a result, the warrants are less likely to ever be in the money and more likely to expire worthless.
In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or governing instruments in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that our shareholders may not support.
In order to effectuate a business combination, blank check companies have, in the past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds and changed industry focus. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or governing instruments or change our industry focus in order to effectuate our initial business combination though amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require at least a special resolution of our shareholders as a matter of Cayman Islands law.
The provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our shareholders may not support.
Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain of its provisions, including those which relate to a company's pre-business combination activity, without approval by a certain percentage of the company's shareholders. In those companies, amendment of these provisions requires approval by between 90% and 100% of the company's public shareholders. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that any of its provisions, including those related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the private placement of warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances, and to provide redemption rights to public shareholders as described herein), but excluding the provision of the articles relating to the appointment of directors, may be amended if approved by holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares who attend and vote in a general meeting, and corresponding
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provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of 65% of our ordinary shares. Our initial shareholders, who will collectively beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete a business combination with which you do not agree. Our shareholders may pursue remedies against us for any breach of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.
Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be sufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, because we have not yet identified any prospective target business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of our initial business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to redeem for cash a significant number of shares from shareholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, we may be required to seek additional financing or to abandon the proposed business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or shareholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public shareholders may only receive approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Our initial shareholders will control the election of our board of directors until consummation of our initial business combination and will hold a substantial interest in us. As a result, they will elect all of our directors and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Upon the closing of this offering, our initial shareholders will own 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). In addition, the founder shares, all of which are held by our initial shareholders, will entitle the holders to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination. Holders of our public shares will have no right to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting in a general meeting. As a result, you will not have any influence over the election of directors prior to our initial business combination.
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Neither our initial shareholders nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the current trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. In addition, as a result of their substantial ownership in our company, our initial shareholders may exert a substantial influence on other actions requiring a shareholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of major corporate transactions. If our initial shareholders purchase any additional ordinary shares in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their influence over these actions. Accordingly, our initial shareholders will exert significant influence over actions requiring a shareholder vote at least until the completion of our initial business combination.
Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per founder share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution upon the purchase of our Class A ordinary shares.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the ordinary shares and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per Class A ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public shareholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 94.4% (or $9.44 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $0.56 and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B ordinary shares result in the issuance of Class A ordinary shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination and would become exacerbated to the extent that public shareholders seek redemptions from the trust. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A ordinary shares.
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants.
Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of ordinary shares purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last reported sales price of our Class A ordinary shares equal or exceed $24.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share
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dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you (i) to exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so, (ii) to sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your warrants. None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees.
Our warrants and founder shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.
We will be issuing warrants to purchase 15,000,000 of our Class A ordinary shares (or up to 17,250,000 Class A ordinary shares if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $11.50 per whole share (subject to adjustment as provided herein), as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement an aggregate of 16,000,000 (or 17,800,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants, each exercisable to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share. Two private placement warrants may be exercised for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Prior to this offering, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 8,625,000 founder shares in a private placement. The founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if our sponsor makes any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be converted into warrants, at the price of $0.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants. To the extent we issue Class A ordinary shares to effectuate a business transaction, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of these warrants or conversion rights could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares and reduce the value of the Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the business transaction. Therefore, our warrants and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees, (i) they will not be redeemable by us, (ii) they (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the initial shareholders until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and (iii) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis.
Because each warrant is exercisable for only one-half of one share of our Class A ordinary shares, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.
Each warrant is exercisable for one-half of one Class A ordinary share. Warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one Class A ordinary share and one warrant to purchase one whole
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share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for one-half of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive merger partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if it included a warrant to purchase one whole share.
The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriters, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the Class A ordinary shares and warrants underlying the units, include:
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.
There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.
There is currently no market for our securities. Shareholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions. Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.
Because we must furnish our shareholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in
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connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, or international financing reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We are an "emerging growth company" within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accountant standards used.
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Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2017. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target company with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
Because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, you may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. Federal courts may be limited.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or officers.
Our corporate affairs will be governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law (as the same may be supplemented or amended from time to time) and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are different from what they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and certain states, such as Delaware, may have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholders derivative action in a Federal court of the United States.
We have been advised by our Cayman Islands legal counsel that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect
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of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a United States company.
Provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A ordinary shares and could entrench management.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that shareholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include two-year director terms and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
After our initial business combination, it is possible that a majority of our directors and officers will live outside the United States and all of our assets will be located outside the United States; therefore investors may not be able to enforce federal securities laws or their other legal rights.
It is possible that after our initial business combination, a majority of our directors and officers will reside outside of the United States and all of our assets will be located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult, or in some cases not possible, for investors in the United States to enforce their legal rights, to effect service of process upon all of our directors or officers or to enforce judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities and criminal penalties on our directors and officers under United States laws.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If we effect our initial business combination with a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
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We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following our initial business combination, any or all of our management could resign from their positions as officers of the Company, and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination will remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
After our initial business combination, substantially all of our assets may be located in a foreign country and substantially all of our revenue will be derived from our operations in such country. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects will be subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and legal policies, developments and conditions in the country in which we operate.
The economic, political and social conditions, as well as government policies, of the country in which our operations are located could affect our business. Economic growth could be uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy and such growth may not be sustained in the future. If in the future such country's economy experiences a downturn or grows at a slower rate than expected, there may be less demand for spending in certain industries. A decrease in demand for spending in certain industries could materially and adversely affect our ability to find an attractive target business with which to consummate our initial business combination and if we effect our initial business combination, the ability of that target business to become profitable.
Exchange rate fluctuations and currency policies may cause a target business' ability to succeed in the international markets to be diminished.
In the event we acquire a non-U.S. target, all revenues and income would likely be received in a foreign currency, and the dollar equivalent of our net assets and distributions, if any, could be adversely affected by reductions in the value of the local currency. The value of the currencies in our target regions fluctuate and are affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions. Any change in the relative value of such currency against our reporting currency may affect the attractiveness of any target business or, following consummation of our initial business combination, our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, if a currency appreciates in value against the dollar prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, the cost of a target business as measured in dollars will increase, which may make it less likely that we are able to consummate such transaction.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some statements contained in this prospectus are forward-looking in nature. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intends," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" beginning on page 34. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
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We are offering 30,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement warrants will be used as set forth in the following table.
|
Without Over-
Allotment Option |
Over-Allotment
Option Exercised |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gross proceeds |
|||||||
Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1) |
$ | 300,000,000 | $ | 345,000,000 | |||
Gross proceeds from private placement warrants offered in the private placement |
8,000,000 | 8,900,000 | |||||
| | | | | | | |
Total gross proceeds |
$ | 308,000,000 | $ | 353,900,000 | |||
Offering expenses(2) |
|||||||
Underwriting commissions (2.0% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, excluding deferred portion)(3) |
$ | 6,000,000 | $ | 6,900,000 | |||
Legal fees and expenses |
450,000 | 450,000 | |||||
Accounting fees and expenses |
50,000 | 50,000 | |||||
Printing and engraving expenses |
50,000 | 50,000 | |||||
SEC expenses |
34,742 | 34,742 | |||||
FINRA expenses |
52,250 | 52,250 | |||||
Travel and road show |
20,000 | 20,000 | |||||
Directors and officers insurance |
100,000 | 100,000 | |||||
NASDAQ listing and filing fees |
75,000 | 75,000 | |||||
Miscellaneous expenses(4) |
68,008 | 68,008 | |||||
| | | | | | | |
Total offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) |
$ | 900,000 | $ | 900,000 | |||
Proceeds after offering expenses |
$ | 301,100,000 | $ | 346,100,000 | |||
| | | | | | | |
Held in trust account(3) |
$ | 300,000,000 | $ | 345,000,000 | |||
% of public offering size |
100 | % | 100 | % | |||
Not held in trust account(2) |
$ | 1,100,000 | $ | 1,100,000 |
The following table shows the use of the approximately $1,100,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account(5).
|
Amount | % of Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, and other expenses in connection with any business combination(6) |
$ | 450,000 | 40.9 | % | |||
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations |
150,000 | 13.6 | % | ||||
Payment for office space, administrative and support services |
240,000 | 21.8 | % | ||||
Reserve for liquidation expenses |
50,000 | 4.6 | % | ||||
NASDAQ continued listing fees |
75,000 | 6.8 | % | ||||
Other miscellaneous expenses |
135,000 | 12.3 | % | ||||
| | | | | | | |
Total |
$ | 1,100,000 | 100.0 | % |
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offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) and amounts not to be held in the trust account. In the event that offering expenses are less than as set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that the offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, we may fund such excess with funds not held in the trust account.
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The rules of the NASDAQ provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, $300,000,000 (or $345,000,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full), including $10,500,000 (or up to $12,075,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions, will, upon the consummation of this offering, be placed in a non-interest bearing trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. Beginning in January 2017, the funds in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Based on current interest rates, we estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $60,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.02% per year, following the investment of such funds in specified U.S. government treasury bills or in specified money market funds beginning in January 2017. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account except for the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance and timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. Based on current interest rates, we do not expect that interest earned on the trust account will be sufficient to pay taxes.
The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination, we may apply the balance of the cash released from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective acquisition, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of a business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or their affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation to advance funds to, or invest in, us.
We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
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Prior to the closing of this offering, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of June 30, 2016, we had borrowed $175,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2016 or the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $2,000,000 of offering proceeds not held in the trust account.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. Otherwise, such loans would be repaid only out of funds held outside the trust account. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our initial shareholders. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may also purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Please see "Proposed BusinessPermitted purchases of our securities" for a description of how such persons will determine which shareholders to seek to acquire shares from. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If they engage in such transactions, they will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules.
We may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets, after payment of the deferred underwriting commissions, to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules) and the agreement for our initial business combination may require as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public shareholders exercise their redemption rights so that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement or any net worth or cash requirements, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares or the business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination.
A public shareholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earlier to occur of: (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months
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from the closing of this offering and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a public shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account.
Our initial shareholders have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. However, if our sponsor or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquires public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.
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We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our Board of Directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering, in which case we will effect a capitalization or share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of our initial shareholders prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
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The difference between the public offering price per Class A ordinary share, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement warrants, and the pro forma net tangible book value per Class A ordinary share after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement warrants, which would cause the actual dilution to the public shareholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of Class A ordinary shares which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares.
At June 30, 2016, our net tangible book value was a deficiency of $503,651, or approximately $(0.07) per Class B ordinary share. After giving effect to the sale of 30,000,000 Class A ordinary shares included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, the sale of the private placement warrants and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at June 30, 2016 would have been $5,000,008 or $0.56 per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of the approximately 28,558,378 Class A ordinary shares that may be redeemed for cash and assuming no exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option) of $0.63 per share to our initial shareholders as of the date of this prospectus and an immediate dilution of $9.44 per share or 94.4% to our public shareholders not exercising their redemption rights. The dilution to new investors if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full would be an immediate dilution of $9.51 per share or 95.1%.
The following table illustrates the dilution to the public shareholders on a per-share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units or the private placement warrants:
For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option) by $285,583,780 because holders of up to approximately 95.2% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per-share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account as set forth in our tender offer or proxy materials (initially anticipated to be the aggregate amount held in trust two days prior to the commencement of our tender offer or shareholders meeting, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of Class A ordinary shares sold in this offering).
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The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial shareholders and the public shareholders:
|
Shares Purchased | Total Consideration |
|
|||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Average Price
per Share |
|||||||||||||||
|
Number | Percentage | Amount | Percentage | ||||||||||||
Initial Shareholders(1)(2) |
7,500,000 | 20.00 | % | $ | 25,000 | 0.01 | % | $ | 0.003 | |||||||
Public Shareholders |
30,000,000 | 80.00 | % | 300,000,000 | 99.99 | % | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
37,500,000 | 100.00 | % | $ | 300,025,000 | 100.00 | % |
The pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering is calculated as follows:
Numerator: |
||||
Net tangible book value before this offering |
$ | (503,651 | ) | |
Proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement warrants, net of expenses |
301,100,000 | |||
Offering costs accrued for and paid in advance, excluded from net tangible book value before this offering |
487,439 | |||
Less: deferred underwriters' commissions payable |
(10,500,000 | ) | ||
Less: amount of Class A ordinary shares subject to redemption to maintain net tangible assets of $5,000,001 |
(285,583,780 | ) | ||
| | | | |
|
$ | 5,000,008 | ||
| | | | |
Denominator: |
||||
Class B ordinary shares outstanding prior to this offering |
8,625,000 | |||
Shares forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised |
(1,125,000 | ) | ||
Class A ordinary shares included in the units offered |
30,000,000 | |||
Less: shares subject to redemption to maintain net tangible assets of $5,000,001 |
(28,558,378 | ) | ||
| | | | |
|
8,941,622 | |||
| | | | |
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The following table sets forth our capitalization at June 30, 2016, and as adjusted to give effect to the sale of our 30,000,000 units in this offering for $300,000,000 (or $10.00 per unit) and the sale of 16,000,000 private placement warrants for $8,000,000 (or $0.50 per warrant) and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:
|
June 30, 2016 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Actual | As Adjusted(1) | |||||
Deferred underwriting commissions |
$ | | $ | 10,500,000 | |||
Notes payable(2) |
175,000 | | |||||
Class A ordinary shares, subject to redemption(3) |
| 285,583,780 | |||||
Shareholders' equity (deficit): |
|||||||
Preferred shares, $0.0001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding (actual and as adjusted) |
| | |||||
Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 220,000,000 shares authorized (actual and adjusted) |
|||||||
Class A ordinary shares, 200,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding (actual); 200,000,000 shares authorized; 1,441,622 shares issued and outstanding (excluding 28,558,378 shares subject to redemption) (as adjusted) |
| 144 | |||||
Class B ordinary shares, 20,000,000 shares authorized (actual and as adjusted); 8,625,000(4) shares issued and outstanding (actual); 7,500,000(4) shares issued and outstanding (as adjusted) |
863 | 750 | |||||
Additional paid-in capital(5) |
24,137 | 5,040,326 | |||||
Accumulated deficit |
(41,212 | ) | (41,212 | ) | |||
| | | | | | | |
Total shareholders' (deficit) equity |
(16,212 | ) | 5,000,008 | ||||
| | | | | | | |
Total capitalization |
$ | 158,788 | $ | 301,083,788 | |||
| | | | | | | |
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may be redeemed for a $10.00 purchase price per share and still maintain $5,000,001 of net tangible assets.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not identified any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with respect to identifying any business combination target. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private placement warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of cash, stock and debt.
The issuance of additional ordinary shares in a business combination:
Similarly, if we issue debt securities, it could result in:
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As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, at June 30, 2016 we had $106,062 in cash, a working capital deficit of $503,651 and deferred offering costs of $487,439. Further, we expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to completion of this offering through receipt of $25,000 from the sale of the founder shares to our sponsor and up to $300,000 in loans from our sponsor under an unsecured promissory note. As of June 30, 2016, we had borrowed $175,000 under the unsecured promissory note. We estimate that the net proceeds from (i) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $900,000 and underwriting commissions of $6,000,000 ($6,900,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $10,500,000 (or up to $12,075,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full)), and (ii) the sale of the private placement warrants for a purchase price of $8,000,000 (or $8,900,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $301,100,000 (or $346,100,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $300,000,000 or $345,000,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full, including $10,500,000 (or up to $12,750,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions) will be deposited into a non- interest bearing trust account. Beginning in January 2017, the funds in the trust account will be invested only in specified U.S. government treasury bills or in specified money market funds. The remaining $1,100,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $900,000 we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $900,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and excluding deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay taxes, if any. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. No interest or other income will be earned prior to 2017, as the proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be deposited into a non-interest bearing trust account until January 2017. We
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do not expect the interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our taxes. To the extent that our ordinary shares or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us $1,100,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices, plants or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, structure, negotiate and complete a business combination, and to pay taxes to the extent the interest earned on the trust account is not sufficient to pay our taxes.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our initial shareholders. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $450,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses associated with structuring, negotiating and documenting successful business combinations; $150,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $75,000 for NASDAQ and other regulatory fees; $240,000 for office space, administrative and support services; $50,000 as a reserve for liquidation expenses and approximately $135,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses and reserves net of estimated interest income.
These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a "no-shop" provision (a provision designed to keep target businesses from "shopping" around for transactions with other companies on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a "no-shop" provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, prospective target businesses.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds
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available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such business combination.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.
Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor have our auditors tested our systems, of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expenses in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.
Once our management's report on internal controls is complete, we will retain our independent auditors to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404. The independent auditors may identify additional issues concerning a target business's internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Beginning in January 2017, the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be invested in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the
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Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk. Prior to 2017, such proceeds will not be invested and will be held in a non-interest bearing trust account.
Related Party Transactions
In December 2015, our sponsor purchased 8,625,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to the company by the number of founder shares issued. In 2016, our sponsor transferred founder shares to each of our independent director nominees at their original per share purchase price. As such, our initial shareholders will collectively own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase units in this offering). If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares our initial shareholders at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Our sponsor does not intend to purchase any units in this offering.
We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which we will also pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.
Our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of June 30, 2016, we had borrowed $175,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2016 or the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the $2,000,000 of offering proceeds not held in the trust account.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our initial shareholders. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
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Our initial shareholders have committed to purchase an aggregate of 16,000,000 (or 17,800,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant ($8,000,000 in the aggregate or $8,900,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share. Two private placement warrants may be exercised for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Our initial shareholders will be permitted to transfer the private placement warrants held by them to certain permitted transferees, including our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with or related to them, but the transferees receiving such securities will be subject to the same agreements with respect to such securities as our initial shareholders. Otherwise, these warrants will not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. The private placement warrants will be non-redeemable so long as they are held by our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees (except as described below under "Principal ShareholdersTransfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants"). The private placement warrants may also be exercised by the initial shareholders or their permitted transferees for cash or on a cashless basis. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering.
Pursuant to a registration rights agreement we will enter into with our initial shareholders and initial purchasers of the private placement warrants on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. These holders, and holders of warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled under the registration rights agreement to make up to three demands that we register certain of our securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have the right to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their lock-up restrictions, as described herein. We will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements. See "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions."
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of December 31, 2015, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have conducted no operations to date.
JOBS Act
On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an "emerging growth company" and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS
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Act, if, as an "emerging growth company." we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor's attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor's report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis), and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO's compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of our initial public offering or until we are no longer an "emerging growth company," whichever is earlier.
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General
We are a newly organized blank check company incorporated on December 4, 2015 as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not identified any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with respect to identifying any business combination target.
Our founders are two of the founders and managing partners of Avista. Avista is a middle market private equity firm focused on control buyout and growth investments in the healthcare, communications and industrial sectors, with offices in New York, Houston and London. Thompson Dean, our Executive Chairman, and David Burgstahler, our President and Chief Executive Officer, were two of the founders of Avista in 2005. Our founders have worked together for over 20 years. Over the past 10 years, Avista has raised four private equity funds (Avista Capital Partners I, II, III and IV L.P.) and had approximately $6 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2016. We expect that Avista will raise additional funds and / or successor funds in the future.
Our management team has significant experience sourcing, analyzing, acquiring and operating healthcare related businesses. Since inception, Avista funds have invested in 15 healthcare portfolio companies.
While we may acquire a target business in any industry or location, our initial focus will be to acquire and operate a North American or European healthcare-related business. AHPAC will target businesses in the healthcare industry that it considers to have strong management teams, stable cash flows and robust growth prospects. We believe that we derive significant benefit from our management team and board members as well as our affiliation with Avista. We believe that the AHPAC team brings a distinctive blend of private equity investing experience, deal sourcing capabilities and operating expertise. Our team has extensive experience not only identifying and executing such acquisitions, but also running and operating the businesses post transaction. In addition, the AHPAC team has significant experience working with private companies to reshape their operations and help drive value creation. Not all of such companies have achieved the same level of value creation.
We believe that the AHPAC team is well positioned to identify attractive acquisition candidates because of their extensive contacts and transaction sources, including a broad list of industry executives, public board members, private owners, wealthy families, private capital managers, private equity funds, investment bankers and other transaction intermediaries. A central component of our acquisition strategy is our management team's ability to implement value creation initiatives designed to drive shareholder value as they have done in the past for Avista portfolio companies, not all of which have achieved the same level of shareholder value. The AHPAC team blends financial sophistication, operating perspective and business management skills to execute on these initiatives.
Thompson Dean, our Executive Chairman, has more than 30 years of private equity experience. Prior to co-founding Avista Capital Partners in 2005, Mr. Dean led DLJMB for 10 years. Mr. Dean served as Managing Partner of DLJMB I, II and III and DLJ Growth Capital Partners, and he was Chairman of their respective Investment Committees until his departure in 2005. Under Mr. Dean's leadership at DLJMB, members of the Avista team sourced, led and/or were substantially involved in 56 private equity investments and under his leadership at Avista the team has made 49 private equity investments.
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David Burgstahler, our President and Chief Executive Officer, has more than 20 years of experience in private equity. Prior to co-founding Avista Capital Partners in 2005, Mr. Burgstahler was a Partner of DLJMB and Head of Global Healthcare. Mr. Burgstahler joined Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette in 1995 and was with DLJMB from 1997 to 2005. Mr. Burgstahler is a member of the Board of Directors of ACP Mountain Holdings, Inc., AngioDynamics Inc., ConvaTec Healthcare BS.a.r.l., INC Research Holdings, Inc., Lantheus Holdings, Inc., Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp. and WideOpenWest, LLC. Mr. Burgstahler has played a key leadership role in originating and/or executing 14 private equity backed investments during his career. Through his involvement at the board level, he has helped some of these portfolio companies reshape their operations and strategy with add-on acquisitions and, in many cases, utilized his operating and strategy formulation experience to refine and optimize their business strategies. In addition, Mr. Burgstahler has helped several portfolio companies prepare for and execute their initial public offerings.
Our management team is supplemented by a board of directors that includes four healthcare industry veterans who are also exclusive Healthcare Industry Advisors of Avista Capital Partners. We believe these directors will be instrumental in helping AHPAC source and evaluate a potential acquisition, and, more importantly, in seeking to add value to the company post acquisition.
Håkan Björklund has over 30 years of healthcare industry experience and is the former Chief Executive Officer of Nycomed A/S, a global pharmaceutical company, which was sold to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in September 2011. Dr. Björklund worked closely with the Avista team on the development of Nycomed A/S prior to its sale to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. In 2006, Dr. Björklund led the integration of Altana Pharma AG, a German-based company that was acquired by Nycomed A/S. During his tenure, Nycomed A/S also grew in emerging markets, including through the acquisition of Guangdong Techpool Bio-Pharma Co., Ltd, a Chinese bio-pharmaceutical company, in 2010. Prior to Nycomed A/S, Dr. Björklund was Regional Director at Astra AB (now AstraZeneca plc) and, prior to that he was President of Astra Draco AB. Dr. Björklund is Chairman of the Board of Directors at Acino Pharma AG, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum A.B. (SOBI) and Trimb Healthcare AB and is a member of the Board of Directors of Alere Inc., Atos Medical AB, Coloplast A/S and Kibion AB. Dr. Björklund was formerly the Chairman of the Board of Directors at H. Lundbeck A/S.
Charles Harwood has nearly 30 years of experience in the overall healthcare industry and has been an operator in the clinical diagnostics and pharmaceutical services industries. Mr. Harwood is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of BioReliance Corp., a contract research organization and Avista portfolio company, which was sold to Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC in 2012. He helped the Avista team evaluate the company pre-acquisition and operate BioReliance Corp. post-acquisition in 2007. He was initially Executive Chairman of BioReliance Corp., later became Chief Executive Officer, and then led the company for over a year under Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC's ownership to facilitate the transition of leadership. From 2002 to 2006, Mr. Harwood was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Focus Diagnostics, Inc., a company in which the Avista team invested while at DLJMB. Focus Diagnostics, Inc. was sold in two nearly simultaneous transactions to Quest Diagnostics Inc. and Eurofins Scientific in 2006. From 1993 to 2001, Mr. Harwood held several positions, including Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Venture Development at Covance Inc., where he spearheaded numerous acquisitions and divestitures as well as the spin-off of Covance Inc. from Corning Inc. Mr. Harwood is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACP Mountain Holdings, Inc. and currently serves on the Board of Directors of INC Research Holdings, Inc.
Brian Markison is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 30 years of operational, marketing, commercial development and sales experience with international pharmaceutical companies. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp. Prior to that he was the President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company in dermatology, prior to its sale to Sandoz Ltd., the generics division of Novartis AG. Before leading Fougera, Mr. Markison was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which he joined as Chief Operating Officer in March 2004, and was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer later
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that year, and elected Chairman in 2007. Prior to joining King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mr. Markison held various senior leadership positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, including President of Oncology, Virology and Oncology Therapeutics Network; President of Neuroscience, Infectious Disease and Dermatology; and Senior Vice President, Operational Excellence and Productivity. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lantheus Holdings, Inc., Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp. and Rosetta Genomics Ltd. and is on the Boards of Directors of Alere Inc. and Immunomedics, Inc.
Robert O'Neil has more than 35 years of operational and strategic business leadership experience and a track record of building healthcare businesses in the pharmaceutical and consumer sectors. Most recently, he was Worldwide Vice President of Business Development for Johnson & Johnson's Consumer Group of Companies. Mr. O'Neil held a variety of roles at Johnson & Johnson over a 20-year career with the company. Concurrent with his most recent position, he was a member of the Consumer Group Operating Committee and a Board Member for the Johnson & Johnson Development Corp. Previously, he was Vice President, Business Development, for Johnson & Johnson's Pharmaceutical Group from 1994 to 2002. From 1991 to 1993, Mr. O'Neil was Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing, New Product Development, for Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical (a wholly-owned company of Johnson & Johnson). He was also a member of the Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical Management Board of Directors. Prior to that role, Mr. O'Neil held various leadership positions in sales and marketing with that company beginning in 1974. Mr. O'Neil currently serves on the Board of Directors of Trimb Healthcare AB.
In addition to the foregoing examples, our officers and directors have been involved with other public and private companies, not all of which achieved similar performance levels. Past performance by Avista or the AHPAC team, including with respect to the foregoing and other examples in this prospectus, is not a guarantee either (i) that we will be able to identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination or (ii) of success with respect to any business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record of Avista's or the AHPAC team's performance as indicative of our future performance. None of our officers or directors has had experience with any blank check companies in the past.
Business Strategy
Our acquisition and value creation strategy is to identify, acquire and, after our initial business combination, build a company in the healthcare sector in the public markets that complements the experience and expertise of the AHPAC team. Elements of our business strategy will include the following:
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Industry Opportunity
Consistent with this strategy, AHPAC intends to target businesses in the healthcare industry that we consider to have strong management teams, stable cash flows and robust growth prospects. AHPAC believes that the healthcare industry will experience growth over the foreseeable future as a result of global economic growth and long-term demographic drivers such as: the aging population in the developed world; steady global growth in medical procedures; improving healthcare standards worldwide with a focus on continued innovation in new technologies, products, and healthcare delivery models; and growing demand for better healthcare across emerging markets as a result of a growing middle class.
Worldwide healthcare spending has experienced strong growth, rising to an estimated $7.3 trillion in 2015, representing a growth of 2.9% annually over the past five years (2010-2015). We believe the
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healthcare industry will continue its strong growth, driven by the continued aging of the global population, increased prevalence of chronic disease states, increased demand for higher standards of healthcare, especially in the emerging economies, and new product innovation and investment in research and development. Given these factors, total global healthcare spending is expected to grow by 5.6% annually over the 2016-2019 period. U.S. healthcare spending, in particular, is projected to increase to approximately 17.2% of gross domestic product and remain the highest proportion globally, as a result of expanded coverage driven by the Health Care Reform Act and Medicaid expansion.
In the pharmaceutical sector, demographics and disease trends have continued to boost long-term drug consumption globally. In the United States, the expansion of insurance coverage via health insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansion is projected to increase revenues for pharmaceutical companies; however, greater scrutiny of branded drug pricing is likely to persist for the foreseeable future. Many national healthcare systems continue to encourage greater use of generic drugs due to ongoing government budgetary pressures, creating significant growth opportunities for generic pharmaceutical companies. We believe that fast-growing emerging markets also provide a source of long-term and sustained growth opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry, driven by increasing wealth and awareness of health issues in these markets. In order to exploit these growth opportunities, and to drive operating and tax efficiencies, many pharmaceutical companies have pursued aggressive acquisition strategies in recent years, and we expect consolidation to remain a core theme in the years to come in the pharmaceutical sector.
We believe that, going forward, the medical device sector will continue to benefit from positive industry fundamentals, increased customer focus on clinical benefits delivered, recovery in certain key areas and increased investment into emerging markets and pipelines. We intend to target companies with differentiated technologies and IP positions, strong innovation capabilities, exposure to new product cycles, and an increasing emerging market focus. In particular, we believe that the robust industry consolidation in recent years will create strong buying opportunities in 2016 and beyond as larger industry players look to rationalize their portfolios.
The pharmaceutical and medical device outsourcing sectors benefit from continued growth in research and development spending and increasing penetration of outsourcing within this sector. Pharmaceutical and medical device companies turn to outsourcing to access the greater global infrastructure, enhanced efficiency (in cost and speed) along with the therapeutic expertise that the contract research organization brings. We believe that outsourced research spending will continue to grow over the next five years due to the underlying demand.
The healthcare distribution, technology and services sectors serve the needs of the growing healthcare industry by offering global reach, purchasing efficiency as well as go-to-market business models. Increasingly customers are taking a more proactive role in determining the cost and quality of healthcare they receive. We intend to selectively evaluate opportunities that capitalize on these trends.
Growing healthcare costs and associated reform are giving rise to healthcare consumerism, with self-medication and preventive care emerging as increasingly common methods to avoid costly medical treatments. Average annual growth of out-of-pocket health care expenditure is projected to rise to approximately 5.0% by 2023 from 3.2% in 2013. We believe the trend towards the consumer directing more healthcare buying decisions will benefit over-the-counter, dietary supplements, functional foods and other personal care consumer products companies.
Acquisition Process
Utilizing the processes developed while at Avista, our management team's emphasis during the due diligence stage will be on how to maximize value, reduce risk and preserve the capital of a potential acquisition. Our team's due diligence review includes the development of a plan to assess each critical success factor and risk associated with an acquisition opportunity. In an effort to mitigate potential
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risks, our team has typically conducted extensive due diligence in a variety of areas, including business, finance, competitive analysis, management assessment, accounting, legal, employee benefits, insurance and risk management. The diligence process typically has included:
Consistent with the approach utilized over the past 20 years at DLJMB and Avista, the AHPAC team intends to take an active role in seeking to drive value creation. Our approach to operational value creation will require active involvement and close partnership with potential management teams. Blending our team's financial sophistication, operating perspective and business management skills, we will endeavor to provide a proactive, value added approach which leverages the experiences of our board members. We believe areas for value creation include:
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Our acquisition criteria, due diligence processes and value creation methods are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as other considerations, factors and criteria that our management may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.
Other Acquisition Considerations
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our ordinary shares and/or private placement warrants following this offering, and, accordingly, may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such
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officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.
We currently do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually identified or considered a target business for our initial business combination nor have they had any discussions regarding possible target businesses amongst themselves or with our underwriters or other advisors. All of the members of our management team are employed by Avista. Avista is continuously made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue, for a business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) contacted any prospective target business or had any discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a business combination transaction. We have not (nor have any of our agents or affiliates) been approached by any candidates (or representative of any candidates) with respect to a possible acquisition transaction with us and we will not consider a business combination with any company that has already been identified to Avista as a suitable acquisition candidate for it. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.
Avista manages several investment vehicles, and we expect that Avista will raise additional funds and/or successor funds in the future, which may be during the period in which we are seeking our initial business combination. The Avista funds and their portfolio companies may compete with us for acquisition opportunities. In particular, Avista funds currently manage nine portfolio companies focused on the healthcare industry. These portfolio companies may be seeking acquisition opportunities and related financing at any time. We may compete with any one or more of them on any given acquisition opportunity. However, we do not expect to directly compete with these Avista entities in seeking our initial business combination, primarily due to the anticipated differences in the expected size of the equity investment by any such Avista entity in an acquisition and by us in our initial business combination; the later stage of Avista's investment in many of these entities; and the public nature of our acquisition strategy. In addition, all of our officers and certain of our directors have fiduciary and contractual duties to Avista. As a result, these officers and directors may have a duty to offer acquisition opportunities to certain Avista funds or portfolio companies subject to their fiduciary duties as a matter of Cayman Islands law. If these funds decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within Avista may be suitable for both us and for a current or future Avista fund or portfolio company and may be directed to such fund or portfolio company rather than to us, subject to applicable fiduciary duties. Neither Avista nor members of our management team who are also employed by Avista have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware solely in their capacities as officers or managing directors of Avista. Avista and/or our management, in their capacities as officers or managing directors of Avista or in their other endeavors, may choose to present potential business combinations to the related entities described above, current or future Avista investment vehicles, or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us, subject to applicable fiduciary duties. Avista will determine which entity will be allocated any such business opportunity based on a number of factors, including the size of the target business and potential synergies with existing businesses. We do not expect these duties to present a significant conflict of interest with our search for an initial business combination. Avista's traditional private equity activities typically involve investing in private companies, and while Avista will often take companies public, it typically invests in those entities several years prior to an initial public offering, not at the time of such offering.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our
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officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our sponsor, officers, and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written letter agreement, not to participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company until we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering. None of our officers or directors has been involved with any blank check companies in the past.
Initial Business Combination
The NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. If our Board of Directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination.
We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public shareholders own shares will own or acquire 100% of the equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or shareholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the voting securities of the target, our shareholders prior to the business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in the business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target. In this case, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our shareholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
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Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets
We believe our management team's significant operating and transaction experience and relationships with companies will provide us with a substantial number of potential business combination targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships around the world. This network has grown through the activities of our management team sourcing, acquiring, financing and selling businesses, our management team's relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and the experience of our management team in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions.
In addition, members of our management team have developed contacts from serving on the Boards of Directors of several companies, including Acino Pharma AG, ACP Mountain Holdings, Inc., Alere, Inc., AngioDynamics Inc., Atos Medical AB, Coloplast A/S, ConvaTec Healthcare BS.a.r.l., Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc., H. Lundbeck A/S, INC Research Holdings, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Development Corp., Kibion AB, Lantheus Holdings, Inc., Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp, Rosetta Genomics Ltd., Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (SOBI), Trimb Healthcare AB, Visant Corp. and Zest Anchors LLC.
While at Avista, this network provided our management team with a robust and consistent flow of acquisition opportunities which were proprietary or where a limited group of investors were invited to participate in the sale process. We believe that the network of contacts and relationships of our management team will provide us with important sources of acquisition opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest non-core assets or divisions.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete an initial business combination with a target that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
As more fully discussed in "ManagementConflicts of Interest," if any of our officers becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. All of our officers currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
Our executive offices are located at 65 East 55th St., 18th Floor, New York, NY 10022 and our telephone number is (212) 593-6900.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer a target business an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger or other business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for our shares or for a combination of our shares and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we
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believe target businesses will find this method a more certain and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, road show and public reporting efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters' ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with shareholders' interests. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company's profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.0 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Financial Position
With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $289,500,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of $10,500,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $332,925,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of up to $12,075,000 of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full), we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
Effecting Our Initial Business Combination
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the private placement of the private placement warrants, our shares, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt securities, or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemptions of our Class A ordinary shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of the post-transaction company, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.
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We currently do not have any specific business combination under consideration. Our officers and directors have neither individually identified or considered a target business for our initial business combination nor have they had any discussions regarding possible target businesses amongst themselves or with our underwriters or other advisors. All of the members of our management team are employed by Avista. Avista is continuously made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue, for a business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) contacted any prospective target business or had any discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a business combination transaction. We have not (nor have any of our agents or affiliates) been approached by any candidates (or representative of any candidates) with respect to a possible acquisition transaction with us and we will not consider a business combination with any company that has already been identified to Avista as a suitable acquisition candidate for it. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.
We may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offering rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.
In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by law, we would seek shareholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.
Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination
The NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. The fair market value of the target or targets will be determined by our Board of Directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation or value of comparable businesses. If our board is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination in which we own or acquire 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquire a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If we own or acquire less than 100% of the equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses, the portion of such business or businesses that are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination.
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To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all significant risk factors.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which will encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.
Lack of business diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business. Unlike other entities that have the resources to complete business combinations with multiple entities in one or several industries, it is probable that we will not have the resources to diversify our operations and mitigate the risks of being in a single line of business. In addition, we intend to focus our search for an initial business combination in a single industry. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity, our lack of diversification may:
Limited ability to evaluate the target's management team
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business's management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the combined company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.
Following a business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.
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Shareholders may not have the ability to approve our initial business combination
We may conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC subject to the provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. However, we will seek shareholder approval if it is required by law or applicable stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons.
Under NASDAQ's listing rules, shareholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:
Permitted purchases of our securities
In the event we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of shares such persons may purchase. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. In the event our initial shareholders, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates determine to make any such purchases at the time of a shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, such purchases could have the effect of influencing the vote necessary to approve such transaction. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. They will not make any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information not disclosed to the seller or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such shareholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing shares during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) to clear all trades with our legal counsel prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.
In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions from public shareholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling shareholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will comply with such rules.
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The purpose of such purchases would be to (i) vote such shares in favor of the business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining shareholder approval of the business combination or (ii) to satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. This may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public "float" of our ordinary shares may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates anticipate that they may identify the shareholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors or their affiliates may pursue privately negotiated purchases by either the shareholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by shareholders following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates enter into a private purchase, they would identify and contact only potential selling shareholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against the business combination. Such persons would select the shareholders from whom to acquire shares based on the number of shares available, the negotiated price per share and such other factors as any such person may deem relevant at the time of purchase. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public shareholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates will only purchase shares if such purchases comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Any purchases by our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will only be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or their affiliates will not make purchases of ordinary shares if the purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.
Redemption rights for public shareholders upon completion of our initial business combination
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and any public shares they may hold in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a
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tender offer. The decision as to whether we will seek shareholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction and whether the terms of the transaction would require us to seek shareholder approval under the law or stock exchange listing requirement. Asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require shareholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares or seek to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association would require shareholder approval. We intend to conduct redemptions without a shareholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless shareholder approval is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to seek shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons.
If a shareholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, we or our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase our Class A ordinary shares in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public shareholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares which are not purchased by our sponsor, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets, after payment of the deferred underwriting commissions, to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules) or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public shareholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete the initial business combination.
If, however, shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association:
We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do
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so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any shareholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our NASDAQ listing or Exchange Act registration.
In the event that we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public shareholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.
If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding Class A ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. In such case, pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree) to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. We expect that at the time of any shareholder vote relating to our initial business combination, our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our outstanding ordinary shares entitled to vote thereon. Each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of a business combination.
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules). Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (i) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners, (ii) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes or (iii) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all Class A ordinary shares that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, and all Class A ordinary shares submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof.
Limitation on redemption upon completion of our initial business combination if we seek shareholder approval
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a "group" (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to Excess Shares. We believe this restriction will discourage shareholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed business combination as a means to force us or our sponsor or its affiliates to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public shareholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holder's shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor or its affiliates at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our shareholders' ability to redeem no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of shareholders to unreasonably attempt
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to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our shareholders' ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have, pursuant to a letter agreement entered into with us, waived their right to have any founder shares or public shares redeemed in connection with our initial business combination. Unless any of our other affiliates acquires founder shares through a permitted transfer from an initial shareholder, and thereby becomes subject to the letter agreement, no such affiliate is subject to this waiver. However, to the extent any such affiliate acquires public shares in this offering or thereafter through open market purchases, it would be a public shareholder and restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect to any Excess Shares.
Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights
We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in "street name," to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company's DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, rather than simply voting against the initial business combination. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days and, in the case of a shareholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for shareholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through the DWAC System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker $80.00 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the shareholders' vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the shareholder then had an "option window" after the completion of the business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company's shares in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the
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company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which shareholders were aware they needed to commit before the shareholder meeting, would become "option" rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming holder's election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or the date of the shareholder meeting set forth in our proxy materials, as applicable. Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.
If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public shareholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination with a different target until 24 months from the closing of this offering.
Redemption of public shares and liquidation if no initial business combination
Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within such 24-month period, we will: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders' rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the 24-month time period.
Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial shareholders acquire public shares after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted 24-month time period.
Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, unless we provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Class A
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ordinary shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 (so that we are not subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules).
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the $1,100,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $50,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account, the per-share redemption amount received by shareholders upon our dissolution would be approximately $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public shareholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by shareholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors' claims.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public shareholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party's engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where management is unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay
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taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, then our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor's only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. None of our other officers will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in any particular instance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be substantially less than $10.00 per share.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent auditors), prospective target businesses or other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to $1,100,000 from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $50,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, shareholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $900,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $900,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
If we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our shareholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public shareholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by shareholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a "preferential transfer" or a "fraudulent conveyance." As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover all amounts received by our shareholders. Furthermore, our board may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public shareholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons.
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Our public shareholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only in the event of the redemption of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or if they redeem their respective shares for cash upon the completion of the initial business combination. In no other circumstances will a shareholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a shareholder's voting in connection with the business combination alone will not result in a shareholder's redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such shareholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above.
Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. If we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association relating to shareholders' rights or pre-business combination activity, we will provide dissenting public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with any such vote. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive any redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Specifically, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that:
These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of our ordinary shares. In the event we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that we may consummate our initial business combination only if approved by a majority of the ordinary shares voted by our shareholders at a duly held shareholders meeting.
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Comparison of redemption or purchase prices in connection with our initial business combination and if we fail to complete our initial business combination.
The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering.
|
Redemptions in
Connection with our Initial Business Combination |
Other Permitted Purchases
of Public Shares by our Affiliates |
Redemptions if we fail to
Complete an Initial Business Combination |
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Calculation of redemption price |
Redemptions at the time of our initial business combination may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. The redemption price will be the same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a shareholder vote. In either case, our public shareholders may redeem their public shares for cash equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per share), including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that no redemptions will take place if all of the redemptions would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination. | If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or their affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following completion of our initial business combination. Such purchases will only be made to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. | If we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem all public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per share), including interest (less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses, which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. |
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|
Redemptions in
Connection with our Initial Business Combination |
Other Permitted Purchases
of Public Shares by our Affiliates |
Redemptions if we fail to
Complete an Initial Business Combination |
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Impact to remaining shareholders |
The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining shareholders, who will bear the burden of the deferred underwriting commissions and interest withdrawn in order to pay taxes (to the extent not paid from amounts accrued as interest on the funds held in the trust account). |
If the permitted purchases described above are made, there will be no impact to our remaining shareholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us. |
The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our initial shareholders, who will be our only remaining shareholders after such redemptions |
Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.
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Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | ||
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Escrow of offering proceeds |
The NASDAQ rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the private placement be deposited in a trust account. $300,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be deposited into a trust account located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. | Approximately $255,150,000 of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of this offering less allowable underwriting commissions, expenses and company deductions under Rule 419, would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. |
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Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | ||
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Investment of net proceeds |
Beginning in January, 2017, $300,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and the sale of the private placement warrants held in trust will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Prior to such time, such proceeds will not be invested and will be held in a non-interest bearing trust account. |
Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. |
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Receipt of interest on escrowed funds |
Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to shareholders is reduced by (i) any taxes paid or payable and (ii) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, up to $50,000 of net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation. |
Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination. |
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Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business |
The NASDAQ rules require that our initial business combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the trust account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our initial business combination. |
The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. |
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Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | ||
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Trading of securities issued |
The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus unless Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering, which is anticipated to take place three business days from the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option. |
No trading of the units or the underlying ordinary shares and warrants would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. |
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Exercise of the warrants |
The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination or 12 months from the closing of this offering. |
The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. |
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Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | ||
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Election to remain an investor |
We will provide our public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest, which interest shall be net of taxes payable, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by law to hold a shareholder vote. If we are not required by law and do not otherwise decide to hold a shareholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC's proxy rules. If, however, we hold a shareholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days and, in the case of a shareholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public shareholders at least 10 days prior to the shareholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such shareholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. |
A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the company's registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a shareholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the shareholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued. |
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Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | ||
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Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. |
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Business combination deadline |
If we are unable to complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders' rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. |
If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company's registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. |
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Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | ||
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Release of funds |
Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the proceeds from this offering will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of (i) the completion of our initial business combination, (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly tendered in connection with a shareholder vote to amend and restate our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering and (iii) the redemption of all of our public shares if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The Company will instruct the Trustee to pay amounts from the trust account directly to redeeming holders. |
The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination or the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time. |
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Limitation on redemption rights of shareholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a shareholder vote |
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a "group" (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from seeking redemption rights with respect Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering). Our public shareholders' inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. |
Most blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of shareholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such shareholders in connection with an initial business combination. |
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Terms of Our Offering | Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering | ||
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Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights |
We may require our public shareholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in "street name," to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company's DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder's option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public shareholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public shareholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two days prior to the vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. |
In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such shareholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership. |
Competition
In identifying, evaluating and selecting a target business for our initial business combination, we may encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including other blank check companies, private equity groups and leveraged buyout funds, and operating businesses seeking strategic acquisitions. Many of these entities are well established and have extensive experience identifying and effecting business combinations directly or through affiliates. Moreover, many of these competitors possess greater financial, technical, human and other resources than us. Our ability to acquire larger target businesses will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of a target business. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public shareholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by certain target businesses. Either of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating an initial business combination.
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Conflicts of Interest
Avista manages several investment vehicles, and we expect that Avista will raise additional funds and/or successor funds in the future, which may be during the period in which we are seeking our initial business combination. The Avista funds and their portfolio companies may compete with us for acquisition opportunities. In particular, Avista funds currently manage nine portfolio companies focused on the healthcare industry. These portfolio companies may be seeking acquisition opportunities and related financing at any time. We may compete with any one or more of them on any given acquisition. However, we do not expect to directly compete with these Avista entities in seeking our initial business combination, primarily due to the anticipated differences in the expected size of the equity investment by any such Avista entity in an acquisition and by us in our initial business combination; the later stage of Avista's investment in many of these entities; and the public nature of our acquisition strategy. In addition, all of our officers and certain of our directors have fiduciary and contractual duties to Avista. As a result, these officers and directors may have a duty to offer acquisition opportunities to certain Avista funds or their portfolio companies subject to their fiduciary duties as a matter of Cayman Islands law. If these funds decide to pursue any such opportunity, we may be precluded from pursuing such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within Avista may be suitable for both us and for a current or future Avista fund or portfolio company and may be directed to such fund or portfolio company rather than to us, subject to applicable fiduciary duties. Neither Avista nor members of our management team who are also employed by Avista have any obligation to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware solely in their capacities as officers or managing directors of Avista. Avista and/or our management, in their capacities as officers or managing directors of Avista or in their other endeavors, may choose to present potential business combinations to the related entities described above, current or future Avista investment vehicles, or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us, subject to applicable fiduciary duties. Avista will determine which entity will be allocated any such business opportunity based on a number of factors, including the size of the target business and potential synergies with existing businesses. We do not expect these duties to present a significant conflict of interest with our search for an initial business combination. Avista's traditional private equity activities typically involve investing in private companies, and while Avista will often take companies public, it typically invests in those entities several years prior to an initial public offering, not at the time of such offering.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Indemnity
Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a vendor for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (i) $10.00 per public share or (ii) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including
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liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy their indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor's only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations.
Facilities
We currently maintain our executive offices at 65 East 55th St., 18th Floor, New York, NY 10022. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000 per month fee that we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor for office space, administrative and support services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have four officers. Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any such person will devote in any time period will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We will register our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public auditors.
We will provide shareholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials sent to shareholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, U.S. GAAP, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such statements in time for us to disclose such statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. While this may limit the pool of potential acquisition candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer will we be required to have our internal control procedures audited. A target company may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.
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We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not "emerging growth companies" including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an "emerging growth company" can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an "emerging growth company" can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.0 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to "emerging growth company" shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 12 months preceding the date of this prospectus.
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Directors and Officers
Name
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Age | Title | |||
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Thompson Dean |
58 | Executive Chairman | |||
David Burgstahler |
48 | President and Chief Executive Officer, Director | |||
John Cafasso |
43 | Chief Financial Officer | |||
Benjamin Silbert |
45 | General Counsel and Secretary | |||
Håkan Björklund |
60 | Director nominee | |||
Charles Harwood |
63 | Director nominee | |||
Brian Markison |
56 | Director nominee | |||
Robert O'Neil |
66 | Director nominee |
Upon consummation of this offering, our directors and officers will be as follows:
Thompson Dean has been a Director since December 4, 2015 and the Executive Chairman of our Board of Directors since December 10, 2015. Mr. Dean is a co-managing partner and chief executive officer of Avista and has served in various capacities at Avista since its founding in in 2005. From 1995 to 2005, Mr. Dean served as Co-Managing Partner of DLJMB and was Chairman of the investment committees of DLJMB I, DLJMB II, DLJMB III and DLJ Growth Capital Partners. Mr. Dean currently serves on the boards of Acino Pharma AG, ConvaTec Healthcare BS.a.r.l., Sidewinder Drilling, Inc. and Zest Anchors LLC. Mr. Dean is a former trustee of Choate Rosemary Hall and The Eaglebrook School. In addition, he serves on various committees of the Boys Club of New York, the Lenox Hill Neighborhood Association and the Museum of the City of New York. Mr. Dean received a B.A. from the University of Virginia, where he was an Echols Scholar, and an M.B.A. with high distinction from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar. Mr. Dean was chosen to serve as the Executive Chairman of our Board of Directors because of his executive level management experience at Avista, board and advisory experience with other companies in and outside of the healthcare industry and his extensive experience in the areas of finance, strategy, international business transactions and mergers and acquisitions.
David Burgstahler has been a Director since December 4, 2015 and our President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director since December 10, 2015. Mr. Burgstahler is a co-managing partner and president of Avista and has served in various capacities at Avista since its founding in 2005. Prior to forming Avista, he was a Partner of DLJMB from 2004 to 2005 and he served in various capacities at DLJMB and its affiliates from 1995 to 2005. Prior to DLJMB, Mr. Burgstahler worked at Andersen Consulting (now known as Accenture) and McDonnell Douglas (now known as Boeing). He currently serves as a Director of ACP Mountain Holdings, Inc., AngioDynamics Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGO), ConvaTec Healthcare BS.a.r.l, INC Research Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: INCR), Lantheus Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNTH), Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp, and WideOpenWest, LLC. Mr. Burgstahler also previously served on the Boards of Directors of Armored AutoGroup, BioReliance Corp., Focus Diagnostics, Inc., Strategic Partners, LLC, Visant Corp. and Warner Chilcott PLC (NASDAQ: WCRX). Mr. Burgstahler is also a Trustee of the Trinity School in New York City. Mr. Burgstahler received a B.S. from the University of Kansas and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Mr. Burgstahler was chosen to serve as a director because of his extensive experience serving as a director for a diverse group of private and public companies, including those in the healthcare industry.
John Cafasso has been our Chief Financial Officer since December 10, 2015. He joined Avista in May 2011. Prior to joining Avista, Mr. Cafasso was in the asset management division of Credit Suisse from 2001 to May 2011, where he was responsible for the accounting and reporting for Credit Suisse's direct private equity funds. Prior to joining Credit Suisse, Mr. Cafasso was a Manager at KPMG, LLP in the financial services practice. Mr. Cafasso is a Certified Public Accountant and received a B.B.A. degree from Hofstra University.
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Benjamin Silbert has been our General Counsel and Secretary since December 10, 2015. He was one of the founding members of Avista in 2005. Prior to joining Avista, Mr. Silbert was at DLJMB from 2001 to 2005. He advised DLJMB as internal counsel on a number of investments and divestitures, in addition to fund and partnership matters. Prior to joining DLJMB, Mr. Silbert was a lawyer in the private equity and mergers and acquisitions practice groups of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, which he joined in 1996. Mr. Silbert currently serves on the Board of Directors of WideOpenWest, LLC. Mr. Silbert received a B.A. from Haverford College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.
Håkan Björklund , Ph.D. will serve as a Director following the completion of this offering. Dr. Björklund has been a healthcare industry advisor to Avista since October 2011. Dr. Björklund worked closely with Avista on the development of Nycomed A/S prior to its sale to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Under Dr. Björklund's leadership from 1999 to 2011, Nycomed A/S grew from a predominantly Scandinavian business into a global pharmaceutical company, with Dr. Björklund leading the company through numerous acquisitions. Prior to Nycomed A/S, Dr. Björklund was Regional Director at Astra AB (now AstraZeneca plc) from 1996 to 1999 and, prior to that he was President of Astra Draco AB from 1991 to 1996. Dr. Björklund is Chairman of the Board of Directors at Acino Pharma AG, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (SOBI) and Trimb Healthcare AB and is a member of the Boards of Directors of Alere Inc. (NYSE: ALR), Atos Medical AB, Coloplast A/S (CPH: COLO-B) and Kibion AB. He was also a director at Danisco A/S until its recent acquisition by Dupont. Dr. Björklund received a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Dr. Björklund was chosen as a Director because of his strong background and extensive experience in the healthcare industry. Dr. Björklund was formerly the Chairman of the Board of Directors at H. Lundbeck A/S (CPH: LUN).
Charles Harwood will serve as a director following the completion of this offering. Mr. Harwood has served as a healthcare industry advisor to Avista since 2007. Mr. Harwood previously served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of BioReliance Corp., a pharmaceutical services company engaged in biologic product testing and specialty toxicology testing, from April 2009 until March 2013, after its sale to Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC in January 2012. Prior to that, Mr. Harwood was President and Chief Executive Officer of Focus Diagnostics, Inc. from 2002 until the company's sale in July 2006. From 1993 to 2001, Mr. Harwood held several positions, including Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Venture Development at Covance Inc., a drug development services company, where he led numerous acquisitions and divestitures, as well as the spin-off of Covance Inc. from Corning Inc. in January 1997. Prior to working at Covance Inc., Mr. Harwood worked in commercial real estate development and in the Medical Products Group of the Hewlett-Packard Company. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACP Mountain Holdings, Inc. and is a member of the Board of Directors of INC Research Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: INCR). He also previously served as a director of BioReliance Corp. from April 2007 until January 2012. Mr. Harwood received a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Mr. Harwood was chosen as a Director because of his extensive knowledge and experience in the healthcare industry.
Brian Markison will serve as a director following the completion of this offering. Mr. Markison has been a healthcare industry advisor to Avista since September 2012. Mr. Markison has more than 30 years of operational, marketing, commercial development and sales experience with international pharmaceutical companies. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp. Prior to that he was the President and Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors of Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc. from July 2011 to July 2012, a specialty pharmaceutical company in dermatology, prior to its sale to Sandoz Ltd., the generics division of Novartis AG. Before leading Fougera, Mr. Markison was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which he joined as Chief Operating Officer in March 2004, and was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer later that year and elected Chairman in 2007. Prior to joining King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mr. Markison held various senior leadership positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb
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Company, including President of Oncology, Virology and Oncology Therapeutics Network; President of Neuroscience, Infectious Disease and Dermatology; and Senior Vice President, Operational Excellence and Productivity. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Lantheus Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNTH), Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp. and Rosetta Genomics Ltd. (NASDAQ: ROSG) and is on the Boards of Directors of Alere, Inc. (NYSE: ALR) and Immunomedics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMMU). He is also a Director of the College of New Jersey. Mr. Markison received a B.S. degree from Iona College. Mr. Markison was chosen as a Director because of his strong commercial and operational management background and extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
Robert O'Neil will serve as a director following the completion of this offering. Mr. O'Neil has served as a healthcare industry advisor to Avista since April 2015. Most recently, he was Worldwide Vice President of Business Development for Johnson & Johnson's Consumer Group of Companies from November 2002 to May 2014 and concurrently served as a Member of the Consumer Group Operating Committee and a Board Member for the Johnson & Johnson Development Corp. Previously, he was Vice President, Business Development, for Johnson & Johnson's Pharmaceutical Group from 1994 to November 2002. From 1991 to 1993, Mr. O'Neil was Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing, New Product Development, for Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical (a wholly-owned company of Johnson & Johnson). He was also a Member of the Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical Management Board. Prior to that role, Mr. O'Neil held various leadership positions in sales and marketing with Johnson & Johnson beginning in 1974. Mr. O'Neil currently serves on the Board of Directors of Trimb Healthcare AB. Mr. O'Neil received a B.S. from the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University and a M.B.A. from the Tobin College of Business at St. John's University. Mr. O'Neil was chosen as a director due to his extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.
Number, Terms of Office and Election of Officers and Directors
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect that our board of directors will consist of six members. Holders of our founder shares will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to consummation of our initial business combination and holders of our public shares will not have the right to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting in a general meeting. Each of our directors will hold office for a two-year term. Subject to any other special rights applicable to the shareholders, any vacancies on our board of directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present and voting at the meeting of our board or by a majority of the holders of our founder shares.
Our officers are elected by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association as it deems appropriate. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that our officers may consist of a Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, Treasurer and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors.
Director Independence
NASDAQ listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An "independent director" is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company's board of directors, would interfere with the director's exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to have four "independent directors" as defined in the NASDAQ listing standards and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Our board
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has determined that each of Dr. Björklund and Messrs. Harwood, Markison and O'Neil are independent directors under applicable SEC and NASDAQ rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Officer and Director Compensation
None of our officers or directors have received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. Commencing on the date that our securities are first listed on the NASDAQ through the earlier of consummation of our initial business combination and our liquidation, we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates.
After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company. All of these fees will be fully disclosed to shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our shareholders in connection with a proposed business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time such materials are distributed, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers will be determined by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors.
We do not intend to take any action to ensure that members of our management team maintain their positions with us after the consummation of our initial business combination, although it is possible that some or all of our officers and directors may negotiate employment or consulting arrangements to remain with us after the initial business combination. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements to retain their positions with us may influence our management's motivation in identifying or selecting a target business but we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination will be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination. We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms part, our board of directors will have two standing committees: an audit committee and a compensation committee. Both our audit committee and our compensation committee will be composed solely of independent directors.
Audit Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. The members of our audit committee will be Messrs. Harwood, Markison and O'Neil. Mr. Harwood will serve as chairman of the audit committee.
Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Mr. Harwood qualifies as an "audit committee financial expert" as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
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Compensation Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. The members of our Compensation Committee will be Messrs. Markison and Harwood. Mr. Markison will serve as chairman of the compensation committee. We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
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The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by NASDAQ and the SEC.
Director Nominations
We do not have a standing nominating committee, though we intend to form a corporate governance and nominating committee as and when required to do so by law or NASDAQ rules. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(2) of the NASDAQ rules, a majority of the independent directors may recommend a director nominee for selection by the board of directors. The board of directors believes that the independent directors can satisfactorily carry out the responsibility of properly selecting or approving director nominees without the formation of a standing nominating committee. In accordance with Rule 5605(e)(1)(A) of the NASDAQ rules, all such directors are independent. As there is no standing nominating committee, we do not have a nominating committee charter in place.
Prior to our initial business combination, the board of directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by holders of our founder shares during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for election at an annual meeting of shareholders (or, if applicable, a special meeting of shareholders). Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board.
We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our shareholders.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more officers serving on our board of directors.
Code of Ethics
Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, we will have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We will file a copy of our form of Code of Ethics and our audit committee charter as exhibits to the registration statement. You will be able to review these documents by accessing our public filings at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K. See "Where You Can Find Additional Information."
Conflicts of Interest
Under Cayman Islands law, directors and officers owe the following fiduciary duties:
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In addition to the above, directors also owe a duty of care which is not fiduciary in nature. This duty has been defined as a requirement to act as a reasonably diligent person having both the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and the general knowledge skill and experience which that director has.
As set out above, directors have a duty not to put themselves in a position of conflict and this includes a duty not to engage in self-dealing, or to otherwise benefit as a result of their position. However, in some instances what would otherwise be a breach of this duty can be forgiven and/or authorized in advance by the shareholders provided that there is full disclosure by the directors. This can be done by way of permission granted in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or alternatively by shareholder approval at general meetings.
Each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary or contractual obligations to other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for an entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary duties or contractual obligations of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
Our sponsor, officers and directors may become involved with subsequent blank check companies similar to our company, although they have agreed not to participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any blank check company until we have entered into a definitive agreement regarding our initial business combination or we have failed to complete our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering. Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
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agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our initial shareholders until the earlier of (1) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (2) the date on which we consummate a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization, or other similar transaction after our initial business combination that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of our ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, the founder shares will be released from the lock-up. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants and the ordinary shares underlying such warrants, will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our initial shareholders until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor and officers and directors may directly or indirectly own ordinary shares and warrants following this offering, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination.
The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.
Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors may have similar legal obligations relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to
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multiple entities. Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our officers and directors currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations:
Individual
|
Entity | Entity's Business | Affiliation | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thompson Dean |
Avista Capital Holdings, L.P.(1) | Investment Management Firm | Director and Officer | |||
|
Acino Pharma AG | Pharmaceutical | Director | |||
|
ConvaTec Healthcare BS.a.r.l. | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
Sidewinder Drilling, Inc. | Energy | Director | |||
|
Zest Anchors LLC | Healtchare | Director | |||
David Burgstahler |
Avista Capital Holdings, L.P.(1) |
Investment Management Firm |
Director and Officer |
|||
|
ACP Mountain Holdings, Inc. | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
AngioDynamics Inc. | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
ConvaTec Healthcare BS.a.r.l | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
INC Research Holdings, Inc. | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
Lantheus Holdings, Inc. | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp. | Pharmaceutical | Director | |||
|
WideOpenWest, LLC | Telecommunications | Director | |||
John Cafasso |
Avista Capital Holdings, L.P.(1) |
Investment Management Firm |
Officer |
|||
Benjamin Silbert |
Avista Capital Holdings, L.P.(1) |
Investment Management Firm |
Officer |
|||
|
WideOpenWest, LLC | Telecommunications | Director | |||
Håkan Björklund |
Acino Pharma AG |
Pharmaceutical |
Chairman and Director |
|||
|
Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (SOBI) | Healthcare | Chairman and Director | |||
|
Trimb Healthcare AB | Healthcare | Chairman and Director | |||
|
Alere Inc. | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
Atos Medical AB | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
Coloplast A/S | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
Kibion AB | Healthcare | Director | |||
Charles Harwood |
ACP Mountain Holdings, Inc. |
Healthcare |
Chairman and Director |
|||
|
INC Research Holdings, Inc. | Healthcare | Director | |||
Brian Markison |
Lantheus Holdings, Inc. |
Healthcare |
Chairman and Director |
|||
|
Osmotica Holdings, S.C.Sp. | Pharmaceutical | Chairman, Director and Officer | |||
|
Rosetta Genomics Ltd. | Healthcare | Chairman and Director | |||
|
Alere, Inc. | Healthcare | Director | |||
|
Immunomedics, Inc. | Healthcare | Director | |||
Robert O'Neil |
Trimb Healthcare AB |
Healthcare |
Director |
Accordingly, if any of the above officers or directors become aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for any of the above entities to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such business combination opportunity to such entity, and only present it to us if such entity rejects the opportunity, subject to his or her fiduciary duties under Cayman Islands law. Avista funds currently manage nine portfolio companies focused on the healthcare industry. These portfolio companies may be seeking acquisition opportunities and related financing at any time. We may compete with any one or more of them on any given acquisition opportunity. However, we do not expect to directly compete with these Avista entities in seeking our initial business combination, primarily due to the anticipated differences in the expected size of the equity investment by any such Avista entity in an acquisition and by us in our initial business combination; the later stage of Avista's investment in many of these entites; and the public nature of our acquisition strategy. We do not believe, however, that any of the foregoing
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fiduciary duties or contractual obligations will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination.
We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with our sponsor, officers or directors. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with such a company, we, or a committee of independent directors, would obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such an initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any founder shares held by them (and their permitted transferees will agree) and any public shares purchased during or after the offering in favor of our initial business combination.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company's memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We may purchase a policy of directors' and officers' liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
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The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our ordinary shares included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, by:
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
The below assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our initial shareholders forfeit 1,125,000 founder shares, and that there are 37,500,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding after this offering.
|
|
Approximate
Percentage of Outstanding Ordinary Shares |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)
|
Number of Shares
Beneficially Owned(2) |
Before
Offering |
After
Offering(2) |
|||||||
Avista Acquisition Corp. |
7,500,000 | 100 | % | 20 | % | |||||
Thompson Dean(3) |
7,500,000 | 100 | % | 20 | % | |||||
David Burgstahler(3) |
7,500,000 | 100 | % | 20 | % | |||||
John Cafasso |
| * | * | |||||||
Benjamin Silbert |
| * | * | |||||||
Håkan Björklund |
||||||||||
Charles Harwood |
||||||||||
Brian Markison |
||||||||||
Robert O'Neil |
||||||||||
All directors, officers and director nominees as a group (8 individuals) |
7,500,000 |
100.0 |
% |
20.0 |
% |
Immediately after this offering, our initial shareholders will beneficially own 20% of the then issued and outstanding ordinary shares and will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination as a result of holding all of the founder shares. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to elect any directors to our Board of Directors prior to our initial
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business combination. In addition, because of their ownership block, our initial shareholders may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approval of significant corporate transactions.
Our initial shareholders have committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 16,000,000 (or 17,800,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant ($8,000,000 in the aggregate or $8,900,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share. Two private placement warrants may be exercised for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. The purchase price of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account pending our completion of our initial business combination. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. The private placement warrants are subject to the transfer restrictions described below. The private placement warrants will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the initial shareholders or their permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our initial shareholders or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering.
Our sponsor and our officers and directors are deemed to be our "promoters" as such term is defined under the federal securities laws. See "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions" for additional information regarding our relationships with our promoters.
Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants
The founder shares, private placement warrants and any Class A ordinary shares issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the letter agreement with us to be entered into by our initial shareholders. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable (i) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) in the case of the private placement warrants and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants, until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except in each case (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members of our sponsor, or any affiliates of our sponsor, (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of the individual's immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individual's immediate family or an affiliate of such person, or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater
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than the price at which the shares were originally purchased; (f) in the event of our liquidation prior to our completion of our initial business combination; (g) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or our sponsor's memorandum and articles of association upon dissolution of our sponsor; or (h) in the event of our completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (e) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the private placement warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to our Class A ordinary shares). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain "piggy-back" registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period, which occurs (i) in the case of the founder shares, on the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) in the case of the private placement warrants and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants, 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
In December 2015, our sponsor purchased 8,625,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share. In 2016, our sponsor transferred 50,000 founder shares to each of our independent director nominees at their original per share purchase price. In addition, at such time, each of our independent directors purchased an additional founder shares from our sponsor at their original purchase price. These additional shares are subject to forfeiture on a pro rata basis with the shares held by our sponsor to the extent the underwriters' over-allotment option is not exercised in full. If, prior to our initial business combination, any independent director resigns from our board of directors for any reason or is removed from our board of directors for cause, our sponsor will have the right to repurchase such independent director's additional shares at their original per share purchase price. Our initial shareholders will collectively own 20% of our issued and outstanding shares after this offering (assuming they do not purchase units in this offering) and will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination. If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares of our initial shareholders prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering.
Our initial shareholders have committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 16,000,000 (or 17,800,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants for a purchase price of $0.50 per warrant in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Of this amount, our sponsor will purchase private placement warrants (or if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full), and each of our independent directors will purchase private placement warrants (or if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full). If, prior to our initial business combination, any independent director resigns from our board of directors for any reason or is removed from our board of directors for cause, our sponsor will have the right to repurchase such independent director's private placement warrants at their original purchase price. As such, our initial shareholders' interest in this transaction is valued at between $8,000,000 and $8,900,000 in the aggregate, depending on the number of private placement warrants purchased. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share. Two private placement warrants may be exercised for one whole Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by it until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.
As more fully discussed in "ManagementConflicts of Interest," if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that falls within the line of business of any entity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she may be required to present such business combination opportunity to such entity prior to presenting such business combination opportunity to us. Our officers and directors currently have certain relevant fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may take priority over their duties to us.
We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement with our sponsor, pursuant to which we will pay a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services to such affiliate. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. Accordingly, in the event the consummation of our initial business combination takes the maximum 24 months, an affiliate of our sponsor will be paid a total of $240,000 ($10,000 per month) for office space, administrative and support services and will be entitled to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses.
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Our sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or their affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
As of the date of this prospectus, our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of June 30, 2016, we have borrowed $175,000 under the promissory note with our sponsor. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2016 or the closing of this offering. The loans will be repaid upon the closing of this offering out of the estimated $2,000,000 of offering proceeds not held in the trust account. The value of our sponsor's interest in this transaction corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan.
In addition, in order to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete an initial business combination, we would repay such loaned amounts. In the event that the initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the placement warrants issued to the initial holder. The terms of such loans by our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our shareholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our shareholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a shareholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive and director compensation.
We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares, private placement warrants and warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans (if any), which is described under the heading "Principal ShareholdersRegistration Rights."
Related Party Policy
We have not yet adopted a formal policy for the review, approval or ratification of related party transactions. Accordingly, the transactions discussed above were not reviewed, approved or ratified in accordance with any such policy.
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt a code of ethics requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our board of directors (or the appropriate committee of our board) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our code of ethics, conflict of interest situations will include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the company. A form of the code of ethics that we plan to adopt prior to the consummation of this offering is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
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In addition, our audit committee, pursuant to a written charter that we will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee will constitute a quorum. Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the audit committee will be required to approve a related party transaction. A form of the audit committee charter that we plan to adopt prior to the consummation of this offering is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We also require each of our directors and executive officers to complete a directors' and officers' questionnaire that elicits information about related party transactions.
These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.
To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our sponsor, officers or directors unless we, or a committee of independent directors, have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. Furthermore, no finder's fees, reimbursements or cash payments will be made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. However, the following payments will be made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates.
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We are a Cayman Islands exempted company (company number 306402) and our affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum of association, the Companies Law and common law of the Cayman Islands. Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association which will be adopted upon the consummation of this offering, we will be authorized to issue 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value each, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value and 1,000,000 undesignated preferred shares, $0.0001 par value each. The following description summarizes the material terms of our shares as set out more particularly in our memorandum and articles of association. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one Class A ordinary share and one warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share at a price of $5.75 per one-half share, or $11.50 per whole share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. For example, if a warrant holder holds two warrants, such warrants will be exercisable for one share of the company's Class A ordinary shares at a price of $11.50 per share. Warrants must be exercised for one whole Class A ordinary share. The ordinary shares and warrants comprising the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the closing of this offering unless Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC informs us of its decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares and warrants.
In no event will the Class A ordinary shares and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering which will include this audited balance sheet, which is anticipated to take place three business days after the date of this prospectus. If the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option.
Ordinary Shares
Upon the closing of this offering 37,500,000 ordinary shares will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of 1,125,000 founder shares by our initial shareholders), including:
If we increase or decrease the size of the offering, we will effect a capitalization or share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our initial shareholders prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering.
Class A ordinary shareholders and Class B ordinary shareholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by shareholders and vote together as a single class,
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except as required by law; provided, that holders of our Class B ordinary shares will have the right to elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination and holders of our Class A ordinary shares will not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of our ordinary shares voting in a general meeting. Unless specified in the Companies Law, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or applicable stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of our ordinary shares that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our shareholders (other than the election of directors), and the affirmative vote of a majority of our founder shares is required to approve the election of directors. Approval of certain actions will require a special resolution under Cayman Islands law and pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; such actions include amending our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and approving a statutory merger or consolidation with another company. Directors are elected for a term of two years. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the founder shares voted for the election of directors can elect all of the directors. Our shareholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Because our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will authorize the issuance of up to 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, if we were to enter into a business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such a business combination) be required to increase the number of ordinary shares which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our shareholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination.
In accordance with NASDAQ corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until not later than one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on NASDAQ. There is no requirement under the Companies Law for us to hold annual or general meetings or elect directors. We may not hold an annual meeting of shareholders prior to the consummation of our initial business combination.
We will provide our Class A public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.
Unlike many blank check companies that hold shareholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by law, if a shareholder vote is not required by law and we do not decide to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC's proxy rules. If, however, a
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shareholder approval of the transaction is required by law, or we decide to obtain shareholder approval for business or other legal reasons, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek shareholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding ordinary shares voted are voted in favor of the business combination. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or their affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public shareholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding ordinary shares, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination.
If we seek shareholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that a public shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a "group" (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the ordinary shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the "Excess Shares." However, we would not be restricting our shareholders' ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our shareholders' inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination, and such shareholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such shareholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete the business combination. And, as a result, such shareholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their shares in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
If we seek shareholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination. Additionally, each public shareholder may elect to redeem their public shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.
Pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if we are unable to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but no more than ten business days thereafter, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders' rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining shareholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months
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from the closing of this offering. However, if our initial shareholders acquire public shares after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our shareholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the ordinary shares. Our shareholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the ordinary shares, except that we will provide our shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.
Founder Shares
The founder shares are identical to the ordinary shares included in the units being sold in this offering, and holders of founder shares have the same shareholder rights as public shareholders, except that (i) holders of the founder shares have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to our initial business combination, (ii) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below, and (iii) our initial shareholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed (A) to waive their redemption rights with respect to their founder shares and public shares in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (B) to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to their founder shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such time period and (iv) the founder shares are automatically convertible into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein. If we submit our initial business combination to our public shareholders for a vote, our initial shareholders, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote any founder shares held by them and any public shares purchased during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination.
The Class B ordinary shares will automatically convert into Class A ordinary shares at the time of our initial business combination on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A ordinary shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in this offering and related to the closing of the business combination, the ratio at which Class B ordinary shares shall convert into Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B ordinary shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of all ordinary shares outstanding upon completion of this offering plus all Class A ordinary shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the business combination, excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the business combination. Holders of founder shares may also elect to convert their Class B ordinary shares into an equal number of shares of Class A ordinary shares, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time.
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With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equal or exceed $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property.
Register of Members
Under Cayman Islands law, we must keep a register of members and there shall be entered therein:
Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e. the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members shall be deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the closing of this public offering, the register of members shall be immediately updated to reflect the issue of shares by us. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members shall be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.
Preferred Shares
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that preferred shares may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors will be able to, without shareholder approval, issue preferred shares with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the ordinary shares and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue preferred shares without shareholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preferred shares outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preferred shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No preferred shares are being issued or registered in this offering.
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Warrants
Public Shareholders' Warrants
Each warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share at a price of $5.75 per one-half share (or $11.50 per whole share), subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the closing of this offering or 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. For example, if a warrant holder holds two warrants, such warrants will be exercisable for one Class A ordinary share. Warrants must be exercised for a whole share. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption is available. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the Class A ordinary share underlying such unit.
We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) business days, after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We will use our best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the warrant agreement. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A ordinary shares are at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a "covered security" under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so a "cashless basis" in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but will use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may call the warrants for redemption:
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If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise his, her or its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A ordinary shares may fall below the $24.00 redemption trigger price as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price (for whole shares) after the redemption notice is issued.
If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise his, her or its warrant to do so on a "cashless basis." In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a "cashless basis," our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our shareholders of issuing the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, all holders of warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the "fair market value" (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The "fair market value" shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of Class A ordinary shares to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the "fair market value" in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our initial business combination. If we call our warrants for redemption and our management does not take advantage of this option, our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had all warrant holders been required to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, as described in more detail below.
A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person's affiliates), to the warrant agent's actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the Class A ordinary shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is increased by a capitalization or share dividend payable in Class A ordinary shares, or by a split-up of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding Class A ordinary shares. A rights offering to holders of Class A ordinary shares entitling holders to purchase Class A ordinary shares at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share dividend of a number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Class A ordinary shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per Class A ordinary share paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A ordinary shares, in determining the price
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payable for Class A ordinary shares, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Class A ordinary shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Class A ordinary shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Class A ordinary shares on account of such Class A ordinary shares (or other ordinary shares into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A ordinary shares in connection with a shareholder vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to redeem 100% of our Class A ordinary shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each Class A ordinary share in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding Class A ordinary shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share split or reclassification of Class A ordinary shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share split, reclassification or similar event, the number of Class A ordinary shares issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Class A ordinary shares.
Whenever the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of Class A ordinary shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Class A ordinary shares (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding Class A ordinary shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of our Class A ordinary shares immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. However, if such holders were entitled to exercise a right of election as to the kind or amount of securities, cash or other assets receivable upon such consolidation or merger, then the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets for which each warrant will become exercisable will be deemed to be the weighted average of the kind and amount received per share by such holders in such consolidation or merger that affirmatively make such election, and if a tender, exchange or redemption offer has been made to and accepted by such holders (other than a tender, exchange or
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redemption offer made by the company in connection with redemption rights held by shareholders of the company as provided for in the company's amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or as a result of the redemption of Class A ordinary shares by the company if a proposed initial business combination is presented to the shareholders of the company for approval) under circumstances in which, upon completion of such tender or exchange offer, the maker thereof, together with members of any group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act) of which such maker is a part, and together with any affiliate or associate of such maker (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) and any members of any such group of which any such affiliate or associate is a part, own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) more than 50% of the outstanding Class A ordinary shares, the holder of a warrant will be entitled to receive the highest amount of cash, securities or other property to which such holder would actually have been entitled as a shareholder if such warrant holder had exercised the warrant prior to the expiration of such tender or exchange offer, accepted such offer and all of the Class A ordinary shares held by such holder had been purchased pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, subject to adjustment (from and after the consummation of such tender or exchange offer) as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in the warrant agreement. Additionally, if less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of ordinary shares in such a transaction is payable in the form of Class A ordinary shares in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the per share consideration minus Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant.
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 65% of the then outstanding public warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants.
The warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Class A ordinary shares and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive Class A ordinary shares. After the issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
Warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of Class A ordinary shares. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Class A ordinary shares to be issued to the warrant holder.
Private Placement Warrants
The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described
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under "Principal ShareholdersTransfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants," to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with the sponsor) and they will not be redeemable by us so long as they are held by the initial shareholders or their permitted transferees. Otherwise, the private placement warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants being sold as part of the units in this offering. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than the initial shareholders or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.
If holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering his, her or its warrants for that number of Class A ordinary shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the "fair market value" (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The "fair market value" shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our initial shareholders and their permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public shareholders who could exercise their warrants and sell the Class A ordinary shares received upon such exercise freely in the open market in order to recoup the cost of such exercise, the insiders could be significantly restricted from selling such securities. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of a business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of a business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any share dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of the offering, in which case we will effect a share dividend with respect to our Class B ordinary shares immediately prior to the consummation of the offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of founder shares by our initial shareholders prior to this offering at 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our ordinary shares and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its shareholders, directors, officers and employees against all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
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Certain Differences in Corporate Law
Cayman Islands companies are governed by the Companies Law. The Companies Law is modeled on English Law but does not follow recent English Law statutory enactments, and differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the material differences between the provisions of the Companies Law applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements. In certain circumstances, the Companies Law allows for mergers or consolidations between two Cayman Islands companies, or between a Cayman Islands exempted company and a company incorporated in another jurisdiction (provided that is facilitated by the laws of that other jurisdiction).
Where the merger or consolidation is between two Cayman Islands companies, the directors of each company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation containing certain prescribed information. That plan or merger or consolidation must then be authorized by either (a) a special resolution (usually a majority of 66 2 / 3 % in value who attend and vote at a general meeting) of the shareholders of each company; or (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company's articles of association. A shareholder has the right to vote on a merger or consolidation regardless of whether the shares that he holds otherwise give him voting rights. No shareholder resolution is required for a merger between a parent company (i.e., a company that owns at least 90% of the issued shares of each class in a subsidiary company) and its subsidiary company. The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest of a constituent company must be obtained, unless the court waives such requirement. If the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies is satisfied that the requirements of the Companies Law (which includes certain other formalities) have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies will register the plan of merger or consolidation.
Where the merger or consolidation involves a foreign company, the procedure is similar, save that with respect to the foreign company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the merger or consolidation is permitted or not prohibited by the constitutional documents of the foreign company and by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the foreign company is incorporated, and that those laws and any requirements of those constitutional documents have been or will be complied with; (ii) that no petition or other similar proceeding has been filed and remains outstanding or order made or resolution adopted to wind up or liquidate the foreign company in any jurisdictions; (iii) that no receiver, trustee, administrator or other similar person has been appointed in any jurisdiction and is acting in respect of the foreign company, its affairs or its property or any part thereof; (iv) that no scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement has been entered into or made in any jurisdiction whereby the rights of creditors of the foreign company are and continue to be suspended or restricted.
Where the surviving company is the Cayman Islands exempted company, the directors of the Cayman Islands exempted company are further required to make a declaration to the effect that, having made due enquiry, they are of the opinion that the requirements set out below have been met: (i) that the foreign company is able to pay its debts as they fall due and that the merger or consolidated is bona fide and not intended to defraud unsecured creditors of the foreign company; (ii) that in respect of the transfer of any security interest granted by the foreign company to the surviving or consolidated company (a) consent or approval to the transfer has been obtained, released or waived; (b) the transfer is permitted by and has been approved in accordance with the constitutional documents of the foreign company; and (c) the laws of the jurisdiction of the foreign company with respect to the transfer have been or will be complied with; (iii) that the foreign company will, upon the merger or consolidation becoming effective, cease to be incorporated, registered or exist under the laws
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of the relevant foreign jurisdiction; and (iv) that there is no other reason why it would be against the public interest to permit the merger or consolidation.
Where the above procedures are adopted, the Companies Law provides for a right of dissenting shareholders to be paid a payment of the fair value of his shares upon their dissenting to the merger or consolidation if they follow a prescribed procedure. In essence, that procedure is as follows (a) the shareholder must give his written objection to the merger or consolidation to the constituent company before the vote on the merger or consolidation, including a statement that the shareholder proposes to demand payment for his shares if the merger or consolidation is authorized by the vote; (b) within 20 days following the date on which the merger or consolidation is approved by the shareholders, the constituent company must give written notice to each shareholder who made a written objection; (c) a shareholder must within 20 days following receipt of such notice from the constituent company, give the constituent company a written notice of his intention to dissent including, among other details, a demand for payment of the fair value of his shares; (d) within seven days following the date of the expiration of the period set out in paragraph (b) above or seven days following the date on which the plan of merger or consolidation is filed, whichever is later, the constituent company, the surviving company or the consolidated company must make a written offer to each dissenting shareholder to purchase his shares at a price that the company determines is the fair value and if the company and the shareholder agree the price within 30 days following the date on which the offer was made, the company must pay the shareholder such amount; (e) if the company and the shareholder fail to agree a price within such 30 day period, within 20 days following the date on which such 30 day period expires, the company (and any dissenting shareholder) must file a petition with the Cayman Islands Grand Court to determine the fair value and such petition must be accompanied by a list of the names and addresses of the dissenting shareholders with whom agreements as to the fair value of their shares have not been reached by the company. At the hearing of that petition, the court has the power to determine the fair value of the shares together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid by the company upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Any dissenting shareholder whose name appears on the list filed by the company may participate fully in all proceedings until the determination of fair value is reached. These rights of a dissenting shareholder are not be available in certain circumstances, for example, to dissenters holding shares of any class in respect of which an open market exists on a recognized stock exchange or recognized interdealer quotation system at the relevant date or where the consideration for such shares to be contributed are shares of any company listed on a national securities exchange or shares of the surviving or consolidated company.
Moreover, Cayman Islands law also has separate statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction or amalgamation of companies in certain circumstances, schemes of arrangement will generally be more suited for complex mergers or other transactions involving widely held companies, commonly referred to in the Cayman Islands as a "scheme of arrangement" which may be tantamount to a merger. In the event that a merger was sought pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (the procedure of which are more rigorous and take longer to complete than the procedures typically required to consummate a merger in the United States), the arrangement in question must be approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meeting summoned for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the terms of the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder would have the right to express to the court the view that the transaction should not be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it satisfies itself that:
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If a scheme of arrangement or takeover offer (as described below) is approved, any dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.
Squeeze-out Provisions. When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares to whom the offer is made within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands but this is unlikely to succeed unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith, collusion or inequitable treatment of the shareholders.
Further, transactions similar to a merger, reconstruction and/or an amalgamation may in some circumstances be achieved through other means to these statutory provisions, such as a share capital exchange, asset acquisition or control, through contractual arrangements, of an operating business.
Shareholders' Suits. Our Cayman Islands counsel is not aware of any reported class action having been brought in a Cayman Islands court. Derivative actions have been brought in the Cayman Islands courts, and the Cayman Islands courts have confirmed the availability for such actions. In most cases, we will be the proper plaintiff in any claim based on a breach of duty owed to us, and a claim against (for example) our officers or directors usually may not be brought by a shareholder. However, based both on Cayman Islands authorities and on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority and be applied by a court in the Cayman Islands, exceptions to the foregoing principle apply in circumstances in which:
A shareholder may have a direct right of action against us where the individual rights of that shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed.
Enforcement of Civil Liabilities. The Cayman Islands has a different body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides less protection to investors. Additionally, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the Federal courts of the United States.
We have been advised by our Cayman Islands legal counsel that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or any state, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, the courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive and for a liquidated sum, and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect
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of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands (awards of punitive or multiple damages may well be held to be contrary to public policy). A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
Special Considerations for Exempted Companies. We are an exempted company with limited liability (meaning our public shareholders have no liability, as members of the Company, for liabilities of the Company over and above the amount paid for their shares) under the Companies Law. The Companies Law distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:
Our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions cannot be amended without a special resolution. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a resolution is deemed to be a special resolution where it has been approved by either (i) at least two-thirds (or any higher threshold specified in a company's articles of association) of a company's shareholders at a general meeting for which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been given; or (ii) if so authorized by a company's articles of association, by a unanimous written resolution of all of the company's shareholders. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that special resolutions must be approved either by at least two-thirds of our shareholders (i.e., the lowest threshold permissible under Cayman Islands law), or by a unanimous written resolution of all of our shareholders.
Our initial shareholders, who collectively will beneficially own 20% of our ordinary shares upon the closing of this offering, will participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Specifically,
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our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide, among other things, that:
In addition, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide that under no circumstances will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001.
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The Companies Law permits a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands to amend its memorandum and articles of association with the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of such company's outstanding ordinary shares. A company's articles of association may specify that the approval of a higher majority is required but, provided the approval of the required majority is obtained, any Cayman Islands exempted company may amend its memorandum and articles of association regardless of whether its memorandum and articles of association provides otherwise. Accordingly, although we could amend any of the provisions relating to our proposed offering, structure and business plan which are contained in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, we view all of these provisions as binding obligations to our shareholders and neither we, nor our officers or directors, will take any action to amend or waive any of these provisions unless we provide dissenting public shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares.
Anti-Money LaunderingCayman Islands
In order to comply with legislation or regulations aimed at the prevention of money laundering, we are required to adopt and maintain anti-money laundering procedures, and may require subscribers to provide evidence to verify their identity and source of funds. Where permitted, and subject to certain conditions, we may also delegate the maintenance of our anti-money laundering procedures (including the acquisition of due diligence information) to a suitable person.
We reserve the right to request such information as is necessary to verify the identity of a subscriber. In some cases the directors may be satisfied that no further information is required since an exemption applies under the Money Laundering Regulations (2013 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, as amended and revised from time to time (the "Regulations"). Depending on the circumstances of each application, a detailed verification of identity might not be required where:
For the purposes of these exceptions, recognition of a financial institution, regulatory authority or jurisdiction will be determined in accordance with the Regulations by reference to those jurisdictions recognized by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority as having equivalent anti-money laundering regulations.
In the event of delay or failure on the part of the subscriber in producing any information required for verification purposes, we may refuse to accept the application, in which case any funds received will be returned without interest to the account from which they were originally debited.
We also reserve the right to refuse to make any payment to a shareholder if our directors or officers suspect or are advised that the payment to such shareholder might result in a breach of applicable anti-money laundering or other laws or regulations by any person in any relevant jurisdiction, or if such refusal is considered necessary or appropriate to ensure our compliance with any such laws or regulations in any applicable jurisdiction.
If any person resident in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that another person is engaged in criminal conduct or is involved with terrorism or terrorist property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the
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course of business in the regulated sector, or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Law (2014 Revision) of the Cayman Islands if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct or money laundering, or (ii) a police officer of the rank of constable or higher, or the Financial Reporting Authority, pursuant to the Terrorism Law (2011 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and property. Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our authorized but unissued ordinary shares and preferred shares are available for future issuances without shareholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved ordinary shares and preferred shares could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Securities Eligible for Future Sale
Immediately after this offering we will have 37,500,000 (or 43,125,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) ordinary shares outstanding. Of these shares, the 30,000,000 Class A ordinary shares (or 34,500,000 shares if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining 7,500,000 (or 8,625,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) founder shares and all 16,000,000 (or 17,800,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering, and are subject to transfer restrictions as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus.
Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
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Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
As a result, our initial shareholders will be able to sell their founder shares and private placement warrants pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans (and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of the private placement warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to our Class A ordinary shares). The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain "piggy-back" registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not permit any registration statement filed under the Securities Act to become effective until termination of the applicable lock-up period, which occurs (i) in the case of the founder shares, on the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property, and (ii) in the case of the private placement warrants and the respective Class A ordinary shares underlying such warrants, 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
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Listing of Securities
We have applied to list our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants on NASDAQ under the symbols "AHPAU," "AHPA" and "AHPAW," respectively. We expect that our units will be listed on NASDAQ on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement. Following the date the Class A ordinary shares and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the ordinary shares and warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on NASDAQ. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on NASDAQ.
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The following summary of certain Cayman Islands and U.S. federal income tax considerations relevant to an investment in our units, ordinary shares and warrants is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our ordinary shares and warrants, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.
Prospective investors should consult their professional advisors on the possible tax consequences of buying, holding or selling any securities under the laws of their country of citizenship, residence or domicile.
Cayman Islands Taxation
The following is a discussion on certain Cayman Islands income tax consequences of an investment in our securities. The discussion is a general summary of present law, which is subject to prospective and retroactive change. It is not intended as tax advice, does not consider any investor's particular circumstances, and does not consider tax consequences other than those arising under Cayman Islands law.
Under Existing Cayman Islands Laws
Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our securities will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of the securities nor will gains derived from the disposal of the securities be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporation tax. The Cayman Islands currently have no income, corporation or capital gains tax and no estate duty, inheritance tax or gift tax.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of our securities or on an instrument of transfer in respect of our securities.
The Company has been incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability and, as such, has applied for and expects to obtain an undertaking from the Governor in Cabinet of the Cayman Islands in the following form:
The Tax Concessions Law
2011 Revision
Undertaking as to Tax Concessions
In accordance with the provision of section 6 of The Tax Concessions Law (2011 Revision), the Governor in Cabinet undertakes with Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. ("the Company").
2.1 On or in respect of the shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company;
OR
2.2 by way of the withholding in whole or part, of any relevant payment as defined in Section 6(3) of the Tax Concessions Law (2011 Revision).
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Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
General
The following is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to ownership and disposition of our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. Because the components of a unit are separable at the option of the holder, the holder of a unit generally should be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the owner of the underlying Class A ordinary share and warrant components of the unit, as the case may be. As a result, the discussion below with respect to actual holders of Class A ordinary shares and warrants should also apply to holders of units (as the deemed owners of the underlying Class A ordinary shares and warrants that comprise the units). This discussion applies only to securities that are held as a capital asset for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is applicable only to holders who purchased units in this offering and assumes any distributions on our ordinary shares will be paid in U.S. dollars.
This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations as of the date hereof, changes to any of which subsequent to the date of this prospectus may affect the tax consequences described herein. This discussion does not address any aspect of state, local or non-U.S. taxation, or any U.S. federal taxes other than income taxes (such as gift and estate taxes).
This discussion does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances, including the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on certain investment income and the different consequences that may apply if you are subject to special rules that apply to certain types of investors, such as:
If you are a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of your partners will generally depend on the status of the partners and your activities.
You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the application of U.S. federal tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign jurisdiction.
Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit
No statutory, administrative or judicial authority directly addresses the treatment of a unit or instruments similar to a unit for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, that treatment is not entirely clear. The acquisition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the
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acquisition of one share of our Class A ordinary shares and one warrant to acquire one-half of one of our Class A ordinary shares. We intend to treat the acquisition of a unit in this manner and, by purchasing a unit, you will agree to adopt such treatment for tax purposes. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one Class A ordinary share and the warrant based on the relative fair market value of each at the time of issuance. The price allocated to each Class A ordinary share and the warrant should be the shareholder's tax basis in such share or warrant, as the case may be. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the Class A ordinary share and one warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the Class A ordinary share and warrant based on their respective relative fair market values at the time of disposition. The separation of the Class A ordinary share and the warrant comprising a unit should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing treatment of the Class A ordinary shares and warrants and a holder's purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there are no authorities that directly address instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Accordingly, each prospective investor is urged to consult its own tax advisors regarding tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit). The balance of this discussion assumes that the characterization of the units described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a "U.S. holder." A U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
Taxation of Distributions
Subject to the passive foreign investment company ("PFIC") rules discussed below, a U.S. holder generally will be required to include in gross income as dividends the amount of any cash distribution paid on our ordinary shares. A cash distribution on such shares generally will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Such dividends paid by us will be taxable to a corporate U.S. holder at regular rates and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to domestic corporations in respect of dividends received from other domestic corporations.
Distributions in excess of such earnings and profits generally will be applied against and reduce the U.S. holder's basis in its ordinary shares (but not below zero) and, to the extent in excess of such basis, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such ordinary shares.
With respect to non-corporate U.S. holders, under tax laws currently in effect, dividends generally will be taxed at the lower applicable long-term capital gains rate (see "Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants" below) only if our ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States and certain
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other requirements are met. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower rate for any dividends paid with respect to our ordinary shares.
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants
Upon a sale or other taxable disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants which, in general, would include a redemption of Class A ordinary shares or warrants as described below, and including as a result of a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not consummate an initial business combination within the required time period, and subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, a U.S. holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. holder's adjusted tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares or warrants.
Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. holder's holding period for the Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A ordinary shares described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate U.S. holders will be eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Generally, the amount of gain or loss recognized by a U.S. holder is an amount equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the Class A ordinary shares or warrants are held as part of units at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Class A ordinary shares or warrants based upon the then fair market values of the Class A ordinary shares and the warrants included in the units) and (ii) the U.S. holder's adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants so disposed of. A U.S. holder's adjusted tax basis in its Class A ordinary shares or warrants generally will equal the U.S. holder's acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a share of Class A ordinary shares or warrant or, as discussed below, the U.S. holder's initial basis for Class A ordinary shares received upon exercise of warrants) less, in the case of a Class A ordinary share, any prior distributions treated as a return of capital.
Redemption of Class A Ordinary Shares
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below, in the event that a U.S. holder's Class A ordinary shares are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under "Description of SecuritiesOrdinary Shares" or if we purchase a U.S. holder's Class A ordinary shares in an open market transaction, the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as sale of the Class A ordinary shares under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of ordinary shares, the U.S. holder will be treated as described under "U.S. holdersGain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Ordinary Shares and Warrants" above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A ordinary shares, the U.S. holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution with the tax consequences described above under "U.S. holdersTaxation of Distributions." Whether a redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend largely on the total number of our shares treated as held by the U.S. holder (including any shares constructively owned by the U.S. holder as a result of owning warrants) relative to all of our shares outstanding both before and after the redemption. The redemption of Class A ordinary shares generally will be treated as a sale of the Class A ordinary shares (rather than as a corporate distribution) if the redemption (i) is "substantially disproportionate" with respect to the U.S. holder, (ii) results in a "complete termination" of the U.S. holder's interest in us or (iii) is "not essentially equivalent to a dividend" with respect to the U.S. holder. These tests are explained more fully below.
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In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. holder takes into account not only shares actually owned by the U.S. holder, but also our shares that are constructively owned by it. A U.S. holder may constructively own, in addition to shares owned directly, shares owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. holder, as well as any shares the U.S. holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include Class A ordinary shares which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. In order to meet the substantially disproportionate test, the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder immediately following the redemption of Class A ordinary shares must, among other requirements, be less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder immediately before the redemption. Prior to our initial business combination, the Class A ordinary shares will not be voting shares for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test will not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. holder's interest if either (i) all of our shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. holder are redeemed or (ii) all of our shares actually owned by the U.S. holder are redeemed and the U.S. holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of shares owned by certain family members and the U.S. holder does not constructively own any other shares. The redemption of the Class A ordinary shares will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if a U.S. holder's conversion results in a "meaningful reduction" of the U.S. holder's proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. holder's proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. However, the IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority shareholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a "meaningful reduction." A U.S. holder should consult with its own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption.
If none of the foregoing tests is satisfied, then the redemption will be treated as a corporate distribution and the tax effects will be as described under "U.S. HoldersTaxation of Distributions," above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. holder in the redeemed Class A ordinary shares will be added to the U.S. holder's adjusted tax basis in its remaining shares, or, if it has none, to the U.S. holder's adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other shares constructively owned by it.
U.S. holders who actually or constructively own five percent (or, if our Class A ordinary shares are not then publicly traded, one percent) or more of our shares (by vote or value) may be subject to special reporting requirements with respect to a redemption of Class A ordinary shares, and such holders should consult with their own tax advisors with respect to their reporting requirements.
Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed below and except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the acquisition of an ordinary share on the exercise of a warrant for cash. A U.S. holder's tax basis in a Class A ordinary share received upon exercise of the warrant generally will be an amount equal to the sum of the U.S. holder's initial investment in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. holder's purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under "Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of a Unit") and the exercise price. The U.S. holder's holding period for a Class A ordinary share received upon exercise of the warrant will begin on the date following the date of exercise (or possibly the date of exercise) of the warrants and will not include the period during which the U.S. holder held the warrants. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder's tax basis in the warrant.
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The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current law. A cashless exercise may not be taxable, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either situation, a U.S. holder's tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received generally will equal the U.S. holder's tax basis in the warrant. If the cashless exercise was not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. holder's holding period for the Class A ordinary shares will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A ordinary shares will include the holding period of the warrant. It is also possible that a cashless exercise may be treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized because a U.S. holder may be deemed to have surrendered a portion of its warrants in a taxable transaction to pay the exercise price for the balance of its warrants that are treated as exercised for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In such event, a U.S. holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. holder's tax basis in the warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. holder's tax basis in the Class A ordinary shares received would equal the U.S. holder's tax basis in the warrants treated as exercised plus the fair market value of the warrants deemed surrendered. It is unclear whether a U.S. holder's holding period for the Class A ordinary shares would commence on the date of exercise of the warrants or the day following the date of exercise of the warrants.
Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of ordinary shares for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus captioned "Description of SecuritiesWarrantsPublic Shareholders' Warrants." An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution generally is not taxable. The U.S. holders of the warrants would, however, be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the warrant holders' proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of ordinary shares that would be obtained upon exercise) as a result of a distribution of cash to the holders of our ordinary shares which is taxable to the U.S. holders of such ordinary shares as described under "Taxation of Distributions" above. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section in the same manner as if the U.S. holders of the warrants received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest. For certain information reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distributions. Recently proposed Treasury regulations, which we may rely on prior to the issuance of final regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
A foreign corporation will be a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if at least 75% of its gross income in a taxable year, including its pro rata share of the gross income of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, is passive income. Alternatively, a foreign corporation will be a PFIC if at least 50% of its assets in a taxable year of the foreign corporation, ordinarily determined based on fair market value and averaged quarterly over the year, including its pro rata share of the assets of any corporation in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the shares by value, are held for the production of, or produce, passive income. Passive income
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generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.
Because we are a blank check company, with no current active business, we believe that it is likely that we will meet the PFIC asset or income test for periods prior to the acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination. Pursuant to a start-up exception, however, a corporation will not be a PFIC for the first taxable year the corporation has gross income (the "start-up year"), if (1) no predecessor of the corporation was a PFIC; (2) the corporation satisfies the IRS that it will not be a PFIC for either of the first two taxable years following the start-up year; and (3) the corporation is not in fact a PFIC for either of those years. It is expected that the net proceeds from this offering will be held in a non-interest bearing trust account until January 2017 located in the United States with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. If so, we believe that, although subject to uncertainty, the start-up year under the start-up exception will be 2017, and we should not be treated as a PFIC for 2016 assuming we qualify for the start-up exception. The applicability of the start-up exception to us will not be known until after the close of our current taxable year ending December 31, 2016 and, perhaps, until after the close of our next taxable year ending December 31, 2017. After the acquisition of a company or assets in a business combination, we may still meet one of the PFIC tests depending on the timing of the acquisition and the amount of our passive income and assets as well as the passive income and assets of the acquired business. If the company that we acquire in a business combination is a PFIC, then we will likely not qualify for the start-up exception and will be a PFIC for 2016 and for 2017. Our actual PFIC status for our current taxable year or any subsequent taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Accordingly, there can be no assurance with respect to our status as a PFIC for our current taxable year ending December 31, 2016 or any future taxable year.
If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. holder of our ordinary shares or warrants and, in the case of our ordinary shares, the U.S. holder did not make either a timely qualified electing fund ("QEF") election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. holder held (or was deemed to hold) ordinary shares, as described below, such holder generally will be subject to special rules with respect to: (i) any gain recognized by the U.S. holder on the sale or other disposition of its ordinary shares or warrants; and (ii) any "excess distribution" made to the U.S. holder (generally, any distributions to such U.S. holder during a taxable year of the U.S. holder that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by such U.S. holder in respect of the ordinary shares during the three preceding taxable years of such U.S. holder or, if shorter, such U.S. holder's holding period for the ordinary shares).
Under these rules:
In general, if we are determined to be a PFIC, a U.S. holder will avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect to our ordinary shares by making a timely QEF election to include in income its pro rata share of our net capital gains (as long-term capital gain) and other earnings and profits (as ordinary income), on a current basis, in each case whether or not distributed, in the taxable year of the U.S. holder in which or with which our taxable year ends. A U.S. holder may make a
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separate election to defer the payment of taxes on undistributed income inclusions under the QEF rules, but if deferred, any such taxes will be subject to an interest charge.
A U.S. holder may not make a QEF election with respect to its warrants to acquire our ordinary shares. As a result, if a U.S. holder sells or otherwise disposes of such warrants (other than upon exercise of such warrants), any gain recognized generally will be subject to the special tax and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above, if we were a PFIC at any time during the period the U.S. holder held the warrants. If a U.S. holder that exercises such warrants properly makes a QEF election with respect to the newly acquired ordinary shares (or has previously made a QEF election with respect to our ordinary shares), the QEF election will apply to the newly acquired ordinary shares, but the adverse tax consequences relating to PFIC shares, adjusted to take into account the current income inclusions resulting from the QEF election, will continue to apply with respect to such newly acquired ordinary shares (which generally will be deemed to have a holding period for purposes of the PFIC rules that includes the period the U.S. holder held the warrants), unless the U.S. holder makes a purging election under the PFIC rules. The purging election creates a deemed sale of such shares at their fair market value. The gain recognized by the purging election will be subject to the special tax and interest charge rules treating the gain as an excess distribution, as described above. As a result of the purging election, the U.S. holder will have a new basis and holding period in the ordinary shares acquired upon the exercise of the warrants for purposes of the PFIC rules.
The QEF election is made on a shareholder-by-shareholder basis and, once made, can be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. A U.S. holder generally makes a QEF election by attaching a completed IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund), including the information provided in a PFIC annual information statement, to a timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the tax year to which the election relates. Retroactive QEF elections generally may be made only by filing a protective statement with such return and if certain other conditions are met or with the consent of the IRS. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a retroactive QEF election under their particular circumstances.
In order to comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. holder must receive a PFIC annual information statement from us. If we determine we are a PFIC for any taxable year, we will endeavor to provide to a U.S. holder such information as the IRS may require, including a PFIC annual information statement, in order to enable the U.S. holder to make and maintain a QEF election, but there can be no assurance that we will timely provide such required information. However, there is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of our status as a PFIC in the future or of the required information to be provided.
If a U.S. holder has made a QEF election with respect to our ordinary shares, and the special tax and interest charge rules do not apply to such shares (because of a timely QEF election for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. holder holds (or is deemed to hold) such shares or a purge of the PFIC taint pursuant to a purging election, as described above), any gain recognized on the sale of our ordinary shares generally will be taxable as capital gain and no interest charge will be imposed. As discussed above, U.S. holders of a QEF are currently taxed on their pro rata shares of its earnings and profits, whether or not distributed. In such case, a subsequent distribution of such earnings and profits that were previously included in income generally should not be taxable as a dividend to such U.S. holders. The tax basis of a U.S. holder's shares in a QEF will be increased by amounts that are included in income, and decreased by amounts distributed but not taxed as dividends, under the above rules. Similar basis adjustments apply to property if by reason of holding such property the U.S. holder is treated under the applicable attribution rules as owning shares in a QEF.
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Although a determination as to our PFIC status will be made annually, an initial determination that our company is a PFIC will generally apply for subsequent years to a U.S. holder who held ordinary shares or warrants while we were a PFIC, whether or not we meet the test for PFIC status in those subsequent years. A U.S. holder who makes the QEF election discussed above for our first taxable year as a PFIC in which the U.S. holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our ordinary shares, however, will not be subject to the PFIC tax and interest charge rules discussed above in respect to such shares. In addition, such U.S. holder will not be subject to the QEF inclusion regime with respect to such shares for any taxable year of us that ends within or with a taxable year of the U.S. holder and in which we are not a PFIC. On the other hand, if the QEF election is not effective for each of our taxable years in which we are a PFIC and the U.S. holder holds (or is deemed to hold) our ordinary shares, the PFIC rules discussed above will continue to apply to such shares unless the holder makes a purging election, as described above, and pays the tax and interest charge with respect to the gain inherent in such shares attributable to the pre-QEF election period.
Alternatively, if a U.S. holder, at the close of its taxable year, owns shares in a PFIC that are treated as marketable stock, the U.S. holder may make a mark-to-market election with respect to such shares for such taxable year. If the U.S. holder makes a valid mark-to-market election for the first taxable year of the U.S. holder in which the U.S. holder holds (or is deemed to hold) ordinary shares in us and for which we are determined to be a PFIC, such holder generally will not be subject to the PFIC rules described above in respect to its ordinary shares. Instead, in general, the U.S. holder will include as ordinary income each year the excess, if any, of the fair market value of its ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year over the adjusted basis in its ordinary shares. The U.S. holder also will be allowed to take an ordinary loss in respect of the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of its ordinary shares over the fair market value of its ordinary shares at the end of its taxable year (but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election). The U.S. holder's basis in its ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts, and any further gain recognized on a sale or other taxable disposition of the ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income. Currently, a mark-to-market election may not be made with respect to warrants.
The mark-to-market election is available only for stock that is regularly traded on a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including NASDAQ (on which we intend to list the ordinary shares), or on a foreign exchange or market that the IRS determines has rules sufficient to ensure that the market price represents a legitimate and sound fair market value. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the availability and tax consequences of a mark-to-market election in respect to our ordinary shares under their particular circumstances.
If we are a PFIC and, at any time, have a foreign subsidiary that is classified as a PFIC, U.S. holders generally would be deemed to own a portion of the shares of such lower-tier PFIC, and generally could incur liability for the deferred tax and interest charge described above if we receive a distribution from, or dispose of all or part of our interest in, the lower-tier PFIC or the U.S. holders otherwise were deemed to have disposed of an interest in the lower-tier PFIC. We will endeavor to cause any lower-tier PFIC to provide to a U.S. holder the information that may be required to make or maintain a QEF election with respect to the lower-tier PFIC. However, there is no assurance that we will have timely knowledge of the status of any such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, we may not hold a controlling interest in any such lower-tier PFIC and thus there can be no assurance we will be able to cause the lower-tier PFIC to provide the required information. U.S. holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax issues raised by lower-tier PFICs.
A U.S. holder that owns (or is deemed to own) shares in a PFIC during any taxable year of the U.S. holder, may have to file an IRS Form 8621 (whether or not a QEF or market-to-market election is made) and such other information as may be required by the U.S. Treasury Department. Failure to
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do so, if required, will extend the statute of limitations until such required information is furnished to the IRS.
The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF and mark-to-market elections are very complex and are affected by various factors in addition to those described above. Accordingly, U.S. holders of our ordinary shares and warrants should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the PFIC rules to our ordinary shares and warrants under their particular circumstances.
Tax Reporting
Certain U.S. holders may be required to file an IRS Form 926 (Return of a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) to report a transfer of property (including cash) to us. Substantial penalties may be imposed on a U.S. holder that fails to comply with this reporting requirement. Furthermore, certain U.S. holders who are individuals and to the extent provided in future Treasury regulations, certain entities, will be required to report information with respect to such U.S. holder's investment in "specified foreign financial assets" on IRS Form 8938, subject to certain exceptions. An interest in the Company constitutes a specified foreign financial asset for these purposes. Persons who are required to report specified foreign financial assets and fail to do so may be subject to substantial penalties. Potential Investors are urged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the foreign financial asset reporting obligations and their application to an investment in Class A ordinary shares and warrants. Each U.S. holder is urged to consult with its own tax advisor regarding this reporting obligation.
Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies to you if you are a "Non-U.S. holder." A Non-U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of our units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants who or that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
but generally does not include an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition. If you are such an individual, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the sale or other disposition of our securities.
Dividends (including constructive dividends) paid or deemed paid to a Non-U.S. holder in respect to our Class A ordinary shares generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, unless the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder's conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United States). In addition, a Non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain attributable to a sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or warrants unless such gain is effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that such holder maintains in the United States).
Dividends and gains that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder's conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States) generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the same regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to a comparable U.S. holder
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and, in the case of a Non-U.S. holder that is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, also may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower applicable income tax treaty rate.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a Non-U.S. holder's exercise of a warrant, or the lapse of a warrant held by a Non-U.S. holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. holder, as described under "U.S. holdersExercise or Lapse of a Warrant," above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the preceding paragraphs above for a Non-U.S. holders gain on the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares and warrants.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Dividend payments with respect to our Class A ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our Class A ordinary shares may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible U.S. backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status. A Non-U.S. holder generally will eliminate the requirement for information reporting and backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise establishing an exemption.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a U.S. holder's U.S. federal income tax liability, and a holder generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information.
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Under the terms and subject to the conditions contained in an underwriting agreement dated , 2016 we have agreed to sell to the underwriters named below, for whom Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is acting as representative, the following respective numbers of units:
Underwriter
|
Number of
Units |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC |
||||
Total |
30,000,000 | |||
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters are obligated to purchase all the units in the offering if any are purchased, other than those units covered by the over-allotment option described below.
We have granted to the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase on a pro rata basis up to 4,500,000 additional units at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The option may be exercised only to cover any over-allotments of units.
The underwriters propose to offer the units initially at the public offering price on the cover page of this prospectus and to selling group members at that price less a selling concession of $ per unit. The underwriters and the selling group members may allow a discount of $ per unit on sales to other broker/dealers. After the initial public offering the underwriters may change the public offering price and concession and discount to broker/dealers.
The following table summarizes the compensation and estimated expenses we will pay. $0.35 per unit, or $10,500,000 (or $12,075,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), of deferred underwriting commissions will be paid upon the completion of our initial business combination. Of such amount, up to approximately $0.23 per unit, or up to approximately $6,900,000 (or approximately $7,935,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), may be paid to third parties not participating in this offering (but who are members of FINRA) that assist us in consummating our initial business combination. The election to make such payments to third parties will be solely at the discretion of our management team, and such third parties will be selected by our management team in their sole and absolute discretion; provided, that no single third party (together with its affiliates) may be paid an amount in excess of the portion of the aggregate deferred underwriting commissions paid to Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC.
|
Per Unit(1) | Total(1) | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Without
Over-allotment |
With
Over-allotment |
Without
Over-allotment |
With
Over-allotment |
|||||||||
Underwriting Discounts and Commissions paid by us |
$ | 0.55 | $ | 0.55 | $ | 16,500,000 | $ | 18,975,000 |
We estimate that our out-of-pocket expenses for this offering will be approximately $900,000. We have agreed to pay for the FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters' legal counsel, not to exceed $25,000.
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The representative has informed us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.
We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that we will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, any units, warrants, ordinary shares or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, ordinary shares; provided, however, that we may (1) issue and sell the private placement warrants, (2) issue and sell the additional units to cover our underwriters' over-allotment option (if any), (3) register with the SEC pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, the resale of the private placement warrants and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants and the founder shares, and (4) issue securities in connection with our initial business combination. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.
Our initial shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination or (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Class A ordinary shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination, or (y) the date following the completion of our initial business combination on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our public shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A ordinary shares for cash, securities or other property (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under "Principal ShareholdersTransfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants"). Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial shareholders with respect to any founder shares.
The private placement warrants (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under "Principal ShareholdersTransfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants").
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in that respect.
We expect our units to be listed on the NASDAQ, under the symbol "AHPAU" and, once the Class A ordinary shares and warrants begin separate trading, to have our Class A ordinary shares and warrants listed on NASDAQ under the symbols "AHPA" and "AHPAW," respectively.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the units was determined by negotiations between us and the representative.
The determination of our per unit offering price was more arbitrary than would typically be the case if we were an operating company. Among the factors considered in determining initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Class A ordinary shares or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.
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If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the trustee and the underwriters have agreed that: (i) they will forfeit any rights or claims to their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account; and (ii) that the deferred underwriters' discounts and commissions will be distributed on a pro rata basis, together with any accrued interest thereon (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) to the public shareholders.
In connection with the offering the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, over-allotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the units. As a result the price of our units may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be effected on The NASDAQ National Market or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
We are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do so. However, any of the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If any of the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay such underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm's length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with any of the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to any of the underwriters prior to the date that is 90 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriters' compensation in connection with this offering and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any
166
entity with which they are affiliated a finder's fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination.
Some of the underwriters and their affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions. In particular, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and its affiliates have acted as underwriters, initial purchasers, financial advisors and/or lenders, as applicable, for several Avista portfolio companies for which they received customary compensation from the applicable portfolio company.
In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the web sites maintained by one or more of the underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering and one or more of the underwriters participating in this offering may distribute prospectuses electronically. The representative may agree to allocate a number of units to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the underwriters and selling group members that will make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations.
The units are offered for sale in those jurisdictions in the United States, Europe, Asia and elsewhere where it is lawful to make such offers.
Each of the underwriters has represented and agreed that it has not offered, sold or delivered and will not offer, sell or deliver any of the units directly or indirectly, or distribute this prospectus or any other offering material relating to the units, in or from any jurisdiction except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations thereof and that will not impose any obligations on us except as set forth in the underwriting agreement.
European Economic Area
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a "Relevant Member State"), each Underwriter represents and agrees that with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State (the "Relevant Implementation Date") it has not made and will not make an offer of units to the public in that Relevant Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the units which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Directive, except that it may, with effect from and including the Relevant Implementation Date, make an offer of units to the public in that Relevant Member State at any time,
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For the purposes of this provision, the expression an "offer of units to the public" in relation to any units in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the units to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the units, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State and the expression Prospectus Directive means Directive 2003/71/EC and includes any relevant implementing measure in each Relevant Member State;
Notice to Investors in the United Kingdom
Each of the underwriters severally represents, warrants and agrees as follows:
Notice to Residents of Japan
The underwriters will not offer or sell any of our units directly or indirectly in Japan or to, or for the benefit of any Japanese person or to others, for re-offering or re-sale directly or indirectly in Japan or to any Japanese person, except in each case pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Securities and Exchange Law of Japan and any other applicable laws and regulations of Japan. For purposes of this paragraph, "Japanese person" means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan;
Notice to Residents of Hong Kong
The underwriters and each of their affiliates have not (i) offered or sold, and will not offer or sell, in Hong Kong, by means of any document, our units other than (a) to "professional investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32 of Hong Kong) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance or (ii) issued or had in its possession for the purposes of issue, and will not issue or have in its possession for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere any advertisement, invitation or document relating to our units which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to
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do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to our securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to "professional investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made under that Ordinance. The contents of this document have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. You are advised to exercise caution in relation to the offer. If you are in any doubt about any of the contents of this document, you should obtain independent professional advice;
Notice to Residents of Singapore
This prospectus or any other offering material relating to our units has not been and will not be registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the units will be offered in Singapore pursuant to exemptions under Section 274 and Section 275 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the "Securities and Futures Act"). Accordingly our units may not be offered or sold, or be the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material relating to our units be circulated or distributed, whether directly or indirectly, to the public or any member of the public in Singapore other than (a) to an institutional investor or other person specified in Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, (b) to a sophisticated investor, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the Securities and Futures Act or (c) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the Securities and Futures Act;
Notice to Residents of Germany
Each person who is in possession of this prospectus is aware of the fact that no German sales prospectus (Verkaufsprospekt) within the meaning of the Securities Sales Prospectus Act (Wertpapier-Verkaufsprospektgesetz, the "Act") of the Federal Republic of Germany has been or will be published with respect to our units. In particular, each underwriter has represented that it has not engaged and has agreed that it will not engage in a public offering in (offentliches Angebot) within the meaning of the Act with respect to any of our units otherwise than in accordance with the Act and all other applicable legal and regulatory requirements;
Notice to Residents of France
The units are being issued and sold outside the Republic of France and that, in connection with their initial distribution, it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell, directly or indirectly, any units to the public in the Republic of France, and that it has not distributed and will not distribute or cause to be distributed to the public in the Republic of France this prospectus or any other offering material relating to the units, and that such offers, sales and distributions have been and will be made in the Republic of France only to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) in accordance with Article L.411-2 of the Monetary and Financial Code and decrét no. 98-880 dated 1st October, 1998; and
Notice to Residents of the Netherlands
Our units may not be offered, sold, transferred or delivered in or from the Netherlands as part of their initial distribution or at any time thereafter, directly or indirectly, other than to, individuals or legal entities situated in The Netherlands who or which trade or invest in securities in the conduct of a business or profession (which includes banks, securities intermediaries (including dealers and brokers), insurance companies, pension funds, collective investment institution, central governments, large international and supranational organizations, other institutional investors and other parties, including treasury departments of commercial enterprises, which as an ancillary activity regularly invest in securities; hereinafter, "Professional Investors"), provided that in the offer, prospectus and in any other documents or advertisements in which a forthcoming offering of our units is publicly announced
169
(whether electronically or otherwise) in The Netherlands it is stated that such offer is and will be exclusively made to such Professional Investors. Individual or legal entities who are not Professional Investors may not participate in the offering of our units, and this prospectus or any other offering material relating to our units may not be considered an offer or the prospect of an offer to sell or exchange our units.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Cayman Islands
No invitation, whether directly or indirectly may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for our shares.
Notice to Canadian Residents
Resale Restrictions
The distribution of units in Canada is being made only in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of the units in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.
Representations of Canadian Purchasers
By purchasing units in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
Conflicts of Interest
Canadian purchasers are hereby notified that Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is relying on the exemption set out in section 3A.3 or 3A.4, if applicable, of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts from having to provide certain conflict of interest disclosure in this document.
Statutory Rights of Action
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the prospectus (including any amendment thereto) such as this document contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory. The purchaser of these securities in Canada should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
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Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Canadian purchasers of units should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the units in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the units for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.
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Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to units and warrants. Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to the ordinary shares and matters of Cayman Islands law. In connection with this offering, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Palo Alto, California, is acting as counsel to the underwriters.
The financial statements of Avista Public Healthcare Acquisition Corp. as of December 31, 2015 and for the period from December 4, 2015 (inception) through December 31, 2015 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to substantial doubt about the ability of Avista Public Healthcare Acquisition Corp. to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements), appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance on such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facility at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.
You may also obtain copies of the documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities.
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F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The
Board of Directors and Shareholder
of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the "Company") as of December 31, 2015, and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholder's equity and cash flows for the period from December 4, 2015 (inception) through December 31, 2015. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., as of December 31, 2015, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from December 4, 2015 (inception) through December 31, 2015 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has no present revenue, its business plan is dependent on the completion of a financing and the Company's cash and working capital as of December 31, 2015 are not sufficient to complete its planned activities for the upcoming year. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans regarding these matters are also described in Notes 1 and 3. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum
LLP
New York, NY
March 18, 2016
F-2
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
BALANCE SHEETS
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-3
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
|
Six Months
Ended June 30, 2016 |
For the Period From
December 4, 2015 (Inception) Through December 31, 2015 |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Unaudited
|
Audited
|
|||||
Formation and operating costs |
$ | 16,050 | $ | 25,162 | |||
| | | | | | | |
Net loss |
$ | (16,050 | ) | $ | (25,162 | ) | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Weighted average number of shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1) |
7,500,000 | 7,500,000 | |||||
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Basic and diluted net loss per share |
$ | (0.00 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-4
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDER'S EQUITY/(DEFICIT)
|
Ordinary Shares |
|
|
|
||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Additional
Paid-in Capital |
Accumulated
Deficit |
Total
Shareholder's Equity |
|||||||||||||
|
Shares | Amount | ||||||||||||||
Balances, December 4, 2015 (Inception) |
| $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | |||||||
Class B ordinary shares issued to Sponsor(1) |
8,625,000 | 863 | 24,137 | | 25,000 | |||||||||||
Net loss |
| | | (25,162 | ) | (25,162 | ) | |||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Balances, December 31, 2015 (audited) |
8,625,000 | $ | 863 | $ | 24,137 | $ | (25,162 | ) | $ | (162 | ) | |||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net loss |
| | | (16,050 | ) | (16,050 | ) | |||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Balances, June 30, 2016 (unaudited) |
8,625,000 | $ | 863 | $ | 24,137 | $ | (41,212 | ) | $ | (16,212 | ) | |||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-5
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
|
Six Months
Ended June 30, 2016 |
For the Period from
December 4, 2015 (Inception) Through December 31, 2015 |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Unaudited
|
Audited
|
|||||
Cash flows from operating activities: |
|||||||
Net loss |
$ | (16,050 | ) | $ | (25,162 | ) | |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash used in operating activities: |
|||||||
Change in operating assets and liabilities: |
|||||||
Increase in accrued expenses |
16,050 | 8,474 | |||||
| | | | | | | |
Net cash flows used in operating activities: |
| (16,688 | ) | ||||
| | | | | | | |
Cash flows from financing activities: |
|||||||
Proceeds from note payable to Sponsor |
| 175,000 | |||||
Proceeds from issuance of Class B ordinary shares to Sponsor |
| 25,000 | |||||
Payment of offering costs |
(20,000 | ) | (57,250 | ) | |||
| | | | | | | |
Net cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities: |
(20,000 | ) | 142,750 | ||||
| | | | | | | |
Net change in cash |
(20,000 | ) | 126,062 | ||||
Cash at beginning of period |
126,062 | | |||||
| | | | | | | |
Cash at end of period |
$ | 106,062 | $ | 126,062 | |||
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information: |
|||||||
Non-Cash financing activities |
|
|
|||||
Offering Costs included in deferred offering costs |
$ | 177,230 | $ | 232,959 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-6
Note 1Organization and Plan of Business Operations
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the " Company ") is a newly organized blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company on December 4, 2015. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (a " Business Combination "). The Company intends to focus its search for a target business in the healthcare industry, although it may seek to complete a Business Combination with an operating company in any industry or sector. The Company is an "emerging growth company," as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " Securities Act "), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the " JOBS Act ").
At June 30, 2016, the Company had not yet commenced any operations. All activity for the period from December 4, 2015 (inception) through June 30, 2016 relates to the Company's formation and the Proposed Public Offering (as defined below). The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Company's ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering of 30,000,000 units (the " Proposed Public Offering ") at $10.00 per unit, or up to 34,500,000 units if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full (the " Units ") (see Note 3), and the sale of 16,000,000 warrants (or 17,800,000 warrants if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) (the " Private Placement Warrants "), at a price of $0.50 per warrant, to Avista Acquisition Corp. (the " Sponsor ") and certain other accredited investors (collectively with the Sponsor, the " Initial Shareholders ") in a private placement. Each Unit consists of one of the Company's Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the " Class A Shares "), and one warrant (the " Warrants ") to purchase one-half of one Class A Share. The Class A Shares sold as part of the Units in the Proposed Public Offering are sometimes referred to herein as the " public shares ." The Company's management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Business Combination. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect a Business Combination. Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management anticipates that $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering will be held in a non-interest bearing trust account (the " Trust Account "). Beginning in January 2017, the funds in the Trust Account will be invested in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, until the earlier of (i) the consummation of the Business Combination and (ii) the Company's failure to consummate a Business Combination within the prescribed time. Placing funds in the Trust Account may not protect those funds from third party claims against the Company. Although the Company will seek to have all vendors, service providers, prospective target businesses or other entities it engages execute agreements with the Company waiving any claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account, there is no guarantee that such persons will execute such agreements. The Sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to the Company under certain circumstances if and to the extent any claims by such persons reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account below a specified threshold. The Company has not independently verified whether the Sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believes that the Sponsor's only assets are securities of the Company. Therefore, the Sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations should they arise. The remaining net proceeds (not held in the Trust
F-7
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 1Organization and Plan of Business Operations (Continued)
Account) may be used to pay for business, legal and accounting due diligence on prospective acquisitions and continuing general and administrative expenses as well as any taxes.
The Company will provide the holders of the public shares (the " Public Shareholders ") with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of the Business Combination, either (i) in connection with a shareholder meeting called to approve the Business Combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer, in either case at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company seeks shareholder approval of the Business Combination and the Company does not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, a Public Shareholder, together with any affiliate of such shareholder or any other person with whom such shareholder is acting in concert or as a "group" (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the " Exchange Act "), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the public shares. In connection with any shareholder vote required to approve any Business Combination, Initial Shareholders will agree (i) to vote any of their respective Ordinary Shares (as defined below) in favor of the initial Business Combination and (ii) not to redeem any of their Ordinary Shares in connection therewith.
As a result of the foregoing redemption rights, the Class A Shares will be recorded at redemption amount and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity . The Company will proceed with a Business Combination only if it has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon consummation of the Business Combination and, in the case of a shareholder vote, a majority of the outstanding Ordinary Shares voted are voted in favor of the Business Combination. The amount in the Trust Account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share ($300,000,000 held in the Trust Account divided by 30,000,000 public shares or $345,000,000 divided by 34,500,000 public shares if the underwriters' overallotment option is exercised in full).
The NASDAQ rules require that the Business Combination must be with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the balance in the Trust Account (less any Deferred Commissions (as defined below) and taxes payable on interest earned) at the time of the Company signing a definitive agreement in connection with the Business Combination.
If the Company has not completed a Business Combination within 24 months of the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses) divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish the rights of the Public Shareholders as Shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company's remaining shareholders and its Board of Directors, dissolve and liquidate,
F-8
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 1Organization and Plan of Business Operations (Continued)
subject in each case to the Company's obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In the event of a liquidation, the Public Shareholders will be entitled to receive a full pro rata interest in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be approximately $10.00 per share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the Trust Fund not previously released to the Company and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses). There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Founder Shares (as defined below) or the Private Placement Warrants, which will expire worthless if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination within the 24-month time period.
Going Concern Consideration
At June 30, 2016, the Company had $106,062 in cash and working capital deficit of $503,651. Further, the Company expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its financing and acquisition plans. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management plans to address this uncertainty through a Proposed Public Offering as discussed in Note 3. There is no assurance that the Company's plans to raise capital or to consummate a Business Combination will be successful or successful within the target business acquisition period. The Sponsor has agreed to loan the Company up to $300,000 to be used, in part, for transaction costs incurred in connection with the Proposed Public Offering. As of June 30, 2016, the Company had borrowed $175,000 under such loan. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Note 2Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (" US GAAP ") and pursuant to the accounting and disclosure rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the " SEC ").
The accompanying unaudited financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2016 have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information and Article 8 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal accruals) considered for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the six months ended June 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016 or any other future period.
Loss Per Share
Loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted-average number of Ordinary Shares outstanding during the period, excluding shares subject to forfeiture (Note 7). The Company had no dilutive securities outstanding during the period from December 4, 2015 (inception) through December 31, 2015 or for the six months ended June 30, 2016.
F-9
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 2Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, Income Taxes ("ASC 740"). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise's financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.
There is currently no taxation imposed on income by the Government of the Cayman Islands.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, "Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern" ("ASU 2014-15"). ASU 2014-15 provides guidance on management's responsibility in evaluating whether there is substantial doubt about a company's ability to continue as a going concern and about related footnote disclosures. For each reporting period, management will be required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about a company's ability to continue as a going concern within one year from the date the financial statements are issued. The amendments in ASU 2014-15 are effective for annual reporting periods ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual and interim periods thereafter. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt the methodologies prescribed by ASU 2014-15 by the date required, and does not anticipate that the adoption of ASU 2014-15 will have a material effect on its financial position or results of operations.
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards if currently adopted would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements.
F-10
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 2Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
Emerging Growth Company
Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which at times, may exceed the Federal depository insurance coverage of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such accounts.
Subsequent Events
Management of the Company evaluates events that have occurred after the balance sheet date of June 30, 2016 through September 2, 2016, the date which these financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon the review, management did not identify any recognized or non-recognized subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company's assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under FASB ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures , approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet.
Note 3Proposed Public Offering
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company intends to offer for public sale 30,000,000 Units, plus up to an additional 4,500,000 Units solely to cover over-allotments, if any, at a price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one Class A Share and one Warrant to purchase one-half of one Class A Share. Two Warrants must be exercised for one whole Class A Share at a price of $11.50 per share. The Warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after completion of the Business Combination or 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering and will expire five years from the completion of the Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. The Company may redeem the Warrants at a price of $0.01 per Warrant upon 30 days' notice, only in the event that the last sale price of the Class A Shares is at least $24.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which notice of redemption is given. The Company will not redeem the Warrants unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants
F-11
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 3Proposed Public Offering (Continued)
is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares is available throughout the 30 day redemption period, unless the Warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If the Company redeems the Warrants as described above, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise their Warrants to do so on a cashless basis, provided an exemption from registration is available. No Warrants will be exercisable for cash unless the Company has an effective registration statement covering the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and a current prospectus relating to such shares. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, holders will be permitted to exercise their Warrants on a cashless basis. However, no Warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and the Company will not be obligated to issue any Class A Shares to holders seeking to exercise their Warrants, unless the issuance of the Class A Shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption is available.
Note 4Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist principally of legal and other costs incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering. Such costs, together with the underwriting discount, will be charged to shareholder's equity upon the receipt of the capital raised. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs as well as additional costs to be incurred will be charged to operations.
Note 5Note Payable to Sponsor
The Company issued to the Sponsor on December 14, 2015, as amended and restated on September 1, 2016, an unsecured promissory note pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to $300,000 in the aggregate principal amount. As of June 30, 2016, the Company had borrowed $175,000 under the promissory note. The note is non-interest bearing and payable on the earlier to occur of (i) December 31, 2016, and (ii) the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. Due to the short-term nature of the note, the fair value of the note approximates the carrying amount.
Note 6Commitments
The Company anticipates entering into an agreement with the underwriters (the " Underwriters ") of the Proposed Public Offering (" Underwriting Agreement "). It is anticipated that the Underwriting Agreement will require the Company to pay an underwriting discount of 2.0% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering to the Underwriters at the time of the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. It is also anticipated that the Company will pay the Underwriters a deferred underwriting discount of 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering (" Deferred Commissions ") at the time of the closing of the Business Combination. The Deferred Commission will be placed in the Trust Account and will only be payable to the Underwriters if the Business Combination is consummated.
The Company presently occupies office space provided by an affiliate of the Sponsor. The affiliate has agreed that, until the Company consummates a Business Combination, it will make such office space, as well as certain support services, available to the Company, as may be required by the Company from time to time. The Company will pay the affiliate an aggregate of $10,000 per month for such office space and support services.
F-12
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 6Commitments (Continued)
The Initial Shareholders have committed to purchase 16,000,000 Private Placement Warrants at $0.50 per warrant (for an aggregate purchase price of $8.0 million) from the Company in a private placement that will take place concurrently with the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants will be placed into the Trust Account. The Initial Shareholders have also agreed that if the over-allotment option is exercised by the underwriters in full or in part, they will purchase an additional number of Private Placement Warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant (up to a maximum of 1,800,000 Private Placement Warrants) necessary to maintain in the Trust Account an amount equal to $10.00 per Unit sold in the Proposed Public Offering. Each Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for one-half of one Class A Share. Two Private Placement Warrants must be exercised for one whole Class A Share at a price of $11.50 per share. The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Warrants included in the Units to be sold in the Proposed Public Offering except that the Private Placement Warrants: (i) will not be redeemable by the Company and (ii) may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, as described in the registration statement relating to the Proposed Public Offering, so long as they are held by the Initial Shareholders or any of their permitted transferees. Additionally, the Initial Shareholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of the Private Placement Warrants, including the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants (except to certain permitted transferees), until 30 days after the completion of the Business Combination.
The Sponsor may make a working capital loan to the Company and up to $1,500,000 of such loan may be converted into warrants, at the price of $0.50 per warrant at the option of the Sponsor. Such warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants. Holders of the Founder Shares, the Private Placement Warrants, warrants that may be issued on conversion of working capital loans (and any Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants and upon conversion of the Founder Shares) will be entitled to registration rights with respect to such securities (in the case of the Founder Shares, only after conversion to Class A Shares) pursuant to an agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering. The holders of these securities are entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form demands, that the Company register such securities for resale. In addition, the holders have certain "piggy-back" registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the Business Combination. However, the registration rights agreement will provide that the Company will not permit any registration statement to become effective until termination of applicable lock-up periods with respect to such securities.
Note 7Shareholder's Equity
Preferred Shares
The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 preferred shares with a par value of $0.0001. The Company's board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. The board of directors will be able to, without shareholder approval, issue preferred shares with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the Ordinary Shares and could have anti-takeover effects.
At both June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, there were no preferred shares issued or outstanding.
F-13
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Note 7Shareholder's Equity (Continued)
Ordinary Shares
The Company is authorized to issue 200,000,000 Class A Shares, with a par value of $0.0001 each, and 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, with a par value of $0.0001 each (the " Class B Shares " and, together with the Class A Shares, the " Ordinary Shares "). Holders of the Ordinary Shares are entitled to one vote for each Ordinary Share; provided , that only holders of the Class B Shares have the right to vote on the election of directors prior to the Business Combination. The Class B Shares will automatically convert into Class A Shares at the time of the Business Combination, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, and subject to further adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional Class A Shares, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in the Proposed Public Offering and related to the closing of the Business Combination, the ratio at which the Class B Shares shall convert into Class A Shares will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of Class A Shares issuable upon conversion of all Class B Shares will equal, in the aggregate, 20% of the sum of all Ordinary Shares outstanding upon completion of the Proposed Public Offering plus all Class A Shares and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with the Business Combination, excluding any Ordinary Shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in the Business Combination. Holders of Founder Shares may also elect to convert their Class B Shares into an equal number of Class A Shares, subject to adjustment as provided above, at any time.
At both June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, there were 8,625,000 Class B Shares issued and outstanding.
Founder Shares
In connection with the organization of the Company, on December 14, 2015, an aggregate of 8,625,000 Class B Shares (the " Founder Shares ") were sold to the Sponsor at a price of approximately $0.003 per share, for an aggregate price of $25,000. This number includes an aggregate of up to 1,125,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the Underwriters in order to maintain the Initial Shareholders' ownership at 20% of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares upon completion of the Proposed Public Offering. The Founder Shares are identical to the Class A Shares included in the Units being sold in the Proposed Public Offering, except that the Founder Shares (i) have the voting rights described in Note 7, (ii) are subject to certain transfer restrictions described below, and (iii) are convertible into Class A Shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions contained therein. The Founder Shares may not be transferred, assigned or sold until the earlier of (i) one year after the completion of the Business Combination and (ii) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction after the Business Combination that results in all of the Public Shareholders having the right to exchange their Class A Shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of the Class A Shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share splits, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Business Combination, the Founder Shares will be released from the lock-up.
F-14
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:
Legal fees and expenses |
$ | 450,000 | ||
Accounting fees and expenses |
50,000 | |||
SEC expenses |
34,742 | |||
FINRA expenses |
52,250 | |||
Travel and road show |
20,000 | |||
Directors and officers insurance |
100,000 | |||
NASDAQ listing and filing fees |
75,000 | |||
Printing and engraving expenses |
50,000 | |||
Miscellaneous expenses |
68,008 | |||
| | | | |
Total offering expenses |
$ | 900,000 |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company's memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against willful default, willful neglect, civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association will provide for indemnification of our officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, including for any liability incurred in their capacities as such, except through their own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect. We may purchase a policy of directors' and officers' liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
On December 14, 2015, Avista Acquisition Corp., our sponsor, purchased an aggregate of 8,625,000 founder shares, for an aggregate offering price of $25,000 at an average purchase price of approximately $0.003 per share. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D.
In addition, our initial shareholders have committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase from us an aggregate of 16,000,000 (or 17,800,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement warrants at $0.50 per warrant (for an aggregate purchase price of $8,000,000 or $8,900,000 if the underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering. This issuance will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
II-1
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) Exhibits . The list of exhibits following the signature page of this registration statement is incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Financial Statements . See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
(b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
(4) For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the
II-2
securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
II-3
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on the 2nd day of September, 2016.
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. | ||||||
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By: |
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/s/ DAVID BURGSTAHLER |
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Name: | David Burgstahler | |||||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned constitutes and appoints each of Benjamin Silbert and John Cafasso, each acting alone, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for such person and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement on Form S-1 (including all pre-effective and post-effective amendments and registration statements filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that any such attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Name
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Position
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Date
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/s/ DAVID BURGSTAHLER
David Burgstahler |
President and Chief Executive Officer, Director (Principal Executive Officer) | September 2, 2016 | ||
/s/ JOHN CAFASSO John Cafasso |
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Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
|
September 2, 2016 |
/s/ THOMPSON DEAN Thompson Dean |
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Director |
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September 2, 2016 |
II-4
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 6(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, the undersigned has signed this registration statement, solely in its capacity as the duly authorized representative of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., in the City of New York, State of New York on September 2, 2016.
By: |
/s/ BENJAMIN SILBERT
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Name: | Benjamin Silbert | |||||
Title: | General Counsel and Secretary |
II-5
Exhibit No. | Description | ||
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1.1 | Form of Underwriting Agreement.** | ||
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3.1 |
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Memorandum and Articles of Association. |
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3.2 |
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Form of Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association. |
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4.1 |
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Specimen Unit Certificate. |
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4.2 |
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Specimen Class A Ordinary Share Certificate. |
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4.3 |
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Specimen Warrant Certificate. |
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4.4 |
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Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant. |
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5.1 |
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Opinion of Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands counsel to the Registrant.** |
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5.2 |
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Opinion of Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP, counsel to the Registrant.** |
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10.1 |
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Amended and Restated Promissory Note, dated September 1, 2016, issued to Avista Acquisition Corp. |
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10.2 |
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Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant and its officers, directors and Avista Acquisition Corp. |
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10.3 |
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Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant. |
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10.4 |
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Form of Registration Rights Agreement between the Registrant and certain security holders. |
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10.5 |
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Securities Subscription Agreement, dated December 14, 2015, between the Registrant and Avista Acquisition Corp. |
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10.6 |
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Form of Warrant Purchase Agreement.** |
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10.7 |
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Form of Indemnity Agreement. |
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10.8 |
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Form of Administrative Services Agreement, by and between the Registrant and Avista Capital Holdings, L.P. |
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14 |
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Form of Code of Ethics. |
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23.1 |
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Consent of Marcum LLP. |
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23.2 |
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Consent of Maples and Calder (included on Exhibit 5.1).** |
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23.3 |
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Consent of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (included on Exhibit 5.2).** |
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24 |
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Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this Registration Statement). |
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99.1 |
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Form of Audit Committee Charter. |
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99.2 |
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Form of Compensation Committee Charter. |
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99.3 |
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Consent of Håkan Björklund. |
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99.4 |
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Consent of Charles Harwood. |
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99.5 |
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Consent of Brian Markison. |
II-6
Exhibit No. | Description | ||
---|---|---|---|
99.6 | Consent of Robert O'Neil. |
II-7
Exhibit 3.1
THE COMPANIES LAW (2013 REVISION)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
THE COMPANIES LAW (2013 REVISION)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
1 The name of the Company is Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
2 The Registered Office of the Company shall be at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands, or at such other place within the Cayman Islands as the Directors may decide.
3 The objects for which the Company is established are unrestricted and the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the laws of the Cayman Islands.
4 The liability of each Member is limited to the amount unpaid on such Members shares.
5 The share capital of the Company is US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each and 1,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each.
6 The Company has power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate limited by shares under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands.
7 Capitalised terms that are not defined in this Memorandum of Association bear the respective meanings given to them in the Articles of Association of the Company.
WE, the subscriber to this Memorandum of Association, wish to form a company pursuant to this Memorandum of Association, and we agree to take the number of shares shown opposite our name.
Dated this 4th day of December 2015.
Signature and Address of Subscriber |
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Number of Shares Taken |
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Maples Corporate Services Limited |
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One Class B Ordinary Share |
of PO Box 309, Ugland House |
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Grand Cayman |
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KY1-1104 |
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Cayman Islands |
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acting by: |
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/s/ Orla Collins |
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Orla Collins |
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/s/ Barb Ouellette |
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Barb Ouellette |
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Witness to the above signature |
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THE COMPANIES LAW (2013 REVISION)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
1 Interpretation
1.1 In the Articles Table A in the First Schedule to the Statute does not apply and, unless there is something in the subject or context inconsistent therewith:
Articles |
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means these articles of association of the Company. |
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Auditor |
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means the person for the time being performing the duties of auditor of the Company (if any). |
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Business Combination |
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mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganisation or similar business combination, with one or more businesses or entities (the target business ), which Business Combination: (i) must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Fund (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Fund) at the time of the agreement to enter into the Business Combination; and (ii) must not be effectuated with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations. |
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Class A Shares |
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means Class A ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each in the share capital of the Company. |
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Class B Shares |
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means Class B ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each in the share capital of the Company |
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Company |
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means the above named company. |
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Directors |
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means the directors for the time being of the Company. |
Dividend |
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means any dividend (whether interim or final) resolved to be paid on Shares pursuant to the Articles. |
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Electronic Record |
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has the same meaning as in the Electronic Transactions Law. |
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Electronic Transactions Law |
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means the Electronic Transactions Law (2003 Revision) of the Cayman Islands. |
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IPO |
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means the Companys initial public offering of securities. |
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Member |
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has the same meaning as in the Statute. |
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Memorandum |
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means the memorandum of association of the Company. |
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Ordinary Resolution |
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means a resolution passed by a simple majority of the Members as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting, and includes a unanimous written resolution. In computing the majority when a poll is demanded regard shall be had to the number of votes to which each Member is entitled by the Articles. |
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Register of Members |
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means the register of Members maintained in accordance with the Statute and includes (except where otherwise stated) any branch or duplicate register of Members. |
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Registered Office |
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means the registered office for the time being of the Company. |
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Seal |
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means the common seal of the Company and includes every duplicate seal. |
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Share |
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means a Class A Share, a Class B Share or a preference share in the Company and includes a fraction of a share in the Company. |
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Special Resolution |
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subject to Article 29.4, has the same meaning as in the Statute, and includes a unanimous written resolution. |
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Statute |
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means the Companies Law (2013 Revision) of the Cayman Islands. |
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Subscriber |
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means the subscriber to the Memorandum. |
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Treasury Share |
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means a Share held in the name of the Company as a treasury |
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share in accordance with the Statute. |
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Trust Fund |
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means the trust account established by the Company upon the consummation of its IPO and into which a certain amount of the net proceeds of the IPO, together with the proceeds of the private placement of the warrants simultaneously with the closing date of the IPO, will be deposited. |
1.2 In the Articles:
(a) words importing the singular number include the plural number and vice versa;
(b) words importing the masculine gender include the feminine gender;
(c) words importing persons include corporations as well as any other legal or natural person;
(d) written and in writing include all modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form, including in the form of an Electronic Record;
(e) shall shall be construed as imperative and may shall be construed as permissive;
(f) references to provisions of any law or regulation shall be construed as references to those provisions as amended, modified, re-enacted or replaced;
(g) any phrase introduced by the terms including, include, in particular or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words preceding those terms;
(h) the term and/or is used herein to mean both and as well as or. The use of and/or in certain contexts in no respects qualifies or modifies the use of the terms and or or in others. The term or shall not be interpreted to be exclusive and the term and shall not be interpreted to require the conjunctive (in each case, unless the context otherwise requires);
(i) headings are inserted for reference only and shall be ignored in construing the Articles;
(j) any requirements as to delivery under the Articles include delivery in the form of an Electronic Record;
(k) any requirements as to execution or signature under the Articles including the execution of the Articles themselves can be satisfied in the form of an electronic signature as defined in the Electronic Transactions Law;
(l) sections 8 and 19(3) of the Electronic Transactions Law shall not apply;
(m) the term clear days in relation to the period of a notice means that period excluding the day when the notice is received or deemed to be received and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect; and
(n) the term holder in relation to a Share means a person whose name is entered in the Register of Members as the holder of such Share.
2 Commencement of Business
2.1 The business of the Company may be commenced as soon after incorporation of the Company as the Directors shall see fit.
2.2 The Directors may pay, out of the capital or any other monies of the Company, all expenses incurred in or about the formation and establishment of the Company, including the expenses of registration.
3 Issue of Shares
3.1 Subject to the provisions, if any, in the Memorandum (and to any direction that may be given by the Company in general meeting) and without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing Shares, the Directors may allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) with or without preferred, deferred or other rights or restrictions, whether in regard to Dividend or other distribution, voting, return of capital or otherwise and to such persons, at such times and on such other terms as they think proper, and may also (subject to the Statute and the Articles) vary such rights, save that the Directors shall not allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) to the extent that it may affect the ability of the Company to carry out a Class B Share Conversion described at Article 17.
3.2 Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Subscriber shall have the power to:
(a) issue one Share to itself;
(b) transfer that Share by an instrument of transfer to any person; and
(c) update the Register of Members in respect of the issue and transfer of that Share.
3.3 The Company shall not issue Shares to bearer.
4 Register of Members
4.1 The Company shall maintain or cause to be maintained the Register of Members in accordance with the Statute.
4.2 The Directors may determine that the Company shall maintain one or more branch registers of Members in accordance with the Statute. The Directors may also determine which register of Members shall constitute the principal register and which shall constitute the branch register or registers, and to vary such determination from time to time.
5 Closing Register of Members or Fixing Record Date
5.1 For the purpose of determining Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of Members or any adjournment thereof, or Members entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other purpose, the Directors may provide that the Register of Members shall be closed for transfers for a stated period which shall not in any case exceed forty days.
5.2 In lieu of, or apart from, closing the Register of Members, the Directors may fix in advance or arrears a date as the record date for any such determination of Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of the Members or any adjournment thereof, or for the purpose of determining the Members entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other purpose.
5.3 If the Register of Members is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at, a meeting of Members or Members entitled to receive payment of a Dividend or other distribution, the date on which notice of the meeting is sent or the date on which the resolution of the Directors resolving to pay such Dividend or other distribution is passed, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Members. When a determination of Members entitled to vote at any meeting of Members has been made as provided in this Article, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof.
6 Certificates for Shares
6.1 A Member shall only be entitled to a share certificate if the Directors resolve that share certificates shall be issued. Share certificates representing Shares, if any, shall be in such form as the Directors may determine. Share certificates shall be signed by one or more Directors or other person authorised by the Directors. The Directors may authorise certificates to be issued with the authorised signature(s) affixed by mechanical process. All certificates for Shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified and shall specify the Shares to which they relate. All certificates surrendered to the Company for transfer shall be cancelled and subject to the Articles no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate representing a like number of relevant Shares shall have been surrendered and cancelled.
6.2 The Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate for Shares held jointly by more than one person and delivery of a certificate to one joint holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them.
6.3 If a share certificate is defaced, worn out, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and on the payment of such expenses reasonably incurred by
the Company in investigating evidence, as the Directors may prescribe, and (in the case of defacement or wearing out) upon delivery of the old certificate.
6.4 Every share certificate sent in accordance with the Articles will be sent at the risk of the Member or other person entitled to the certificate. The Company will not be responsible for any share certificate lost or delayed in the course of delivery.
7 Transfer of Shares
7.1 Subject to Article 3.1, Shares are transferable subject to the approval of the Directors by resolution who may, in their absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of Shares without giving any reason. If the Directors refuse to register a transfer they shall notify the transferee within two months of such refusal.
7.2 The instrument of transfer of any Share shall be in writing and shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor (and if the Directors so require, signed by or on behalf of the transferee). The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of a Share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register of Members.
8 Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Shares
8.1 Subject to the provisions of the Statute the Company may issue Shares that are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Member or the Company. The redemption of such Shares shall be effected in such manner and upon such other terms as the Company may, by Special Resolution, determine before the issue of the Shares.
8.2 Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Company may purchase its own Shares (including any redeemable Shares) in such manner and on such other terms as the Directors may agree with the relevant Member.
8.3 The Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner permitted by the Statute, including out of capital.
8.4 The Directors may accept the surrender for no consideration of any fully paid Share.
9 Treasury Shares
9.1 The Directors may, prior to the purchase, redemption or surrender of any Share, determine that such Share shall be held as a Treasury Share.
9.2 The Directors may determine to cancel a Treasury Share or transfer a Treasury Share on such terms as they think proper (including, without limitation, for nil consideration).
10 Variation of Rights of Shares
10.1 If at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of Shares, all or any of the rights attached to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class) may, whether or not the Company is being wound up, be varied without the consent of the holders of the issued Shares of that class where such variation is considered by the Directors not to have a material adverse effect upon such rights; otherwise, any such variation shall be made only with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two thirds of the issued Shares of that class, or with the sanction of a resolution passed by a majority of not less than two thirds of the votes cast at a separate meeting of the holders of the Shares of that class. For the avoidance of doubt, the Directors reserve the right, notwithstanding that any such variation may not have a material adverse effect, to obtain consent from the holders of Shares of the relevant class. To any such meeting all the provisions of the Articles relating to general meetings shall apply mutatis mutandis , except that the necessary quorum shall be one person holding or representing by proxy at least one third of the issued Shares of the class and that any holder of Shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll.
10.2 For the purposes of a separate class meeting, the Directors may treat two or more or all the classes of Shares as forming one class of Shares if the Directors consider that such class of Shares would be affected in the same way by the proposals under consideration, but in any other case shall treat them as separate classes of Shares.
10.3 The rights conferred upon the holders of the Shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu therewith.
11 Commission on Sale of Shares
The Company may, in so far as the Statute permits, pay a commission to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe (whether absolutely or conditionally) or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolutely or conditionally) for any Shares. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash and/or the issue of fully or partly paid-up Shares. The Company may also on any issue of Shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful.
12 Non Recognition of Trusts
The Company shall not be bound by or compelled to recognise in any way (even when notified) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any Share, or (except only as is otherwise provided by the Articles or the Statute) any other rights in respect of any Share other than an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the holder.
13 Lien on Shares
13.1 The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on all Shares (whether fully paid-up or not) registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others) for all debts, liabilities or engagements to or with the Company (whether presently payable or not) by such Member or his estate, either alone or jointly with any other person, whether a Member or not, but the Directors may at any time declare any Share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The registration of a transfer of any such Share shall operate as a waiver of the Companys lien thereon. The Companys lien on a Share shall also extend to any amount payable in respect of that Share.
13.2 The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any Shares on which the Company has a lien, if a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable, and is not paid within fourteen clear days after notice has been received or deemed to have been received by the holder of the Shares, or to the person entitled to it in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of the holder, demanding payment and stating that if the notice is not complied with the Shares may be sold.
13.3 To give effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Shares sold to, or in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. The purchaser or his nominee shall be registered as the holder of the Shares comprised in any such transfer, and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the sale or the exercise of the Companys power of sale under the Articles.
13.4 The net proceeds of such sale after payment of costs, shall be applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable and any balance shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the Shares before the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the Shares at the date of the sale.
14 Call on Shares
14.1 Subject to the terms of the allotment and issue of any Shares, the Directors may make calls upon the Members in respect of any monies unpaid on their Shares (whether in respect of par value or premium), and each Member shall (subject to receiving at least fourteen clear days notice specifying the time or times of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times so specified the amount called on the Shares. A call may be revoked or postponed, in whole or in part, as the Directors may determine. A call may be required to be paid by instalments. A person upon whom a call is made shall remain liable for calls made upon him notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was made.
14.2 A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising such call was passed.
14.3 The joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof.
14.4 If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable, the person from whom it is due shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day it became due and payable until it is paid at such rate as the Directors may determine (and in addition all expenses that have been incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment), but the Directors may waive payment of the interest or expenses wholly or in part.
14.5 An amount payable in respect of a Share on issue or allotment or at any fixed date, whether on account of the par value of the Share or premium or otherwise, shall be deemed to be a call and if it is not paid all the provisions of the Articles shall apply as if that amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call.
14.6 The Directors may issue Shares with different terms as to the amount and times of payment of calls, or the interest to be paid.
14.7 The Directors may, if they think fit, receive an amount from any Member willing to advance all or any part of the monies uncalled and unpaid upon any Shares held by him, and may (until the amount would otherwise become payable) pay interest at such rate as may be agreed upon between the Directors and the Member paying such amount in advance.
14.8 No such amount paid in advance of calls shall entitle the Member paying such amount to any portion of a Dividend or other distribution payable in respect of any period prior to the date upon which such amount would, but for such payment, become payable.
15 Forfeiture of Shares
15.1 If a call or instalment of a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the Directors may give to the person from whom it is due not less than fourteen clear days notice requiring payment of the amount unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued and any expenses incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment. The notice shall specify where payment is to be made and shall state that if the notice is not complied with the Shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited.
15.2 If the notice is not complied with, any Share in respect of which it was given may, before the payment required by the notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors. Such forfeiture shall include all Dividends, other distributions or other monies payable in respect of the forfeited Share and not paid before the forfeiture.
15.3 A forfeited Share may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit and at any time before a sale, re-allotment or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit. Where for the purposes of its disposal a forfeited Share is to be transferred to any person the Directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Share in favour of that person.
15.4 A person any of whose Shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of them and shall surrender to the Company for cancellation the certificate for the Shares forfeited
and shall remain liable to pay to the Company all monies which at the date of forfeiture were payable by him to the Company in respect of those Shares together with interest at such rate as the Directors may determine, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of all monies due and payable by him in respect of those Shares.
15.5 A certificate in writing under the hand of one Director or officer of the Company that a Share has been forfeited on a specified date shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated in it as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the Share. The certificate shall (subject to the execution of an instrument of transfer) constitute a good title to the Share and the person to whom the Share is sold or otherwise disposed of shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, nor shall his title to the Share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the Share.
15.6 The provisions of the Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the par value of the Share or by way of premium as if it had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.
16 Transmission of Shares
16.1 If a Member dies the survivor or survivors (where he was a joint holder) or his legal personal representatives (where he was a sole holder), shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his Shares. The estate of a deceased Member is not thereby released from any liability in respect of any Share, for which he was a joint or sole holder.
16.2 Any person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other way than by transfer) may, upon such evidence being produced as may be required by the Directors, elect, by a notice in writing sent by him to the Company, either to become the holder of such Share or to have some person nominated by him registered as the holder of such Share. If he elects to have another person registered as the holder of such Share he shall sign an instrument of transfer of that Share to that person. The Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by the relevant Member before his death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution, as the case may be.
16.3 A person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other case than by transfer) shall be entitled to the same Dividends, other distributions and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the holder of such Share. However, he shall not, before becoming a Member in respect of a Share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to general meetings of the Company and the Directors may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to have some person nominated by him be registered as the holder of the Share (but the Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by the relevant Member before his death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution or any other
case than by transfer, as the case may be). If the notice is not complied with within ninety days of being received or deemed to be received (as determined pursuant to the Articles) the Directors may thereafter withhold payment of all Dividends, other distributions, bonuses or other monies payable in respect of the Share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with.
17 Class B Share Conversion
17.1 Class B Shares shall convert into Class A Shares on a one-for-one basis (the Initial Conversion Ratio ) (a) at any time and from time to time at the option of the holder thereof and (b) automatically on the business day following the closing of a Business Combination.
17.2 Notwithstanding the Initial Conversion Ratio, in the case that additional Class A Shares or any other equity linked securities are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in the IPO and related to the closing of the Business Combination, all issued and outstanding Class B Shares shall automatically convert into Class A Shares at the time of the closing of the Business Combination at a ratio for which:
(a) the numerator shall be equal to the sum of (A) 25% of all Class A Shares issued or issuable (upon the conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or otherwise) by the Company, related to or in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination (excluding any securities issued or issuable to any seller in the Business Combination) plus (B) the number of Class B Shares issued and outstanding prior to the consummation of the Business Combination; and
(b) the denominator shall be the number of Class B Shares issued and outstanding prior to the closing of the Business Combination.
17.3 The foregoing conversion ratio shall also be adjusted to account for any subdivision (by share split, subdivision, exchange, share dividend, rights issue, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse share split, share consolidation, exchange, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or similar reclassification or recapitalization of the issued and outstanding Class A Shares into a greater or lesser number of shares occurring after the original filing of these Articles without a proportionate and corresponding subdivision, combination or similar reclassification or recapitalization of the outstanding Class B Shares.
17.4 Each Class B Share shall convert into its pro rata number of Class A Shares pursuant to this Article 17. The pro rata share for each holder of Class B Shares will be determined as follows: each Class B Share shall convert into such number of Class A Shares as is equal to the product of 1 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total number of Class A Shares into which all of the issued and outstanding Class B Shares shall be converted pursuant to this Article and the denominator of which shall be the total number of issued and outstanding shares of Class B Shares at the time of conversion.
17.5 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article 17, in no event may any Class B Share convert into Class A Shares at a ratio that is less than one-for-one.
18 Amendments of Memorandum and Articles of Association and Alteration of Capital
18.1 The Company may by Ordinary Resolution:
(a) increase its share capital by such sum as the Ordinary Resolution shall prescribe and with such rights, priorities and privileges annexed thereto, as the Company in general meeting may determine;
(b) consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger amount than its existing Shares;
(c) convert all or any of its paid-up Shares into stock, and reconvert that stock into paid-up Shares of any denomination;
(d) by subdivision of its existing Shares or any of them divide the whole or any part of its share capital into Shares of smaller amount than is fixed by the Memorandum or into Shares without par value; and
(e) cancel any Shares that at the date of the passing of the Ordinary Resolution have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the Shares so cancelled.
18.2 All new Shares created in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Article shall be subject to the same provisions of the Articles with reference to the payment of calls, liens, transfer, transmission, forfeiture and otherwise as the Shares in the original share capital.
18.3 Subject to the provisions of the Statute and the provisions of the Articles as regards the matters to be dealt with by Ordinary Resolution, the Company may by Special Resolution:
(a) change its name;
(b) alter or add to the Articles;
(c) alter or add to the Memorandum with respect to any objects, powers or other matters specified therein; and
(d) reduce its share capital or any capital redemption reserve fund.
19 Offices and Places of Business
Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Company may by resolution of the Directors change the location of its Registered Office. The Company may, in addition to its Registered Office, maintain such other offices or places of business as the Directors determine.
20 General Meetings
20.1 All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings.
20.2 The Company may, but shall not (unless required by the Statute) be obliged to, in each year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting, and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. Any annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint and if no other time and place is prescribed by them, it shall be held at the Registered Office on the second Wednesday in December of each year at ten oclock in the morning. At these meetings the report of the Directors (if any) shall be presented.
20.3 The Directors may call general meetings, and they shall on a Members requisition forthwith proceed to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the Company.
20.4 A Members requisition is a requisition of Members holding at the date of deposit of the requisition not less than ten per cent. in par value of the issued Shares which as at that date carry the right to vote at general meetings of the Company.
20.5 The Members requisition must state the objects of the meeting and must be signed by the requisitionists and deposited at the Registered Office, and may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists.
20.6 If there are no Directors as at the date of the deposit of the Members requisition or if the Directors do not within twenty-one days from the date of the deposit of the Members requisition duly proceed to convene a general meeting to be held within a further twenty-one days, the requisitionists, or any of them representing more than one-half of the total voting rights of all of the requisitionists, may themselves convene a general meeting, but any meeting so convened shall be held no later than the day which falls three months after the expiration of the said twenty-one day period.
20.7 A general meeting convened as aforesaid by requisitionists shall be convened in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which general meetings are to be convened by Directors.
21 Notice of General Meetings
21.1 At least five clear days notice shall be given of any general meeting. Every notice shall specify the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be conducted at the general meeting and shall be given in the manner hereinafter mentioned or in such other manner if any as may be prescribed by the Company, provided that a general meeting of the Company shall, whether or not the notice specified in this Article has been given and whether or not the provisions of the Articles regarding general meetings have been complied with, be deemed to have been duly convened if it is so agreed:
(a) in the case of an annual general meeting, by all of the Members entitled to attend and vote thereat; and
(b) in the case of an extraordinary general meeting, by a majority in number of the Members having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, together holding not less than ninety five per cent. in par value of the Shares giving that right.
21.2 The accidental omission to give notice of a general meeting to, or the non receipt of notice of a general meeting by, any person entitled to receive such notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of that general meeting.
22 Proceedings at General Meetings
22.1 No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present. Two Members being individuals present in person or by proxy or if a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorised representative or proxy shall be a quorum unless the Company has only one Member entitled to vote at such general meeting in which case the quorum shall be that one Member present in person or by proxy or (in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person) by its duly authorised representative or proxy.
22.2 A person may participate at a general meeting by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. Participation by a person in a general meeting in this manner is treated as presence in person at that meeting.
22.3 A resolution (including a Special Resolution) in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by or on behalf of all of the Members for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings (or, being corporations or other non-natural persons, signed by their duly authorised representatives) shall be as valid and effective as if the resolution had been passed at a general meeting of the Company duly convened and held.
22.4 If a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting to commence or if during such a meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting, if convened upon a Members requisition, shall be dissolved and in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and/or place or to such other day, time and/or place as the Directors may determine, and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Members present shall be a quorum.
22.5 The Directors may, at any time prior to the time appointed for the meeting to commence, appoint any person to act as chairman of a general meeting of the Company or, if the Directors do not make any such appointment, the chairman, if any, of the board of Directors shall preside as chairman at such general meeting. If there is no such chairman, or if he shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, or is unwilling to act, the Directors present shall elect one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
22.6 If no Director is willing to act as chairman or if no Director is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Members present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
22.7 The chairman may, with the consent of a meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting) adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.
22.8 When a general meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Otherwise it shall not be necessary to give any such notice of an adjourned meeting.
22.9 A resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless before, or on the declaration of the result of, the show of hands, the chairman demands a poll, or any other Member or Members collectively present in person or by proxy (or in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorised representative or proxy) and holding at least ten per cent. in par value of the Shares giving a right to attend and vote at the meeting demand a poll.
22.10 Unless a poll is duly demanded and the demand is not withdrawn a declaration by the chairman that a resolution has been carried or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost or not carried by a particular majority, an entry to that effect in the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of that fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution.
22.11 The demand for a poll may be withdrawn.
22.12 Except on a poll demanded on the election of a chairman or on a question of adjournment, a poll shall be taken as the chairman directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the general meeting at which the poll was demanded.
22.13 A poll demanded on the election of a chairman or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such date, time and place as the chairman of the general meeting directs, and any business other than that upon which a poll has been demanded or is contingent thereon may proceed pending the taking of the poll.
22.14 In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the chairman shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.
23 Votes of Members
23.1 Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any Shares, on a show of hands every Member who (being an individual) is present in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person is present by its duly authorised representative or by proxy, shall have one vote and on a
poll every Member present in any such manner shall have one vote for every Share of which he is the holder.
23.2 In the case of joint holders the vote of the senior holder who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy (or, in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorised representative or proxy), shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names of the holders stand in the Register of Members.
23.3 A Member of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court, having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by his committee, receiver, curator bonis, or other person on such Members behalf appointed by that court, and any such committee, receiver, curator bonis or other person may vote by proxy.
23.4 No person shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting unless he is registered as a Member on the record date for such meeting nor unless all calls or other monies then payable by him in respect of Shares have been paid.
23.5 No objection shall be raised as to the qualification of any voter except at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered and every vote not disallowed at the meeting shall be valid. Any objection made in due time in accordance with this Article shall be referred to the chairman whose decision shall be final and conclusive.
23.6 On a poll or on a show of hands votes may be cast either personally or by proxy (or in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorised representative or proxy). A Member may appoint more than one proxy or the same proxy under one or more instruments to attend and vote at a meeting. Where a Member appoints more than one proxy the instrument of proxy shall state which proxy is entitled to vote on a show of hands and shall specify the number of Shares in respect of which each proxy is entitled to exercise the related votes.
23.7 On a poll, a Member holding more than one Share need not cast the votes in respect of his Shares in the same way on any resolution and therefore may vote a Share or some or all such Shares either for or against a resolution and/or abstain from voting a Share or some or all of the Shares and, subject to the terms of the instrument appointing him, a proxy appointed under one or more instruments may vote a Share or some or all of the Shares in respect of which he is appointed either for or against a resolution and/or abstain from voting a Share or some or all of the Shares in respect of which he is appointed.
24 Proxies
24.1 The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing and shall be executed under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing, or, if the appointor is a corporation or other non natural person, under the hand of its duly authorised representative. A proxy need not be a Member.
24.2 The Directors may, in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting, or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, specify the manner by which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited and the place and the time (being not later than the time appointed for the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting to which the proxy relates) at which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited. In the absence of any such direction from the Directors in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited physically at the Registered Office not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for the meeting or adjourned meeting to commence at which the person named in the instrument proposes to vote.
24.3 The chairman may in any event at his discretion declare that an instrument of proxy shall be deemed to have been duly deposited. An instrument of proxy that is not deposited in the manner permitted, or which has not been declared to have been duly deposited by the chairman, shall be invalid.
24.4 The instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form (or such other form as the Directors may approve) and may be expressed to be for a particular meeting or any adjournment thereof or generally until revoked. An instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to include the power to demand or join or concur in demanding a poll.
24.5 Votes given in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal or revocation of the proxy or of the authority under which the proxy was executed, or the transfer of the Share in respect of which the proxy is given unless notice in writing of such death, insanity, revocation or transfer was received by the Company at the Registered Office before the commencement of the general meeting, or adjourned meeting at which it is sought to use the proxy.
25 Corporate Members
Any corporation or other non-natural person which is a Member may in accordance with its constitutional documents, or in the absence of such provision by resolution of its directors or other governing body, authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class of Members, and the person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member.
26 Shares that May Not be Voted
Shares in the Company that are beneficially owned by the Company shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding Shares at any given time.
27 Directors
There shall be a board of Directors consisting of not less than one person (exclusive of alternate Directors) provided however that the Company may by Ordinary Resolution increase or reduce
the limits in the number of Directors. The first Directors of the Company shall be determined in writing by, or appointed by a resolution of, the Subscriber.
28 Powers of Directors
28.1 Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Memorandum and the Articles and to any directions given by Special Resolution, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors who may exercise all the powers of the Company. No alteration of the Memorandum or Articles and no such direction shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had not been given. A duly convened meeting of Directors at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the Directors.
28.2 All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable or transferable instruments and all receipts for monies paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed as the case may be in such manner as the Directors shall determine by resolution.
28.3 The Directors on behalf of the Company may pay a gratuity or pension or allowance on retirement to any Director who has held any other salaried office or place of profit with the Company or to his widow or dependants and may make contributions to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such gratuity, pension or allowance.
28.4 The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and assets (present and future) and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue debentures, debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and other such securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.
29 Appointment and Removal of Directors
29.1 Prior to the closing of a Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution of the holders of the Class B Shares appoint any person to be a Director or may by Ordinary Resolution remove any Director. For the avoidance of doubt, prior to the closing of a Business Combination holders of Class A Shares shall have no right to vote on the appointment or removal of any Director.
29.2 The Directors may appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director provided that the appointment does not cause the number of Directors to exceed any number fixed by or in accordance with the Articles as the maximum number of Directors.
29.3 After the closing of a Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution appoint any person to be a Director or may by Ordinary Resolution remove any Director.
29.4 Article 29.1 may only be amended by a Special Resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of such members as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by
proxy at a general meeting of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been given, or by way of unanimous written resolution of all members..
30 Vacation of Office of Director
The office of a Director shall be vacated if:
(a) the Director gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns the office of Director; or
(b) the Director absents himself (for the avoidance of doubt, without being represented by proxy or an alternate Director appointed by him) from three consecutive meetings of the board of Directors without special leave of absence from the Directors, and the Directors pass a resolution that he has by reason of such absence vacated office; or
(c) the Director dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally; or
(d) the Director is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; or
(e) all of the other Directors (being not less than two in number) determine that he should be removed as a Director, either by a resolution passed by all of the other Directors at a meeting of the Directors duly convened and held in accordance with the Articles or by a resolution in writing signed by all of the other Directors.
31 Proceedings of Directors
31.1 The quorum for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors, and unless so fixed shall be two if there are two or more Directors, and shall be one if there is only one Director. A person who holds office as an alternate Director shall, if his appointor is not present, be counted in the quorum. A Director who also acts as an alternate Director shall, if his appointor is not present, count twice towards the quorum.
31.2 Subject to the provisions of the Articles, the Directors may regulate their proceedings as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have a second or casting vote. A Director who is also an alternate Director shall be entitled in the absence of his appointor to a separate vote on behalf of his appointor in addition to his own vote.
31.3 A person may participate in a meeting of the Directors or any committee of Directors by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other at the same time. Participation by a person in a meeting in this manner is treated as presence in person at that meeting. Unless otherwise determined by the Directors the meeting shall be deemed to be held at the place where the chairman is located at the start of the meeting.
31.4 A resolution in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by all the Directors or all the members of a committee of the Directors or, in the case of a resolution in writing relating to the removal of any Director or the vacation of office by any Director, all of the Directors other than the Director who is the subject of such resolution (an alternate Director being entitled to sign such a resolution on behalf of his appointor and if such alternate Director is also a Director, being entitled to sign such resolution both on behalf of his appointer and in his capacity as a Director) shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors, or committee of Directors as the case may be, duly convened and held.
31.5 A Director or alternate Director may, or other officer of the Company on the direction of a Director or alternate Director shall, call a meeting of the Directors by at least two days notice in writing to every Director and alternate Director which notice shall set forth the general nature of the business to be considered unless notice is waived by all the Directors (or their alternates) either at, before or after the meeting is held. To any such notice of a meeting of the Directors all the provisions of the Articles relating to the giving of notices by the Company to the Members shall apply mutatis mutandis.
31.6 The continuing Directors (or a sole continuing Director, as the case may be) may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to the Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors the continuing Directors or Director may act for the purpose of increasing the number of Directors to be equal to such fixed number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose.
31.7 The Directors may elect a chairman of their board and determine the period for which he is to hold office; but if no such chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the chairman is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
31.8 All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors (including any person acting as an alternate Director) shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any Director or alternate Director, and/or that they or any of them were disqualified, and/or had vacated their office and/or were not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and/or not disqualified to be a Director or alternate Director and/or had not vacated their office and/or had been entitled to vote, as the case may be.
31.9 A Director but not an alternate Director may be represented at any meetings of the board of Directors by a proxy appointed in writing by him. The proxy shall count towards the quorum and the vote of the proxy shall for all purposes be deemed to be that of the appointing Director.
32 Presumption of Assent
A Director or alternate Director who is present at a meeting of the board of Directors at which action on any Company matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting or unless he shall file his written
dissent from such action with the person acting as the chairman or secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by registered post to such person immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director or alternate Director who voted in favour of such action.
33 Directors Interests
33.1 A Director or alternate Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of Auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Directors may determine.
33.2 A Director or alternate Director may act by himself or by, through or on behalf of his firm in a professional capacity for the Company and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a Director or alternate Director.
33.3 A Director or alternate Director may be or become a director or other officer of or otherwise interested in any company promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested as a shareholder, a contracting party or otherwise, and no such Director or alternate Director shall be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits received by him as a director or officer of, or from his interest in, such other company.
33.4 No person shall be disqualified from the office of Director or alternate Director or prevented by such office from contracting with the Company, either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or any contract or transaction entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director or alternate Director shall be in any way interested be or be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director or alternate Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by or arising in connection with any such contract or transaction by reason of such Director or alternate Director holding office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established. A Director (or his alternate Director in his absence) shall be at liberty to vote in respect of any contract or transaction in which he is interested provided that the nature of the interest of any Director or alternate Director in any such contract or transaction shall be disclosed by him at or prior to its consideration and any vote thereon.
33.5 A general notice that a Director or alternate Director is a shareholder, director, officer or employee of any specified firm or company and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction with such firm or company shall be sufficient disclosure for the purposes of voting on a resolution in respect of a contract or transaction in which he has an interest, and after such general notice it shall not be necessary to give special notice relating to any particular transaction.
34 Minutes
The Directors shall cause minutes to be made in books kept for the purpose of recording all appointments of officers made by the Directors, all proceedings at meetings of the Company or the holders of any class of Shares and of the Directors, and of committees of the Directors, including the names of the Directors or alternate Directors present at each meeting.
35 Delegation of Directors Powers
35.1 The Directors may delegate any of their powers, authorities and discretions, including the power to sub-delegate, to any committee consisting of one or more Directors. They may also delegate to any managing director or any Director holding any other executive office such of their powers, authorities and discretions as they consider desirable to be exercised by him provided that an alternate Director may not act as managing director and the appointment of a managing director shall be revoked forthwith if he ceases to be a Director. Any such delegation may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and any such delegation may be revoked or altered by the Directors. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of a committee of Directors shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far as they are capable of applying.
35.2 The Directors may establish any committees, local boards or agencies or appoint any person to be a manager or agent for managing the affairs of the Company and may appoint any person to be a member of such committees, local boards or agencies. Any such appointment may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and any such appointment may be revoked or altered by the Directors. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of any such committee, local board or agency shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far as they are capable of applying.
35.3 The Directors may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any person to be the agent of the Company on such conditions as the Directors may determine, provided that the delegation is not to the exclusion of their own powers and may be revoked by the Directors at any time.
35.4 The Directors may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any company, firm, person or body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or authorised signatory of the Company for such purpose and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under the Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such powers of attorney or other appointment may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorneys or authorised signatories as the Directors may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney or authorised signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him.
35.5 The Directors may appoint such officers of the Company (including, for the avoidance of doubt and without limitation, any secretary) as they consider necessary on such terms, at such remuneration and to perform such duties, and subject to such provisions as to disqualification and removal as the Directors may think fit. Unless otherwise specified in the terms of his appointment an officer of the Company may be removed by resolution of the Directors or Members. An officer of the Company may vacate his office at any time if he gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns his office.
36 Alternate Directors
36.1 Any Director (but not an alternate Director) may by writing appoint any other Director, or any other person willing to act, to be an alternate Director and by writing may remove from office an alternate Director so appointed by him.
36.2 An alternate Director shall be entitled to receive notice of all meetings of Directors and of all meetings of committees of Directors of which his appointor is a member, to attend and vote at every such meeting at which the Director appointing him is not personally present, to sign any written resolution of the Directors, and generally to perform all the functions of his appointor as a Director in his absence.
36.3 An alternate Director shall cease to be an alternate Director if his appointor ceases to be a Director.
36.4 Any appointment or removal of an alternate Director shall be by notice to the Company signed by the Director making or revoking the appointment or in any other manner approved by the Directors.
36.5 Subject to the provisions of the Articles, an alternate Director shall be deemed for all purposes to be a Director and shall alone be responsible for his own acts and defaults and shall not be deemed to be the agent of the Director appointing him.
37 No Minimum Shareholding
The Company in general meeting may fix a minimum shareholding required to be held by a Director, but unless and until such a shareholding qualification is fixed a Director is not required to hold Shares.
38 Remuneration of Directors
38.1 The remuneration to be paid to the Directors, if any, shall be such remuneration as the Directors shall determine. The Directors shall also be entitled to be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with their attendance at meetings of Directors or committees of Directors, or general meetings of the Company, or separate meetings of the holders of any class of Shares or debentures of the Company, or otherwise in connection with the business of the Company or the discharge of their duties as a Director, or to receive a fixed allowance in respect thereof as may be determined by the Directors, or a combination partly of one such method and partly the other.
38.2 The Directors may by resolution approve additional remuneration to any Director for any services which in the opinion of the Directors go beyond his ordinary routine work as a Director. Any fees paid to a Director who is also counsel, attorney or solicitor to the Company, or otherwise serves it in a professional capacity shall be in addition to his remuneration as a Director.
39 Seal
39.1 The Company may, if the Directors so determine, have a Seal. The Seal shall only be used by the authority of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors authorised by the Directors. Every instrument to which the Seal has been affixed shall be signed by at least one person who shall be either a Director or some officer of the Company or other person appointed by the Directors for the purpose.
39.2 The Company may have for use in any place or places outside the Cayman Islands a duplicate Seal or Seals each of which shall be a facsimile of the common Seal of the Company and, if the Directors so determine, with the addition on its face of the name of every place where it is to be used.
39.3 A Director or officer, representative or attorney of the Company may without further authority of the Directors affix the Seal over his signature alone to any document of the Company required to be authenticated by him under seal or to be filed with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere wheresoever.
40 Dividends, Distributions and Reserve
40.1 Subject to the Statute and this Article and except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, the Directors may resolve to pay Dividends and other distributions on Shares in issue and authorise payment of the Dividends or other distributions out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor. A Dividend shall be deemed to be an interim Dividend unless the terms of the resolution pursuant to which the Directors resolve to pay such Dividend specifically state that such Dividend shall be a final Dividend. No Dividend or other distribution shall be paid except out of the realised or unrealised profits of the Company, out of the share premium account or as otherwise permitted by law.
40.2 Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, all Dividends and other distributions shall be paid according to the par value of the Shares that a Member holds. If any Share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for Dividend as from a particular date, that Share shall rank for Dividend accordingly.
40.3 The Directors may deduct from any Dividend or other distribution payable to any Member all sums of money (if any) then payable by him to the Company on account of calls or otherwise.
40.4 The Directors may resolve that any Dividend or other distribution be paid wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets and in particular (but without limitation) by the distribution of shares, debentures, or securities of any other company or in any one or more of such ways and where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Directors may settle the same as they think expedient and in particular may issue fractional Shares and may fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members upon the basis of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all Members and
may vest any such specific assets in trustees in such manner as may seem expedient to the Directors.
40.5 Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, Dividends and other distributions may be paid in any currency. The Directors may determine the basis of conversion for any currency conversions that may be required and how any costs involved are to be met.
40.6 The Directors may, before resolving to pay any Dividend or other distribution, set aside such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall, at the discretion of the Directors, be applicable for any purpose of the Company and pending such application may, at the discretion of the Directors, be employed in the business of the Company.
40.7 Any Dividend, other distribution, interest or other monies payable in cash in respect of Shares may be paid by wire transfer to the holder or by cheque or warrant sent through the post directed to the registered address of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the registered address of the holder who is first named on the Register of Members or to such person and to such address as such holder or joint holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque or warrant shall be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any Dividends, other distributions, bonuses, or other monies payable in respect of the Share held by them as joint holders.
40.8 No Dividend or other distribution shall bear interest against the Company.
40.9 Any Dividend or other distribution which cannot be paid to a Member and/or which remains unclaimed after six months from the date on which such Dividend or other distribution becomes payable may, in the discretion of the Directors, be paid into a separate account in the Companys name, provided that the Company shall not be constituted as a trustee in respect of that account and the Dividend or other distribution shall remain as a debt due to the Member. Any Dividend or other distribution which remains unclaimed after a period of six years from the date on which such Dividend or other distribution becomes payable shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company.
41 Capitalisation
The Directors may at any time capitalise any sum standing to the credit of any of the Companys reserve accounts or funds (including the share premium account and capital redemption reserve fund) or any sum standing to the credit of the profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution; appropriate such sum to Members in the proportions in which such sum would have been divisible amongst such Members had the same been a distribution of profits by way of Dividend or other distribution; and apply such sum on their behalf in paying up in full unissued Shares for allotment and distribution credited as fully paid-up to and amongst them in the proportion aforesaid. In such event the Directors shall do all acts and things required to give effect to such capitalisation, with full power given to the Directors to make such provisions as they think fit in the case of Shares becoming distributable in fractions (including provisions whereby the benefit of fractional entitlements accrue to the Company rather than to the Members concerned). The Directors may authorise any person to enter on behalf of all of the Members
interested into an agreement with the Company providing for such capitalisation and matters incidental or relating thereto and any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all such Members and the Company.
42 Books of Account
42.1 The Directors shall cause proper books of account (including, where applicable, material underlying documentation including contracts and invoices) to be kept with respect to all sums of money received and expended by the Company and the matters in respect of which the receipt or expenditure takes place, all sales and purchases of goods by the Company and the assets and liabilities of the Company. Such books of account must be retained for a minimum period of five years from the date on which they are prepared. Proper books shall not be deemed to be kept if there are not kept such books of account as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of the Companys affairs and to explain its transactions.
42.2 The Directors shall determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors and no Member (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by Statute or authorised by the Directors or by the Company in general meeting.
42.3 The Directors may cause to be prepared and to be laid before the Company in general meeting profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, group accounts (if any) and such other reports and accounts as may be required by law.
43 Audit
43.1 The Directors may appoint an Auditor of the Company who shall hold office on such terms as the Directors determine.
43.2 Every Auditor of the Company shall have a right of access at all times to the books and accounts and vouchers of the Company and shall be entitled to require from the Directors and officers of the Company such information and explanation as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the Auditor.
43.3 Auditors shall, if so required by the Directors, make a report on the accounts of the Company during their tenure of office at the next annual general meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an ordinary company, and at the next extraordinary general meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an exempted company, and at any other time during their term of office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Members.
44 Notices
44.1 Notices shall be in writing and may be given by the Company to any Member either personally or by sending it by courier, post, cable, telex, fax or e-mail to him or to his address as shown in the Register of Members (or where the notice is given by e-mail by sending it to the e-mail address provided by such Member). Any notice, if posted from one country to another, is to be sent by airmail.
44.2 Where a notice is sent by courier, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by delivery of the notice to a courier company, and shall be deemed to have been received on the third day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays) following the day on which the notice was delivered to the courier. Where a notice is sent by post, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre paying and posting a letter containing the notice, and shall be deemed to have been received on the fifth day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays in the Cayman Islands) following the day on which the notice was posted. Where a notice is sent by cable, telex or fax, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing and sending such notice and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was transmitted. Where a notice is given by e-mail service shall be deemed to be effected by transmitting the e-mail to the e-mail address provided by the intended recipient and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was sent, and it shall not be necessary for the receipt of the e-mail to be acknowledged by the recipient.
44.3 A notice may be given by the Company to the person or persons which the Company has been advised are entitled to a Share or Shares in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member in the same manner as other notices which are required to be given under the Articles and shall be addressed to them by name, or by the title of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any like description at the address supplied for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled, or at the option of the Company by giving the notice in any manner in which the same might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred.
44.4 Notice of every general meeting shall be given in any manner authorised by the Articles to every holder of Shares carrying an entitlement to receive such notice on the record date for such meeting except that in the case of joint holders the notice shall be sufficient if given to the joint holder first named in the Register of Members and every person upon whom the ownership of a Share devolves by reason of his being a legal personal representative or a trustee in bankruptcy of a Member where the Member but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting, and no other person shall be entitled to receive notices of general meetings.
45 Winding Up
45.1 If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator shall apply the assets of the Company in satisfaction of creditors claims in such manner and order as such liquidator thinks fit. Subject to the rights attaching to any Shares, in a winding up:
(a) if the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the Companys issued share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them; or
(b) if the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the Companys issued share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up subject to a deduction from those Shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to the Company for unpaid calls or otherwise.
45.2 If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator may, subject to the rights attaching to any Shares and with the sanction of a Special Resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Statute, divide amongst the Members in kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether such assets shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may for that purpose value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the Members as the liquidator, with the like sanction, shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any asset upon which there is a liability.
46 Indemnity and Insurance
46.1 Every Director and officer of the Company (which for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include auditors of the Company), together with every former Director and former officer of the Company (each an Indemnified Person ) shall be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against any liability, action, proceeding, claim, demand, costs, damages or expenses, including legal expenses, whatsoever which they or any of them may incur as a result of any act or failure to act in carrying out their functions other than such liability (if any) that they may incur by reason of their own actual fraud or wilful default. No Indemnified Person shall be liable to the Company for any loss or damage incurred by the Company as a result (whether direct or indirect) of the carrying out of their functions unless that liability arises through the actual fraud or wilful default of such Indemnified Person. No person shall be found to have committed actual fraud or wilful default under this Article unless or until a court of competent jurisdiction shall have made a finding to that effect.
46.2 The Company shall advance to each Indemnified Person reasonable attorneys fees and other costs and expenses incurred in connection with the defence of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation involving such Indemnified Person for which indemnity will or could be sought. In connection with any advance of any expenses hereunder, the Indemnified Person shall execute an undertaking to repay the advanced amount to the Company if it shall be determined by final judgment or other final adjudication that such Indemnified Person was not entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Article. If it shall be determined by a final judgment or other final adjudication that such Indemnified Person was not entitled to indemnification with respect to such
judgment, costs or expenses, then such party shall not be indemnified with respect to such judgment, costs or expenses and any advancement shall be returned to the Company (without interest) by the Indemnified Person.
46.3 The Directors, on behalf of the Company, may purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any Director or other officer of the Company against any liability which, by virtue of any rule of law, would otherwise attach to such person in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which such person may be guilty in relation to the Company.
47 Financial Year
Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe, the financial year of the Company shall end on 31st December in each year and, following the year of incorporation, shall begin on 1st January in each year.
48 Transfer by Way of Continuation
If the Company is exempted as defined in the Statute, it shall, subject to the provisions of the Statute and with the approval of a Special Resolution, have the power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands.
49 Mergers and Consolidations
The Company shall, with the approval of a Special Resolution, have the power to merge or consolidate with one or more constituent companies (as defined in the Statute), upon such terms as the Directors may determine.
Dated this 4th day of December 2015.
Maples Corporate Services Limited
of PO Box 309, Ugland House
Grand Cayman
KY1-1104
Cayman Islands
acting by: |
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/s/Orla Collins |
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Orla Collins |
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/s/ Barb Ouellette |
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Barb Ouellette |
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Witness to the above signature |
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Exhibit 3.2
THE COMPANIES LAW (2013 REVISION)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
AMENDED AND RESTATED
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
(adopted by special resolution dated [ ] 2016)
THE COMPANIES LAW (2013 REVISION)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
AMENDED AND RESTATED
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
(adopted by special resolution dated [ · ] 2016)
1 The name of the Company is Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
2 The Registered Office of the Company shall be at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands, or at such other place within the Cayman Islands as the Directors may decide.
3 The objects for which the Company is established are unrestricted and the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the laws of the Cayman Islands.
4 The liability of each Member is limited to the amount unpaid on such Members shares.
5 The share capital of the Company is US$22,100 divided into 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each, 20,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each and 1,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each.
6 The Company has power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate limited by shares under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands.
7 Capitalised terms that are not defined in this Memorandum of Association bear the respective meanings given to them in the Articles of Association of the Company.
THE COMPANIES LAW (2013 REVISION)
OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
AMENDED AND RESTATED
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
(adopted by special resolution dated [ ] 2016)
1 Interpretation
1.1 In the Articles Table A in the First Schedule to the Statute does not apply and, unless there is something in the subject or context inconsistent therewith:
Articles |
means these articles of association of the Company. |
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Audit Committee |
means the audit committee of the Company formed pursuant to Article 42.2 hereof, or any successor audit committee. |
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Auditor |
means the person for the time being performing the duties of auditor of the Company (if any). |
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Business Combination |
mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganisation or similar business combination, with one or more businesses or entities (the target business ), which Business Combination: (i) must occur with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Fund (excluding the deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the Trust Fund) at the time of the agreement to enter into the Business Combination; and (ii) must not be effectuated with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations. |
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business day |
means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorised or obligated by law to close in New York City. |
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clearing house |
a clearing house recognised by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Shares (or depositary receipts therefor) are listed or |
1.2 In the Articles:
(a) words importing the singular number include the plural number and vice versa;
(b) words importing the masculine gender include the feminine gender;
(c) words importing persons include corporations as well as any other legal or natural person;
(d) written and in writing include all modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form, including in the form of an Electronic Record;
(e) shall shall be construed as imperative and may shall be construed as permissive;
(f) references to provisions of any law or regulation shall be construed as references to those provisions as amended, modified, re-enacted or replaced;
(g) any phrase introduced by the terms including, include, in particular or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words preceding those terms;
(h) the term and/or is used herein to mean both and as well as or. The use of and/or in certain contexts in no respects qualifies or modifies the use of the terms and or or in others. The term or shall not be interpreted to be exclusive and the term and shall not be interpreted to require the conjunctive (in each case, unless the context otherwise requires);
(i) headings are inserted for reference only and shall be ignored in construing the Articles;
(j) any requirements as to delivery under the Articles include delivery in the form of an Electronic Record;
(k) any requirements as to execution or signature under the Articles including the execution of the Articles themselves can be satisfied in the form of an electronic signature as defined in the Electronic Transactions Law;
(l) sections 8 and 19(3) of the Electronic Transactions Law shall not apply;
(m) the term clear days in relation to the period of a notice means that period excluding the day when the notice is received or deemed to be received and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect; and
(n) the term holder in relation to a Share means a person whose name is entered in the Register of Members as the holder of such Share.
2 Commencement of Business
2.1 The business of the Company may be commenced as soon after incorporation of the Company as the Directors shall see fit.
2.2 The Directors may pay, out of the capital or any other monies of the Company, all expenses incurred in or about the formation and establishment of the Company, including the expenses of registration.
3 Issue of Shares
3.1 Subject to the provisions, if any, in the Memorandum (and to any direction that may be given by the Company in general meeting) and, where applicable, the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange and/or any competent regulatory authority, and without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing Shares, the Directors may allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) with or without preferred, deferred or other rights or restrictions, whether in regard to Dividend or other distribution, voting, return of capital or otherwise and to such persons, at such times and on such other terms as they think proper, and may also (subject to the Statute and the Articles) vary such rights, save that the Directors shall not allot, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of Shares (including fractions of a Share) to the extent that it may affect the ability of the Company to carry out a Class B Share Conversion described at Article 17.
3.2 The Company may issue rights, options, warrants or convertible securities or securities of similar nature conferring the right upon the holders thereof to subscribe for, purchase or receive any class of Shares or other securities in the Company on such terms as the Directors may from time to time determine.
3.3 The Company may issue units of securities in the Company, which may be comprised of whole or fractional Shares, rights, options, warrants or convertible securities or securities of similar nature conferring the right upon the holders thereof to subscribe for, purchase or receive any class of Shares or other securities in the Company, upon such terms as the Directors may from time to time determine. The securities comprising any such units which are issued pursuant to the IPO can only be traded separately from one another on the 52 nd day following the date of the prospectus relating to the IPO unless the Underwriters determine that an earlier date is acceptable, subject to the Company having filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC and a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Prior to such date, the units can be traded, but the securities comprising such units cannot be traded separately from one another.
3.4 The Company shall not issue Shares to bearer.
4 Register of Members
4.1 The Company shall maintain or cause to be maintained the Register of Members in accordance with the Statute.
4.2 The Directors may determine that the Company shall maintain one or more branch registers of Members in accordance with the Statute. The Directors may also determine which register of Members shall constitute the principal register and which shall constitute the branch register or registers, and to vary such determination from time to time.
5 Closing Register of Members or Fixing Record Date
5.1 For the purpose of determining Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of Members or any adjournment thereof, or Members entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other purpose, the Directors may, after notice has been given by advertisement in an appointed newspaper or any other newspaper or by any other means in accordance with the requirements of the Designated Stock Exchange, provide that the Register of Members shall be closed for transfers for a stated period which shall not in any case exceed forty days.
5.2 In lieu of, or apart from, closing the Register of Members, the Directors may fix in advance or arrears a date as the record date for any such determination of Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at any meeting of the Members or any adjournment thereof, or for the purpose of determining the Members entitled to receive payment of any Dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of Members for any other purpose.
5.3 If the Register of Members is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of Members entitled to notice of, or to vote at, a meeting of Members or Members entitled to receive payment of a Dividend or other distribution, the date on which notice of the meeting is sent or the date on which the resolution of the Directors resolving to pay such Dividend or other distribution is passed, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Members. When a determination of Members entitled to vote at any meeting of Members has been made as provided in this Article, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof.
6 Certificates for Shares
6.1 A Member shall only be entitled to a share certificate if the Directors resolve that share certificates shall be issued. Share certificates representing Shares, if any, shall be in such form as the Directors may determine. Share certificates shall be signed by one or more Directors or other person authorised by the Directors. The Directors may authorise certificates to be issued with the authorised signature(s) affixed by mechanical process. All certificates for Shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified and shall specify the Shares to which they relate. All certificates surrendered to the Company for transfer shall be cancelled and, subject to the Articles, no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate representing a like number of relevant Shares shall have been surrendered and cancelled.
6.2 The Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate for Shares held jointly by more than one person and delivery of a certificate to one joint holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them.
6.3 If a share certificate is defaced, worn out, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and on the payment of such expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in investigating evidence, as the Directors may prescribe, and (in the case of defacement or wearing out) upon delivery of the old certificate.
6.4 Every share certificate sent in accordance with the Articles will be sent at the risk of the Member or other person entitled to the certificate. The Company will not be responsible for any share certificate lost or delayed in the course of delivery.
6.5 Share certificates shall be issued within the relevant time limit as prescribed by the Statute, if applicable, or as the Designated Stock Exchange may from time to time determine, whichever is shorter, after the allotment or, except in the case of a Share transfer which the Company is for the time being entitled to refuse to register and does not register, after lodgement of a Share transfer with the Company.
7 Transfer of Shares
7.1 Subject to the terms of these Articles, any Member may transfer all or any of his Shares by an instrument of transfer provided that such transfer complies with applicable rules of the SEC and federal and state securities laws of the United States. If the Shares in question were issued in conjunction with rights, options or warrants issued pursuant to Article 3 on terms that one cannot be transferred without the other, the Directors shall refuse to register the transfer of any such Share without evidence satisfactory to them of the like transfer of such option or warrant.
7.2 The instrument of transfer of any Share shall be in writing in the usual or common form or in a form prescribed by the Designated Stock Exchange or in any other form approved by the Directors and shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor (and if the Directors so require, signed by or on behalf of the transferee) and may be under hand or, if the transferor or transferee is a clearing house or its nominee(s), by hand or by machine imprinted signature or by such other manner of execution as the Directors may approve from time to time. The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of a Share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register of Members.
8 Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Shares
8.1 Subject to the provisions of the Statute, and, where applicable, the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange and/or any competent regulatory authority, the Company may issue Shares that are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Member or the Company. The redemption of such Shares, except Shares in the IPO, shall be effected in such manner and upon such other terms as the Company may, by Special Resolution, determine before the issue of such Shares. With respect to the Shares:
(a) Members who hold Shares issued in the IPO are entitled to request redemption of such Shares in the circumstances described in Article 49.3;
(b) Shares held by the Sponsor shall be surrendered to the extent that the Over-allotment Option is not exercised in full so that the Founders will own 20% of the Companys issued and outstanding Shares after the IPO (exclusive of any securities purchased in a private placement simultaneously with the IPO); and
(c) Shares issued in the IPO shall be redeemed by way of tender offer in the circumstances set out in Article 49.2(b).
8.2 Subject to the provisions of the Statute, and, where applicable, the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange and/or any competent regulatory authority, the Company may purchase its own Shares (including any redeemable Shares) in such manner and on such other terms as the Directors may agree with the relevant Member. For the avoidance of doubt, redemptions and surrenders of Shares in the circumstances described at Articles 8.1(a), 8.1(b) and 8.1(c) above shall not require further approval of the Members.
8.3 The Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner permitted by the Statute, including out of capital.
8.4 The Directors may accept the surrender for no consideration of any fully paid Share.
9 Treasury Shares
9.1 The Directors may, prior to the purchase, redemption or surrender of any Share, determine that such Share shall be held as a Treasury Share.
9.2 The Directors may determine to cancel a Treasury Share or transfer a Treasury Share on such terms as they think proper (including, without limitation, for nil consideration).
10 Variation of Rights of Shares
10.1 If at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of Shares, all or any of the rights attached to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class) may, whether or not the Company is being wound up, be varied without the consent of the holders of the issued Shares of that class where such variation is considered by the Directors not to have a material adverse effect upon such rights; otherwise, any such variation shall be made only with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two thirds of the issued Shares of that class, or with the sanction of a resolution passed by a majority of not less than two thirds of the votes cast at a separate meeting of the holders of the Shares of that class. For the avoidance of doubt, the Directors reserve the right, notwithstanding that any such variation may not have a material adverse effect, to obtain consent from the holders of Shares of the relevant class. To any such meeting all the provisions of the Articles relating to general meetings shall apply mutatis mutandis , except that the necessary quorum shall be one person holding or representing by proxy at least one third of the issued Shares of the class and that any holder of Shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll.
10.2 For the purposes of a separate class meeting, the Directors may treat two or more or all the classes of Shares as forming one class of Shares if the Directors consider that such class of Shares would be affected in the same way by the proposals under consideration, but in any other case shall treat them as separate classes of Shares.
10.3 The rights conferred upon the holders of the Shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu therewith.
11 Commission on Sale of Shares
The Company may, in so far as the Statute permits, pay a commission to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe (whether absolutely or conditionally) or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolutely or conditionally) for any Shares. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash and/or the issue of fully or partly paid-up Shares. The Company may also on any issue of Shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful.
12 Non Recognition of Trusts
The Company shall not be bound by or compelled to recognise in any way (even when notified) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any Share, or (except only as is otherwise provided by the Articles or the Statute) any other rights in respect of any Share other than an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the holder.
13 Lien on Shares
13.1 The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on all Shares (whether fully paid-up or not) registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others) for all debts, liabilities or engagements to or with the Company (whether presently payable or not) by such Member or his estate, either alone or jointly with any other person, whether a Member or not, but the Directors may at any time declare any Share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The registration of a transfer of any such Share shall operate as a waiver of the Companys lien thereon. The Companys lien on a Share shall also extend to any amount payable in respect of that Share.
13.2 The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any Shares on which the Company has a lien, if a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable, and is not paid within fourteen clear days after notice has been received or deemed to have been received by the holder of the Shares, or to the person entitled to it in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of the holder, demanding payment and stating that if the notice is not complied with the Shares may be sold.
13.3 To give effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Shares sold to, or in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. The purchaser or his nominee shall be registered as the holder of the Shares comprised in any such transfer, and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the sale or the exercise of the Companys power of sale under the Articles.
13.4 The net proceeds of such sale after payment of costs, shall be applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable and any balance shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the Shares before the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the Shares at the date of the sale.
14 Call on Shares
14.1 Subject to the terms of the allotment and issue of any Shares, the Directors may make calls upon the Members in respect of any monies unpaid on their Shares (whether in respect of par value or premium), and each Member shall (subject to receiving at least fourteen clear days notice specifying the time or times of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times so specified the amount called on the Shares. A call may be revoked or postponed, in whole or in part, as the Directors may determine. A call may be required to be paid by instalments. A person upon whom a call is made shall remain liable for calls made upon him notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was made.
14.2 A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising such call was passed.
14.3 The joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof.
14.4 If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable, the person from whom it is due shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day it became due and payable until it is paid at such rate as the Directors may determine (and in addition all expenses that have been incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment), but the Directors may waive payment of the interest or expenses wholly or in part.
14.5 An amount payable in respect of a Share on issue or allotment or at any fixed date, whether on account of the par value of the Share or premium or otherwise, shall be deemed to be a call and if it is not paid all the provisions of the Articles shall apply as if that amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call.
14.6 The Directors may issue Shares with different terms as to the amount and times of payment of calls, or the interest to be paid.
14.7 The Directors may, if they think fit, receive an amount from any Member willing to advance all or any part of the monies uncalled and unpaid upon any Shares held by him, and may (until the amount would otherwise become payable) pay interest at such rate as may be agreed upon between the Directors and the Member paying such amount in advance.
14.8 No such amount paid in advance of calls shall entitle the Member paying such amount to any portion of a Dividend or other distribution payable in respect of any period prior to the date upon which such amount would, but for such payment, become payable.
15 Forfeiture of Shares
15.1 If a call or instalment of a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the Directors may give to the person from whom it is due not less than fourteen clear days notice requiring payment of the amount unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued and any expenses incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment. The notice shall specify where payment is to be made and shall state that if the notice is not complied with the Shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited.
15.2 If the notice is not complied with, any Share in respect of which it was given may, before the payment required by the notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors. Such forfeiture shall include all Dividends, other distributions or other monies payable in respect of the forfeited Share and not paid before the forfeiture.
15.3 A forfeited Share may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit and at any time before a sale, re-allotment or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit. Where for the purposes of its disposal a forfeited Share is to be transferred to any person the Directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Share in favour of that person.
15.4 A person any of whose Shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of them and shall surrender to the Company for cancellation the certificate for the Shares forfeited and shall remain liable to pay to the Company all monies which at the date of forfeiture were payable by him to the Company in respect of those Shares together with interest at such rate as the Directors may determine, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of all monies due and payable by him in respect of those Shares.
15.5 A certificate in writing under the hand of one Director or officer of the Company that a Share has been forfeited on a specified date shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated in it as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the Share. The certificate shall (subject to the execution of an instrument of transfer) constitute a good title to the Share and the person to whom the Share is sold or otherwise disposed of shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, nor shall his title to the Share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the Share.
15.6 The provisions of the Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the par value of the Share or by way of premium as if it had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.
16 Transmission of Shares
16.1 If a Member dies, the survivor or survivors (where he was a joint holder), or his legal personal representatives (where he was a sole holder), shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his Shares. The estate of a deceased Member is not thereby released from any liability in respect of any Share, for which he was a joint or sole holder.
16.2 Any person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other way than by transfer) may, upon such evidence being produced as may be required by the Directors, elect, by a notice in writing sent by him to the Company, either to become the holder of such Share or to have some person nominated by him registered as the holder of such Share. If he elects to have another person registered as the holder of such Share he shall sign an instrument of transfer of that Share to that person. The Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by the relevant Member before his death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution, as the case may be.
16.3 A person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution of a Member (or in any other case than by transfer) shall be entitled to the same Dividends, other distributions and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the holder of such Share. However, he shall not, before becoming a Member in respect of a Share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to general meetings of the Company and the Directors may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to have some person nominated by him be registered as the holder of the Share (but the Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by the relevant Member before his death or bankruptcy or liquidation or dissolution or any other case than by transfer, as the case may be). If the notice is not complied with within ninety days of being received or deemed to be received (as determined pursuant to the Articles), the Directors may thereafter withhold payment of all Dividends, other distributions, bonuses or other monies payable in respect of the Share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with.
17 Class B Share Conversion
17.1 Class B Shares shall convert into Class A Shares on a one-for-one basis (the Initial Conversion Ratio ) (a) at any time and from time to time at the option of the holder thereof and (b) automatically on the business day following the closing of a Business Combination.
17.2 Notwithstanding the Initial Conversion Ratio, in the case that additional Class A Shares or any other equity linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts sold in the IPO and related to the closing of the Business Combination, all issued and outstanding Class B Shares shall automatically convert into Class A Shares at the time of the closing of the Business Combination at a ratio for which:
(a) the numerator shall be equal to the sum of (A) 25% of all Class A Shares issued or issuable (upon the conversion or exercise of any equity-linked securities or otherwise) by the Company, related to or in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination (excluding any securities issued or issuable to any seller in the Business Combination) plus (B) the number of Class B Shares issued and outstanding prior to the consummation of the Business Combination; and
(b) the denominator shall be the number of Class B Shares issued and outstanding prior to the closing of the Business Combination.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the foregoing adjustment to the Initial Conversion Ratio may be waived as to any particular issuance or deemed issuance of additional Class A Shares or equity-linked securities by the written consent to the Company of holders of a majority of the Class B Shares then outstanding consenting separately as a separate class in the manner provided in Article 10.
17.3 The foregoing conversion ratio shall also be adjusted to account for any subdivision (by share split, subdivision, exchange, share dividend, rights issue, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse share split, share consolidation, exchange, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or similar reclassification or recapitalization of the issued and
outstanding Class A Shares into a greater or lesser number of shares occurring after the original filing of these Articles without a proportionate and corresponding subdivision, combination or similar reclassification or recapitalization of the outstanding Class B Shares.
17.4 Each Class B Share shall convert into its pro rata number of Class A Shares pursuant to this Article 17. The pro rata share for each holder of Class B Shares will be determined as follows: each Class B Share shall convert into such number of Class A Shares as is equal to the product of 1 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total number of Class A Shares into which all of the issued and outstanding Class B Shares shall be converted pursuant to this Article and the denominator of which shall be the total number of issued and outstanding Class B Shares at the time of conversion.
17.5 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article 17, in no event may any Class B Share convert into Class A Shares at a ratio that is less than one-for-one.
18 Amendments of Memorandum and Articles of Association and Alteration of Capital
18.1 The Company may by Ordinary Resolution:
(a) increase its share capital by such sum as the Ordinary Resolution shall prescribe and with such rights, priorities and privileges annexed thereto, as the Company in general meeting may determine;
(b) consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger amount than its existing Shares;
(c) convert all or any of its paid-up Shares into stock, and reconvert that stock into paid-up Shares of any denomination;
(d) by subdivision of its existing Shares or any of them divide the whole or any part of its share capital into Shares of smaller amount than is fixed by the Memorandum or into Shares without par value; and
(e) cancel any Shares that at the date of the passing of the Ordinary Resolution have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the Shares so cancelled.
18.2 All new Shares created in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Article shall be subject to the same provisions of the Articles with reference to the payment of calls, liens, transfer, transmission, forfeiture and otherwise as the Shares in the original share capital.
18.3 Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the provisions of the Articles as regards the matters to be dealt with by Ordinary Resolution and Article 49.1, the Company may by Special Resolution:
(a) change its name;
(b) alter or add to the Articles (subject to Article 29.4);
(c) alter or add to the Memorandum with respect to any objects, powers or other matters specified therein; and
(d) reduce its share capital or any capital redemption reserve fund.
19 Offices and Places of Business
Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Company may by resolution of the Directors change the location of its Registered Office. The Company may, in addition to its Registered Office, maintain such other offices or places of business as the Directors determine.
20 General Meetings
20.1 All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings.
20.2 The Company may, but shall not (unless required by the Statute) be obliged to, in each year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting, and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. Any annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint and if no other time and place is prescribed by them, it shall be held at the Registered Office on the second Wednesday in December of each year at ten oclock in the morning. At these meetings the report of the Directors (if any) shall be presented.
20.3 The Directors, the chief executive officer or the chairman of the board of Directors may call general meetings, and they shall on a Members requisition forthwith proceed to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the Company.
20.4 A Members requisition is a requisition of Members holding at the date of deposit of the requisition not less than ten per cent. in par value of the issued Shares which as at that date carry the right to vote at general meetings of the Company.
20.5 The Members requisition must state the objects of the meeting and must be signed by the requisitionists and deposited at the Registered Office, and may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more requisitionists.
20.6 If there are no Directors as at the date of the deposit of the Members requisition or if the Directors do not within twenty-one days from the date of the deposit of the Members requisition duly proceed to convene a general meeting to be held within a further twenty-one days, the requisitionists, or any of them representing more than one-half of the total voting rights of all of the requisitionists, may themselves convene a general meeting, but any meeting so convened shall be held no later than the day which falls three months after the expiration of the said twenty-one day period.
20.7 A general meeting convened as aforesaid by requisitionists shall be convened in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which general meetings are to be convened by Directors.
20.8 Members seeking to bring business before the annual general meeting or to nominate candidates for election as directors at the annual general meeting must deliver notice to the principal
executive offices of the Company not later than the close of business on the ninetieth day nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred and twentieth day prior to the scheduled date of the annual general meeting.
21 Notice of General Meetings
21.1 At least five clear days notice shall be given of any general meeting. Every notice shall specify the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be conducted at the general meeting and shall be given in the manner hereinafter mentioned or in such other manner if any as may be prescribed by the Company, provided that a general meeting of the Company shall, whether or not the notice specified in this Article has been given and whether or not the provisions of the Articles regarding general meetings have been complied with, be deemed to have been duly convened if it is so agreed:
(a) in the case of an annual general meeting, by all of the Members entitled to attend and vote thereat; and
(b) in the case of an extraordinary general meeting, by a majority in number of the Members having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, together holding not less than ninety-five per cent. in par value of the Shares giving that right.
21.2 The accidental omission to give notice of a general meeting to, or the non receipt of notice of a general meeting by, any person entitled to receive such notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of that general meeting.
22 Proceedings at General Meetings
22.1 No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present. The holders of a majority of the Shares being individuals present in person or by proxy or if a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorised representative or proxy shall be a quorum.
22.2 A person may participate at a general meeting by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. Participation by a person in a general meeting in this manner is treated as presence in person at that meeting.
22.3 A resolution (including a Special Resolution) in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by or on behalf of all of the Members for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings (or, being corporations or other non-natural persons, signed by their duly authorised representatives) shall be as valid and effective as if the resolution had been passed at a general meeting of the Company duly convened and held.
22.4 If a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting to commence or if during such a meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting, if convened upon a Members requisition, shall be dissolved and in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and/or place or to such other day, time and/or place as the Directors may determine, and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present
within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Members present shall be a quorum.
22.5 The Directors may, at any time prior to the time appointed for the meeting to commence, appoint any person to act as chairman of a general meeting of the Company or, if the Directors do not make any such appointment, the chairman, if any, of the board of Directors shall preside as chairman at such general meeting. If there is no such chairman, or if he shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, or is unwilling to act, the Directors present shall elect one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
22.6 If no Director is willing to act as chairman or if no Director is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Members present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
22.7 The chairman may, with the consent of a meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting) adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.
22.8 When a general meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Otherwise it shall not be necessary to give any such notice of an adjourned meeting.
22.9 A resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a poll.
22.10 A poll shall be taken as the chairman directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the general meeting at which the poll was demanded.
22.11 A poll demanded on the election of a chairman or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such date, time and place as the chairman of the general meeting directs, and any business other than that upon which a poll has been demanded or is contingent thereon may proceed pending the taking of the poll.
22.12 In the case of an equality of votes the chairman shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.
23 Votes of Members
23.1 Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any Shares, including as set out at Article 29.4, every Member present in any such manner shall have one vote for every Share of which he is the holder.
23.2 In the case of joint holders the vote of the senior holder who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy (or, in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorised representative or proxy), shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders, and seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names of the holders stand in the Register of Members.
23.3 A Member of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court, having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote by his committee, receiver, curator bonis, or other person on such Members behalf appointed by that court, and any such committee, receiver, curator bonis or other person may vote by proxy.
23.4 No person shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting unless he is registered as a Member on the record date for such meeting nor unless all calls or other monies then payable by him in respect of Shares have been paid.
23.5 No objection shall be raised as to the qualification of any voter except at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered and every vote not disallowed at the meeting shall be valid. Any objection made in due time in accordance with this Article shall be referred to the chairman whose decision shall be final and conclusive.
23.6 Votes may be cast either personally or by proxy (or in the case of a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorised representative or proxy). A Member may appoint more than one proxy or the same proxy under one or more instruments to attend and vote at a meeting. Where a Member appoints more than one proxy the instrument of proxy shall specify the number of Shares in respect of which each proxy is entitled to exercise the related votes.
23.7 A Member holding more than one Share need not cast the votes in respect of his Shares in the same way on any resolution and therefore may vote a Share or some or all such Shares either for or against a resolution and/or abstain from voting a Share or some or all of the Shares and, subject to the terms of the instrument appointing him, a proxy appointed under one or more instruments may vote a Share or some or all of the Shares in respect of which he is appointed either for or against a resolution and/or abstain from voting a Share or some or all of the Shares in respect of which he is appointed.
24 Proxies
24.1 The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing and shall be executed under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing, or, if the appointor is a corporation or other non natural person, under the hand of its duly authorised representative. A proxy need not be a Member.
24.2 The Directors may, in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting, or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, specify the manner by which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited and the place and the time (being not later than the time appointed for the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting to which the proxy relates) at which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited. In the absence of any such direction from the Directors in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited physically at the Registered Office not less than forty-eight hours before the time appointed for the meeting or adjourned meeting to commence at which the person named in the instrument proposes to vote.
24.3 The chairman may in any event at his discretion declare that an instrument of proxy shall be deemed to have been duly deposited. An instrument of proxy that is not deposited in the manner permitted, or which has not been declared to have been duly deposited by the chairman, shall be invalid.
24.4 The instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form (or such other form as the Directors may approve) and may be expressed to be for a particular meeting or any adjournment thereof or generally until revoked. An instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to include the power to demand or join or concur in demanding a poll.
24.5 Votes given in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal or revocation of the proxy or of the authority under which the proxy was executed, or the transfer of the Share in respect of which the proxy is given unless notice in writing of such death, insanity, revocation or transfer was received by the Company at the Registered Office before the commencement of the general meeting, or adjourned meeting at which it is sought to use the proxy.
25 Corporate Members
25.1 Any corporation or other non-natural person which is a Member may in accordance with its constitutional documents, or in the absence of such provision by resolution of its directors or other governing body, authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class of Members, and the person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member.
25.2 If a clearing house (or its nominee(s)), being a corporation, is a Member, it may authorise such persons as it sees fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or at any meeting of any class of Members provided that the authorisation shall specify the number and class of Shares in respect of which each such representative is so authorised. Each person so authorised under the provisions of this Article shall be deemed to have been duly authorised without further evidence of the facts and be entitled to exercise the same rights and powers on behalf of the clearing house (or its nominee(s)) as if such person was the registered holder of such Shares held by the clearing house (or its nominee(s)).
26 Shares that May Not be Voted
Shares in the Company that are beneficially owned by the Company shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding Shares at any given time.
27 Directors
There shall be a board of Directors consisting of not less than one person provided however that the Company may by Ordinary Resolution increase or reduce the limits in the number of Directors.
28 Powers of Directors
28.1 Subject to the provisions of the Statute, the Memorandum and the Articles and to any directions given by Special Resolution, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors who may exercise all the powers of the Company. No alteration of the Memorandum or Articles and no such direction shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had not been given. A duly convened meeting of Directors at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the Directors.
28.2 All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable or transferable instruments and all receipts for monies paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed as the case may be in such manner as the Directors shall determine by resolution.
28.3 The Directors on behalf of the Company may pay a gratuity or pension or allowance on retirement to any Director who has held any other salaried office or place of profit with the Company or to his widow or dependants and may make contributions to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such gratuity, pension or allowance.
28.4 The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and assets (present and future) and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue debentures, debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and other such securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.
29 Appointment and Removal of Directors
29.1 Prior to the closing of a Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution of the holders of the Class B Shares appoint any person to be a Director or may by Ordinary Resolution remove any Director. For the avoidance of doubt, prior to the closing of a Business Combination holders of Class A Shares shall have no right to vote on the appointment or removal of any Director.
29.2 The Directors may appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director provided that the appointment does not cause the number of Directors to exceed any number fixed by or in accordance with the Articles as the maximum number of Directors.
29.3 After the closing of a Business Combination, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution appoint any person to be a Director or may by Ordinary Resolution remove any Director.
29.4 Article 29.1 may only be amended by a Special Resolution passed by a majority of at least 90% of such Members as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been given, or by way of unanimous written resolution of all Members.
30 Vacation of Office of Director
The office of a Director shall be vacated if:
(a) the Director gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns the office of Director; or
(b) the Director absents himself (for the avoidance of doubt, without being represented by proxy) from three consecutive meetings of the board of Directors without special leave of absence from the Directors, and the Directors pass a resolution that he has by reason of such absence vacated office; or
(c) the Director dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally; or
(d) the Director is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; or
(e) all of the other Directors (being not less than two in number) determine that he should be removed as a Director, either by a resolution passed by all of the other Directors at a meeting of the Directors duly convened and held in accordance with the Articles or by a resolution in writing signed by all of the other Directors.
31 Proceedings of Directors
31.1 The quorum for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors, and unless so fixed shall be two if there are two or more Directors, and shall be one if there is only one Director.
31.2 Subject to the provisions of the Articles, the Directors may regulate their proceedings as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
31.3 A person may participate in a meeting of the Directors or committee of Directors by conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all the persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other at the same time. Participation by a person in a meeting in this manner is treated as presence in person at that meeting. Unless otherwise determined by the Directors, the meeting shall be deemed to be held at the place where the chairman is located at the start of the meeting.
31.4 A resolution in writing (in one or more counterparts) signed by all the Directors or all the members of a committee of the Directors or, in the case of a resolution in writing relating to the removal of any Director or the vacation of office by any Director, all of the Directors other than the Director who is the subject of such resolution shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors, or committee of Directors as the case may be, duly convened and held.
31.5 A Director may, or other officer of the Company on the direction of a Director shall, call a meeting of the Directors by at least two days notice in writing to every Director which notice shall set forth the general nature of the business to be considered unless notice is waived by all the Directors either at, before or after the meeting is held. To any such notice of a meeting of the Directors all the provisions of the Articles relating to the giving of notices by the Company to the Members shall apply mutatis mutandis.
31.6 The continuing Directors (or a sole continuing Director, as the case may be) may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to the Articles as the necessary quorum of Directors the continuing Directors or Director may act for the purpose of increasing the number of Directors to be equal to such fixed number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose.
31.7 The Directors may elect a chairman of their board and determine the period for which he is to hold office; but if no such chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the chairman is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to commence, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
31.8 All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any Director, and/or that they or any of them were disqualified, and/or had vacated their office and/or were not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and/or not disqualified to be a Director and/or had not vacated their office and/or had been entitled to vote, as the case may be.
31.9 A Director may be represented at any meetings of the board of Directors by a proxy appointed in writing by him. The proxy shall count towards the quorum and the vote of the proxy shall for all purposes be deemed to be that of the appointing Director.
32 Presumption of Assent
A Director who is present at a meeting of the board of Directors at which action on any Company matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting or unless he shall file his written dissent from such action with the person acting as the chairman or secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by registered post to such person immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director who voted in favour of such action.
33 Directors Interests
33.1 A Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of Auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Directors may determine.
33.2 A Director may act by himself or by, through or on behalf of his firm in a professional capacity for the Company and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a Director.
33.3 A Director may be or become a director or other officer of or otherwise interested in any company promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested as a shareholder, a contracting party or otherwise, and no such Director shall be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits received by him as a director or officer of, or from his interest in, such other company.
33.4 No person shall be disqualified from the office of Director or prevented by such office from contracting with the Company, either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or any contract or transaction entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director shall be in any way interested be or be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by or arising in connection with any such contract or transaction by reason of such Director or alternate Director holding office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established. A Director shall be at liberty to vote in respect of any contract or transaction in which he is interested provided that the nature of the interest of any Director in any such contract or transaction shall be disclosed by him at or prior to its consideration and any vote thereon.
33.5 A general notice that a Director is a shareholder, director, officer or employee of any specified firm or company and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction with such firm or company shall be sufficient disclosure for the purposes of voting on a resolution in respect of a contract or transaction in which he has an interest, and after such general notice it shall not be necessary to give special notice relating to any particular transaction.
34 Minutes
The Directors shall cause minutes to be made in books kept for the purpose of all appointments of officers made by the Directors, all proceedings at meetings of the Company or the holders of any class of Shares and of the Directors, and of committees of the Directors, including the names of the Directors present at each meeting.
35 Delegation of Directors Powers
35.1 The Directors may delegate any of their powers, authorities and discretions, including the power to sub-delegate, to any committee consisting of one or more Directors. Any such delegation may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and any such delegation may be revoked or altered by the Directors. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of a committee of Directors shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far as they are capable of applying.
35.2 The Directors may establish any committees, local boards or agencies or appoint any person to be a manager or agent for managing the affairs of the Company and may appoint any person to be a member of such committees, local boards or agencies. Any such appointment may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and any such appointment may be revoked or altered by the Directors. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of any such committee, local board or agency shall be governed by the Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors, so far as they are capable of applying.
35.3 The Directors may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any person to be the agent of the Company on such conditions as the Directors may determine, provided that the delegation is not to the exclusion of their own powers and may be revoked by the Directors at any time.
35.4 The Directors may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any company, firm, person or body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or authorised signatory of the Company for such purpose and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under the Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such powers of attorney or other appointment may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorneys or authorised signatories as the Directors may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney or authorised signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him.
35.5 The Directors may appoint such officers of the Company (including, for the avoidance of doubt and without limitation, any chairman of the board of Directors, chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, vice-presidents, secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer or any other officers as may be determined by the Directors) as they consider necessary on such terms, at such remuneration and to perform such duties, and subject to such provisions as to disqualification and removal as the Directors may think fit. Unless otherwise specified in the terms of his appointment an officer of the Company may be removed by resolution of the Directors or Members. An officer of the Company may vacate his office at any time if he gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns his office.
36 No Minimum Shareholding
The Company in general meeting may fix a minimum shareholding required to be held by a Director, but unless and until such a shareholding qualification is fixed a Director is not required to hold Shares.
37 Remuneration of Directors
37.1 The remuneration to be paid to the Directors, if any, shall be such remuneration as the Directors shall determine, provided that no remuneration shall be paid to any Director prior to the consummation of a Business Combination. The Directors shall also, whether prior to or after the consummation of a Business Combination, be entitled to be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with their attendance at meetings of Directors or committees of Directors, or general meetings of the Company, or separate meetings of the holders of any class of Shares or debentures of the Company, or otherwise in connection with the business of the Company or the discharge of their duties as a Director, or to receive a fixed allowance in respect thereof as may be determined by the Directors, or a combination partly of one such method and partly the other.
37.2 The Directors may by resolution approve additional remuneration to any Director for any services which in the opinion of the Directors go beyond his ordinary routine work as a Director. Any fees paid to a Director who is also counsel, attorney or solicitor to the Company, or otherwise serves it in a professional capacity shall be in addition to his remuneration as a Director.
38 Seal
38.1 The Company may, if the Directors so determine, have a Seal. The Seal shall only be used by the authority of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors authorised by the Directors. Every
instrument to which the Seal has been affixed shall be signed by at least one person who shall be either a Director or some officer of the Company or other person appointed by the Directors for the purpose.
38.2 The Company may have for use in any place or places outside the Cayman Islands a duplicate Seal or Seals each of which shall be a facsimile of the common Seal of the Company and, if the Directors so determine, with the addition on its face of the name of every place where it is to be used.
38.3 A Director or officer, representative or attorney of the Company may without further authority of the Directors affix the Seal over his signature alone to any document of the Company required to be authenticated by him under seal or to be filed with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere wheresoever.
39 Dividends, Distributions and Reserve
39.1 Subject to the Statute and this Article and except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, the Directors may resolve to pay Dividends and other distributions on Shares in issue and authorise payment of the Dividends or other distributions out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor. A Dividend shall be deemed to be an interim Dividend unless the terms of the resolution pursuant to which the Directors resolve to pay such Dividend specifically state that such Dividend shall be a final Dividend. No Dividend or other distribution shall be paid except out of the realised or unrealised profits of the Company, out of the share premium account or as otherwise permitted by law.
39.2 Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, all Dividends and other distributions shall be paid according to the par value of the Shares that a Member holds. If any Share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for Dividend as from a particular date, that Share shall rank for Dividend accordingly.
39.3 The Directors may deduct from any Dividend or other distribution payable to any Member all sums of money (if any) then payable by him to the Company on account of calls or otherwise.
39.4 The Directors may resolve that any Dividend or other distribution be paid wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets and in particular (but without limitation) by the distribution of shares, debentures, or securities of any other company or in any one or more of such ways and where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Directors may settle the same as they think expedient and in particular may issue fractional Shares and may fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members upon the basis of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all Members and may vest any such specific assets in trustees in such manner as may seem expedient to the Directors.
39.5 Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to any Shares, Dividends and other distributions may be paid in any currency. The Directors may determine the basis of conversion for any currency conversions that may be required and how any costs involved are to be met.
39.6 The Directors may, before resolving to pay any Dividend or other distribution, set aside such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall, at the discretion of the Directors, be applicable for any purpose of the Company and pending such application may, at the discretion of the Directors, be employed in the business of the Company.
39.7 Any Dividend, other distribution, interest or other monies payable in cash in respect of Shares may be paid by wire transfer to the holder or by cheque or warrant sent through the post directed to the registered address of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the registered address of the holder who is first named on the Register of Members or to such person and to such address as such holder or joint holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque or warrant shall be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any Dividends, other distributions, bonuses, or other monies payable in respect of the Share held by them as joint holders.
39.8 No Dividend or other distribution shall bear interest against the Company.
39.9 Any Dividend or other distribution which cannot be paid to a Member and/or which remains unclaimed after six months from the date on which such Dividend or other distribution becomes payable may, in the discretion of the Directors, be paid into a separate account in the Companys name, provided that the Company shall not be constituted as a trustee in respect of that account and the Dividend or other distribution shall remain as a debt due to the Member. Any Dividend or other distribution which remains unclaimed after a period of six years from the date on which such Dividend or other distribution becomes payable shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company.
40 Capitalisation
The Directors may at any time capitalise any sum standing to the credit of any of the Companys reserve accounts or funds (including the share premium account and capital redemption reserve fund) or any sum standing to the credit of the profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution; appropriate such sum to Members in the proportions in which such sum would have been divisible amongst such Members had the same been a distribution of profits by way of Dividend or other distribution; and apply such sum on their behalf in paying up in full unissued Shares for allotment and distribution credited as fully paid-up to and amongst them in the proportion aforesaid. In such event the Directors shall do all acts and things required to give effect to such capitalisation, with full power given to the Directors to make such provisions as they think fit in the case of Shares becoming distributable in fractions (including provisions whereby the benefit of fractional entitlements accrue to the Company rather than to the Members concerned). The Directors may authorise any person to enter on behalf of all of the Members interested into an agreement with the Company providing for such capitalisation and matters incidental or relating thereto and any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all such Members and the Company.
41 Books of Account
41.1 The Directors shall cause proper books of account to be kept with respect to all sums of money received and expended by the Company and the matters in respect of which the receipt or expenditure takes place, all sales and purchases of goods by the Company and the assets and
liabilities of the Company. Proper books of account shall not be deemed to be kept if there are not kept such books of account as are necessary to give a true and fair view of the state of the Companys affairs and to explain its transactions.
41.2 The Directors shall determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors and no Member (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by Statute or authorised by the Directors or by the Company in general meeting.
41.3 The Directors may cause to be prepared and to be laid before the Company in general meeting profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, group accounts (if any) and such other reports and accounts as may be required by law.
42 Audit
42.1 The Directors may appoint an Auditor of the Company who shall hold office on such terms as the Directors determine.
42.2 Without prejudice to the freedom of the Directors to establish any other committee, if the Shares (or depositary receipts therefor) are listed or quoted on the Designated Stock Exchange, and if required by the Designated Stock Exchange, the Directors shall establish and maintain an Audit Committee as a committee of the board of Directors and shall adopt a formal written Audit Committee charter and review and assess the adequacy of the formal written charter on an annual basis. The composition and responsibilities of the Audit Committee shall comply with the rules and regulations of the SEC and the Designated Stock Exchange. The Audit Committee shall meet at least once every financial quarter, or more frequently as circumstances dictate.
42.3 If the Shares (or depositary receipts therefor) are listed or quoted on the Designated Stock Exchange, the Company shall conduct an appropriate review of all related party transactions on an ongoing basis and shall utilise the Audit Committee for the review and approval of potential conflicts of interest.
42.4 The remuneration of the Auditor shall be fixed by the Audit Committee (if one exists).
42.5 If the office of Auditor becomes vacant by resignation or death of the Auditor, or by his becoming incapable of acting by reason of illness or other disability at a time when his services are required, the Directors shall fill the vacancy and determine the remuneration of such Auditor.
42.6 Every Auditor of the Company shall have a right of access at all times to the books and accounts and vouchers of the Company and shall be entitled to require from the Directors and officers of the Company such information and explanation as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the Auditor.
42.7 Auditors shall, if so required by the Directors, make a report on the accounts of the Company during their tenure of office at the next annual general meeting following their appointment in the
case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an ordinary company, and at the next extraordinary general meeting following their appointment in the case of a company which is registered with the Registrar of Companies as an exempted company, and at any other time during their term of office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Members.
43 Notices
43.1 Notices shall be in writing and may be given by the Company to any Member either personally or by sending it by courier, post, cable, telex, fax or e-mail to him or to his address as shown in the Register of Members (or where the notice is given by e-mail by sending it to the e-mail address provided by such Member). Notice may also be served in accordance with the requirements of the Designated Stock Exchange.
43.2 Where a notice is sent by courier, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by delivery of the notice to a courier company, and shall be deemed to have been received on the third day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays) following the day on which the notice was delivered to the courier. Where a notice is sent by post, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre paying and posting a letter containing the notice, and shall be deemed to have been received on the fifth day (not including Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays in the Cayman Islands) following the day on which the notice was posted. Where a notice is sent by cable, telex or fax, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing and sending such notice and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was transmitted. Where a notice is given by e-mail, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by transmitting the e-mail to the e-mail address provided by the intended recipient and shall be deemed to have been received on the same day that it was sent, and it shall not be necessary for the receipt of the e-mail to be acknowledged by the recipient.
43.3 A notice may be given by the Company to the person or persons which the Company has been advised are entitled to a Share or Shares in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member in the same manner as other notices which are required to be given under the Articles and shall be addressed to them by name, or by the title of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any like description at the address supplied for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled, or at the option of the Company by giving the notice in any manner in which the same might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred.
43.4 Notice of every general meeting shall be given in any manner authorised by the Articles to every holder of Shares carrying an entitlement to receive such notice on the record date for such meeting except that in the case of joint holders the notice shall be sufficient if given to the joint holder first named in the Register of Members and every person upon whom the ownership of a Share devolves by reason of his being a legal personal representative or a trustee in bankruptcy of a Member where the Member but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting, and no other person shall be entitled to receive notices of general meetings.
44 Winding Up
44.1 If the Company shall be wound up, the liquidator shall apply the assets of the Company in satisfaction of creditors claims in such manner and order as such liquidator thinks fit. Subject to the rights attaching to any Shares, in a winding up:
(a) if the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the Companys issued share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them; or
(b) if the assets available for distribution amongst the Members shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the Companys issued share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst the Members in proportion to the par value of the Shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up subject to a deduction from those Shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to the Company for unpaid calls or otherwise.
44.2 If the Company shall be wound up, the liquidator may, subject to the rights attaching to any Shares and with the sanction of a Special Resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Statute, divide amongst the Members in kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether such assets shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may for that purpose value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the Members as the liquidator, with the like sanction, shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any asset upon which there is a liability.
45 Indemnity and Insurance
45.1 Every Director and officer of the Company (which for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include auditors of the Company), together with every former Director and former officer of the Company (each an Indemnified Person ) shall be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against any liability, action, proceeding, claim, demand, costs, damages or expenses, including legal expenses, whatsoever which they or any of them may incur as a result of any act or failure to act in carrying out their functions other than such liability (if any) that they may incur by reason of their own actual fraud, wilful neglect or wilful default. No Indemnified Person shall be liable to the Company for any loss or damage incurred by the Company as a result (whether direct or indirect) of the carrying out of their functions unless that liability arises through the actual fraud, wilful neglect or wilful default of such Indemnified Person. No person shall be found to have committed actual fraud, wilful neglect or wilful default under this Article unless or until a court of competent jurisdiction shall have made a finding to that effect.
45.2 The Company shall advance to each Indemnified Person reasonable attorneys fees and other costs and expenses incurred in connection with the defence of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation involving such Indemnified Person for which indemnity will or could be sought. In connection with any advance of any expenses hereunder, the Indemnified Person shall execute
an undertaking to repay the advanced amount to the Company if it shall be determined by final judgment or other final adjudication that such Indemnified Person was not entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Article. If it shall be determined by a final judgment or other final adjudication that such Indemnified Person was not entitled to indemnification with respect to such judgment, costs or expenses, then such party shall not be indemnified with respect to such judgment, costs or expenses and any advancement shall be returned to the Company (without interest) by the Indemnified Person.
45.3 The Directors, on behalf of the Company, may purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any Director or other officer of the Company against any liability which, by virtue of any rule of law, would otherwise attach to such person in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which such person may be guilty in relation to the Company.
46 Financial Year
Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe, the financial year of the Company shall end on 31st December in each year and, following the year of incorporation, shall begin on 1st January in each year.
47 Transfer by Way of Continuation
If the Company is exempted as defined in the Statute, it shall, subject to the provisions of the Statute and with the approval of a Special Resolution, have the power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands.
48 Mergers and Consolidations
The Company shall, with the approval of a Special Resolution, have the power to merge or consolidate with one or more constituent companies (as defined in the Statute), upon such terms as the Directors may determine.
49 Business Combination
49.1 Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, this Article 49 shall apply during the period commencing upon the adoption of these Articles and terminating upon the first to occur of the consummation of any Business Combination and the distribution of the Trust Fund pursuant to Article 49.4. In the event of a conflict between this Article 49 and any other Articles, the provisions of this Article 49 shall prevail, and this Article 49.1 may not be amended prior to the consummation of a Business Combination.
49.2 Prior to the consummation of any Business Combination, the Company shall either:
(a) submit such Business Combination to its Members for approval; or
(b) provide Members with the opportunity to have their Shares redeemed by means of a tender offer for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the Trust Fund, provided that the Company shall not redeem Shares in an amount that would cause the Companys net tangible assets to be less than US$5,000,001.
T he Company shall initiate any tender offer in accordance with Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act ), and shall file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Business Combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about such Business Combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, to redeem Shares issued in the IPO.
At a meeting called for the purposes of approving a Business Combination pursuant to this Article, in the event that a majority of the Shares voted are voted for the approval of the Business Combination, the Company shall be authorised to consummate the Business Combination, provided that the Company shall not consummate any Business Combination unless the Company has net tangible assets of at least US$5,000,001 upon such consummation or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement that may be contained in the agreement relating to the Business Combination.
49.3 Any Member holding Shares issued to persons who are not a Founder, officer or Director may, contemporaneously with any vote on a Business Combination, elect to have their Shares issued in the IPO redeemed for cash (the IPO Redemption ), provided that no such Member acting together with any affiliate of his or any other person with whom he is acting in concert or as a partnership, syndicate, or other group for the purposes of acquiring, holding, or disposing of Shares may exercise this redemption right with respect to more than fifteen per cent. of the Shares issued in the IPO. If so demanded, the Company shall pay any such redeeming Member, regardless of whether he is voting for or against such proposed Business Combination, a per Share redemption price equal to their pro rata share of the Trust Fund (such redemption price being referred to herein as the Redemption Price ).
The Redemption Price shall be paid promptly following the consummation of the relevant Business Combination. If the proposed Business Combination is not approved or completed for any reason then such redemptions shall be cancelled and share certificates (if any) returned to the relevant Members as appropriate.
49.4 In the event that:
(a) the Company does not consummate a Business Combination by twenty-four months after the closing of the IPO the Company shall: (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Shares issued in the IPO, at a per Share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Fund including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Fund and not previously released to the Company to pay its taxes (less up to US$50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Shares issued in the IPO, which redemption will completely extinguish public Members rights as Members (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law; and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Companys remaining Members and its board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to its obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
(b) the Companys Members approve an amendment to Article (a) that would affect the substance or timing of the Companys obligation to redeem the Shares issued in the IPO if the Company did not complete its Business Combination within twenty-four months from closing of the IPO, the Company shall provide the Members holding Shares issued in the IPO with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Shares upon such approval at a per Share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount of the Trust Fund, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Fund and not previously released to the Company to pay its taxes, divided by the number of then outstanding Shares issued in the IPO.
49.5 A holder of Shares issued in the IPO shall be entitled to receive distributions from the Trust Fund only in the event of an IPO Redemption, a redemption of Shares by means of a tender offer pursuant to Article 49.2(b), or a distribution of the Trust Fund pursuant to Article 49.4(a) or (b). In no other circumstance shall a holder of Shares issued in the IPO have any right or interest of any kind in the Trust Fund.
49.6 After the issue of Shares in the IPO, and prior to the consummation of a Business Combination, the Directors shall not issue additional Shares or any other securities that participate in any manner in the Trust Fund or that vote as a class with Shares issued in the IPO on any Business Combination.
49.7 The uninterested independent Directors shall approve any transaction or transactions between the Company and any of the following parties:
(a) any Member owning an interest in the voting power of the Company that gives such Member a significant influence over the Company; and
(b) any Director or executive officer of the Company and any affiliate or relative of such Director or executive officer.
49.8 Any payment made to members of the Audit Committee (if one exists) shall require the review and approval of the Directors, with any Director interested in such payment abstaining from such review and approval.
49.9 A Director may vote in respect of any Business Combination in which such Director has a conflict of interest with respect to the evaluation of such Business Combination. Such Director must disclose such interest or conflict to the other Directors.
49.10 Commencing at the Companys first annual general meeting, and at each annual general meeting thereafter, Directors elected to succeed those Directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the second succeeding annual general meeting after their election. Except as the Statute or other applicable law may otherwise require, in the interim between annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings called for the election of Directors and/or the removal of one or more Directors and the filling of any vacancy in that connection, additional Directors and any vacancies in the board of Directors, including unfilled vacancies resulting from the removal of Directors for cause, may be filled by the vote of a majority of the remaining Directors then in office, although less than a quorum (as defined in these Articles), or by the sole remaining Director. All Directors shall hold office until the expiration of their respective
terms of office and until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. A Director elected to fill a vacancy resulting from the death, resignation or removal of a Director shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the Director whose death, resignation or removal shall have created such vacancy and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified.
49.11 The Audit Committee shall monitor compliance with the terms of the IPO and, if any non-compliance is identified, the Audit Committee shall be charged with the responsibility to take all action necessary to rectify such non-compliance or otherwise cause compliance with the terms of the IPO.
49.12 The Company may enter into a Business Combination with a target business that is affiliated with the Sponsor, the Directors or executive officers of the Company.
50 Certain Tax Filings
Each Tax Filing Authorised Person, and any such other person, acting alone, as any Director shall designate from time to time, are authorised to file tax forms SS-4, W-8 BEN, W-8 IMY, W-9, 8832 and 2553 and such other similar tax forms as are customary to file with any US state or federal governmental authorities or foreign governmental authorities in connection with the formation, activities and/or elections of the Company and such other tax forms as may be approved from time to time by any Director or officer of the Company. The Company further ratifies and approves any such filing made by any Tax Filing Authorised Person or such other person prior to the date of this Agreement.
Exhibit 4.1
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NUMBER UNITS U- |
SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS |
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CUSIP G0726L 109 |
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
UNITS CONSISTING OF ONE CLASS A ORDINARY SHARE AND ONE
WARRANT TO PURCHASE ONE-HALF OF ONE CLASS A ORDINARY SHARE
THIS CERTIFIES THAT |
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is the owner of |
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Each Unit ( Unit ) consists of one (1) Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share ( Ordinary Shares ), of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Company ), and one (1) warrant (the Warrant ). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one-half (1/2) of one Ordinary Share (subject to adjustment) for $5.75 per one-half share (or $11.50 per whole share) (subject to adjustment). A Warrant may not be exercised for a fractional Ordinary Share. Each Warrant will become exercisable on the later of (i) thirty (30) days after the Companys completion of a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses (each a Business Combination ), or (ii) twelve (12) months from the closing of the Companys initial public offering, and will expire, unless exercised before 5:00 p.m., New York City Time, on the date that is five (5) years after the date on which the Company completes its initial Business Combination, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. The Ordinary Shares and Warrants comprising the Units represented by this certificate are not transferable separately prior to , 2016, unless Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC elects to allow separate trading earlier, subject to the Companys filing of a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission containing an audited balance sheet reflecting the Companys receipt of the gross proceeds of its initial public offering and issuing a press release announcing when separate trading will begin. The terms of the Warrants are governed by a Warrant Agreement, dated as of , 2016, between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Warrant Agent, and are subject to the terms and provisions contained therein, all of which terms and provisions the holder of this certificate consents to by acceptance hereof. Copies of the Warrant Agreement are on file at the office of the Warrant Agent at 17 Battery Place, New York, New York 10004, and are available to any Warrant holder on written request and without cost.
This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and Registrar of the Company.
This certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
Witness the facsimile signature of its duly authorized officers.
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Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
The Company will furnish without charge to each unitholder who so requests, a statement of the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of shares or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
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as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common |
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Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
For value received, hereby sell, assign and transfer unto
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PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE |
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(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE) |
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Units represented by the within Certificate, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint |
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Attorney to transfer the said Units on the books of the within named Company with full power of substitution in the premises. |
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Dated : |
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The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever. |
Signature(s) Guaranteed: |
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THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED). |
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In each case, as more fully described in the Companys final prospectus dated , 2016, the holder(s) of this certificate shall be entitled to receive a pro-rata portion of certain funds held in the trust account established in connection with its initial public offering only in the event that (i) the Company redeems the Class A ordinary shares sold in its initial public offering and liquidates because it does not consummate an initial business combination by , 2018, (ii) the Company redeems the Class A ordinary shares sold in its initial public offering in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance and timing of the Companys obligation to redeem 100% of the Class A ordinary shares if it does not consummate and initial business combination by , 2018, or (iii) if the holder(s) seek(s) to redeem for cash his, her or its respective Class A ordinary shares in connection with a tender offer (or proxy solicitation, solely in the event the Company seeks shareholder approval of the proposed initial business combination) setting forth the details of a proposed initial business combination. In no other circumstances shall the holder(s) have any right or interest of any kind in or to the trust account.
Exhibit 4.2
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NUMBER C SHARES SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS CUSIP G0726L 125 |
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES
This Certifies that |
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is the owner of |
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FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES OF THE PAR VALUE OF $0.0001 EACH OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
(THE COMPANY)
transferable on the books of the Company in person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this certificate properly endorsed.
The Company will be forced to redeem all of its Class A ordinary shares if it is unable to complete a business combination by , 2018 all as more fully described in the Companys final prospectus dated , 2016.
This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar.
Witness the seal of the Company and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers.
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[Corporate Seal]
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AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
The Company will furnish without charge to each shareholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of shares or series thereof of the Company and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. This certificate and the shares represented thereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and all amendments thereto and resolutions of the Board of Directors providing for the issue of securities (copies of which may be obtained from the secretary of the Company), to all of which the holder of this certificate by acceptance hereof assents. The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
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under Uniform Gifts to Minors |
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For value received, hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
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Shares represented by the within Certificate, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint |
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Attorney to transfer the said shares on the books of the within named Company with full power of substitution in the premises. |
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Dated: |
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NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE(S) TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER. |
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Signature(s) Guaranteed:
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THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED).
In each case, as more fully described in the Companys final prospectus dated , 2016, the holder(s) of this certificate shall be entitled to receive a pro-rata portion of certain funds held in the trust account established in connection with its initial public offering only in the event that (i) the Company redeems the Class A ordinary shares sold in its initial public offering and liquidates because it does not consummate an initial business combination by , 2018, (ii) the Corporation redeems the Class A ordinary shares sold in its initial public offering in connection with a shareholder vote to amend the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to modify the substance and timing of the Companys obligation to redeem 100% of the Class A ordinary shares if it does not consummate and initial business combination by , 2018, or (iii) if the holder(s) seek(s) to redeem for cash his, her or its respective Class A ordinary shares in connection with a tender offer (or proxy solicitation, solely in the event the Company seeks shareholder approval of the proposed initial business combination) setting forth the details of a proposed initial business combination. In no other circumstances shall the holder(s) have any right or interest of any kind in or to the trust account.
Exhibit 4.3
[FACE]
Number
Warrants
THIS WARRANT SHALL BE VOID IF NOT EXERCISED PRIOR TO
THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXERCISE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR
IN THE WARRANT AGREEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
Incorporated Under the Laws of the Cayman Islands
CUSIP G0726L 117
Warrant Certificate
This Warrant Certificate certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered holder of warrant(s) (the Warrants and each, a Warrant ) to purchase Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value ( Ordinary Shares ), of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Company ). Each Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise during the period set forth in the Warrant Agreement referred to below, to receive from the Company that number of fully paid and nonassessable Ordinary Shares as set forth below, at the exercise price (the Exercise Price ) as determined pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, payable in lawful money (or through cashless exercise as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) of the United States of America upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate and payment of the Exercise Price at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent referred to below, subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the Warrant Agreement. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Each Warrant is initially exercisable for one-half of one fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Share. The number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
The initial Exercise Price per one-half Ordinary Share for any Warrant is equal to $5.75 (or $11.50 per whole share). A Warrant may not be exercised for a fractional Ordinary Share. The Exercise Price is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Subject to the conditions set forth in the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants may be exercised only during the Exercise Period and to the extent not exercised by the end of such Exercise Period, such Warrants shall become void.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Warrant Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid unless countersigned by the Warrant Agent, as such term is used in the Warrant Agreement.
This Warrant Certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.
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AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP. |
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CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, AS WARRANT AGENT |
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[Form of Warrant Certificate]
[Reverse]
The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly authorized issue of Warrants entitling the holder on exercise to receive Ordinary Shares and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement dated as of [ · ], 2016 (the Warrant Agreement ), duly executed and delivered by the Company to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, as warrant agent (the Warrant Agent ), which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Warrant Agent, the Company and the holders (the words holders or holder meaning the Registered Holders or Registered Holder) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Warrants may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may exercise them by surrendering this Warrant Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth hereon properly completed and executed, together with payment of the Exercise Price as specified in the Warrant Agreement (or through cashless exercise as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the number of Warrants exercised shall be less than the total number of Warrants evidenced hereby, there shall be issued to the holder hereof or his, her or its assignee, a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants not exercised.
Notwithstanding anything else in this Warrant Certificate or the Warrant Agreement, no Warrant may be exercised unless at the time of exercise (i) a registration statement covering the Ordinary Shares to be issued upon exercise is effective under the Securities Act and (ii) a prospectus thereunder relating to the Ordinary Shares is current, except through cashless exercise as provided for in the Warrant Agreement.
The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted. If, upon exercise of a Warrant, the holder thereof would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company shall, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the holder of the Warrant.
Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent by the Registered Holder thereof in person or by legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.
Upon due presentation for registration of transfer of this Warrant Certificate at the office of the Warrant Agent a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee(s) in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.
The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Registered Holder(s) hereof as the absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Neither the Warrants nor this Warrant Certificate entitles any holder hereof to any rights of a shareholder of the Company.
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise of Warrant)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive Ordinary Shares and herewith tenders payment for such Ordinary Shares to the order of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the Company ) in the amount of $ in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Ordinary Shares be delivered to whose address is . If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to , whose address is .
In the event that the Warrant has been called for redemption by the Company pursuant to Section 6 of the Warrant Agreement and the Company has required cashless exercise pursuant to Section 6.3 of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with subsection 3.3.1(b) and Section 6.3 of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant is a Private Placement Warrant that is to be exercised on a cashless basis pursuant to subsection 3.3.1(c) of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with subsection 3.3.1(c) of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant is to be exercised on a cashless basis pursuant to Section 7.4 of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with Section 7.4 of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant may be exercised, to the extent allowed by the Warrant Agreement, through cashless exercise (i) the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for would be determined in accordance with the relevant section of the Warrant Agreement which allows for such cashless exercise and (ii) the holder hereof shall complete the following: The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, through the cashless exercise provisions of the Warrant Agreement, to receive Ordinary Shares. If said number of shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder (after giving effect to the cashless exercise), the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to , whose address is .
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THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED).
Exhibit 4.4
FORM OF WARRANT AGREEMENT
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
and
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
Dated as of , 2016
THIS WARRANT AGREEMENT (this Agreement ), dated as of , 2016, is by and between Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Company ), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, as warrant agent (the Warrant Agent , also referred to herein as the Transfer Agent ).
WHEREAS, it is proposed that the Company enter into that certain Sponsor Warrants Purchase Agreement (as may be amended and restated from time to time, the Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement ), with Avista Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Sponsor ), pursuant to which the Sponsor will purchase an aggregate of up to 17,800,000 warrants (including up to 1,800,000 warrants subject to the Over-allotment Option (as defined below) in connection with the Companys Offering (as defined below)) simultaneously with the closing of the Offering, bearing the legend set forth in Exhibit B hereto (the Private Placement Warrants ) at a purchase price of $0.50 per Private Placement Warrant; and
WHEREAS, the Company is engaged in an initial public offering (the Offering ) of units of the Companys equity securities, each such unit comprised of one Ordinary Share (as defined below) and one Public Warrant (as defined below) (the Units ) and, in connection therewith, has determined to issue and deliver up to 34,500,000 warrants (including up to 4,500,000 warrants subject to the Over-allotment Option) to public investors in the Offering (the Public Warrants and, together with the Private Placement Warrants, the Warrants ). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one-half of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share ( Ordinary Shares ), for $5.75 (or $11.50 per whole share), subject to adjustment as described herein. Warrants are exercisable only for a whole number of Ordinary Shares; and
WHEREAS, the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission ) a registration statement on Form S-1, No. 333[ · ] (the Registration Statement ), and prospectus (the Prospectus ), for the registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act ), of the Units, the Public Warrants and the Ordinary Shares included in the Units; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption and exercise of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Warrants, the terms upon which they shall be issued and exercised, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Warrant Agent, and the holders of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Warrants, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Warrant Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Appointment of Warrant Agent . The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Warrants, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
2. Warrants .
2.1 Form of Warrant . Each Warrant shall be issued in registered form only.
2.2 Effect of Countersignature . If a physical certificate is issued, unless and until countersigned by the Warrant Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Warrant shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exercised by the holder thereof.
2.3 Registration .
2.3.1 Warrant Register . The Warrant Agent shall maintain books (the Warrant Register ), for the registration of original issuance and the registration of transfer of the Warrants. Upon the initial issuance of the Warrants in book-entry form, the Warrant Agent shall issue and register the Warrants in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Warrant Agent by the Company. Ownership of beneficial interests in the Public Warrants shall be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership shall be effected through, records maintained by institutions that have accounts with The Depository Trust Company (the Depositary ) (such institution, with respect to a Warrant in its account, a Participant ).
If the Depositary subsequently ceases to make its book-entry settlement system available for the Public Warrants, the Company may instruct the Warrant Agent regarding making other arrangements for book-entry settlement. In the event that the Public Warrants are not eligible for, or it is no longer necessary to have the Public Warrants available in, book-entry form, the Warrant Agent shall provide written instructions to the Depositary to deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation each book-entry Public Warrant, and the Company shall instruct the Warrant Agent to deliver to the Depositary definitive certificates in physical form evidencing such Warrants which shall be in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit A .
Physical certificates, if issued, shall be signed by, or bear the facsimile signature of, the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or other
principal officer of the Company. In the event the person whose facsimile signature has been placed upon any Warrant shall have ceased to serve in the capacity in which such person signed the Warrant before such Warrant is issued, it may be issued with the same effect as if he or she had not ceased to be such at the date of issuance.
2.3.2 Registered Holder . Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Warrant, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Warrant is registered in the Warrant Register (the Registered Holder ) as the absolute owner of such Warrant and of each Warrant represented thereby, for the purpose of any exercise thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
2.4 Detachability of Warrants . The Ordinary Shares and Public Warrants comprising the Units shall begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of the Prospectus or, if such 52nd day is not on a day, other than a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday, on which banks in New York City are generally open for normal business (a Business Day ), then on the immediately succeeding Business Day following such date, or earlier (the Detachment Date ) with the consent of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, but in no event shall the Ordinary Shares and the Public Warrants comprising the Units be separately traded until (A) the Company has filed a current report on Form 8-K with the Commission containing an audited balance sheet reflecting the receipt by the Company of the gross proceeds of the Offering, including the proceeds received by the Company from the exercise by the underwriters of their right to purchase additional Units in the Offering (the Over-allotment Option ), if the Over-allotment Option is exercised prior to the filing of the Form 8-K, and (B) the Company issues a press release and files with the Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K announcing when such separate trading shall begin.
2.5 Private Placement Warrants . The Private Placement Warrants shall be identical to the Public Warrants, except that so long as they are held by the Sponsor or any of its Permitted Transferees (as defined below) the Private Placement Warrants: (i) may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis, pursuant to subsection 3.3.1(c) hereof, (ii) may not be transferred, assigned or sold until thirty (30) days after the completion by the Company of an initial Business Combination (as defined below), and (iii) shall not be redeemable by the Company; provided , however , that in the case of (ii), the Private Placement Warrants and any Ordinary Shares issued upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants may be transferred by the holders thereof:
(a) to the Companys officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of the Companys officers or directors, any members of the Sponsor, or any affiliates of the Sponsor,
(b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of the individuals immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individuals immediate family or an affiliate of such person, or to a charitable organization;
(c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual;
(d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order;
(e) by private sales or by transfers made in connection with the consummation of the Companys Business Combination at prices no greater than the price at which the shares were originally purchased;
(f) in the event of the Companys liquidation prior to the Companys completion of an initial Business Combination;
(g) by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or the Sponsors limited memorandum and articles of association upon dissolution of the Sponsor; and
(h) in the event of the Companys completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of the Companys shareholders having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to the completion of the Companys initial Business Combination; provided , however , that, in the case of clauses (a) through (e), these permitted transferees (the Permitted Transferees ) must enter into a written agreement with the Company agreeing to be bound by the transfer restrictions in this Agreement.
3. Terms and Exercise of Warrants .
3.1 Warrant Price . Each Warrant shall, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent, entitle the Registered Holder thereof, subject to the provisions of such Warrant and of this Agreement, to purchase from the Company the number of Ordinary Shares stated therein, at the price of $5.75 per half-share (or $11.50 per whole share), subject to the adjustments provided in Section 4 hereof and in the last sentence of this Section 3.1 . The term Warrant Price as used in this Agreement shall mean the price per share at which Ordinary Shares may be purchased at the time a Warrant is exercised. The Company in its sole discretion may lower the Warrant Price at any time prior to the Expiration Date (as defined below) for a period of not less than twenty (20) Business Days, provided, that the Company shall provide at least twenty (20) days prior written notice of such reduction to Registered Holders of the Warrants and, provided further that any such reduction shall be identical among all of the Warrants.
3.2 Duration of Warrants . A Warrant may be exercised only during the period (the Exercise Period ) commencing on the later of: (i) the date that is thirty (30) days after the first date on which the Company completes a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination, involving the Company and one or more businesses (a Business Combination ), or (ii) the date that is twelve (12) months from the date of the closing of the Offering, and terminating at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the earlier to occur of: (x) the date that is five (5) years after the date on which the Company completes its initial Business Combination, (y) the liquidation of the Company in accordance with the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended from time to time, if the Company fails to complete a Business Combination, or (z) other than with respect to the Private Placement Warrants, the Redemption Date (as defined below) as provided in Section 6.2 hereof (the Expiration Date ); provided , however , that the exercise of
any Warrant shall be subject to the satisfaction of any applicable conditions, as set forth in subsection 3.3.2 below, with respect to an effective registration statement. Except with respect to the right to receive the Redemption Price (as defined below) (other than with respect to a Private Placement Warrant) in the event of a redemption (as set forth in Section 6 hereof), each Warrant (other than a Private Placement Warrant in the event of a redemption) not exercised on or before the Expiration Date shall become void, and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof under this Agreement shall cease at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the Expiration Date. The Company in its sole discretion may extend the duration of the Warrants by delaying the Expiration Date; provided , that the Company shall provide at least twenty (20) days prior written notice of any such extension to Registered Holders of the Warrants and, provided further that any such extension shall be identical in duration among all the Warrants.
3.3 Exercise of Warrants .
3.3.1 Payment . Subject to the provisions of the Warrant and this Agreement, a Warrant, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent, may be exercised by the Registered Holder thereof by surrendering it, at the office of the Warrant Agent, or at the office of its successor as Warrant Agent, together with (i) an election to purchase form, duly executed, electing to exercise such Warrants and (ii) payment in full of the Warrant Price for each full Ordinary Share as to which the Warrant is exercised and any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the exercise of the Warrant, the exchange of the Warrant for the Ordinary Shares and the issuance of such Ordinary Shares, as follows:
(a) in lawful money of the United States, in good certified check or good bank draft payable to the order of the Warrant Agent;
(b) in the event of a redemption pursuant to Section 6 hereof in which the Companys board of directors (the Board ) has elected to require all holders of the Warrants to exercise such Warrants on a cashless basis, by surrendering the Warrants for that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the Fair Market Value, as defined in this subsection 3.3.1(b) , over the Warrant Price by (y) the Fair Market Value. Solely for purposes of this subsection 3.3.1(b) and Section 6.3 , the Fair Market Value shall mean the average last sale price of the Ordinary Shares for the ten (10) trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the Warrants, pursuant to Section 6 hereof;
(c) with respect to any Private Placement Warrant, so long as such Private Placement Warrant is held by the Sponsor or a Permitted Transferee, by surrendering the Warrants for that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the Fair Market Value, as defined in this subsection 3.3.1(c) , over the Warrant Price by (y) the Fair Market Value. Solely for purposes of this subsection 3.3.1(c) , the Fair Market Value shall mean the average last sale price of the Ordinary Shares for the ten (10) trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which notice of exercise of the Warrant is sent to the Warrant Agent; or
(d) as provided in Section 7.4 hereof.
3.3.2 Issuance of Ordinary Shares on Exercise . As soon as practicable after the exercise of any Warrant and the clearance of the funds in payment of the Warrant Price (if payment is pursuant to subsection 3.3.1(a) ), the Company shall issue to the Registered Holder of such Warrant a book-entry position or certificate, as applicable, for the number of full Ordinary Shares to which he, she or it is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by him, her or it, and if such Warrant shall not have been exercised in full, a new book-entry position or countersigned Warrant, as applicable, for the number of shares as to which such Warrant shall not have been exercised. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be obligated to deliver any Ordinary Shares pursuant to the exercise of a Warrant and shall have no obligation to settle such Warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Ordinary Shares underlying the Public Warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to the Companys satisfying its obligations under Section 7.4 . No Warrant shall be exercisable and the Company shall not be obligated to issue Ordinary Shares upon exercise of a Warrant unless the Ordinary Shares issuable upon such Warrant exercise have been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the Registered Holder of the Warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a Warrant, the holder of such Warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such Warrant and such Warrant may have no value and expire worthless, in which case the purchaser of a Unit containing such Public Warrants shall have paid the full purchase price for the Unit solely for the Ordinary Shares underlying such Unit. Subject to Section 4.6 of this Agreement, a Registered Holder of Warrants may exercise its Warrants only for a whole number of Ordinary Shares. The Company may require holders of Public Warrants to settle the Warrant on a cashless basis pursuant to Section 7.4 . If, by reason of any exercise of warrants on a cashless basis, the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company shall round down to the nearest whole number, the number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to such holder.
3.3.3 Valid Issuance . All Ordinary Shares issued upon the proper exercise of a Warrant in conformity with this Agreement shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
3.3.4 Date of Issuance . Each person in whose name any book-entry position or certificate, as applicable, for Ordinary Shares is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such Ordinary Shares on the date on which the Warrant, or book-entry position representing such Warrant, was surrendered and payment of the Warrant Price was made, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate in the case of a certificated Warrant, except that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date when the share transfer books of the Company or book-entry system of the Warrant Agent are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the holder of such shares at the close of business on the next succeeding date on which the share transfer books or book-entry system are open.
3.3.5 Maximum Percentage . A holder of a Warrant may notify the Company in writing in the event it elects to be subject to the provisions contained in this subsection 3.3.5 ; however , no holder of a Warrant shall be subject to this subsection 3.3.5 unless
he, she or it makes such election. If the election is made by a holder, the Warrant Agent shall not affect the exercise of the holders Warrant, and such holder shall not have the right to exercise such Warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such persons affiliates), to the Warrant Agents actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% (the Maximum Percentage ) of the Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of Ordinary Shares beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates shall include the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude Ordinary Shares that would be issuable upon (x) exercise of the remaining, unexercised portion of the Warrant beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates and (y) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company beneficially owned by such person and its affiliates (including, without limitation, any convertible notes or convertible preferred shares or warrants) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this paragraph, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act ). For purposes of the Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares, the holder may rely on the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares as reflected in (1) the Companys most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, current report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Commission as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of Ordinary Shares outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon the written request of the holder of the Warrant, the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days, confirm orally and in writing to such holder the number of Ordinary Shares then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of equity securities of the Company by the holder and its affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding Ordinary Shares was reported. By written notice to the Company, the holder of a Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage applicable to such holder to any other percentage specified in such notice; provided , however , that any such increase shall not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company.
4. Adjustments .
4.1 Stock Dividends .
4.1.1 Split-Ups . If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 below, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares is increased by a capitalization of Ordinary Shares, or by a split-up of Ordinary Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such stock dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding Ordinary Shares. A rights offering to holders of Ordinary Shares entitling holders to purchase Ordinary Shares at a price less than the Fair Market Value (as defined below) shall be deemed a capitalization of a number of Ordinary Shares equal to the product of (i) the number of Ordinary Shares actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for the Ordinary
Shares) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per Ordinary Share paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the Fair Market Value. For purposes of this subsection 4.1.1 , (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Ordinary Shares, in determining the price payable for Ordinary Shares, there shall be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) Fair Market Value means the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the Ordinary Shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
4.1.2 Extraordinary Dividends . If the Company, at any time while the Warrants are outstanding and unexpired, shall pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Ordinary Shares on account of such Ordinary Shares (or other shares of the Companys share capital into which the Warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described in subsection 4.1.1 above, (b) Ordinary Cash Dividends (as defined below), (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of the Ordinary Shares in connection with a proposed initial Business Combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of the Ordinary Shares in connection with a vote to amend the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association pursuant to Section [9.7] thereof, (e) as a result of the repurchase of Ordinary Shares by the Company if a proposed initial Business Combination is presented to the shareholders of the Company for approval or (f) in connection with the redemption of public shares upon the failure of the Company to complete its initial Business Combination and any subsequent distribution of its assets upon its liquidation (any such non-excluded event being referred to herein as an Extraordinary Dividend ), then the Warrant Price shall be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such Extraordinary Dividend, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value (as determined by the Board, in good faith) of any securities or other assets paid on each Ordinary Share in respect of such Extraordinary Dividend. For purposes of this subsection 4.1.2 , Ordinary Cash Dividends means any cash dividend or cash distribution which, when combined on a per share basis, with the per share amounts of all other cash dividends and cash distributions paid on the Ordinary Shares during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution (as adjusted to appropriately reflect any of the events referred to in other subsections of this Section 4 and excluding cash dividends or cash distributions that resulted in an adjustment to the Warrant Price or to the number of Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant) does not exceed $0.50 (being 5% of the offering price of the Units in the Offering).
4.2 Aggregation of Shares . If after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 hereof, the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share split or redesignation of Ordinary Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share split, redesignation or similar event, the number of Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of each Warrant shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Ordinary Shares.
4.3 Adjustments in Exercise Price . Whenever the number of Ordinary Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants is adjusted, as provided in subsection 4.1.1 or Section 4.2 above, the Warrant Price shall be adjusted (to the nearest cent) by multiplying such Warrant Price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which
shall be the number of Ordinary Shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which shall be the number of Ordinary Shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.
4.4 Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc . In case of any redesignation or reorganization of the outstanding Ordinary Shares (other than a change under Section 4.1 or Section 4.2 hereof or that solely affects the par value of such Ordinary Shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any redesignation or reorganization of the outstanding Ordinary Shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the holders of the Warrants shall thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the Warrants and in lieu of the Ordinary Shares of the Company immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares or stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such redesignation, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the Warrants would have received if such holder had exercised his, her or its Warrant(s) immediately prior to such event (the Alternative Issuance ); provided , however , that (i) if the holders of the Ordinary Shares were entitled to exercise a right of election as to the kind or amount of securities, cash or other assets receivable upon such consolidation or merger, then the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets constituting the Alternative Issuance for which each Warrant shall become exercisable shall be deemed to be the weighted average of the kind and amount received per share by the holders of the Ordinary Shares in such consolidation or merger that affirmatively make such election, and (ii) if a tender, exchange or redemption offer shall have been made to and accepted by the holders of the Ordinary Shares (other than a tender, exchange or redemption offer made by the Company in connection with redemption rights held by shareholders of the Company as provided for in the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or as a result of the repurchase of Ordinary Shares by the Company if a proposed initial Business Combination is presented to the shareholders of the Company for approval) under circumstances in which, upon completion of such tender or exchange offer, the maker thereof, together with members of any group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act) of which such maker is a part, and together with any affiliate or associate of such maker (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) and any members of any such group of which any such affiliate or associate is a part, own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) more than 50% of the outstanding Ordinary Shares, the holder of a Warrant shall be entitled to receive as the Alternative Issuance, the highest amount of cash, securities or other property to which such holder would actually have been entitled as a shareholder if such Warrant holder had exercised the Warrant prior to the expiration of such tender or exchange offer, accepted such offer and all of the Ordinary Shares held by such holder had been purchased pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, subject to adjustments (from and after the consummation of such tender or exchange offer) as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in this Section 4 ; provided , further , that if less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of the Ordinary Shares in the applicable event is payable in the form of capital stock or shares in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an
established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the Registered Holder properly exercises the Warrant within thirty (30) days following the public disclosure of the consummation of such applicable event by the Company pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Comission, the Warrant Price shall be reduced by an amount (in dollars) equal to the difference of (i) the Warrant Price in effect prior to such reduction minus (ii) (A) the Per Share Consideration (as defined below) (but in no event less than zero) minus (B) the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined below). The Black-Scholes Warrant Value means the value of a Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of the applicable event based on the Black-Scholes Warrant Model for a Capped American Call on Bloomberg Financial Markets ( Bloomberg ). For purposes of calculating such amount, (1) Section 6 of this Agreement shall be taken into account, (2) the price of each Ordinary Share shall be the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the effective date of the applicable event, (3) the assumed volatility shall be the 90 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg determined as of the trading day immediately prior to the day of the announcement of the applicable event, and (4) the assumed risk-free interest rate shall correspond to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the remaining term of the Warrant. Per Share Consideration means (i) if the consideration paid to holders of the Ordinary Shares consists exclusively of cash, the amount of such cash per Ordinary Share, and (ii) in all other cases, the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the effective date of the applicable event. If any reclassification or reorganization also results in a change in Ordinary Shares covered by subsection 4.1.1 , then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to subsection 4.1.1 or Sections 4.2 , 4.3 and this Section 4.4 . The provisions of this Section 4.4 shall similarly apply to successive redesignations, reorganizations, mergers or consolidations, sales or other transfers. In no event will the Warrant Price be reduced to less than the par value per share issuable upon exercise of such Warrant.
4.5 Notices of Changes in Warrant . Upon every adjustment of the Warrant Price or the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a Warrant, the Company shall give written notice thereof to the Warrant Agent, which notice shall state the Warrant Price resulting from such adjustment and the increase or decrease, if any, in the number of shares purchasable at such price upon the exercise of a Warrant, setting forth in reasonable detail the method of calculation and the facts upon which such calculation is based. Upon the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 4.1 , 4.2 , 4.3 or 4.4 , the Company shall give written notice of the occurrence of such event to each holder of a Warrant, at the last address set forth for such holder in the Warrant Register, of the record date or the effective date of the event. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of such event.
4.6 No Fractional Shares . Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not issue fractional shares upon the exercise of Warrants. If, by reason of any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4 , the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in a share, the Company shall, upon such exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to such holder.
4.7 Form of Warrant . The form of Warrant need not be changed because of any adjustment pursuant to this Section 4 , and Warrants issued after such adjustment may state the same Warrant Price and the same number of shares as is stated in the Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement; provided , however , that the Company may at any time in its sole discretion make any change in the form of Warrant that the Company may deem appropriate and that does not affect the substance thereof, and any Warrant thereafter issued or countersigned, whether in exchange or substitution for an outstanding Warrant or otherwise, may be in the form as so changed.
4.8 Other Events . In case any event shall occur affecting the Company as to which none of the provisions of preceding subsections of this Section 4 are strictly applicable, but which would require an adjustment to the terms of the Warrants in order to (i) avoid an adverse impact on the Warrants and (ii) effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4 , then, in each such case, the Company shall appoint a firm of independent public accountants, investment banking or other appraisal firm of recognized national standing, which shall give its opinion as to whether or not any adjustment to the rights represented by the Warrants is necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of this Section 4 and, if they determine that an adjustment is necessary, the terms of such adjustment. The Company shall adjust the terms of the Warrants in a manner that is consistent with any adjustment recommended in such opinion.
5. Transfer and Exchange of Warrants .
5.1 Registration of Transfer . The Warrant Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Warrant upon the Warrant Register, upon surrender of such Warrant for transfer, properly endorsed with signatures properly guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Warrant representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants shall be issued and the old Warrant shall be cancelled by the Warrant Agent. The Warrants so cancelled shall be delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Company from time to time upon request.
5.2 Procedure for Surrender of Warrants . Warrants may be surrendered to the Warrant Agent, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Warrant Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Warrants as requested by the Registered Holder of the Warrants so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants; provided , however , that in the event that a Warrant surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend (as in the case of the Private Placement Warrants), the Warrant Agent shall not cancel such Warrant and issue new Warrants in exchange thereof until the Warrant Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer may be made and indicating whether the new Warrants must also bear a restrictive legend.
5.3 Fractional Warrants . The Warrant Agent shall not be required to effect any registration of transfer or exchange which shall result in the issuance of a warrant certificate or book-entry position for a fraction of a warrant.
5.4 Service Charges . No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Warrants.
5.5 Warrant Execution and Countersignature . The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Warrants required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5 , and the Company, whenever required by the Warrant Agent, shall supply the Warrant Agent with Warrants duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose.
5.6 Transfer of Warrants . Prior to the Detachment Date, the Public Warrants may be transferred or exchanged only together with the Unit in which such Warrant is included, and only for the purpose of effecting, or in conjunction with, a transfer or exchange of such Unit. Furthermore, each transfer of a Unit on the register relating to such Units shall operate also to transfer the Warrants included in such Unit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Section 5.6 shall have no effect on any transfer of Warrants on and after the Detachment Date.
6. Redemption .
6.1 Redemption . Subject to Section 6.4 hereof, not less than all of the outstanding Warrants may be redeemed, at the option of the Company, at any time while they are exercisable and prior to their expiration, at the office of the Warrant Agent, upon notice to the Registered Holders of the Warrants, as described in Section 6.2 below, at the price of $0.01 per Warrant (the Redemption Price ), provided that the last sales price of the Ordinary Shares reported has been at least $24.00 per share (subject to adjustment in compliance with Section 4 hereof), on each of twenty (20) trading days within the thirty (30) trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which notice of the redemption is given and provided that there is an effective registration statement covering the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, and a current prospectus relating thereto, available throughout the 30-day Redemption Period (as defined in Section 6.2 below) or the Company has elected to require the exercise of the Warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to subsection 3.3.1 .
6.2 Date Fixed for, and Notice of, Redemption . In the event that the Company elects to redeem all of the Warrants, the Company shall fix a date for the redemption (the Redemption Date ). Notice of redemption shall be mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid, by the Company not less than thirty (30) days prior to the Redemption Date (the 30-day Redemption Period ) to the Registered Holders of the Warrants to be redeemed at their last addresses as they shall appear on the registration books. Any notice mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given whether or not the Registered Holder received such notice.
6.3 Exercise After Notice of Redemption . The Warrants may be exercised, for cash (or on a cashless basis in accordance with subsection 3.3.1(b) of this Agreement) at any time after notice of redemption shall have been given by the Company pursuant to Section 6.2 hereof and prior to the Redemption Date. In the event that the Company determines to require all holders of Warrants to exercise their Warrants on a cashless basis pursuant to subsection 3.3.1 , the notice of redemption shall contain the information necessary to calculate the number of Ordinary Shares to be received upon exercise of the Warrants, including the Fair Market Value (as such term is defined in subsection 3.3.1(b) hereof) in such case. On and after
the Redemption Date, the record holder of the Warrants shall have no further rights except to receive, upon surrender of the Warrants, the Redemption Price.
6.4 Exclusion of Private Placement Warrants . The Company agrees that the redemption rights provided in this Section 6 shall not apply to the Private Placement Warrants if at the time of the redemption such Private Placement Warrants continue to be held by the Sponsor or its Permitted Transferees. However , once such Private Placement Warrants are transferred (other than to Permitted Transferees under Section 2.5 ), the Company may redeem the Private Placement Warrants, provided that the criteria for redemption are met, including the opportunity of the holder of such Private Placement Warrants to exercise the Private Placement Warrants prior to redemption pursuant to Section 6.3 . Private Placement Warrants that are transferred to persons other than Permitted Transferees shall upon such transfer cease to be Private Placement Warrants and shall become Public Warrants under this Agreement.
7. Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Warrants .
7.1 No Rights as Shareholder . A Warrant does not entitle the Registered Holder thereof to any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to vote or to consent or to receive notice as shareholders in respect of the meetings of shareholders or the election of directors of the Company or any other matter.
7.2 Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Warrants . If any Warrant is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the Company and the Warrant Agent may on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which shall, in the case of a mutilated Warrant, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Warrant of like denomination, tenor, and date as the Warrant so lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. Any such new Warrant shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed Warrant shall be at any time enforceable by anyone.
7.3 Reservation of Ordinary Shares . The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued Ordinary Shares that shall be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Warrants issued pursuant to this Agreement.
7.4 Registration of Ordinary Shares; Cashless Exercise at Companys Option .
7.4.1 Registration of the Ordinary Shares . The Company agrees that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) Business Days after the closing of its initial Business Combination, it shall use its best efforts to file with the Commission a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants. The Company shall use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the Warrants in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. If any such registration statement has not been declared effective by the 60th Business Day following the closing of the Business Combination, holders of the Warrants shall have the right, during the period beginning on the 61st Business Day after the
closing of the Business Combination and ending upon such registration statement being declared effective by the Commission, and during any other period when the Company shall fail to have maintained an effective registration statement covering the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, to exercise such Warrants on a cashless basis, by exchanging the Warrants (in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption) for that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Ordinary Shares underlying the Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the Fair Market Value (as defined below) over the warrant price by (y) the Fair Market Value. Solely for purposes of this subsection 7.4.1 , Fair Market Value shall mean the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the date that notice of exercise is received by the Warrant Agent from the holder of such Warrants or its securities broker or intermediary. The date that notice of cashless exercise is received by the Warrant Agent shall be conclusively determined by the Warrant Agent. In connection with the cashless exercise of a Public Warrant, the Company shall, upon request, provide the Warrant Agent with an opinion of counsel for the Company (which shall be an outside law firm with securities law experience) stating that (i) the exercise of the Warrants on a cashless basis in accordance with this subsection 7.4.1 is not required to be registered under the Securities Act and (ii) the Ordinary Shares issued upon such exercise shall be freely tradable under United States federal securities laws by anyone who is not an affiliate (as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act) of the Company and, accordingly, shall not be required to bear a restrictive legend. Except as provided in subsection 7.4.2 , for the avoidance of any doubt, unless and until all of the Warrants have been exercised, the Company shall continue to be obligated to comply with its registration obligations under the first three sentences of this subsection 7.4.1 .
7.4.2 Cashless Exercise at Companys Option . If the Ordinary Shares are at the time of any exercise of a Warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a covered security under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, (i) require holders of Public Warrants who exercise Public Warrants to exercise such Public Warrants on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act as described in subsection 7.4.1 and (ii) in the event the Company so elects, the Company shall (x) not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, and (y) use its best efforts to register or qualify for sale the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrant under the blue sky laws of the state of residence of the exercising Public Warrant holder to the extent an exemption is not available.
8. Concerning the Warrant Agent and Other Matters .
8.1 Payment of Taxes . The Company shall from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Warrant Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of the Warrants, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Warrants or such shares.
8.2 Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Warrant Agent .
8.2.1 Appointment of Successor Warrant Agent . The Warrant Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Warrant Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Warrant Agent in place of the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of a Warrant (who shall, with such notice, submit his Warrant for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Warrant may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Warrant Agent at the Companys cost. Any successor Warrant Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Warrant Agent with like effect as if originally named as Warrant Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Warrant Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Warrant Agent all the authority, powers, and rights of such predecessor Warrant Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Warrant Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Warrant Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations.
8.2.2 Notice of Successor Warrant Agent . In the event a successor Warrant Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Warrant Agent and the Transfer Agent for the Ordinary Shares not later than the effective date of any such appointment.
8.2.3 Merger or Consolidation of Warrant Agent . Any corporation into which the Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent shall be a party shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Agreement without any further act.
8.3 Fees and Expenses of Warrant Agent .
8.3.1 Remuneration . The Company agrees to pay the Warrant Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Warrant Agent hereunder and shall, pursuant to its obligations under this Agreement, reimburse the Warrant Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Warrant Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder.
8.3.2 Further Assurances . The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge, and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged, and delivered all
such further and other acts, instruments, and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Warrant Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement.
8.4 Liability of Warrant Agent .
8.4.1 Reliance on Company Statement . Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement, the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or the Chairman of the Board of the Company and delivered to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
8.4.2 Indemnity . The Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. The Company agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Warrant Agent in the execution of this Agreement, except as a result of the Warrant Agents gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith.
8.4.3 Exclusions . The Warrant Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or with respect to the validity or execution of any Warrant (except its countersignature thereof). The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant. The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible to make any adjustments required under the provisions of Section 4 hereof or responsible for the manner, method, or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Warrant or as to whether any Ordinary Shares shall, when issued, be valid and fully paid and nonassessable.
8.5 Acceptance of Agency . The Warrant Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth and among other things, shall account promptly to the Company with respect to Warrants exercised and concurrently account for, and pay to the Company, all monies received by the Warrant Agent for the purchase of Ordinary Shares through the exercise of the Warrants.
8.6 Waiver . The Warrant Agent has no right of set-off or any other right, title, interest or claim of any kind ( Claim ) in, or to any distribution of, the Trust Account (as defined in that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Company and the Warrant Agent as trustee thereunder) and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever. The Warrant Agent hereby waives any and all Claims against the Trust Account and any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account.
9. Miscellaneous Provisions .
9.1 Successors . All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.
9.2 Notices . Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of any Warrant to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five (5) days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Warrant Agent), as follows:
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
65 E. 55th Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attention: Benjamin Silbert, General Counsel and Secretary
Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the holder of any Warrant or by the Company to or on the Warrant Agent shall be sufficiently given when so delivered if by hand or overnight delivery or if sent by certified mail or private courier service within five (5) days after deposit of such notice, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Warrant Agent with the Company), as follows:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
17 Battery Place
New York, NY 10004
Attention: Compliance Department
9.3 Applicable Law . The validity, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and of the Warrants shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
9.4 Persons Having Rights under this Agreement . Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person or corporation other than the parties hereto and the Registered Holders of the Warrants any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and assigns and of the Registered Holders of the Warrants.
9.5 Examination of the Warrant Agreement . A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Warrant Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, for inspection by the Registered Holder of any Warrant. The Warrant Agent may require any such holder to submit his Warrant for inspection by it.
9.6 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
9.7 Effect of Headings . The section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.
9.8 Amendments . This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any Registered Holder for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, or curing, correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained herein or adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Registered Holders. All other modifications or amendments, including any amendment to increase the Warrant Price or shorten the Exercise Period and any amendment to the terms of only the Private Placement Warrants, shall require the vote or written consent of the Registered Holders of 65% of the then outstanding Public Warrants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may lower the Warrant Price or extend the duration of the Exercise Period pursuant to Sections 3.1 and 3.2 , respectively, without the consent of the Registered Holders.
9.9 Severability . This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.
Exhibit A Form of Warrant Certificate
Exhibit B Legend Private Placement Warrants
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
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CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, as Warrant Agent |
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[ Signature Page to Warrant Agreement ]
EXHIBIT A
[FACE]
Number
Warrants
THIS WARRANT SHALL BE VOID IF NOT EXERCISED PRIOR TO
THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXERCISE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR
IN THE WARRANT AGREEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
Incorporated Under the Laws of the Cayman Islands
CUSIP G0726L 117
Warrant Certificate
This Warrant Certificate certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered holder of warrant(s) (the Warrants and each, a Warrant ) to purchase Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value ( Ordinary Shares ), of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Company ). Each Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise during the period set forth in the Warrant Agreement referred to below, to receive from the Company that number of fully paid and nonassessable Ordinary Shares as set forth below, at the exercise price (the Exercise Price ) as determined pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, payable in lawful money (or through cashless exercise as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) of the United States of America upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate and payment of the Exercise Price at the office or agency of the Warrant Agent referred to below, subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the Warrant Agreement. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Each Warrant is initially exercisable for one-half of one fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Share. The number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
The initial Exercise Price per one-half Ordinary Share for any Warrant is equal to $5.75 (or $11.50 per whole share). A Warrant may not be exercised for a fractional Ordinary Share. The Exercise Price is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
Subject to the conditions set forth in the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants may be exercised only during the Exercise Period and to the extent not exercised by the end of such Exercise Period, such Warrants shall become void.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Warrant Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid unless countersigned by the Warrant Agent, as such term is used in the Warrant Agreement.
This Warrant Certificate shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.
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AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP. |
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CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, AS WARRANT AGENT |
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[Form of Warrant Certificate]
[Reverse]
The Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate are part of a duly authorized issue of Warrants entitling the holder on exercise to receive Ordinary Shares and are issued or to be issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement dated as of , 2016 (the Warrant Agreement ), duly executed and delivered by the Company to Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, as warrant agent (the Warrant Agent ), which Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference in and made a part of this instrument and is hereby referred to for a description of the rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Warrant Agent, the Company and the holders (the words holders or holder meaning the Registered Holders or Registered Holder) of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written request to the Company. Defined terms used in this Warrant Certificate but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Warrant Agreement.
Warrants may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period set forth in the Warrant Agreement. The holder of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate may exercise them by surrendering this Warrant Certificate, with the form of election to purchase set forth hereon properly completed and executed, together with payment of the Exercise Price as specified in the Warrant Agreement (or through cashless exercise as provided for in the Warrant Agreement) at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent. In the event that upon any exercise of Warrants evidenced hereby the number of Warrants exercised shall be less than the total number of Warrants evidenced hereby, there shall be issued to the holder hereof or his, her or its assignee, a new Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants not exercised.
Notwithstanding anything else in this Warrant Certificate or the Warrant Agreement, no Warrant may be exercised unless at the time of exercise (i) a registration statement covering the Ordinary Shares to be issued upon exercise is effective under the Securities Act and (ii) a prospectus thereunder relating to the Ordinary Shares is current, except through cashless exercise as provided for in the Warrant Agreement.
The Warrant Agreement provides that upon the occurrence of certain events the number of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants set forth on the face hereof may, subject to certain conditions, be adjusted. If, upon exercise of a Warrant, the holder thereof would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in an Ordinary Share, the Company shall, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Shares to be issued to the holder of the Warrant.
Warrant Certificates, when surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Warrant Agent by the Registered Holder thereof in person or by legal representative or attorney duly authorized in writing, may be exchanged, in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, but without payment of any service charge, for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants.
Upon due presentation for registration of transfer of this Warrant Certificate at the office of the Warrant Agent a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates of like tenor and evidencing in the aggregate a like number of Warrants shall be issued to the transferee(s) in exchange for this Warrant Certificate, subject to the limitations provided in the Warrant Agreement, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.
The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Registered Holder(s) hereof as the absolute owner(s) of this Warrant Certificate (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone), for the purpose of any exercise hereof, of any distribution to the holder(s) hereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Neither the Warrants nor this Warrant Certificate entitles any holder hereof to any rights of a shareholder of the Company.
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise of Warrant)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive Ordinary Shares and herewith tenders payment for such Ordinary Shares to the order of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the Company ) in the amount of $ in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Ordinary Shares be delivered to whose address is . If said number of Ordinary Shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to , whose address is .
In the event that the Warrant has been called for redemption by the Company pursuant to Section 6 of the Warrant Agreement and the Company has required cashless exercise pursuant to Section 6.3 of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with subsection 3.3.1(b) and Section 6.3 of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant is a Private Placement Warrant that is to be exercised on a cashless basis pursuant to subsection 3.3.1(c) of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with subsection 3.3.1(c) of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant is to be exercised on a cashless basis pursuant to Section 7.4 of the Warrant Agreement, the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with Section 7.4 of the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant may be exercised, to the extent allowed by the Warrant Agreement, through cashless exercise (i) the number of Ordinary Shares that this Warrant is exercisable for would be determined in accordance with the relevant section of the Warrant Agreement which allows for such cashless exercise and (ii) the holder hereof shall complete the following: The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, through the cashless exercise provisions of the Warrant Agreement, to receive Ordinary Shares. If said number of shares is less than all of the Ordinary Shares purchasable hereunder (after giving effect to the cashless exercise), the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such Ordinary Shares be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to , whose address is .
[Signature Page Follows]
Date: , 20 |
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THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED).
EXHIBIT B
LEGEND
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, SUBJECT TO ANY ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER DESCRIBED IN THE LETTER AGREEMENTS BY AND AMONG AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP. (THE COMPANY), AVISTA ACQUISITION CORP. AND THE OTHER PARTIES THERETO, THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE UPON WHICH THE COMPANY COMPLETES ITS INITIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3 OF THE WARRANT AGREEMENT REFERRED TO HEREIN) EXCEPT TO A PERMITTED TRANSFEREE (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 2 OF THE WARRANT AGREEMENT) WHO AGREES IN WRITING WITH THE COMPANY TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH TRANSFER PROVISIONS.
SECURITIES EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE AND ORDINARY SHARES OF THE COMPANY ISSUED UPON EXERCISE OF SUCH SECURITIES SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS UNDER A REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT TO BE EXECUTED BY THE COMPANY.
NO. WARRANT
Exhibit 10.1
THIS PROMISSORY NOTE ( NOTE ) HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE SECURITIES ACT ). THIS NOTE HAS BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT ONLY AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF REGISTRATION OF THE RESALE THEREOF UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY IN FORM, SCOPE AND SUBSTANCE TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.
AMENDED AND RESTATED PROMISSORY NOTE
Principal Amount: $300,000 |
Dated as of September 1, 2016 |
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED PROMISSORY NOTE (this Note ) is made as of this 1st day of September, 2016, by Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. , a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Maker ), in favor of Avista Acquisition Corp. or its registered assigns or successors in interest (the Payee ).
RECITALS
WHEREAS , on December 14, 2015, the Maker issued a promissory note in favor of the Payee in an aggregate principal amount of up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) (the Original Note ), and on December 14, 2015, the Maker borrowed One Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($175,000) thereunder (the Initial Borrowing ), leaving an additional One Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($125,000) aggregate principal amount available for borrowing as of the date hereof;
WHEREAS , the entire unpaid principal balance under the Original Note was due and payable by the Maker to the Payee on June 30, 2016 in accordance with Section 1 of the Original Note;
WHEREAS , pursuant to Section 13 of the Original Note, the Maker and the Payee desire to waive the event of default that occurred pursuant to Section 5(a) of the Original Note when the Maker failed to pay the principal amount due pursuant to the Original Note within five business days of June 30, 2016 (the Default Event ); and
WHEREAS , the Maker and the Payee desire to amend and restate the Original Note to waive the Default Event and to extend the maturity date of the Original Note in accordance with Section 13 of the Original Note.
NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Original Note is hereby amended and restated as follows:
1. Waiver. By its acceptance and execution of this Note, the Payee hereby waives the Default Event under the Original Note.
2. Principal.
(a) Payment . The Maker promises to pay to the order of the Payee, or order, the principal sum of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) or such lesser amount as shall have been advanced by Payee to Maker and shall remain unpaid under this Note on the Maturity Date (as defined below) in lawful money of the United States of America, on the terms and conditions described below. All payments on this Note shall be made by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds or as
otherwise determined by the Maker to such account as the Payee may from time to time designate by written notice in accordance with the provisions of this Note.
(b) Maturity . The entire unpaid principal balance of this Note shall be payable on the earlier of: (i) December 31, 2016, or (ii) the date on which Maker consummates an initial public offering of its securities (such earlier date, the Maturity Date ). The principal balance may be prepaid at any time. Under no circumstances shall any individual, including but not limited to any officer, director, employee or shareholder of the Maker, be obligated personally for any obligations or liabilities of the Maker hereunder.
3. Drawdown Requests. Maker and Payee agree that Maker may request, from time to time, up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) in draw downs under this Note to be used for costs and expenses related to Makers formation and the proposed initial public offering of its securities (the IPO ). As of the date hereof, the full amount of the Initial Borrowing remains outstanding hereunder. Additional principal of this Note may be drawn down from time to time prior to the Maturity Date upon written request from Maker to Payee (each, a Drawdown Request ). Each Drawdown Request must state the amount to be drawn down, and must not be an amount less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000). Payee shall fund each Drawdown Request no later than three (3) business days after receipt of a Drawdown Request; provided, however, that the maximum amount of drawdowns outstanding under this Note at any time may not exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000). No fees, payments or other amounts shall be due to Payee in connection with, or as a result of, any Drawdown Request by Maker.
4. Interest. No interest shall accrue on the unpaid principal balance of this Note.
5. Application of Payments. All payments shall be applied first to payment in full of any costs incurred in the collection of any sum due under this Note, including (without limitation) reasonable attorneys fees, then to the payment in full of any late charges and finally to the reduction of the unpaid principal balance of this Note.
6. Events of Default. The following shall constitute an event of default ( Event of Default ):
(a) Failure to Make Required Payments. Failure by Maker to pay the principal amount due pursuant to this Note within five (5) business days of the date specified above.
(b) Voluntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The commencement by Maker of a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, rehabilitation or other similar law, or the consent by it to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or other similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of any assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the failure of Maker generally to pay its debts as such debts become due, or the taking of corporate action by Maker in furtherance of any of the foregoing.
(c) Involuntary Bankruptcy, Etc. The entry of a decree or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises in respect of Maker in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of Maker or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days.
7. Remedies.
(a) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 5(a) hereof, Payee may, by written notice to Maker, declare this Note to be due immediately and payable, whereupon the unpaid principal amount of this Note, and all other amounts payable thereunder, shall become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived, anything contained herein or in the documents evidencing the same to the contrary notwithstanding.
(b) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Sections 5(b) or 5(c), the unpaid principal balance of this Note, and all other sums payable with regard to this Note, shall automatically and immediately become due and payable, in all cases without any action on the part of Payee.
8. Waivers. Maker and all endorsers and guarantors of, and sureties for, this Note waive presentment for payment, demand, notice of dishonor, protest, and notice of protest with regard to the Note, all errors, defects and imperfections in any proceedings instituted by Payee under the terms of this Note, and all benefits that might accrue to Maker by virtue of any present or future laws exempting any property, real or personal, or any part of the proceeds arising from any sale of any such property, from attachment, levy or sale under execution, or providing for any stay of execution, exemption from civil process, or extension of time for payment; and Maker agrees that any real estate that may be levied upon pursuant to a judgment obtained by virtue hereof, on any writ of execution issued hereon, may be sold upon any such writ in whole or in part in any order desired by Payee.
9. Unconditional Liability. Maker hereby waives all notices in connection with the delivery, acceptance, performance, default, or enforcement of the payment of this Note, and agrees that its liability shall be unconditional, without regard to the liability of any other party, and shall not be affected in any manner by any indulgence, extension of time, renewal, waiver or modification granted or consented to by Payee, and consents to any and all extensions of time, renewals, waivers, or modifications that may be granted by Payee with respect to the payment or other provisions of this Note, and agrees that additional makers, endorsers, guarantors, or sureties may become parties hereto without notice to Maker or affecting Makers liability hereunder.
10. Notices. All notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Agreement shall be: (i) in writing and delivered personally or sent by first class registered or certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently provided to such party or such other address or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party and (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most recently provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day after delivery to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.
11. Construction. THIS NOTE SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS THEREOF.
12. Severability. Any provision contained in this Note which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or
unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
13. Trust Waiver. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Payee hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind ( Claim ) in or to any distribution of or from the trust account to be established in which the proceeds of the IPO conducted by the Maker (including the deferred underwriters discounts and commissions) and the proceeds of the sale of the warrants issued in a private placement to occur prior to the consummation of the IPO are to be deposited, as described in greater detail in the registration statement and prospectus to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the IPO, and hereby agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction for any Claim against the trust account for any reason whatsoever.
14. Amendment; Waiver. Any amendment hereto or waiver of any provision hereof may be made with, and only with, the written consent of the Maker and the Payee.
15. Assignment. No assignment or transfer of this Note or any rights or obligations hereunder may be made by any party hereto (by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the other party hereto and any attempted assignment without the required consent shall be void.
[Signature page follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker, intending to be legally bound hereby, has caused this Note to be duly executed by the undersigned as of the day and year first above written.
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Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. |
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/s/ John Cafasso |
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John Cafasso |
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Chief Financial Officer |
[Signature Page to Amended and Restated Promissory Note]
ACKNOWLEDGED AND AGREED |
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as of the date first written above: |
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Avista Acquisition Corp. |
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/s/ David Burgstahler |
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David Burgstahler |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
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[Signature Page to Amended and Restated Promissory Note]
Exhibit 10.2
[], 2016
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
65 East 55th Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Re: Initial Public Offering
Gentlemen:
This letter (this Letter Agreement ) is being delivered to you in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriting Agreement ) entered into or proposed to be entered into by and between Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Company ), and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, as the representative of the underwriters (the Underwriters ), relating to an underwritten initial public offering (the Public Offering ), of 34,500,000 of the Companys units (including up to 4,500,000 units that may be purchased to cover over-allotments, if any) (the Units ), each comprised of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the Ordinary Shares ), and one warrant (each, a Warrant ). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one-half of one Ordinary Share at a price of $5.75 (or $11.50 per whole share), subject to adjustment. The Units shall be sold in the Public Offering pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 and prospectus (the Prospectus ) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission ) and the Company shall apply to have the Units listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Certain capitalized terms used herein are defined in paragraph 11 hereof.
In order to induce the Company and the Underwriters to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and to proceed with the Public Offering and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Avista Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Sponsor ), and the undersigned individuals, each of whom is a director or member of the Companys management team (each, an Insider and collectively, the Insiders ), hereby agrees with the Company as follows:
1. The Sponsor and each Insider agrees that if the Company seeks shareholder approval of a proposed Business Combination, then in connection with such proposed Business Combination, it or he shall (i) vote any Shares owned by it or him in favor of any proposed Business Combination and (ii) not redeem any Ordinary Shares owned by it or him in connection with such shareholder approval.
2. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees that in the event that the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Public Offering, or such later period approved by the Companys shareholders in accordance with the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Sponsor and each
Insider shall take all reasonable steps to cause the Company to (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the Ordinary Shares sold as part of the Units in the Public Offering (the Offering Shares ), at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $50,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Offering Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish all Public Shareholders rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Companys remaining shareholders and the Companys board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Companys obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law. The Sponsor and each Insider agrees to not propose any amendment to the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that would affect the substance or timing of the Companys obligation to redeem 100% of the Offering Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Public Offering, unless the Company provides its Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Ordinary Shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding Offering Shares.
The Sponsor and each Insider acknowledges that it or he has no right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account or any other asset of the Company as a result of any liquidation of the Company with respect to the Founder Shares held by it. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby further waives, with respect to any Ordinary Shares held by it or him, if any, any redemption rights it or he may have in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination, including, without limitation, any such rights available in the context of a shareholder vote to approve such Business Combination or in the context of a tender offer made by the Company to purchase Ordinary Shares (although the Sponsor and the Insiders shall be entitled to redemption and liquidation rights with respect to any Ordinary Shares it or they hold if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within 24 months from the date of the closing of the Public Offering).
3. Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in paragraphs 7(a) and (b) below, during the period commencing on the effective date of the Underwriting Agreement and ending 180 days after such date, the Sponsor and each Insider shall not, without the prior written consent of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, (i) sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, with respect to any Units, Shares, Warrants or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, Ordinary Shares owned by it, (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any Units, Shares, Warrants or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, Shares owned by it, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash
or otherwise, or (iii) publicly announce any intention to effect any transaction, including the filing of a registration statement, specified in clause (i) or (ii). Each of the Insiders and the Sponsor acknowledges and agrees that, prior to the effective date of any release or waiver, of the restrictions set forth in this paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 below, the Company shall announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this Letter Agreement to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.
4. In the event of the liquidation of the Trust Account, the Sponsor (which for purposes of clarification shall not extend to any other shareholders, members or managers of the Sponsor) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including, but not limited to, any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, whether pending or threatened, or any claim whatsoever) to which the Company may become subject as a result of any claim by (i) any third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company or (ii) a prospective target business with which the Company has entered into an acquisition agreement (a Target ); provided , however , that such indemnification of the Company by the Sponsor shall apply only to the extent necessary to ensure that such claims by a third party for services rendered (other than the Companys independent public accountants) or products sold to the Company or a Target do not reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (i) $10.00 per share of the Offering Shares or (ii) such lesser amount per share of the Offering Shares held in the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, in each case, net of the amount of interest earned on the property in the Trust Account which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under the Companys indemnity of the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In the event that any such executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against such third party, the Sponsor shall not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. The Sponsor shall have the right to defend against any such claim with counsel of its choice reasonably satisfactory to the Company if, within 15 days following written receipt of notice of the claim to the Sponsor, the Sponsor notifies the Company in writing that it shall undertake such defense.
5. To the extent that the Underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 4,500,000 Units within 45 days from the date of the Prospectus (and as further described in the Prospectus), the Sponsor agrees that it shall forfeit, at no cost, a number of Founder Shares in the aggregate equal to 1,125,000 multiplied by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is 4,500,000 minus the number of Units purchased by the Underwriters upon the exercise of their over-allotment option, and (ii) the denominator of which is 4,500,000. All references in this Letter Agreement to Shares of the Company being forfeited shall take effect as surrenders for no consideration of such Shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law. The forfeiture will be adjusted to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the
Underwriters so that the Initial Shareholders will own an aggregate of 20.0% of the Companys issued and outstanding Shares after the Public Offering. The Initial Shareholders further agree that to the extent that the size of the Public Offering is increased or decreased, the Company will effect a capitalization or share repurchase or redemption, as applicable, immediately prior to the consummation of the Public offering in such amount as to maintain the ownership of the Initial Shareholders prior to the Public Offering at 20.0% of the Companys issued and outstanding Shares upon the consummation of the Public Offering. In connection with such increase or decrease in the size of the Public Offering, then (A) the references to 4,500,000 in the numerator and denominator of the formula in the first sentence of this paragraph shall be changed to a number equal to 15% of the number of Ordinary Shares included in the Units issued in the Public Offering and (B) the reference to 1,125,000 in the formula set forth in the immediately preceding sentence shall be adjusted to such number of Founder Shares that the Sponsor would have to return to the Company in order to hold (with all of the Initial Shareholders) an aggregate of 20.0% of the Companys issued and outstanding Shares after the Public Offering.
6. (a) The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees not to participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other blank check company until the Company has entered into a definitive agreement regarding its Business Combination or the Company has failed to complete a Business Combination within 24 months after the closing of the Public Offering. Such restriction does not preclude the Sponsor from pursuing limited partnership interests in asset management companies. For the avoidance of doubt, the Sponsor and each Insider are allowed to participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, another blank check company upon completion of the Business Combination.
(b) The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees and acknowledges that: (i) the Underwriters and the Company would be irreparably injured in the event of a breach by such Sponsor or Insider of its or his obligations under paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6(a), 7(a), 7(b), and 9 of this Letter Agreement (ii) monetary damages may not be an adequate remedy for such breach and (iii) the non-breaching party shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief, in addition to any other remedy that such party may have in law or in equity, in the event of such breach.
7. (a) The Sponsor and each Insider agrees that it or he shall not Transfer (as defined below) any Founder Shares (or Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion thereof) until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of the Companys initial Business Combination or (B) subsequent to the Business Combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Ordinary Shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Companys initial Business Combination or (y) the date following the completion of the Companys initial Business Combination on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Companys shareholders having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property (the Founder Shares Lock-up Period ).
(b) The Sponsor and each Insider agrees that it or he shall not Transfer any Private Placement Warrants (or Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the conversion of the Private Placement Warrants), until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination (the Private Placement Warrants Lock-up Period , together with the Founder Shares Lock-up Period, the Lock-up Periods ).
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in paragraphs 7(a) and (b), Transfers of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise or conversion of the Private Placement Warrants or the Founder Shares and that are held by the Sponsor, any Insider or any of their permitted transferees (that have complied with this paragraph 7(c)), are permitted (a) to the Companys officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of the Companys officers or directors, any members of the Sponsor, or any affiliates of the Sponsor; (b) in the case of an individual, transfers by gift to a member of the individuals immediate family, to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individuals immediate family or an affiliate of such person, or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, transfers by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) transfers by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of a Business Combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (f) transfers in the event of the Companys liquidation prior to the completion of an initial Business Combination; (g) transfers by virtue of the laws of the Cayman Islands or the Sponsors memorandum and articles of association upon dissolution of the Sponsor; and (h) in the event of the Companys completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of the Companys shareholders having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to the completion of the Companys initial Business Combination; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (e), these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by the restrictions herein.
8. The Sponsor and each Insider represents and warrants that it or he has never been suspended or expelled from membership in any securities or commodities exchange or association or had a securities or commodities license or registration denied, suspended or revoked. Each Insiders biographical information furnished to the Company (including any such information included in the Prospectus) is true and accurate in all respects and does not omit any material information with respect to the Insiders background. Each Insiders questionnaire furnished to the Company is true and accurate in all respects. Each Insider represents and warrants that: it is not subject to or a respondent in any legal action for, any injunction, cease-and-desist order or order or stipulation to desist or refrain from any act or practice relating to the offering of securities in any jurisdiction; it has never been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, any crime (i) involving fraud, (ii) relating to any financial transaction or handling of funds of another person, or (iii) pertaining to any dealings in any securities and it is not currently a defendant in any such criminal proceeding.
9. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, neither the Sponsor nor any Insider nor any affiliate of the Sponsor or any Insider, nor any director or officer of the Company, shall receive from the Company any finders fee, reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any repayment of a loan or other compensation prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate the consummation of the Companys initial Business Combination (regardless of the type of transaction that it is), other than the following, none of which will be made from the proceeds held in the Trust Account prior to the completion of the initial Business Combination: repayment of a loan and advances up to an aggregate of $300,000 made to the Company by the Sponsor; payment to an affiliate of the Sponsor for office space, utilities and secretarial and administrative support for a total of $10,000 per month; reimbursement for any
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and consummating an initial Business Combination, and repayment of loans, if any, and on such terms as to be determined by the Company from time to time, made by the Sponsor or any of the Companys officers or directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial Business Combination, provided, that, if the Company does not consummate an initial Business Combination, a portion of the working capital held outside the Trust Account may be used by the Company to repay such loaned amounts so long as no proceeds from the Trust Account are used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into warrants at a price of $0.50 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the Private Placement Warrants.
10. The Sponsor and each Insider has full right and power, without violating any agreement to which it is bound (including, without limitation, any non-competition or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or former employer), to enter into this Letter Agreement and, as applicable, to serve as a director on the board of directors of the Company and hereby consents to being named in the Prospectus as a director of the Company.
11. As used herein, (i) Business Combination shall mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination, involving the Company and one or more businesses; (ii) Shares shall mean, collectively, the Ordinary Shares and the Founder Shares; (iii) Founder Shares shall mean the 8,625,000 Class B Ordinary Shares, par value $0.0001 per share, initially issued to the Sponsor (or 7,500,000 shares if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the Underwriters) for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, or approximately $0.003 per share, prior to the consummation of the Public Offering; (iv) Initial Shareholders shall mean the Sponsor and any Insider that holds Founder Shares; (v) Private Placement Warrants shall mean the Warrants to purchase up to 16,000,000 Ordinary Shares of the Company (or 17,800,000 Ordinary Shares if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) that the Sponsor has agreed to purchase for an aggregate purchase price of $8,000,000 in the aggregate (or $8,900,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), or $0.50 per Warrant, in a private placement that shall occur simultaneously with the consummation of the Public Offering; (vi) Public Shareholders shall mean the holders of securities issued in the Public Offering; (vii) Trust Account shall mean the trust fund into which a portion of the net proceeds of the Public Offering shall be deposited; and (viii) Transfer shall mean the (a) sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to, any security, (b) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (c) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b).
12. This Letter Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements, or representations by or among the parties hereto, written or oral, to the extent they
relate in any way to the subject matter hereof or the transactions contemplated hereby. This Letter Agreement may not be changed, amended, modified or waived (other than to correct a typographical error) as to any particular provision, except by a written instrument executed by all parties hereto.
13. No party hereto may assign either this Letter Agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual and shall not operate to transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee. This Letter Agreement shall be binding on the Sponsor and each Insider and their respective successors, heirs and assigns and permitted transferees.
14. This Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The parties hereto (i) all agree that any action, proceeding, claim or dispute arising out of, or relating in any way to, this Letter Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of New York City, in the State of New York, and irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction and venue, which jurisdiction and venue shall be exclusive and (ii) waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and venue or that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
15. Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Letter Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery or facsimile transmission.
16. This Letter Agreement shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the Lock-up Periods or (ii) the liquidation of the Company; provided , however , that this Letter Agreement shall earlier terminate in the event that the Public Offering is not consummated and closed by December 31, 2016; provided further that paragraph 4 of this Letter Agreement shall survive such liquidation.
[Signature Page follows]
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Thompson Dean |
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David Burgstahler |
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John Cafasso |
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Benjamin Silbert |
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Charles Harwood |
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Brian Markison |
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Robert ONeil |
[Signature Page to Letter Agreement]
Acknowledged and Agreed:
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
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Name: Benjamin Silbert |
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[Signature Page to Letter Agreement]
Exhibit 10.3
FORM OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT
This Investment Management Trust Agreement (this Agreement ) is made effective as of , 2016, by and between Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Company ), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (the Trustee ).
WHEREAS , the Companys registration statement on Form S-1, Registration Statement No. 333-[ · ] (the Registration Statement ) and prospectus (the Prospectus ) for the initial public offering of the Companys units (the Units ), each of which consists of one share of the Companys Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the Ordinary Shares ), and one warrant, each warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one-half of one Ordinary Share (such initial public offering hereinafter referred to as the Offering ), has been declared effective as of the date hereof by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and
WHEREAS , the Company has entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriting Agreement ) with Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, as representative of the underwriters (the Underwriters ) named therein; and
WHEREAS , as described in the Registration Statement, $300,000,000 of the gross proceeds of the Offering and sale of the Private Placement Warrants (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) (or $345,000,000 if the Underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be delivered to the Trustee to be deposited and held in a segregated trust account located in the United States (the Trust Account ) for the benefit of the Company and the holders of Ordinary Shares included in the Units issued in the Offering as hereinafter provided (the amount to be delivered to the Trustee (and any interest subsequently earned thereon) is referred to herein as the Property , the shareholders for whose benefit the Trustee shall hold the Property will be referred to as the Public Shareholders , and the Public Shareholders and the Company will be referred to together as the Beneficiaries ); and
WHEREAS , pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, a portion of the Property equal to $10,500,000, or $12,075,000 if the Underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full, is attributable to deferred underwriting discounts and commissions that may be payable by the Company to the Underwriters upon the consummation of the Business Combination (as defined below) (the Deferred Discount ); and
WHEREAS , the Company and the Trustee desire to enter into this Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions pursuant to which the Trustee shall hold the Property.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED:
1. Agreements and Covenants of Trustee . The Trustee hereby agrees and covenants to:
(a) Hold the Property in trust for the Beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of this Agreement in the Trust Account established by the Trustee at a branch office of J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. located in the United States and at a brokerage institution selected by the Trustee that is reasonably satisfactory to the Company;
(b) Manage, supervise and administer the Trust Account subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein;
(c) In a timely manner, upon the written instruction of the Company, invest and reinvest the Property in United States government securities within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, having a maturity of 180 days or less, or in money market funds meeting the conditions of paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3) and (d)(4) of Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations, as determined by the Company; it being understood that the Trust Account will earn no interest while account funds are uninvested awaiting the Companys instructions hereunder;
(d) Collect and receive, when due, all interest or other income arising from the Property, which shall become part of the Property, as such term is used herein;
(e) Promptly notify the Company and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC of all communications received by the Trustee with respect to any Property requiring action by the Company;
(f) Supply any necessary information or documents as may be requested by the Company (or its authorized agents) in connection with the Companys preparation of the tax returns relating to assets held in the Trust Account;
(g) Participate in any plan or proceeding for protecting or enforcing any right or interest arising from the Property if, as and when instructed by the Company to do so;
(h) Render to the Company monthly written statements of the activities of, and amounts in, the Trust Account reflecting all receipts and disbursements of the Trust Account;
(i) Commence liquidation of the Trust Account only after and promptly after (x) receipt of, and only in accordance with, the terms of a letter from the Company ( Termination Letter ) in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as either Exhibit A or Exhibit B signed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or Chairman of the board of directors (the Board ) of the Company or other authorized officer of the Company, and complete the liquidation of the Trust Account and distribute the Property in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of any taxes payable and less up to $50,000 of interest that may be released to the Company to pay dissolution expenses, it being understood that the Trustee has no obligation to monitor or question the Companys position that an allocation has been made for taxes payable), only as directed in the Termination Letter and the other documents referred to therein; provided, that, in the case a Termination Letter in the form of Exhibit A is received, or (y) upon the date which is 24 months after the closing of the Offering, if a Termination Letter has not been received by the
Trustee prior to such date, in which case the Trust Account shall be liquidated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Termination Letter attached as Exhibit B and the Property in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of any taxes payable and less up to $50,000 of interest that may be released to the Company to pay dissolution expenses), shall be distributed to the Public Shareholders of record as of such date; provided, however, that in the event the Trustee receives a Termination Letter in a form substantially similar to Exhibit B hereto, or if the Trustee begins to liquidate the Property because it has received no such Termination Letter by the date which is 24 months after the closing of the Offering, the Trustee shall keep the Trust Account open until twelve (12) months following the date the Property has been distributed to the Public Shareholders;
(j) Upon written request from the Company, which may be given from time to time in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit C (a Tax Payment Withdrawal Instruction ), withdraw from the Trust Account and distribute to the Company the amount of interest earned on the Property requested by the Company to cover any tax obligation owed by the Company as a result of assets of the Company or interest or other income earned on the Property, which amount shall be delivered directly to the Company by electronic funds transfer or other method of prompt payment, and the Company shall forward such payment to the relevant taxing authority; provided , however , that to the extent there is not sufficient cash in the Trust Account to pay such tax obligation, the Trustee shall liquidate such assets held in the Trust Account as shall be designated by the Company in writing to make such distribution so long as there is no reduction in the principal amount initially deposited in the Trust Account; provided , further however , that if the tax to be paid is a franchise tax, the written request by the Company to make such distribution shall be accompanied by a copy of the franchise tax bill for the Company and a written statement from the principal financial officer of the Company setting forth the actual amount payable (it being acknowledged and agreed that any such amount in excess of interest income earned on the Property shall not be payable from the Trust Account). The written request of the Company referenced above shall constitute presumptive evidence that the Company is entitled to said funds, and the Trustee shall have no responsibility to look beyond said request; and
(k) Not make any withdrawals or distributions from the Trust Account other than pursuant to Section 1(i) or (j) above.
2. Agreements and Covenants of the Company . The Company hereby agrees and covenants to:
(a) Give all instructions to the Trustee hereunder in writing, signed by the Companys Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary. In addition, except with respect to its duties under Sections 1(i) and 1(j) hereof, the Trustee shall be entitled to rely on, and shall be protected in relying on, any verbal or telephonic advice or instruction which it, in good faith and with reasonable care, believes to be given by any one of the persons authorized above to give written instructions, provided that the Company shall promptly confirm such instructions in writing;
(b) Subject to Section 4 hereof, hold the Trustee harmless and indemnify the Trustee from and against any and all expenses, including reasonable counsel fees and
disbursements, or losses suffered by the Trustee in connection with any action taken by it hereunder and in connection with any action, suit or other proceeding brought against the Trustee involving any claim, or in connection with any claim or demand, which in any way arises out of or relates to this Agreement, the services of the Trustee hereunder, or the Property or any interest earned on the Property, except for expenses and losses resulting from the Trustees gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. Promptly after the receipt by the Trustee of notice of demand or claim or the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, pursuant to which the Trustee intends to seek indemnification under this Section 2(b) , it shall notify the Company in writing of such claim (hereinafter referred to as the Indemnified Claim ). The Trustee shall have the right to conduct and manage the defense against such Indemnified Claim; provided that the Trustee shall obtain the consent of the Company with respect to the selection of counsel, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Trustee may not agree to settle any Indemnified Claim without the prior written consent of the Company, which such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company may participate in such action with its own counsel;
(c) Pay the Trustee the fees set forth on Schedule A hereto, including an initial acceptance fee, annual administration fee, and transaction processing fee which fees shall be subject to modification by the parties from time to time. It is expressly understood that the Property shall not be used to pay such fees unless and until it is distributed to the Company pursuant to Sections 1(i) through 1(j) hereof. The Company shall pay the Trustee the initial acceptance fee and the first annual administration fee at the consummation of the Offering. The Trustee shall refund to the Company the monthly fee (on a pro rata basis) with respect to any period after the liquidation of the Trust Account. The Company shall not be responsible for any other fees or charges of the Trustee except as set forth in this Section 2(c) and as may be provided in Section 2(b) hereof;
(d) In connection with any vote of the Companys shareholders regarding a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination involving the Company and one or more businesses (a Business Combination ), provide to the Trustee an affidavit or certificate of the inspector of elections for the shareholder meeting verifying the vote of such shareholders regarding such Business Combination;
(e) Provide Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC with a copy of any Termination Letter(s) and/or any other correspondence that is sent to the Trustee with respect to any proposed withdrawal from the Trust Account promptly after it issues the same;
(f) Expressly provide in any Instruction Letter (as defined in Exhibit A) delivered in connection with a Termination Letter in the form of Exhibit A that the Deferred Discount be paid directly to the account or accounts directed by Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC;
(g) Instruct the Trustee to make only those distributions that are permitted under this Agreement, and refrain from instructing the Trustee to make any distributions that are not permitted under this Agreement; and
(h) Within four (4) business days after the Underwriters exercise the overallotment option (or any unexercised portion thereof) or such over-allotment expires, provide the Trustee with a notice in writing of the total amount of the Deferred Discount, which shall in no event be less than $10,500,000.
3. Limitations of Liability . The Trustee shall have no responsibility or liability to:
(a) Imply obligations, perform duties, inquire or otherwise be subject to the provisions of any agreement or document other than this agreement and that which is expressly set forth herein;
(b) Take any action with respect to the Property, other than as directed in Section 1 hereof, and the Trustee shall have no liability to any party except for liability arising out of the Trustees gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct;
(c) Institute any proceeding for the collection of any principal and income arising from, or institute, appear in or defend any proceeding of any kind with respect to, any of the Property unless and until it shall have received instructions from the Company given as provided herein to do so and the Company shall have advanced or guaranteed to it funds sufficient to pay any expenses incident thereto;
(d) Refund any depreciation in principal of any Property;
(e) Assume that the authority of any person designated by the Company to give instructions hereunder shall not be continuing unless provided otherwise in such designation, or unless the Company shall have delivered a written revocation of such authority to the Trustee;
(f) The other parties hereto or to anyone else for any action taken or omitted by it, or any action suffered by it to be taken or omitted, in good faith and in the Trustees best judgment, except for the Trustees gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. The Trustee may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting upon any order, notice, demand, certificate, opinion or advice of counsel (including counsel chosen by the Trustee, which counsel may be the Companys counsel), statement, instrument, report or other paper or document (not only as to its due execution and the validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the truth and acceptability of any information therein contained) which the Trustee believes, in good faith and with reasonable care, to be genuine and to be signed or presented by the proper person or persons. The Trustee shall not be bound by any notice or demand, or any waiver, modification, termination or rescission of this Agreement or any of the terms hereof, unless evidenced by a written instrument delivered to the Trustee, signed by the proper party or parties and, if the duties or rights of the Trustee are affected, unless it shall give its prior written consent thereto;
(g) Verify the accuracy of the information contained in the Registration Statement;
(h) Provide any assurance that any Business Combination entered into by the Company or any other action taken by the Company is as contemplated by the Registration Statement;
(i) File information returns with respect to the Trust Account with any local, state or federal taxing authority or provide periodic written statements to the Company
documenting the taxes payable by the Company, if any, relating to any interest income earned on the Property;
(j) Prepare, execute and file tax reports, income or other tax returns and pay any taxes with respect to any income generated by, and activities relating to, the Trust Account, regardless of whether such tax is payable by the Trust Account or the Company, including, but not limited to, franchise and income tax obligations, except pursuant to Section 1(j) hereof; or
(k) Verify calculations, qualify or otherwise approve the Companys written requests for distributions pursuant to Sections 1(i) and 1(j) hereof.
4. Trust Account Waiver . The Trustee has no right of set-off or any right, title, interest or claim of any kind ( Claim ) to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account, and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account that it may have now or in the future. In the event the Trustee has any Claim against the Company under this Agreement, including, without limitation, under Section 2(b) or Section 2(c) hereof, the Trustee shall pursue such Claim solely against the Company and its assets outside the Trust Account and not against the Property or any monies in the Trust Account.
5. Termination . This Agreement shall terminate as follows:
(a) If the Trustee gives written notice to the Company that it desires to resign under this Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to locate a successor trustee, pending which the Trustee shall continue to act in accordance with this Agreement. At such time that the Company notifies the Trustee that a successor trustee has been appointed and has agreed to become subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Trustee shall transfer the management of the Trust Account to the successor trustee, including but not limited to the transfer of copies of the reports and statements relating to the Trust Account, whereupon this Agreement shall terminate; provided , however , that in the event that the Company does not locate a successor trustee within ninety (90) days of receipt of the resignation notice from the Trustee, the Trustee may submit an application to have the Property deposited with any court in the State of New York or with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and upon such deposit, the Trustee shall be immune from any liability whatsoever; or
(b) At such time that the Trustee has completed the liquidation of the Trust Account and its obligations in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(i) hereof and distributed the Property in accordance with the provisions of the Termination Letter, this Agreement shall terminate except with respect to Section 2(b).
6. Miscellaneous .
(a) The Company and the Trustee each acknowledge that the Trustee will follow the security procedures set forth below with respect to funds transferred from the Trust Account. The Company and the Trustee will each restrict access to confidential information relating to such security procedures to authorized persons. Each party must notify the other party immediately if it has reason to believe unauthorized persons may have obtained access to such confidential information, or of any change in its authorized personnel. In executing funds transfers, the Trustee shall rely upon all information supplied to it by the Company, including,
account names, account numbers, and all other identifying information relating to a Beneficiary, Beneficiarys bank or intermediary bank. Except for any liability arising out of the Trustees gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct, the Trustee shall not be liable for any loss, liability or expense resulting from any error in the information or transmission of the funds.
(b) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction.
(c) This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except for Section 1(i) hereof (which may not be modified, amended or deleted without the affirmative vote of sixty five percent (65%) of the then outstanding Ordinary Shares and Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company voting together as a single class; provided that no such amendment will affect any Public Shareholder who has otherwise indicated his election to redeem his Ordinary Shares in connection with a shareholder vote sought to amend this Agreement), this Agreement or any provision hereof may only be changed, amended or modified (other than to correct a typographical error) by a writing signed by each of the parties hereto.
(d) The parties hereto consent to the jurisdiction and venue of any state or federal court located in the City of New York, State of New York, for purposes of resolving any disputes hereunder. AS TO ANY CLAIM, CROSS-CLAIM OR COUNTERCLAIM IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, EACH PARTY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.
(e) Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested), by hand delivery or by facsimile transmission:
if to the Trustee, to:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
17 Battery Place
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Steven G. Nelson or Frank Di Paolo
Fax No.: (212) 509-5150
if to the Company, to:
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
65 East 55th Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attn: Ben Silbert, Esq.
Fax No.: (212) 593-6901
in each case, with copies to:
Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP
767 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10153
Attn: Jennifer A. Bensch, Esq.
Fax No.: (212) 310-8007
and
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Attn: Niron Stabinsky
and
Skadden,
Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
525 University Avenue, Suite 1400
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Attn: Gregg A. Noel, Esq.
Jonathan Ko, Esq.
Fax No.: (213)
621-5234
Fax No.: (213) 621-5527
(f) This Agreement may not be assigned by the Trustee without the prior consent of the Company.
(g) Each of the Company and the Trustee hereby represents that it has the full right and power and has been duly authorized to enter into this Agreement and to perform its respective obligations as contemplated hereunder. The Trustee acknowledges and agrees that it shall not make any claims or proceed against the Trust Account, including by way of set-off, and shall not be entitled to any funds in the Trust Account under any circumstance.
(h) This Agreement is the joint product of the Trustee and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
(i) This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by facsimile or electronic transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.
(j) Each of the Company and the Trustee hereby acknowledges and agrees that Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is a third party beneficiary of this Agreement.
(k) Except as specified herein, no party to this Agreement may assign its rights or delegate its obligations hereunder to any other person or entity.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Investment Management Trust Agreement as of the date first written above.
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[ Signature Page to Investment Management Trust Agreement ]
SCHEDULE A
Fee Item |
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Time and method of payment |
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Amount |
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Initial acceptance fee |
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Initial closing of the Offering by wire transfer. |
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2,000.00 |
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Annual fee |
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First year fee payable at initial closing of the Offering by wire transfer, thereafter on the anniversary of the effective date of the Offering by wire transfer or check. |
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$ |
10,000.00 |
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Transaction processing fee for disbursements to Company under Sections 1(i) and 1(j) |
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Deduction by Trustee from accumulated income following disbursement made to Company under Section 1 |
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250.00 |
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Paying Agent services as required pursuant to Section 1(i) |
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Billed to Company upon delivery of service pursuant to Section 1(i) |
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Prevailing rates |
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EXHIBIT A
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
17 Battery Place
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Steven G. Nelson and Frank Di Paolo
Re: Trust Account No. Termination Letter
Gentlemen:
Pursuant to Section 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp . (the Company ) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the Trustee ), dated as of [ · ], 2016 (the Trust Agreement ), this is to advise you that the Company has entered into an agreement with (the Target Business ) to consummate a business combination with Target Business (the Business Combination ) on or about [insert date]. The Company shall notify you at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the actual date of the consummation of the Business Combination ( Consummation Date ). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to commence to liquidate all of the assets of the Trust Account on [insert date], and to transfer the proceeds into the above-referenced trust checking account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. to the effect that, on the Consummation Date, all of funds held in the Trust Account will be immediately available for transfer to the account or accounts that the Company and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC ( Credit Suisse ) (with respect to the Deferred Discount) shall direct on the Consummation Date. It is acknowledged and agreed that while the funds are on deposit in the trust checking account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. awaiting distribution, neither the Company nor Credit Suisse will earn any interest or dividends.
On the Consummation Date (i) counsel for the Company shall deliver to you written notification that the Business Combination has been consummated, or will be consummated substantially concurrently with your transfer of funds to the accounts as directed by the Company (the Notification ) and (ii) the Company shall deliver to you (a) [an affidavit] [a certificate] of the Chief Executive Officer, which verifies that the Business Combination has been approved by a vote of the Companys shareholders, if a vote is held and (b) joint written instruction signed by the Company and Credit Suisse with respect to the transfer of the funds held in the Trust Account, including payment of the Deferred Discount from the Trust Account (the Instruction Letter ). You are hereby directed and authorized to transfer the funds held in the Trust Account immediately upon your receipt of the Notification and the Instruction Letter, in accordance with the terms of the Instruction Letter. In the event that certain deposits held in
the Trust Account may not be liquidated by the Consummation Date without penalty, you will notify the Company in writing of the same and the Company shall direct you as to whether such funds should remain in the Trust Account and be distributed after the Consummation Date to the Company. Upon the distribution of all the funds, net of any payments necessary for reasonable unreimbursed expenses related to liquidating the Trust Account, your obligations under the Trust Agreement shall be terminated.
In the event that the Business Combination is not consummated on the Consummation Date described in the notice thereof and we have not notified you on or before the original Consummation Date of a new Consummation Date, then upon receipt by the Trustee of written instructions from the Company, the funds held in the Trust Account shall be reinvested as provided in Section 1(c) of the Trust Agreement on the business day immediately following the Consummation Date as set forth in the notice as soon thereafter as possible.
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cc: Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
EXHIBIT B
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
17 Battery Place
New York, New York 10004
Attn
: Steven G. Nelson and Frank Di Paolo
Re: Trust Account No. [ ] Termination Letter
Gentlemen :
Pursuant to Section 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the Company ) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the Trustee ), dated as of [], 2016 (the Trust Agreement ), this is to advise you that the Company has been unable to effect a business combination with a Target Business (the Business Combination ) within the time frame specified in the Companys Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as described in the Companys Prospectus relating to the Offering. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to liquidate all of the assets in the Trust Account on [ · ], 2018 and to transfer the total proceeds into the trust checking account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. to await distribution to the Public Shareholders. The Company has selected [ · ], 2018, as the record date for the purpose of determining the Public Shareholders entitled to receive their share of the liquidation proceeds. You agree to be the Paying Agent of record and, in your separate capacity as Paying Agent, agree to distribute said funds directly to the Companys Public Shareholders in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement and the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company. Upon the distribution of all the funds, your obligations under the Trust Agreement shall be terminated, except to the extent otherwise provided in Section 1(j) of the Trust Agreement.
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Very truly yours, |
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EXHIBIT C
[Letterhead of Company]
[Insert date]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
17 Battery Place
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Frank Di Paolo and Steven G. Nelson
Re: Trust Account No. Tax Payment Withdrawal Instruction
Gentlemen :
Pursuant to Section 1(j) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the Company ) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the Trustee ), dated as of [ · ], 2016 (the Trust Agreement ), the Company hereby requests that you deliver to the Company $ of the interest income earned on the Property as of the date hereof. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
The Company needs such funds to pay for the tax obligations as set forth on the attached tax return or tax statement. In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, you are hereby directed and authorized to transfer (via wire transfer) such funds promptly upon your receipt of this letter to the Companys operating account at:
[WIRE INSTRUCTION INFORMATION]
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Very truly yours, |
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cc: Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Exhibit 10.4
FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this Agreement ), dated as of [], 2016, is made and entered into by and among Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Company ), and Avista Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Sponsor , together with the other parties listed on the signature pages hereto and any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.2 of this Agreement, a Holder and collectively the Holders ).
RECITALS
WHEREAS , the Company and the Sponsor have entered into that certain Securities Subscription Agreement (the Founder Shares Purchase Agreement ), dated as of December 14, 2015, pursuant to which the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 8,625,000 shares of the Companys Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the Founder Shares ), and the Sponsor subsequently transferred an aggregate of Founder Shares to the other Holders;
WHEREAS , the Founder Shares are convertible into the Companys Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the Ordinary Shares ), on the terms provided in the Companys amended and restated memorandum and articles of association;
WHEREAS , on [], 2016, the Company and the Sponsor entered into that certain Sponsor Warrants Purchase Agreement (the Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement ), pursuant to which the Sponsor agreed to purchase 16,000,000 warrants (or up to 17,800,000 warrants if the over-allotment option in connection with the Companys initial public offering is exercised in full) (the Private Placement Warrants ), in a private placement transaction occurring simultaneously with the closing of the Companys initial public offering; and
WHEREAS , the Company and the Holders desire to enter into this Agreement, pursuant to which the Company shall grant the Holders certain registration rights with respect to certain securities of the Company, as set forth in this Agreement.
NOW , THEREFORE , in consideration of the representations, covenants and agreements contained herein, and certain other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions . The terms defined in this Article I shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, have the respective meanings set forth below:
Adverse Disclosure shall mean any public disclosure of material non-public information, which disclosure, in the good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, after consultation with counsel to the Company, (i) would be required to be made in any Registration Statement or Prospectus in order for the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein (in the case of any prospectus and any preliminary prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, (ii) would not be required to be made at such time if the Registration Statement were not being filed, and (iii) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public.
Agreement shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
Board shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
Business Combination shall mean any merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses, involving the Company.
Commission shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Company shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
Demand Registration shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1 .
Demanding Holder shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1 .
Exchange Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as it may be amended from time to time.
Form S-1 shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1 .
Form S-3 shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3 .
Founder Shares shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto and shall be deemed to include the Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion thereof.
Founder Shares Lock-up Period shall mean, with respect to the Founder Shares, the period ending on the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of the Companys initial Business Combination or (B) subsequent to the Companys Business Combination, (x) if the last sale price of the Ordinary Shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Companys initial Business Combination or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Companys shareholders having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property.
Founder Shares Purchase Agreement shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
Holders shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.
Insider Letter shall mean that certain letter agreement, dated as of [], 2016, by and between the Company, the Sponsor and each of the Companys officers, directors and director nominees.
Maximum Number of Securities shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4 .
Misstatement shall mean an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated in a Registration Statement or Prospectus or necessary to make the statements in a Registration Statement or Prospectus (in the case of a Prospectus in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.
Ordinary Shares shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
Permitted Transferees shall mean a person or entity to whom a Holder of Registrable Securities is permitted to transfer such Registrable Securities prior to the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period or Private Placement Lock-up Period, as the case may be, under the Insider Letter and any other applicable agreement between such Holder and the Company and to any transferee thereafter.
Piggyback Registration shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1 .
Private Placement Lock-up Period shall mean, with respect to Private Placement Warrants that are held by the initial purchasers of such Private Placement Warrants or their Permitted Transferees, and any of the Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise or conversion of the Private Placement Warrants and that are held by the initial purchasers of the Private Placement Warrants or their Permitted Transferees, the period ending 30 days after the completion of the Companys initial Business Combination.
Private Placement Warrants shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
Prospectus shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and all post-effective amendments and including all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.
Registrable Security shall mean (a) the Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the conversion of any Founder Shares, (b) the Private Placement Warrants (including any Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of any such Private Placement Warrants), (c) any outstanding Ordinary Shares or any other equity security (including the Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security) of the Company held by a Holder as of the date of this Agreement, (d) any equity securities (including the Ordinary Shares issued or
issuable upon the exercise of any such equity security) of the Company issuable upon conversion of any working capital loans in an amount up to $1,500,000 made to the Company by a Holder, and (e) any other equity security of the Company issued or issuable with respect to any such Ordinary Share by way of a share dividend or share split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or reorganization; provided , however , that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (A) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement; (B) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for such securities not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of such securities shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (C) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; (D) such securities may be sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (but with no volume or other restrictions or limitations); or (E) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction.
Registration shall mean a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.
Registration Expenses shall mean the out-of-pocket expenses of a Registration, including, without limitation, the following:
(A) all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.) and any securities exchange on which the Ordinary Shares are then listed;
(B) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with blue sky qualifications of Registrable Securities);
(C) printing, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses;
(D) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;
(E) reasonable fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants of the Company incurred specifically in connection with such Registration; and
(F) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration to be registered for offer and sale in the applicable Registration.
Registration Statement shall mean any registration statement that covers the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus included in such registration statement, amendments (including post-effective amendments) and
supplements to such registration statement, and all exhibits to and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
Requesting Holder shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1 .
Securities Act shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.
Sponsor shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.
Underwriter shall mean a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an Underwritten Offering and not as part of such dealers market-making activities.
Underwritten Registration or Underwritten Offering shall mean a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public.
ARTICLE II
REGISTRATIONS
2.1 Demand Registration .
2.1.1 Request for Registration . Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.1.4 and Section 2.4 hereof, at any time and from time to time on or after the date the Company consummates the Business Combination, the Holders of at least a majority in interest of the then outstanding number of Registrable Securities (the Demanding Holders ) may make a written demand for Registration under the Securities Act of all or part of their Registrable Securities, which written demand shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such Registration and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof (such written demand a Demand Registration ). The Company shall, within ten (10) days of the Companys receipt of the Demand Registration, notify, in writing, all other Holders of Registrable Securities of such demand, and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holders Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration (each such Holder that includes all or a portion of such Holders Registrable Securities in such Registration, a Requesting Holder ) shall so notify the Company, in writing, within five (5) days after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company. Upon receipt by the Company of any such written notification from a Requesting Holder(s) to the Company, such Requesting Holder(s) shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration and the Company shall effect, as soon thereafter as practicable, but not more than forty five (45) days immediately after the Companys receipt of the Demand Registration, the Registration of all Registrable Securities requested by the Demanding Holders and Requesting Holders pursuant to such Demand Registration. Under no circumstances shall the Company be obligated to effect more than an aggregate of three (3) Registrations pursuant to a Demand Registration under this subsection 2.1.1 with respect to any or all Registrable Securities; provided , however , that a Registration shall not be counted for such purposes unless a Form S-1 or any similar long-form registration statement that may be available at such time ( Form S-1 ) has become effective and all of the Registrable Securities requested by the Requesting Holders to be registered on behalf of the
Requesting Holders in such Form S-1 Registration have been sold, in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Agreement.
2.1.2 Effective Registration . Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2.1.1 above or any other part of this Agreement, a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration shall not count as a Registration unless and until (i) the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration has been declared effective by the Commission and (ii) the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided , further , that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, an offering of Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration is subsequently interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission, federal or state court or any other governmental agency the Registration Statement with respect to such Registration shall be deemed not to have been declared effective, unless and until, (i) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (ii) a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating such Demand Registration thereafter affirmatively elect to continue with such Registration and accordingly notify the Company in writing, but in no event later than five (5) days, of such election; provided , further , that the Company shall not be obligated or required to file another Registration Statement until the Registration Statement that has been previously filed with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration becomes effective or is subsequently terminated.
2.1.3 Underwritten Offering . Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.1.4 and Section 2.4 hereof, if a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so advise the Company as part of their Demand Registration that the offering of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering, then the right of such Demanding Holder or Requesting Holder (if any) to include its Registrable Securities in such Registration shall be conditioned upon such Holders participation in such Underwritten Offering and the inclusion of such Holders Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering to the extent provided herein. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.1.3 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating the Demand Registration.
2.1.4 Reduction of Underwritten Offering . If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) desire to sell, taken together with all other Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell and the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which a Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other shareholders who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in the Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the Maximum Number of Securities ), then the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering, as follows: (i) first, the Registrable Securities of the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) (pro rata based on the respective
number of Registrable Securities that each Demanding Holder and Requesting Holder (if any) has requested be included in such Underwritten Registration and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and Requesting Holders have requested be included in such Underwritten Registration (such proportion is referred to herein as Pro Rata )) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Registrable Securities of Holders (Pro Rata, based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Holder has so requested exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 hereof), without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register in a Registration pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
2.1.5 Demand Registration Withdrawal . A majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration or a majority-in-interest of the Requesting Holders (if any), pursuant to a Registration under subsection 2.1.1 shall have the right to withdraw from a Registration pursuant to such Demand Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of their intention to withdraw from such Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to the Registration of their Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.1.5 .
2.2 Piggyback Registration .
2.2.1 Piggyback Rights . If, at any time on or after the date the Company consummates a Business Combination, the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into equity securities, for its own account or for the account of shareholders of the Company (or by the Company and by the shareholders of the Company including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof), other than a Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan, (ii) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Companys existing shareholders, (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company or (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but not less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement, which notice shall (A) describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, and (B) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the
opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within five (5) days after receipt of such written notice (such Registration a Piggyback Registration ). The Company shall, in good faith, cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback Registration and shall use its best efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this subsection 2.2.1 to be included in a Piggyback Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company included in such Registration and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.2.1 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Company.
2.2.2 Reduction of Piggyback Registration . If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration that is to be a Piggyback Registration, in good faith, advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of the Ordinary Shares that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (i) the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which Registration has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder (ii) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant Section 2.2 hereof, and (iii) the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:
(a) If the Registration is undertaken for the Companys account, the Company shall include in any such Registration (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 hereof, Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;
(b) If the Registration is pursuant to a request by persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall include in any such Registration (A) first, the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities, if any, of such requesting persons or entities, other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 , pro rata based on the number of Registrable Securities that each Holder has requested be included in such Underwritten
Registration and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Holders have requested to be included in such Underwritten Registration, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
2.2.3 Piggyback Registration Withdrawal . Any Holder of Registrable Securities shall have the right to withdraw from a Piggyback Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw from such Piggyback Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Piggyback Registration. The Company (whether on its own good faith determination or as the result of a request for withdrawal by persons pursuant to separate written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in connection with a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.2.3 .
2.2.4 Unlimited Piggyback Registration Rights . For purposes of clarity, any Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof shall not be counted as a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration effected under Section 2.1 hereof.
2.3 Registrations on Form S-3 . The Holders of Registrable Securities may at any time, and from time to time, request in writing that the Company, pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission), register the resale of any or all of their Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or similar short-form registration statement that may be available at such time ( Form S-3 ); provided , however , that the Company shall not be obligated to effect such request through an Underwritten Offering. Within five (5) days of the Companys receipt of a written request from a Holder or Holders of Registrable Securities for a Registration on Form S-3, the Company shall promptly give written notice of the proposed Registration on Form S-3 to all other Holders of Registrable Securities, and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holders Registrable Securities in such Registration on Form S-3 shall so notify the Company, in writing, within ten (10) days after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company. As soon as practicable thereafter, but not more than twelve (12) days after the Companys initial receipt of such written request for a Registration on Form S-3, the Company shall register all or such portion of such Holders Registrable Securities as are specified in such written request, together with all or such portion of Registrable Securities of any other Holder or Holders joining in such request as are specified in the written notification given by such Holder or Holders; provided , however , that the Company shall not be obligated to effect any such
Registration pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof if (i) a Form S-3 is not available for such offering; or (ii) the Holders of Registrable Securities, together with the Holders of any other equity securities of the Company entitled to inclusion in such Registration, propose to sell the Registrable Securities and such other equity securities (if any) at any aggregate price to the public of less than $5,000,000.
2.4 Restrictions on Registration Rights . If (A) during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days prior to the Companys good faith estimate of the date of the filing of, and ending on a date one hundred and twenty (120) days after the effective date of, a Company initiated Registration and provided that the Company has delivered written notice to the Holders prior to receipt of a Demand Registration pursuant to subsection 2.1.1 and it continues to actively employ, in good faith, all reasonable efforts to cause the applicable Registration Statement to become effective; (B) the Holders have requested an Underwritten Registration and the Company and the Holders are unable to obtain the commitment of underwriters to firmly underwrite the offer; or (C) in the good faith judgment of the Board such Registration would be seriously detrimental to the Company and the Board concludes as a result that it is essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement at such time, then in each case the Company shall furnish to such Holders a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board it would be seriously detrimental to the Company for such Registration Statement to be filed in the near future and that it is therefore essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement. In such event, the Company shall have the right to defer such filing for a period of not more than thirty (30) days; provided , however , that the Company shall not defer its obligation in this manner more than once in any 12-month period. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, no Registration shall be effected or permitted and no Registration Statement shall become effective, with respect to any Registrable Securities held by any Holder, until after the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-Up Period or the Private Placement Lock-Up Period, as the case may be.
ARTICLE III
COMPANY PROCEDURES
3.1 General Procedures . If at any time on or after the date the Company consummates a Business Combination the Company is required to effect the Registration of Registrable Securities, the Company shall use its best efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended plan of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall, as expeditiously as possible:
3.1.1 prepare and file with the Commission as soon as practicable a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold;
3.1.2 prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus, as may be requested by the Holders or any Underwriter of Registrable Securities or as may be required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company or by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement
effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus;
3.1.3 prior to filing a Registration Statement or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the Underwriters, if any, and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration, and such Holders legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus), and such other documents as the Underwriters and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or the legal counsel for any such Holders may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders;
3.1.4 prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, use its best efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided , however , that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;
3.1.5 cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange or automated quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
3.1.6 provide a transfer agent or warrant agent, as applicable, and registrar for all such Registrable Securities no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;
3.1.7 advise each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued;
3.1.8 at least five (5) days prior to the filing of any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus furnish a copy thereof to each seller of such Registrable Securities or its counsel;
3.1.9 notify the Holders at any time when a Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event as a result of which the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes a Misstatement, and then to correct such Misstatement as set forth in Section 3.4 hereof;
3.1.10 permit a representative of the Holders, the Underwriters, if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriter to participate, at each such persons own expense, in the preparation of the Registration Statement, and cause the Companys officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with the Registration; provided , however , that such representatives or Underwriters enter into a confidentiality agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information;
3.1.11 obtain a cold comfort letter from the Companys independent registered public accountants in the event of an Underwritten Registration, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by cold comfort letters as the managing Underwriter may reasonably request, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders;
3.1.12 on the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration, obtain an opinion, dated such date, of counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such Registration, addressed to the Holders, the placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriters, if any, covering such legal matters with respect to the Registration in respect of which such opinion is being given as the Holders, placement agent, sales agent, or Underwriter may reasonably request and as are customarily included in such opinions and negative assurance letters, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority in interest of the participating Holders;
3.1.13 in the event of any Underwritten Offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing Underwriter of such offering;
3.1.14 make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months beginning with the first day of the Companys first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the Registration Statement which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder;
3.1.15 if the Registration involves the Registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $25,000,000, use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary road show presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any Underwritten Offering; and
3.1.16 otherwise, in good faith, cooperate reasonably with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the Holders, in connection with such Registration.
3.2 Registration Expenses . The Registration Expenses of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company. It is acknowledged by the Holders that the Holders shall bear all incremental selling expenses relating to the sale of Registrable Securities, such as Underwriters commissions and discounts, brokerage fees, Underwriter marketing costs and, other than as set forth in the definition of Registration Expenses , all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing the Holders.
3.3 Requirements for Participation in Underwritten Offerings . No person may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated by the Company hereunder unless such person (i) agrees to sell such persons securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (ii) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, lock-up agreements, underwriting agreements and other customary documents as may be reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.
3.4 Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure . Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, each of the Holders shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until it has received copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus correcting the Misstatement (it being understood that the Company hereby covenants to prepare and file such supplement or amendment as soon as practicable after the time of such notice), or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed. If the filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement in respect of any Registration at any time would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure or would require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Companys control, the Company may, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders, delay the filing or initial effectiveness of, or suspend use of, such Registration Statement for the shortest period of time, but in no event more than thirty (30) days, determined in good faith by the Company to be necessary for such purpose. In the event the Company exercises its rights under the preceding sentence, the Holders agree to suspend, immediately upon their receipt of the notice referred to above, their use of the Prospectus relating to any Registration in connection with any sale or offer to sell Registrable Securities. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this Section 3.4 .
3.5 Reporting Obligations . As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company, at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, covenants to file timely (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and to promptly furnish the Holders with true and complete copies of all such filings. The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell Ordinary Shares held by such Holder without registration under the
Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, including providing any legal opinions. Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements.
ARTICLE IV
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION
4.1 Indemnification .
4.1.1 The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers and directors and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys fees) caused by any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any information furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein. The Company shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers and directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to the indemnification of the Holder.
4.1.2 In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, such Holder shall furnish to the Company in writing such information and affidavits as the Company reasonably requests for use in connection with any such Registration Statement or Prospectus and, to the extent permitted by law, shall indemnify the Company, its directors and officers and agents and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation reasonable attorneys fees) resulting from any untrue statement of material fact contained in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing by such Holder expressly for use therein; provided , however , that the obligation to indemnify shall be several, not joint and several, among such Holders of Registrable Securities, and the liability of each such Holder of Registrable Securities shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. The Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Company.
4.1.3 Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any persons right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not materially prejudiced the
indemnifying party) and (ii) unless in such indemnified partys reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.
4.1.4 The indemnification provided for under this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of securities. The Company and each Holder of Registrable Securities participating in an offering also agrees to make such provisions as are reasonably requested by any indemnified party for contribution to such party in the event the Companys or such Holders indemnification is unavailable for any reason.
4.1.5 If the indemnification provided under Section 4.1 hereof from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the 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 to state a material fact, was made by, or relates to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying partys and indemnified partys relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action; provided , however , that the liability of any Holder under this subsection 4.1.5 shall be limited to the amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder in such offering giving rise to such liability. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in subsections 4.1.1 , 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation, which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this subsection 4.1.5 . No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Notices . Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be in writing and given by (i) deposit in the United States mail, addressed to the party to be notified, postage prepaid and registered or certified with return receipt requested, (ii) delivery in person or by courier service providing evidence of delivery, or (iii) transmission by hand delivery, electronic mail, telecopy, telegram or facsimile. Each notice or communication that is mailed, delivered, or transmitted in the manner described above shall be deemed sufficiently given, served, sent, and received, in the case of mailed notices, on the third business day following the date on which it is mailed and, in the case of notices delivered by courier service, hand delivery, electronic mail, telecopy, telegram or facsimile, at such time as it is delivered to the addressee (with the delivery receipt or the affidavit of messenger) or at such time as delivery is refused by the addressee upon presentation. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be addressed, if to the Company to: 65 East 55th St., 18th Floor, New York, NY 10022 or by facsimile at (212) 593-6901, and, if to any Holder, at such Holders address or facsimile number as set forth in the Companys books and records. Any party may change its address for notice at any time and from time to time by written notice to the other parties hereto, and such change of address shall become effective thirty (30) days after delivery of such notice as provided in this Section 5.1 .
5.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries .
5.2.1 This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part.
5.2.2 Prior to the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period or the Private Placement Lock-up Period, as the case may be, no Holder may assign or delegate such Holders rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, except in connection with a transfer of Registrable Securities by such Holder to a Permitted Transferee.
5.2.3 This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties and its successors and the permitted assigns of the Holders, which shall include Permitted Transferees.
5.2.4 This Agreement shall not confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not parties hereto, other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement and Section 5.2 hereof.
5.2.5 No assignment by any party hereto of such partys rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate the Company unless and until the Company shall have received (i) written notice of such assignment as provided in Section 5.1 hereof and (ii) the written agreement of the assignee, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement (which may be accomplished by an addendum or certificate of joinder to this Agreement). Any transfer or assignment made other than as provided in this Section 5.2 shall be null and void.
5.3 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts (including facsimile or PDF counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute the same instrument, but only one of which need be produced.
5.4 Governing Law; Venue . NOTWITHSTANDING THE PLACE WHERE THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE EXECUTED BY ANY OF THE PARTIES HERETO, THE PARTIES EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AS APPLIED TO AGREEMENTS AMONG NEW YORK RESIDENTS ENTERED INTO AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.
5.5 Amendments and Modifications . Upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders of at least a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities at the time in question, compliance with any of the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement may be waived, or any of such provisions, covenants or conditions may be amended or modified; provided , however , that notwithstanding the foregoing, any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects one Holder, solely in its capacity as a holder of the shares of capital stock of the Company, in a manner that is materially different from the other Holders (in such capacity) shall require the consent of the Holder so affected. No course of dealing between any Holder or the Company and any other party hereto or any failure or delay on the part of a Holder or the Company in exercising any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any rights or remedies of any Holder or the Company. No single or partial exercise of any rights or remedies under this Agreement by a party shall operate as a waiver or preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies hereunder or thereunder by such party.
5.6 Other Registration Rights . The Company represents and warrants that no person, other than a Holder of Registrable Securities, has any right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company for sale or to include such securities of the Company in any Registration filed by the Company for the sale of securities for its own account or for the account of any other person. Further, the Company represents and warrants that this Agreement supersedes any other registration rights agreement or agreement with similar terms and conditions and in the event of a conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.
5.7 Term . This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (i) the tenth anniversary of the date of this Agreement or (ii) the date as of which (A) all of the Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to a Registration Statement (but in no event prior to the applicable period referred to in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act and Rule 174 thereunder) or (B) the Holders of all Registrable Securities are permitted to sell the Registrable Securities under Rule 144 (or any similar provision) under the Securities Act without limitation on the amount of securities sold or the manner of sale. The provisions of Section 3.5 and Article IV shall survive any termination.
[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
[ Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement ]
Exhibit 10.5
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
c/o
Avista Capital Holdings, LP
65 East 55th Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
December 14, 2015
Avista Acquisition Corp.
c/o
Avista Capital Holdings, LP
65 East 55th Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
RE: Securities Subscription Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the Company ), is pleased to accept the offer Avista Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company, (the Subscriber or you ) has made to purchase 8,625,000 of the Companys Class B ordinary shares (the Shares ), $0.0001 par value per share (the Class B Shares ), up to 1,125,000 of which are subject to complete or partial forfeiture by you if the underwriters of the Companys initial public offering ( IPO ) of units ( Units ) do not fully exercise their over-allotment option (the Over-allotment Option ). For the purposes of this Agreement, references to Ordinary Shares are to, collectively, the Class B Shares and the Companys Class A ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value per share (the Class A Shares ). Pursuant to the Companys memorandum and articles of association, as amended to the date hereof (the Articles ), Class B Shares will convert into Class A shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Articles. Unless the context otherwise requires, as used herein Shares shall be deemed to include any Class A Shares issued upon conversion of the Class B Shares comprising the Shares. The terms (this Agreement ) on which the Company is willing to sell the Shares to the Subscriber, and the Company and the Subscribers agreements regarding such Shares, are as follows:
1. Purchase of Shares .
For the sum of $25,000 (the Purchase Price ), which the Company acknowledges receiving in cash, the Company hereby sells and issues the Shares to the Subscriber, and the Subscriber hereby purchases the Shares from the Company, subject to forfeiture, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement. Concurrently with the Subscribers execution of this Agreement, the Company shall, at its option, deliver to the Subscriber a certificate registered in the Subscribers name representing the Shares (the Original Certificate ) or effect such delivery in book-entry form. All references in this Agreement to shares of the Company being forfeited shall take effect as surrenders for no consideration of such shares as a matter of Cayman Islands law.
2. Representations, Warranties and Agreements .
2.1 Subscribers Representations, Warranties and Agreements . To induce the Company to issue the Shares to the Subscriber, the Subscriber hereby represents and warrants to the Company and agrees with the Company as follows:
2.1.1 No Government Recommendation or Approval . The Subscriber understands that no federal or state agency has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the offering of the Shares.
2.1.2 No Conflicts . The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Subscriber of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the formation and governing documents of the Subscriber, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Subscriber is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Subscriber is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Subscriber is subject.
2.1.3 Organization and Authority . The Subscriber is a Cayman Islands exempted company, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands and possesses all requisite power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Upon execution and delivery by you, this Agreement is a legal, valid and binding agreement of Subscriber, enforceable against Subscriber in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors rights generally and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
2.1.4 Experience, Financial Capability and Suitability . Subscriber is: (i) sophisticated in financial matters and is able to evaluate the risks and benefits of the investment in the Shares and (ii) able to bear the economic risk of its investment in the Shares for an indefinite period of time because the Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act (as defined below) and therefore cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. Subscriber is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Company and has the capacity to protect its own interests. Subscriber must bear the economic risk of this investment until the Shares are sold pursuant to: (i) an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or (ii) an exemption from registration available with respect to such sale. Subscriber is able to bear the economic risks of an investment in the Shares and to afford a complete loss of Subscribers investment in the Shares.
2.1.5 Access to Information; Independent Investigation . Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Subscriber has had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning an investment in the Company, as well as the finances, operations, business and prospects of the Company, and the opportunity to obtain additional information to verify the accuracy of all information so obtained. In determining whether to make this investment, Subscriber has relied solely on Subscribers own knowledge and understanding of the Company and its business based upon Subscribers own due diligence
investigation and the information furnished pursuant to this paragraph. Subscriber understands that no person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations which were not furnished pursuant to this Section 2 and Subscriber has not relied on any other representations or information in making its investment decision, whether written or oral, relating to the Company, its operations and/or its prospects.
2.1.6 Regulation D Offering . Subscriber represents that it is an accredited investor as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act ) and acknowledges the sale contemplated hereby is being made in reliance on a private placement exemption to accredited investors within the meaning of Section 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act or similar exemptions under state law.
2.1.7 Investment Purposes . The Subscriber is purchasing the Shares solely for investment purposes, for the Subscribers own account and not for the account or benefit of any other person, and not with a view towards the distribution or dissemination thereof. The Subscriber did not decide to enter into this Agreement as a result of any general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Rule 502 under the Securities Act.
2.1.8 Restrictions on Transfer; Shell Company . Subscriber understands the Shares are being offered in a transaction not involving a public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act. Subscriber understands the Shares will be restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act and Subscriber understands that the certificates or book-entries representing the Shares will contain a legend in respect of such restrictions. If in the future the Subscriber decides to offer, resell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Shares, such Shares may be offered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred only pursuant to: (i) registration under the Securities Act, or (ii) an available exemption from registration. Subscriber agrees that if any transfer of its Shares or any interest therein is proposed to be made, as a condition precedent to any such transfer, Subscriber may be required to deliver to the Company an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company. Absent registration or an exemption, the Subscriber agrees not to resell the Shares. Subscriber further acknowledges that because the Company is a shell company, Rule 144 may not be available to the Subscriber for the resale of the Shares until one year following consummation of the initial business combination of the Company, despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144 and the release or waiver of any contractual transfer restrictions.
2.1.9 No Governmental Consents . No governmental, administrative or other third party consents or approvals are required, necessary or appropriate on the part of Subscriber in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2.2 Companys Representations, Warranties and Agreements . To induce the Subscriber to purchase the Shares, the Company hereby represents and warrants to the Subscriber and agrees with the Subscriber as follows:
2.2.1 Organization and Corporate Power . The Company is a Cayman Islands exempted company and is qualified to do business in every jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial
condition, operating results or assets of the Company. The Company possesses all requisite corporate power and authority necessary to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
2.2.2 No Conflicts . The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company, (ii) any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company is a party or (iii) any law, statute, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject, or any agreement, order, judgment or decree to which the Company is subject.
2.2.3 Title to Shares . Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof, and registration on the register of members of the Company, the Shares will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Upon issuance in accordance with, and payment pursuant to, the terms hereof the Subscriber will have or receive good title to the Shares, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances of any kind, other than (a) transfer restrictions hereunder and under the other agreements to which the Shares may be subject, (b) transfer restrictions under federal and state securities laws, and (c) liens, claims or encumbrances imposed due to the actions of the Subscriber.
2.2.4 No Adverse Actions . There are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending, threatened against or affecting the Company which: (i) seek to restrain, enjoin, prevent the consummation of or otherwise affect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) question the validity or legality of any transactions or seeks to recover damages or to obtain other relief in connection with any transactions.\
2.2.5 Authorization . The Class A Shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B Shares have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance upon such conversion.
3. Forfeiture of Shares .
3.1 Partial or No Exercise of the Over-allotment Option . In the event the Over-allotment Option granted to the underwriters of the IPO is not exercised in full, the Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that it (and, if applicable, any transferee of Shares) shall forfeit any and all rights to such number of Shares (up to an aggregate of 1,125,000 Shares and pro rata based upon the percentage of the Over-allotment Option exercised) such that immediately following such forfeiture, the Subscriber (and any such transferees) will own an aggregate number of Shares (not including Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of any warrants or any securities purchased by Subscriber in the IPO or in the aftermarket) equal to 20% of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares immediately following the IPO.
3.2 Termination of Rights as Shareholder . If any of the Shares are forfeited in accordance with this Section 3, then after such time the Subscriber (or successor in interest), shall no longer have any rights as a holder of such forfeited Shares, and the Company shall take such action as is appropriate to cancel such forfeited Shares.
3.3 Share Certificates . In the event an adjustment to the Original Certificate, if any, is required pursuant to this Section 3, then the Subscriber shall return such Original Certificate to
the Company or its designated agent as soon as practicable upon its receipt of notice from the Company advising Subscriber of such adjustment, following which a new certificate (the New Certificate ), if any, shall be issued in such amount representing the adjusted number of Shares held by the Subscriber. The New Certificate, if any, shall be returned to the Subscriber as soon as practicable. Any such adjustment for any uncertificated securities held by the Subscriber shall be made in book-entry form.
4. Waiver of Liquidation Distributions; Redemption Rights .
In connection with the Shares purchased pursuant to this Agreement, the Subscriber hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distributions by the Company from the trust account which will be established for the benefit of the Companys public shareholders and into which substantially all of the proceeds of the IPO will be deposited (the Trust Account), in the event of a liquidation of the Company upon the Companys failure to timely complete an initial business combination. For purposes of clarity, in the event the Subscriber purchases securities in the IPO or in the aftermarket, any Class A Shares so purchased shall be eligible to receive any liquidating distributions by the Company. However, in no event will the Subscriber have the right to redeem any Ordinary Shares held by it into funds held in the Trust Account upon the successful completion of an initial business combination.
5. Restrictions on Transfer .
5.1 Securities Law Restrictions . In addition to any restrictions to be contained in that certain letter agreement (commonly known as an Insider Letter ) dated on or prior to the closing of the IPO by and between Subscriber and the Company, Subscriber agrees not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Shares unless, prior thereto (a) a registration statement on the appropriate form under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws with respect to the Shares proposed to be transferred shall then be effective or (b) the Company has received an opinion from counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company, that such registration is not required because such transaction is exempt from registration under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder and with all applicable state securities laws.
5.2 Lock-up . Subscriber acknowledges that the Shares will be subject to lock-up provisions (the Lock-up ) contained in the Insider Letter. Pursuant to the Insider Letter, Subscriber will agree (subject to certain exceptions) not to sell, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of the Companys initial business combination or (B) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction after its initial business combination that results in all of its shareholders having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the last sale price of the Class A Shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Companys initial business combination, the Shares will be released from the Lock-up.
5.3 Restrictive Legends . All certificates representing the Shares shall have endorsed thereon legends substantially as follows:
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND NEITHER THE SECURITIES NOR ANY INTEREST THEREIN MAY BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER SUCH ACT OR SUCH LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SUCH ACT AND SUCH LAWS WHICH, IN THE OPINION OF COUNSEL, IS AVAILABLE.
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO A LOCKUP AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED DURING THE TERM OF THE LOCKUP.
5.4 Additional Shares or Substituted Securities . In the event of the declaration of a share dividend, the declaration of an extraordinary dividend payable in a form other than Shares, a spin-off, a share split, an adjustment in conversion ratio, a recapitalization or a similar transaction affecting the Companys outstanding Ordinary Shares without receipt of consideration, any new, substituted or additional securities or other property which are by reason of such transaction distributed with respect to any Shares subject to this Section 5 or into which such Shares thereby become convertible shall immediately be subject to this Section 5 and Section 3. Appropriate adjustments to reflect the distribution of such securities or property shall be made to the number and/or class of Ordinary Shares subject to this Section 5 and Section 3.
5.5 Registration Rights . Subscriber acknowledges that the Shares are being purchased pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and will become freely tradable only after certain conditions are met or they are registered pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be entered into with the Company prior to the closing of the IPO (the Registration Rights Agreement).
6. Other Agreements .
6.1 Further Assurances . Subscriber agrees to execute such further instruments and to take such further action as may reasonably be necessary to carry out the intent of this Agreement.
6.2 Notices . All notices, statements or other documents which are required or contemplated by this Agreement shall be: (i) in writing and delivered personally or sent by first class registered or certified mail, overnight courier service or facsimile or electronic transmission to the address designated in writing, (ii) by facsimile to the number most recently provided to such party or such other address or fax number as may be designated in writing by such party and (iii) by electronic mail, to the electronic mail address most recently provided to such party or such other electronic mail address as may be designated in writing by such party. Any notice or other communication so transmitted shall be deemed to have been given on the day of delivery, if delivered personally, on the business day following receipt of written confirmation, if sent by
facsimile or electronic transmission, one (1) business day after delivery to an overnight courier service or five (5) days after mailing if sent by mail.
6.3 Entire Agreement . This Agreement, together with that certain Insider Letter to be entered into between Subscriber and the Company and the Registration Rights Agreement, each substantially in the form to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the Subscriber and the Company with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof.
6.4 Modifications and Amendments . The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be modified or amended only by written agreement executed by all parties hereto.
6.5 Waivers and Consents . The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be waived, or consent for the departure therefrom granted, only by written document executed by the party entitled to the benefits of such terms or provisions. No such waiver or consent shall be deemed to be or shall constitute a waiver or consent with respect to any other terms or provisions of this Agreement, whether or not similar. Each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which it was given, and shall not constitute a continuing waiver or consent.
6.6 Assignment . The rights and obligations under this Agreement may not be assigned by either party hereto without the prior written consent of the other party.
6.7 Benefit . All statements, representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in this Agreement shall be binding on the parties hereto and shall inure to the benefit of the respective successors and permitted assigns of each party hereto. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to create any rights or obligations except among the parties hereto, and no person or entity shall be regarded as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.
6.8 Governing Law. This Agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of New York applicable to contracts wholly performed within the borders of such state, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles thereof.
6.9 Severability . In the event that any court of competent jurisdiction shall determine that any provision, or any portion thereof, contained in this Agreement shall be unreasonable or unenforceable in any respect, then such provision shall be deemed limited to the extent that such court deems it reasonable and enforceable, and as so limited shall remain in full force and effect. In the event that such court shall deem any such provision, or portion thereof, wholly unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.
6.10 No Waiver of Rights, Powers and Remedies . No failure or delay by a party hereto in exercising any right, power or remedy under this Agreement, and no course of dealing between the parties hereto, shall operate as a waiver of any such right, power or remedy of such party. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy under this Agreement by a party hereto, nor any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce any such right, power or
remedy, shall preclude such party from any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or remedy hereunder. The election of any remedy by a party hereto shall not constitute a waiver of the right of such party to pursue other available remedies. No notice to or demand on a party not expressly required under this Agreement shall entitle the party receiving such notice or demand to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or constitute a waiver of the rights of the party giving such notice or demand to any other or further action in any circumstances without such notice or demand.
6.11 Survival of Representations and Warranties . All representations and warranties made by the parties hereto in this Agreement or in any other agreement, certificate or instrument provided for or contemplated hereby, shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and any investigations made by or on behalf of the parties.
6.12 No Broker or Finder . Each of the parties hereto represents and warrants to the other that no broker, finder or other financial consultant has acted on its behalf in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in such a way as to create any liability on the other. Each of the parties hereto agrees to indemnify and save the other harmless from any claim or demand for commission or other compensation by any broker, finder, financial consultant or similar agent claiming to have been employed by or on behalf of such party and to bear the cost of legal expenses incurred in defending against any such claim.
6.13 Headings and Captions . The headings and captions of the various subdivisions of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall in no way modify or affect the meaning or construction of any of the terms or provisions hereof.
6.14 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
6.15 Construction . The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party hereto because of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. The words include , includes , and including will be deemed to be followed by without limitation . Pronouns in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. The words this Agreement , herein , hereof , hereby , hereunder , and words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The parties hereto intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein will have independent significance. If any party hereto has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation,
warranty or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) which such party hereto has not breached will not detract from or mitigate the fact that such party hereto is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant.
6.16 Mutual Drafting . This Agreement is the joint product of the Subscriber and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
7. Voting and Tender of Shares .
Subscriber agrees to vote the Shares in favor of an initial business combination that the Company negotiates and submits for approval to the Companys shareholders and shall not seek redemption with respect to any of the Shares. Additionally, the Subscriber agrees not to tender any Shares in connection with a tender offer presented to the Companys shareholders in connection with an initial business combination negotiated by the Company.
8. Indemnification .
Each party shall indemnify the other against any loss, cost or damages (including reasonable attorneys fees and expenses) incurred as a result of such partys breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement in this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
If the foregoing accurately sets forth our understanding and agreement, please sign the enclosed copy of the Agreement and return it to us.
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Very truly yours, |
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Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. |
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By: |
/s/ John Cafasso |
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Name: John Cafasso |
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Title: Chief Financial Officer |
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Accepted and agreed, December 14, 2015 |
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Avista Acquisition Corp. |
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By: |
/s/ David Burgstahler |
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Name: David Burgstahler |
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Title: President and Chief Executive Officer |
[ Signature page to Subscription Agreement ]
Exhibit 10.7
FORM OF INDEMNITY AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNITY AGREEMENT (this Agreement ) is made as of [], 2016.
Between:
(1) AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP., an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands with registered office at Ugland House, South Church Street, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (the Company ); and
(2) [] ( Indemnitee ).
Whereas:
(A) Highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve publicly-held corporations as directors, officers or in other capacities unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of such corporations;
(B) The board of directors of the Company (the Board ) has determined that, in order to attract and retain qualified individuals, the Company will attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its subsidiaries from certain liabilities. Although the furnishing of such insurance has been a customary and widespread practice among publicly traded corporations and other business enterprises, the Company believes that, given current market conditions and trends, such insurance may be available to it in the future only at higher premiums and with more exclusions. At the same time, directors, officers and other persons in service to corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to, among other things, matters that traditionally would have been brought only against the Company or business enterprise itself. The amended and restated articles of association of the Company (the Articles ) provide for the indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company. The Articles expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the board of directors, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement and reimbursement rights;
(C) The uncertainties relating to such insurance and to indemnification have increased the difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons;
(D) The Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Companys shareholders and that the
Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;
(E) It is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so protected against liabilities;
(F) This Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Articles and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder;
(G) Indemnitee may not be willing to serve as an officer or director, advisor or in another capacity without adequate protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity. Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that he be so indemnified; and
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein and subject to the provisions of the letter agreement dated as of [], 2016 between the Company and Indemnitee pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement between the Company and the Underwriters in connection with the Companys initial public offering, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1 SERVICES TO THE COMPANY
Indemnitee will serve or continue to serve as an officer, director, advisor, key employee or in any other capacity of the Company, as applicable, for so long as Indemnitee is duly elected, appointed or retained or until Indemnitee tenders his resignation.
2 DEFINITIONS
As used in this Agreement:
2.1 References to agent shall mean any person who is or was a director, officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company or other person authorized by the Company to act for the Company, to include such person serving in such capacity as a director, officer, employee, advisor, fiduciary or other official of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the interests of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company.
2.2 The terms Beneficial Owner and Beneficial Ownership shall have the meanings set forth in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below) as in effect on the date hereof.
2.3 A Change in Control shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following events:
(a) Acquisition of Shares by Third Party . Other than an affiliate of Avista Capital Holdings, L.P., any Person (as defined below) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the Companys then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, unless (1) the change in the relative Beneficial Ownership of the Companys securities by any Person results solely from a reduction in the aggregate number of outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, or (2) such acquisition was approved in advance by the Continuing Directors (as defined below) and such acquisition would not constitute a Change in Control under part (c) of this definition;
(b) Change in Board of Directors . Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board, and any new director whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Companys shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds of the directors then still in office who were directors on the date hereof or whose election for nomination for election was previously so approved (collectively, the Continuing Directors ), cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board;
(c) Corporate Transactions . The effective date of a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination, involving the Company and one or more businesses (a Business Combination ), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination: (1) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the Beneficial Owners of securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 51% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, a corporation which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Companys assets either directly or through one or more Subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Business Combination, of the securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; (2) other than an affiliate of Avista Capital Holdings L.P., no Person (excluding any corporation resulting from such Business Combination) is the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of 15% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the surviving corporation except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination; and (3) at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination were Continuing Directors at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board of Directors, providing for such Business Combination;
(d) Liquidation . The approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement or series of agreements for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Companys assets, other than factoring the Companys current receivables or escrows due (or, if such approval is not required, the decision by the Board to proceed with such a liquidation, sale, or disposition in one transaction or a series of related transactions); or
(e) Other Events . There occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement.
2.4 Corporate Status describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of the Company or of any other Enterprise (as defined below) which such person is or was serving at the request of the Company.
2.5 Cayman Court shall mean the Courts of the Cayman Islands.
2.6 Disinterested Director shall mean a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding (as defined below) in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.
2.7 Enterprise shall mean the Company and any other corporation, constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger to which the Company (or any of its wholly owned subsidiaries) is a party, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent.
2.8 Exchange Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
2.9 Expenses shall include all direct and indirect costs, fees and expenses of any type or nature whatsoever, including, without limitation, all attorneys fees and costs, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, fees of private investigators and professional advisors, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, fax transmission charges, secretarial services and all other disbursements, obligations or expenses in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, settlement or appeal of, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding (as defined below), including reasonable compensation for time spent by Indemnitee for which he or she is not otherwise compensated by the Company or any third party. Expenses also shall include Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding (as defined below), including without limitation the principal, premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas
bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.
2.10 Independent Counsel shall mean a law firm or a member of a law firm with significant experience in matters of corporate law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements); or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding (as defined below) giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term Independent Counsel shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitees rights under this Agreement.
2.11 References to fines shall include any excise tax assessed on Indemnitee with respect to any employee benefit plan; references to serving at the request of the Company shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner not opposed to the best interests of the Company as referred to in this Agreement.
2.12 The term Person shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof; provided, however, that Person shall exclude: (i) the Company; (ii) any Subsidiaries (as defined below) of the Company; (iii) any employment benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company or of any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of share of the Company; and (iv) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or of a Subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company or of a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of share of the Company.
2.13 The term Proceeding shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, mediation, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil (including intentional or unintentional tort claims), criminal, administrative, or investigative or related nature, in which Indemnitee was, is, will or might be involved as a party or otherwise by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director or officer of the Company, by reason of any action (or failure to act) taken by him or of any action (or failure to act) on his part while acting as a director or officer of the Company, or by reason of the fact that he is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director,
officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement, or advancement of expenses can be provided under this Agreement.
2.14 The term Subsidiary, with respect to any Person, shall mean any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by that Person.
3 INDEMNITY IN THIRD-PARTY PROCEEDINGS
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitees Corporate Status. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses, judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on his behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
4 INDEMNITY IN PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee was, is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise) in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of Indemnitees Corporate Status. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. No indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration for Expenses shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that any court in which the Proceeding was brought or the Cayman Court shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, to be held harmless or to exoneration.
5 INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A PARTY WHO IS WHOLLY OR PARTLY SUCCESSFUL
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement except for Section 27, to the extent that Indemnitee was or is, by reason of Indemnitees Corporate Status, a party to (or a participant in) and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, in whole or in part, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding, the Company also shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee against all Expenses reasonably incurred in connection with a claim, issue or matter related to any claim, issue, or matter on which Indemnitee was successful. For purposes of this Section 5 and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.
6 INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF A WITNESS
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement except for Section 27, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a witness or deponent in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party or threatened to be made a party, he shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be indemnified, held harmless and exonerated against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith.
7 ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION, HOLD HARMLESS AND EXONERATION RIGHTS
7.1 Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4, or 5, except for Section 27, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee if Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding. No indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights shall be available under this Section 7.1 on account of Indemnitees conduct which constitutes a breach of Indemnitees duty of loyalty to the Company or its shareholders or is an act or omission
not in good faith or which involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law.
7.2 Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4, 5 or 7.1, except for Section 27, the Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee if Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.
8 CONTRIBUTION IN THE EVENT OF JOINT LIABILITY
8.1 To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification, hold harmless and/or exoneration rights provided for in this Agreement are unavailable to Indemnitee in whole or in part for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying, holding harmless or exonerating Indemnitee, shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any Proceeding without requiring Indemnitee to contribute to such payment, and the Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution it may have at any time against Indemnitee.
8.2 The Company shall not enter into any settlement of any Proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such Proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against Indemnitee.
8.3 The Company hereby agrees to fully indemnify, hold harmless and exonerate Indemnitee from any claims for contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or employees of the Company other than Indemnitee who may be jointly liable with Indemnitee.
9 EXCLUSIONS
Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnification, advance expenses, hold harmless or exoneration payment in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:
(a) for which payment has actually been received by or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity or advancement provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount actually received under any insurance policy, contract, agreement, other indemnity or advancement provision or otherwise;
(b) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or
(c) except as otherwise provided in Sections 14.5 and 14.6 hereof, prior to a Change in Control, in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation or (ii) the Company provides the indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payment, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law.
10 ADVANCES OF EXPENSES; DEFENSE OF CLAIM
10.1 Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary except for Section 27, and to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law, the Company shall pay the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee (or reasonably expected by Indemnitee to be incurred by Indemnitee within three months) in connection with any Proceeding within ten (10) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, prior to the final disposition of any Proceeding. Advances shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be unsecured and interest free. Advances shall be made without regard to Indemnitees ability to repay the Expenses and without regard to Indemnitees ultimate entitlement to be indemnified, held harmless or exonerated under the other provisions of this Agreement. Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing a Proceeding to enforce this right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Company to support the advances claimed. To the fullest extent required by applicable law, such payments of Expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon the Companys receipt of an undertaking, by or on behalf of Indemnitee, to repay the advance to the extent that it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company under the provisions of this Agreement, the Articles, applicable law or otherwise. This Section 10.1 shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which an indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payment is excluded pursuant to Section 9.
10.2 The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.
10.3 The Company shall not settle any action, claim or Proceeding (in whole or in part) which would impose any Expense, judgment, fine, penalty or limitation on Indemnitee without Indemnitees prior written consent.
11 PROCEDURE FOR NOTIFICATION AND APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION
11.1 Indemnitee agrees to notify promptly the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights, or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement, or otherwise.
11.2 Indemnitee may deliver to the Company a written application to indemnify, hold harmless or exonerate Indemnitee in accordance with this Agreement. Such application(s) may be delivered from time to time and at such time(s) as Indemnitee deems appropriate in his or her sole discretion. Following such a written application for indemnification by Indemnitee, Indemnitees entitlement to indemnification shall be determined according to Section 12.1 of this Agreement.
12 PROCEDURE UPON APPLICATION FOR INDEMNIFICATION
12.1 A determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitees entitlement to indemnification shall be made in the specific case by one of the following methods, which shall be at the election of Indemnitee: (i) by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board (ii) by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee; or (iii) by vote of the shareholders by ordinary resolution. The Company will promptly advise Indemnitee in writing with respect to any determination that Indemnitee is or is not entitled to indemnification, including a description of any reason or basis for which indemnification has been denied. If it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall reasonably cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitees entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any costs or Expenses (including attorneys fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitees entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby agrees to indemnify and to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.
12.2 In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 12.1 hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 12.2. The Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board), and Indemnitee shall give written notice to the Company advising it of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements of Independent Counsel as defined in Section 2 of this
Agreement. If the Independent Counsel is selected by the Board, the Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising him of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected and certifying that the Independent Counsel so selected meets the requirements of Independent Counsel as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement. In either event, Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within ten (10) days after such written notice of selection shall have been received, deliver to the Company or to Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of Independent Counsel as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20) days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 11.2 hereof, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Cayman Court for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company or Indemnitee to the others selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the Cayman Court, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 12.1 hereof. Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 14.1 of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).
12.3 The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel and to fully indemnify and hold harmless such Independent Counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.
13 PRESUMPTIONS AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS
13.1 In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person, persons or entity making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 11.2 of this Agreement, and the Company shall have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption in connection with the making by any person, persons or entity of any determination contrary to that presumption. Neither the failure of the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the
action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
13.2 If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 12 of this Agreement to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitees statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a final judicial determination that any or all such indemnification is expressly prohibited under applicable law; provided, however, that such 30-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) days, if the person, persons or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto.
13.3 The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
13.4 For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitees action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the directors, managers, managing members, or officers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected by the Enterprise, its Board, any committee of the Board or any director, trustee, general partner, manager or managing member. The provisions of this Section 13.4 shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which Indemnitee may be deemed or found to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.
13.5 The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any other director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.
14 REMEDIES OF INDEMNITEE
14.1 In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, is not timely made pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 12.1 of this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Sections 5, 6, 7 or the last sentence of Section 12.1 of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, (v) a contribution payment is not made in a timely manner pursuant to Section 8 of this Agreement, (vi) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 3 or 4 of this Agreement is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, or (vii) payment to Indemnitee pursuant to any hold harmless or exoneration rights under this Agreement or otherwise is not made within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by the Cayman Court to such indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, contribution or advancement rights. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Except as set forth herein, the provisions of Cayman Islands law (without regard to its conflict of laws rules) shall apply to any such arbitration. The Company shall not oppose Indemnitees right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.
14.2 In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 12.1 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14, Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to be indemnified, held harmless, exonerated to receive advances of Expenses under this Agreement and the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, held harmless, exonerated and to receive advances of Expenses, as the case may be, and the Company may not refer to or introduce into evidence any determination pursuant to Section 12.1 of this Agreement adverse to Indemnitee for any purpose. If Indemnitee commences a judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to this Section 14, Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any advances pursuant to Section 10 until a final determination is made with respect to Indemnitees entitlement to indemnification (as to which all rights of appeal have been exhausted or lapsed).
14.3 If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 12.1 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitees statement not materially misleading, in
connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.
14.4 The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.
14.5 The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law against all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after the Companys receipt of such written request) pay to Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, such Expenses which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any judicial proceeding or arbitration brought by Indemnitee (i) to enforce his rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement or any other indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement or contribution agreement or provision of the Articles now or hereafter in effect; or (ii) for recovery or advances under any insurance policy maintained by any person for the benefit of Indemnitee, regardless of the outcome and whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration right, advancement, contribution or insurance recovery, as the case may be (unless such judicial proceeding or arbitration was not brought by Indemnitee in good faith).
14.6 Interest shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee at a rate to be agreed between the Company and the Indemnitee for amounts which the Company indemnifies, holds harmless or exonerates, or is obliged to indemnify, hold harmless or exonerate for the period commencing with the date on which Indemnitee requests indemnification, to be held harmless, exonerated, contribution, reimbursement or advancement of any Expenses and ending with the date on which such payment is made to Indemnitee by the Company.
15 SECURITY
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary except for Section 27, to the extent requested by Indemnitee and approved by the Board, the Company may at any time and from time to time provide security to Indemnitee for the Companys obligations hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral. Any such security, once provided to Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior written consent of Indemnitee.
16 NON-EXCLUSIVITY; SURVIVAL OF RIGHTS; INSURANCE; SUBROGATION
16.1 The rights of Indemnitee as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Articles, any agreement, a vote of shareholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any Proceeding (regardless of when such Proceeding is first threatened, commenced or
completed) arising out of, or related to, any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in applicable law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration rights or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Articles or this Agreement, then this Agreement (without any further action by the parties hereto) shall automatically be deemed to be amended to require that the Company indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.
16.2 The Articles permit the Company to purchase and maintain insurance or furnish similar protection or make other arrangements including, but not limited to, providing a trust fund, letter of credit, or surety bond ( Indemnification Arrangements ) on behalf of Indemnitee against any liability asserted against him or incurred by or on behalf of him or in such capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of this Agreement, as it may then be in effect. The purchase, establishment, and maintenance of any such Indemnification Arrangement shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or of Indemnitee under this Agreement except as expressly provided herein, and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and Indemnitee shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or the other party or parties thereto under any such Indemnification Arrangement.
16.3 To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, trustees, partners, managers, managing members, fiduciaries, employees, or agents of the Company or of any other Enterprise which such person serves at the request of the Company, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent under such policy or policies. If, at the time the Company receives notice from any source of a Proceeding as to which Indemnitee is a party or a participant (as a witness, deponent or otherwise), the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of such Proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.
16.4 In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including
execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.
16.5 The Companys obligation to indemnify, hold harmless, exonerate or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification, hold harmless or exoneration payments or advancement of expenses from such Enterprise. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary except for Section 27, (i) Indemnitee shall have no obligation to reduce, offset, allocate, pursue or apportion any indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration, advancement, contribution or insurance coverage among multiple parties possessing such duties to Indemnitee prior to the Companys satisfaction and performance of all its obligations under this Agreement, and (ii) the Company shall perform fully its obligations under this Agreement without regard to whether Indemnitee holds, may pursue or has pursued any indemnification, advancement, hold harmless, exoneration, contribution or insurance coverage rights against any person or entity other than the Company.
17 DURATION OF AGREEMENT
All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee serves as a director or officer of the Company or as a director, officer, trustee, partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other Enterprise which Indemnitee serves at the request of the Company and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible Proceeding (including any rights of appeal thereto and any Proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 14 of this Agreement) by reason of his Corporate Status, whether or not he is acting in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification or advancement can be provided under this Agreement.
18 SEVERABILITY
If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section, paragraph or sentence of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.
19 ENFORCEMENT AND BINDING EFFECT
19.1 The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director, officer or key employee of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director, officer or key employee of the Company.
19.2 Without limiting any of the rights of Indemnitee under the Articles as they may be amended from time to time, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.
19.3 The indemnification, hold harmless, exoneration and advancement of expenses rights provided by or granted pursuant to this Agreement shall be binding upon and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company), shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or a director, officer, trustee, general partner, manager, managing member, fiduciary, employee or agent of any other Enterprise at the Companys request, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and his or her spouse, assigns, heirs, devisees, executors and administrators and other legal representatives.
19.4 The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.
19.5 The Company and Indemnitee agree herein that a monetary remedy for breach of this Agreement, at some later date, may be inadequate, impracticable and difficult of proof, and further agree that such breach may cause Indemnitee irreparable harm. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree that Indemnitee may enforce this Agreement by seeking, among other things, injunctive relief and/or specific performance hereof, without any necessity of showing actual damage or irreparable harm and that by seeking injunctive relief and/or specific performance, Indemnitee shall not be precluded from seeking or obtaining any other relief to which he may be entitled. The Company and Indemnitee further agree that Indemnitee shall be entitled to such specific performance and injunctive relief, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and permanent injunctions, without the necessity of posting bonds or other undertaking in connection therewith. The Company acknowledges that in the absence of a waiver, a bond or undertaking may be required of Indemnitee by a Court of competent jurisdiction and the Company hereby waives any such requirement of such a bond or undertaking.
20 MODIFICATION AND WAIVER
No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the Company and Indemnitee. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
21 NOTICES
All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, or (ii) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third (3rd) business day after the date on which it is so mailed:
(a) If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement or such other address as Indemnitee shall provide in writing to the Company.
(b) If to the Company, to:
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
65 E. 55th Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attn: Benjamin Silbert, Esq.
With a copy, which shall not constitute notice, to:
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
767 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10153
Attn: Jennifer A. Bensch, Esq.
or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee in writing by the Company.
22 APPLICABLE LAW AND CONSENT TO JURISDICTION
This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the Cayman Islands, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 14.1 of this Agreement, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally: (a) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Cayman Court and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country; (b) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Cayman Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement; (c) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Cayman Court; and (d) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any
claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Cayman Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum, or is subject (in whole or in part) to a jury trial.
23 IDENTICAL COUNTERPARTS
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.
24 MISCELLANEOUS
Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.
25 PERIOD OF LIMITATIONS
No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitees spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two-year period; provided, however, that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action such shorter period shall govern.
26 ADDITIONAL ACTS
If for the validation of any of the provisions in this Agreement any act, resolution, approval or other procedure is required, the Company undertakes to cause such act, resolution, approval or other procedure to be affected or adopted in a manner that will enable the Company to fulfil its obligations under this Agreement.
27 WAIVER OF CLAIMS TO TRUST ACCOUNT
Indemnitee hereby agrees that it does not have any right, title, interest or claim of any kind (each, a Claim ) in or to any monies in the trust account established in connection with the Companys initial public offering for the benefit of the Company and holders of shares issued in such offering, and hereby waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any services provided to the Company and will not seek recourse against such trust account for any reason whatsoever.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Indemnity Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.
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[Signature Page to Indemnity Agreement]
Exhibit 10.8
Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp.
65 East 55th Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
[], 2016
Avista Capital Holdings, L.P.
65 East 55th Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Re: Administrative Services Agreement
Gentlemen:
This letter agreement by and between Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the Company) and Avista Capital Holdings, L.P. (Avista), dated as of the date hereof, will confirm our agreement that, commencing on the date the securities of the Company are first listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market (the Listing Date), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 and prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Registration Statement) and continuing until the earlier of the consummation by the Company of an initial business combination or the Companys liquidation (in each case as described in the Registration Statement) (such earlier date hereinafter referred to as the Termination Date), Avista, an affiliate of our sponsor, Avista Acquisition Corp., shall make available to the Company, at 65 East 55th Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10022 (or any successor location of Avista), certain administrative and support services as may be reasonably required by the Company. In exchange therefor, the Company shall pay Avista the sum of $10,000 per month on the Listing Date and continuing monthly thereafter until the Termination Date.
Avista hereby irrevocably waives any and all right, title, interest, causes of action and claims of any kind (each, a Claim) in or to, and any and all right to seek payment of any amounts due to it out of, the trust account established for the benefit of the public shareholders of the Company and into which substantially all of the proceeds of the Companys initial public offering will be deposited (the Trust Account), and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim it may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, this letter agreement, which Claim would reduce, encumber or otherwise adversely affect the Trust Account or any monies or other assets in the Trust Account, and further agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction of any Claim against the Trust Account or any monies or other assets in the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.
This letter agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of its subject matter and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements, or
representations by or among the parties hereto, written or oral, to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof or the transactions contemplated hereby.
This letter agreement may not be amended, modified or waived as to any particular provision, except by a written instrument executed by all parties hereto.
No party hereto may assign either this letter agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of the other party. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual and shall not operate to transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee.
This letter agreement constitutes the entire relationship of the parties hereto, and any litigation between the parties (whether grounded in contract, tort, statute, law or equity) shall be governed by, construed in accordance with, and interpreted pursuant to the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to its choice of laws principles.
This letter agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same letter agreement.
[Signature page follows]
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[Signature Page to Administrative Services Agreement]
Exhibit 14
FORM OF
CODE OF ETHICS
OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
1. Introduction
The Board of Directors (the Board ) of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the Company ) has adopted this code of ethics (this Code ), as amended from time to time by the Board and which is applicable to all of the Companys directors, officers and employees (to the extent that employees are hired in the future) to:
· promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;
· promote the full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC ), as well as in other public communications made by or on behalf of the Company;
· promote compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations;
· deter wrongdoing; and
· require prompt internal reporting of breaches of, and accountability for adherence to, this Code.
This Code may be amended and modified by the Board. In this Code, references to the Company mean Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. and, in appropriate context, the Companys subsidiaries, if any.
2. Honest, Ethical and Fair Conduct
Each person owes a duty to the Company to act with integrity. Integrity requires, among other things, being honest, fair and candid. Deceit, dishonesty and subordination of principle are inconsistent with integrity. Service to the Company should never be subordinated to personal gain and advantage.
Each person must:
· act with integrity, including being honest and candid while still maintaining the confidentiality of the Companys information where required or when in the Companys interests;
· observe all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations;
· comply with the requirements of applicable accounting and auditing standards, as well as Company policies, in order to maintain a high standard of accuracy and
completeness in the Companys financial records and other business-related information and data;
· adhere to a high standard of business ethics and not seek competitive advantage through unlawful or unethical business practices;
· deal fairly with the Companys customers, suppliers, competitors and employees;
· refrain from taking advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts or any other unfair-dealing practice;
· protect the assets of the Company and ensure their proper use;
· Until the earliest of (i) the Companys initial business combination (as such is defined in the Companys initial registration statement filed with the SEC), (ii) liquidation, or (iii) such time as such person ceases to be an officer or director of the Company, to first present to the Company for its consideration, prior to presentation to any other entity, any business opportunity suitable for the Company and presented to such person solely in his or her capacity as an officer or director of the Company, subject to any other fiduciary or contractual obligations such officer may have; and
· Avoid conflicts of interest, wherever possible, except as may be allowed under guidelines or resolutions approved by the Board (or the appropriate committee of the Board) or as disclosed in the Companys public filings with the SEC. Anything that would be a conflict for a person subject to this Code also will be a conflict for a member of his or her immediate family or any other close relative. Examples of conflict of interest situations include, but are not limited to, the following:
· any significant ownership interest in any supplier or customer;
· any consulting or employment relationship with any supplier or customer;
· the receipt of any money, non-nominal gifts or excessive entertainment from any entity with which the Company has current or prospective business dealings;
· selling anything to the Company or buying anything from the Company, except on the same terms and conditions as comparable officers or directors are permitted to so purchase or sell;
· any other financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the Company; and
· any other circumstance, event, relationship or situation in which the personal interest of a person subject to this Code interferes or even appears to interfere with the interests of the Company as a whole.
3. Disclosure
The Company strives to ensure that the contents of and the disclosures in the reports and documents that the Company files with the SEC and other public communications shall be full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable in accordance with applicable disclosure standards, including standards of materiality, where appropriate. Each person must:
· not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Company to others, whether within or outside the Company, including to the Companys independent registered public accountants, governmental regulators, self-regulating organizations and other governmental officials, as appropriate; and
· in relation to his or her area of responsibility, properly review and critically analyze proposed disclosure for accuracy and completeness.
In addition to the foregoing, the Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) and Chief Financial Officer ( CFO ) of the Company and each subsidiary of the Company (or persons performing similar functions), and each other person that typically is involved in the financial reporting of the Company must familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements applicable to the Company as well as the business and financial operations of the Company.
Each person must promptly bring to the attention of the Chairman of the Board any information he or she may have concerning (a) significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal and/or disclosure controls that could adversely affect the Companys ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or (b) any fraud that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Companys financial reporting, disclosures or internal controls.
4. Compliance
It is the Companys obligation and policy to comply with all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations. All directors, officers and employees of the Company are expected to understand, respect and comply with all of the laws, regulations, policies and procedures that apply to them in their positions with the Company. Employees are responsible for talking to their supervisors to determine which laws, regulations and Company policies apply to their position and what training is necessary to understand and comply with them.
Directors, officers and employees are directed to specific policies and procedures available to persons they supervise.
5. Reporting and Accountability
The Board is responsible for applying this Code to specific situations in which questions are presented to it and has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. Any
person who becomes aware of any existing or potential breach of this Code is required to notify the Chairman of the Board promptly. Failure to do so is, in and of itself, a breach of this Code.
Specifically, each person must:
· Notify the Chairman of the Board promptly of any existing or potential violation of this Code.
· Not retaliate against any other person for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith.
The Company will follow the following procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code and in reporting on the Code:
· The Board will take all appropriate action to investigate any breaches reported to it.
· Upon determination by the Board that a breach has occurred, the Board (by majority decision) will take or authorize such disciplinary or preventive action as it deems appropriate, after consultation with the Companys internal or external legal counsel, up to and including dismissal or, in the event of criminal or other serious violations of law, notification of the SEC or other appropriate law enforcement authorities.
No person following the above procedure shall, as a result of following such procedure, be subject by the Company or any officer or employee thereof to discharge, demotion suspension, threat, harassment or, in any manner, discrimination against such person in terms and conditions of employment.
6. Waivers and Amendments
Any waiver (defined below) or an implicit waiver (defined below) from a provision of this Code for the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, and persons performing similar functions or any amendment (as defined below) to this Code is required to be disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8- K filed with the SEC. In lieu of filing a Current Report on Form 8-K to report any such waivers or amendments, the Company may provide such information on a website, in the event that it establishes one in the future, and if it keeps such information on the website for at least 12 months and discloses the website address as well as any intention to provide such disclosures in this manner in its most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
A waiver means the approval by the Board of a material departure from a provision of the Code. An implicit waiver means the Companys failure to take action within a reasonable period of time regarding a material departure from a provision of the Code that has been made known to an executive officer of the Company. An amendment means any amendment to this Code other than minor technical, administrative or other non-substantive amendments hereto.
All persons should note that it is not the Companys intention to grant or to permit waivers from the requirements of this Code. The Company expects full compliance with this Code.
7. Insider Information and Securities Trading
The Companys directors, officers or employees who have access to material, non-public information are not permitted to use that information for securities trading purposes or for any purpose unrelated to the Companys business. It is also against the law to trade or to tip others who might make an investment decision based on inside company information. For example, using non-public information to buy or sell the Company securities, options in the Company shares or the shares of any Company supplier, customer or competitor is prohibited. The consequences of insider trading violations can be severe. These rules also apply to the use of material, nonpublic information about other companies (including, for example, the Companys customers, competitors and potential business partners). In addition to directors, officers or employees, these rules apply to such persons spouse, children, parents and siblings, as well as any other family members living in such persons home.
8. Financial Statements and Other Records
All of the Companys books, records, accounts and financial statements must be maintained in reasonable detail, must appropriately reflect the Companys transactions and must both conform to applicable legal requirements and to the Companys system of internal controls. Unrecorded or off the books funds or assets should not be maintained unless permitted by applicable law or regulation.
Records should always be retained or destroyed according to the Companys record retention policies. In accordance with those policies, in the event of litigation or governmental investigation, please consult the Board or the Companys internal or external legal counsel.
9. Improper Influence on Conduct of Audits
No director or officer, or any other person acting under the direction thereof, shall directly or indirectly take any action to coerce, manipulate, mislead or fraudulently influence any public or certified public accountant engaged in the performance of an audit or review of the financial statements of the Company or take any action that such person knows or should know that if successful could result in rendering the Companys financial statements materially misleading. Any person who believes such improper influence is being exerted should report such action to such persons supervisor, or if that is impractical under the circumstances, to any of the Companys directors.
Types of conduct that could constitute improper influence include, but are not limited to, directly or indirectly:
· Offering or paying bribes or other financial incentives, including future employment or contracts for non-audit services;
· Providing an auditor with an inaccurate or misleading legal analysis;
· Threatening to cancel or canceling existing non-audit or audit engagements if the auditor objects to the Companys accounting;
· Seeking to have a partner removed from the audit engagement because the partner objects to the Companys accounting;
· Blackmailing; and
· Making physical threats.
10. Anti-Corruption Laws
The Company complies with the anti-corruption laws of the countries in which it does business, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ( FCPA ). Directors, officers and employees will not directly or indirectly give anything of value to government officials, including employees of state-owned enterprises or foreign political candidates. These requirements apply both to Company employees and agents, such as third party sales representatives, no matter where they are doing business. If you are authorized to engage agents, you are responsible for ensuring they are reputable and for obtaining a written agreement to uphold the Companys standards in this area.
11. Violations
Violation of this Code is grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Such action is in addition to any civil or criminal liability which might be imposed by any court or regulatory agency.
12. Other Policies and Procedures
Any other policy or procedure set out by the Company in writing or made generally known to employees, officers or directors of the Company prior to the date hereof or hereafter are separate requirements and remain in full force and effect.
13. Inquiries
All inquiries and questions in relation to this Code or its applicability to particular people or situations should be addressed to the Companys Secretary, or such other compliance officer as shall be designated from time to time by the Company.
PROVISIONS FOR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND SENIOR FINANCIAL OFFICERS
The CEO and all senior financial officers, including the CFO and principal accounting officer, are bound by the provisions set forth therein relating to ethical conduct, conflicts of interest, and compliance with law. In addition to the Code, the CEO and senior financial officers are subject to the following additional specific policies:
1. Act with honesty and integrity, avoiding actual or apparent conflicts between personal, private interests and the interests of the Company, including receiving improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position.
2. Disclose to the CEO and the Board any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest.
3. Perform responsibilities with a view to causing periodic reports and documents filed with or submitted to the SEC and all other public communications made by the Company to contain information that is accurate, complete, fair, objective, relevant, timely and understandable, including full review of all annual and quarterly reports.
4. Comply with laws, rules and regulations of federal, state and local governments applicable to the Company and with the rules and regulations of private and public regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the Company.
5. Act in good faith, responsibly, with due care, competence and diligence, without misrepresenting or omitting material facts or allowing independent judgment to be compromised or subordinated.
6. Respect the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of performance of his or her responsibilities except when authorized or otherwise legally obligated to disclose any such information; not use confidential information acquired in the course of performing his or her responsibilities for personal advantage.
7. Share knowledge and maintain skills important and relevant to the needs of the Company, its shareholders and other constituencies and the general public.
8. Proactively promote ethical behavior among subordinates and peers in his or her work environment and community.
9. Use and control all corporate assets and resources employed by or entrusted to him or her in a responsible manner.
10. Not use corporate information, corporate assets, corporate opportunities or his or her position with the Company for personal gain; not compete directly or indirectly with the Company.
11. Comply in all respects with this Code.
12. Advance the Companys legitimate interests when the opportunity arises.
The Board will investigate any reported violations and will oversee an appropriate response, including corrective action and preventative measures. Any officer who violates this Code will face appropriate, case specific disciplinary action, which may include demotion or discharge.
Any request for a waiver of any provision of this Code must be in writing and addressed to the Chairman of the Board. Any waiver of this Code will be disclosed as provided in Section 6 of this Code.
It is the policy of the Company that each officer covered by this Code shall acknowledge and certify to the foregoing annually and file a copy of such certification with the Chairman of the Board.
OFFICERS CERTIFICATION
I have read and understand the foregoing Code. I hereby certify that I am in compliance with the foregoing Code and I will comply with the Code in the future. I understand that any violation of the Code will subject me to appropriate disciplinary action, which may include demotion or discharge.
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INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM'S CONSENT
We consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the "Company") on Form S-1, of our report dated March 18, 2016, which includes an explanatory paragraph as to the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, with respect to our audit of the financial statements of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. as of December 31, 2015 and for the period from December 4, 2015 (inception) through December 31, 2015, which report appears in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the heading "Experts" in such Prospectus.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum
LLP
New York, NY
September 2, 2016
Exhibit 99.1
CHARTER OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
ADOPTED AS OF
, 2016
I. PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE
The purpose of the Audit Committee (the Committee ) of the Board of Directors (the Board ) of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the Company ) is to oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Company and its subsidiaries and the audits of the financial statements of the Company.
II. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee shall consist of three or more independent directors, as determined from time to time by the Board. Each member of the Committee shall be qualified to serve on the Committee pursuant to the requirements of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ( NASDAQ ), and any additional requirements that the Board deems appropriate.
The chairperson of the Committee shall be designated by the Board, provided that if the Board does not so designate a chairperson, the members of the Committee, by a majority vote, may designate a chairperson.
Any vacancy on the Committee shall be filled by majority vote of the Board. No member of the Committee shall be removed except by majority vote of the Board.
Each member of the Committee must be able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including the Companys balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. In addition, at least one member of the Committee must be designated by the Board to be the audit committee financial expert, as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ) pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Act ).
III. MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee shall meet as often as it determines necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities, but no less frequently than once every fiscal quarter. The Committee, in its discretion, may ask members of management or others to attend its meetings (or portions thereof) and to provide pertinent information as necessary. A majority of the members of the Committee present in person or by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other shall constitute a quorum.
The Committee shall maintain minutes of its meetings and records relating to those meetings. The provisions of the Articles of Association of the Company (as amended from time to time) relating to meetings of the board of directors of the Company shall apply equally to meetings of the committee unless otherwise stated herein.
IV. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMITTEE
In carrying out its duties and responsibilities, the Committees policies and procedures should remain flexible, so that it may be in a position to best address, react or respond to changing circumstances or conditions. The following duties and responsibilities are within the authority of the Committee and the Committee shall, consistent with and subject to applicable law and rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, NASDAQ, or any other applicable regulatory authority:
Selection, Evaluation, and Oversight of the Auditors
(a) Be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of any registered public accounting firm engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Company, and each such registered public accounting firm must report directly to the Committee (the registered public accounting firm engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report for inclusion in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K is referred to herein as the independent auditors );
(b) Review and, in its sole discretion, approve in advance the Companys independent auditors annual engagement letter, including the proposed fees contained therein, as well as all audit and, as provided in the Act and the SEC rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, all permitted non-audit engagements and relationships between the Company and such independent auditors (which approval should be made after receiving input from the Companys management, if desired). Approval of audit and permitted non-audit services will be made by the Committee or by one or more members of the Committee as shall be designated by the Committee/the chairperson of the Committee and the persons granting such approval shall report such approval to the Committee at the next scheduled meeting;
(c) Review the performance of the Companys independent auditors, including the lead partner of the independent auditors, and, in its sole discretion (subject, if applicable, to shareholder ratification), make decisions regarding the replacement or termination of the independent auditors when circumstances warrant;
(d) Evaluate the independence of the Companys independent auditors by, among other things:
(i) obtaining and reviewing from the Companys independent auditors a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the independent auditors and the Company, consistent with Independence Standards Board Standard 1;
(ii) actively engaging in a dialogue with the Companys independent auditors with respect to any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the auditors;
(iii) setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the Companys independent auditors;
(iv) taking, or recommending that the Board take, appropriate action to oversee the independence of the Companys independent auditors;
(v) monitoring compliance by the Companys independent auditors with the audit partner rotation requirements contained in the Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder;
(vi) monitoring compliance by the Company of the employee conflict of interest requirements contained in the Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder; and
(vii) engaging in a dialogue with the independent auditors to confirm that audit partner compensation is consistent with applicable SEC rules;
Oversight of Annual Audit and Quarterly Reviews
(e) Review and discuss with the independent auditors their annual audit plan, including the timing and scope of audit activities, and monitor such plans progress and results during the year;
(f) Review with management and the Companys independent auditors the following information which is required to be reported by the independent auditor:
(i) all critical accounting policies and practices to be used;
(ii) all alternative treatments of financial information that have been discussed by the independent auditors and management, ramifications of the use of such alternative disclosures and treatments, and the treatment preferred by the independent auditors;
(iii) all other material written communications between the independent auditors and management, such as any management letter and any schedule of unadjusted differences; and
(iv) any material financial arrangements of the Company which do not appear on the financial statements of the Company;
(g) Resolve all disagreements between the Companys independent auditors and management regarding financial reporting;
Oversight of Financial Reporting Process and Internal Controls
(h) Review:
(i) the adequacy and effectiveness of the Companys accounting and internal control policies and procedures on a regular basis, including the responsibilities, budget, compensation and staffing of the Companys
internal audit function, through inquiry and discussions with the Companys independent auditors and management; and
(ii) the Committees level of involvement and interaction with the Companys internal audit function, including the Committees line of authority and role in appointing and compensating employees in the internal audit function;
(i) Review with the chief executive officer, chief financial officer and independent auditors, periodically, the following:
(i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Companys ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Companys internal control over financial reporting;
(j) Discuss guidelines and policies governing the process by which senior management of the Company assess and manage the Companys exposure to risk, as well as the Companys major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures;
(k) Review with management the progress and results of all internal audit projects, and, when deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee, assign additional internal audit projects to appropriate personnel;
(l) Receive periodic reports from the Companys independent auditors, management and directors of the Companys internal auditing department to assess the impact on the Company of significant accounting or financial reporting developments that may have a bearing on the Company;
(m) Review and discuss with the independent auditors the results of the year-end audit of the Company, including any comments or recommendations of the Companys independent auditors and, based on such review and discussions and on such other considerations as it determines appropriate, recommend to the Board whether the Companys financial statements should be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K;
(n) Establish and maintain free and open means of communication between and among the Committee, the Companys independent auditors and management, including providing such parties with appropriate opportunities to meet separately and privately with the Committee on a periodic basis;
(o) Review the type and presentation of information to be included in the Companys earnings press releases (especially the use of pro forma or adjusted information not prepared in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles), as well as financial information
and earnings guidance provided by the Company to analysts and rating agencies (which review may be done generally (i.e., discussion of the types of information to be disclosed and type of presentations to be made), and the Committee need not discuss in advance each earnings release or each instance in which the Company may provide earnings guidance);
Miscellaneous
(p) Establish and implement policies and procedures for the Committees review and approval or disapproval of proposed transactions or courses of dealings with respect to which executive officers or directors or members of their immediate families have an interest (including all transactions required to be disclosed by Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K);
(q) Meet periodically with outside counsel when appropriate, to review legal and regulatory matters, including (i) any matters that may have a material impact on the financial statements of the Company and (ii) any matters involving potential or ongoing material violations of law or breaches of fiduciary duty by the Company or any of its directors, officers, employees, or agents or breaches of fiduciary duty to the Company;
(r) Prepare the report required by the rules of the SEC to be included in the Companys annual proxy statement;
(s) Review the Companys policies relating to the ethical handling of conflicts of interest and review past or proposed transactions between the Company and members of management as well as policies and procedures with respect to officers expense accounts and perquisites, including the use of corporate assets. The Committee shall consider the results of any review of these policies and procedures by the Companys independent auditors;
(t) Review and approve in advance any services provided by the Companys independent auditors to the Companys executive officers or members of their immediate family;
(u) Review the Companys program to monitor compliance with the Companys Code of Ethics, and meet periodically with the Companys Compliance Committee to discuss compliance with the Code of Ethics;
(v) Establish procedures for (i) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and (ii) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters;
(w) Establish procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of reports of evidence of a material violation made by attorneys appearing and practicing before the SEC in the representation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or reports made by the Companys chief executive officer in relation thereto;
(x) Approve reimbursement of expenses incurred by management in connection with certain activities conducted on the Companys behalf, such as identifying potential target businesses;
(y) Secure independent expert advice to the extent the Committee determines it to be appropriate, including retaining, with or without Board approval, independent counsel, accountants, consultants or others, to assist the Committee in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities, the cost of such independent expert advisors to be borne by the Company;
(z) Review and assess the adequacy of this Charter on an annual basis; and
(aa) Perform such additional activities, and consider such other matters, within the scope of its responsibilities, as the Committee or the Board deems necessary or appropriate.
V. INVESTIGATIONS AND STUDIES; OUTSIDE ADVISERS
The Committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the Committees scope of responsibilities, and may retain, at the Companys expense, such independent counsel or other consultants or advisers as it deems necessary.
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While the Committee has the duties and responsibilities set forth in this Charter, the Committee is not responsible for preparing or certifying the financial statements, for planning or conducting the audit, or for determining whether the Companys financial statements are complete and accurate and are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
In fulfilling their responsibilities hereunder, it is recognized that members of the Committee are not full-time employees of the Company, it is not the duty or responsibility of the Committee or its members to conduct field work or other types of auditing or accounting reviews or procedures or to set auditor independence standards, and each member of the Committee shall be entitled to rely on (i) the integrity of those persons and organizations within and outside the Company from which it receives information and (ii) the accuracy of the financial and other information provided to the Committee absent actual knowledge to the contrary.
Nothing contained in this Charter is intended to create, or should be construed as creating, any responsibility or liability of the members of the Committee, except to the extent otherwise provided under applicable federal or state law.
Exhibit 99.2
CHARTER OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
AVISTA HEALTHCARE PUBLIC ACQUISITION CORP.
ADOPTED AS OF
, 2016
I. PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE
The purposes of the Compensation Committee (the Committee ) of the Board of Directors (the Board ) of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. (the Company ) shall be to oversee the Companys compensation and employee benefit plans and practices, including its executive compensation plans, and its incentive-compensation and equity-based plans; to review and discuss with management the Companys compensation discussion and analysis ( CD&A ) to be included in the Companys annual proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ); to prepare the Compensation Committee Report as required by the rules of the SEC; and to perform such further functions as may be consistent with this Charter or assigned by applicable law, the Companys memorandum and articles of association (as amended from time to time, the M&AA ) or the Board.
II. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee shall consist of two or more directors as determined from time to time by the Board. Each member of the Committee shall be qualified to serve on the Committee pursuant to the requirements of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the NASDAQ ), and any additional requirements that the Board deems appropriate. Members of the Committee shall also qualify as non-employee directors within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act ), and outside directors within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
The chairperson of the Committee shall be designated by the Board, provided that if the Board does not so designate a chairperson, the members of the Committee, by a majority vote, may designate a chairperson.
Any vacancy on the Committee shall be filled by majority vote of the Board. No member of the Committee shall be removed except by majority vote of the Board.
III. MEETINGS AND PROCEDURES OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee shall meet as often as it determines necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities, but at least once annually. The Committee, in its discretion, may ask members of management or others to attend its meetings (or portions thereof) and to provide pertinent information as necessary, provided, that the Chief Executive Officer of the Company may not be present during any portion of a Committee meeting in which deliberation or any vote regarding his or her compensation occurs.
A majority of the members of the Committee present in person or by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other shall constitute a quorum.
The Committee shall maintain minutes of its meetings and records relating to those meetings and shall report regularly to the Board on its activities, as appropriate. The provisions of the Articles of Association of the Company (as amended from time to time) relating to meetings of the board of directors of the Company shall apply equally to meetings of the committee unless otherwise stated herein.
IV. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMITTEE
A. Executive Compensation
The Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities with respect to the Companys executive compensation plans:
(a) To review at least annually the goals and objectives of the Companys executive compensation plans, and amend, or recommend that the Board amend, these goals and objectives if the Committee deems it appropriate.
(b) To review at least annually the Companys executive compensation plans in light of the Companys goals and objectives with respect to such plans, and, if the Committee deems it appropriate, adopt, or recommend to the Board the adoption of, new, or the amendment of existing, executive compensation plans.
(c) To evaluate annually the performance of the Chief Executive Officer in light of the goals and objectives of the Companys executive compensation plans, and, either as a Committee or together with the other independent directors (as directed by the Board), determine and approve the Chief Executive Officers compensation level based on this evaluation. In determining the long-term incentive component of the Chief Executive Officers compensation, the Committee shall consider factors as it determines relevant, which may include, for example, the Companys performance and relative shareholder return, the value of similar awards to chief executive officers of comparable companies, and the awards given to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company in past years. The Committee may discuss the Chief Executive Officers compensation with the Board if it chooses to do so.
(d) To evaluate annually the performance of the other executive officers of the Company in light of the goals and objectives of the Companys executive compensation plans, and either as a Committee or together with the other independent directors (as directed by the Board), determine and approve the compensation of such other executive officers. To the extent that long-term incentive compensation is a component of such executive officers compensation, the Committee shall consider all relevant factors in determining the appropriate level of such compensation, including the factors applicable with respect to the Chief Executive Officer.
(e) To evaluate annually the appropriate level of compensation for Board and Committee service by non-employee directors.
(f) To review and approve any severance or termination arrangements to be made with any executive officer of the Company.
(g) To perform such duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to the Board or the Committee under the terms of any executive compensation plan.
(h) To review perquisites or other personal benefits to the Companys executive officers and directors and recommend any changes to the Board.
(i) To consider the results of the most recent shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation as required by Section 14A of the Exchange Act and, to the extent the Committee determines it appropriate to do so, take such results into consideration in connection with the review and approval of executive officer compensation.
(j) To review and discuss with management the Companys CD&A, and based on that review and discussion, to recommend to the Board that the CD&A be included in the Companys annual proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K.
(k) To review compensation arrangements for the Companys employees to evaluate whether incentive and other forms of pay encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking, and review and discuss, at least annually, the relationship between risk management policies and practices, corporate strategy and the Companys compensation arrangements.
(l) To the extent it deems necessary, review and approve the terms of any compensation clawback or similar policy or agreement between the Company and the Companys executive officers or other employees subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
(m) To prepare the Compensation Committee Report in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC for inclusion in the Companys annual proxy statement or annual report on Form 10-K.
(n) To perform such other functions as assigned by law, the M&AA or the Board.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the Committee shall have sole discretion and authority with respect to any action regarding compensation payable to the Chief Executive Officer or other executive officers of the Company that the Committee intends to constitute qualified performance-based compensation for purposes of section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
B. General Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans
The Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities with respect to the Companys general compensation and employee benefit plans, including incentive-compensation and equity-based plans:
(a) To review at least annually the goals and objectives of the Companys general compensation plans and other employee benefit plans, including incentive-compensation and equity-based plans, and amend, or recommend that the Board amend, these goals and objectives if the Committee deems it appropriate.
(b) To review at least annually the Companys general compensation plans and other employee benefit plans, including incentive-compensation and equity-based plans, in light of the goals and objectives of these plans, and recommend that the Board amend these plans if the Committee deems it appropriate.
(c) To review all equity-compensation plans to be submitted for shareholder approval under the NASDAQ listing standards, and to review and, in the Committees sole discretion, approve all equity-compensation plans that are exempt from such shareholder approval requirement.
(d) To perform such duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to the Board or the Committee under the terms of any compensation or other employee benefit plan, including any incentive-compensation or equity-based plan.
V. ROLE OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
The Chief Executive Officer may make, and the Committee may consider, recommendations to the Committee regarding the Companys compensation and employee benefit plans and practices, including its executive compensation plans, its incentive-compensation and equity-based plans with respect to executive officers (other than the Chief Executive Officer) and the Companys director compensation arrangements.
VI. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
The Committee may form subcommittees for any purpose that the Committee deems appropriate and may delegate to such subcommittees such power and authority as the Committee deems appropriate; provided , however , that no subcommittee shall consist of fewer than two members; and provided further that the Committee shall not delegate to a subcommittee any power or authority required by any law, regulation or listing standard to be exercised by the Committee as a whole.
VII. EVALUATION OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee shall, no less frequently than annually, evaluate its performance. In conducting this review, the Committee shall evaluate whether this Charter appropriately addresses the matters that are or should be within its scope and shall recommend such changes as it deems necessary or appropriate.
The Committee shall address all matters that the Committee considers relevant to its performance, including at least the following: the adequacy, appropriateness and quality of the information and recommendations presented by the Committee to the Board, the manner in which they were discussed or debated, and whether the number and length of meetings of the Committee were adequate for the Committee to complete its work in a thorough and thoughtful manner.
The Committee shall deliver to the Board a report, which may be oral, setting forth the results of its evaluation, including any recommended amendments to this Charter and any recommended changes to the Companys or the Boards policies or procedures.
VIII. INVESTIGATIONS AND STUDIES; OUTSIDE ADVISERS
The Committee may conduct or authorize investigations into or studies of matters within the Committees scope of responsibilities, and may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser. The Committee shall be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser retained by the Committee, the expense of which shall be borne by the Company. The Committee may select a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser to the Committee only after taking into consideration the following:
(a) The provision of other services to the Company by the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser;
(b) The amount of fees received from the Company by the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser, as a percentage of the total revenue of the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser;
(c) The policies and procedures of the person that employs the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser that are designed to prevent conflicts of interest:
(d) Any business or personal relationship of the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser with a member of the Committee;
(e) Any shares of the Company owned by the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser; and
(f) Any business or personal relationship of the compensation consultant, legal counsel, other adviser or the person employing the adviser with an executive officer of the Company.
The Committee shall conduct the independence assessment with respect to any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser that provides advice to the Committee, other than: (i) in-house legal counsel; and (ii) any compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser whose role is limited to the following activities for which no disclosure would be required under Item 407(e)(3)(iii) of Regulation S-K: consulting on any broad-based plan that does not discriminate in scope, terms, or operation, in favor of executive officers or directors of the Company, and that is available generally to all salaried employees; or providing information that either is not customized for the Company or that is customized based on parameters that are not developed by the compensation consultant, and about which the compensation consultant does not provide advice.
Nothing herein requires a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other compensation adviser to be independent, only that the Committee consider the enumerated independence factors before selecting or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other compensation adviser. The Committee may select or receive advice from any
compensation consultant, legal counsel or other compensation adviser it prefers, including ones that are not independent, after considering the six independence factors outlined above.
Nothing herein shall be construed: (1) to require the Committee to implement or act consistently with the advice or recommendations of the compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser to the Committee; or (2) to affect the ability or obligation of the Committee to exercise its own judgment in fulfillment of its duties.
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While the members of the Committee have the duties and responsibilities set forth in this Charter, nothing contained in this Charter is intended to create, or should be construed as creating, any responsibility or liability of members of the Committee, except to the extent otherwise provided under applicable federal or state law.
Exhibit 99.3
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
Dated: September 1, 2016 |
/s/ Håkan Björklund |
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Håkan Björklund |
Exhibit 99.4
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
Dated: August 30, 2016 |
/s/ Charles C. Harwood Jr. |
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Charles Harwood |
Exhibit 99.5
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
Dated: September 1, 2016 |
/s/ Brian Markison |
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Brian Markison |
Exhibit 99.6
Consent to be Named as a Director Nominee
In connection with the filing by Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), I hereby consent, pursuant to Rule 438 of the Securities Act, to being named as a nominee to the board of directors of Avista Healthcare Public Acquisition Corp. in the Registration Statement and any and all amendments and supplements thereto. I also consent to the filing of this consent as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
Dated: August 30, 2016 |
/s/ Robert P. ONeil |
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Robert ONeil |