UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 10-Q 

 

 

 

x QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended: September 30, 2020

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Commission File Number: 001-39788

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware 82-1248020

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 300

New York, New York, 10170

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

212-479-2513
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol(s)   Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, Par value $0.001 per share   SCPS   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq Global Market)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the past 12 months, and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ¨  No x

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ¨   No x

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated filer ¨
Non-accelerated filer x Smaller reporting company x
    Emerging growth company x

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes ¨   No x

 

As of January 25, 2021, there were 14,577,597 shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION 
    Page
Item 1. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. 3
     
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. 24
     
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. 32
     
Item 4. Controls and Procedures. 33
     
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
     
Item 1. Legal Proceedings. 33
     
Item 1A. Risk Factors. 33
   
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds. 33
     
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities. 34
     
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures. 34
     
Item 5. Other Information. 34
     
Item 6. Exhibits. 34
     
Signatures 35

 

  2  

 

 

PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1.  Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

    September 30,     December 31,  
    2020     2019  
    (Unaudited)        
ASSETS                
Current assets:                
Cash   $ 420,557     $ 36,747  
Deferred offering costs     750,131       627,016  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     66,507       104,260  
Total current assets     1,237,195       768,023  
Property and equipment, net     2,597       3,659  
Total assets   $ 1,239,792     $ 771,682  
                 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)                
Current liabilities                
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   $ 1,764,827     $ 854,541  
Convertible notes payable, net     2,023,972       -  
Total liabilities     3,788,799       854,541  
                 
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (NOTES 7 AND 10)                
                 
Stockholders' equity (deficit):                
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding     -       -  
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 14,002,597 and 12,509,024 shares issued and outstanding     14,003       12,509  
Additional paid-in capital     12,423,747       3,577,533  
Note receivable     (1,500,000 )     -  
Accumulated deficit     (13,450,830 )     (3,639,447 )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (35,927 )     (33,454 )
Total stockholders' deficit     (2,549,007 )     (82,859 )
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit   $ 1,239,792     $ 771,682  

 

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  3  

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS 

(Unaudited)

 

    Three Months Ended September 30,     Nine Months Ended September 30,  
    2020     2019     2020     2019  
Revenues   $ -     $ -     $ -     $ -  
                                 
Operating expenses:                                
General and administrative     806,045       715,097       2,087,423       1,446,519  
Research and development     69,421       82,123       7,354,295       279,543  
Total operating expenses     875,466       797,220       9,441,718       1,726,062  
Loss from operations     (875,466 )     (797,220 )     (9,441,718 )     (1,726,062 )
Other expense:                                
Interest expense     (284,520 )     -       (369,665 )     -  
Loss before income taxes     (1,159,986 )     (797,220 )     (9,811,383 )     (1,726,062 )
Income tax expense     -       -       -       -  
Net loss     (1,159,986 )     (797,220 )     (9,811,383 )     (1,726,062 )
Comprehensive loss:                                
Foreign currency translation adjustment     (3,273 )     (17,887 )     (2,473 )     (18,564 )
Total comprehensive loss     (1,163,259 )     (815,107 )     (9,813,856 )     (1,744,626 )
Net loss per common share:                                
Basic and diluted   $ (0.08 )   $ (0.06 )   $ (0.75 )   $ (0.15 )
Weighted-average common shares outstanding:                                
Basic and diluted     13,985,000       12,468,217       13,120,909       11,857,406  

 

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  4  

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT) 

(Unaudited)

 

    Common Stock     Additional
Paid-in
    Note     Accumulated     Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
    Total
Stockholders'
Equity
 
    Shares     Amount     Capital     Receivable     Deficit     Loss     (Deficit)  
Balances as of June 30, 2020     13,975,691     $ 13,976     $ 12,304,487     $ (1,500,000 )   $ (12,290,844 )   $ (32,654 )   $ (1,505,035 )
Issuance of units and warrants - net of issuance costs of $16,500     21,906       22       207,010       -       -       -       207,032  
Warrants exchanged for Convertible Notes     -       -       (168,000 )     -       -       -       (168,000 )
Stock-based compensation expense     -       -       60,255       -       -       -       60,255  
Stock-based payment for services     5,000       5       19,995       -       -       -       20,000  
Foreign currency translation adjustment     -       -       -       -       -       (3,273 )     (3,273 )
Net loss     -       -       -       -       (1,159,986 )     -       (1,159,986 )
Balances as of September 30, 2020     14,002,597     $ 14,003     $ 12,423,747     $ (1,500,000 )   $ (13,450,830 )   $ (35,927 )   $ (2,549,007 )

 

    Common Stock     Additional
Paid-in
    Note     Accumulated     Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
    Total
Stockholders'
Equity
 
    Shares     Amount     Capital     Receivable     Deficit     Loss     (Deficit)  
Balances as of December 31, 2019     12,509,024     $ 12,509     $ 3,577,533     $ -     $ (3,639,447 )   $ (33,454 )   $ (82,859 )
Issuance of common stock for acquisition of in-process research and development     1,466,667       1,467       5,865,200       -       -       -       5,866,667  
Issuance of units and warrants - net of  issuance costs of $72,187     21,906       22       1,448,254       -       -       -       1,448,276  
Warrants exchanged for Convertible Notes     -       -       (168,000 )     -       -       -       (168,000 )
Issuance of warrants related to Note Receivable     -       -       1,500,000       (1,500,000 )     -       -       -  
Stock-based compensation expense     -       -       180,765       -       -       -       180,765  
Stock-based payment for services     5,000       5       19,995       -       -       -       20,000  
Foreign currency translation adjustment     -       -       -       -       -       (2,473 )     (2,473 )
Net loss     -       -       -       -       (9,811,383 )     -       (9,811,383 )
Balances as of September 30, 2020     14,002,597     $ 14,003     $ 12,423,747     $ (1,500,000 )   $ (13,450,830 )   $ (35,927 )   $ (2,549,007 )

 

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  5  

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT) 

(Unaudited) 

 

    Common Stock   Additional
Paid-in
    Note     Accumulated     Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
    Total
Stockholders'
Equity
 
    Shares     Amount     Capital     Receivable     Deficit     Loss     (Deficit)  
Balances as of June 30, 2019     12,358,855     $ 12,359     $ 2,975,324     $         -     $ (1,878,340 )   $ (10,241 )   $ 1,099,102  
Issuance of units and warrants - net of  issuance costs of $120,375     150,169       150       329,982       -       -       -       330,132  
Stock-based compensation expense     -       -       73,524       -       -       -       73,524  
Foreign currency translation adjustment     -       -       -       -       -       (17,887 )     (17,887 )
Net loss     -       -       -       -       (797,220 )     -       (797,220 )
Balances as of September 30, 2019     12,509,024     $ 12,509     $ 3,378,830     $ -     $ (2,675,561 )   $ (28,128 )   $ 687,650  

 

    Common Stock     Additional
Paid-in
    Note     Accumulated     Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
    Total
Stockholders'
Equity
 
    Shares     Amount     Capital     Receivable     Deficit     Loss     (Deficit)  
Balances as of December 31, 2018     10,766,667     $ 10,767     $ 942,969     $         -     $ (949,498 )   $ (9,564 )     (5,326 )
Issuance of units and warrants - net of  issuance costs of $125,137     883,502       883       1,424,487       -       -       -       1,425,369  
Stock-based compensation expense     -       -       153,378       -       -       -       153,378  
Warrant exercise     858,855       859       857,996       -       -       -       858,855  
Foreign currency translation adjustment     -       -       -       -       -       (18,564 )     (18,564 )
Net loss     -       -       -       -       (1,726,062 )     -       (1,726,062 )
Balances as of September 30, 2019   12,509,024     $ 12,509     $ 3,378,830     $ -     $ (2,675,561 )   $ (28,128 )   $ 687,650  

 

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  6  

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

 

    Nine Months Ended September 30,  
    2020     2019  
Cash flows from operating activities:                
Net loss   $ (9,811,383 )   $ (1,726,062 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash  used in operating activities:                
Depreciation     1,073       84  
Acquired in-process research and development through issuance of common stock and warrants     6,346,321       -  
Stock-based compensation     180,765       153,378  
Stock-based payment for services     20,000       -  
Amortization of debt issuance costs and debt discount     290,203       -  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                
Value added tax receivable     (1,145 )     23,160  
Other receivable     (4,777 )     -  
Due from affiliate     -       (18,334 )
Prepaid expenses and other assets     43,493       (32,635 )
Accounts payable and accrued expenses     1,329,454       85,726  
Net cash used in operating activities     (1,605,996 )     (1,514,683 )
Cash flows from investing activities:                
Purchases of property and equipment     -       (3,562 )
Cash flows from financing activities:                
Gross proceeds from convertible note issuance     1,459,403       -  
Issuance costs related to the issuance of convertible notes payable     (192,788 )     -  
Gross proceeds from issuance of units and warrants     841,232       1,526,498  
Issuance costs related to the issuance of units and warrants     (72,187 )     (125,137 )
Proceeds from the exercise of warrants     -       858,855  
Payment of deferred offering costs     (44,030 )     (73,522 )
Net cash provided by financing activities     1,991,630       2,186,694  
Effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on cash     (1,824 )     298  
Net increase in cash     383,810       668,747  
Cash, beginning of period     36,747       1,660  
                 
Cash, end of period   $ 420,557     $ 670,407  
                 
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:                
Non-cash financing activity:                
Deferred offering costs in accounts payable and accrued expenses   $ 79,085     $ 227,631  
Convertible notes issued in lieu of cash     299,153       -  
Convertible notes issued in exchange for warrants     252,000          
W Warrants issued in lieu of cash     199,577       -  
Units issued on advance deposit     -       24,008  
Cash paid during the period for:                
Interest     470       -  

 

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  7  

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1. Organization and Description of the Business and Significant Accounting Policies

 

Nature of Operations

 

Scopus BioPharma Inc. (“Scopus”) was incorporated in the State of Delaware on April 18, 2017 under the name Project18 Inc. (“Project18”). On December 11, 2017, Project18 changed its name to Scopus BioPharma Inc. On June 1, 2017, Scopus acquired all the outstanding common stock of Vital Spark, Inc. (“VSI”) for a total purchase price of $15. VSI had not engaged in any business transactions prior to the acquisition date. On July 8, 2018, Scopus formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, Scopus BioPharma Israel Ltd. (“SBI”), and has funded operations to date through intercompany loans.

 

Scopus and its subsidiary, VSI, are headquartered in New York, and SBI is headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel. Scopus, VSI and SBI are collectively referred to as the “Company”. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company developing transformational therapeutics targeting serious diseases with significant unmet medical needs.

 

See Note 2 for discussion of the Company’s recent initial public offering.

 

Going Concern

 

The provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern (ASC 205-40) requires management to assess an entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued. In each reporting period (including interim periods), an entity is required to assess conditions known and reasonably knowable as of the financial statement issuance date to determine whether it is probable an entity will not meet its financial obligations within one year from the financial statement issuance date. Substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern exists when conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, indicate it is probable the entity will be unable to meet its financial obligations as they become due within one year after the date the financial statements are issued.

 

The Company is an early-stage company and has not generated revenues to date. As such, the Company is subject to all of the risks associated with early stage companies. Since inception, the Company has incurred losses and negative cash flows from operating activities which have been funded from the issuance of convertible notes, common stock, and warrants (see Note 8). The Company does not expect to generate positive cash flows from operating activities in the near future, if at all, until such time it completes the development of its drug candidates, including obtaining regulatory approvals, and anticipates incurring operating losses for the foreseeable future.

 

The Company incurred net losses of $1,159,986 and $9,811,383 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and had an accumulated deficit of $13,450,830 as of September 30, 2020. The Company’s net cash used in operating activities was $1,605,996 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

 

The Company’s ability to fund its operations is dependent upon management's plans, which include raising capital through issuances of debt and equity securities, securing research and development grants, generating sufficient revenues, and controlling the Company’s expenses. A failure to raise sufficient financing, generate sufficient revenues, or control expenses, among other factors, will adversely impact the Company’s ability to meet its financial obligations as they become due and payable and to achieve its intended business objectives.

 

This evaluation is further impacted by the current spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. While uncertain at this time, the extent of its impacts depends largely on the spread and duration of the outbreak, and may result in disruptions to capital raises, its employees, and vendors which could result in negative impacts to its operational and financial results.

 

  8  

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1. Organization and Description of the Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

Going Concern (Continued)

 

Accordingly, management has concluded this raises substantial doubt of the Company's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the condensed consolidated financial statements are issued.

 

The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

 

Significant Accounting Policies

 

The Company's accounting policies are the same as those described in Note 2 to the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 in its Annual Report on Form 1-K filed on May 15, 2020.

 

The Company is an “emerging growth company”, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies. The Company has irrevocably elected to avail itself of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards, and, therefore, will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

 

The Company has reviewed other recent accounting pronouncements and concluded they are either not applicable to the business or no material effect is expected on the condensed consolidated financial statements as a result of future adoption.

 

COVID-19 Pandemic

 

The Company is continually monitoring the impact of the global pandemic on its business, especially since the Company conducts activities in multiple locations, both in and outside of the United States. These locations are New York City and Los Angeles in the United States and Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in Israel. At various times since the onset of the global pandemic, these locations have been severely affected by COVID-19 and, as a result, have been subject to various requirements to stay at home and self-quarantine, as well as constraints on mobility and travel, especially international travel.

 

In many locations, the primary focus of healthcare providers and hospitals has been to combat the virus. While the Company continues to advance its development programs, the Company is also continually assessing the impact of the global pandemic on its product development efforts, including any impact on the timing and/or costs for its clinical trials, investigational new drug (“IND”) enabling work, and other research and development activities. There is no certainty as to the length and severity of societal disruption caused by COVID-19. Consequently, the Company does not have sufficient visibility to predict the impact of the global pandemic on its operations and overall business, including delays in the progress of its planned pre-clinical work and clinical trials, or by limiting its ability to recruit physicians or clinicians to run its clinical trials, enroll patients or conduct follow-up assessments in its clinical trials. Further, the business or operations of its strategic partners and other third parties with whom the Company conducts business may also be adversely affected by the global pandemic. The Company continues to monitor the impact of the global pandemic, including regularly reevaluating the timing of its research and development and clinical milestones. In light of the more restrictive constraints on international travel, the Company continues to adjust program emphasis and prioritization. Until the Company is able to gain greater visibility as to the impact of the global pandemic, the Company intends to commit greater resources to its existing and future programs in the United States and is slowing investment in program development outside the United States.

 

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

 

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In management’s opinion, the accompanying statements reflect adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for those periods indicated, and contain adequate disclosure to make the information presented not misleading. Adjustments included herein are of a normal, recurring nature unless otherwise disclosed in the footnotes. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.

 

  9  

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1. Organization and Description of the Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation (continued)

 

The financial statements and notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2019 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 1-K, as filed with the SEC on May 15, 2020. The accompanying balance sheet at December 31, 2019 has been derived from the audited balance sheet at December 31, 2019 contained in the above referenced Form 1-K. Results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for a full year.

 

Foreign Currency

 

The functional currency of Scopus and VSI is the US Dollar, and the functional currency of SBI is the Israeli New Shekel. All assets and liabilities of SBI are translated at the current exchange rate as of the end of the period and the related translation adjustments are recorded as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. Revenue and expenses are translated at average exchange rates in effect during the period. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses resulting from, or expected to result from, transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are recognized in “General and administrative” expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates in these condensed consolidated financial statements include those related to the fair value of common stock, warrants, stock-based compensation, the provision or benefit for income taxes and the corresponding valuation allowance on deferred tax assets, and probability of meeting certain milestones. In addition, management’s assessment of the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern involves the estimation of the amount and timing of future cash inflows and outflows. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, judgments, and methodologies. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions believed to be reasonable. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

 

Offering Costs

 

The Company capitalizes certain legal, accounting, and other third-party fees directly associated with in-process capital financings as deferred offering costs. The deferred offering costs are recognized as an offset against the proceeds upon consummation of an offering. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company capitalized $750,131 and $627,016, respectively, of deferred offering costs related to the Company’s Initial Public Offering, or IPO (See Note 2).

 

Financing Costs

 

The Company defers certain legal and other third-party financing costs directly associated with debt issuances as deferred financing costs. The deferred financing costs are recognized as an offset against the related issued debt and amortized using the effective interest rate method through maturity. Through September 30, 2020, the Company deferred $260,074 of financing costs which were allocated to the Convertible Notes and W Warrants (see Note 5). For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, amortization of deferred financing costs was $39,213 and $53,528, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, there were no deferred financing costs.

 

  10  

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1. Organization and Description of the Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

Net Loss Per Share

 

Basic net loss per common share attributable to common shareholders is calculated by dividing net loss attributable to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the relevant period. Since the Company was in a loss position for all periods presented, basic net loss per share is the same as dilutive net loss per share as the inclusion of the weighted-average number of all potential dilutive common shares which consist of convertible debt, stock options and warrants, would be anti-dilutive.

 

The following table presents the weighted-average, potentially dilutive shares that were excluded from the computation of diluted net (loss) per share of common stock attributable to common stockholders, because their effect was anti-dilutive:

 

    Three Months Ended
September 30,
    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
    2020     2019     2020     2019  
Warrants     17,619,954       3,247,643       11,448,475       2,700,768  
Convertible Notes (if converted)     10,477,440       -       5,642,645       -  
Stock options     600,000       524,006       600,000       347,059  
Contingent consideration in common stock     2,533,333       -       1,323,383       -  
Total     31,230,727       3,771,649       19,014,503       3,047,827  

 

2. Initial Public Offering

 

On December 18, 2020, the Company completed an IPO of 575,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $5.50 per share for aggregate gross proceeds, including the Company’s underwriters’ exercise, in full, of their over-allotment option, for a total of $3,162,500. The Company’s common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “SCPS”. The deferred offering costs were offset against equity proceeds raised as part of the Company’s IPO.

 

  11  

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

3. Bioscience Oncology Transaction

 

On June 10, 2020, the Company completed the acquisition of Bioscience Oncology Pty. Ltd. (“Bioscience Oncology”), a pre-clinical biopharmaceutical company which held a single asset, the exclusive right to negotiate a license agreement for a STAT3 inhibitor drug candidate (the “STAT3 Inhibitor”) with City of Hope (see Note 6). The transaction was accounted for as an asset acquisition as the purchase primarily related to a single asset. The aggregate upfront expense, including the upfront license fees paid to City of Hope, totaled approximately $7.2 million, comprised of approximately $0.9 million which was paid in cash and the issuance of approximately $5.9 million and $0.5 million of common stock and W Warrants, respectively. Pursuant to asset acquisition accounting, acquired in-process research and development with no alternative future use is expensed at acquisition. Accordingly, this amount was recognized in “Research and development” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Under the terms of the agreement, Bioscience Oncology is eligible to receive additional contingent consideration of up to approximately 2.5 million common shares upon the achievement of specified milestones payable in shares of the Company’s common stock, which will be recorded when it is determined the corresponding milestones are probable to be achieved.

 

4. Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses consist of the following as of:

 

    September 30,     December 31,  
    2020     2019  
Professional fees   $ 725,443     $ 559,706  
Patent license fees     346,866       37,364  
Management service fees and expenses     251,606       70,197  
Other accounts payable and accrued expenses     440,912       187,274  
Total accounts payable and accrued expenses   $ 1,764,827     $ 854,541  

 

Amounts due to related parties included in accounts payable and accrued expenses totaled $251,606 and $77,342 as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively (see Note 10, Related Party Transactions).

 

5. Debt

 

In April 2020, the Company amended the terms of its December 2019 Private Placement (see Note 8) to issue convertible promissory notes (“Convertible Notes”) with W Warrants (“Convertible Notes Private Placement”) in an initial principal amount of up to $1,000,000, which was subsequently increased to $3,000,000. The Convertible Notes have an annual interest rate of 10% and a scheduled maturity on the earlier of July 31, 2021 or a change of control of the Company (the “Maturity Date”). For each $1.00 of initial principal, the purchaser also received one W Warrant with an exercise price of $4.00. Prior to the Maturity Date, the holder may elect to convert each $1.00 of initial principal amount of Convertible Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest into W Warrants at a conversion price of $0.50 per W Warrant.

 

Through September 30, 2020, the Company issued an aggregate initial principal amount of $2,001,605 of Convertible Notes as part of the Convertible Notes Private Placement for $2,001,605 in cash less issuance costs of $260,074.

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

5. Debt (Continued)

 

Between February 2020 and June 2020, the Company issued convertible notes and warrants on identical terms to those of the Convertible Notes Private Placement to HCFP/Portfolio Services LLC (“Portfolio Services”) (see Note 10), investors and vendors, on a direct basis, in an aggregate initial principal amount of $636,230 for $187,500 in cash with the balance of $448,730 as consideration for legal and management services rendered. An additional 100,000 W Warrants were issued in connection with satisfying a $50,000 payable for legal services rendered.

 

Investors who purchased W Warrants in the December 2019 Private Placement prior to the amendment of its terms may elect to surrender two W Warrants for the purchase of $1.00 of initial principal amount of Convertible Notes. On September 28, 2020, all holders of W Warrants purchased in the December 2019 Private Placement elected to surrender their W Warrants and, accordingly, the Company issued an aggregate principal amount of $252,000 of Convertible Notes in exchange for 504,000 surrendered W Warrants of equivalent fair market value.

 

The Convertible Notes principal amount of $2,889,835, including issuance costs of $260,074, was allocated to the Convertible Notes and W Warrants, based on their respective relative fair value, resulting in an allocation of $1,733,769 and $895,992 to the Convertible Notes and W Warrants, respectively. The resulting difference between principal amount and the amount allocated to Convertible Notes of $1,156,066 is being recognized as debt discount, amortized as interest expense over the term of the Convertible Notes. The amount allocated to the W Warrants was recognized as an increase to “Additional paid-in capital” in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity (deficit) under the caption “Issuance of units.”

 

There were no balances related to the Convertible Notes as of December 31, 2019. Balances related to the Convertible Notes as of September 30, 2020 included:

 

    September 30,     December 31,  
    2020     2019  
Convertible Notes principal amount   $ 2,889,835               -  
Unamortized discount     (726,603 )     -  
Deferred financing costs     (139,260 )        
Convertible notes payable, net   $ 2,023,972     $ -  

 

Interest expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 totaled $288,827 and $373,972, respectively, and is included in “Interest expense, net” in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, interest expense includes $63,503 and $83,769, respectively, of interest expense and $225,324 and $290,203, respectively, of debt discount and amortization of deferred financing costs.

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

6. Research and Development Agreements

 

Agreement Related to Intellectual Property Rights

 

In July 2017, VSI as “Licensee” entered into a Patent License Agreement (the “Patent License Agreement”) with The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as represented by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (“NIAAA”) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (“NIDA”) of the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”), (collectively “Licensor”). In the course of conducting biomedical and behavioral research, the Licensor developed inventions that may have commercial applicability. The Licensee acquired commercialization rights to certain inventions in order to develop processes, methods, or marketable products for public use and benefit.

 

Upon execution of the Patent License Agreement, VSI paid the Licensor an aggregate of $121,040, which included an upfront non-refundable fee of $50,000 and $71,040 for certain patent expenses incurred by the Licensor prior to the execution of the Patent License Agreement relating to patent applications. The Company determined that the Patent License Agreement did not meet the definition of a business pursuant to the guidance prescribed in FASB ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, as the transaction principally resulted in the acquisition of intellectual property rights only. In this regard, the Company did not acquire any employees or tangible assets, or any processes, protocols, or operating systems. Additionally, at the time of the transaction, there were no activities being conducted related to the licensed patents. The Company recognized as expense the acquired intellectual property rights as of the transaction date on the basis that the costs of an intangible asset purchased from others for use in a research and development activity for which there are no alternative future uses are recorded as research and development expense at the time such costs are incurred. In addition, patent fee reimbursement under the Patent license agreement was $6,680 and $20,040 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. Patent fee reimbursement under the Patent license agreement was $6,480 and $19,440 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. These costs are included in “Research and development” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

 

Pursuant to the terms of the Patent License Agreement, VSI is required to make minimum annual royalty payments of $25,000, with the first payment due on January 1, 2019. The Company paid the first annual payment of $25,000 in January 2019, which is included in “Research and development” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. Subsequent minimum annual royalty payments are due and payable on January 1 of each calendar year and shall be credited against any earned royalties due for sales made in that year, throughout the term of the Patent License Agreement. The Company paid the second annual payment of $25,000 in December 2019, which is included in “Prepaid expenses” in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, $6,250 and $18,750, respectively, of this prepaid royalty expense was recognized in “Research and development” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. The Patent License Agreement also provides for payments from VSI to the Licensor upon the achievement of certain product development and regulatory clearance milestones, as well as royalty payments on net sales upon the commercialization of products developed utilizing the licensed patents. Through September 30, 2020, the Licensor has not achieved any milestones and therefore VSI has not made any milestone payments.

 

VSI is obligated to pay earned royalties based on a percentage of net sales, as defined in the Patent License Agreement, of licensed product throughout the term of the Patent License Agreement. Since April 18, 2017 (inception) through September 30, 2020, there have been no sales of licensed products. In addition, VSI is also obligated to pay the Licensor additional sublicensing royalties on the fair market value of any consideration received for granting each sublicense. Through September 30, 2020, VSI has not entered into any sublicensing agreements and therefore no sublicensing consideration has been paid to Licensor.

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

6. Research and Development Agreements (Continued)

 

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement

 

Effective January 11, 2018, VSI signed a two-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (the “CRADA Agreement”) with the NIH for preclinical testing relating to the Patent License Agreement described above. The term of the CRADA Agreement can be extended, beyond the initial two-year term, by agreement in writing by both parties. Pursuant to the terms of the CRADA Agreement, each party will provide scientific staff and other support necessary to conduct the research and other activities described in the research plan. Funds provided by VSI pursuant to the terms of the CRADA Agreement will be used by the NIH to acquire technical, statistical, and administrative support for the research activities, as well as pay for supplies and travel expenses.

 

Effective October 31, 2018, VSI and NIH amended the CRADA Agreement to defer funding for year two subject to additional testing by NIH and approval of the results by VSI. Subsequently, on May 6, 2019, VSI and NIH entered into a second amended agreement to proceed with the second year of the agreement pursuant to an updated research plan. On May 7, 2019, the Company made the first of two equal payments of $55,870 to NIH. As of September 30, 2020, the second payment of $55,870 is outstanding and subject to delivery of final research results.

 

Total expenses incurred in connection with the CRADA Agreement for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 amounted to $0 and $31,039, respectively. Total expenses incurred in connection with the CRADA Agreement for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 amounted to $31,039 and $55,870, respectively. These expenses are included in “Research and development” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, $55,870 and $24,831 were recognized in “Accounts payable and accrued expenses” in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, respectively, related to the CRADA Agreement.

 

Memorandums of Understanding

 

Effective July 28, 2018, SBI entered into two Memorandums of Understanding (“MOUs”) with Yissum Research Development Company (“Yissum”) of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. (“Hebrew University”). Pursuant to the terms of the MOUs, SBI shall provide funding for research and development studies to be performed by researchers at Hebrew University in the areas of cannabinoid therapeutics and cannabinoid synthesis over a two-year period. Funds provided by SBI pursuant to the terms of MOUs will be used by the researchers at Hebrew University to acquire technical, statistical, and administrative support for the research activities, as well as pay for supplies. SBI has the exclusive right to license the study results by providing written notice to Yissum during the respective study periods or within 60 days of the studies’ completion. Upon providing such notice, SBI and Yissum shall negotiate a license agreement for the commercial development and exploitation of the study results. SBI shall be entitled to reimbursement of the amounts funded for the research and development studies and patent prosecution costs, if any, in the event Yissum enters into a license agreement with a third party, subject to certain conditions. Research under the Yissum MOUs was completed in December 2019 and March 2020, respectively, resulting in the license agreements below.

 

  15  

 

 

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

6. Research and Development Agreements (Continued)

 

Memorandums of Understanding (continued)

 

The fees incurred in connection with these MOU’s for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 amounted to $0 and $29,457, respectively. The fees incurred in connection with these MOU’s for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 amounted to $39,522 and $115,018, respectively. These fees are included in “Research and development” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. The Company also recorded a prepaid expense of $29,646 in connection with these MOU’s which are included in “Prepaid expenses” in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2019.

 

Effective March 5, 2019, the Company entered in a license agreement with Yissum with respect to the results of the research relating to the combination of cannabidiol with approved anesthetics as a potential treatment for the management of pain. Under the license agreement, the Company is obligated to pay earned royalties based on a percentage of net sales, as defined in the license agreement, including net sales generated from sub-licensees. In addition, the Company will be obligated to make payments upon the achievement of certain clinical development and product approval milestones. From March 5, 2019 through September 30, 2020, there have been no sales of licensed products by the Company nor has the Company entered into any sub-licensing agreements. Further, none of the milestones in the agreement have been reached and therefore as of September 30, 2020, there is no obligation to make any milestone payments.

 

Effective August 8, 2019, the Company entered into a second license agreement with Yissum with respect to the research results relating to the synthesis of novel cannabinoid dual-action compounds and novel chemical derivatives of cannabigerol and tetrahydrocannabivarin. Under this license agreement, the Company is required to pay earned royalties based upon a percentage of net sales at one percentage for regulated products and a lesser percentage for non-regulated products. The Company is obligated to pay development milestone payments tied to regulated products totaling $1,225,000 in the aggregate and $100,000 for non-regulated products in the aggregate. None of the milestones in the agreement have been reached and therefore as of September 30, 2020 there is no obligation to make any milestone payments.

 

City of Hope License Agreement and Sponsored Research Agreement

 

In June 2020, the Company entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with City of Hope relating to the STAT3 Inhibitor (the “COH License Agreement”). In addition to the COH License Agreement, the Company also entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement (the “SRA”) relating to on-going research and development activities in collaboration with City of Hope relating to the STAT3 Inhibitor. The Company obtained the right to negotiate the COH License Agreement with City of Hope from Bioscience Oncology as part of the Bioscience Oncology transaction (see Note 3). Under the terms of the COH License Agreement, the Company is obligated to pay earned royalties based on a percentage of net sales, as defined in the COH License Agreement, including net sales generated from sub-licensees. In addition, the Company is obligated to make payments in cash upon the achievement of certain clinical development and product approval milestones totaling $3,525,000 in the aggregate. None of the milestones in the COH License Agreement have been reached and therefore as of September 30, 2020, there is no obligation to make any milestone payments. Pursuant to the terms of the SRA, the Company has committed to fund research and development at City of Hope for two years in accordance with a predetermined funding schedule. Total expenses incurred in connection with the SRA were $62,500 and $76,389, respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. These expenses are included in “Research and development” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

7. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Research and Development Agreements

 

The Company has entered into various research and development agreements which require the Company to provide certain funding and support. See Note 6 for further information regarding these agreements.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

The Company is not a party to any litigation and does not have contingency reserves established for any litigation liabilities. Notwithstanding, legal proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainties, and an unfavorable outcome, if such event were to occur, could include monetary damages and could result in a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

8. Stockholders’ Equity

 

Preferred Stock

 

The Company is authorized to issue 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.001 per share with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined from time-to-time by the Company’s board of directors. Authority is expressly vested in the board of directors to authorize the issuance of one or more series of preferred stock. All 20,000,000 shares remained unissued as of September 30, 2020.

 

Common Stock

 

The Company is authorized to issue 50,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.001 per share. The number of authorized shares of common stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares of common stock then outstanding) by an affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the common stock.

 

On June 1, 2017, the Company issued 10,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $0.001 per share to HCFP II LLC (“HCFP II”), an affiliated entity, as founders’ stock, for an aggregate purchase price of $10,000. On June 2, 2017, HCFP II transferred such shares to other affiliated entities.

 

In December 2017 and January 2018, the Company issued a total of 361,518 and 138,482 shares, respectively, at a price of $1.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds of $355,122 and $128,040, respectively, after issuance costs.

 

The powers, preferences, and rights of the holders of the common stock are junior to the preferred stock and are subject to all the powers, rights, privileges, preferences, and priorities of the preferred stock. The holder of each share of common stock shall have the right to one vote per share. Each holder of common stock shall be entitled to receive dividends and distributions (whether payable in cash or otherwise) as declared by the board of directors of the Company, subject to the rights of any class of preferred stock outstanding. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company (whether voluntary or involuntary), the assets available for distribution to holders of common stock will be in equal amounts per share.

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

8. Stockholders’ Equity (Continued)

 

Equity Units

 

On July 20, 2018, the Company offered up to 266,667 units at a price of $1.50 per unit (the “$1.50 Units”) in a private placement transaction. During the first quarter of 2019, the Company increased the private offering of $1.50 Units to 1,000,000 $1.50 Units, on the same terms. Each Unit is comprised of one share of the Company’s common stock and two warrants (“$1.50 Unit Warrants”). Each $1.50 Unit Warrant is exercisable for one share of the Company’s common stock at a price of $1.00 per share, expires on July 31, 2023, and carries a mandatory exchange feature as described in the relevant warrant subscription agreement. The exercise price is not subject to adjustment, except in the event of stock dividends and stock splits. Further, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, as defined in the agreement, the holders can participate pari passu with common stockholders in the consideration paid by an acquirer for the Company’s shares. The Company issued a total of 266,667 $1.50 Units in 2018 resulting in net proceeds of $390,930 after issuance costs. The Company received $24,008 in 2018 relating to 16,005 $1.50 Units which were subsequently issued in January 2019 following the increase in number of $1.50 Units offered. The Company recorded the $24,008 as an advance deposit on equity units as of December 31, 2018, which was reclassified to equity upon issuance of the applicable $1.50 Units in January 2019.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company sold an additional 717,328 $1.50 Units (excluding the 16,005 $1.50 Units that were issued in January 2019 related to the advance deposits received in 2018 for such $1.50 Units) resulting in net proceeds of $1,071,230 after issuance costs.

 

The holders of the $1.50 Unit Warrants discussed above have the same rights to receive dividends or other distribution of assets as the holders of common stock. As such, these $1.50 Unit Warrants are considered participating securities under the two-class method of calculating the net loss per share. The Company has incurred net losses to date, and as the holders of these $1.50 Unit Warrants are not contractually obligated to share in the losses, there is no impact on the Company’s net loss per share calculation for the years presented.

 

On May 6, 2019, pursuant to the terms of the $1.50 Unit Warrants, the Company provided a Notice of Trigger Date to the holders of its $1.50 Unit Warrants informing such holders that the deadline to exercise their $1.50 Unit Warrants at an exercise price of $1.00 per share was May 16, 2019 (the "Trigger Date"). Any $1.50 Unit Warrants not exercised by the Trigger Date automatically became identical to and of the same class as the W Warrants. A total of 858,855 $1.50 Unit Warrants were exercised in connection with such notice generating $858,855 in proceeds for the Company.

 

On June 11, 2019, the Company offered up to 200,000 units at a price of $3.00 per unit in a private placement transaction (the "$3.00 Units"). Each $3.00 Unit is comprised of one share of the Company’s common stock and two warrants ("$3.00 Unit Warrants"). Each $3.00 Unit Warrant shall be identical to and be of the same class as the W Warrants. In July 2019, the Company issued 150,169 of the $3.00 Units resulting in net proceeds of $330,132 after issuance costs.

 

On February 4, 2020, the Company offered up to 200,000 Series A units at a price of $5.00 per unit in a Regulation A+ Tier II offering (the “A Units”). Each A Unit consists of one share of the Company’s common stock and two Series W Warrants (“W Warrants”). Each W Warrant is exercisable for one Series B Unit (“B Unit”). Each B Unit consists of one share of common stock and one Series Z Warrant (“Z Warrant”). Each Z Warrant is exercisable for one share of common stock. The exercise price of the W Warrant is $4.00, and the exercise price of the Z Warrant is $5.00. The W Warrants and Z Warrants will be exercisable commencing on October 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, respectively, and expire on September 30, 2026 and June 30, 2027, respectively, unless previous exercised. Through September 30, 2020, the Company issued 21,906 of the A Units resulting in net proceeds of $104,830 after issuance costs.

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

8. Stockholders’ Equity (Continued)

 

Warrants

 

On October 3, 2018, the Company issued a warrant to Yissum, entitling Yissum to purchase up to 450,000 shares (“Warrant Shares”) of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $1.50 per share of common stock and which warrant expires on October 3, 2025. This warrant was issued as consideration to Yissum in connection with the execution of the MOUs (see Note 6). Upon issuance of this warrant, it was immediately exercisable for 50,000 Warrant Shares. Additional Warrant Shares vest upon the execution of license agreements within a specified number of days upon notice by the Company of its intent to enter into such license agreements.

 

The Company determined that as of December 31, 2018, it was probable that the Company would enter into at least one license agreement. Accordingly, for the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recognized compensation expense for the 50,000 Warrant Shares that were immediately exercisable upon issuance of the warrant and 50,000 Warrant Shares relating to the probable execution of a license agreement.

 

Effective March 5, 2019 and August 8, 2019, the Company entered into separate license agreements with Yissum with respect to the results and intellectual property generated from research being conducted at Hebrew University under one of the MOUs (see Note 6). As a result of the first and second license agreements being executed within a specified period after notice, the Company recognized compensation expense in connection with the vesting of an additional 50,000 and 100,000 Warrant Shares, respectively.

 

The estimated fair value of the Yissum Warrant Shares at grant date was $0.59 per Warrant Share, calculated using Black-Scholes option pricing model using the following assumptions: fair value of underlying common stock of $1.00, contractual life of 7 years; risk free interest rate of 3.06%; volatility of 68%, and dividend yield of 0%. There has been no history of dividend payments and there are no expectations of dividend payments during the next several years.

 

Related to the license agreements above, the Company recognized stock-based compensation expense related to the Warrant Shares during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 of $29,717 and $89,151, respectively. This expense is included in “Research and development” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

 

On December 10, 2019, the Company offered up to 1,000,000 W Warrants at a price of $0.50 per W Warrant in a private placement transaction (“December 2019 Private Placement”). In December 2019 and January 2020, the Company issued 500,000 and 4,000 W Warrants resulting in net proceeds of $138,432 and $1,800, respectively, after issuance costs. In April 2020, the Company amended the terms of the December 2019 Private Placement as described in the Convertible Notes Private Placement (see Note 5).

 

On July 16, 2020 and in connection with the initial closing of the A Units, all of the Company’s outstanding warrants, including any X Warrants but excluding the Yissum Warrant Shares, automatically became an equal number of W Warrants. For presentation purposes, the term “W Warrants” is used throughout these notes in cases where the warrants referenced have subsequently become W Warrants.

 

In conjunction with the Convertible Notes issued through September 30, 2020, the Company issued 2,889,835 W Warrants (see Note 5). On April 1, 2020, 100,000 W Warrants were issued in connection with satisfying an outstanding account payable for legal services rendered.

 

On June 5, 2020, the Company issued to HCFP/Capital Partners 18-B-2 LLC (“CP18B2”) 3,000,000 W Warrants in consideration of a $1.5 million contingent promissory note (“Note Receivable”). The Note Receivable accrues interest at a rate of 1% per annum. Payment of this Note Receivable is contingent on exercise or sale of the W Warrants prior to their expiration. If the W Warrants have not been sold or exercised prior to their expiration by CP18B2, no payment of principal and interest of the Note Receivable is required.

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

8. Stockholders’ Equity (Continued)

 

Warrants (continued)

 

On September 28, 2020, all of the investors who purchased W Warrants in the December 2019 Private Placement, prior to the amendment of its terms, surrendered 504,000 W Warrants in exchange for Convertible Notes (see Note 5).

 

The table below summarizes all warrant activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2020:

 

    Warrants     Weighted-average
Exercise Price
 
Outstanding at December 31, 2019     2,391,483     $ 2.10  
Issued     6,996,955       4.00  
Exercised     -       -  
Surrendered     (504,000 )     4.00  
Forfeited     -       -  
Outstanding at September 30, 2020     8,884,438       3.87  
Warrants exercisable at September 30, 2020     250,000     $ 1.50  

 

As of September 30, 2020, the remaining contractual term of the outstanding warrants was 5.95 years.

 

9. Stock Options

 

Effective September 24, 2018, the Company approved the Scopus BioPharma Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), and reserved 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, such amount subsequently being increased to 2,400,000 shares, for issuance under the Plan. The stock options shall be granted at an exercise price per share equal to at least the fair market value of the shares of common stock on the date of grant and generally vest over a three-year period.

 

Stock option activity is summarized as follows for the nine months ended September 30, 2020:

 

    Options     Weighted-
average
Exercise Price
    Weighted-
average Grant
Date Fair Value
 
Outstanding at December 31, 2019     600,000     $ 2.56     $ 1.21  
Granted     -       -       -  
Exercised     -       -       -  
Forfeited     -       -       -  
Outstanding at September 30, 2020     600,000     $ 2.56     $ 1.21  
                         
Vested and exercisable at September 30, 2020     282,136     $ 2.38     $ 1.12  
Unvested at September 30, 2020     317,864     $ 2.72     $ 1.28  

 

Stock-based compensation associated with vesting options was $60,255 and $180,765 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and $43,807 and $64,227 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. This cost is included in “General and administrative” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. As of September 30, 2020, total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense of $407,566 is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted-average contractual vesting term of 1.68 years. On December 16, 2020, the Company granted 600,000 additional stock options to new directors and Scientific Advisory Board members.

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

10. Related Party Transactions

 

The Company has a management services agreement, as amended, with Portfolio Services, an affiliated entity, to provide management services to the Company including, without limitation, financial and accounting resources, general business development, corporate development, corporate governance, marketing strategy, strategic development and planning, coordination with service providers and other services as agreed upon between the parties. The Company pays Portfolio Services a monthly management services fee plus related expense reimbursement. This management services agreement was initially in effect for a period of one year and is automatically renewable for successive one-year terms unless terminated prior to the end of such term as set forth in the management services agreement. Effective July 1, 2018, the Company amended the management services agreement with Portfolio Services to include an additional monthly fee of $1,500 for the provision of office space and facilities to the Company, which was subsequently increased to $3,000 effective May 1, 2019. Effective July 1, 2020 the monthly management services fee was increased from $40,000 to $50,000 per month.

 

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company incurred expenses of $159,000 and $417,000, respectively, related to this management services agreement. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company incurred expenses of $129,000 and $291,000, respectively, related to this management services agreement. The costs are included in “General and administrative” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. Amounts prepaid to Portfolio Services were $0 and $40,000 as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, and are included in “Prepaid expenses” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Amounts payable to Portfolio Services as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 were $53,000 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Accounts payable and accrued expenses” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

On September 1, 2017, the Company entered into a management services agreement, as amended, with Clil Medical Ltd. (“Clil”) for Morris C. Laster, M.D., the sole principal of Clil, to serve as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. The Company shall pay Clil a monthly management services fee, plus related expense reimbursements. This agreement was in effect for a period of one year and is automatically renewable for successive one-year terms unless terminated prior to the end of such term as set forth in the management services agreement. Effective January 1, 2019 the monthly management services fee was increased from $10,000 to $25,000 per month. As contemplated in connection with the Bioscience Oncology transaction, this management services agreement was terminated in June 2020 and was replaced by a new agreement for services relating to Dr. Laster. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company incurred expenses of $0 and $128,333, respectively, related to this management services agreement. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company incurred expenses of $75,000 and $226,442, respectively, related to this management services agreement. These costs are included in “General and administrative” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the total amounts due to Clil were $198,530 and $70,197, respectively, and are included in “Accounts payable and accrued expenses” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

On June 10, 2020, the Company entered into a management services agreement with Kiliniwata Investments Pty, Ltd (“Kiliniwata”) for Paul E. Hopper, an affiliate of Kiliniwata, to serve as the Company’s Co-Chairman, a position from which he resigned in October 2020 in order to commit greater time to another biopharmaceutical company unrelated to the Company. The Company paid Kiliniwata a monthly management services fee of $12,500, plus related expense reimbursements. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company incurred expenses of $37,500 and $45,833, respectively, related to this management services agreement. As of September 30, 2020, there was no amount due to Kiliniwata.

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

10. Related Party Transactions (Continued)

 

HCFP/Strategy Advisors LLC (“Strategy Advisors”), an affiliated entity, provides strategy advisory and consulting services to the Company from time to time. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company expensed and paid Strategy Advisors an aggregate of $0 and $100,000, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company did not incur any expenses or make any payments to Strategy Advisors. These costs are included in “General and administrative” expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

 

On March 28, 2019, the Company entered into an agreement with HCFP/Capital Markets LLC (“Capital Markets”), an affiliated entity, to serve as the exclusive placement agent in a private offering of the Company’s securities (the $3.00 Units – see Note 8). For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company paid Capital Markets $0 and $200, respectively, for certain documentation and placement fees and a non-accountable expense allowance for such services in accordance with the terms of the related agreement. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company paid Capital Markets $0 and $50,000, respectively, for certain documentation and placement fees and a non-accountable expense allowance for such services in accordance with the terms of the related agreement.

 

On December 10, 2019, the Company entered into an agreement with Capital Markets to serve as the exclusive placement agent in a private offering of the Company’s securities (the “December 2019 Private Placement” – see Note 8). HCFP/Direct Investments LLC (“Direct Investments”), an affiliated entity, purchased 224,000 W Warrants in the December 2019 Private Placement on the same terms as the non-affiliated investors, which were subsequently surrendered for Convertible Notes in September 2020 (see Note 5). The Company shall pay placement agent fees and a non-accountable expense allowance for such services in accordance with the terms of the related agreement. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company incurred and paid expenses of $34,901 and $201,361, respectively, in connection with this agreement. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, amounts due to Capital Markets were $0 and $6,500 and are included in “Accounts payable and accrued expenses” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

In January, February and May 2020, Direct Investments advanced a total of $60,662 to the Company, which were subsequently repaid in April and July 2020 in full, including $470 in interest.

 

On April 9, 2020, one of the Company’s directors invested $7,500 in the Notes issued as part of the Company Direct Offering. On June 1, 2020, Portfolio Services was issued an aggregate principal amount of $200,000 of Notes under the Company Direct Offering as consideration for management services rendered. On June 5, 2020, the Company issued to CP18B2, an affiliated entity, 3,000,000 W Warrants in consideration of a Note Receivable (see Note 8).

 

Related party amounts included in “Accounts payable and accrued expenses” in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets were as follows:

 

    September 30,     December 31,  
    2020     2019  
Portfolio Services   $ 53,000       -  
Clil Medical Ltd.     198,530       70,197  
HCFP LLC     76       645  
Capital Markets     -       6,500  
Total   $ 251,606     $ 77,342  

 

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SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

11. Income Taxes

 

The Company did not provide for any income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company has evaluated the positive and negative evidence bearing upon its ability to realize the deferred tax assets. Management has considered the Company’s history of cumulative net losses incurred since inception and its lack of commercialization of any products or generation of any revenue from product sales since inception and has concluded that it is more likely than not that the Company will not realize the benefits of the deferred tax assets. Accordingly, a full valuation allowance has been established against the deferred tax assets as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. Management reevaluates the positive and negative evidence at each reporting period.

 

The tax years 2017 through 2019 remain open to examination by the Internal Revenue Service. However, since the Company has net operating loss carryforwards, which may be utilized in future years to offset taxable income, those years may also be subject to review by relevant taxing authorities if utilized, notwithstanding that the statute for assessment may have closed. There are not currently ongoing or pending examinations in any jurisdictions.

 

12. Subsequent Events

 

The Company has evaluated subsequent events through January 28, 2021, which is the date the condensed consolidated financial statements were available to be issued. Any material subsequent events that occurred during this time have been properly recognized or disclosed in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, except as set forth below.

 

On January 26, 2021, the Company announced the pricing of a $9 million follow-on public offering. The offering consists of 1,000,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $9.00 per share. The company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 150,000 shares of common stock at the public offering price. The offering is expected to close on or about January 29, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

 

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Item 2.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

The following discussion and analysis of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 1-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on May 15, 2020 (“Form 1-K”).

 

Forward Looking Statements

 

This quarterly report on Form 10-Q (“Quarterly Report”) and other reports filed by Scopus BioPharma Inc. (the “Company”) from time to time with the SEC (collectively, the “Filings”) contain or may contain forward-looking statements and information that are based upon beliefs of, and information currently available to, the Company’s management, as well as estimates and assumptions made by Company’s management.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof.  When used in the Filings, the words “may”, “will”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “future”, “intend”, “plan”, or the negative of these terms and similar expressions as they relate to the Company or the Company’s management are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  Such statements reflect the current view of the Company with respect to future events and we caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to risks, assumptions, and other factors.  Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned. Unless otherwise stated in this Quarterly Report, “we”, “us”, “our”, “Company”, “Scopus” and “Scopus BioPharma” refer to Scopus BioPharma Inc.

 

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements.  Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

 

Our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”).  These accounting principles require us to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions.  We believe that the estimates, judgments and assumptions upon which we rely are reasonable based upon information available to us at the time that these estimates, judgments and assumptions are made.  These estimates, judgments and assumptions can affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented.  Our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements would be affected to the extent there are material differences between these estimates and actual results.  In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by GAAP and does not require management’s judgment in its application.  There are also areas in which management’s judgment in selecting any available alternative would not produce a materially different result.  The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report.

 

Overview

 

We are a biopharmaceutical company developing transformational therapeutics targeting serious diseases with significant unmet medical needs. Our mission is to improve patient outcomes and save lives. To achieve our mission, we are capitalizing on groundbreaking scientific and medical discoveries at some of the world’s foremost research and academic institutions.

 

Our lead development program is a novel, targeted immuno-oncology gene therapy for the treatment of multiple cancers. We have partnered with City of Hope, or COH, for CpG-STAT3siRNA, or CO-sTiRNATM, a STAT3 inhibitor gene therapy. Pre-clinical testing at City of Hope was designed to determine whether CO-sTiRNA would reduce growth and metastasis of various pre-clinical tumor models, including melanoma, and colon and bladder cancers, as well as leukemia and lymphoma. Based upon such testing, an investigational new drug application, or IND, for CO-sTiRNA for B-cell lymphoma is currently anticipated to be filed with the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, in H1 2021. We currently anticipate that a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial for B-cell lymphoma will commence in H2 2021.

 

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In conjunction with City of Hope, Phase 1 clinical trials for additional cancer indications are being contemplated for CO-sTiRNA in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, or CAR-Ts.

 

Our second lead development program is MRI-1867, a peripherally-restricted, dual-action cannabinoid-1, or CB1, receptor inverse agonist and inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, or iNOS. We have partnered with the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, for MRI-1867 and are initially targeting systemic sclerosis, or SSc. Over-activation of CB1 and iNOS has been implicated in the pathophysiology of SSc, which includes fibrosis of the skin, lung, kidney, heart and the gastrointestinal tract. We are currently continuing to conduct pre-clinical work for MRI-1867 to support an IND filing with the FDA.

 

We are also partnered with The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, or Hebrew University, on several additional research and development programs. These programs relate to a proprietary opioid-sparing anesthetic and synthesis of novel compounds and new chemical entities, or NCEs.

 

We have devoted substantially all of our resources to our development efforts relating to our drug candidates, including sponsoring research with world-renowned academic and medical research institutions, designing future pre-clinical studies, providing general and administrative support for these operations and securing and protecting our licensed intellectual property. We do not have any products approved for sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales. From inception (April 18, 2017) until September 30, 2020, we have funded our operations primarily through the private placement of convertible notes, common stock and warrants.

 

We have incurred net losses in each year since our inception. As of September 30, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $13,450,830. Substantially all of our net losses resulted from costs incurred in connection with our research and development programs and from general and administrative costs associated with our operations.

 

We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and increasing operating losses for at least the next several years. We anticipate that all our expenses will increase substantially as we:

 

continue our research and development efforts;

 

contract with third-party research organizations to management our clinical and pre-clinical trials for our drug candidates;

 

outsource the manufacturing of our drug candidates for clinical testing and pre-clinical trials;

 

seek to obtain regulatory approvals for our drug candidates;

 

maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;

 

add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel to support our research and development and regulatory efforts; and

 

operate as a public company.

 

We do not expect to generate revenue from product sales unless and until we successfully complete development and obtain marketing approval for one or more of our drug candidates, which we expect will take a number of years and is subject to significant uncertainty. Accordingly, we will need to raise additional capital prior to the commercialization any of our current or future drug candidates. Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial revenue from product sales, we expect to finance our operating activities through equity and debt offerings. We may also raise capital through government or other third-party funding and grants, collaborations and development agreements, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. However, we may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other arrangements when needed on favorable terms or at all. Our failure to raise capital or enter into such other arrangements as and when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to develop our drug candidates.

 

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, which we have prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate these estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

 

Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 1 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report and Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements appearing in our Form 1-K. We believe that the accounting policies are critical for fully understanding and evaluating our financial condition and results of operations.

 

Net Loss Per Share

 

Basic net loss per common share attributable to common shareholders is calculated by dividing net loss attributable to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Since the Company was in a loss position for all periods presented, basic net loss per share is the same as dilutive net loss per share as the inclusion of all potential dilutive common shares which consist of stock options and warrants, would be anti-dilutive.

 

JOBS Act

 

On April 5, 2012, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, was enacted. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards, and, therefore, will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as public companies that are not emerging growth companies. As a result of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that are not emerging growth companies.

 

We are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on other exemptions and reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, as an “emerging growth company,” we intend to rely on certain of these exemptions, including without limitation, (i) providing an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and (ii) complying 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, known as the auditor discussion and analysis. We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more; (ii) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of an initial public offering; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC.

 

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Financial Overview

 

Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 versus Three Months Ended September 30, 2019

 

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

    Three Months Ended September 30,              
    2020     2019     Change     %
Change
 
Operating Expenses:                                
General and Administrative   $ 806,045     $ 715,097     $ 90,948       12.7 %
Research and Development     69,421       82,123       (12,702 )     (15.5 )%
Loss from Operations     875,466       797,220       78,246       9.8 %
Net Loss     1,159,986       797,220       362,766       45.5 %

 

Our net losses were $1,159,986 and $797,220 for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

Revenue

 

We did not generate any revenue in either the three months ended September 30, 2020 or 2019. Our ability to generate product revenues in the future will depend almost entirely on our ability to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for and then successfully commercialize one or more drug candidates in the United States.

 

Operating Expenses

 

General and Administrative Expenses

 

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of costs related to our personnel and management services agreements, or MSAs. Other significant general and administrative expenses include, accounting and legal services, expenses associated with obtaining and maintaining patents and the expenses related to the issuance of stock options to our President and certain of our scientific and senior advisors. We incurred general and administrative expenses in the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 of $806,045 and $715,097, respectively. We attribute this growth in our general and administrative expenses to a greater level of our business activities (managing our research programs at City of Hope, the NIH and Hebrew University, negotiating and executing our license agreements, pursuing patent protection for our intellectual property, investigating additional business opportunities, retaining new employees and preparing for our initial public offering (“IPO”), including increased costs to comply with corporate governance, internal controls and similar requirements applicable to public companies), all of which have increased the amounts payable (i) for compensation and benefits and (ii) to our accounting and legal advisors, offset primarily by a reduction in travel and entertainment expenses due to COVID-19. In this regard, in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, approximately an additional $51,065 and $195,821 were attributable to increased amounts payable for compensation and benefits to our President and amounts payable for professional services, respectively, offset by a decrease of $86,816 attributable to a reduction in travel and entertainment expenses due to COVID-19.

 

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Research and Development Expenses

  

We recognize research and development expenses as they are incurred. Our research and development expenses consist of fees incurred under our agreements with City of Hope, the NIH and Hebrew University, including the expenses associated with warrants issued in connection with the agreements with Hebrew University. For the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, we incurred research and development expenses of $69,421 and $82,123, respectively. These expenses decreased primarily as a result of a decline in the amounts payable pursuant to certain of our research agreements in accordance with their terms. We plan to increase our research and development expenses for the foreseeable future as we continue the clinical and pre-clinical development of our two lead drug candidates, CO-sTiRNA and MRI-1867, and to further advance the development of our other research and development programs, subject to the availability of additional funding.

 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Versus Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019

 

The following table summarizes our results of operation for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

    Nine Months Ended September 30,              
    2020     2019     Change     %
Change
 
Operating Expenses:                                
General and Administrative   $ 2,087,423     $ 1,446,519     $ 640,904       44.3 %
Research and Development     7,354,295       279,543       7,074,752       2,530.8 %
Loss from Operations     9,441,718       1,726,062       7,715,656       447.0 %
Net Loss     9,811,383       1,726,062       8,085,321       468.4 %

 

Our net losses were $9,811,383 and $1,726,062 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We anticipate our fiscal year net losses will increase as we continue to advance our research and drug development activities and incur additional general and administrative expenses to meet the needs of our business.

 

Revenue

 

We did not have any revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 or 2019. Our ability to generate product revenues in the future will depend almost entirely on our ability to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for and then successfully commercialize a drug candidate in the United States.

 

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Operating Expenses

 

General and Administrative Expenses

 

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of costs related to our personnel and MSAs. Other significant general and administrative expenses include, accounting and legal services, expenses associated with obtaining and maintaining patents and the expenses related to the issuance of stock options to our President and certain of our scientific and senior advisors. We incurred general and administrative expenses in the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 of $2,087,423 and $1,446,519, respectively. We attribute this growth in our general and administrative expenses to a greater level of our business activities (managing our research programs at City of Hope, the NIH and Hebrew University, negotiating and executing our license agreements, pursuing patent protection for our intellectual property, investigating additional business opportunities, retaining new employees and preparing for our IPO, including increased costs to comply with corporate governance, internal controls and similar requirements applicable to public companies), all of which have increased the amounts payable (i) under our MSAs; (ii) in compensation and benefits; and (iii) to our accounting and legal advisors. In this regard, in the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, approximately an additional $65,392, $434,260 and $165,746 were attributable to increased amounts payable under our MSAs, compensation and benefits payable to our President and amounts payable for professional services, respectively, offset primarily by a reduction of $92,428 in travel and entertainment expenses due to COVID-19. The increase in compensation and benefits payable to our President is attributable to the fact that our president was hired in August 2019 resulting in compensation and benefits expenses for only two months in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to nine months in the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

 

Research and Development and Expenses

 

We recognize research and development expenses as they are incurred. Our research and development expenses consist of fees incurred under our agreements with City of Hope, the NIH and Hebrew University, including the expenses associated with warrants issued in connection with the agreements with Hebrew University. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, we incurred research and development expenses of $7,354,295 and $279,543, respectively. These expenses increased primarily as a result of us entering into the COH License Agreement and SRA relating to CO-sTiRNA, including our related transactions with Bioscience Oncology. The aggregate upfront expenses relating to the COH License Agreement and Bioscience Oncology, which totaled nearly $7.2 million, were recognized in “Research and Development” expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. We plan to increase our research and development expenses for the foreseeable future as we continue the clinical and pre-clinical development of our two lead drug candidates, CO-sTiRNA and MRI-1867, and to further advance the development of our other research and development programs, subject to the availability of additional funding.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

We have incurred losses since our inception and, as of September 30, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $13,450,830. We anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for at least the next several years. We expect that our research and development and general and administrative expenses will continue to increase and, as a result, we will need additional capital to fund our operations. We expect to finance our cash needs primarily through equity and debt offerings. We may also raise capital through government or other third-party funding and grants, collaborations and development agreements, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. Between June 2020 and September 2020, we issued an aggregate initial principal amount of $2,253,605 of convertible notes (“Convertible Notes”) in a private placement (“Convertible Notes Private Placement”). The Convertible Notes have an annual interest rate of 10% per annum, a scheduled maturity on the earlier of July 31, 2021 or a change of control of the company, and are convertible, including accrued and unpaid interest, into W Warrants at a conversion price of $0.50 per W Warrant. For each $1.00 of initial principal, the purchaser also received one W Warrant. Between February 2020 and June 2020, we issued, on a direct basis, convertible notes and W Warrants on identical terms to those of the Convertible Notes Private Placement in an aggregate initial principal amount of $636,230 for $187,500 in cash with the balance as consideration for legal and management services rendered. Between July 2020 and September 2020, we issued 21,906 Series A Units (“A Units”), each such A Unit comprised of one share of common stock and two W Warrants, for approximately $110,000 in gross proceeds. To enhance our liquidity and capital resources, we have from time to time issued convertible notes and warrants to various parties, including related parties, to satisfy certain fees and other payables. We may also seek to satisfy other obligations and payables through the issuance of additional convertible notes and warrants. On December 18, 2020, we completed an IPO of our common stock at a public offering price of $5.50 per share for aggregate gross proceeds, including our underwriters’ exercise, in full, of their over-allotment option, of $3,162,500. In addition, on January 26, 2021, we priced a $9,000,000 follow-on offering of our common stock at a public offering price of $9.00 per share. We also granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 150,000 shares of common stock at the public offering price. The follow-on offering is expected to close on or about January 29, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

 

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Since April 18, 2017 (inception) through September 30, 2020, we have funded our operations principally with $5,869,997 in gross proceeds from the sale of convertible notes, common stock, warrants, and units comprised of common stock and warrants, and the exercise of a portion of such warrants. As of September 30, 2020, we had cash of $420,557. In addition, on December 18, 2020, we completed our IPO raising aggregate gross proceeds of $3,162,500. Further, on January 26, 2021, we priced a $9,000,000 follow-on offering of our common stock, which is expected to close on or about January 29, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

 

Future Funding Requirements

 

We have not generated any revenue. We do not know when, or if, we will generate any revenue from product sales. We do not expect to generate significant revenue from product sales unless and until we obtain regulatory approval of and commercialize any of our drug candidates. At the same time, we expect our expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing development activities, particularly as we continue to research, develop, and seek regulatory approval for, our drug candidates. We expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. In addition, subject to obtaining regulatory approval of any of our drug candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses for product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. We anticipate that we will need substantial additional funding in connection with our continuing operations.

 

Based on our current financial resources, our expected level of operating expenditures and the net proceeds and/or anticipated net proceeds, respectively, from prior financings (including our IPO) and currently contemplated securities offerings, we believe that we will be able to fund our projected operating requirements for at least the next 12 months. This period could be shortened if there are any significant increases in planned spending on development programs or more rapid progress on our development programs than anticipated. Thereafter, we will need to obtain additional financing to fund future clinical trials for our drug candidates and other expenses. We expect to finance our cash needs primarily through debt and equity offerings. We may also raise capital through government or other third-party funding and grants, collaborations and development agreements, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of our drug candidates, we are unable to estimate the amounts of additional capital outlays and operating expenditures necessary to complete the development of our drug candidates. Thereafter, we will need to obtain additional financing to fund future clinical trials for our drug candidates. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of our drug candidates, we are unable to estimate the amounts of increased capital outlays and operating expenditures necessary to complete the development of our drug candidates.

 

Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

 

the progress, costs, results and timing of our drug candidates’ future clinical studies and future pre-clinical trials, and the clinical development of our drug candidates for other potential indications beyond their initial target indications;

 

the willingness of the FDA and the EMA to accept our future drug candidate clinical trials, as well as our other completed and planned clinical and pre-clinical studies and other work, as the basis for review and approval of our drug candidates;

 

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the outcome, costs and timing of seeking and obtaining FDA, EMA and any other regulatory approvals;

 

the number and characteristics of drug candidates that we pursue, including our drug candidates in future pre-clinical development;

 

the ability of our drug candidates to progress through clinical development successfully;

 

our need to expand our research and development activities;

 

the costs associated with securing and establishing commercialization and manufacturing capabilities;

 

the costs of acquiring, licensing or investing in businesses, products, drug candidates and technologies;

 

our ability to maintain, expand and defend the scope of our licensed intellectual property portfolio, including the amount and timing of any payments we may be required to make, or that we may receive, in connection with the licensing, filing, prosecution, defense and enforcement of any patents or other intellectual property rights;

 

our need and ability to hire additional management and scientific and medical personnel;

 

the effect of competing technological and market developments;

 

our need to implement additional internal systems and infrastructure, including financial and reporting systems;

 

the duration and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated operational delays and disruptions and increased costs and expenses; and

 

the economic and other terms, timing and success of any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements into which we may enter in the future.

 

Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial revenue from product sales, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of debt financings and equity offerings, government or other third-party funding, marketing and distribution arrangements and other collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of debt and equity securities, the ownership interests of our common stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of our common stockholders. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through government or other third-party funding, marketing and distribution arrangements or other collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or drug candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.

 

We have considered the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, which the World Health Organization has declared a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” The COVID-19 outbreak is disrupting supply chains and affecting production and sales across a range of industries. The extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our operational and financial performance will depend on certain developments, including the duration and spread of the pandemic and its impact on our employees and vendors, and our ability to raise capital, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. At this point, the extent to which COVID-19 may impact our financial condition or results of operations is uncertain.

 

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined under SEC rules.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The FASB issued this update to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The guidance of ASU 2016-02 is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period, and for all other entities, the amendments arc effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within that reporting period. We do not currently hold any leases and therefore adoption of ASU 2016-02 is not expected to have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements and consolidated financial statements.

 

In July 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-11, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480) and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): I. Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Down Round Features; II. Replacement of the Indefinite Deferral for Mandatorily Redeemable Financial Instruments of Certain Nonpublic Entities and Certain Mandatorily Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests with a Scope Exception (“ASU 2017-11”). Part I of this update addresses the complexity of accounting for certain financial instruments with down round features. Down round features are features of certain equity-linked instruments (or embedded features) that result in the strike price being reduced on the basis of the pricing of future equity offerings. Current accounting guidance creates cost and complexity for entities that issue financial instruments (such as warrants and convertible instruments) with down round features that require fair value measurement of the entire instrument or conversion option. Part II of this update addresses the difficulty of navigating Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, because of the existence of extensive pending content in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. This pending content is the result of the indefinite deferral of accounting requirements about mandatorily redeemable financial instruments of certain nonpublic entities and certain mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests. The amendments in Part II of this update do not have an accounting effect. The amendments in Part I of this ASU are effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. For all other entities, including EGCs, the amendments in Part I of this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The company’s early adoption of ASU 2017-11 on January 1, 2019 did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements or condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

As previously noted, we, as an emerging growth company, have elected to take advantage of the benefits of the extended transition period provided for in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards, which allows us to defer adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies unless otherwise noted.

 

We have reviewed other recent accounting pronouncements and concluded they are either not applicable to the business or no material effect is expected on the condensed consolidated financial statements or consolidated financial statements as a result of future adoption.

 

Effect of Inflation and Changes in Prices

 

We do not believe that inflation and changes in prices will have a material effect on our operations.

 

Item 3.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.

 

We do not hold any derivative instruments and do not engage in any hedging activities.

 

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Item 4.  Controls and Procedures.

 

(a)          Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

The Company, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) as of the end of the period covered by this report (the “Evaluation Date”). Based upon the evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded as of the Evaluation Date that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective. Disclosure controls are controls and procedures designed to reasonably ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act, such as this report, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls include controls and procedures designed to reasonably ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

(b)          Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

The Company, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, reviewed the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, pursuant to Rule 13(a)-15(e) under the Exchange Act and concluded that there was no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the Company’s most recently completed fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 1.  Legal Proceedings.

 

We are not a party to any legal proceedings.

 

Item 1A.  Risk Factors.

 

We believe there are no changes that constitute material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in the Company’s Regulation A Post-Qualification Offering Circular Amendment No. 3 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2021.

 

Item 2.   Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.

 

On July 16, August 5, and September 14, 2020, the Company completed the sale of an aggregate of 21,906 A Units at $5.00 per A Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $109,530. Each A Unit consists of one share of our common stock and two Series W Warrants, or W Warrants. Each W Warrant is exercisable for one Series B Unit, or B Unit. Each B Unit consists of one share of common stock and one Series Z Warrant, or Z Warrant. Each Z Warrant is exercisable for one share of common stock. The exercise price of the W Warrant is $4.00, and the exercise price of the Z Warrant is $5.00. The W Warrants and Z Warrants will be exercisable commencing on October 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, respectively. The offering of A Units was conducted pursuant to an Offering Statement qualified by the SEC under Regulation A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for Tier 2 offerings. The Company did not use a placement agent for this offering.

 

On July 16, August 5, and September 14, 2020, the Company issued Convertible Notes with W Warrants in an aggregate principal amount of $342,005 for aggregate gross proceeds of the same amount. The Convertible Notes have an annual interest rate of 10% and a scheduled maturity on the earlier of July 31, 2021 or a change of control of the Company (the “Maturity Date”). For each $1.00 of initial principal, the purchaser also received one W Warrant. Prior to the Maturity Date, the holder may elect to convert each $1.00 of initial principal amount of Convertible Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest into W Warrants at a conversion price of $0.50 per W Warrant.

 

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On September 28, 2020, the Company issued Convertible Notes in an aggregate principal amount of $252,000 in exchange for 504,000 W Warrants. All of the Convertible Notes were issued in reliance on the exemption under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities qualified for exemption under Section 4(a)(2) since the issuance by us did not involve a public offering. The offerings were not “public offerings” as defined in 4(a)(2) due to the insubstantial number of persons involved in the transactions, manner of the issuance and number of securities issued. We did not undertake an offering in which we sold a high number of securities to a high number of investors. In addition, the investors had the necessary investment intent as required by Section 4(a)(2) since they agreed to and received securities bearing a legend stating that such securities are restricted pursuant to Rule 144 of the Act. This restriction ensures that these securities would not be immediately redistributed into the market and therefore not be part of a “public offering”. Based on an analysis of the above factors, we have met the requirements to qualify for exemption under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act for these transactions.

 

Item 3.   Defaults upon Senior Securities.

 

There has been no default in the payment of principal, interest, sinking or purchase fund installment, or any other material default, with respect to any indebtedness of the Company.

 

Item 4.   Mine Safety Disclosures.

 

Not applicable.  

 

Item 5.  Other Information.

 

There is no other information required to be disclosed under this item which was not previously disclosed.

 

Item 6.  Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.   Description
     
3.1   Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant*
     
3.2   Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant *
     
10.1   2018 Equity Incentive Plan*
     
31.1   Certification of Principal Executive Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of 2002*
     
31.2   Certification of Principal Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of 2002*
     
32.1   Certification of Principal Executive Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002**
     
32.2   Certification of Principal Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002**
     
101.INS   XBRL Instance Document#
     
101.SCH   Taxonomy Extension Schema Document#
     
101.CAL   Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document#
     
101.DEF   Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document#
     
101.LAB   Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document#
     
101.PRE   Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document#

 

* Filed herewith
** Furnished herewith
# To be filed by amendment

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

  SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC.
       
       
Date: January 28, 2021 By:  /s/ Joshua R. Lamstein  
    Name: Joshua R. Lamstein  
   

Title:  

Chairman and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

       
Date: January 28, 2021 By:  /s/ Robert J. Gibson  
    Name: Robert J. Gibson  
   

Title:  

Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Director

(Principal Financial Officer)

 

  35  

 

Exhibit 3.1 

 

  Delaware Page 1

The First State

 

I, JEFFREY W. BULLOCK, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THE ATTACHED IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF “PROJECT18 INC.”, CHANGING ITS NAME FROM “PROJECT18 INC.” TO “SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC.”, FILED IN THIS OFFICE ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF DECEMBER, A.D. 2017, AT 5:50 O’ CLOCK P.M.

 

  /s/ Jeffrey W. Bullock
  Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secretary of State

 

6384624 8100   Authentication: 203742192
SR# 20177528628   Date: 12-12-17

 

You may verify this certificate online at corp.delaware.gov/authver.shtml

 

     

 

 

State of Delaware    
Secretary of State    
Division of Corporations    
Delivered 05:50 PM 12/11/2017    
FILED 05:50 PM 12/11/2017    
SR 20177505258 - File Number 6384624    

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

 

OF

 

PROJECT18 INC.

 

Project18 Inc, (the “Corporation), a corporation organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, does hereby certify:

 

1.            The name of the Corporation is Project18 Inc, The original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 18, 2017.

 

2.            This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and by written consent of its stockholders in accordance with Section 228 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

3.            The Certificate of Incorporation is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

Name

 

The name of the corporation is Scopus BioPharma Inc. (the “Corporation).

 

ARTICLE II

 

Registered Office and Registered Agent

 

The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19801. The name of the registered agent of the Corporation at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

 

ARTICLE III

 

Corporate Purpose

 

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which Corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “General Corporation Law).

 

     

 

 

ARTICLE IV

 

Capital Stock

 

Section 1. Shares, Classes and Series Authorized

 

The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation is authorized to issue is 70,000,000, 50,000,000 shares of which shall be Common Stock par value $0.001 per share and 20,000,000 shares of which shall be Preferred Stock par value $0.001.

 

Section 2. Description of Capital Stock

 

The following is a description of each of the classes of capital stock which the Corporation has authority to issue with the designations, preferences, voting powers and participating, optional or other special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof:

 

(a)          Rights and Restrictions of Preferred Stock

 

Authority is hereby expressly vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the Board”), subject to the provisions of this ARTICLE IV and to the limitations prescribed by law, without shareholder action, to authorize the issue from time to time of one or more series of Preferred Stock and with respect to each such series to fix by resolution or resolutions adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the whole Board providing for the issue of such series the voting powers, full or limited, if any, of the shares of such series and the designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof. The authority of the Board with respect to each series shall include, but not be limited to, the determination or fixing of the following:

 

(i)           The designation of such series.

 

(ii)          The dividend rate of such series, the conditions and dates upon which such dividends shall be payable, the relation which such dividends shall bear to the dividends payable on any other class or classes or series of the Corporation’s capital stock, and whether such dividends shall be cumulative or non-cumulative.

 

(iii)         Whether the shares of such series shall be subject to redemption for cash, property or rights, including securities of the Corporation or of any other Corporation, by the Corporation at the option of either the Corporation or the holder or both or upon the happening of a specified event, and, if made subject to any such redemption, the times or events, prices and other terms and conditions of such redemption.

 

(iv)         The terms and amount of any sinking fund provided for the purchase or redemption of the shares of such series.

 

(v)          Whether or not the shares of such series shall be convertible into, or exchangeable for, at the option of either the holder or the Corporation or upon the happening of a specified event, shares of any other class or classes or of any other series of the same or any other class or classes of the Corporation’s capital stock, and, if provision be made for conversion or exchange, the times or events, prices, rates, adjustments and other terms and conditions of such conversions or exchanges.

 

(vi)         The restrictions, if any, on the issue or reissue of any additional Preferred Stock.

 

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(vii)        The rights of the holders of the shares of such series upon the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation.

 

(viii)       The provisions as to voting (which may be one or more votes per share or a fraction of a vote per share), optional and/or other special rights and preferences, if any.

 

For all purposes, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (this “Certificate of Incorporation”) shall include each certificate of designations (if any) setting forth the terms of a series of Preferred Stock.

 

(b)          Rights and Restrictions of Common Stock

 

The powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations or restrictions in respect to the Common Stock are as follows:

 

(i)           The Common Stock is junior to the Preferred Stock and is subject to all the powers, rights, privileges, preferences and priorities of the Preferred Stock as herein or in any resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board pursuant to authority expressly vested in it by the provisions of Section 2 of this ARTICLE IV.

 

(ii)          The Common Stock shall have voting rights for the election of directors and for all other purposes, each holder of Common Stock being entitled to one vote for each share thereof held by such holder, except as otherwise required by law. The ability of the stockholders to engage in cumulative voting is hereby specifically denied, Except as otherwise required by law or as otherwise provided in any preferred stock designation, the holders of the Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power.

 

(iii)         Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive such dividends and distributions (whether payable in cash or otherwise) as may be declared on the shares of Common Stock by the Board from time to time out of assets or funds of the Corporation legally available therefor.

 

(iv)         Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation (whether voluntary or involuntary), the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to stockholders shall be distributed in equal amounts per share to the holders of Common Stock.

 

(c)          Increase or Decrease in Amount of Authorized Shares

 

The number of authorized shares of any class or classes of capital stock of the Corporation may be increased or decreased by an amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation authorized by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of the Common Stock outstanding and entitled to vote thereon and, except as expressly provided in this Certificate of Incorporation or in any resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board pursuant to authority expressly vested in it by the provisions of Section 2 of this ARTICLE IV with respect to the Preferred Stock and except as otherwise provided by law, no vote by holders of capital stock of the Corporation other than the Common Stock shall be required to approve such action.

 

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(d)          Shares Entitled to More or Less than One Vote

 

If any class or series of the Corporation’s capital stock shall be entitled to more or less than one vote for any share, on any matter, every reference in this Certificate of Incorporation and in any relevant provision of law to a majority or other proportion of stock shall refer to such majority or other proportion of the votes of such stock.

 

ARTICLE V

 

Directors

 

The Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes: Class A, Class B and Class C. The number of directors in each class shall be as nearly equal as possible. At the first election of directors by the incorporator, the incorporator shall elect a Class C director for a term expiring at the Corporation’s third Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Class C director shall then appoint additional Class A, Class B and Class C directors, as necessary. The directors in Class A shall be elected for a term expiring at the first Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the directors in Class B shall be elected for a term expiring at the second Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the directors in Class C shall be elected for a term expiring at the third Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Commencing at the first Annual Meeting of Stockholders and at each Annual Meeting of Stockholders thereafter, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding Annual Meeting of Stockholders after their election. Except as the General Corporation Law of Deaware may otherwise require, in the interim between Annual Meetings of Stockholders or special meetings of stockholders called for the election of directors and/or the removal of one or more directors and the filling of any vacancy in that connection, newly created directorships 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 the by-laws of the Corporation), 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. Unless and except to the extent that the Bylaws of the Corporation shall so require, the election of directors of the Corporation need not be by written ballot.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

Limitation of Directors’ Liability; Indemnification by Corporation; Insurance

 

Section 1. Limitation of Directors’ Liability

 

(a)          No director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except, to the extent provided by applicable law, for liability (i) for breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the General Corporation Law or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the General Corporation Law is hereafter amended to authorize corporate action further limiting or eliminating the personal liability of directors, then the liability of each director of the Corporation shall be limited or eliminated to the full extent permitted by the General Corporation Law as so amended from time to time.

 

  4  

 

 

(b)          Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Section 1, nor the adoption of any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Section 1 shall eliminate or reduce the effect of this Section 1, in respect of any matter occurring, or any cause of action, suit or claim that, but for this Section 1, would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision.

 

Section 2. Indemnification by Corporation

 

(a)          The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.

 

(b)          The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

 

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(c)          To the extent that a present or former director or officer of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Sections 2(a) and (b) of this ARTICLE VI, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

 

(d)          Any indemnification under Sections 2(a) and (b) of this ARTICLE VI (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because the person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Sections 2(a) and (b) of this ARTICLE VI. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (i) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (iii) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (iv) by the stockholders of the Corporation.

 

(e)          Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation pursuant to this ARTICLE VI. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former directors and officers or other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the Corporation deems appropriate.

 

(f)          The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this ARTICLE VI shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any law, bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.

 

(g)          For purposes of this ARTICLE VI, references to “the Corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this ARTICLE VI with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(h)          For purposes of this ARTICLE VI, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves service by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation” as referred to in this ARTICLE VI.

 

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(i)           The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this ARTICLE VI shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

 

Section 3. Insurance

 

The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of Section 145 of the General Corporation Law.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

Bylaws

 

The Board shall have the power, without the consent or vote of the stockholders, to adopt, amend or repeal Bylaws of the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

Reorganization

 

Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between this Corporation and its creditors or any class of them and/or between this Corporation and its stockholders or any class of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of Delaware may, on the application in a summary way of this Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the application of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 291 of Title 8 of the General Corporation Law or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or receivers appointed for this Corporation under Section 279 of Title 8 of the General Corporation Law order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court directs. If a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of this Corporation, as the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of this Corporation as a consequence of such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application has been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of stockholders, of this Corporation, as the case may be, and also on this Corporation.

 

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ARTICLE IX

 

Dental of Preemptive Rights

 

No holder of any class of capital stock of the Corporation, whether now or hereafter authorized, shall be entitled, as such, as a matter of right, to subscribe for or purchase any part of any new or additional issues of capital stock of the Corporation of any class whatsoever, or of securities convertible into or exchangeable for capital stock of the Corporation of any class whatsoever, whether now or hereafter authorized, or whether issued for cash, property or services.

 

ARTICLE X

 

Amendment

 

The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provisions contained in this Certificate of Incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by law, and all the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation and all rights and powers conferred in this Certificate of Incorporation on stockholders, directors and officers are subject to this reserved power.

 

ARTICLE XI

 

Forum

 

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law, the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to said Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein,

 

[Signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed this 11th day of December, 2017.

 

  PROJECT18 INC.

 

  By: /s/ Morris C. Laster, MD
  Name: Morris C. Laster, MD
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

     

 

Exhibit 3.2

 

SCOPUS BIOPHARMA INC.

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

BY-LAWS

 

ARTICLE I
Offices

 

Section 1.01         Registered Office. The registered office of Scopus BioPharma Inc. (the "Corporation") will be fixed in the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the "Certificate of Incorporation").

 

Section 1.02         Other Offices. The Corporation may have other offices, both within and without the State of Delaware, as the board of directors of the Corporation (the "Board of Directors") from time to time shall determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

 

ARTICLE II
Meetings of the Stockholders

 

Section 2.01       Place of Meetings. All meetings of the stockholders shall be held at such place, if any, either within or without the State of Delaware, or by means of remote communication, as shall be designated from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of meeting. Meetings of Stockholders for any other purpose may be held at such time and place, within or without the State of Delaware, as shall be stated in the notice of the meeting or in a duly executed waiver of notice thereof.

 

Section 2.02       Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting in accordance with these by-laws shall be held at such date, time, and place, if any, as shall be determined by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting. The Board may establish procedures and rules, or may authorize the chairman of any meeting of stockholders to establish procedures and rules, for the fair and orderly conduct of any annual meeting including, without limitation, registration of the stockholders attending the meeting, adoption of an agenda, establishing the order of business at the meeting, recessing and adjourning the meeting for the purposes of tabulating any votes and receiving the result thereof, the timing of the opening and closing of the polls, and the physical layout of the facilities for the meeting.

 

Section 2.03        Special Meetings.

 

(a)          Call. Special meetings of stockholders for any purpose or purposes, other than those required by statute, may be called at any time only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Whole Board. A special meeting of the stockholders may not be called by any other person or persons. The board of directors, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Whole Board, may cancel, postpone or reschedule any previously scheduled special meeting at any time, before or after the notice for such meeting has been sent to the stockholders. For purposes of these by-laws, the term “Whole Board” shall mean the total number of authorized directors whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships

 

 

 

 

(b)          Purpose. The notice of a special meeting shall include the purpose for which the meeting is called. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, the chairperson of the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer or the President. Nothing contained in this Section 2.3(b) shall be construed as limiting, fixing or affecting the time when a meeting of stockholders called by action of the Whole Board may be held.

 

(c)          Notice. A request to the Secretary shall be delivered to him or her at the Corporation's principal executive offices and signed by each stockholder, or a duly authorized agent of such stockholder, requesting the special meeting and shall set forth:

 

(i)          a brief description of each matter of business desired to be brought before the special meeting;

 

(ii)         the reasons for conducting such business at the special meeting;

 

(iii)        the text of any proposal or business to be considered at the special meeting (including the text of any resolutions proposed to be considered and in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend these by-laws, the language of the proposed amendment); and

 

(iv)        the information required in Section 2.12(b) of these by-laws (for stockholder nomination demands) or Section 2.12(c) of these by-laws (for all other stockholder proposal demands), as applicable.

 

(d)          Business. Business transacted at a special meeting requested by stockholders shall be limited to the matters described in the special meeting request; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit the Board of Directors from submitting matters to the stockholders at any special meeting requested by stockholders. The Board of Directors may establish procedures and rules, or may authorize the chairman of any special meeting of stockholders to establish procedures and rules, for the fair and orderly conduct of any meeting including, without limitation, registration of the stockholders attending the meeting, adoption of an agenda, establishing the order of business at the meeting, recessing and adjourning the meeting for the purposes of tabulating any votes and receiving the result thereof, the timing of the opening and closing of the polls, and the physical layout of the facilities for the meeting.

 

(e)          Time and Date. A special meeting requested by stockholders shall be held at such date and time as may be fixed by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that the date of any such special meeting shall be not more than 90 days after the request to call the special meeting is received by the Secretary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a special meeting requested by stockholders shall not be held if:

 

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(i)          the Board of Directors has called or calls for an annual or special meeting of the stockholders to be held within 90 days after the Secretary receives the request for the special meeting and the Board of Directors determines in good faith that the business of such meeting includes (among any other matters properly brought before the meeting) the business specified in the request;

 

(ii)         the stated business to be brought before the special meeting is not a proper subject for stockholder action under applicable law;

 

(iii)       an identical or substantially similar item (a "Similar Item") was presented at any meeting of stockholders held within 120 days prior to the receipt by the Secretary of the request for the special meeting (and, for purposes of this Section 2.03(d)(iii), the election of directors shall be deemed a Similar Item with respect to all items of business involving the election or removal of directors); or

 

(iv)        the special meeting request was made in a manner that involved a violation of Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the "Exchange Act").

 

(f)          Revocation. A stockholder may revoke a request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the Secretary, and if, following such revocation, there are unrevoked requests from stockholders holding in the aggregate less than the requisite number of shares entitling the stockholders to request the calling of a special meeting, the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may cancel the special meeting.

 

Section 2.04       Adjournments. Any meeting of the stockholders, annual or special, may be adjourned from time to time to reconvene at the same or some other place, if any, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the time, place, if any, thereof and the means of remote communication, if any, are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 30 days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, the Board of Directors shall fix a new record date for notice of the adjourned meeting and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting as of the record date fixed for notice of the adjourned meeting.

 

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Section 2.05       Notice of Meetings. Notice of the place (if any), date, hour, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (if such date is different from the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting), and means of remote communication, if any, of every meeting of stockholders shall be given by the Corporation not less than ten days nor more than 60 days before the meeting (unless a different time is specified by law) to every stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. Notices of special meetings shall also specify the purpose or purposes for which the meeting has been called. Except as otherwise provided herein or permitted by applicable law, notice to stockholders shall be in writing and delivered personally or mailed to the stockholders at their address appearing on the books of the Corporation. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, notice of meetings may be given to stockholders by means of electronic transmission in accordance with applicable law. Notice of any meeting need not be given to any stockholder who shall, either before or after the meeting, submit a waiver of notice or who shall attend such meeting, except when the stockholder attends for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Any stockholder so waiving notice of the meeting shall be bound by the proceedings of the meeting in all respects as if due notice thereof had been given.

 

Section 2.06       List of Stockholders. The Corporation shall prepare a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders (provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation registered in the name of each stockholder at least ten days before any meeting of the stockholders. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of at least ten days before the meeting: (a) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list was provided with the notice of the meeting; or (b) during ordinary business hours, at the principal place of business of the Corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, the list shall also be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting the whole time thereof and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is held solely by means of remote communication, the list shall also be open for inspection by any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting as provided by applicable law. Except as provided by applicable law, the stock ledger of the Corporation shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the stock ledger and the list of stockholders or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

 

Section 2.07       Quorum. Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these by-laws, at each meeting of the stockholders, a majority in voting power of the shares of the Corporation entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum. Where a separate vote by a class or series or classes or series is required, a majority of the voting power of the then-issued and outstanding shares of such class or series or classes or series, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter, except as otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation, these by-laws or the rules of any applicable stock exchange. If, however, such quorum shall not be present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, the chair of the meeting or the stockholders entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall have power, by the affirmative vote of a majority in voting power thereof, to adjourn the meeting from time to time, in the manner provided in Section 2.04, until a quorum shall be present or represented. The chair of the meeting shall have the authority to adjourn a meeting of the stockholders in all other events. A quorum, once established, shall not be broken by the subsequent withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum. At any such adjourned meeting at which there is a quorum, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting originally called.

 

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Section 2.08       Organization. The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of the stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. At every meeting of the stockholders, any Chair or Co-Chair of the Board appointed under Section 3.18, or in his or her absence or inability to act, the Chief Executive Officer (as defined in Section 4.01) or, in his or her absence or inability to act, the officer or director whom the Board of Directors shall appoint, shall act as chair of, and preside at, the meeting. The Secretary or, in his or her absence or inability to act, the person whom the chair of the meeting shall appoint secretary of the meeting, shall act as secretary of the meeting and keep the minutes thereof. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board of Directors, the chair of any meeting of the stockholders shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations, and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chair, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations, or procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the chair of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following:

 

(a)          the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting;

 

(b)          the determination of when the polls shall open and close for any given matter to be voted on at the meeting;

 

(c)          rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present;

 

(d)          limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized and constituted proxies, or such other persons as the chair of the meeting shall determine;

 

(e)          restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and

 

(f)          limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants.

 

Section 2.09        Voting; Proxies.

 

(a)          General. Unless otherwise required by law or provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, each stockholder shall be entitled to one vote, in person or by proxy, for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder.

 

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(b)         Election of Directors. Unless otherwise required by the Certificate of Incorporation, the election of directors shall be by written ballot. If authorized by the Board of Directors, such requirement of a written ballot shall be satisfied by a ballot submitted by electronic transmission; provided that any such electronic transmission must be either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized. Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these by-laws, the election of directors shall be decided by a majority of the votes cast at a meeting of the stockholders by the holders of stock entitled to vote in the election; provided, however, that, if the Secretary determines that the number of nominees for director exceeds the number of directors to be elected, directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares represented in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders held to elect directors and entitled to vote on such election of directors. For purposes of this Section 2.09(b), a majority of the votes cast means that the number of shares voted "for" a nominee must exceed the votes cast "against" such nominee’s election. If a nominee for director who is not an incumbent director does not receive a majority of the votes cast, the nominee shall not be elected.

 

(c)         Other Matters. Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these by-laws, any matter, other than the election of directors, brought before any meeting of stockholders shall be decided by the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the matter.

 

(d)         Proxies. Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. Such authorization must be in writing and executed by the stockholder or his or her authorized officer, director, employee, or agent. To the extent permitted by law, a stockholder may authorize another person or persons to act for him or her as proxy by transmitting or authorizing the transmission of an electronic transmission to the person who will be the holder of the proxy or to a proxy solicitation firm, proxy support service organization, or like agent duly authorized by the person who will be the holder of the proxy to receive such transmission; provided that the electronic transmission either sets forth or is submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the stockholder. A copy, facsimile transmission, or other reliable reproduction of a writing or transmission authorized by this Section 2.09(d) may be substituted for or used in lieu of the original writing or electronic transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile transmission, or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or transmission. A proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A stockholder may revoke any proxy that is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to the Secretary a revocation of the proxy or a new proxy bearing a later date.

 

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Section 2.10        Inspectors at Meetings of Stockholders. In advance of any meeting of the stockholders, the Board of Directors shall appoint one or more inspectors, who may be employees of the Corporation, to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof and make a written report thereof. The Board of Directors may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate is able to act at a meeting, the person presiding at the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. The inspector or inspectors may appoint or retain other persons or entities to assist the inspector or inspectors in the performance of their duties. Unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, the date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting. No ballot, proxies, votes, or any revocation thereof or change thereto, shall be accepted by the inspectors after the closing of the polls unless the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware upon application by a stockholder shall determine otherwise. In determining the validity and counting of proxies and ballots cast at any meeting of stockholders, the inspector or inspectors may consider such information as is permitted by applicable law. No person who is a candidate for office at an election may serve as an inspector at such election. When executing the duties of inspector, the inspector or inspectors shall:

 

(a)          ascertain the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each;

 

(b)          determine the shares represented at the meeting and the validity of proxies and ballots;

 

(c)          count all votes and ballots;

 

(d)          determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspectors; and

 

(e)          certify their determination of the number of shares represented at the meeting and their count of all votes and ballots.

 

Section 2.11        Fixing the Record Date. 

 

(a)          In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at the adjourned meeting.

 

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(b)          In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion, or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

Section 2.12        Advance Notice of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals. 

 

(a)          Annual Meetings. At a meeting of the stockholders, only such nominations of persons for the election of directors and such other business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. Except for nominations that are included in the Corporation's annual meeting proxy statement pursuant to Section 2.13, to be properly brought before an annual meeting, nominations or such other business must be:

 

(i)          specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof;

 

(ii)        otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof; or

 

(iii)       otherwise properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder who is a stockholder of record of the Corporation at the time such notice of meeting is delivered, who is entitled to vote at the meeting, and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.12.

 

In addition, any proposal of business (other than the nomination of persons for election to the Board of Directors) must be a proper matter for stockholder action. For business (including, but not limited to, director nominations) to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to Section 2.12(a)(iii), the stockholder or stockholders of record intending to propose the business (the "Proposing Stockholder") must have given timely notice thereof pursuant to this Section 2.12(a), in writing to the Secretary even if such matter is already the subject of any notice to the stockholders or Public Disclosure from the Board of Directors. To be timely, a Proposing Stockholder's notice for an annual meeting must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation: 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 300, New York, New York 10170 not later than the close of business on the 90th day, nor earlier than the close of business on the 120th day, in advance of the anniversary of the previous year's annual meeting if such meeting is to be held on a day which is not more than 30 days in advance of the anniversary of the previous year's annual meeting or not later than 60 days after the anniversary of the previous year's annual meeting; and (y) with respect to any other annual meeting of stockholders, including in the event that no annual meeting was held in the previous year, not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of: (1) the 90th day prior to the annual meeting and (2) the close of business on the 10th day following the first date of Public Disclosure of the date of such meeting. In no event shall the Public Disclosure of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting commence a new notice time period (or extend any notice time period). For the purposes of this Section 2.12 and Section 2.13, "Public Disclosure" shall mean a disclosure made in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Services, The Associated Press, or a comparable national news service or in a document filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") pursuant to Section 13, 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

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(b)         Stockholder Nominations. For the nomination of any person or persons for election to the Board of Directors pursuant to Section 2.12(a)(iii) or Section 2.12(d), a Proposing Stockholder's notice to the Secretary shall set forth or include:

 

(i)          the name, age, business address, and residence address of each nominee proposed in such notice;

 

(ii)         the principal occupation or employment of each such nominee;

 

(iii)       a description of all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and each such nominee and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nomination or nominations are to be made by the stockholder

 

(iv)        the class and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned of record and beneficially by each such nominee (if any);

 

(v)         such other information concerning each such nominee as would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement soliciting proxies for the election of such nominee as a director in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved) or that is otherwise required to be disclosed, under Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act;

 

(vi)        a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such proposed nominee (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request) and a written statement and agreement executed by each such nominee acknowledging that such person:

 

(A)         consents to being named in the Company's proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected,

 

(B)         intends to serve as a director for the full term for which such person is standing for election, and

 

(C)         makes the following representations: (1) that the director nominee has read and agrees to adhere to the Corporation's Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Ethics, Related Party Transactions Policy, and any other of the Corporation's policies or guidelines applicable to directors, including with regard to securities trading, and (2) that the director nominee is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement, or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such person, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a "Voting Commitment") that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such person's ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such person's fiduciary duties under applicable law, and (3) that the director nominee is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement, or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement, or indemnification ("Compensation Arrangement") that has not been disclosed to the Corporation in connection with such person's nomination for director or service as a director; and

 

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(vii)       as to the Proposing Stockholder:

 

(A)         the name and address of the Proposing Stockholder as they appear on the Corporation's books and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is being made,

 

(B)         the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are owned by the Proposing Stockholder (beneficially and of record) and owned by the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is being made, as of the date of the Proposing Stockholder's notice, and a representation that the Proposing Stockholder will notify the Corporation in writing of the class and number of such shares owned of record and beneficially as of the record date for the meeting within five business days after the record date for such meeting,

 

(C)         a description of any agreement, arrangement, or understanding with respect to such nomination between or among the Proposing Stockholder or the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is being made and any of their affiliates or associates, and any others (including their names) acting in concert with any of the foregoing, and a representation that the Proposing Stockholder will notify the Corporation in writing of any such agreement, arrangement, or understanding in effect as of the record date for the meeting within five business days after the record date for such meeting,

 

(D)         a description of any agreement, arrangement, or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profit interests, options, hedging transactions, and borrowed or loaned shares) that has been entered into as of the date of the Proposing Stockholder's notice by, or on behalf of, the Proposing Stockholder or the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is being made and any of their affiliates or associates, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, manage risk or benefit of share price changes for, or increase or decrease the voting power of such person or any of their affiliates or associates with respect to shares of stock of the Corporation, and a representation that the Proposing Stockholder will notify the Corporation in writing of any such agreement, arrangement, or understanding in effect as of the record date for the meeting within five business days after the record date for such meeting,

 

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(E)         a representation that the Proposing Stockholder is a holder of record of shares of the Corporation entitled to vote at the meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the person or persons specified in the notice, and

 

(F)         a representation whether the Proposing Stockholder intends to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation's outstanding capital stock required to approve the nomination and/or otherwise to solicit proxies from stockholders in support of the nomination. The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director of the Corporation or that could be material to a reasonable stockholder's understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

 

(c)          Other Stockholder Proposals. For all business other than director nominations, a Proposing Stockholder's notice to the Secretary shall set forth as to each matter the Proposing Stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting:

 

(i)          a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting;

 

(ii)        the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting;

 

(iii)       the text of any proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend these by-laws, the language of the proposed amendment);

 

(iv)        any substantial interest (within the meaning of Item 5 of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act) in such business of such stockholder and the beneficial owner (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), if any, on whose behalf the business is being proposed;

 

(v)         any other information relating to such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is being made, required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for the proposal and pursuant to and in accordance with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;

 

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(vi)        a description of all agreements, arrangements, or understandings between or among such stockholder, the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is being made, any of their affiliates or associates, and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business and any material interest of such stockholder, beneficial owner, or any of their affiliates or associates, in such business, including any anticipated benefit therefrom to such stockholder, beneficial owner, or their affiliates or associates; and

 

(vii)       the information required by Section 2.12(b)(vii) above.

 

(d)          Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation's notice of meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders called by the Board of Directors at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the Corporation's notice of meeting:

 

(i)          by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof; or

 

(ii)         provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time the notice provided for in this Section 2.12(d) is delivered to the Secretary, who is entitled to vote at the meeting, and upon such election and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.12.

 

In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder entitled to vote in such election of directors may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position(s) as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, if such stockholder delivers a stockholder's notice that complies with the requirements of Section 2.12(b) to the Secretary at its principal executive offices not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of: (x) the 90th day prior to such special meeting; or (y) the tenth (10th) day following the date of the first Public Disclosure of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall the Public Disclosure of an adjournment or postponement of a special meeting commence a new time period (or extend any notice time period).

 

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(e)          Effect of Noncompliance. Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.12 or Section 2.13 shall be eligible to be elected at any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation to serve as directors and only such other business shall be conducted at a meeting as shall be brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.12 or Section 2.13, as applicable. If any proposed nomination was not made or proposed in compliance with this Section 2.12 or Section 2.13, as applicable, or other business was not made or proposed in compliance with this Section 2.12, then except as otherwise required by law, the chair of the meeting shall have the power and duty to declare that such nomination shall be disregarded or that such proposed other business shall not be transacted. Notwithstanding anything in these by-laws to the contrary, unless otherwise required by law, if a Proposing Stockholder intending to propose business or make nominations at an annual meeting or propose a nomination at a special meeting pursuant to this Section 2.12 does not provide the information required under this Section 2.12 to the Corporation, including the updated information required by Section 2.12(B)(vi)(B), Section 2.12(b)(vi)(C), and Section 2.12(b)(vi)(D) within five business days after the record date for such meeting or the Proposing Stockholder (or a qualified representative of the Proposing Stockholder) does not appear at the meeting to present the proposed business or nominations, such business or nominations shall not be considered, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such business or nominations may have been received by the Corporation.

 

(f)          Rule 14a-8. This Section 2.12 and Section 2.13 shall not apply to a proposal proposed to be made by a stockholder if the stockholder has notified the Corporation of the stockholder's intention to present the proposal at an annual or special meeting only pursuant to and in compliance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and such proposal has been included in a proxy statement that has been prepared by the Corporation to solicit proxies for such meeting.

 

Section 2.13        Proxy Access. 

 

(a)          Inclusion of Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee in Proxy Statement. Subject to the provisions of this Section 2.13, the Corporation shall include in its proxy statement (including its form of proxy and ballot) for an annual meeting of stockholders the name of any stockholder nominee for election to the Board of Directors submitted pursuant to this Section 2.13 (each a "Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee") provided:

 

(i)          timely written notice of such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee satisfying this Section 2.13 ("Proxy Access Notice") is delivered to the Corporation by or on behalf of a stockholder or stockholders that, at the time the Proxy Access Notice is delivered, satisfy the ownership and other requirements of this Section 2.13 (such stockholder or stockholders, and any person on whose behalf they are acting, the "Eligible Stockholder");

 

(ii)        the Eligible Stockholder expressly elects in writing at the time of providing the Proxy Access Notice to have its Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee included in the Corporation's proxy statement pursuant to this Section 2.13; and

 

(iii)       the Eligible Stockholder and the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee otherwise satisfy the requirements of this Section 2.13.

 

(b)          Timely Notice. To be timely, the Proxy Access Notice must be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, not later than 120 days nor more than 150 days prior to the first anniversary of the date (as stated in the Corporation's proxy materials) that the Corporation's definitive proxy statement was first sent to stockholders in connection with the preceding year's annual meeting of stockholders/of the preceding year's annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days or delayed by more than 60 days from the anniversary of the preceding year's annual meeting, or if no annual meeting was held in the preceding year, the Proxy Access Notice must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the 150th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of: (i) the 120th day prior to such annual meeting; or (ii) the 10th day following the day on which Public Disclosure of the date of such annual meeting is first made by the Corporation. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of the Proxy Access Notice.

 

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(c)          Information to be Included in Proxy Statement. In addition to including the name of the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee in the Corporation's proxy statement for the annual meeting, the Corporation shall also include (collectively, the "Required Information"):

 

(i)          the information concerning the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee and the Eligible Stockholder that is required to be disclosed in the Corporation's proxy statement pursuant to the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; and

 

(ii)         if the Eligible Stockholder so elects, a written statement of the Eligible Stockholder (or in the case of a group, a written statement of the group), not to exceed 500 words, in support of its Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee, which must be provided at the same time as the Proxy Access Notice for inclusion in the Corporation's proxy statement for the annual meeting (a "Statement").

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.13, the Corporation may omit from its proxy materials any information or Statement that it, in good faith, believes is untrue in any material respect (or omits a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading) or would violate any applicable law, rule, regulation, or listing standard. Additionally, nothing in this Section 2.13 shall limit the Corporation's ability to solicit against and include in its proxy statement its own statements relating to any Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee.

 

(d)          Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee Limits. The number of Proxy Access Stockholder Nominees (including Proxy Access Stockholder Nominees that were submitted by an Eligible Stockholder for inclusion in the Corporation's proxy statement pursuant to this Section 2.13 but either are subsequently withdrawn or that the Board of Directors decides to nominate (a "Board Nominee")) appearing in the Corporation's proxy statement with respect to a meeting of stockholders shall not exceed the greater of: (x) two; or (y) 20% of the number of directors in office as of the last day on which notice of a nomination may be delivered pursuant to this Section 2.13 (the "Final Proxy Access Nomination Date") or, if such amount is not a whole number, the closest whole number below 20% (the "Permitted Number"); provided, however, that:

 

(i)          in the event that one or more vacancies for any reason occurs on the Board of Directors at any time after the Final Proxy Access Nomination Date and before the date of the applicable annual meeting of stockholders and the Board of Directors resolves to reduce the size of the Board of Directors in connection therewith, the Permitted Number shall be calculated based on the number of directors in office as so reduced; and

 

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(ii)        any Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee who is included in the Corporation's proxy statement for a particular meeting of stockholders but either: (A) withdraws from or becomes ineligible or unavailable for election at the meeting, or (B) does not receive a number of votes cast in favor of his or her election at least equal to 25% of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the annual meeting and entitled to vote on the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee's election, shall be ineligible to be included in the Corporation's proxy statement as a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee pursuant to this Section 2.13 for the next two annual meetings of stockholders following the meeting for which the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee has been nominated for election; and

 

(iii)       any director in office as of the nomination deadline who was included in the Corporation's proxy statement as a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee for any of the three preceding annual meetings and whom the Board of Directors decides to nominate for election to the Board of Directors also will be counted against the Permitted Number.

 

In the event that the number of Proxy Access Stockholder Nominees submitted by Eligible Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2.13 exceeds the Permitted Number, each Eligible Stockholder shall select one Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee for inclusion in the Corporation's proxy statement until the Permitted Number is reached, going in order of the amount (from greatest to least) of voting power of the Corporation's capital stock entitled to vote on the election of directors as disclosed in the Proxy Access Notice. If the Permitted Number is not reached after each Eligible Stockholder has selected one Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee, this selection process shall continue as many times as necessary, following the same order each time, until the Permitted Number is reached.

 

(e)          Eligibility of Nominating Stockholder; Stockholder Groups. An Eligible Stockholder must have owned (as defined below) continuously for at least three years a number of shares that represents 3% or more of the outstanding shares of the Corporation entitled to vote in the election of directors (the "Required Shares") as of both the date the Proxy Access Notice is delivered to or received by the Corporation in accordance with this Section 2.13 and the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and must intend to continue to own the Required Shares for at least one year following the date of the annual meeting/deliver a statement regarding the Eligible Stockholder's intent with respect to continued ownership of the Required Shares for at least one year following the annual meeting. For purposes of satisfying the ownership requirement under this Section 2.13, the voting power represented by the shares of the Corporation's capital stock owned by one or more stockholders, or by the person or persons who own shares of the Corporation's capital stock and on whose behalf any stockholder is acting, may be aggregated, provided that:

 

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(i)          the number of stockholders and other persons whose ownership of shares is aggregated for such purpose shall not exceed 20; and

 

(ii)         each stockholder or other person whose shares are aggregated shall have held such shares continuously for at least three years.

 

Whenever an Eligible Stockholder consists of a group of stockholders and/or other persons, any and all requirements and obligations for an Eligible Stockholder set forth in this Section 2.13 must be satisfied by and as to each such stockholder or other person, except that shares may be aggregated to meet the Required Shares as provided in this Section 2.13(e). With respect to any one particular annual meeting, no stockholder or other person may be a member of more than one group of persons constituting an Eligible Stockholder under this Section 2.13.

 

(f)          Funds. A group of two or more funds shall be treated as one stockholder or person for this Section 2.13 provided that the other terms and conditions in this Section 2.13 are met (including Section 2.13(h)(v)(A)) and the funds are:

 

(i)          under common management and investment control;

 

(ii)        under common management and funded primarily by the same employer (or by a group of related employers that are under common control); or

 

(iii)       a "group of investment companies," as such term is defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(g)          Ownership. For purposes of this Section 2.13, an Eligible Stockholder shall be deemed to "own" only those outstanding shares of the Corporation's capital stock as to which the person possesses both:

 

(i)          the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares; and

 

(ii)        the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares; provided that the number of shares calculated in accordance with clauses (i) and (ii) shall not include any shares:

 

(A)         sold by such person or any of its affiliates in any transaction that has not been settled or closed,

 

(B)         borrowed by such person or any of its affiliates for any purposes or purchased by such person or any of its affiliates pursuant to an agreement to resell, or

 

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(C)         subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative, or similar agreement entered into by such person or any of its affiliates, whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares or with cash based on the notional amount or value of outstanding shares of the Corporation's capital stock, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, the purpose or effect of: (1) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such person's or affiliates' full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares; and/or (2) hedging, offsetting, or altering to any degree gain or loss arising from the full economic ownership of such shares by such person or affiliate.

 

An Eligible Stockholder "owns" shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the Eligible Stockholder retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of directors and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. An Eligible Stockholder's ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Stockholder has delegated any voting power by means of a proxy, power of attorney, or other instrument or arrangement that is revocable at any time by the person. An Eligible Stockholder's ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the Eligible Stockholder has loaned such shares, provided that the Eligible Stockholder has the power to recall such loaned shares on five business days' notice and recalls such loaned shares not more than three business days after being notified that any of its Proxy Access Stockholder Nominees will be included in the Corporation's proxy statement. The terms "owned," "owning," and other variations of the word "own" shall have correlative meanings. For purposes of this Section 2.13, the term "affiliate" shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

(h)         Nomination Notice and Other Eligible Stockholder Deliverables. An Eligible Stockholder must provide with its Proxy Access Notice the following information in writing to the Secretary:

 

(i)          one or more written statements from the record holder of the shares (and from each intermediary through which the shares are or have been held during the requisite three-year holding period) verifying that, as of a date within seven (7) calendar days prior to the date the Proxy Access Notice is delivered to or received by the Corporation, the Eligible Stockholder owns, and has owned continuously for the preceding three years, the Required Shares, and the Eligible Stockholder's agreement to provide:

 

(A)        within five business days after the record date for the meeting, written statements from the record holder and intermediaries verifying the Eligible Stockholder's continuous ownership of the Required Shares through the record date, and

 

(B)         immediate notice if the Eligible Stockholder ceases to own any of the Required Shares prior to the date of the applicable annual meeting of stockholders;

 

(ii)        the Eligible Stockholder's representation and agreement that the Eligible Stockholder (including each member of any group of stockholders that together is an Eligible Stockholder under this Section 2.13):

 

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(A)         intends to continue to satisfy the eligibility requirements described in this Section 2.13 through the date of the annual meeting, including a statement that the Eligible Stockholder intends to continue to own the Required Shares for at least one year following the date of the annual meeting/regarding the Eligible Stockholder's intent with respect to continued ownership of the Required Shares for at least one year following the annual meeting,

 

(B)         acquired the Required Shares in the ordinary course of business and not with the intent to change or influence control of the Corporation, and does not presently have such intent,

 

(C)         has not nominated and will not nominate for election to the Board of Directors at the meeting any person other than the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee(s) being nominated pursuant to this Section 2.13,

 

(D)         has not engaged and will not engage in, and has not and will not be, a "participant" in another person's "solicitation" within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act in support of the election of any individual as a director at the meeting other than its Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee(s) or a Board Nominee,

 

(E)         will not distribute to any stockholder any form of proxy for the meeting other than the form distributed by the Corporation,

 

(F)         has provided and will provide facts, statements, and other information in all communications with the Corporation and its stockholders that are or will be true and correct in all material respects and do not and will not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading,

 

(G)         agrees to assume all liability stemming from any legal or regulatory violation arising out of the Eligible Stockholder's communications with the Corporation's stockholders or out of the information that the Eligible Stockholder provides to the Corporation,

 

(H)         agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation and each of its directors, officers, and employees individually against any liability, loss, or damages in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit, or proceeding, whether legal, administrative, or investigative, against the Corporation or any of its directors, officers, or employees arising out of any nomination submitted by the Eligible Stockholder pursuant to this Section 2.13,

 

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(I)          will file with the SEC any solicitation or other communication with the Corporation's stockholders relating to the meeting at which the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee will be nominated, regardless of whether any such filing is required under Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or whether any exemption from filing is available for such solicitation or other communication under Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and

 

(J)          will comply with all other applicable laws, rules, regulations, and listing standards with respect to any solicitation in connection with the meeting;

 

(iii)       the written consent of each Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee to be named in the Corporation's proxy statement, and form of proxy and ballot and, as a nominee and, if elected, to serve as a director;

 

(iv)        a copy of the Schedule 14N (or any successor form) that has been filed with the SEC as required by Rule 14a-18 under the Exchange Act;

 

(v)          in the case of a nomination by a group of stockholders that together is an Eligible Stockholder:

 

(A)        documentation satisfactory to the Corporation demonstrating that a group of funds qualifies pursuant to the criteria set forth in Section 2.13(f) to be treated as one stockholder or person for purposes of this Section 2.13, and

 

(B)         the designation by all group members of one group member that is authorized to act on behalf of all members of the nominating stockholder group with respect to the nomination and matters related thereto, including withdrawal of the nomination; and

 

(vi)        if desired, a Statement.

 

(i)           Stockholder Nominee Agreement. Each Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee must:

 

(i)          provide within five business days of the Corporation's request an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory to the Corporation, providing the following representations:

 

(A)         the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee has read and agrees to adhere to the Corporation's Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Ethics, Related Party Transactions Policy, and any other of the Corporation's policies or guidelines applicable to directors, including with regard to securities trading, and

 

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(B)         the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is not and will not become a party to: (1) any Voting Commitment that has not been disclosed to the Corporation; or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such person's ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such person's fiduciary duties under applicable law, and

 

(C)         the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is not and will not become a party to any Compensation Arrangement in connection with such person's nomination for director or service as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation;

 

(ii)         complete, sign, and submit all questionnaires required of the Corporation's Board of Directors within five business days of receipt of each such questionnaire from the Corporation; and

 

(iii)       provide within five business days of the Corporation's request such additional information as the Corporation determines may be necessary to permit the Board of Directors to determine whether such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee meets the requirements of this Section 2.13 or the Corporation's requirements with regard to director qualifications and policies and guidelines applicable to directors, including whether:

 

(A)        such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is independent under the independence requirements, including the committee independence requirements, set forth in the listing standards of the stock exchange on which shares of the Corporation's capital stock are listed, any applicable rules of the SEC, and any publicly disclosed standards used by the Board of Directors in determining and disclosing the independence of the directors (the "Independence Standards"),

 

(B)         such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee has any direct or indirect relationship with the Corporation that has not been deemed categorically immaterial pursuant to the Corporation's Corporate Governance Guidelines, and

 

(C)         such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is not and has not been subject to: (1) any event specified in Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or (2) any order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D under the Securities Act.

 

(j)           Eligible Stockholder/Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee Undertaking. In the event that any information or communications provided by the Eligible Stockholder or Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee to the Corporation or its stockholders ceases to be true and correct in any respect or omits a fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, each Eligible Stockholder or Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Secretary of any such inaccuracy or omission in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to make such information or communication true and correct. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provision of any such notification pursuant to the preceding sentence shall not be deemed to cure any defect or limit the Corporation's right to omit a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee from its proxy materials as provided in this Section 2.13.

 

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(k)          Exceptions Permitting Exclusion of Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee. The Corporation shall not be required to include pursuant to this Section 2.13 a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee in its proxy statement (or, if the proxy statement has already been filed, to allow the nomination of a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation):

 

(i)          if the Eligible Stockholder who has nominated such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee has nominated for election to the Board of Directors at the meeting any person other than pursuant to this Section 2.13, or has or is engaged in, or has been or is a "participant" in another person's, "solicitation" within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act in support of the election of any individual as a director at the meeting other than its Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee(s) or a Board Nominee;

 

(ii)         if the Corporation has received a notice (whether or not subsequently withdrawn) that a stockholder intends to nominate any candidate for election to the Board of Directors pursuant to the advance notice requirements in Section 2.12 of these by-laws;

 

(iii)       who is not independent under the Independence Standards;

 

(iv)        whose election as a member of the Board of Directors would violate or cause the Corporation to be in violation of these by-laws, the Corporation's Certificate Of Incorporation, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Ethics, or other document setting forth qualifications for directors, the listing standards of the stock exchange on which shares of the Corporation's capital stock is listed, or any applicable state or federal law, rule, or regulation;

 

(v)          if the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is or becomes a party to any undisclosed Voting Commitment;

 

(vi)        if the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee is or becomes a party to any undisclosed Compensation Arrangement;

 

(vii)       who is or has been, within the past three years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined in Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914;

 

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(viii)      who is a named subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses) or has been convicted in such a criminal proceeding within the past ten years;

 

(ix)        who is subject to any order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D under the Securities Act; or

 

(x)         if such Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee or the applicable Eligible Stockholder shall have provided information to the Corporation in respect of such nomination that was untrue in any material respect or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or shall have breached its or their agreements, representations, undertakings, or obligations pursuant to this Section 2.13.

 

(l)           Invalidity. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Board of Directors or the person presiding at the meeting shall be entitled to declare a nomination by an Eligible Stockholder to be invalid, and such nomination shall be disregarded notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation; and the Corporation shall not be required to include in its proxy statement any successor or replacement nominee proposed by the applicable Eligible Stockholder or any other Eligible Stockholder if:

 

(i)          the Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee and/or the applicable Eligible Stockholder shall have breached its or their agreements, representations, undertakings, or obligations pursuant to this Section 2.13, as determined by the Board of Directors or the person presiding at the meeting; or

 

(ii)         the Eligible Stockholder (or a qualified representative thereof) does not appear at the meeting to present any nomination pursuant to this Section 2.13.

 

(m)         Interpretation. The Board of Directors (and any other person or body authorized by the Board of Directors) shall have the power and authority to interpret this Section 2.13 and to make any and all determinations necessary or advisable to apply this Section 2.13 to any persons, facts, or circumstances, including the power to determine whether:

 

(i)          a person or group of persons qualifies as an Eligible Stockholder;

 

(ii)        outstanding shares of the Corporation's capital stock are "owned" for purposes of meeting the ownership requirements of this Section 2.13;

 

(iii)       a notice complies with the requirements of this Section 2.13;

 

(iv)        a person satisfies the qualifications and requirements to be a Proxy Access Stockholder Nominee;

 

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(v)         inclusion of the Required Information in the Corporation's proxy statement is consistent with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and listing standards; and

 

(vi)        any and all requirements of this Section 2.13 have been satisfied.

 

(vii)       Any such interpretation or determination adopted in good faith by the Board of Directors (or any other person or body authorized by the Board of Directors) shall be conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Corporation and all record or beneficial owners of stock of the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE III
Board of Directors

 

Section 3.01       General Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may adopt such rules and procedures, not inconsistent with the Certificate of Incorporation, these by-laws, or applicable law, as it may deem proper for the conduct of its meetings and the management of the Corporation.

 

Section 3.02        Number; Term of Office. The Board of Directors shall not be less than three and shall be determined from time to time solely by resolution of the Whole Board. No director need be a stockholder of the Corporation. Each director shall be a natural person, and shall hold office until a successor is duly elected and qualified or until the director's earlier death, resignation, disqualification, or removal.

 

Section 3.03        Classified Board. The Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes as nearly equal in number as possible, and no class shall include less than one director. The terms of office of the directors initially classified shall be as follows: that of Class A shall expire at the next annual meeting of stockholders in 2019, Class B at the second succeeding annual meeting of stockholders in 2020 and Class C at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders in 2021. The foregoing notwithstanding, each director shall serve until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, unless he shall resign, become disqualified, disabled or shall otherwise be removed. Whenever a vacancy occurs on the Board of Directors, a majority of the remaining directors have the power to fill the vacancy by electing a successor director to fill that portion of the unexpired term resulting from the vacancy. At each annual meeting of stockholders after the initial classification, directors chosen to succeed those whose terms then expire at such annual meeting shall be elected for a term of office expiring at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election. Any newly created directorships or any decrease in directorships shall be so apportioned among the classes as to make all classes as nearly equal in number as possible. Directors elected, whether by the Board of Directors or by the stockholders, to fill a vacancy shall hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting at which the term of the class to which they shall have been elected expires

 

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Section 3.04        Newly Created Directorships and Vacancies. Any newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors and any vacancies occurring in the Board of Directors, shall be filled solely by the affirmative votes of a majority of the remaining members of the Board of Directors, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. A director so elected shall be elected to hold office until the earlier of the expiration of the term of office of the director whom he or she has replaced, a successor is duly elected and qualified, or the earlier of such director's death, resignation, or removal.

 

Section 3.05        Resignation. Any director may resign at any time by notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation; provided, however, that if such notice is given by electronic transmission, such electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the director. Such resignation shall take effect at the date of receipt of such notice by the Corporation or at such later effective date or upon the happening of an event or events as is therein specified. Unless otherwise specified in the notice of resignation, acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. A resignation that is conditioned on a director failing to receive a specified vote for reelection as a director may provide that it is irrevocable. A verbal resignation shall not be deemed effective until confirmed by the director in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation.

 

Section 3.06        Removal. Except as prohibited by and subject to applicable law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the stockholders holding a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors may remove any director from office with or without cause. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before that director’s term of office expires.

 

Section 3.07        Fees and Expenses. Directors shall receive such fees for their services on the Board of Directors and any committee thereof and such reimbursement of their expenses as may be fixed or determined by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.08        Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such times and at such places as may be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.09        Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such times and at such places as may be determined by the Chair of the Board, the lead independent director of the Board of Directors, or the Chief Executive Officer on at least 24 hours' notice to each director given by one of the means specified in Section 3.12 hereof other than by mail or on at least three days' notice if given by mail. Special meetings shall be called by the Chair of the Board or the Secretary in like manner and on like notice on the written request of any two or more directors. The notice need not state the purposes of the special meeting and, unless indicated in the notice thereof, any and all business may be transacted at a special meeting.

 

Section 3.10        Telephone Meetings. Board of Directors or Board of Directors committee meetings may be held by means of telephone conference, video conference or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other and be heard. Participation by a director in a meeting pursuant to this Section 3.10 shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

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Section 3.11        Adjourned Meetings. A majority of the directors present at any meeting of the Board of Directors, including an adjourned meeting, whether or not a quorum is present, may adjourn and reconvene such meeting to another time and place. At least 24 hours' notice of any adjourned meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given to each director whether or not present at the time of the adjournment, unless the adjournment is for less than 24 hours, if such notice shall be given by one of the means specified in Section 3.11 hereof other than by mail, or at least three days' notice if by mail. Any business may be transacted at an adjourned meeting that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally called.

 

Section 3.12        Notices. Subject to Section 3.09, Section 3.11, and Section 3.13 hereof, whenever notice is required to be given to any director by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these by-laws, such notice shall be deemed given effectively if directed to each director at that director’s address, telephone number, facsimile number or electronic mail address, as the case may be, as shown on the Corporation’s records, in person or by telephone, mail addressed to such director at such director's address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, facsimile, nationally recognized overnight courier, e-mail, or by other means of electronic transmission.

 

Section 3.13        Waiver of Notice. Whenever notice to directors is required by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these by-laws, a waiver thereof, in writing signed by, or by electronic transmission by, the director entitled to the notice, whether before or after such notice is required, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance by a director at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting except when the director attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting was not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special Board of Directors or committee meeting need be specified in any waiver of notice.

 

Section 3.14        Organization. At each regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors, the Chair of the Board or, in his or her absence, the lead independent director or, in his or her absence, another director or officer selected by the Board of Directors shall preside. The Secretary shall act as secretary at each meeting of the Board of Directors, unless the Board of Directors otherwise determines. If the Secretary is absent from any meeting of the Board of Directors at which he or she is to act as secretary, an assistant secretary of the Corporation shall perform the duties of secretary at such meeting; and in the absence from any such meeting of the Secretary and all assistant secretaries of the Corporation, the person presiding at the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.

 

Section 3.15        Quorum of Directors. Except as otherwise provided by these by-laws, the Certificate of Incorporation, or required by applicable law, the presence of a majority of the total number of directors on the Board of Directors shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board of Directors, then the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.

 

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Section 3.16        Action by Majority Vote. Except as otherwise provided by these by-laws, the Certificate of Incorporation, or required by applicable law, the vote of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors. If the Certificate of Incorporation provides that one or more directors shall have more or less than one vote per director on any matter, every reference in these by-laws to a majority or other proportion of the directors shall refer to a majority or other proportion of the votes of the directors.

 

Section 3.17        Action Without Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these by-laws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all directors or members of such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form. Any person (whether or not then a director) may provide, whether through instruction to an agent or otherwise, that a consent to action will be effective at a future time (including a time determined upon the happening of an event), no later than 60 days after such instruction is given or such provision is made and such consent shall be deemed to have been given for purposes of this Section 3.17 at such effective time so long as such person is then a director and did not revoke the consent prior to such time. Any such consent shall be revocable prior to its becoming effective.

 

Section 3.18        Chair of the Board. The Board of Directors may, in its discretion, elect one or more of its members to be its chair (the "Chair of the Board") or co-chair and one or more of its members to be vice chair of the board (the “Vice Chair of the Board”), in such order of priority as the Board of Directors may determine and shall fill any vacancy in either of the positions of Chair of the Board and Vice Chair of the Board at such time and in such manner as the Board of Directors shall determine. Except as otherwise provided in these by-laws, if a Chair or Co-Chair of the Board be elected, he or they shall, if present, preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors and shall have such other powers and duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or them by the Board of Directors. If one or more Vice Chairmen be elected, he or they shall serve as chairman of the Board of Directors in the event that the Chair or Co- Chair is or are absent or unable to serve, in the order of priority determined by the Board of Directors, and shall have such other powers and duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or them by the Board of Directors.

 

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Section 3.19        Committees of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. If a member of a committee shall be absent from any meeting, or disqualified from voting thereat, the remaining member or members present at the meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent permitted by applicable law, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers that may require it to the extent so authorized by the Board of Directors. Unless the Board of Directors provides otherwise, at all meetings of such committee, a majority of the then authorized members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the vote of a majority of the members of the committee present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the committee. Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings. Unless the Board of Directors provides otherwise, each committee designated by the Board of Directors may make, alter and repeal rules and procedures for the conduct of its business. In the absence of such rules and procedures each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board of Directors when required and conduct its business in the same manner as the Board of Directors conducts its business pursuant to this ARTICLE III. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these by-laws or the resolutions of the Board of Directors designating the committee, a committee may create one or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one or more members of the committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee.

 

Section 3.20        Fees and Compensation of Directors. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, these by-laws or statute, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors.

 

ARTICLE IV
Officers

 

Section 4.01        Positions, Election and Salaries. The officers of the Corporation shall be chosen by the Board of Directors and may include a chief executive officer (the "Chief Executive Officer"), a president (the "President"), a chief financial officer (the "Chief Financial Officer"), a treasurer (the "Treasurer"), and a secretary (the "Secretary"). The Board of Directors, in its discretion, may also elect one or more other officers including, vice presidents, assistant treasurers, assistant secretaries, and other officers in accordance with these by-laws. The Board of Directors may also appoint a chairman (the “Chair”) or co-chairmen (the “Co-Chair) and one or more vice chairmen (each, a “Vice Chair) of the Corporation, any of whom may also be designated as an executive officer, officer or non-executive of the Corporation and each of whom shall have such powers, duties, responsibilities and authorizations as may from time to time be assigned to him, her or them by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall fix the salaries of all officers appointed by it. The Board of Directors at its first meeting after each annual meeting of stockholders shall choose such officers. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.

 

Section 4.02        Term. Each officer of the Corporation shall hold office until such officer's successor is elected and qualified or until such officer's earlier death, resignation, or removal. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed by the Board of Directors at any time with or without cause by the majority vote of the members of the Board of Directors then in office. The removal of an officer shall be without prejudice to his or her contract rights, if any. The election or appointment of an officer shall not of itself create contract rights. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by giving written notice of his or her resignation to the President or the Secretary. Any such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein or, if the time when it shall become effective shall not be specified therein, immediately upon its receipt. Unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Should any vacancy occur among the officers, the position shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by appointment made by the Board of Directors.

 

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Section 4.03         Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer shall, subject to the provisions of these by-laws and the control of the Board of Directors, have general supervision, direction, and control over the business of the Corporation and over its officers. The Chief Executive Officer may execute bonds, mortgages and other contracts requiring a seal or otherwise, under the seal of the Corporation or otherwise, except where required or permitted by law to be otherwise signed and executed and except where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors to some other officer or agent of the Corporation. The Chief Executive Officer shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect, shall perform all duties incident to the office of the Chief Executive Officer, and any other duties as may be from time to time assigned to the Chief Executive Officer by the Board of Directors, in each case subject to the control of the Board of Directors. In the absence of the Chair of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors.

 

Section 4.04        President. The President shall report and be responsible to the Chief Executive Officer. The President shall be the chief operating officer of the Corporation except to the extent the Board of Directors resolves otherwise. Except as may be otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, the President shall be authorized to execute and deliver in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation all contracts, agreements, certificates, and instruments, and all checks, notes, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money of the Corporation. The President shall have such powers and perform such duties as from time to time may be assigned or delegated to the President by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 4.05        Vice Presidents. In the absence of the president or in the event of his inability or refusal to act, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated, or in the absence of any designation, first any executive vice presidents in the order of their election and then the remaining vice presidents in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president. Each vice president of the Corporation shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be assigned to him or her from time to time by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 4.06        Secretary and Assistant Secretaries. The Secretary shall attend all sessions of the Board of Directors and all meetings of the stockholders and record all votes and the minutes of all proceedings in a book to be kept for that purpose, and shall perform like duties for committees of the Board of Directors when required. He or she shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors, the Chair of the Board, or the Chief Executive Officer. The Secretary shall have custody of the corporate seal of the Corporation and he, or an assistant secretary, shall have authority to affix the same to any instrument requiring it and when so affixed, it may be attested by his signature or by the signature of such assistant secretary. The Board of Directors may give general authority to any other officer to affix the seal of the Corporation and to attest the affixing by his signature.

 

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The assistant secretary, or if there be more than one, the assistant secretaries, in the order determined by the Board of Directors (or if there be no such determination, then in the order of their election), shall, in the absence of the Secretary or in the event of his inability or refusal to act, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.

 

Section 4.07        Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall be the principal financial officer of the Corporation and shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors, the Chair of the Board, or the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Section 4.08.       Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers. The Treasurer of the Corporation shall have the custody of the Corporation's funds and securities, except as otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the Chief Executive Officer and the President and the directors, at the regular meetings of the Board of Directors, or whenever they may require it, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.

 

If required by the Board of Directors, the Treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond (which shall be renewed every six years) in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of his office and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of his death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in his possession or under his control belonging to the Corporation.

 

The assistant treasurer, of if there shall be more than one, the assistant treasurers in the order determined by the Board of Directors (or if there be no such determination, then in the order of their election), shall, in the absence of the Treasurer or in the event of his inability or refusal to act, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.

 

Section 4.09        Other Officers. Such other officers as the Board of Directors may choose shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may delegate to any other officer of the Corporation the power to choose such other officers and to prescribe their respective duties and powers.

 

Section 4.10        Duties of Officers May Be Delegated. In case any officer is absent, or for any other reason that the Board of Directors may deem sufficient, the Chief Executive Officer or the President or the Board of Directors may delegate for the time being the powers or duties of such officer to any other officer or to any director.

 

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Section 4.11        Representation of Shares or Interests of Other Corporations or Entities. The chair of the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer, the president, any vice president, the treasurer, the secretary or any assistant secretary of this corporation, or any other person authorized by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer or the president, is authorized to vote, represent, and exercise on behalf of the Corporation all rights incident to any and all shares or equity interests of any other corporation or corporations or entity or entities standing in the name of the Corporation, including the right to act by written consent. The authority granted herein may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by such person having the authority.

 

Section 4.12        Authority and Duty of Officers. All officers of the Corporation shall respectively have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the business of the Corporation as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE V
INDEMNIFICATION

 

Section 5.01        Indemnification. The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any person who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative (a "Proceeding"), by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director, or officer, or employee, or agent of the Corporation or, while a director, or officer, or employee, or agent of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise, or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys' fees) reasonably incurred by such person. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except for claims for indemnification (following the final disposition of such Proceeding), the Corporation shall be required to indemnify a person in connection with a Proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such person only if the commencement of such Proceeding (or part thereof) by the person was authorized in the specific case by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 5.02        Advancement of Expenses. The Corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred by a director, or officer, or employee, or agent of the Corporation in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition, upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay all amounts advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Section 5.02 or otherwise. Payment of such expenses incurred by such person, may be made by the Corporation, subject to such terms and conditions as the general counsel of the Corporation in his or her discretion deems appropriate.

 

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Section 5.03        Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this ARTICLE V will not be exclusive of any other right which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these by-laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding office. The Corporation is specifically authorized to enter into individual contracts with any or all of its directors, officers, employees, or agents respecting indemnification and advances, to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

Section 5.04        Other Indemnification. The Corporation's obligation, if any, to indemnify any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise, or nonprofit entity shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise, or nonprofit entity.

 

Section 5.05        Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of Corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise, or nonprofit entity against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

Section 5.06        Repeal, Amendment, or Modification. Any amendment, repeal, or modification of this ARTICLE V shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification.

 

ARTICLE VI
Stock Certificates and Their Transfer

 

Section 6.01        Certificates Representing Shares. The shares of stock of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates; provided that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any class or series shall be uncertificated shares that may be evidenced by a book-entry system maintained by the registrar of such stock. If shares are represented by certificates, such certificates shall be in the form, other than bearer form, approved by the Board of Directors. The certificates representing shares of stock shall be signed by, or in the name of, the Corporation by any two authorized officers of the Corporation. Any or all such signatures may be facsimiles. Although any officer, transfer agent, or registrar whose manual or facsimile signature is affixed to such a certificate ceases to be such officer, transfer agent, or registrar before such certificate has been issued, it may nevertheless be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such officer, transfer agent, or registrar were still such at the date of its issue. Certificates may be issued for partly paid shares and in such case upon the face or back of the certificates issued to represent any such partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor, and the amount paid thereon shall be specified

 

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If the Corporation shall be authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitation or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificate which the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock; provided that, except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate which the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.

 

Section 6.02         Transfers of Stock. Stock of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these by-laws. Transfers of stock shall be made on the books administered by or on behalf of the Corporation only by the direction of the registered holder thereof or such person's attorney, lawfully constituted in writing, and, in the case of certificated shares, upon the surrender to the Corporation or its transfer agent or other designated agent of the certificate thereof, which shall be cancelled before a new certificate or uncertificated shares shall be issued. No transfer of stock shall be made without the prior approval of a majority of the Whole Board. No transfer of stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing from and to whom transferred. To the extent designated by the chief executive officer, president or any vice president or the treasurer of the Corporation, the Corporation may recognize the transfer of fractional uncertificated shares, but shall not otherwise be required to recognize the transfer of fractional shares.

 

Section 6.03        Transfer Agents and Registrars. The Board of Directors may appoint, or authorize any officer or officers to appoint, one or more transfer agents and one or more registrars.

 

Section 6.04        Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed Certificates. The Board of Directors or the Secretary may direct a new certificate or uncertificated shares to be issued in place of any certificate theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the owner of the allegedly lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or uncertificated shares, the Board of Directors or the Secretary may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of the lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate, or the owner's legal representative to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against the Corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares.

 

Section 6.05        Registered Stockholders. The Corporation:

 

(a)          shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends and to vote as such owner;

 

(b)          shall be entitled (to the fullest extent permitted by law) to hold liable for calls and assessments the person registered on its books as the owner of shares; and

 

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(c)          shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of another person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.

 

ARTICLE VII
General Provisions

 

Section 7.01        Dividends. Dividends upon the capital stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting, pursuant to law. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the capital stock, subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the directors from time to time, in their absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining property of the Corporation, or for such other purpose as the directors shall think conducive to the interest of the Corporation, and the directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created

 

Section 7.02        Seal. The seal of the Corporation shall be in such form as shall be approved by the Board of Directors. The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise, as may be prescribed by law or custom or by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 7.03        Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 7.04        Checks, Notes, Drafts; Execution of Contracts and Instruments. All checks, notes, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money of the Corporation shall be signed, endorsed, or accepted in the name of the Corporation by the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer or such other officer, officers, person, or persons as from time to time may be designated by the Board of Directors or by an officer or officers authorized by the Board of Directors to make such designation.

 

Except as otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws, the Board of Directors may authorize any officer or officers, or agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any document or instrument in the name of and on behalf of the corporation; such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless so authorized or ratified by the Board of Directors or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.

 

Section 7.05        Conflict with Applicable Law or Certificate of Incorporation. These by-laws are adopted subject to any applicable law and the Certificate of Incorporation. Whenever these by-laws may conflict with any applicable law or the Certificate of Incorporation, such conflict shall be resolved in favor of such law or the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

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Section 7.06        Books and Records. Any records administered by or on behalf of the Corporation in the regular course of its business, including its stock ledger, books of account, and minute books, may be maintained on any information storage device, method, or one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases); provided that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible paper form within a reasonable time, and, with respect to the stock ledger, the records so kept comply with Section 224 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. The Corporation shall so convert any records so kept upon the request of any person entitled to inspect such records pursuant to applicable law.

 

Section 7.07        Forum for Adjudication of Disputes. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for:

 

(a)          any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation;

 

(b)          any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee, or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation's stockholders;

 

(c)          any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these by-laws; or

 

(d)          any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine

 

except for, as to each of (a) through (d) above, any claim (i) as to which such court determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of such court (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of such court within ten (10) days following such determination), (ii) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than such court or (iii) for which such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction; provided, however, in no event, shall any action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including any derivative actions, be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery.

 

Section 7.08        Construction; Definitions. Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction, and definitions in the Delaware General Corporation Law shall govern the construction of these by-laws. Without limiting the generality of this provision, the singular number includes the plural, the plural number includes the singular, and the term “person” includes both an entity and a natural person.

 

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ARTICLE VIII
Amendments

 

These by-laws may be adopted, amended or repealed by the stockholders entitled to vote; provided, however, that (a) any proposal by a stockholder to amend these by-laws will be subject to the provisions of ARTICLE II of these by-laws except as otherwise required by law, and (b) the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, shall be required for the stockholders of the Corporation to alter, amend or repeal, or adopt any bylaw inconsistent with, the following provisions of these by-laws: Article II, Sections 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 3.04, 3.05 and 3.06 of Article III, Article V and this Article XIII (including, without limitation, any such Article or Section as renumbered as a result of any amendment, alteration, change, repeal, or adoption of any other Bylaw). The Board of Directors, acting by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the Whole Board, shall also have the power to adopt, amend or repeal by-laws; provided, however, that a bylaw amendment adopted by stockholders which specifies the votes that shall be necessary for the election of directors shall not be further amended or repealed by the Board of Directors.

 

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Exhibit 10.1

 

scopus biopharma INC.

2018 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1.            Purpose. The purpose of this 2018 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN (the “Plan”) is to assist Scopus BioPharma Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in attracting, motivating, retaining and rewarding high-quality executives and other employees, officers, directors, consultants and other persons who provide services to the Company by enabling such persons to acquire or increase a proprietary interest in the Company in order to strengthen the mutuality of interests between such persons and the Company's shareholders, and providing such persons with performance incentives to expend their maximum efforts in the creation of shareholder value.

 

2.            Definitions. For purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below, in addition to such terms defined in Section 1 hereof and elsewhere herein.

 

(a)           “Award” means any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Deferred Stock Award, Share granted as a bonus or in lieu of another Award, Dividend Equivalent or Other Stock-Based Award, together with any other right or interest, granted to a Participant under the Plan.

 

(b)           “Award Agreement” means any written agreement, contract or other instrument or document evidencing any Award granted by the Committee hereunder.

 

(c)           “Beneficiaryand “Beneficial Ownership” means the person, persons, trust or trusts that have been designated by a Participant in his or her most recent written beneficiary designation filed with the Committee to receive the benefits specified under the Plan upon such Participant's death or to which Awards or other rights are transferred if and to the extent permitted under Section 9(b) hereof. If, upon a Participant's death, there is no designated Beneficiary or surviving designated Beneficiary, then the term Beneficiary means the person, persons, trust or trusts entitled by will or the laws of descent and distribution to receive such benefits.

 

(d)           “Beneficial Owner” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act and any successor to such Rule.

 

(e)           “Board” means the Company's Board of Directors.

 

(f)           “Cause” shall, with respect to any Participant, have the meaning specified in the Award Agreement. In the absence of any definition in the Award Agreement, “Cause” shall have the equivalent meaning or the same meaning as “cause” or “for cause” set forth in any employment, consulting, or other agreement for the performance of services between the Participant and the Company or, in the absence of any such agreement or any such definition in such agreement, such term shall mean (i) the failure by the Participant to perform, in a reasonable manner, his or her duties as assigned by the Company, (ii) any violation or breach by the Participant of his or her employment, consulting or other similar agreement with the Company, if any, (iii) any violation or breach by the Participant of any non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disclosure and/or other similar agreement with the Company, (iv) any act by the Participant of dishonesty or bad faith with respect to the Company, (v) use of alcohol, drugs or other similar substances in a manner that adversely affects the Participant’s work performance, or (vi) the commission by the Participant of any act, misdemeanor, or crime reflecting unfavorably upon the Participant or the Company. The good faith determination by the Committee of whether the Participant’s Continuous Service was terminated by the Company for “Cause” shall be final and binding for all purposes hereunder.

 

(g)           “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, including regulations thereunder and successor provisions and regulations thereto.

 

 

 

 

(h)           “Committee” means a committee designated by the Board to administer the Plan; provided, however, that if the Board fails to designate a committee or if there are no longer any members on the committee so designated by the Board, then the Board shall serve as the Committee.

 

(i)            “Consultant” means any person (other than an Employee or a Director, solely with respect to rendering services in such person’s capacity as a director) who is engaged by the Company to render consulting or advisory services to the Company, including members of the Company’s scientific advisory board.

 

(j)            “Continuous Service” means the uninterrupted provision of services to the Company in any capacity of Employee, Director, Consultant or other service provider. Continuous Service shall not be considered to be interrupted in the case of (i) any approved leave of absence, (ii) transfers between the Company and any successor entities, in any capacity of Employee, Director, Consultant or other service provider, or (iii) any change in status as long as the individual remains in the service of the Company in any capacity of Employee, Director, Consultant or other service provider (except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement). An approved leave of absence shall include sick leave, military leave, or any other authorized personal leave.

 

(k)          “Deferred Stock” means a right to receive Shares, including Restricted Stock, or cash or a combination thereof at the end of a specified deferral period.

 

(l)            “Deferred Stock Award” means an Award of Deferred Stock granted to a Participant under Section 6(e) hereof.

 

(m)          “Director” means a member of the Board.

 

(n)           “Disability” means a permanent and total disability (within the meaning of Section 22(e) of the Code), as determined by a medical doctor satisfactory to the Committee.

 

(o)           “Dividend Equivalent” means a right, granted to a Participant under Section 6(g) hereof, to receive cash, Shares, other Awards or other property equal in value to dividends paid with respect to a specified number of Shares, or other periodic payments.

 

(p)           “Effective Date” means the effective date of the Plan, which shall be the Shareholder Approval Date.

 

(q)           “Eligible Person” means each officer, Director, Employee, Consultant and other person who provides services to the Company. The foregoing notwithstanding, only employees of the Company shall be Eligible Persons for purposes of receiving any Incentive Stock Options. An Employee on leave of absence may be considered as still in the employ of the Company for purposes of eligibility for participation in the Plan.

 

(r)            “Employee” means any person, including an officer or Director, who is an employee of the Company. The payment of a director’s fee by the Company shall not be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Company.

 

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

 

(t)            “Fair Market Value” means the fair market value of Shares, Awards or other property as determined by the Committee, or under procedures established by the Committee.

 

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(u)           “Good Reason” shall, with respect to any Participant, have the meaning specified in the Award Agreement. In the absence of any definition in the Award Agreement, “Good Reason” shall have the equivalent meaning or the same meaning as “good reason” or “for good reason” set forth in any employment, consulting or other agreement for the performance of services between the Participant and the Company or, in the absence of any such agreement or any such definition in such agreement, such term shall mean (i) the assignment to the Participant of any duties inconsistent in any material respect with the Participant's duties or responsibilities as assigned by the Company, or any other action by the Company which results in a material diminution in such duties or responsibilities, excluding for this purpose an isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent action not taken in bad faith and which is remedied by the Company promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the Participant or (ii) any material failure by the Company to comply with its obligations to the Participant as agreed upon, other than an isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent failure not occurring in bad faith and which is remedied by the Company promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the Participant.

 

(v)           “Incentive Stock Option” means any Option intended to be designated as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision thereto.

 

(w)           “Independent”, when referring to either the Board or members of the Committee, shall have the same meaning as used in the rules of the national securities exchange on which any securities of the Company are listed for trading, and if not listed for trading, by the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market.

 

(x)            “Incumbent Board” means the Incumbent Board as defined in Section 8(b)(ii) of the Plan.

 

(y)            “Option” means a right granted to a Participant under Section 6(b) hereof, to purchase Shares or other Awards at a specified price during specified time periods.

 

(z)            “Optionee” means a person to whom an Option is granted under this Plan or any person who succeeds to the rights of such person under this Plan.

 

(aa)         “Option Proceeds” means the cash actually received by the Company for the exercise price in connection with the exercise of Options which tax benefit shall be determined by multiplying (i) the amount that is deductible for Federal income tax purposes as a result of any such option exercise (currently, equal to the amount upon which the Participant's withholding tax obligation is calculated), times (ii) the maximum Federal corporate income tax rate for the year of exercise. With respect to Options to the extent that a Participant pays the exercise price and/or withholding taxes with Shares, Option Proceeds shall not be calculated with respect to the amounts so paid in Shares.

 

(bb)         “Other Stock-Based Awards” means Awards granted to a Participant under Section 6(i) hereof.

 

(cc)          “Participant” means a person who has been granted an Award under the Plan which remains outstanding, including a person who is no longer an Eligible Person.

 

(dd)         “Restricted Stock” means any Share issued with the restriction that the holder may not sell, transfer, pledge or assign such Share and with such risks of forfeiture and other restrictions as the Committee, in its sole discretion, may impose (including any restriction on the right to vote such Share and the right to receive any dividends), which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in installments or otherwise, as the Committee may deem appropriate.

 

(ee)         “Restricted Stock Award” means an Award of Restricted Stock granted to a Participant under Section 6(d) hereof.

 

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(ff)           “Shareholder Approval Date” means the date on which this Plan is approved by stockholders of the Company eligible to vote in the election of directors, by a vote sufficient to meet the requirements of Code Sections 162(m) (if applicable) and 422, and other laws, regulations and obligations of the Company applicable to the Plan.

 

(gg)         “Shares” means the shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and such other securities as may be substituted (or resubstituted) for Shares pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof.

 

(hh)         “Stock Appreciation Right” means a right granted to a Participant under Section 6(c) hereof.

 

(ii)            “Subsidiary” means any corporation or other entity in which the Company has a direct or indirect ownership interest of 50% or more of the total combined voting power of the then outstanding securities or interests of such corporation or other entity entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or in which the Company has the right to receive 50% or more of the distribution of profits or 50% or more of the assets on liquidation or dissolution.

 

(jj)        “Substitute Awards” means Awards granted or Shares issued by the Company in assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, Awards previously granted, or the right or obligation to make future Awards, by a company acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines.

 

3.            Administration.

 

(a)           Authority of the Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, except to the extent the Board elects to administer the Plan in which case references herein to the “Committee” shall be deemed to include references to the members of the Board. The Committee shall have full and final authority, subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, to select Eligible Persons to become Participants, grant Awards, determine the type, number and other terms and conditions of, and all other matters relating to, Awards, prescribe Award Agreements (which need not be identical for each Participant) and rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan, construe and interpret the Plan and Award Agreements and correct defects, supply omissions or reconcile inconsistencies therein, and to make all other decisions and determinations as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. In exercising any discretion granted to the Committee under the Plan or pursuant to any Award, the Committee shall not be required to follow past practices, act in a manner consistent with past practices, or treat any Eligible Person or Participant in a manner consistent with the treatment of other Eligible Persons or Participants.

 

(b)           Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority. Any action of the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Company, Eligible Persons, Participants, Beneficiaries, transferees under Section 9(b) hereof or other persons claiming rights from or through a Participant, and shareholders. The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee. The Committee may delegate to officers or managers of the Company, or committees thereof, the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform such functions, including administrative functions as the Committee may determine. The Committee may appoint agents to assist it in administering the Plan.

 

(c)           Limitation of Liability. The Committee and the Board, and each member thereof, shall be entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him or her by any officer or Employee, the Company's independent auditors, Consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration of the Plan. Members of the Committee and the Board, and any officer or Employee acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee or the Board, shall not be personally liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and protected by the Company with respect to any such action or determination.

 

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4.            Shares Subject to Plan.

 

(a)           Limitation on Overall Number of Shares Available for Delivery Under Plan. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 9(c) hereof, the total number of Shares reserved and available for delivery under the Plan shall be 1,000,000. Any Shares that are subject to Awards shall be counted against this limit as one (1) Share for every one (1) Share granted. Any Shares delivered under the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares.

 

(b)           Application of Limitation to Grants of Award. No Award may be granted if the number of Shares to be delivered in connection with such an Award or, in the case of an Award relating to Shares but settled only in cash (such as cash-only Stock Appreciation Rights), the number of Shares to which such Award relates, exceeds the number of Shares remaining available for delivery under the Plan, minus the number of Shares deliverable in settlement of or relating to then outstanding Awards. The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments if the number of Shares actually delivered differs from the number of Shares previously counted in connection with an Award.

 

(c)           Availability of Shares Not Delivered under Awards and Adjustments to Limits.

 

(i)       If any Shares subject to an Award are forfeited, expire or otherwise terminate without issuance of such Shares, or any Award is settled for cash or otherwise does not result in the issuance of all or a portion of the Shares subject to such Award, the Shares shall, to the extent of such forfeiture, expiration, termination, cash settlement or non-issuance, again be available for Awards under the Plan, subject to Section 4(c)(iv) below.

 

(ii)       In the event that any Option or other Award granted hereunder is exercised through the tendering of Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Shares by the Company, or withholding tax liabilities arising from such option or other award are satisfied by the tendering of Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Shares by the Company, then only the number of Shares issued net of the Shares tendered or withheld shall be counted for purposes of determining the maximum number of Shares available for grant under the Plan.

 

(iii)       Substitute Awards shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan or authorized for grant to a Participant in any period. Additionally, in the event that a company acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by shareholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for delivery pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for delivery under the Plan; provided that Awards using such available shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were not Employees or Directors prior to such acquisition or combination.

 

(iv)       Any Share that again becomes available for delivery pursuant to this Section 4(c) shall be added back as one (1) Share.

 

5.            Eligibility. Awards may be granted under the Plan only to Eligible Persons.

  

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6.            Specific Terms of Awards.

 

(a)           General. Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6. In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 9(e)), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in the event of termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service and terms permitting a Participant to make elections relating to his or her Award. The Committee shall retain full power and discretion to accelerate, waive or modify, at any time, any term or condition of an Award that is not mandatory under the Plan. Except in cases in which the Committee is authorized to require other forms of consideration under the Plan, or to the extent other forms of consideration must be paid to satisfy the requirements of Delaware law, no consideration other than services may be required for the grant (as opposed to the exercise) of any Award.

 

(b)           Options. The Committee is authorized to grant Options to any Eligible Person on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)       Exercise Price. Other than in connection with Substitute Awards, the exercise price per Share purchasable under an Option shall be determined by the Committee, provided that such exercise price shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the Option and shall not, in any event, be less than the par value of a Share on the date of grant of the Option. If an Employee owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules applicable under Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (or any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively) and an Incentive Stock Option is granted to such employee, the exercise price of such Incentive Stock Option (to the extent required by the Code at the time of grant) shall be no less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date such Incentive Stock Option is granted.

 

(ii)       Time and Method of Exercise. The Committee shall determine the time or times at which or the circumstances under which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the time or times at which Options shall cease to be or become exercisable following termination of Continuous Service or upon other conditions, the methods by which the exercise price may be paid or deemed to be paid (including in the discretion of the Committee a cashless exercise procedure), the form of such payment, including, without limitation, cash, Shares (including without limitation the withholding of Shares otherwise deliverable pursuant to the Award), other Awards or awards granted under other plans of the Company or other property (including notes or other contractual obligations of Participants to make payment on a deferred basis and the methods by or forms in which Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants).

 

(iii)       Incentive Stock Options. The terms of any Incentive Stock Option granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code. Anything in the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, no term of the Plan relating to Incentive Stock Options (including any Stock Appreciation Right issued in tandem therewith) shall be interpreted, amended or altered, nor shall any discretion or authority granted under the Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify either the Plan or any Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code, unless the Participant has first requested, or consents to, the change that will result in such disqualification. Thus, if and to the extent required to comply with Section 422 of the Code, Options granted as Incentive Stock Options shall be subject to the following special terms and conditions:

 

(A)       the Option shall not be exercisable for more than ten years after the date such Incentive Stock Option is granted; provided, however, that if a Participant owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (or any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively) and the Incentive Stock Option is granted to such Participant, the term of the Incentive Stock Option shall be (to the extent required by the Code at the time of the grant) for no more than five years from the date of grant; and

  

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(B)       The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date the Incentive Stock Option is granted) of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan and all other option plans of the Company (and any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively) that become exercisable for the first time by the Participant during any calendar year shall not (to the extent required by the Code at the time of the grant) exceed $100,000.

 

(c)           Stock Appreciation Rights. The Committee may grant Stock Appreciation Rights to any Eligible Person in conjunction with all or part of any Option granted under the Plan or at any subsequent time during the term of such Option (a “Tandem Stock Appreciation Right”), or without regard to any Option (a “Freestanding Stock Appreciation Right”), in each case upon such terms and conditions as the Committee may establish in its sole discretion, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, including the following:

 

(i)       Right to Payment. A Stock Appreciation Right shall confer on the Participant to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise over (B) the grant price of the Stock Appreciation Right as determined by the Committee. The grant price of a Stock Appreciation Right shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant, in the case of a Freestanding Stock Appreciation Right, or less than the associated Option exercise price, in the case of a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right.

 

(ii)       Other Terms. The Committee shall determine at the date of grant or thereafter, the time or times at which and the circumstances under which a Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the time or times at which Stock Appreciation Rights shall cease to be or become exercisable following termination of Continuous Service or upon other conditions, the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, method by or forms in which Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, whether or not a Stock Appreciation Right shall be in tandem or in combination with any other Award, and any other terms and conditions of any Stock Appreciation Right.

 

(iii)       Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights. Any Tandem Stock Appreciation Right may be granted at the same time as the related Option is granted or, for Options that are not Incentive Stock Options, at any time thereafter before exercise or expiration of such Option. Any Tandem Stock Appreciation Right related to an Option may be exercised only when the related Option would be exercisable and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the related Option exceeds the exercise price at which Shares can be acquired pursuant to the Option. In addition, if a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right exists with respect to less than the full number of Shares covered by a related Option, then an exercise or termination of such Option shall not reduce the number of Shares to which the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right applies until the number of Shares then exercisable under such Option equals the number of Shares to which the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right applies. Any Option related to a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall no longer be exercisable to the extent the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right has been exercised, and any Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall no longer be exercisable to the extent the related Option has been exercised.

 

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(d)           Restricted Stock Awards. The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock Awards to any Eligible Person on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)       Grant and Restrictions. Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, or as otherwise provided in this Plan, covering a period of time specified by the Committee (the “Restriction Period”). The terms of any Restricted Stock Award granted under the Plan shall be set forth in a written Award Agreement which shall contain provisions determined by the Committee and not inconsistent with the Plan. The restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), in such installments or otherwise, as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter. Except to the extent restricted under the terms of the Plan and any Award Agreement relating to a Restricted Stock Award, a Participant granted Restricted Stock shall have all of the rights of a shareholder, including the right to vote the Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends thereon (subject to any mandatory reinvestment or other requirement imposed by the Committee). During the Restriction Period, subject to Section 9(b) below, the Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, margined or otherwise encumbered by the Participant.

 

(ii)       Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon termination of a Participant's Continuous Service during the applicable Restriction Period, the Participant's Restricted Stock that is at that time subject to a risk of forfeiture that has not lapsed or otherwise been satisfied shall be forfeited and reacquired by the Company; provided that the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, that forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock Awards shall be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes.

 

(iii)       Certificates for Stock. Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee may require that such certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock, that the Company retain physical possession of the certificates, and that the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Stock.

 

(iv)       Dividends and Splits. As a condition to the grant of a Restricted Stock Award, the Committee may require or permit a Participant to elect that any cash dividends paid on a Share of Restricted Stock be automatically reinvested in additional Shares of Restricted Stock or applied to the purchase of additional Awards under the Plan. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, Shares distributed in connection with a stock split or stock dividend, and other property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock with respect to which such Shares or other property have been distributed.

 

(e)           Deferred Stock Award. The Committee is authorized to grant Deferred Stock Awards to any Eligible Person on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)       Award and Restrictions. Satisfaction of a Deferred Stock Award shall occur upon expiration of the deferral period specified for such Deferred Stock Award by the Committee (or, if permitted by the Committee, as elected by the Participant). In addition, a Deferred Stock Award shall be subject to such restrictions (which may include a risk of forfeiture) as the Committee may impose, if any, which restrictions may lapse at the expiration of the deferral period or at earlier specified times (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), separately or in combination, in installments or otherwise, as the Committee may determine. A Deferred Stock Award may be satisfied by delivery of Shares, cash equal to the Fair Market Value of the specified number of Shares covered by the Deferred Stock, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee at the date of grant or thereafter. Prior to satisfaction of a Deferred Stock Award, a Deferred Stock Award carries no voting or dividend or other rights associated with Share ownership.

 

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(ii)       Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon termination of a Participant's Continuous Service during the applicable deferral period or portion thereof to which forfeiture conditions apply (as provided in the Award Agreement evidencing the Deferred Stock Award), the Participant's Deferred Stock Award that is at that time subject to a risk of forfeiture that has not lapsed or otherwise been satisfied shall be forfeited; provided that the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, that forfeiture conditions relating to a Deferred Stock Award shall be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes, and the Committee may in other cases waive in whole or in part the forfeiture of any Deferred Stock Award.

 

(iii)       Dividend Equivalents. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at date of grant, any Dividend Equivalents that are granted with respect to any Deferred Stock Award shall be either (A) paid with respect to such Deferred Stock Award at the dividend payment date in cash or in Shares of unrestricted stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, or (B) deferred with respect to such Deferred Stock Award and the amount or value thereof automatically deemed reinvested in additional Deferred Stock, other Awards or other investment vehicles, as the Committee shall determine or permit the Participant to elect.

 

(f)           Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations. The Committee is authorized to grant Shares to any Eligible Persons as a bonus, or to grant Shares or other Awards in lieu of obligations to pay cash or deliver other property under the Plan or under other plans or compensatory arrangements. Shares or Awards granted hereunder shall be subject to such other terms as shall be determined by the Committee.

 

(g)           Dividend Equivalents. The Committee is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to any Eligible Person entitling the Eligible Person to receive cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property equal in value to the dividends paid with respect to a specified number of Shares, or other periodic payments. Dividend Equivalents may be awarded on a free-standing basis or in connection with another Award. The Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents shall be paid or distributed when accrued or shall be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Shares, Awards, or other investment vehicles, and subject to such restrictions on transferability and risks of forfeiture, as the Committee may specify.

 

(h)          Other Stock-Based Awards. The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to any Eligible Person such other Awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Shares, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan. Other Stock-Based Awards may be granted to Participants either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan, and such Other Stock-Based Awards shall also be available as a form of payment in the settlement of other Awards granted under the Plan. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards. Shares delivered pursuant to an Award in the nature of a purchase right granted under this Section 6(i) shall be purchased for such consideration, (including without limitation loans from the Company provided that such loans are not in violation of any applicable law) paid for at such times, by such methods, and in such forms, including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other Awards or other property, as the Committee shall determine.

 

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7.            Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards.

 

(a)           Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards. Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for, any other Award or any award granted under another plan of the Company or any business entity to be acquired by the Company, or any other right of a Participant to receive payment from the Company. Such additional, tandem, and substitute or exchange Awards may be granted at any time. If an Award is granted in substitution or exchange for another Award or award, the Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award or award in consideration for the grant of the new Award. In addition, Awards may be granted in lieu of cash compensation, including in lieu of cash amounts payable under other plans of the Company, in which the value of Stock subject to the Award is equivalent in value to the cash compensation (for example, Deferred Stock or Restricted Stock), or in which the exercise price, grant price or purchase price of the Award in the nature of a right that may be exercised is equal to the Fair Market Value of the underlying Stock minus the value of the cash compensation surrendered (for example, Options or Stock Appreciation Right granted with an exercise price or grant price “discounted” by the amount of the cash compensation surrendered).

 

(b)           Term of Awards. The term of each Award shall be for such period as may be determined by the Committee; provided that in no event shall the term of any Option or Stock Appreciation Right exceed a period of ten years (or in the case of an Incentive Stock Option such shorter term as may be required under Section 422 of the Code).

 

(c)           Form and Timing of Payment Under Awards; Deferrals. Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, payments to be made by the Company upon the exercise of an Option or other Award or settlement of an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee shall determine, including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other Awards or other property, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis. The settlement of any Award may be accelerated, and cash paid in lieu of Shares in connection with such settlement, in the discretion of the Committee or upon occurrence of one or more specified events (in addition to a Change in Control). Installment or deferred payments may be required by the Committee (subject to Section 9(e) of the Plan, including the consent provisions thereof in the case of any deferral of an outstanding Award not provided for in the original Award Agreement) or permitted at the election of the Participant on terms and conditions established by the Committee. The Committee may, without limitation, make provision for the payment or crediting of a reasonable interest rate on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents or other amounts in respect of installment or deferred payments denominated in Shares.

 

(d)          Code Section 409A.

 

(i)            If any Award constitutes a “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” under Section 409A of the Code (a “Section 409A Plan”), then the Award shall be subject to the following additional requirements, if and to the extent required to comply with Section 409A of the Code:

 

(A)       Payments under the Section 409A Plan may not be made earlier than (u) the Participant’s separation from service, (v) the date the Participant becomes disabled, (w) the Participant’s death, (x) a specified time (or pursuant to a fixed schedule) specified in the Award Agreement at the date of the deferral of such compensation, (y) a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation, or (z) the occurrence of an unforeseeable emergency;

 

(B)       The time or schedule for any payment of the deferred compensation may not be accelerated, except to the extent provided in applicable Treasury Regulations or other applicable guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service;

 

(C)        Any elections with respect to the deferral of such compensation or the time and form of distribution of such deferred compensation shall comply with the requirements of Section 409A(a)(4) of the Code; and

  

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(D)        In the case of any Participant who is specified employee, a distribution on account of a separation from service may not be made before the date which is six months after the date of the Participant’s separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death). For purposes of the foregoing, the terms “separation from service”, “disabled”, and “specified employee”, all shall be defined in the same manner as those terms are defined for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, and the limitations set forth herein shall be applied in such manner (and only to the extent) as shall be necessary to comply with any requirements of Section 409A of the Code that are applicable to the Award.

 

(ii)          The Award Agreement for any Award that the Committee reasonably determines to constitute a Section 409A Plan, and the provisions of the Plan applicable to that Award, shall be construed in a manner consistent with the applicable requirements of Section 409A, and the Committee, in its sole discretion and without the consent of any Participant, may amend any Award Agreement (and the provisions of the Plan applicable thereto) if and to the extent that the Committee determines that such amendment is necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. No Section 409A Plan shall be adjusted, modified or substituted for, pursuant to any provision of this Plan, without the consent of the Participant if any such adjustment, modification or substitution would cause the Section 409A Plan to violate the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

 

8.            Change in Control.

 

(a)           Effect of “Change in Control.”

 

Subject to Section 8(a)(iv), and if and only to the extent provided in the Award Agreement, or to the extent otherwise determined by the Committee, upon the occurrence of a “Change in Control,” as defined in Section 8(b):

 

(i)       Any Option or Stock Appreciation Right that was not previously vested and exercisable as of the time of the Change in Control, shall become immediately vested and exercisable, subject to applicable restrictions set forth in Section 8(a) hereof.

 

(ii)       Any restrictions, deferral of settlement, and forfeiture conditions applicable to a Restricted Stock Award, Deferred Stock Award or an Other Stock-Based Award subject only to future service requirements granted under the Plan shall lapse and such Awards shall be deemed fully vested as of the time of the Change in Control, except to the extent of any waiver by the Participant and subject to applicable restrictions set forth in Section 9(a) hereof.

 

(iii)       With respect to any outstanding Award subject to achievement of performance goals and conditions under the Plan, the Committee may, in its discretion, deem such performance goals and conditions as having been met as of the date of the Change in Control.

 

(iv)       Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision in any Award Agreement to the contrary, if in the event of a Change in Control the successor company assumes or substitutes for an Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Deferred Stock Award or Other Stock-Based Award, then each such outstanding Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Deferred Stock Award or Other Stock-Based Award shall not be accelerated as described in Sections 8(a)(i), (ii) and (iii). For the purposes of this Section 8(a)(iv), an Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Deferred Stock Award or Other Stock-Based Award shall be considered assumed or substituted for if following the Change in Control the Award confers the right to purchase or receive, for each Share subject to the Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Deferred Stock Award or Other Stock-Based Award immediately prior to the Change in Control, the consideration (whether stock, cash or other securities or property) received in the transaction constituting a Change in Control by holders of Shares for each Share held on the effective date of such transaction (and if holders were offered a choice of consideration, the type of consideration chosen by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares); provided, however, that if such consideration received in the transaction constituting a Change in Control is not solely common stock of the successor company or its parent or subsidiary, the Committee may, with the consent of the successor company or its parent or subsidiary, provide that the consideration to be received upon the exercise or vesting of an Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Deferred Stock Award or Other Stock-Based Award, for each Share subject thereto, will be solely common stock of the successor company or its parent or subsidiary substantially equal in fair market value to the per share consideration received by holders of Shares in the transaction constituting a Change in Control. The determination of such substantial equality of value of consideration shall be made by the Committee in its sole discretion and its determination shall be conclusive and binding.

 

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(b)           Definition of “Change in Control”. Unless otherwise specified in an Award Agreement, a “Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following:

 

(i)       The acquisition by any Person of Beneficial Ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of more than fifty percent (50%) of either (A) the value of then outstanding equity securities of the Company (the “Outstanding Company Stock”) or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities) (the foregoing Beneficial Ownership hereinafter being referred to as a "Controlling Interest"); provided, however, that for purposes of this Section 8(b), the following acquisitions shall not constitute or result in a Change in Control: (v) any acquisition directly from the Company; (w) any acquisition by the Company; (x) any acquisition by any Person that as of the Effective Date owns Beneficial Ownership of a Controlling Interest; (y) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company; or (z) any acquisition by any entity pursuant to a transaction which complies with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of subsection (iii) below; or

 

(ii)       During any period of two (2) consecutive years (not including any period prior to the Effective Date) individuals who constitute the Board on the Effective Date (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board; or

 

(iii)       Consummation of a reorganization, merger, statutory share exchange or consolidation or similar transaction involving the Company, a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the acquisition of assets or equity of another entity by the Company (each a “Business Combination”), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination, (A) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the Beneficial Owners, respectively, of the Outstanding Company Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent (50%) of the value of the then outstanding equity securities and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of members of the board of directors (or comparable governing body of an entity that does not have such a board), as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, an entity which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s 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 Outstanding Company Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities, as the case may be, (B) no Person (excluding any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company or such entity resulting from such Business Combination or any Person that as of the Effective Date owns Beneficial Ownership of a Controlling Interest) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50%) or more of the value of the then outstanding equity securities of the entity resulting from such Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such entity except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination and (C) at least a majority of the members of the Board of Directors or other governing body of the entity resulting from such Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business Combination; or

 

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(iv)       Approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

 

9.            General Provisions.

 

(a)           Compliance With Legal and Other Requirements. The Company may, to the extent deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee, postpone the issuance or delivery of Shares or payment of other benefits under any Award until completion of such registration or qualification of such Shares or other required action under any federal or state law, rule or regulation, listing or other required action with respect to any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Shares or other Company securities are listed or quoted, or compliance with any other obligation of the Company, as the Committee, may consider appropriate, and may require any Participant to make such representations, furnish such information and comply with or be subject to such other conditions as it may consider appropriate in connection with the issuance or delivery of Shares or payment of other benefits in compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, listing requirements, or other obligations.

 

(b)           Limits on Transferability; Beneficiaries. No Award or other right or interest granted under the Plan shall be pledged, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered or subject to any lien, obligation or liability of such Participant to any party, or assigned or transferred by such Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or to a Beneficiary upon the death of a Participant, and such Awards or rights that may be exercisable shall be exercised during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative, except that Awards and other rights (other than Incentive Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights in tandem therewith) may be transferred to one or more Beneficiaries or other transferees during the lifetime of the Participant, and may be exercised by such transferees in accordance with the terms of such Award, but only if and to the extent such transfers are permitted by the Committee pursuant to the express terms of an Award Agreement (subject to any terms and conditions which the Committee may impose thereon). A Beneficiary, transferee, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant shall be subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award Agreement applicable to such Participant, except as otherwise determined by the Committee, and to any additional terms and conditions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.

 

(c)           Adjustments.

 

(i)       Adjustments to Awards. In the event that any extraordinary dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, or other property), recapitalization, forward or reverse split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase, share exchange, liquidation, dissolution or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Shares and/or such other securities of the Company or any other issuer such that a substitution, exchange, or adjustment is determined by the Committee to be appropriate, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, substitute, exchange or adjust any or all of (A) the number and kind of Shares which may be delivered in connection with Awards granted thereafter, (B) the number and kind of Shares by which annual per-person Award limitations are measured under Section 5 hereof, (C) the number and kind of Shares subject to or deliverable in respect of outstanding Awards, (D) the exercise price, grant price or purchase price relating to any Award and/or make provision for payment of cash or other property in respect of any outstanding Award, and (E) any other aspect of any Award that the Committee determines to be appropriate.

 

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(ii)       Adjustments in Case of Certain Transactions. In the event of any merger, consolidation or other reorganization in which the Company does not survive, or in the event of any Change in Control, any outstanding Awards may be dealt with in accordance with any of the following approaches, as determined by the agreement effectuating the transaction or, if and to the extent not so determined, as determined by the Committee: (a) the continuation of the outstanding Awards by the Company, if the Company is a surviving entity, (b) the assumption or substitution for the outstanding Awards by the surviving entity or its parent or subsidiary, (c) full exercisability or vesting and accelerated expiration of the outstanding Awards, or (d) settlement of the value of the outstanding Awards in cash or cash equivalents or other property followed by cancellation of such Awards (which value, in the case of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, shall be measured by the amount, if any, by which the Fair Market Value of a Share exceeds the exercise or grant price of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right as of the effective date of the transaction). The Committee shall give written notice of any proposed transaction referred to in this Section 9(c)(ii) a reasonable period of time prior to the closing date for such transaction (which notice may be given either before or after the approval of such transaction), in order that Participants may have a reasonable period of time prior to the closing date of such transaction within which to exercise any Awards that are then exercisable (including any Awards that may become exercisable upon the closing date of such transaction). A Participant may condition his exercise of any Awards upon the consummation of the transaction.

 

(iii)       Other Adjustments. The Committee is authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards (including performance goals relating thereto) in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, acquisitions and dispositions of businesses and assets) affecting the Company or any business unit, or the financial statements of the Company or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations, accounting principles, tax rates and regulations or business conditions or in view of the Committee's assessment of the business strategy of the Company or business unit thereof, performance of comparable organizations, economic and business conditions, personal performance of a Participant, and any other circumstances deemed relevant; provided that no such adjustment shall be authorized or made if and to the extent that such authority or the making of such adjustment would cause Options and Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

(d)           Taxes. The Company is authorized to withhold from any Award granted, any payment relating to an Award under the Plan, including from a distribution of Shares, or any payroll or other payment to a Participant, amounts of withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award. This authority shall include authority to withhold or receive Shares or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of a Participant's tax obligations, either on a mandatory or elective basis in the discretion of the Committee.

 

(e)           Changes to the Plan and Awards. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate the Plan, or the Committee's authority to grant Awards under the Plan, without the consent of shareholders or Participants, except that any amendment or alteration to the Plan shall be subject to the approval of the Company's shareholders not later than the annual meeting next following such Board action if such shareholder approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation , and the Board may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other such changes to the Plan to shareholders for approval; provided that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Board action may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under any previously granted and outstanding Award. The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, or amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate any Award theretofore granted and any Award Agreement relating thereto, except as otherwise provided in the Plan; provided that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Committee or the Board action may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under such Award. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Committee shall be authorized to amend any outstanding Option and/or Stock Appreciation Right to reduce the exercise price or grant price without the prior approval of the shareholders of the Company. In addition, the Committee shall be authorized to cancel outstanding Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights replaced with Awards having a lower exercise price without the prior approval of the shareholders of the Company.

 

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(f)           Limitation on Rights Conferred Under Plan. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder or under any Award shall be construed as (i) giving any Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue as an Eligible Person or Participant or in the employ or service of the Company; (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the Company to terminate any Eligible Person's or Participant's Continuous Service at any time, (iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan or to be treated uniformly with other Participants and Employees, or (iv) conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company including, without limitation, any right to receive dividends or distributions, any right to vote or act by written consent, any right to attend meetings of shareholders or any right to receive any information concerning the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operation or prospects, unless and until such time as the Participant is duly issued Shares on the stock books of the Company in accordance with the terms of an Award. None of the Company, its officers or its directors shall have any fiduciary obligation to the Participant with respect to any Awards unless and until the Participant is duly issued Shares pursuant to the Award on the stock books of the Company in accordance with the terms of an Award. Neither the Company nor any of the Company’s officers, directors, representatives or agents are granting any rights under the Plan to the Participant whatsoever, oral or written, express or implied, other than those rights expressly set forth in this Plan or the Award Agreement.

 

(g)           Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant or obligation to deliver Shares pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award shall give any such Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company; provided that the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts and deposit therein cash, Shares, other Awards or other property, or make other arrangements to meet the Company's obligations under the Plan. Such trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan unless the Committee otherwise determines with the consent of each affected Participant. The trustee of such trusts may be authorized to dispose of trust assets and reinvest the proceeds in alternative investments, subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may specify and in accordance with applicable law.

 

(h)           Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission to the shareholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable including incentive arrangements and awards which do not qualify under Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(i)           Payments in the Event of Forfeitures; Fractional Shares. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in the event of a forfeiture of an Award with respect to which a Participant paid cash or other consideration, the Participant shall be repaid the amount of such cash or other consideration. No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, other Awards or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional shares or whether such fractional shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

  

(j)           Governing Law. The validity, construction and effect of the Plan, any rules and regulations under the Plan, and any Award Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws, and applicable federal law.

 

(k)           Plan Effective Date and Shareholder Approval; Termination of Plan. The Plan shall become effective on the Effective Date, subject to subsequent approval, within 12 months of its adoption by the Board, by shareholders of the Company eligible to vote in the election of directors, by a vote sufficient to meet the requirements of Code Sections 162(m) (if applicable) and 422. Awards may be granted subject to shareholder approval, but may not be exercised or otherwise settled in the event the shareholder approval is not obtained. The Plan shall terminate at the earliest of (a) such time as no Shares remain available for issuance under the Plan, (b) termination of this Plan by the Board, or (c) the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date. Awards outstanding upon expiration of the Plan shall remain in effect until they have been exercised or terminated, or have expired.

 

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EXHIBIT 31.1

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER

PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF

THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Joshua R. Lamstein, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this Form 10-Q of Scopus BioPharma Inc.;
   
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
   
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods present in this report;
   
4. Along with the Principal Financial Officer, I am responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13-a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
     
  a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
     
  b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
     
  c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
     
  d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financing reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
     
5. I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
     
  a) 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 registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
     
  b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involved management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Dated: January 28, 2021 By: /s/ Joshua R. Lamstein
    Joshua R. Lamstein
    Chairman
(
Principal Executive Officer)  

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 31.2

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER

PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF

THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Robert J. Gibson, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this Form 10-Q of Scopus BioPharma Inc.;
   
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
   
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods present in this report;
   
4. Along with the Principal Executive Officer, I am responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13-a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
     
  a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
     
  b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
     
  c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
     
  d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financing reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
     
5. I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
     
  a) 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 registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
     
  b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involved management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Dated: January 28, 2021 By: /s/ Robert J. Gibson
    Robert J. Gibson
    Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer
(Principal Financial Officer)

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 32.1

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF

THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with this Quarterly Report of Scopus BioPharma Inc. (the “Company”), on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Joshua R. Lamstein, Principal Executive Officer of the Company, certify to the best of my knowledge, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Sec. 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

 

(1)   Such Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

(2)   The information contained in such Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

  

Dated: January 28, 2021 By: /s/ Joshua R. Lamstein
    Joshua R. Lamstein
    Chairman
(Principal Executive Officer)  

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 32.2

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF

THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with this Quarterly Report of Scopus BioPharma Inc. (the “Company”), on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Robert J. Gibson, Principal Financial Officer of the Company, certify to the best of my knowledge, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Sec. 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

 

(1)   Such Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

(2)   The information contained in such Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Dated: January 28, 2021 By: /s/ Robert J. Gibson
    Robert J. Gibson
    Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer
(Principal Financial Officer)