As filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2021
Registration No. 333-252910
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 3 TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 6770 | 86-1759669 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
2503 S. Hanley Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63144
(314) 644-7600
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrants principal executive offices)
Robert V. Vitale
President and Chief Investment Officer
2503 S. Hanley Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63144
(314) 644-7600
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Christian Nagler Wayne Williams Kirkland & Ellis LLP 601 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10022 Tel: (212) 446-4800 |
Derek Dostal Deanna Kirkpatrick Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP 450 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10017 Tel: (212) 450-4000 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box. ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a 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 | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||
Emerging growth company | ☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
|
||||||||
Title of Each Class of Security Being Registered |
Amount Being Registered |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Security(1) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate
Offering
|
Amount of Registration Fee |
||||
Units, each consisting of one share of Series A common stock, $0.0001 par value, and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant(2) |
46,000,000 Units | $10.00 | $460,000,000 | $50,186 | ||||
Shares of Series A common stock included as part of the Units(3) |
46,000,000 Shares | | | (4) | ||||
Redeemable warrants included as part of the Units(3) |
9,200,000 Warrants | | | (4) | ||||
Total |
$460,000,000 | $50,186(5) | ||||||
|
||||||||
|
(1) |
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee. |
(2) |
Includes 6,000,000 Units, consisting of 6,000,000 shares of Series A common stock and 1,200,000 redeemable warrants, which may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option granted to the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any. |
(3) |
Pursuant to Rule 416, there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions. |
(4) |
No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g). |
(5) |
Previously paid. |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus may change. We may not complete the exchange offer and issue these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state or other jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 30, 2021
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
$400,000,000
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation
40,000,000 Units
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation is a newly organized company, incorporated as a Delaware corporation, established for the purpose of identifying a company to partner with in order to effectuate a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar partnering transaction with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as a partnering transaction. We have not selected any company to partner with and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any company to partner with regarding a partnering transaction. We may pursue a partnering transaction with any company in any industry. While we will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region, given the experience of our management team, our partnering transaction and value creation strategy will be to identify and build a company in partnership with a company, its management team and existing owners.
(Prospectus cover continued on the following page.)
We are an emerging growth company under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves risks. See Risk Factors on page 45. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.
Price to Public |
Underwriting
Discounts and Commissions(1) |
Proceeds,
before expenses, to us |
||||||||||
Per Unit |
$ | 10.00 | $ | 0.55 | $ | 9.45 | ||||||
Total |
$ | 400,000,000 | $ | 22,000,000 | $ | 378,000,000 |
(1) |
$0.20 per unit, or $8,000,000 in the aggregate (or $9,200,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), is payable upon the closing of this offering. Includes $0.35 per unit, or $14,000,000 in the aggregate (or up to $16,100,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States and released to the underwriters only upon the completion of a partnering transaction. See also Underwriting for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters. |
Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $400.0 million, or $460.0 million if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a United States-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of our partnering transaction; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months from the closing of this offering if we have executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for a partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering, which we refer to as an agreement in principle event throughout this prospectus, or such later date as approved by holders of a majority of the voting power of shares of our outstanding common stock that are voted at the meeting to extend such date, voting together as a single class) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public stockholders.
The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. Delivery of the units will be made on or about , 2021.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Joint Book-running Managers
Evercore ISI | Barclays |
The date of this prospectus is , 2021
(Prospectus cover continued from preceding page.)
This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of our Series A common stock and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Series A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus, and only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction and 12 months from the closing of this offering, and will expire five years after the completion of our partnering transaction or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, as described in this prospectus. Subject to the terms and conditions described in this prospectus, we may redeem the warrants once the warrants become exercisable. We have also granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 6,000,000 units to cover over-allotments, if any.
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of our Series A common stock upon the completion of our partnering transaction at a per-share price described in this prospectus, payable in cash, subject to the limitations described herein. If we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering, or 27 months following an agreement in principle event, as such period may be extended, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per-share price described in this prospectus, payable in cash, subject to applicable law.
Our sponsor, PHPC Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (which we refer to as our sponsor throughout this prospectus), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Post Holdings, Inc., a Missouri corporation (which we refer to as Post throughout this prospectus). Our sponsor will commit to purchase an aggregate of 1,200,000 units (or 1,320,000 units if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($12,000,000 in the aggregate, or $13,200,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The private placement units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will enter into a forward purchase agreement with our sponsor pursuant to which our sponsor will commit to purchase from us up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units, consisting of one share of Series B common stock, or a forward purchase share, and one-fifth of one warrant to purchase one share of Series A common stock, or a forward purchase warrant, for $10.00 per forward purchase unit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our partnering transaction. The proceeds from the sale of these forward purchase units, together with the amounts available to us from the trust account (after giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the partnering transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the partnering transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-partnering transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the trust account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, our sponsor may purchase less than 10,000,000 forward purchase units. The terms of the forward purchase warrants will generally be identical to the terms of the redeemable warrants included in the units being issued in this offering.
As of the date of this prospectus, our sponsor holds 11,500,000 shares of Series F common stock (which we refer to as our founder shares throughout this prospectus), up to 1,500,000 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised. The shares of Series F common stock will automatically convert into shares of Series B common stock at the time of our partnering transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis. Prior to and following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of our Series A common stock.
Prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, only holders of our Series F common stock will have the right to elect our directors. On any vote to approve our partnering transaction or on any other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders prior to our partnering transaction, holders of our Series A common stock, holders of our Series B common stock, if any, and holders of our Series F common stock will generally vote together as a single class, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, with each share of our common stock entitling the holder to one vote. Following our partnering transaction, holders of our Series A common stock and holders of our Series B common stock will generally vote together as a single class on all matters presented for a stockholder vote, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, with each share of Series A common stock entitling the holder to one vote per share and each share of Series B common stock entitling the holder to ten votes per share. This high vote feature of our Series B common stock differs from the typical capital structure of many other special purpose acquisition companies, in which the number of votes for founder shares and public shares remain the same after the partnering transaction.
In addition, certain members of our management team, and officers and directors of Post and their affiliates, may purchase our securities in the open market following the IPO and enter into an agreement in accordance with the guidelines of Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), to place limit orders, through an independent broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act which is not affiliated with us nor part of the underwriting or selling group, to purchase our securities in the open market at market prices, subject to certain conditions.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our units, Series A common stock or warrants. We intend to apply to list our units on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, under the symbol PSPC.U on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE. The Series A common stock and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus, unless Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to certain conditions. Once the securities constituting the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Series A common stock and warrants will be listed on the NYSE under the symbols PSPC and PSPC WS respectively.
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the units offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.
1 | ||||
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND RISK FACTOR SUMMARY |
43 | |||
45 | ||||
84 | ||||
89 | ||||
90 | ||||
92 | ||||
MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
94 | |||
100 | ||||
139 | ||||
148 | ||||
152 | ||||
156 | ||||
174 | ||||
184 | ||||
192 | ||||
192 | ||||
192 | ||||
F-1 |
Trademarks
This prospectus contains references to trademarks and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
i
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. As this is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under Risk Factors and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the context otherwise requires, references to:
|
agreement in principle event are to when we have executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for a partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering but have not completed the partnering transaction within such 24-month period; |
|
amended and restated bylaws are to our bylaws to be in effect upon the completion of this offering; |
|
amended and restated certificate of incorporation are to our certificate of incorporation to be in effect upon the completion of this offering; |
|
common stock are to our Series A common stock, our Series B common stock, our Series C common stock and our Series F common stock; |
|
company, our company or PHPC are to Post Holdings Partnering Corporation, a Delaware corporation; |
|
directors are to our current directors and director nominees; |
|
equity-linked securities are to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for shares of our common stock issued in a financing transaction in connection with our partnering transaction, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt; |
|
forward purchase agreement are to the agreement providing for the purchase of 10,000,000 forward purchase units at a price of $10.00 per unit, each consisting of one forward purchase share and one-fifth of a forward purchase warrant, by our sponsor in a private placement that will close substantially concurrently with the consummation of our partnering transaction; |
|
forward purchase shares are to the Series B shares of common stock included in the forward purchase units; |
|
forward purchase units are to the units to be acquired by our sponsor in connection with our partnering transaction; |
|
forward purchase warrants are to the warrants to purchase our shares of Series A common stock included in the forward purchase units; |
|
founder shares are to shares of our Series F common stock initially purchased by our sponsor in a private placement prior to this offering, shares of our Series B common stock issued upon the conversion of such shares of Series F common stock and shares of our Series A common stock issued upon the conversion of such shares of Series B common stock; |
|
management or our management team are to our officers and directors; |
|
Post are to Post Holdings, Inc., the parent of our sponsor; |
|
private placement shares are to the shares of Series A common stock sold as part of the private placement units; |
|
private placement units are to the units to be issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering and upon conversion of working capital loans, if any; |
1
|
private placement warrants are to the warrants sold as part of the private placement units or as a part of private placement units that are issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any; |
|
public shares are to shares of our Series A common stock sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market); |
|
public stockholders are to the holders of our public shares, including our sponsor, officers and directors to the extent our sponsor, officers or directors purchase public shares, provided that each of their status as a public stockholder shall only exist with respect to such public shares; |
|
public warrants are to our warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market) and to any private placement warrants sold to our sponsor that are subsequently resold to third parties following the consummation of our partnering transaction; |
|
related companies are to Post, 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, Inc., BellRing Brands, Inc., Lewis & Clark Partners, and their subsidiaries and certain other entities with an executive management team that may from time to time include one or more members of our management team; |
|
sponsor are to PHPC Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Post; |
|
warrants are to the public warrants, the forward purchase warrants and the private placement warrants; and |
|
we, us and our are to Post Holdings Partnering Corporation, a Delaware corporation, or, where applicable, members of its management team. |
Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our sponsor of an aggregate of 1,500,000 founder shares.
General
PHPC is a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation, formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar partnering transaction with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our partnering transaction. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. We have no specific business plan other than to enter into a partnering transaction. We have not selected any business with which to partner and have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any candidate with respect to a partnering transaction with us. Although we may pursue a partnering transaction in any industry, we intend to capitalize on the ability of our management team and our sponsor to partner with a business that has the potential to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry.
Post and Our Sponsor
An affiliate of Post will act as our sponsor. Post is a consumer packaged goods holding company with a long history of value creation via strategic corporate actions and efficient capital allocation. None of Posts business will directly be a source of returns for investors in our offering. While we expect Post to provide expertise, it is not obligated to and there is no guarantee it will source a partnering transaction. Post will not receive any additional compensation or finders fees from sourcing or providing financing for our partnering transaction. However, as a result of Posts indirect ownership of our founder shares, private placement units and forward purchase units, it may derive economic benefits from such securities. The amount of such economic benefits to Post cannot yet be determined. Any financing, whether provided by Post or third parties, may negatively impact
2
the value of our stockholders investment in us. See Risk Factors Risks Relating to Our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Partnering Transaction We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a partnering transaction, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders investment in us. Any financing provided by Post is expected to be on terms, taken as a whole, that would be at least as favorable to us as could be obtained from a third party.
Post generated 279% in total shareholder return since its spin-off from Ralcorp Holdings in 2012 until the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020 the highest among Posts packaged food industry peers. From Posts spin-off through December 31, 2020, Post generated 278% in total shareholder return, still among the highest of its peers, despite being impacted by the pandemics effect on its foodservice business. To achieve these results, Post has transformed from a single-product participant in a secularly declining category into a growing, diversified enterprise across multiple categories.
1. |
Fiscal year ended 9/30/2011. Reflects Net Sales for Post. |
2. |
Fiscal year ended 9/30/2020. Reflects Net Sales for Post and its equity investments, comprised of Post consolidated Net Sales of $5.7bn, which includes 100% of BellRing Brands, Inc. (BellRing), plus $924 million in Net Sales for 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, Inc. (8th Avenue). |
This transformation was accomplished by utilizing the following strategic guiding principles:
|
Long-tenured management team. We believe Post has the longest-tenured management team among its publicly-traded packaged food industry peers, with its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel having joined Post in various capacities in 2011. This continuity and cohesive team structure has created a strong, collaborative culture with significant accumulated institutional knowledge and transaction expertise. |
3
|
De-centralized operating structure. Posts corporate management recognizes that the operator skill set is often different than the capital allocation or mergers and acquisitions (M&A) skill set. As such, Post retains an operationally-focused management team to run each of its business units and centralizes the capital allocation function. This structure allows each of Posts business units to achieve operational excellence and be agile and nimble, while remaining autonomous from, but accountable to, the corporate management team at Post. This also enables corporate management to focus on efficient capital allocation and accretive M&A and structured transactions on a holistic basis across the portfolio. |
|
Creative and pragmatic approach to M&A. Posts corporate management possesses a deep M&A proficiency, employing leverage and transaction structure to enhance returns. Unlike some corporations with M&A in their DNA, Post is not solely an asset accumulator, but rather seeks to monetize assets opportunistically to unlock shareholder value. |
|
Broad access to deal flow. Given Posts extensive M&A track-record and heavy use of the capital markets, corporate management has regular direct contact with various management teams, board members, and sell-side bankers. The Post team is well suited to transact in situations that require creativity, complexity, or structuring expertise. |
|
Appropriate use of leverage to enhance equity returns. Posts corporate management actively manages its balance sheet and has a sophisticated understanding of the capital markets. Since its spin-off, Post has undertaken over 30 capital markets transactions and maintained leverage in a range of 4.0x to 6.0x for most of that time. |
Post intends to apply these primary strategic principles to capitalize on the substantial deal flow and opportunity that management sees across the consumer sector. As such, we are seeking to partner with a business in an attractive category, with growth potential organically or through consolidation opportunities, margin upside potential, portfolio optionality, and an experienced management team. Post management believes that PHPCs formation, and its position outside of the immediate Post corporate structure, greatly expands the potential universe of targets and target financial profiles that could potentially generate attractive returns for shareholders. We are open to assessing high-growth partners, yet prioritize other criteria, as outlined in Our Investment Criteria. The partnering transaction would provide the candidate business an efficient path to become public, backed by Posts experience managing consumer products businesses, allocating capital, and building a foundation for future acquisitions and value creation. As a long-term partner, Post will enhance the potential candidates ability to generate risk-adjusted returns for stockholders.
Capitalizing on Posts History
Posts history is rooted in M&A as a lever for value-creation against an ever-evolving CPG category backdrop.
Posts legacy dates back to 1895, when C. W. Post incorporated Postum Cereals Company and developed one of the first ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals, Grape-Nuts, in 1897. The company became the first packaged food consolidator, as Postum Cereals Company acquired over a dozen companies between 1925 and 1929, expanding its product line to more than 60 products and eventually changing its name to General Foods Corporation.
Philip Morris Companies (Philip Morris) acquired the business in 1985 and subsequently merged the business with Kraft Foods Inc. (Kraft) in 1989. In 2007, Kraft was separated from Philip Morris, and in 2008, the Post cereals business was split-off from Kraft and combined with Ralcorp Holdings (Ralcorp), a manufacturer of private label packaged food. Ultimately, Post was spun-off from Ralcorp and became a separate, standalone company, effective February 3, 2012.
4
Posts character as an early food industry consolidator re-emerged when it once again became a standalone public company. A component of managements initial mandate was to consolidate the RTE cereal category. At the same time, the category began to experience a more pronounced shift in consumption, after decades of low-to-mid single digit growth. Consumers began to exhibit a preference for low-carbohydrate diets, natural ingredients, or non-processed foods, and were substituting protein-based options for cereals. In the face of enhanced competition in a growth-constrained environment, Post developed a diversification strategy that prioritized performance stability and free cash flow generation. Management recognized early and positioned its portfolio accordingly around long-term consumer trends. To diversify its cereal offerings, some of managements first acquisitions were focused on building a foothold in protein products relevant to the breakfast daypart, both for at-home and on-the-go eating occasions. The acquisitions of Michael Foods and Premier Protein allowed Post to unlock desired strategic diversity. Post later was able to translate those early actions into future value creation when it carved out BellRing, which held Posts active nutrition businesses including Premier Protein, highlighting that Post is not an asset accumulator, and instead seeks to crystallize value when possible to maximize long-term returns for shareholders. In total, Post has acquired 16 businesses since 2012, growing net sales nearly six times and Adjusted EBITDA over five times.
1. |
Posts fiscal year end is September 30. |
Central to Posts value creation strategy is the simple notion of accessing capital at a reasonable cost and investing the capital in consumer assets with appropriate risk-adjusted return potential. Over its history, Post has been an active issuer in different capital markets including high-yield debt (both term loans and bonds), convertible preferred equity, mandatory convertible equity, and common equity. In addition, Post has also partnered with private equity capital providers (via its formation of 8th Avenue), as well as the public equity markets (via its BellRing carve-out initial public offering, IPO). Post management views the market for blank check companies as a natural extension of this strategy of leveraging its capital base through creative financial structures.
Post management believes that the current combination of macro, market, and contextual opportunity have combined to make the present moment the right time to explore value-accretive transactions where Post can apply its core M&A skill set outside of the immediate Post corporate structure. Both Post shareholders and PHPC stockholders have the opportunity to benefit from the formation of PHPC and the complementary, aligned objectives that will guide its pursuit of value creation.
Differentiated Sponsor
Our sponsor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Post. Post operates as a holding company for six distinct businesses today. Four of the businesses are wholly-owned, including Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. Two of the businesses are held as investments in non-wholly owned
5
subsidiaries. BellRing is Posts historical active nutrition business. Post completed an IPO of a minority interest in BellRing in October 2019, monetizing a 28.8% stake in the business while retaining 71.2% for upside in the public markets. 8th Avenue is Posts historical private brand business, which Post capitalized separately with investments from third parties in October 2018, retaining a 60.5% stake for future upside potential and optionality. Post is familiar with operating as a public company with a complex organizational structure, making it an ideal partner to PHPC.
Posts operating model with its existing subsidiaries is similar to the expected relationship with our ultimate partner, making Post uniquely qualified to sponsor our business. Each of Posts six businesses has its own management and operating structure, while capital allocation and M&A are centrally-managed by Post. The subsidiary businesses are unified, but not operationally integrated, by select shared services across the portfolio related to food safety, regulatory and compliance oversight; treasury; finance; investor relations; tax; select information technology; human resources; and corporate legal. De-centralization allows each business to flexibly and quickly respond to market movements, and enables them to be separated in the future without significant disintegration effects or stranded costs.
Stemming from its own strategic principles, Post intends to provide the following support to the ultimate partner as sponsor:
|
Consumer products industry expertise and relationships. Posts management team has a collective 100+ years of industry experience in consumer products. Rob Vitale additionally serves on the board of directors of Energizer Holdings, Inc., a publicly-traded company operating in the household products category. The management teams relationships with business managers and operators across all corporate functions, as well as among the financial communities that invest in CPG businesses, provides the partnering candidate access to best-in-class leadership and strategic acumen. |
|
M&A experience and capabilities, including access to deal flow. Post has completed 16 acquisitions since 2012, building the relationships that place it at the nexus of deal flow between strategic and sponsor transactions, while developing the resources and experience to move quickly and decisively. Since future M&A opportunity is a major consideration in our selection of an ultimate partner, Post would be a valuable resource. |
1. |
Transformative acquisitions are defined as transactions with a purchase price >$1,000 million. |
|
Tax and structuring expertise and resources. Posts own corporate organization and transaction experience provide administrative resources and third party relationships that will help optimize corporate and deal structure. |
|
Capitalization formation and ongoing balance sheet management. Post already provides treasury services to its business units as well as to its affiliate investments under master services agreements, so an extension of its guidance to our business would be a natural step to leverage its expertise. Post takes a thoughtful, appropriately aggressive, and proactive approach to balance sheet management, having flexed up and down leverage for acquisitions since its spin-off. |
6
|
Experienced manager of a public company. Post management has deep expertise in leading a public company. Post intends to leverage its experience to support the partnering candidate as it enters the public markets for the first time. |
|
Potential shared services. While we will not be integrated into Post as a wholly-owned subsidiary, we expect to have a similar relationship to the sponsor as Posts current subsidiaries. Post and management will take into account potential revenue and cost synergies that might be available based on common capabilities, customers, operations, or distribution channels in evaluating potential partnering opportunities; Post may be able to offer certain administrative services to leverage costs across a larger portfolio. |
Post aims to help build a foundation for our long-term success, and will lend its expertise, resources, and guidance, backed by its initial financial commitment, to start our journey as a public company.
Immediately prior to this proposed public offering our sponsor owned 100% of our capital stock, consisting of shares of Series F common stock which will automatically convert at the time of our partnering transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, into shares of Series B common stock on a one-for-one basis. In connection with our partnering transaction, our sponsor has agreed to purchase 10,000,000 forward purchase units consisting of one share of Series B common stock and one-fifth of a forward purchase warrant. Following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock entitles the holder to ten votes per share which differs from the typical capital structure of many other special purpose acquisition companies. Assuming that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our sponsor forfeits an aggregate of 1,500,000 founder shares, that there are 51,200,000 shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering and that the issuance of 10,000,000 forward purchase units to our sponsor pursuant to the forward purchase agreement are the only additional equity securities issued in connection with our partnering transaction, our sponsor is expected to own approximately 35% of the outstanding shares of our common stock and approximately 83% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock immediately following the closing of our partnering transaction. We anticipate that our sponsors voting power and equity ownership may be substantially diluted in connection with our partnering transaction, either from the issuance of new shares of common stock in exchange for the capital stock of the target, the issuance of our capital stock to third party investors providing additional funding to our company in connection with the partnering transaction, or both. However, until such time, our sponsor and Post will have the ability to exercise control over our affairs, policies and operations, such as the appointment of management, the issuance of additional shares of our common stock or other securities, the payment of dividends on our common stock, the incurrence of debt by us and over matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents and any change of control of our company. Our sponsor may have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree and which may be adverse to your interests.
Posts Investment Track Record Is Highly Relevant Across the Consumer Landscape
When Post became a standalone public company in 2012, it was a single-category business operating in the highly-competitive RTE cereal category with concentrated distribution channels in food, drug, mass, and club, offering only center-of-store products. Since then, Post has transformed into a dynamic, multi-category food company with diversified income streams and portfolio optionality. Posts experience is relevant across the CPG industry as many categories face similar dynamics.
A core element of Posts strategy relates to empowering management teams to operate toward a model that prioritizes top-line stability, margin enhancement, free cash flow generation, and agile responses to consumer preferences. The de-centralized model is intentionally designed to increase each individual units flexibility, accountability, and entrepreneurship. Posts performance demonstrates managements ability to effectively incentivize and guide capital allocation decisions without crafting or developing each units specific operating or go-to-market strategy.
7
Layered on top of organic growth is a discerning approach to inorganic expansion. Management has acquired 16 companies ranging from sub-$100 million to ~$2.45 billion in size since 2012. Despite the broad diversity in size, category, geography, and other business characteristics, Posts strategy has been consistent. That is, to build leadership positions in categories with attractive dynamics and to diversify the total portfolio by expanding into new categories and channels, while addressing secular themes in food to insulate the portfolio from potential dietary, lifestyle or economic shifts. Post utilizes tax benefits (as appropriate and available) and aims to extract synergies where possible, using integration expertise to buy down the effective purchase multiple and enhance value creation. However, given Posts de-centralized operating structure and diversified portfolio approach, synergies are not a pre-requisite for pursuing an acquisition that makes strategic sense or unlocks long-term strategic value.
Adherence to its upfront acquisition criteria, combined with effective integration that does not prioritize extreme cost-focused synergy extraction, has enhanced the return of Posts portfolio and resulted in a strong track record of nearly all M&A targets performing ahead of the acquisition case under Posts stewardship.
Posts results with its own business are a clear indicator of its track record. Post has driven attractive total returns for its shareholders and has delivered returns in excess of its peers since its formation.
Post has also monetized assets opportunistically, using structured M&A to generate return while simultaneously retaining potential future upside. On October 1, 2018, Post completed an independent capitalization of 8th Avenue, providing gross proceeds to Post of $875 million while allowing Post to retain 60.5% in common equity post-closing. 8th Avenue is now a deconsolidated equity investment that is owned jointly with third party investors. On October 21, 2019, BellRing completed an initial public offering, providing net proceeds to Post of $524 million while allowing Post to retain a 71.2% ownership stake. BellRing remains fully-consolidated in Posts financial results. Based on its current valuation in the public equity markets as of December 31, 2020, BellRing has achieved a more than six times increase in the entitys enterprise value since the businesses were acquired and combined by Post in 2014. Post is therefore positioned to continue to realize
8
value from growth in these investments, while still having recovered nearly all of its initial cash investment in both assets, providing ongoing strategic and portfolio optionality.
Note: Entry enterprise value represents the cumulative headline purchase price paid for the assets that comprise the ultimate company
1. |
Current market data per FactSet as of 12/31/2020. Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is calculated between the closing date of the final asset acquired at entry through current market data as of 12/31/2020. |
2. |
2018 enterprise value per Lender Presentation published in connection with the 8th Avenue capitalization in October 2018. |
As the sole member of our sponsor, Post will be providing us with differentiated expertise as a result of its track record of identifying high potential businesses as well as its differentiated access to a deep network of investors worldwide. Additionally, Posts franchise strength brings capital, credibility, and institutional know-how to execute the partnering transaction quickly.
Our Business Strategy
Our strategy is to identify, partner with and, after our partnering transaction, fundamentally enhance a company in the public markets. We intend to partner with a company in the consumer products industry that complements the experience and expertise of our management team and is a business to which we believe we can add value.
Our management team is deeply familiar with the trends of our target industries and brings an investing approach that offers multiple competitive advantages in sourcing, evaluating and executing on opportunities, including:
|
Long-term investment horizon. We take a long-term, strategic view when evaluating our various operating businesses and are less concerned with seeking profits based on near-term volatility or temporary market disruptions. |
|
Attractive risk-adjusted returns. We believe we can create significant value through efficient capital allocation, appropriately aggressive balance sheet management and a business model that focuses on outsized growth prospects and free cash flow generation. |
|
Sophisticated transaction structuring to enhance value. We will be creative in our deal structures in order to maximize value creation for our prospective investors and shareholders. |
|
Differentiated partner sourcing across consumer sectors. Post management is at the nexus of deal flow for both strategics and sponsors. We believe that the capabilities and connections of our management team, in combination with those of Post, will provide us with a differentiated pipeline of |
9
partnering opportunities that would be difficult for other participants in the M&A markets to replicate. |
|
Speed and agility to consummate a partnering transaction. Our team has proven managerial expertise in deal execution having previously acquired and divested a number of businesses. We believe that we will be able to conduct candidate sourcing, screening, diligence and execution thoughtfully and efficiently as opportunities arise. |
Our Investment Criteria
We have identified general criteria and guidelines for selecting an appropriate target, which we believe are important in evaluating prospective partnering businesses:
|
Fundamental business value. We look for businesses with consumer utility, strong brand awareness, and unique value propositions anchored by effective distribution and solid household penetration. We are also looking for businesses that are future-forward and disruptive in the way that they operate and/or the value proposition that they offer to consumers. |
|
Attractive categories within the consumer products industry broadly. Categories where competitive dynamics remain supportive of growth opportunities, there are pockets of growth or pent-up demand, adjacency opportunities, multiple routes to market, or consolidation potential. |
|
Well-established strategic moat. Entrenched, defensible leadership positions in core growth categories. |
|
Strong margin potential. Attractive gross margin and adjusted EBITDA margin performance with identifiable opportunities for organic growth and operating leverage through increased scale. |
|
Strong free cash flow capability. Limited capital expenditure needs and modest working capital requirements to drive strong cash generation. |
|
Portfolio optionality. Our goal is to build multiple paths to value creation, either with in-bound or out-bound M&A. We favor businesses with platform opportunities, where the structure of a candidate enables building or disaggregating consumer products businesses over time. |
|
Experienced management team. We will seek to partner with deep, experienced and talented management teams to lead the business and have responsibility for driving operating results. |
|
Desire to become a standalone public company. We will seek to partner with a business that has a desire to become a standalone public company and retain its economic autonomy. |
These criteria and guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. Further, we intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our partnering transaction with a candidate that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular partnering transaction may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general criteria and guidelines, as well as other considerations, factors and criteria deemed relevant by our management in effecting our partnering transaction consistent with our business objectives. In the event that we decide to enter into our partnering transaction with a candidate that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the candidate does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our partnering transaction, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC).
10
Our Competitive Strengths
The sourcing, valuation, diligence, and execution capabilities of our management team and Post will provide us with a significant pipeline of opportunities from which to evaluate and select a business that will benefit from our expertise. Our competitive strengths include the following core principles by which we govern ourselves:
|
Long-term orientation. Closing our partnering transaction is important but we are intensely focused on long-term share price performance and the interests of common stockholders post-closing. |
|
Partnership model. We are not reliant on finding a company which needs operational improvement, cost cutting or replacing senior management. We are not activist investors. We are not buyout specialists. We are not short-term promoters. We have a long-term partnership mentality and collaborative investment model which is grounded and driven by our belief in fairness and alignment of interests. |
|
Committed co-investment capital. Post intends to utilize its balance sheet to co-invest alongside public market investors. We believe that our initial committed capital in conjunction with our aligned economic interests will allow us to partner with a high quality company. |
|
Continued ownership. We are focused on partnering with management teams who are focused on long-term compounded growth and existing owners who may want to continue ownership in a high quality asset but need to provide liquidity to existing stockholders and/or limited partners. PHPC provides an ability to transition ownership to the public market, which is deeper and more liquid than the private market, in a disciplined fashion and for existing owners to share in the future upside potential over the long term. |
|
Deep experience of our sponsor and our management team. We believe that our ability to leverage the operational experience of Post, which has completed over 16 acquisitions since 2012 across a wide spectrum of size, subsector, and ownership structure, will provide us with a distinct advantage in being able to source, diligence, and add value post-closing of the partnering transaction. |
|
Differentiated sourcing channels with leading industry, private equity, and venture capital relationships. Our management team and sponsor believe the capabilities and connections associated with our management team will provide us with a differentiated pipeline of partnering opportunities that would be difficult for other participants in the market to replicate. We expect these sourcing capabilities will be further bolstered by our management teams reputation and deep industry, private equity, and venture capital relationships. |
|
Investing experience. Our management team and sponsor believe that our managements track record of identifying and sourcing transactions in the consumer sector positions us well to appropriately evaluate potential partnering candidates and select one that will be well received by the public markets and our stockholders. |
|
Post-closing value-add capabilities and requirements. Our management team and sponsor believe that our combined expertise and reputation will allow us to drive meaningful value post-closing with the partner company. If our value-add is not readily identifiable, then we will choose not to execute that partnering transaction. |
We believe our ability to complete a partnering transaction will be enhanced by our having entered into a forward purchase agreement with our sponsor pursuant to which our sponsor will commit that it will purchase from us up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units, each consisting of one forward purchase share and one-fifth of one forward purchase warrant, for $10.00 per forward purchase unit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our partnering transaction.
11
The proceeds from the sale of these forward purchase units, together with the amounts available to us from the trust account (after giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the partnering transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the partnering transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-partnering transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the trust account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, our sponsor may purchase less than 10,000,000 forward purchase units. The terms of the forward purchase warrants will generally be identical to the terms of the redeemable warrants included in the units being issued in this offering.
Our Process
In evaluating a prospective partnering candidate, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees and inspection of physical assets, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information that will be made available to us. We will employ third party diligence to support our internal efforts where appropriate.
We are not prohibited from pursuing a partnering transaction with a business that is owned by our sponsor or any of the related companies, or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with any of them. In the event we seek to complete our partnering transaction with a target that is owned by one of the related companies, a committee of our independent and disinterested directors will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another accounting, valuation or appraisal firm that such partnering transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view. However, we are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular candidate is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our partnering transaction. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular partnering transaction if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a candidate business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our partnering transaction.
As described under Management Conflicts of Interest, each of our officers and directors has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to one or more other entities, including, in certain cases, to Post, pursuant to which such officer or director may be required to present a partnering transaction opportunity to such entities before he or she presents such opportunity to us. Also, none of our sponsor or any of our directors and officers is prohibited from sponsoring, investing or otherwise becoming involved with any other blank check companies, including in connection with their partnering transactions. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a partnering transaction opportunity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to another entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, he or she may only present such opportunity to us if such other entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company, such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and such person has no fiduciary or contractual obligation to present the opportunity to any other person or entity, including, in certain cases, to Post. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our partnering transaction. We believe that potential conflicts with
12
Post are naturally mitigated by the differing nature of the investments Post would typically consider most synergistic to the existing Post businesses and the types of transactions we expect to find most attractive based, in part, on transaction size and ability to operate as a standalone public company. Notwithstanding our belief regarding natural mitigation, Post and its subsidiaries may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that fall within Posts investment objectives or strategies. A decision by Post to pursue an opportunity would preclude us from pursuing it and could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our partnering transaction.
You should not rely on the historical record or performance of Post or our management team as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or are likely to, generate going forward. See Risk Factors General Risk Factors Past performance by Post and members of our management team may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.
Our Management Team
Our experienced management team is well suited to identify and execute an attractive partnering transaction for our shareholders. Our management team is led by Robert V. Vitale as President and Chief Investment Officer, Bradly A. Harper as Chief Financial Officer, Jeff A. Zadoks as a member of our board of directors, and Jim Dwyer, Jennifer Kuperman, Dave Peacock and David Taiclet who will become members of our board of directors upon the completion of this offering.
|
Robert V. Vitale President and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Vitale has served as our President and Chief Investment Officer since January 2021. Mr. Vitale has also served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Post since November 2014. He joined Post during the time of its spinoff from Ralcorp and was Posts Chief Financial Officer from 2011 to 2014. Mr. Vitale is the Executive Chairman of BellRing, of which Post is the majority stockholder. Mr. Vitale previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AHM Financial Group, LLC, a diversified provider of insurance brokerage and wealth management services, from 2006 to 2011. Prior to AHM Financial Group, LLC, Mr. Vitale was a Partner of Westgate Equity Partners, LLC, a consumer-oriented private equity firm, and started his career at Boatmens Bancshares and KPMG. Mr. Vitale also serves on the board of directors of 8th Avenue and Energizer Holdings, Inc. |
|
Bradly A. Harper Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Harper has served as our Chief Financial Officer since January 2021. Mr. Harper has also served as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Principal Accounting Officer of Post since December 1, 2018. Mr. Harper served as the Vice President and Corporate Controller of Post from November 2014 to December 2018 and the Director of Corporate Accounting and Reporting of Post from December 2011 until November 2014. Prior to joining Post, Mr. Harper served as Assistant Controller of Savvis, Inc., a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprises. |
|
Jeff A. Zadoks Director. Mr. Zadoks has served as a member of our board of directors since January 2021. Mr. Zadoks has also served as Executive Vice President of Post since November 2017 and Chief Financial Officer of Post since 2014. He joined Post in 2011 as Corporate Controller. Mr. Zadoks previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of RehabCare Group, a national rehabilitation services company. Prior to RehabCare, Mr. Zadoks was the Corporate Controller at MEMC Electronic Materials (SunEdison), and started his career in the audit practice at KPMG. |
|
Jim Dwyer Director Nominee. Mr. Dwyer will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Dwyer has been the Chairman of the board of directors of 8th Avenue since May 2020 and served as its Chief Executive Officer from January 2018 until May 2020. Mr. Dwyer served as the President and CEO of Michael Foods, an operating company of Post, from October 2009 until February 2018. |
13
|
Jennifer Kuperman Director Nominee. Ms. Kuperman will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Ms. Kuperman was Head of International Corporate Affairs at Alibaba Group Holding Limited, a multinational conglomerate holding company specializing in eCommerce, retail, internet and technology, from April 2016 until January 2021 and served as Vice President, International Corporate Affairs at Alibaba Group Holding Limited from August 2014 to April 2016. Prior to joining Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Ms. Kuperman was Senior Vice President of Corporate Brand and Reputation at Visa Inc., a global payments technology company, from April 2013 to August 2014 and Chief of Staff, Office of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Visa Inc. from August 2010 to April 2013. Ms. Kuperman also served as Head of Global Corporate Communications and Citizenship at Visa Inc. from August 2008 to July 2010 and Head of Employee and Client Communication at Visa Inc. from August 2004 to June 2008. Ms. Kuperman serves on the board of directors of BellRing. Ms. Kuperman also serves on the board of directors of CoachArt, a nonprofit organization that provides arts and recreational opportunities to youth with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. |
|
Dave Peacock Director Nominee. Mr. Peacock will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Peacock has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Schnucks Markets since May 2017. Prior to joining Schnucks management team, he was on the board of advisors for the firm as well as founder and Chairman of Vitaligent, LLC, a multi-unit restaurant franchisee. Mr. Peacock served as Senior Advisor to Anheuser-Busch from February 2012 until June 2012, President of Anheuser-Busch from November 2008 until January 2012, Vice President of Marketing at Anheuser-Busch from October 2007 until November 2008, and Vice President of Business Operations, Anheuser-Busch Incorporated from December 2004 until September 2007. |
|
David L. Taiclet Director Nominee. Mr. Taiclet will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Taiclet has served as General Partner and Managing Director of the Lewis & Clark Partners AgriFood Investment Group since November 2018. Mr. Taiclet served in several leadership positions for 1800Flowers.com from May 2006 until May 2017, as CEO of Fannie May Confections Brands from May 2006 until October 2008 and, ultimately, as President of the Gourmet Food Group from October 2008 until May 2017. Mr. Taiclet held numerous positions in the Strategy and Business Development Group of Cargill, Inc., an international marketer, processor and distributor of food, financial and industrial products. |
Partnering Transaction
NYSE listing rules require that our partnering transaction must be with one or more target businesses that have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our partnering transaction. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our partnering transaction, although there is no assurance that will be the case.
We anticipate structuring our partnering transaction so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own or acquire shares will own or acquire 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our partnering transaction such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such partnering transaction if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the target or otherwise acquires an interest
14
in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act). Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the target, our stockholders prior to our partnering transaction may collectively own a minority interest (economic and/or voting) in the post-partnering transaction company, depending on, among other things, valuations ascribed to the target and us in our partnering transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target business, issue a substantial number of new shares to third parties in connection with financing our partnering transaction or our sponsor could convert some or all of its Series B common stock into Series A common stock. In such cases, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares of common stock or other changes to our capital structure, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction (including our sponsor) could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock subsequent to such transaction and therefore a minority interest (economic and/or voting) in the post-transaction company. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired by us is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our partnering transaction involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on the NYSE for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net assets test.
Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the completion of our partnering transaction.
Corporate Information
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the JOBS Act). As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the
15
market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that fiscal years second fiscal quarter; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to emerging growth company have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.
Our executive offices are located at 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63144 and our telephone number is (314) 644-7600. Upon completion of this offering, our corporate website address will be www.postpspc.com. Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to invest in our securities.
16
The Offering
In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the identity of our sponsor and the experience of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled Risk Factors in this prospectus.
Securities offered |
40,000,000 units (or 46,000,000 units if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of: |
|
one share of Series A common stock; and |
|
one-fifth of one redeemable warrant to purchase one share of Series A common stock. |
Proposed NYSE symbols |
Units: PSPC.U |
Series A Common Stock: PSPC |
Warrants: PSPC WS |
Trading commencement and separation of Series A common stock and warrants |
The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Series A common stock and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus, unless Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the shares of Series A common stock and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of Series A common stock and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you are separating a multiple of five units, the number of warrants issuable to you upon separation of the units will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of warrants. |
Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our partnering transaction. |
Separate trading of the Series A common stock and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K |
In no event will the Series A common stock and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K, |
17
which includes an audited balance sheet of our company reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option. |
Units:
Number outstanding before this offering |
0 |
Number of private placement units to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering |
1,200,000(1) |
Number outstanding after this offering and the sale of the private placement units |
41,200,000(1) |
Common stock:
Number outstanding before this offering |
11,500,000(2)(4) |
Number outstanding after this offering |
51,200,000(1)(3)(4) |
Warrants:
Number of private placement warrants to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering |
240,000(1) |
Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the sale of private placement units |
8,240,000(1) |
(1) |
Assumes no exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option and the forfeiture by our sponsor of an aggregate of 1,500,000 founder shares. |
(2) |
Consists solely of founder shares and includes up to an aggregate of 1,500,000 founder shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised. |
(3) |
Includes 40,000,000 public shares, 10,000,000 founder shares and 1,200,000 private placement shares. No shares of Series B common stock or Series C common stock will be issued or outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering. |
(4) |
Founder shares are classified as shares of Series F common stock. Shares of Series F common stock will automatically convert into shares of Series B common stock at the time of our partnering transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, as described below adjacent to the caption Founder shares conversion. Prior to and following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of our Series A common stock. No shares of Series B common stock or Series C common stock will be issued or outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering. |
18
Exercisability |
Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Series A common stock, subject to adjustment as provided herein, and only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. |
We structured each unit to contain one-fifth of one warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Series A common stock, as compared to units issued by some other similar blank check companies which contain whole warrants exercisable for one whole share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of our partnering transaction as compared to units that each contain a warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive partnering transaction partner for target businesses. |
Exercise price |
$11.50 per share of Series A common stock, subject to adjustment as described herein. |
In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities, excluding forward purchase units, for capital raising purposes in connection with the consummation of our partnering transaction at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or Post or its other subsidiaries, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or Post or its other subsidiaries, as applicable) (the Newly Issued Price), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances, excluding the forward purchase units, represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our partnering transaction on the date of the completion of our partnering transaction (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Series A common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our partnering transaction (such price, the Market Value) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described below under Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. |
Exercise period |
The warrants will become exercisable on the later of: |
|
30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction; and |
|
12 months from the closing of this offering; |
19
provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement). |
We are not registering the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the consummation of our partnering transaction, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC, and within 60 business days following our partnering transaction to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Series A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed; provided that, if our Series A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a covered security under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. |
The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our partnering transaction or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account. |
Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 |
Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants): |
|
in whole and not in part; |
|
at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
|
upon a minimum of 30 days prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the 30-day redemption period; and |
|
if, and only if, the last reported sale price of our Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted |
20
for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading Description of Securities Warrants Public Stockholders Warrants Anti-dilution Adjustments) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
We will not redeem the warrants for cash unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. |
If we call the warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a cashless basis. In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Series A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Series A common stock equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Series A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the fair market value of our Series A common stock (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) 0.361 shares of Series A common stock per warrant (subject to adjustment). See Description of Securities Warrants Public Stockholders Warrants for additional information. |
The fair market value of our Series A common stock for this purpose shall mean the volume weighted average price of our Series A common stock during the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. We will provide our warrant holders with the final fair market value no later than one business day after the 10-trading day period described above ends. |
Forward Purchase Agreement |
In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will enter into a forward purchase agreement with our sponsor pursuant to |
21
which our sponsor will commit to purchase from us up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units, consisting of one forward purchase share and one-fifth of one forward purchase warrant, for $10.00 per forward purchase unit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our partnering transaction. The proceeds from the sale of these forward purchase units, together with the amounts available to us from the trust account (after giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the partnering transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the partnering transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-partnering transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the trust account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, our sponsor may purchase less than 10,000,000 forward purchase units. |
The forward purchase shares will be subject to registration rights. The forward purchase warrants will generally be identical to the term of the redeemable warrants included in the units being issued in this offering. |
Election of directors; voting rights |
Prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, only holders of our Series F common stock will have the right to vote on the election of directors. Holders of our Series A common stock and holders of our Series B common stock, if any, will not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock. On any vote to approve our partnering transaction or any other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders prior to our partnering transaction other than the matters addressed above in this paragraph, holders of our Series A common stock, holders of our Series B common stock, if any, and holders of our Series F common stock will generally vote together as a single class, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, with each share of our common stock entitling the holder to one vote. |
Following our partnering transaction, holders of our Series A common stock and holders of our Series B common stock will generally vote together as a single class on matters presented for a stockholder vote, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, with each share of Series A common stock entitling the holder to one vote per share and each share of Series B common stock entitling the holder to ten votes per share. Holders of our Series C common stock will not be entitled to any voting powers, |
22
except as (and then only to the extent) otherwise required by Delaware law. The high-vote nature of our Series B common stock differs from the typical capital structure of many other special purpose acquisition companies and will significantly dilute the voting power of the investors in this offering following our partnering transaction and may make completing our partnering transaction more difficult or costly. |
Founder shares |
In January 2021, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 11,500,000 shares of Series F common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, with a purchase price of approximately $0.002 per share. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the completion of this offering. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $25,000 by our sponsor, the company had no assets, tangible or intangible. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Series F common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the consummation of this offering. Up to an aggregate of 1,500,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised. |
The founder shares are identical to the shares of Series A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: |
|
prior to our partnering transaction, only holders of the Series F common stock have the right to vote on the election of directors. Such rights as provided by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock; |
|
prior to our partnering transaction and so long as any shares of Series F common stock remain outstanding, the rights, powers and preferences provided by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to the Series B common stock may be amended only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Series F common stock; |
|
on any vote to approve our partnering transaction or any other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders prior to our partnering transaction other than the matters set forth in the |
23
previous bullets, holders of our Series A common stock, holders of our Series B common stock, if any, and holders of our Series F common stock will generally vote together as a single class, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, with each share of our common stock entitling the holder to one vote; |
|
following our partnering transaction, holders of our Series A common stock and holders of our Series B common stock will generally vote together as a single class on matters presented for a stockholder vote, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, with each share of Series A common stock entitling the holder to one vote per share and each share of Series B common stock entitling the holder to ten votes per share; |
|
the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; |
|
our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to waive: (1) their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction; (2) their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (3) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any extended time that we have to consummate a partnering transaction beyond 24 months (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) as a result of a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (an Extension Period) (although our sponsor, officers and directors will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame). If we submit our partnering transaction to our public stockholders for a vote, our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree to vote all shares of our common stock held by them in favor of our partnering transaction. As a result, in addition to our sponsors founder shares and private placement shares, we would need |
24
14,400,001, or 36.0% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised), or 1,600,001, or 4.00% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised), of the 40,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a partnering transaction in order to have such partnering transaction approved; |
|
shares of our Series F common stock are automatically convertible into shares of our Series B common stock at the time of our partnering transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, as described in more detail below, and, prior to and following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of our Series A common stock; and |
|
the holders of founder shares are entitled to registration rights. |
Transfer restrictions on founder shares and private placement units |
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree not to transfer, assign or sell (i) any founder shares held by them until the earlier to occur of: (1) one year after the completion of our partnering transaction; and (2) subsequent to our partnering transaction, (x) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of our Series A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our partnering transaction, or (ii) any of their private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants and Series A common stock issued upon conversion or exercise thereof until 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction, subject to certain exceptions described herein under Principal Stockholders Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units. Any permitted transferees as described herein under Principal Stockholders Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements as our sponsor with respect to any founder shares, private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants and shares of Series A common stock issued upon conversion or exercise thereof. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up. |
Founder shares conversion |
We have 11,500,000 shares of Series F common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, issued and outstanding. Shares of Series F common stock will automatically convert into shares of Series B |
25
common stock at the time of our partnering transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis. |
Prior to and following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of our Series A common stock. |
Private placement units |
Our sponsor has committed, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 1,200,000 private placement units (or 1,320,000 private placement units if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $10.00 per unit in a private placement to occur concurrently with the closing of this offering for an aggregate purchase price of $12,000,000 (or $13,200,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full). The private placement units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus. If we do not consummate a partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering, the proceeds from the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement units (and the underlying securities) will expire worthless. The private placement warrants included in the private placement units will be non-redeemable by us and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees (see Description of Securities Warrants Private Placement Warrants). If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering. |
Cashless exercise of private placement warrants |
If holders of private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, except as described under Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of shares of Series A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Series A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the Sponsor fair market value (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the Sponsor fair market value. The Sponsor fair market value shall mean the average reported closing price of the shares of Series A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the sponsor or its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a partnering |
26
transaction. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that restrict insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods. |
Transfer restrictions on private placement warrants |
The private placement warrants (including the Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction, except as described below under Principal Stockholders Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units. |
Proceeds to be held in trust account |
NYSE listing rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement units described in this prospectus, $400.0 million ($10.00 per unit), or $460.0 million ($10.00 per unit) if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full (including $14,000,000 (or up to $16,100,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions), will be deposited into a United States-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $1,500,000 will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering. The funds in the trust account will be invested only in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries. |
Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of our partnering transaction; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public stockholders. |
27
Anticipated expenses and funding sources |
Unless and until we complete our partnering transaction, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes or to redeem our public shares in connection with an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as described above. The funds in the trust account will be invested only in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Based upon current interest rates, we expect the trust account to generate approximately $400,000 of interest annually (assuming an interest rate of 0.1% per year). Unless and until we complete our partnering transaction, we may pay our expenses only from: |
|
the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $2,500,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $1,500,000 in expenses relating to this offering; and |
|
any loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or Post or any of its subsidiaries or other third parties, although they are under no obligation or other duty to loan funds to, or invest in, us, and provided that any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of our partnering transaction. If we complete our partnering transaction, we expect to repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our partnering transaction does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans made to us may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor. |
Conditions to completing our partnering transaction |
There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our partnering transaction. NYSE listing rules require that our partnering transaction must be with one or more target businesses that have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our partnering transaction. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated |
28
industries in conjunction with our partnering transaction, although there is no assurance that will be the case. |
If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We will complete our partnering transaction only if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the target or otherwise acquires an interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the target, our stockholders prior to our partnering transaction may collectively own a minority interest (economic and/or voting) in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our partnering transaction. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired by us is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test; provided that in the event that our partnering transaction involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses. |
Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities by our sponsor, insiders and the related companies |
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies and their directors, officers and advisors may purchase public shares or public warrants or a combination thereof in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market, either prior to or following the completion of our partnering transaction, although they are under no obligation or other duty to do so. There is no limit on the number of securities such persons may purchase, or any restriction on the price that they may pay. Any such price per share may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our partnering transaction. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our partnering transaction, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies and their directors, officers and advisors may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire |
29
public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our partnering transaction or not redeem their public shares. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such purchases or other transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such purchases or other transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions. Such persons will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. See Proposed Business Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities for a description of how such persons will determine from which stockholders to enter into transactions with. |
We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules. Our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies and their directors, officers and advisors will be restricted from making purchases if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. |
We expect that any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used in such transactions prior to completion of our partnering transaction. |
The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote such shares in favor of the partnering transaction and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the partnering transaction, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our partnering transaction or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the consummation of our partnering transaction, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our partnering transaction that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public float of our shares of Series A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange. |
30
Certain members of our management team, and officers and directors of Post and their affiliates, may purchase our securities in the open market following the IPO and enter into an agreement in accordance with the guidelines of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act to place limit orders, through an independent broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act which is not affiliated with us nor part of the underwriting or selling group, to purchase our securities in the open market at market prices, subject to certain conditions. |
Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our partnering transaction |
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our partnering transaction at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our partnering transaction with respect to our warrants. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to waive their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction. |
Manner of conducting redemptions |
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our partnering transaction either: (1) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the partnering transaction; or (2) by means of a tender offer. At completion of the partnering transaction, we will be required to purchase any public shares properly delivered for redemption and not withdrawn. Except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed partnering transaction or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction. Asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would typically require stockholder |
31
approval. We intend to conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other reasons. |
If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation: |
|
conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and |
|
file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our partnering transaction which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the partnering transaction and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
Upon the public announcement of our partnering transaction, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our Series A common stock in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act. |
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our partnering transaction until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions, or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our partnering transaction. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such partnering transaction, and we instead may search for an alternate partnering transaction (including, potentially, with the same target). |
If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, we will: |
|
conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and |
32
|
file proxy materials with the SEC. |
We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public stockholders at least 10 days prior to the stockholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such stockholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any stockholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our NYSE listing or Exchange Act registration. |
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction, holders of our common stock will vote together as a single class with each share entitling the holder to one vote and we will complete our partnering transaction only if a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock voted are voted in favor of the partnering transaction, subject to any other vote required by applicable law. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of our outstanding capital stock representing a majority of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Shares of common stock held by our sponsor, officers and directors will count towards this quorum and they have agreed to vote our common stock held by them in favor of our partnering transaction. We expect that at the time of any stockholder vote relating to our partnering transaction, our sponsor and its permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) entitled to vote thereon. As a result, in addition to our sponsors founder shares and private placement shares, we would need 14,400,001, or 36.0% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised), or 1,600,001, or 4.00% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised), of the 40,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a partnering transaction in order to have such partnering transaction approved. These quorum and voting thresholds and agreements may make it more likely that we will consummate our partnering transaction. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting, and if it does vote, irrespective of whether it votes for or against the proposed transaction. |
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions. Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our partnering |
33
transaction. For example, the proposed partnering transaction may require: (1) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners; (2) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes; or (3) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed partnering transaction. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed partnering transaction exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the partnering transaction or redeem any shares, all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate partnering transaction (including, potentially, with the same target). |
Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights |
We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in street name, to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve our partnering transaction in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Companys DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holders option, rather than simply voting against the partnering transaction. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our partnering transaction will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements, which will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. |
Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a stockholder vote |
Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a group (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares and subsequent attempts |
34
by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us or our sponsor to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a partnering transaction if such holders shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our partnering transaction, particularly in connection with a partnering transaction with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those stockholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our partnering transaction. |
Redemption rights in connection with proposed amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation |
Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain charter provisions. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any of its provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment of directors prior to our partnering transaction, which require the approval of holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock) related to pre-partnering transaction activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock, subject to applicable law or stock exchange rule, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock. Our sponsor, who will beneficially own 20% of our outstanding common stock upon the closing of this offering (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units and assuming our sponsor does not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner it may choose. Our sponsor, |
35
executive officers and directors will agree, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to waive their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with (x) amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation described above and (y) the completion of our partnering transaction. Any permitted transferees as described herein under Principal Stockholders Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements as our sponsor with respect to any founder shares. |
Release of funds in trust account on consummation of our partnering transaction |
On the completion of our partnering transaction, all amounts held in the trust account will be disbursed directly by the trustee or released to us to pay amounts due to any public stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights as described above under Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our partnering transaction, to pay the underwriters their deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our partnering transaction and to pay other expenses associated with our partnering transaction. If our partnering transaction is paid for using equity or debt or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our partnering transaction or used for redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our partnering transaction, to fund the purchase of other businesses, for share repurchases or for working capital. |
36
Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no partnering transaction |
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our partnering transaction (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event). If we have not completed our partnering transaction within such 24-month period (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within such 24-month period (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event). |
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period (although our sponsor, officers and directors will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame). The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our partnering transaction and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares. |
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this |
37
offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Series A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions. |
Limited payments to insiders |
There will be no finders fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by us to our sponsor, Post or its other subsidiaries, or their officers or directors, for services rendered to us prior to or in |
connection with the completion of our partnering transaction, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account prior to the completion of our partnering transaction:
|
repayment of an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; |
|
payment to certain subsidiaries of Post of a total of $40,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services; |
|
payments of fees in cash to each of our non-employee directors for service on our board of directors in the amounts of $50,000 on each of the closing of this offering, the one-year anniversary of the closing of this offering, and the earlier of (x) the two-year anniversary of the closing of this offering and (y) the closing of our partnering transaction; |
|
reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing a partnering transaction; and |
|
repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or Post or its other subsidiaries or certain of our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended partnering transaction, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans made to us may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. |
These payments may be funded using the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, in each case to the extent not held in the trust account or, upon the consummation |
38
of the partnering transaction, from any amounts remaining from the proceeds of the trust account released to us in connection therewith. |
Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors or Post or its other subsidiaries. |
Audit committee |
We will establish and maintain an audit committee. Among its responsibilities, the audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or their affiliates and monitor compliance with the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to promptly take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. See Management Committees of the Board of Directors Audit Committee. |
Conflicts of interest |
As described under Management Conflicts of Interest, each of our officers and directors has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director may be required to present a partnering transaction opportunity to such entities before he or she presents such opportunity to us. Also, none of Post, our sponsor or any of our directors and officers is prohibited from sponsoring, investing or otherwise becoming involved with, any other blank check companies, including in connection with their partnering transactions. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a partnering transaction opportunity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to another entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, he or she may only present such opportunity to us if such other entity including, in certain cases, to Post, rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company, such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and such person has no fiduciary or contractual obligation to present the opportunity to any other person or entity including, in certain cases, to Post. Additionally, none of Post, our sponsor or any other entity currently has any obligation or duty to provide us with any potential partnering transaction opportunity. |
For more information, including a list of our executive officers and directors and entities for which a conflict of interest may or does exist between such officers and the company, see Management Conflicts of Interest. |
39
We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our partnering transaction. We believe that potential conflicts with Post are naturally mitigated by the differing nature of the investments Post would typically consider most synergistic to the existing Post businesses and the types of transactions we expect to find most attractive based, in part, on transaction size and ability to operate as a standalone public company. Notwithstanding our belief regarding natural mitigation, Post and its subsidiaries may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that fall within Posts investment objectives or strategies. A decision by Post to pursue an opportunity would preclude us from pursuing it and could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our partnering transaction. |
Indemnity |
Our sponsor will agree that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of: (1) $10.00 per public share; and (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. |
Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor, which is a newly formed entity, has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsors only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our partnering transaction and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our partnering transaction, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses. |
40
Risks
We are a newly incorporated company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our partnering transaction, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. For additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering, see Proposed Business Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled Risk Factors in this prospectus.
41
Summary Financial Data
The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data is presented.
January 27, 2021 | ||||||||
Actual | As Adjusted | |||||||
Balance Sheet Data: |
||||||||
Working capital (deficiency)(1) |
$ | (20,000 | ) | $ | 388,520,000 | |||
Total assets(2) |
$ | 40,000 | $ | 402,520,000 | ||||
Total liabilities(3) |
$ | 20,000 | $ | 14,000,000 | ||||
Value of Series A common stock subject to possible redemption(4) |
$ | | $ | 383,519,990 | ||||
Stockholders equity(5) |
$ | 20,000 | $ | 5,000,010 |
(1) |
The as adjusted calculation includes $400,000,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, plus $2,500,000 in cash held outside the trust account, plus $20,000 of actual stockholders equity as of January 27, 2021, less $14,000,000 of deferred underwriting commissions. |
(2) |
The as adjusted calculation equals $400,000,000 of cash held in trust from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, plus $2,500,000 in cash held outside the trust account plus $20,000 of actual stockholders equity as of January 27, 2021. |
(3) |
The as adjusted calculation includes $14,000,000 of deferred underwriting commissions. |
(4) |
The as adjusted calculation equals the as adjusted total assets, less the as adjusted total liabilities, less the as adjusted stockholders equity, which is set to approximate the minimum net tangible assets threshold of at least $5,000,001. |
(5) |
Excludes 38,351,999 public shares which are subject to redemption in connection with our partnering transaction. The as adjusted calculation equals the as adjusted total assets, less the as adjusted total liabilities, less the value of shares of Series A common stock that may be redeemed in connection with our partnering transaction (initially $10.00 per share). The actual number of public shares that may be redeemed may exceed this amount as long as we satisfy the $5,000,001 minimum net tangible asset threshold. |
42
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND RISK FACTOR SUMMARY
Some statements contained in this prospectus are forward-looking in nature. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management teams expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intends, may, might, plan, possible, potential, predict, project, should, would and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following risks, uncertainties and other factors:
|
our being a newly incorporated company with no operating history and no revenues; |
|
our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses; |
|
our ability to complete our partnering transaction; |
|
our expectations around the performance of a prospective target business or businesses; |
|
our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our partnering transaction; |
|
our directors and officers allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our partnering transaction; |
|
actual and potential conflicts of interest relating to Post and its subsidiaries, our sponsor and other entities in which members of our management team are involved; |
|
our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our partnering transaction including from our sponsor, Post or other third parties; |
|
our pool of prospective target businesses, including the location and industry of such target businesses; |
|
our ability to consummate a partnering transaction due to the uncertainty resulting from the recent COVID-19 pandemic and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases); |
|
the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential partnering transaction opportunities; |
|
the voting structure of our common stock including any potential adverse effect on our ability to complete our partnering transaction timely or cost effectively, and, following our partnering transaction, our status as a controlled company and the ability of our sponsor and Post to exercise control over our policies and operations, each as a result of the high vote feature of our Series B common stock; |
|
our public securities potential liquidity and trading; |
|
the lack of a market for our securities; |
|
the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance; |
|
the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; |
|
our financial performance following this offering; and |
|
the other risks and uncertainties discussed in Risk Factors and elsewhere in this prospectus. |
43
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
44
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Relating to Our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Partnering Transaction
Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed partnering transaction, which means we may complete our partnering transaction even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.
We may not hold a stockholder vote to approve our partnering transaction unless the partnering transaction would require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements or if we decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons. For example, the NYSE rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a stockholder meeting but would still require us to obtain stockholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares to a target business as consideration in any partnering transaction. Therefore, if we were structuring a partnering transaction that required us to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares, we would seek stockholder approval of such partnering transaction. However, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed partnering transaction or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction. Accordingly, we may consummate our partnering transaction even if holders of a majority of our outstanding public shares, or if holders of a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote, do not approve of the partnering transaction we consummate. See Proposed Business Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Partnering Transaction for additional information.
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction, our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree to vote in favor of such partnering transaction, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree (and their permitted transferees will agree) to vote our common stock held by them in favor of our partnering transaction. As a result, in addition to our sponsors founder shares and private placement shares, we would need 14,400,001, or 36.0% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised), or 1,600,001, or 4.00% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised), of the 40,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a partnering transaction in order to have such partnering transaction approved. We expect that our sponsor and its permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) at the time of any such stockholder vote. Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction, it is more likely that the necessary stockholder approval will be received than would be the case if our sponsor agreed to vote its founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by our public stockholders. In addition, Post and our sponsor reserve the right but are not required to provide incremental funding to us in connection with our partnering transaction by purchasing additional shares of Series B common stock at a purchase price of $10.00 per share, which shares will also be sold in a private placement substantially concurrently with the consummation of our partnering transaction.
45
In evaluating a prospective target business for our partnering transaction, our management will rely on the availability of all of the funds from the sale of the forward purchase units to be used as part of the consideration to the sellers in the partnering transaction. If the sale of some or all of the forward purchase units fails to close, for any reason, we may lack sufficient funds to consummate our partnering transaction.
In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will enter into a forward purchase agreement with our sponsor pursuant to which our sponsor will commit to purchase from us up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units for an aggregate purchase price of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our partnering transaction. The proceeds from the sale of these forward purchase units, together with the amounts available to us from the trust account (after giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the partnering transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the partnering transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-partnering transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the trust account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, fewer than 10,000,000 forward purchase units may be purchased.
Our sponsors obligation to purchase the forward purchase units will be subject to fulfillment of customary closing conditions, including that our partnering transaction must be consummated substantially concurrently with the purchase of the forward purchase units. If the sale of the forward purchase units does not close for any reason, including by reason of the failure to fund the purchase price, for example, we may lack sufficient funds to consummate our partnering transaction.
Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential partnering transaction will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek stockholder approval of such partnering transaction.
At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any target businesses. Additionally, since our board of directors may complete a partnering transaction without seeking stockholder approval, public stockholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the partnering transaction. Accordingly, if we do not seek stockholder approval, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential partnering transaction may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public stockholders in which we describe our partnering transaction.
The ability of our public stockholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential partnering transaction targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a partnering transaction with a target.
We may seek to enter into a partnering transaction agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the partnering transaction. The amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to the underwriters will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with a partnering transaction and such amount of deferred underwriting discount is not available for us to use as consideration in a partnering transaction. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our partnering transaction. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related partnering transaction and may instead search for an alternate partnering transaction (including, potentially, with the same target). Prospective
46
targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a partnering transaction with us. If we are able to consummate a partnering transaction, the per-share value of shares held by non-redeeming stockholders will reflect our obligation to pay the deferred underwriting commissions.
The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable partnering transaction or optimize our capital structure.
At the time we enter into an agreement for our partnering transaction, we will not know how many stockholders may exercise their redemption rights and, therefore, we will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our partnering transaction agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements or arrange for third-party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares is submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third-party financing. Raising additional third-party financing may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable partnering transaction available to us or optimize our capital structure.
The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our partnering transaction would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your stock.
If our partnering transaction agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our partnering transaction would be unsuccessful increases. If our partnering transaction is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your stock in the open market; however, at such time our stock may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your stock in the open market.
The requirement that we complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame (or such later date as approved by holders of a majority of the voting power of shares of our outstanding common stock that are voted at the meeting to extend such date, voting together as a single class) may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a partnering transaction and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential partnering transaction targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our partnering transaction on terms that would produce value for our stockholders.
Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a partnering transaction will be aware that we must complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event). Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a partnering transaction, knowing that if we do not complete our partnering transaction with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our partnering transaction with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the end of the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our partnering transaction on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.
47
We may not be able to complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.
Our sponsor will agree that we must complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event). We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our partnering transaction within such time period. Our ability to complete our partnering transaction may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein, including as a result of terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of infectious diseases. For example, the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to grow both in the United States and globally and, while the extent of the impact of the outbreak on us will depend on future developments, it could limit our ability to complete our partnering transaction, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Additionally, the outbreak of COVID-19 and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire. It may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Risk Factors section, such as those related to the market for our securities and cross-border transactions.
If we have not completed our partnering transaction within such time period or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than $10.00 per share, on the redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. See If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share and other risk factors herein.
Our search for a partnering transaction, and any target business with which we ultimately consummate a partnering transaction, may be materially adversely affected by COVID-19 outbreak and other events and the status of debt and equity markets.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced, which has and is continuing to spread throughout parts of the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. On January 31, 2020, United States Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the United States healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak has adversely affected, and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) could adversely affect, economies and financial markets worldwide, business operations and the conduct of commerce generally, and the business of any potential target business with which we consummate a partnering transaction could be, or may already have been, materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to complete a partnering transaction if concerns relating to COVID-19 continue to restrict travel or limit the ability to have meetings with potential investors, or the target companys personnel, vendors and services providers are unavailable to negotiate and consummate a transaction in a timely manner. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our search for a
48
partnering transaction will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. While vaccines for COVID-19 are being, and have been, developed, there is no guarantee that any such vaccine will be durable and effective consistent with current expectations and we expect it will take significant time before the vaccines are available and accepted on a significant scale. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) continue for an extensive period of time, our ability to consummate a partnering transaction, or the operations of a target business with which we ultimately consummate a partnering transaction, may be materially adversely affected.
In addition, our ability to consummate a transaction may be dependent on the ability to raise equity and debt financing which may be impacted by COVID-19 and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases), including as a result of increased market volatility and decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all.
Finally, the outbreak of COVID-19 may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Risk Factors section, such as those related to the market for our securities and cross border transactions.
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction, our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies or their directors, officers or advisors may enter into certain transactions, including purchasing shares or warrants from the public, which may influence the outcome of our proposed partnering transaction and reduce the public float of our securities.
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies or their directors, officers, or advisors may purchase public shares or public warrants or a combination thereof in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our partnering transaction, although they are under no obligation or other duty to do so. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such public stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares, is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies or their directors, officers, or advisors purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling public stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our partnering transaction. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our partnering transaction, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies or their directors, officers, or advisors may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our partnering transaction or not redeem their public shares. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. See Proposed Business Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities for a description of how such persons will determine with which stockholders to enter into transactions. The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote such shares in favor of the partnering transaction and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the partnering transaction, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our partnering transaction or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the consummation of our partnering transaction, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our partnering transaction that may not otherwise have been possible.
49
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public float of our Series A common stock or warrants and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
If a stockholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our partnering transaction, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.
We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such stockholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the tender offer documents or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our partnering transaction will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or redeem public shares. For example, we may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in street name, to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the partnering transaction in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. See Proposed Business Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights.
You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.
Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units are intended to be used to complete a partnering transaction with a business that has not been selected, we may be deemed to be a blank check company under the United States securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the successful completion of this offering and the sale of the private placement units and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet of our company demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our partnering transaction than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of our partnering transaction. For a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419, see Proposed Business Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419.
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a group of stockholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Series A common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Series A common stock.
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a group (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the Excess Shares, without our prior consent. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will not restrict our stockholders ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our partnering transaction. Your inability
50
to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our partnering transaction and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our partnering transaction. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for partnering transaction opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our partnering transaction. If we are unable to complete our partnering transaction, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption of their stock, and our warrants will expire worthless.
We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. Furthermore, our high vote capital structure differs from the typical capital structure of many other special purpose acquisition company competitors and may make us less attractive to an acquisition target or make an acquisition more costly to complete. While we believe there will be numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our partnering transaction and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by target businesses. Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating and completing a partnering transaction. If we are unable to complete our partnering transaction, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. See If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share and other risk factors herein.
If the funds not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), we may be unable to complete our partnering transaction.
The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), assuming that our partnering transaction is not completed during that time. We expect to incur significant costs in pursuit of our acquisition plans. Managements plans to address this need for capital through this offering and potential loans from certain entities are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. However, those entities, including Post, are not obligated to make loans to us in the future, and we may not be able to raise additional financing from other parties necessary to fund our expenses. Any such event in the future may negatively impact the analysis regarding our ability to continue as a going concern at such time. If we are unable to complete our partnering transaction, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. See If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share and other risk factors herein.
51
If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our partnering transaction and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search, to pay our taxes and to complete our partnering transaction. If we are unable to obtain such loans, we may be unable to complete our partnering transaction.
Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, only approximately $2,500,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,500,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,500,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. None of our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries is under any obligation or other duty to loan funds to, or invest in, us in such circumstances. Any such loans may be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our partnering transaction. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. If we are unable to complete our partnering transaction because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In such case, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless. See If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share and other risk factors herein. Subsequent to our completion of our partnering transaction, we may be required to subsequently take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and the price of our securities, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will identify all material issues that may be present with a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining post-combination debt financing. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain a stockholder or warrant holder following our partnering transaction could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if
52
they execute such agreements they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management team will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third partys engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Making such a request of potential target businesses may make our acquisition proposal less attractive to them and, to the extent prospective target businesses refuse to execute such a waiver, it may limit the field of potential target businesses that we might pursue.
Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where we are unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we have not completed our partnering transaction within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our partnering transaction, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.00 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors.
Our sponsor will agree that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of: (1) $10.00 per public share; and (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor, which is a newly formed entity, has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsors only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our partnering transaction and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our partnering transaction, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.
Our independent directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of: (1) $10.00 per public share; and (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest
53
which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in certain instances. For example, the cost of such legal action may be deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or the independent directors may determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.
The securities in which we invest the funds held in the trust account could bear a negative rate of interest, which could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
The net proceeds of this offering and certain proceeds from the sale of the private placement units, in the amount of $400,000,000, will be held in the trust account and will be invested only in United States government treasury obligations with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act that invest only in direct United States government treasury obligations. While short-term United States government treasury obligations currently yield a positive rate of interest, they have briefly yielded negative interest rates in recent years. Central banks in Europe and Japan pursued interest rates below zero in recent years, and the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has not ruled out the possibility that it may in the future adopt similar policies in the United States. In the event that we do not complete our partnering transaction within the allotted time frame or make certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our public stockholders are entitled to receive their pro-rata share of the proceeds held in the trust account, plus any interest income, net of taxes paid or payable (less, in the case we are unable to complete our partnering transaction, $100,000 of interest). Negative interest rates could reduce the value of the assets held in trust such that the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.
If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a preferential transfer or a fraudulent conveyance. As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our stockholders and the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with any liquidation may be reduced.
If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the
54
trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per-share amount that would otherwise be received by our public stockholders in connection with any liquidation would be reduced.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our partnering transaction.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:
|
restrictions on the nature of our investments; and |
|
restrictions on the issuance of securities; |
each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our partnering transaction.
In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:
|
registration as an investment company with the SEC; |
|
adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and |
|
reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and compliance with other rules and regulations that we are currently not subject to. |
In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading of securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading investment securities constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of United States government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete a partnering transaction and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses or assets with a view to resell or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive investor.
We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States government securities within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act that invest only in direct United States government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our primary business objective, which is a partnering transaction; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (iii) absent a partnering transaction, our return of
55
the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds and may hinder our ability to consummate our partnering transaction. If we are unable to complete our partnering transaction, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. See If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share and other risk factors herein.
Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our partnering transaction, and results of operations.
We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our partnering transaction, and results of operations.
If we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months of the closing of this offering or during any subsequent Extension Period, our public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond such 24 months before redemption from our trust account.
If we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), we will distribute the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses and which interest shall be net of taxes payable), pro rata to our public stockholders by way of redemption and cease all operations except for the purposes of winding up of our affairs, as further described herein. Any redemption of public stockholders from the trust account shall be effected automatically by function of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prior to any voluntary winding up. If we are required to wind up, liquidate the trust account and distribute such amount therein, pro rata, to our public stockholders, as part of any liquidation process, such winding up, liquidation and distribution must comply with the applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL). In that case, investors may be forced to wait beyond the initial 24 months (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) before the redemption proceeds of our trust account become available to them and they receive the return of their pro rata portion of the proceeds from our trust account. We have no obligation to return funds to investors prior to the date of our redemption or liquidation unless, prior thereto, we consummate our partnering transaction or amend certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and then only in cases where investors have properly sought to redeem their shares of Series A common stock. Only upon our redemption or any liquidation will public stockholders be entitled to distributions if we have not completed our partnering transaction within the required time period or do not amend certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation prior thereto.
Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.
Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to
56
our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our partnering transaction within the required time period may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholders pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 24th month (or 27th month following an agreement in principle event) from the closing of this offering (or the end of any Extension Period) in the event we do not complete our partnering transaction and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.
Because we do not intend to comply with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time, that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the 10 years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, consultants, etc.) or prospective target businesses. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholders pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend beyond the third anniversary of such date. Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our partnering transaction within the required time period is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution.
We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after the completion of our partnering transaction and you will not be entitled to any of the corporate protections provided by such a meeting.
We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate our partnering transaction (unless required by NYSE) and thus may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting of stockholders be held for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with a companys bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to our completion of our partnering transaction, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL. Until we hold an annual meeting of stockholders, public stockholders may not be afforded the opportunity to discuss company affairs with management.
The grant of registration rights to our sponsor and its permitted transferees may make it more difficult to complete our partnering transaction, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Series A common stock.
Pursuant to an investor rights agreement and a forward purchase agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, at or after the time of our partnering transaction, our sponsor and/or its permitted transferees can demand that we register the resale of the private placement shares, the private
57
placement warrants, the forward purchase shares, the forward purchase warrants, shares and warrants underlying the units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and shares of Series A common stock issuable upon (1) conversion of the founder shares, (2) exercise of the private placement units, (3) conversion of the forward purchase shares, (4) exercise of the forward purchase units and forward purchase warrants and (5) exercise of private placement warrants underlying the private placement units issued upon conversion of working capital loans (if any). We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Series A common stock.
The existence of the registration rights may make our partnering transaction more costly or difficult to complete. This is because the stockholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Series A common stock that is expected when the securities owned by our sponsor or its permitted transferees are registered for resale.
Because we are neither limited to evaluating target businesses in a particular industry, sector or geographic area nor have we selected any specific target businesses with which to pursue our partnering transaction, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target businesss operations.
Although we expect to focus on the consumer packaged goods industry, we may seek to complete a partnering transaction with an operating company in any industry, sector or geographic area. However, we will not, under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, be permitted to effectuate our partnering transaction solely with another blank check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a partnering transaction, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target businesss operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our partnering transaction, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a partnering transaction target. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain a stockholder or warrant holder following our partnering transaction could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
We may seek acquisition opportunities in industries or sectors that may be outside of our management teams areas of expertise.
We will consider a partnering transaction outside of our management teams areas of expertise if such partnering transaction candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of the areas of our management teams expertise, our management teams expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our management teams expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors relevant to such acquisition. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain a
58
stockholder or warrant holder following our partnering transaction could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our partnering transaction with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our partnering transaction may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.
Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our partnering transaction will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our partnering transaction with a target that does not meet some or all of these criteria and guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective partnering transaction with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain stockholder approval of our partnering transaction if the target business does not meet our general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our partnering transaction, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We may seek acquisition opportunities with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings, which could subject us to volatile revenues or earnings, intense competition and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel.
To the extent we complete our partnering transaction with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include investing in a business without a proven business model and with limited historical financial data, volatile revenues or earnings, intense competition and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.
As the number of special purpose acquisition companies evaluating targets increases, attractive targets may become scarcer and there may be more competition for attractive targets. This could increase the cost of our partnering transaction and could even result in our inability to find a target or to consummate a partnering transaction.
In recent years, the number of special purpose acquisition companies that have been formed has increased substantially. Many potential targets for special purpose acquisition companies have already entered into a partnering transaction, and there are still many special purpose acquisition companies preparing for an initial public offering, as well as many such companies currently in registration. As a result, at times, fewer attractive targets may be available to consummate a partnering transaction.
In addition, because there are more special purpose acquisition companies seeking to enter into a partnering transaction with available targets, the competition for available targets with attractive fundamentals or business models may increase, which could cause targets companies to demand improved financial terms. Attractive deals could also become scarcer for other reasons, such as economic or industry sector downturns,
59
geopolitical tensions, or increases in the cost of additional capital needed to close partnering transactions or operate targets post-partnering transaction. This could increase the cost of, delay or otherwise complicate or frustrate our ability to find and consummate a partnering transaction, and may result in our inability to consummate a partnering transaction on terms favorable to our investors altogether.
We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting firm regarding fairness, and consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our company from a financial point of view.
Unless we complete our partnering transaction with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another accounting, valuation or appraisal firm that such partnering transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our partnering transaction.
We may issue additional shares of common stock or preferred stock to complete our partnering transaction or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our partnering transaction. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize the issuance of up to 500,000,000 shares of Series A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 80,000,000 shares of Series B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 40,000,000 shares of Series C common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 40,000,000 shares of Series F common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 450,560,000 and 30,000,000 (assuming in each case, that the underwriters have not exercised their over-allotment option) authorized but unissued shares of Series A and Series F common stock available, respectively, for issuance, which amount takes into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants but not upon the issuance of Series B common stock upon the conversion of the Series F common stock or the issuance of Series A common stock upon the conversion of such Series B common stock or any securities issuable pursuant to the forward purchase agreement (including shares issuable upon exercise of forward purchase warrants). Shares of Series F common stock will automatically convert at the time of our partnering transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, into shares of Series B common stock on a one-for-one basis and following our partnering transaction each share of Series B common stock entitles the holder to ten votes per share. Prior to and following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of our Series A common stock. Immediately after this offering, there will be no shares of Series B common stock, Series C common stock or preferred stock outstanding.
In connection with our partnering transaction, we have agreed to issue to our sponsor 10,000,000 forward purchase units consisting of one share of Series B common stock and one fifth of a forward purchase warrant. We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock in order to complete our partnering transaction or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our partnering transaction. We may also issue shares of Series A common stock in connection with the redemption of warrants as described in Description of Securities Warrants Public Stockholders Warrants Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that prior to our partnering transaction, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (1) receive funds from the trust account or (2) vote pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on any partnering transaction. The issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock, including pursuant to the forward purchase agreement:
|
may significantly dilute the equity interest and voting power of investors in this offering; |
60
|
may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock; |
|
could cause a change of control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock is issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; |
|
may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the stock ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; |
|
may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Series A common stock and/or warrants; and |
|
may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants. |
Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our partnering transaction, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.
We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys and others. If we decide not to complete a specific partnering transaction, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our partnering transaction for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our partnering transaction, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. See If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share and other risk factors herein.
Our company has overlapping directors and management with multiple entities, each of which may lead to conflicting interests. Additionally, certain of our officers and directors have, and in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to one or more other entities, including, in certain cases, to Post, which may lead to additional conflicting interests.
All of our officers also serve as officers of one or more of the related companies, and there are overlapping directors with such entities. Our officers and members of our board of directors have fiduciary duties to our stockholders. Likewise, any such persons who serve in similar capacities at any of the related companies have fiduciary duties to that companys stockholders. Therefore, such persons may have conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest with respect to matters involving or affecting us and one or more of the related companies to which they owe fiduciary duties.
As described under Management Conflicts of Interest, each of our officers and directors has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director may be required to present a partnering transaction opportunity to such entities before he or she presents such opportunity to us. Also, none of Post, our sponsor or any of our directors and officers is prohibited from sponsoring, investing or otherwise becoming involved with, any other blank check companies, including in connection with their partnering transactions. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a partnering transaction opportunity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to another entity, including, in certain cases to
61
Post, he or she may only present such opportunity to us if such other entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company, such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and such person has no fiduciary or contractual obligation to present the opportunity to any other person or entity, including, in certain cases, to Post. Additionally, none of Post, our sponsor or any other entity currently has any obligation or duty to provide us with any potential partnering transaction opportunity.
One or more of the related companies may compete with us for acquisition opportunities. If these entities decide to pursue any such opportunities, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within Post may be suitable for both us and for one or more other entities and may be directed to such entity rather than to us.
Post is a consumer packaged goods holding company operating in the center-of-the-store, refrigerated, foodservice, food ingredient and convenient nutrition food categories. Post also participates in the private brand food category. Conflicts may arise from Posts indirect ownership of our company, as well as from actions undertaken by any its subsidiaries. Post and its subsidiaries may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that fall within Posts investment objectives or strategies. A decision by Post to pursue an opportunity would preclude us from pursuing it and could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our partnering transaction. Additionally, Post may take commercial steps which may have an adverse effect on us, including with respect to any target we acquire in the partnering transaction.
Moreover, most of our directors and officers continue to own stock and options to purchase stock in one or more of the related companies. These ownership interests and/or such disparity could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest when the applicable individuals are faced with decisions that could have different implications for our company and the related companies.
Furthermore, we may enter into transactions with one or more of the related companies. While any potential conflict that qualifies as a related party transaction (as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) is subject to review by an independent committee of the applicable issuers board of directors in accordance with its corporate governance guidelines, there can be no assurance that the terms of any such transactions will be as favorable to us as would be the case where there is no overlapping officer or director. See We may engage in a partnering transaction with one or more target businesses that may be owned by our sponsor or one or more of the related companies, or its or their officers or directors, which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
We are dependent upon our executive officers and directors who must allocate their time among our business and other businesses. The departure of our executive officers or directors or conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our partnering transaction.
Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers and directors, at least until we have completed our partnering transaction. Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations, including our search for a partnering transaction, and these other businesses. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, nor do we have any employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.
In addition, certain of our officers and directors are employed by or otherwise provide services to Post or other companies that may make investments in, or operate in, industries we may target for our partnering
62
transaction. Our independent directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities. If our officers and directors other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our partnering transaction. For a complete discussion of our officers and directors other business affairs, see Management Conflicts of Interest.
From time to time, we and members of our management team may be subject to legal proceedings, regulatory disputes, and governmental inquiries that could cause us to incur significant expenses, divert our managements attention, and materially harm our financial condition.
From time to time, we may be subject to claims, lawsuits, government investigations, and other proceedings involving competition and antitrust, securities, tax, commercial disputes, and other matters that could adversely affect our financial condition. Litigation and regulatory proceedings may be protracted and expensive, and the results are difficult to predict. Additionally, such litigation and regulatory proceedings require a great deal of financial resources and attention from us and our management team. Adverse outcomes with respect to litigation or any of these legal proceedings may result in significant settlement costs or judgments, or penalties and fines, and could negatively affect our ability to identify and complete a partnering transaction and may have an adverse effect on the price of our securities.
Members of our management team have been involved in a wide variety of businesses. Such involvement has, and may lead to, media coverage and public awareness. As a result, members of our management team and the related companies may from time to time be involved in civil disputes or governmental investigations unrelated to our business. Any such claims or investigations may be detrimental to our reputation and could negatively affect our ability to identify and complete a partnering transaction and may have an adverse effect on the price of our securities.
Our officers, directors and security holders may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.
We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or any other entities from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a partnering transaction with a business that is owned by our sponsor or any of the related companies, or its or their officers or directors, or make the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor or any of the related companies, or its or their officers or directors, although we do not intend to do so. Nor do we have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.
In particular, the related companies have invested, and may in the future invest, in a broad array of industries, including the consumer packaged goods industry. As a result, there may be substantial overlap between companies that would be a suitable partnering transaction for us and companies that would make an attractive target for such entities.
We may engage in a partnering transaction with one or more target businesses that may be owned by our sponsor or one or more of the related companies, or its or their officers or directors, which may raise potential conflicts of interest.
In light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other businesses, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses owned by our sponsor or any of the related companies, or its or their officers or directors, or make the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with our sponsor or any of the related companies, or its or their officers or directors. Any such parties may co-invest with us in the
63
target business at the time of our partnering transaction, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by making a future issuance to any such parties, which may give rise to certain conflicts of interest. Our officers and directors also serve as officers and board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under Management Conflicts of Interest. Such entities may compete with us for partnering transaction opportunities. Our sponsor is not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our partnering transaction with any such entities, and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any such entity or entities with respect to a partnering transaction with us. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any such entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such an entity met our criteria for a partnering transaction as set forth in Proposed Business Effecting our Partnering Transaction Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Partnering Transaction and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. While we are not required to obtain an opinion regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a partnering transaction with one or more domestic or international businesses owned by the related companies, or any of their subsidiaries, or our sponsor, or its or their officers or directors, in the event we do not obtain such an opinion, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the partnering transaction may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.
Since our sponsor will lose its entire investment in us if our partnering transaction is not completed (other than with respect to any public shares it may hold), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular partnering transaction target is appropriate for our partnering transaction.
In January 2021, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 11,500,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, with a purchase price of approximately $0.002 per share, up to 1,500,000 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Series F common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the consummation of this offering. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete a partnering transaction.
Our sponsor will commit, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 1,200,000 private placement units (or 1,320,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($12,000,000 in the aggregate or $13,200,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering.
Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own securities following this offering, including founder shares, and the personal and financial interests of our officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target partnering transaction, completing a partnering transaction and influencing the operation of the business following the partnering transaction. This risk may become more acute as the deadline for completing our partnering transaction nears.
We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a partnering transaction, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders investment in us.
Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt to complete our partnering transaction. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held
64
in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per-share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:
|
default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after a partnering transaction are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; |
|
acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; |
|
our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand; |
|
our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding; |
|
our inability to pay dividends on our common stock; |
|
using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; |
|
limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; |
|
increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and |
|
limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt. |
We may only be able to complete one partnering transaction with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units and forward purchase units, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may negatively impact our operations and profitability.
The net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units and the sale of the forward purchase units for a purchase price of $100,000,000 will provide us with $502,500,000 (or $562,500,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) that we may use to complete our partnering transaction (which includes $14,000,000, or up to $16,100,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full, of deferred underwriting commissions being held in the trust account and estimated post-IPO working capital expenses of $2,500,000, and excludes estimated offering expenses of $1,500,000).
We may effectuate our partnering transaction with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our partnering transaction with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our partnering transaction with only a single entity our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several partnering transactions in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
|
solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset; or |
|
dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services. |
65
This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our partnering transaction.
We may attempt to simultaneously complete partnering transactions with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our partnering transaction and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.
If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other partnering transactions, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our partnering transaction. With multiple partnering transactions, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.
We may attempt to complete our partnering transaction with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a partnering transaction with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
In pursuing our acquisition strategy, we may seek to effectuate our partnering transaction with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies, and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential partnering transaction on the basis of limited information, which may result in a partnering transaction with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.
We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete our partnering transaction with which a substantial majority of our stockholders do not agree.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions, or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement that may be contained in the agreement relating to our partnering transaction. As a result, we may be able to complete our partnering transaction even though a substantial majority of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor or any of the related companies. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed partnering transaction exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the partnering transaction or redeem any shares, all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate partnering transaction (including, potentially, with the same target).
The exercise price for the public warrants is higher than in some other blank check company offerings, and, accordingly, the warrants are more likely to expire worthless.
The exercise price of the public warrants is higher than in some other blank check companies. For example, historically, the exercise price of a warrant was often a fraction of the purchase price of the units in the initial public offering. The exercise price for our public warrants is $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments as provided herein. As a result, the warrants are less likely to ever be in the money and more likely to expire worthless.
66
In order to effectuate a partnering transaction, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or governing instruments, including our warrant agreement, in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our partnering transaction that some of our stockholders or warrant holders may not support.
In order to effectuate a partnering transaction, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of partnering transaction, increased redemption thresholds, extended the time to consummate a partnering transaction and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate a partnering transaction in order to effectuate our partnering transaction.
Certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-partnering transaction activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of a partnering transaction that some of our stockholders may not support.
Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain of its provisions, including those which relate to a companys pre-partnering transaction activity, without approval by holders of a certain percentage of the companys stockholders. In those companies, amendment of these provisions typically requires approval by holders holding between 90% and 100% of the companys public shares. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any of its provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment of directors prior to our partnering transaction, which require the approval of holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock) related to pre-partnering transaction activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock. Prior to our partnering transaction, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Series F common stock is required to approve the election of directors. Our sponsor, who will beneficially own 20% of our outstanding capital stock upon the closing of this offering (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units and assuming our sponsor does not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner it chooses. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation which will govern our pre-partnering transaction behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete our partnering transaction with which you do not agree.
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree, pursuant to a letter agreement, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity, unless we provide our public
67
stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Series A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement that we will enter into with our sponsor, executive officers and directors. Our public stockholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor for any breach of these agreements.
Certain agreements related to this offering may be amended without stockholder approval.
The underwriting agreement relating to this offering, the letter agreement between us and our sponsor, executive officers and directors, the investor rights agreement among us, our sponsor and Post, the forward purchase agreement between us and our sponsor and the services agreement between us and Post, may be amended without stockholder approval. For example, we may amend the services agreement upon mutual written agreement with Post. These agreements contain various provisions, including transfer restrictions on our founder shares held by our sponsor, that our public stockholders might deem to be material.
While we do not expect our board of directors to approve any amendment to any of these agreements prior to our partnering transaction, it may be possible that our board of directors, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to any such agreement in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction. Any such amendments would not require approval from our stockholders, may result in the completion of our partnering transaction that may not otherwise have been possible, and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.
We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our partnering transaction or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular partnering transaction.
Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units and forward purchase units will be sufficient to allow us to complete our partnering transaction, because we have not yet selected any target business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units and forward purchase units prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of our partnering transaction, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to redeem for cash a significant number of shares from stockholders who elect redemption in connection with our partnering transaction or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our partnering transaction, we may be required to seek additional financing or to abandon the proposed partnering transaction. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our partnering transaction, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular partnering transaction and seek an alternative target business candidate. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our partnering transaction, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. Other than in connection with the forward purchase agreement, none of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our partnering transaction. If we are unable to complete our partnering transaction, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless.
68
Our sponsor controls the election of our board of directors and hold a substantial interest in us. Additionally, holders of our Series A common stock will have limited voting rights following our partnering transaction. As a result, the sponsor will elect all of our directors prior to our partnering transaction and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.
Upon the closing of this offering, our sponsor will own 20% of the voting power of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units and assuming our sponsor does not purchase units in this offering). In addition, prior to our partnering transaction, only holders of our Series F common stock will have the right to appoint and elect our board of directors. Holders of our public shares will have no right to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended by holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock. Additionally, following our partnering transaction, holders of our Series A common stock and holders of our Series B common stock will generally vote together as a single class on matters presented for a stockholder vote, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, with each share of Series A common stock entitling the holder to one vote per share and each share of Series B common stock entitling the holder to ten votes per share. As a result, you will not have any influence over the election of directors prior to our partnering transaction, and will have limited voting rights following our partnering transaction.
Our sponsor has no current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus, which may include participation in a private placement of securities or exercise of warrants. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include whether our sponsor will have majority voting power following our partnering transaction without such a purchase and consideration of the current trading price of our Series A common stock. For a discussion of risks relating to our capital structure following our partnering transaction, see The voting structure of our common stock will have the effect of concentrating voting power with our sponsor, which limits an investors ability to influence our policies and the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control. As a result of its substantial ownership in our company, our sponsor may exert a substantial influence on other actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of major corporate transactions.
Our warrants and founder shares (including the voting rights thereof) of our sponsor may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Series A common stock and make it more difficult to effectuate our partnering transaction.
We will be issuing warrants to purchase 8,000,000 shares of our Series A common stock (or up to 9,200,000 shares of our Series A common stock if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $11.50 per whole share (subject to adjustment as provided herein), as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement an aggregate of 1,200,000 (or 1,320,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement units, which will have underlying warrants, each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of Series A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, and subject to adjustment as provided herein. In addition, if our sponsor, any of the related companies or certain of our officers and directors make any working capital loans, up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be converted into units, at the price of $10.000 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private placement units. Any issuance of Series A common stock upon exercise of these units will increase the number of outstanding shares of our common stock and reduce the value of any common stock we may issue to complete the partnering transaction.
Furthermore, our sponsor currently holds 11,500,000 founder shares (up to 1,500,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters over-allotment option is
69
exercised). The founder shares are convertible into shares of Series B common stock on a one-for-one basis. In connection with our partnering transaction, we have also agreed to issue to our sponsor 10,000,000 forward purchase units consisting of one share of Series B common stock and one-fifth of a forward purchase warrant. The issuance of shares of Series B common stock upon exercise of these conversion rights and the voting rights related to our Series B common stock could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Therefore, our units and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate a partnering transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
Shares of Series A common stock issued pursuant to the private placement units and shares of Series B common stock issued upon conversion of the founder shares pursuant to the forward purchase agreement may significantly dilute the value and/or the voting power of the shares of Series A common stock and may make effectuating our partnering transaction more difficult.
The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees: (1) they will not be redeemable by us; (2) they (including the Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction, except as described herein under Principal StockholdersTransfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units, (3) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis; and (4) the holders thereof (including with respect to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) are entitled to registration rights.
To the extent we issue shares of our common stock to effectuate our partnering transaction, including those underlying the forward purchase units, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of our common stock upon exercise of these warrants or conversion rights could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of outstanding shares of our common stock and reduce the value of our common stock issued to complete the partnering transaction. Therefore, our public warrants, founder shares, private placement units and forward purchase units may make it more difficult to effectuate a partnering transaction or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.
Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous partnering transaction with some prospective target businesses.
The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a partnering transaction meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame.
Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our partnering transaction, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2022. Only in the
70
event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a target business with which we seek to complete our partnering transaction may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
Risks Relating to the Post-Partnering Transaction Company
If our management team pursues a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our partnering transaction, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such combination, and if we effect such partnering transaction, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.
If our management team pursues a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our partnering transaction, we would be subject to risks associated with cross-border partnering transactions, including in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing our partnering transaction, conducting due diligence in a foreign market, having such transaction approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
If we effect our partnering transaction with such a company, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:
|
costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations and complying with commercial and legal requirements of overseas markets; |
|
rules and regulations regarding currency redemption; |
|
complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals; |
|
laws governing the manner in which future partnering transactions may be effected; |
|
tariffs and trade barriers; |
|
regulations related to customs and import/export matters; |
|
longer payment cycles; |
|
changes in local regulations as part of a response to the COVID-19 outbreak or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases; |
|
tax consequences; |
|
currency fluctuations and exchange controls; |
|
rates of inflation; |
|
challenges in collecting accounts receivable; |
|
cultural and language differences; |
|
employment regulations; |
|
crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars; |
|
deterioration of political relations with the United States; |
71
|
obligatory military service by personnel; and |
|
government appropriation of assets. |
We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, we may be unable to complete such partnering transaction or, if we complete such partnering transaction, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our partnering transaction. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.
We may structure our partnering transaction so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own or acquire shares will own less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such partnering transaction if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the target or otherwise acquires an interest in the target business sufficient for us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the target, our stockholders prior to our partnering transaction (including our sponsor) may collectively own a minority interest (economic and/or voting) in the post-partnering transaction company, depending on, among other things, valuations ascribed to the target and us in our partnering transaction and any changes in our post-partnering transaction capital structure. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target business, issue a substantial number of new shares to third parties in connection with financing our partnering transaction or our sponsor could convert some or all of its Series B common stock into Series A common stock. In such cases, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares of common stock or other changes in our capital structure, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction (including our sponsor) could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock subsequent to such transaction, and therefore a minority interest (economic and/or voting) in the post-partnering transaction company. In addition, other minority stockholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the companys stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain our control of the target business.
If our management team, following our partnering transaction, is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.
Following our partnering transaction, any or all of our management team could resign from their positions as officers of the post-partnering transaction company, and the management of the target business at the time of the partnering transaction could remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with United States securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with United States securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues, which may adversely affect our operations.
The officers and directors of a prospective target business may resign upon the completion of our partnering transaction, which could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.
The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our partnering transaction. The departure of a partnering transaction targets key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an acquisition candidates key
72
personnel upon the completion of our partnering transaction cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidates management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our partnering transaction, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place.
Risks Relating to our Securities
You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (1) the completion of our partnering transaction, and then only in connection with those shares of Series A common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In addition, if we have not completed a partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) for any reason, compliance with Delaware law may require that we submit a plan of dissolution to our then-existing stockholders for approval prior to the distribution of the proceeds held in our trust account. In that case, public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond the end of such period before they receive funds from our trust account. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.
We are not registering the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a cashless basis and potentially causing such warrants to expire worthless.
We are not registering the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the consummation of our partnering transaction, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC, and within 60 business days following our partnering transaction to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Series A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current, complete or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, in which case, the number of shares of Series A common stock that you will receive upon cashless exercise will be based on a formula subject to a maximum amount of shares equal to 0.361 shares of Series A common stock per warrant (subject to adjustment). However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder or an exemption from registration is available. Notwithstanding the above, if our Series A common stock
73
is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a covered security under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and no exemption is available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the shares of Series A common stock included in the units. There may be a circumstance where an exemption from registration exists for holders of our private placement warrants to exercise their warrants while a corresponding exemption does not exist for holders of the public warrants included as part of units sold in this offering. In such an instance, our sponsor and its permitted transferees (which may include our directors and officers) would be able to exercise their warrants and sell the shares of Series A common stock underlying their warrants while holders of our public warrants would not be able to exercise their warrants and sell the underlying shares of Series A common stock. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying shares of Series A common stock for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem warrants even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise their warrants.
NYSE may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
We intend to apply to have our units listed on the NYSE on or promptly after the date of this prospectus and our Series A common stock and warrants listed on or promptly after their date of separation. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the NYSE listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on the NYSE prior to our partnering transaction. Additionally, in connection with our partnering transaction, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with NYSEs initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than the NYSEs continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on the NYSE. For example, in order for our Series A common stock to be listed upon the consummation of our partnering transaction, among other things, we would be required to have at least 300 round lot holders at such time. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time. The NYSE will also have discretionary authority to not approve our listing if it determines that the listing of the company to be acquired is against public policy at that time.
If NYSE delists any of our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list such securities on another national securities exchange, we expect such securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
|
a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
|
reduced liquidity for our securities; |
|
a determination that our Series A common stock is a penny stock which will require brokers trading in our Series A common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; |
|
a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and |
|
a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
74
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as covered securities. Because we expect that our units and eventually our Series A common stock and warrants will be listed on the NYSE, our units, Series A common stock and warrants will qualify as covered securities under such statute. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of covered securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by special purpose acquisition companies, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on the NYSE, our securities would not qualify as covered securities under such statute and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000, or approximately $0.002 per share, and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Series A common stock.
The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the common stock and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Series A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public stockholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 96.1% (or $9.61 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $0.39 and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would become exacerbated to the extent that public stockholders seek redemptions from the trust.
We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the warrants could be converted into cash or stock, the exercise period could be shortened and the number of shares of our Series A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.
Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that (a) the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or correcting any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, or defective provision or (ii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not materially adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants and (b) all other modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants; provided that any amendment that solely affects the terms of the private placement warrants or forward purchase warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement solely with respect to the private placement warrants or forward purchase warrants will also require the vote or written consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding private placement warrants or forward purchase warrants, respectively. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock (at a ratio different than initially provided), shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of our common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.
75
Our warrant agreement will designate the courts of the State of Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company.
Our warrant agreement will provide that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of Delaware located in Wilmington or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, and (ii) we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the warrant agreement, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of Delaware located in Wilmington or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (a foreign action) in the name of any holder of our warrants, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state courts located in the State of Delaware and the federal courts in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an enforcement action), and (y) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holders counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrant holder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant holders ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with our company, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our warrant agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.
A provision of our warrant agreement may make it more difficult for us to consummate a partnering transaction.
Unlike some blank check companies, if
(i) |
we issue additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities, excluding forward purchase units, for capital raising purposes in connection with the consummation of our partnering transaction at a Newly Issued Price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock, |
(ii) |
the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances, excluding the forward purchase units, represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our partnering transaction on the date of the completion of our partnering transaction (net of redemptions), and |
(iii) |
the Market Value is below $9.20 per share, |
then the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described below under Description of Securities Warrants Public Stockholders Warrants Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price. This may make it more difficult for us to consummate a partnering transaction with a target business.
76
We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.
We have the ability to redeem outstanding public warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant if, among other things, the last reported sales price of our Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading Description of Securities Warrants Public Stockholders Warrants Anti-dilution Adjustments) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the public warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you to: (1) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so; (2) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants; or (3) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, we expect would be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.
None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees.
Because each unit contains one-fifth of one redeemable warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.
Each unit contains one-fifth of one redeemable warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole units will trade. This is different from some other offerings similar to ours whose units include one share of Series A common stock and one whole warrant to purchase one share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a partnering transaction since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for a fifth of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive partnering transaction partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if they included a warrant to purchase one whole share.
The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriters with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the Series A common stock and warrants underlying the units, include:
|
the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies; |
|
prior offerings of those companies; |
|
our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values; |
|
a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions; |
|
our capital structure; |
77
|
an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying suitable partnering transaction opportunities; |
|
general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and |
|
other factors as were deemed relevant. |
Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.
The voting structure of our common stock will have the effect of concentrating voting power with our sponsor, which will limit an investors ability to influence our policies and the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control.
Following our partnering transaction, we expect our authorized capital stock will consist of Series A common stock, entitling the holder to one vote per share, Series B common stock, entitling the holder to ten votes per share, and Series C common stock, the holder of which will not be entitled to any voting powers except to the extent required by Delaware law. Following our partnering transaction, we anticipate the holders of Series A common stock and Series B common stock will generally vote together as a single class on matters presented for a stockholder vote, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule. In connection with our partnering transaction (or earlier at our sponsors election), the outstanding shares of Series F common stock held by our sponsor will be converted on a one-for-one basis into shares of Series B common stock, and we have agreed to issue to our sponsor 10,000,000 forward purchase units consisting of one share of Series B common stock and one-fifth of a forward purchase warrant. The high-vote nature of our Series B common stock differs from the typical capital structure of many other special purpose acquisition companies and will significantly dilute the voting power of the investors in this offering following our partnering transaction. Assuming that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our sponsor forfeits an aggregate of 1,500,000 founder shares, that there are 51,200,000 shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering and that the issuance of 10,000,000 forward purchase units to our sponsor pursuant to the forward purchase agreement are the only additional equity securities issued in connection with our partnering transaction, our sponsor is expected to hold approximately 35% of the outstanding shares of our common stock representing approximately 83% of the outstanding voting power of our outstanding common stock immediately following the closing of our partnering transaction. We anticipate that our sponsors voting power and equity ownership may be substantially diluted in connection with our partnering transaction, either from the issuance of new shares of common stock in exchange for the capital stock of the target, the issuance of our capital stock to third party investors providing additional funding to our company in connection with the partnering transaction, or both. Until such time, our sponsor and Post would have the ability to exercise control over our affairs, policies and operations, such as the appointment of management, the issuance of additional shares of our common stock or other securities, the payment of dividends on our common stock, the incurrence of debt by us and over matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents and any change of control of our company. Our sponsor may have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree and which may be adverse to your interests.
Our sponsors equity ownership may create or appear to create conflicts of interest.
Our sponsors ownership, and our officers and certain of our directors indirect ownership through Posts ownership of our sponsor, of our Series B common stock may create or appear to create conflicts of interest when they are faced with decisions that could have different implications for the holders of Series A common stock, including the structure of our partnering transaction, any financing or private placement in connection with our partnering transaction, the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets.
78
Since only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors, upon the listing of our shares on the NYSE, the NYSE may consider us to be a controlled company within the meaning of the NYSE rules and, as a result, we may qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.
After completion of this offering, only holders of our founder shares will have the right to vote on the appointment of directors until our partnering transaction. Additionally, following our partnering transaction, we expect that the Series B common stock will have ten votes per share and Series A common stock will have one vote per share, concentrating voting power with the holders of our founder shares which may at such time exceed 50% of the voting power of the company. As a result, NYSE may consider us to be a controlled company within the meaning of the NYSE corporate governance standards. Under the NYSE corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a controlled company and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:
|
we have a board that includes a majority of independent directors, as defined under the rules of NYSE; and |
|
we have a corporate governance and compensation committee of our board that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committees purpose and responsibilities. |
We do not intend to utilize these exemptions and intend to comply with the corporate governance requirements of NYSE, subject to applicable phase-in rules. However, if we determine in the future to utilize some or all of these exemptions, you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the NYSE corporate governance requirements.
Our governance structure and the adoption of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may negatively affect the decision by certain institutional investors to purchase or hold shares of our Series A common stock.
The holding of low-voting stock, such as our Series A common stock, or if it is issued in the future, our non-voting Series C common stock, may not be permitted by the investment policies of certain institutional investors or may be less attractive to the portfolio managers of certain institutional investors. In addition, in July 2017, FTSE Russell and Standard & Poors announced that they would cease to allow most newly public companies utilizing dual- or multi-class capital structures to be included in their indices. Affected indices include the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400, and S&P SmallCap 600, which together make up the S&P Composite 1500. Our multi-class capital structure may make us ineligible for inclusion in any of these and certain other indices following our partnering transaction, and as a result, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track these indices would not invest in our stock. These policies may depress our valuation compared to those of other similar companies that are included in such indices.
There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.
There is currently no market for our securities. Stockholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential partnering transactions and general market or economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases). Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.
79
Holders of a single series of our common stock may not have any remedies if an action by our directors has an adverse effect on only that series of our common stock.
Principles of Delaware law and the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may protect decisions of our board of directors that have a disparate impact upon holders of any single series of our common stock. Under Delaware law, the board of directors has a duty to act with due care and in the best interests of all of our stockholders, including the holders of all series of our common stock. Principles of Delaware law established in cases involving differing treatment of multiple classes or series of stock provide that a board of directors owes an equal duty to all common stockholders regardless of class or series and does not have separate or additional duties to any group of stockholders. As a result, in some circumstances, our directors may be required to make a decision that is viewed as adverse to the holders of one series of our common stock. Under the principles of Delaware law and the business judgment rule, holders may not be able to successfully challenge decisions that they believe have a disparate impact upon the holders of one series of our stock if our board of directors is disinterested and independent with respect to the action taken, is adequately informed with respect to the action taken and acts in good faith and in the honest belief that the board is acting in the best interest of all of our stockholders.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, and also provide that the federal district courts will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each of which could limit our stockholders ability to choose the judicial forum for disputes with our company or our companys directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, another state court within the State of Delaware or, if no state court in Delaware has subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district courts of the United States of America) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) to bring (1) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought or purportedly brought on behalf of our company, (2) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, stockholder, officer, employee or agent of our company to our company or our stockholders, or any claim of aiding and abetting such breach, (3) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to, or seeking to enforce any right, obligation, or remedy under, any provision of the DGCL or the amended and restated certificate of incorporation or the amended and restated bylaws, (4) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the amended and restated certificate of incorporation or the amended and restated bylaws, (5) any action asserting a claim against our company or any director or officer of our company governed by the internal affairs doctrine, (6) any action, suit, or proceeding as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery, or (7) any action, suit or proceeding asserting an internal corporate claim as defined in Section 115 of the DGCL; in all cases, subject to the courts having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to any actions arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or otherwise arising under federal securities laws, for which the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the sole and exclusive forum.
Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all such Securities Act actions. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act.
80
Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a foreign action) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state courts located within the State of Delaware and the federal courts in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an enforcement action), and (y) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such enforcement action by service upon such stockholders counsel in the foreign action as agent for such stockholder.
Although we believe these exclusive forum provisions benefit us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law and federal securities laws in the types of lawsuits to which each applies, the exclusive forum provisions may limit a stockholders ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, stockholders, or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims against us and our current and former directors, officers, stockholders, or other employees and may result in additional costs for a stockholder seeking to bring a claim. Our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder as a result of our exclusive forum provisions. While we believe the risk of a court declining to enforce this forum selection clause is low, if a court were to determine the forum selection clause to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs in conjunction with our efforts to resolve the dispute in an alternative jurisdiction, which could have a negative impact on our results of operations and financial condition and result in a diversion of time and resources of our management team and board of directors.
We will adopt certain provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws that we intend to retain following the partnering transaction that may make difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so may be beneficial to our stockholders.
We will adopt certain provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws that we intend to retain following the partnering transaction that may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company that a stockholder may consider favorable. These provisions include:
|
authorizing a capital structure with multiple series of common stock, including Series A common stock that entitles the holder to one vote per share, Series B common stock that entitles the holders to initially one vote per share or, following our partnering transaction, ten votes per share, Series C common stock that except as otherwise required by applicable law, entitles the holder to no voting rights and Series F common stock that, prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, will be the only shares entitled to vote on the election of directors; |
|
from and after our partnering transaction, classifying our board of directors with staggered three-year terms, which may lengthen the time required to gain control of our board of directors; |
|
limiting who may call special meetings of stockholders; |
|
establishing advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election to the board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings; |
|
requiring stockholder approval by holders of at least 66 2/3% of our total voting power of our outstanding capital stock or approval by at least 75% of our board of directors with respect to certain extraordinary matters, such as a merger or consolidation of our company, a sale of all or substantially all of our assets or an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (except for any stockholder approval in connection with our partnering transaction); |
|
the existence of authorized and unissued stock, including blank check preferred stock, which could be issued by our board of directors to persons friendly to our then current management, thereby protecting the continuity of our management, or which could be used to dilute the stock ownership of persons seeking to obtain control of our company; |
81
|
following the completion of our partnering transaction, prohibiting stockholders from filling vacancies on our board of directors, which will only be able to be filled by our board of directors; and |
|
following the completion of our partnering transaction, providing that any or all of our directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all then outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. |
Together these provisions could also make it more difficult for stockholders to elect directors of their choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions they desire, any of which, under certain circumstances, could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock. These provisions may also affect a targets desire to enter into a partnering transaction with us.
General Risk Factors
We are a newly incorporated company with no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.
We are a newly incorporated company with no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our partnering transaction with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a partnering transaction and may be unable to complete our partnering transaction. If we fail to complete our partnering transaction, we will never generate any operating revenues.
Past performance by Post and members of our management team may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.
Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, our management team or Post is presented for informational purposes only. Past experience and performance, including related to acquisitions, of our management team or Post is not a guarantee either: (1) that we will be able to successfully identify a suitable candidate for our partnering transaction; or (2) of any results with respect to any partnering transaction we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record or performance of Post or any members of our management team or any related investments performance as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or are likely to, generate going forward. An investment in us is not an investment in Post.
We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of any second fiscal
82
quarter of a fiscal year, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the end of such fiscal year. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Cyber incidents or attacks directed at us could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.
We will depend on digital technologies, including information systems, infrastructure and cloud applications and services, including those of third parties with which we may deal. Sophisticated and deliberate attacks on, or security breaches in, our systems or infrastructure, or the systems or infrastructure of third parties or the cloud, could lead to corruption or misappropriation of our assets, proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. As an early stage company without significant investments in data security protection, we may not be sufficiently protected against such occurrences. We may not have sufficient resources to adequately protect against, or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to, cyber incidents. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have adverse consequences on our business and lead to financial loss.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain or adverse United States federal income tax consequences.
An investment in this offering may result in uncertain United States federal income tax consequences. For instance, because there are no authorities that directly address instruments similar to the units we are issuing in this offering, the allocation an investor makes with respect to the purchase price of a unit between the share of Series A common stock and the one-fifth of one redeemable warrant to purchase one share of our Series A common stock included in each unit could be challenged by the United States Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, or the courts. Furthermore, the United States federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants included in the units we are issuing in this offering are unclear under current law, and the adjustment to the exercise price and/or redemption price of the warrants could give rise to dividend income to investors without a corresponding payment of cash. Finally, it is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to our shares of common stock suspend the running of a United States Holders holding period for purposes of determining whether any dividend we pay would be considered a qualified dividend for United States federal income tax purposes. See the section of this prospectus titled United States Federal Income Tax Considerations for a summary of the material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to an investment in our securities. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to these and other tax consequences applicable to their specific circumstances when purchasing, holding or disposing of our securities.
83
We are offering 40,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement units will be used as set forth in the following table.
Without Over-
Allotment |
With Over-
Allotment Option Exercised in Full |
|||||||
Gross proceeds |
||||||||
Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1) |
$ | 400,000,000 | $ | 460,000,000 | ||||
Gross proceeds from private placement units |
12,000,000 | 13,200,000 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total gross proceeds |
$ | 412,000,000 | $ | 473,200,000 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Estimated offering expenses(2) |
||||||||
Underwriting commissions (2.0% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, excluding deferred portion)(3) |
$ | 8,000,000 | $ | 9,200,000 | ||||
Legal fees and expenses |
350,000 | 350,000 | ||||||
Printing and engraving expenses |
40,000 | 40,000 | ||||||
Accounting fees and expenses |
47,000 | 47,000 | ||||||
SEC/FINRA Expenses |
119,686 | 119,686 | ||||||
Travel and road show |
10,000 | 10,000 | ||||||
Directors and officers insurance premiums |
500,000 | 500,000 | ||||||
NYSE listing and filing fees |
85,000 | 85,000 | ||||||
Miscellaneous expenses(4) |
348,314 | 348,314 | ||||||
Total estimated offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) |
1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Proceeds after estimated offering expenses |
$ | 402,500,000 | $ | 462,500,000 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Held in trust account |
$ | 400,000,000 | $ | 460,000,000 | ||||
% of public offering size |
100 | % | 100 | % | ||||
Not held in trust account |
2,500,000 | 2,500,000 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
The following table shows the use of the approximately $2,500,000 of net proceeds not held in the trust account:(5)
Amount | % of Total | |||||||
Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, consulting and other expenses in connection with any potential partnering transaction |
$ | 550,000 | 22.0 | % | ||||
Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations |
150,000 | 6.0 | % | |||||
Payment for office space, administrative and support services |
960,000 | 38.4 | % | |||||
Reserve for liquidation expenses |
100,000 | 4.0 | % | |||||
Non-employee director cash compensation |
600,000 | 24.0 | % | |||||
NYSE continued listing fees |
75,000 | 3.0 | % | |||||
Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses |
65,000 | 2.6 | % | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total |
$ | 2,500,000 | 100.0 | % | ||||
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Includes amounts payable to public stockholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our partnering transaction. |
(2) |
A portion of the offering expenses have been paid from the proceeds of loans from our sponsor of up to $300,000 as described in this prospectus. As of January 27, 2021, we had not borrowed any amount under the promissory note with our sponsor. Subsequent to January 27, 2021, we borrowed approximately $120,000 under the promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans |
84
will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,500,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account. These expenses are estimates only. In the event that offering expenses are less than as set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that the offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, we may fund such excess with funds not held in the trust account. |
(3) |
The underwriters have agreed to defer underwriting commissions equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon completion of our partnering transaction, $14,000,000, which constitutes the underwriters deferred commissions (or up to $16,100,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be paid to the underwriters or third parties as described below from the funds held in the trust account and the remaining funds, less amounts used to pay redeeming stockholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our partnering transaction occurs or for general corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our partnering transaction, to fund the purchases of other companies or for working capital. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions. |
(4) |
Includes organizational and administrative expenses and may include amounts related to above-listed expenses in the event actual amounts exceed estimates. |
(5) |
These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring a partnering transaction based upon the level of complexity of such partnering transaction. In the event we identify an acquisition target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses. The amount in the table above does not include interest available to us from the trust account to pay our taxes. Based on current interest rates, we would expect approximately $400,000 to be available to us annually from interest earned on the funds held in the trust account; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. This estimate assumes an interest rate of 0.1% per annum based upon current yields of securities in which the trust account may be invested. In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended partnering transaction, our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our partnering transaction, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our partnering transaction does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans made to us may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per units at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account. |
NYSE listing rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, $400,000,000 (or $460,000,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), including $14,000,000 (or up to $16,100,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions, will, upon the consummation of this offering, be placed in a United States-based trust account with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. The funds in the trust account will be invested only in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less
85
or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Based on current interest rates, we estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $400,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.1% per year. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account except for the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes, if any. The funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of our partnering transaction; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance and timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), subject to applicable law. Based on current interest rates, we expect that interest earned on the trust account will be sufficient to pay taxes.
The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our partnering transaction. If our partnering transaction is paid for using equity or debt or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our partnering transaction or used for redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our partnering transaction, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our partnering transaction.
Amounts not held in trust are intended to cover estimated costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. In order to limit expenses, while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective acquisition, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of a partnering transaction. We may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries, but such persons are not under any obligation or other duty to loan funds to, or invest in, us.
We will enter into a services agreement pursuant to which we will pay Post and certain of its subsidiaries a total of $40,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our partnering transaction or any liquidation, we may cease paying some or all of these monthly fees. Pursuant to such agreement we will indemnify Post and its affiliates for (i) any claims made by us or a third party and resulting liabilities in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by them, (ii) any liability arising with respect to their activities in connection with our affairs and (iii) any services that are provided without a separate written agreement between us and Post or an affiliate of Post. Such indemnity will provide that the indemnified parties cannot access the funds held in our trust account.
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of January 27, 2021, we had not borrowed any amount under the promissory note with our sponsor. Subsequent to January 27, 2021, we borrowed approximately $120,000 under the promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2021 and the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,500,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account.
86
In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended partnering transaction, our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our partnering transaction, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our partnering transaction does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans made to us may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will enter into a forward purchase agreement with our sponsor pursuant to which our sponsor will commit to purchase from us up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units, consisting of one forward purchase share and one-fifth of one forward purchase warrant, for $10.00 per forward purchase unit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our partnering transaction. The proceeds from the sale of these forward purchase units, together with the amounts available to us from the trust account (after giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the partnering transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the partnering transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-partnering transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the trust account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, our sponsor may purchase less than 10,000,000 forward purchase units.
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers or advisors or any of the related companies or their directors, officers or advisors may also purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our partnering transaction. See Proposed Business Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities for a description of how such persons will determine from which stockholders to seek to acquire shares. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our partnering transaction. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If such persons engage in such transactions, they will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules.
We may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions and the agreement for our partnering transaction may require as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights so that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement or any net worth or cash requirements, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares or the partnering transaction, and instead may search for an alternate partnering transaction (including, potentially, with the same target).
A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (1) the completion of our partnering transaction and then, only in connection with those public shares that
87
such stockholder has properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described in this prospectus; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any rights to proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants.
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to waive: (1) their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction; (2) their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (3) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any extended time that we have to consummate a partnering transaction beyond 24 months (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) during an Extension Period (although our sponsor, officers and directors will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame).
88
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our partnering transaction. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our partnering transaction. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our partnering transaction will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of this offering, in which case we will effect a stock dividend or other appropriate mechanism with respect to our Series F common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our partnering transaction, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
89
The difference between the public offering price per share of Series A common stock, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement units, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Series A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement units, which would cause the actual dilution to the public stockholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of Series A common stock which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding shares of our Series A common stock.
At January 27, 2021, our net tangible book value was negative $20,000 or approximately $(0.00) per share of Series F common stock. After giving effect to the sale of 40,000,000 shares of Series A common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, the sale of the private placement units and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at January 27, 2021 would have been $5,000,010 or $0.39 per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of the approximately 38,351,999 shares of Series A common stock that may be redeemed for cash and assuming no exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option) of $0.39 per share to our sponsor as of the date of this prospectus and an immediate dilution of $9.61 per share or 96.1% to our public stockholders not exercising their redemption rights. The dilution to new investors if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full would be an immediate dilution of $9.66 per share or 96.6%
The following table illustrates the dilution to the public stockholders on a per share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units or the private placement units:
Without Over-Allotment | With Over-Allotment | |||||||
Public offering price |
$ | 10.00 | $ | 10.00 | ||||
Net tangible book deficit before this offering |
(0.00 | ) | (0.00 | ) | ||||
Increase attributable to public stockholders |
0.39 | 0.34 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants |
0.39 | 0.34 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Dilution to public stockholders |
$ | 9.61 | $ | 9.66 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Percentage of dilution to public stockholders |
96.1 | % | 96.6 | % |
For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option) by $383,519,990 because holders of up to approximately 95.9% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per-share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our partnering transaction, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of shares of Series A common stock sold in this offering.
The following table sets forth information with respect to our sponsor and the public stockholders:
Shares Purchased | Total Consideration |
Average Price
Per Share |
||||||||||||||||||
Number | Percentage | Amount | Percentage | |||||||||||||||||
Initial Stockholders(1) |
10,000,000 | 19.5 | % | 25,000 | 0.006 | % | $ | 0.003 | ||||||||||||
Private placement |
1,200,000 | 2.3 | % | 12,000,000 | 2.912 | % | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||||
Public Stockholders |
40,000,000 | 78.1 | % | 400,000,000 | 97.081 | % | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
51,200,000 | 100 | % | 312,025,000 | 100.00 | % | |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Assumes the full forfeiture of an aggregate of 1,500,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised. |
90
Without
Over-
Allotment |
With
Over-
Allotment |
|||||||
Numerator: |
||||||||
Net tangible book value before this offering |
$ | (20,000 | ) | $ | (20,000 | ) | ||
Proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement units(1) |
402,500,000 | 462,500,000 | ||||||
Plus: Offering costs paid in advance, excluded from tangible book value |
40,000 | 40,000 | ||||||
Less: Deferred underwriters commissions |
(14,000,000 | ) | (16,100,000 | ) | ||||
Less: Proceeds held in trust subject to redemption |
(383,519,990 | ) | (441,419,990 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
$ | 5,000,010 | $ | 5,000,010 | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Denominator: |
||||||||
Series F common stock outstanding prior to this offering |
11,500,000 | 11,500,000 | ||||||
Series F common stock forfeited if over-allotment is not exercised |
(1,500,000 | ) | | |||||
Series A common stock included in the units offered |
40,000,000 | 46,000,000 | ||||||
Series A common stock included in units sold to our sponsor in a private placement |
1,200,000 | 1,320,000 | ||||||
Less: shares subject to redemption |
(38,351,999 | ) | (44,141,999 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
12,848,001 | 14,678,001 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Expenses applied against gross proceeds include offering expenses of $1,500,000 and underwriting commissions of $8,000,000 or $9,200,000 if the underwriter exercises its over-allotment option (excluding deferred underwriting fees). See Use of Proceeds. |
91
The following table sets forth our capitalization as of January 27, 2021 on a historical basis and as adjusted to give effect to the filing of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the sale of our 40,000,000 units in this offering for $400,000,000 (or $10.00 per unit) and the sale of 1,200,000 private placement units for $12,000,000 (or $10.00 per unit) and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities (and excludes gross proceeds from the sale of forward purchase units that may close substantially simultaneously with the consummation of our partnering transaction):
As of January 27, 2021 | ||||||||
Actual | As Adjusted(2) | |||||||
Notes payable to related party(1) |
$ | | $ | | ||||
Deferred underwriting commissions |
14,000,000 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Series A common stock, subject to redemption, -0- shares actual and 38,351,999 shares as adjusted(3) |
| 383,519,990 | ||||||
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding, actual and as adjusted |
| | ||||||
Series A common stock, $0.0001 par value; actual 1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued or outstanding; as adjusted 500,000,000 shares authorized; 2,848,001 shares issued and outstanding (excluding 38,351,999 shares subject to possible redemption) |
| 285 | ||||||
Series B common stock, $0.0001 par value; actual 1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued or outstanding; as adjusted 80,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding |
||||||||
Series C common stock, $0.0001 par value; actual 1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued or outstanding; as adjusted 40,000,000 shares authorized, none issued or outstanding |
| | ||||||
Series F common stock, $0.0001 par value; actual 20,000,000 shares authorized, 11,500,000 shares issued and outstanding; as adjusted 40,000,000 shares authorized, 10,000,000 shares issued and outstanding(4) |
1,150 | 1,000 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital(5) |
23,850 | 5,003,725 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(5,000 | ) | (5,000 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total shareholders equity |
$ | 20,000 | $ | 5,000,010 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total capitalization |
$ | 20,000 | $ | 402,520,000 | ||||
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of January 27, 2021, we had not borrowed any amount under the promissory note with our sponsor. Subsequent to January 27, 2021, we borrowed approximately $120,000 under the promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. |
(2) |
Assumes the full forfeiture of an aggregate of 1,500,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised. The proceeds of the sale of such shares will not be deposited into the trust account, the shares will not be eligible for redemption from the trust account nor will they be eligible to vote upon the partnering transaction. |
(3) |
Upon the completion of our partnering transaction, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the partnering transaction, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), subject to the limitations described herein whereby our net tangible assets will be maintained at a minimum of $5,000,001 and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed partnering transaction. The value of Series A common stock that may be redeemed is equal |
92
to $10.00 per share (which is the assumed redemption price) multiplied by 38,351,999 shares of Series A common stock, which is the maximum number of shares of Series A common stock that may be redeemed for a $10.00 purchase price per share and still maintain at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets. |
(4) |
Actual share amount is prior to any forfeiture of founder shares by our sponsor. The as adjusted share amount assumes no exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option and the forfeiture of 1,500,000 founder shares by our sponsor. |
(5) |
The as adjusted additional paid-in capital calculation is equal to the as adjusted total stockholders equity of $5,000,010, less common stock (par value) of $1,285, less the accumulated deficit of ($5,000). |
93
MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
We are a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar partnering transaction with one or more businesses. We have not selected any partnering transaction target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any partnering transaction target. We intend to effectuate our partnering transaction using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units and forward purchase units, our capital stock, debt or a combination of cash, stock and debt.
The issuance of additional shares of our stock in a partnering transaction, including pursuant to the forward purchase agreement:
|
may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering; |
|
may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock; |
|
could cause a change of control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; |
|
may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the stock ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us; |
|
may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Series A common stock and/or warrants; and |
|
may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants. |
Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant indebtedness, it could result in:
|
default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after a partnering transaction are insufficient to repay our debt obligations; |
|
acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant; |
|
our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand; |
|
our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding; |
|
our inability to pay dividends on our common stock; |
|
using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; |
|
limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; |
|
increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and |
|
limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt. |
94
As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, as of January 27, 2021, we had no cash, a working capital deficit of $20,000 and deferred offering costs of $40,000. Further, we expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our partnering transaction will be successful. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events
We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our partnering transaction. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through receipt of $25,000 from the sale of the founder shares to our sponsor and up to $300,000 in loans from our sponsor under an unsecured promissory note. As of January 27, 2021, we had not borrowed any amount under the promissory note with our sponsor. Subsequent to January 27, 2021, we borrowed approximately $120,000 under the promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. We estimate that the net proceeds from (1) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $1,500,000 and underwriting commissions of $8,000,000 ($9,200,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $14,000,000 (or up to $16,100,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full)), and (2) the sale of the private placement units for a purchase price of $12,000,000 (or $13,200,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be $402,500,000 (or $462,500,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full). Of this amount, $400,000,000, or $460,000,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full, including $14,000,000 (or up to $16,100,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions, will be deposited into the trust account. The funds in the trust account will be invested only in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries. The remaining $2,500,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $2,500,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,500,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and excluding deferred underwriting commissions) and the proceeds from the sale of the forward purchase units to complete our partnering transaction. We may withdraw interest to pay taxes. We estimate our annual franchise tax obligations, based on the number of shares of our common stock authorized and outstanding after the completion of this offering, to be $200,000 per year, which is currently the maximum amount of annual franchise taxes payable by us as a Delaware corporation. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. We expect the only taxes payable by us out of the funds in the trust account will be income and franchise taxes. We expect the interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our taxes. To the extent that our
95
capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our partnering transaction, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.
Prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, we will have available to us $2,500,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, structure, negotiate and complete a partnering transaction, and to pay taxes to the extent the interest earned on the trust account is not sufficient to pay our taxes.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended partnering transaction, our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our partnering transaction, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our partnering transaction does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans made to us may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $550,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel, consulting and other expenses in connection with any partnering transactions; $150,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations; $600,000 for fees paid to the non-employee directors on our board for their service on the board; $75,000 for NYSE continued listing fees; $960,000 for office space, administrative and support services; and approximately $65,000 for general working capital that will be used for miscellaneous expenses.
We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a partnering transaction are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our partnering transaction. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our partnering transaction or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our partnering transaction, in which case we may issue additional securities or incur debt in connection with such partnering transaction.
Controls and Procedures
We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control reporting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.
96
Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered accounting firm tested our systems, of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our partnering transaction and, if necessary, to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our partnering transaction may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:
|
staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties; |
|
reconciliation of accounts; |
|
proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate; |
|
evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions; |
|
documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and |
|
documentation of accounting policies and procedures. |
Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expenses in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.
Once our managements report on internal controls is complete, we will retain an independent auditor to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The registered public accounting firm may identify additional issues concerning a target businesss internal controls while performing its audit of internal control over financial reporting.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be invested in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Results
As of January 27, 2021, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have conducted no operations to date.
Related Party Transactions
In January 2021, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 11,500,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, with a purchase price of approximately $0.002 per share. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the completion of this offering. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect
97
to our Series F common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the consummation of this offering. As such, our sponsor will collectively beneficially own 20% of our issued and outstanding capital stock immediately after this offering (assuming our sponsor does not purchase units in this offering). Our sponsor does not intend to purchase any units in this offering. Up to 1,500,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised.
We will enter into a services agreement pursuant to which we will pay Post and certain of its subsidiaries a total of $40,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our partnering transaction or any liquidation, we may cease paying some or all of these monthly fees. Pursuant to such agreement we will indemnify Post and its affiliates for (i) any claims made by us or a third party and resulting liabilities in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by them, (ii) any liability arising with respect to their activities in connection with our affairs and (iii) any services that are provided without a separate written agreement between us and Post or an affiliate of Post. Such indemnity will provide that the indemnified parties cannot access the funds held in our trust account.
Our sponsor, officers and directors or Post or its other subsidiaries will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable partnering transactions. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors or Post or its other subsidiaries and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of January 27, 2021, we had not borrowed any amount under the promissory note with our sponsor. Subsequent to January 27, 2021, we borrowed approximately $120,000 under the promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2021 and the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,500,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account.
In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended partnering transaction, our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our partnering transaction, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our partnering transaction does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans made to us may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
Our sponsor will commit, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 1,200,000 private placement units (or 1,320,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($12,000,000 in the aggregate or $13,200,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Series A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. The private placement units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus.
In addition, certain members of our management team, and officers and directors of Post and their affiliates, may purchase our securities in the open market following the IPO and enter into an agreement in
98
accordance with the guidelines of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act to place limit orders, through an independent broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act which is not affiliated with us nor part of the underwriting or selling group, to purchase our securities in the open market at market prices, subject to certain conditions.
In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will enter into a forward purchase agreement with our sponsor pursuant to which our sponsor will commit to purchase from us up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units, consisting of one share of Series B common stock, or a forward purchase share, and one-fifth of one warrant to purchase one share of Series A common stock, or a forward purchase warrant, for $10.00 per forward purchase unit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our partnering transaction. The proceeds from the sale of these forward purchase units, together with the amounts available to us from the trust account (after giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the partnering transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the partnering transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-partnering transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the trust account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, our sponsor may purchase less than 10,000,000 forward purchase units. Pursuant to an investor rights agreement that we will enter into with our sponsor and Post and a forward purchase agreement that we will enter into with our sponsor on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. These holders, and holders of warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, will be entitled under each of the investor rights agreement and the forward purchase agreement to make up to three demands in any 12-month period that we register certain of our securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, our sponsor will have the right to include certain of its securities in other registration statements filed by us. However, the investor rights agreement and the forward purchase agreement will provide that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their lock-up restrictions, as described herein. We will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements.
JOBS Act
On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an emerging growth company and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an emerging growth company, we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things: (1) provide an auditors attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; (2) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; (3) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditors report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis); and (4) disclose certain executive compensation-related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEOs compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an emerging growth company, whichever is earlier.
99
Company
PHPC is a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation, formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar partnering transaction with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our partnering transaction. To date, our efforts have been limited to organizational activities as well as activities related to this offering. We have no specific business plan other than to enter into a partnering transaction. We have not selected any business with which to partner and have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any candidate with respect to a partnering transaction with us. Although we may pursue a partnering transaction in any industry, we intend to capitalize on the ability of our management team and our sponsor to partner with a business that has the potential to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns in the CPG industry.
Post and Our Sponsor
An affiliate of Post will act as our sponsor. Post is a consumer packaged goods holding company with a long history of value creation via strategic corporate actions and efficient capital allocation. None of Posts business will directly be a source of returns for investors in our offering. While we expect Post to provide expertise, it is not obligated to and there is no guarantee it will source a partnering transaction. Post will not receive any additional compensation or finders fees from sourcing or providing financing for our partnering transaction. However, as a result of Posts indirect ownership of our founder shares, private placement units and forward purchase units, it may derive economic benefits from such securities. The amount of such economic benefits to Post cannot yet be determined. Any financing, whether provided by Post or third parties, may negatively impact the value of our stockholders investment in us. See Risk Factors Risks Relating to Our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Partnering Transaction We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a partnering transaction, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders investment in us. Any financing provided by Post is expected to be on terms, taken as a whole, that would be at least as favorable to us as could be obtained from a third party.
Post generated 279% in total shareholder return since its spin-off from Ralcorp in 2012 until the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020 the highest among Posts packaged food industry peers. From Posts spin-off through December 31, 2020, Post generated 278% in total shareholder return, still among the highest of its peers, despite being impacted by the pandemics effect on its foodservice business. To achieve these results, Post has transformed from a single-product participant in a secularly declining category into a growing, diversified enterprise across multiple categories.
100
1. |
Fiscal year ended 9/30/2011. Reflects Net Sales for Post. |
2. |
Fiscal year ended 9/30/2020. Reflects Net Sales for Post and its equity investments, comprised of Post consolidated Net Sales of $5.7bn, which includes 100% of BellRing, plus $924 million in Net Sales for 8th Avenue. |
This transformation was accomplished by utilizing the following strategic guiding principles:
|
Long-tenured management team. We believe Post has the longest-tenured management team among its publicly-traded packaged food industry peers, with its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel having joined Post in various capacities in 2011. This continuity and cohesive team structure has created a strong, collaborative culture with significant accumulated institutional knowledge and transaction expertise. |
|
De-centralized operating structure. Posts corporate management recognizes that the operator skill set is often different than the capital allocation or M&A skill set. As such, Post retains an operationally-focused management team to run each of its business units and centralizes the capital allocation function. This structure allows each of Posts business units to achieve operational excellence and be agile and nimble, while remaining autonomous from, but accountable to, the corporate management team at Post. This also enables corporate management to focus on efficient capital allocation and accretive M&A and structured transactions on a holistic basis across the portfolio. |
|
Creative and pragmatic approach to M&A. Posts corporate management possesses a deep M&A proficiency, employing leverage and transaction structure to enhance returns. Unlike some corporations with M&A in their DNA, Post is not solely an asset accumulator, but rather seeks to monetize assets opportunistically to unlock shareholder value. |
|
Broad access to deal flow. Given Posts extensive M&A track-record and heavy use of the capital markets, corporate management has regular direct contact with various management teams, board members, and sell-side bankers. The Post team is well suited to transact in situations that require creativity, complexity, or structuring expertise. |
101
|
Appropriate use of leverage to enhance equity returns. Posts corporate management actively manages its balance sheet and has a sophisticated understanding of the capital markets. Since its spin-off, Post has undertaken over 30 capital markets transactions and maintained leverage in a range of 4.0x to 6.0x for most of that time. |
Post intends to apply these primary strategic principles to capitalize on the substantial deal flow and opportunity that management sees across the consumer sector. As such, we are seeking to partner with a business in an attractive category, with growth potential organically or through consolidation opportunities, margin upside potential, portfolio optionality, and an experienced management team. Post management believes that PHPCs formation, and its position outside of the immediate Post corporate structure, greatly expands the potential universe of targets and target financial profiles that could potentially generate attractive returns for shareholders. We are open to assessing high-growth partners, yet prioritize other criteria, as outlined in Our Investment Criteria. The partnering transaction would provide the candidate business an efficient path to become public, backed by Posts experience managing consumer products businesses, allocating capital, and building a foundation for future acquisitions and value creation. As a long-term partner, Post will enhance the potential candidates ability to generate risk-adjusted returns for stockholders.
Capitalizing on Posts History
Posts history is rooted in M&A as a lever for value-creation against an ever-evolving CPG category backdrop.
Posts legacy dates back to 1895, when C. W. Post incorporated Postum Cereals Company and developed one of the first RTE cereals, Grape-Nuts, in 1897. The company became the first packaged food consolidator, as Postum Cereals Company acquired over a dozen companies between 1925 and 1929, expanding its product line to more than 60 products and eventually changing its name to General Foods Corporation.
Philip Morris acquired the business in 1985 and subsequently merged the business with Kraft in 1989. In 2007, Kraft was separated from Philip Morris, and in 2008, the Post cereals business was split-off from Kraft and combined with Ralcorp, a manufacturer of private label packaged food. Ultimately, Post was spun-off from Ralcorp and became a separate, standalone company, effective February 3, 2012.
Posts character as an early food industry consolidator re-emerged when it once again became a standalone public company. A component of managements initial mandate was to consolidate the RTE cereal category. At the same time, the category began to experience a more pronounced shift in consumption, after decades of low-to-mid single digit growth. Consumers began to exhibit a preference for low-carbohydrate diets, natural ingredients, or non-processed foods, and were substituting protein-based options for cereals. In the face of enhanced competition in a growth-constrained environment, Post developed a diversification strategy that prioritized performance stability and free cash flow generation. Management recognized early and positioned its portfolio accordingly around long-term consumer trends. To diversify its cereal offerings, some of managements first acquisitions were focused on building a foothold in protein products relevant to the breakfast daypart, both for at-home and on-the-go eating occasions. The acquisitions of Michael Foods and Premier Protein allowed Post to unlock desired strategic diversity. Post later was able to translate those early actions into future value creation when it carved out BellRing, which held Posts active nutrition businesses including Premier Protein, highlighting that Post is not an asset accumulator, and instead seeks to crystallize value when possible to maximize long-term returns for shareholders. In total, Post has acquired 16 businesses since 2012, growing net sales nearly six times and Adjusted EBITDA over five times.
102
1. |
Posts fiscal year end is September 30. |
Central to Posts value creation strategy is the simple notion of accessing capital at a reasonable cost and investing the capital in consumer assets with appropriate risk-adjusted return potential. Over its history, Post has been an active issuer in different capital markets including high-yield debt (both term loans and bonds), convertible preferred equity, mandatory convertible equity, and common equity. In addition, Post has also partnered with private equity capital providers (via its formation of 8th Avenue), as well as the public equity markets (via its BellRing carve-out IPO). Post management views the market for blank check companies as a natural extension of this strategy of leveraging its capital base through creative financial structures.
Post management believes that the current combination of macro, market, and contextual opportunity have combined to make the present moment the right time to explore value-accretive transactions where Post can apply its core M&A skill set outside of the immediate Post corporate structure. Both Post shareholders and PHPC stockholders have the opportunity to benefit from the formation of PHPC and the complementary, aligned objectives that will guide its pursuit of value creation.
Differentiated Sponsor
Our sponsor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Post. Post operates as a holding company for six distinct businesses today. Four of the businesses are wholly-owned, including Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. Two of the businesses are held as investments in non-wholly owned subsidiaries. BellRing is Posts historical active nutrition business. Post completed an IPO of a minority interest in BellRing in October 2019, monetizing a 28.8% stake in the business while retaining 71.2% for upside in the public markets. 8th Avenue is Posts historical private brand business, which Post capitalized separately with investments from third parties in October 2018, retaining a 60.5% stake for future upside potential and optionality. Post is familiar with operating as a public company with a complex organizational structure, making it an ideal partner to PHPC.
Posts operating model with its existing subsidiaries is similar to the expected relationship with our ultimate partner, making Post uniquely qualified to sponsor our business. Each of Posts six businesses has its own management and operating structure, while capital allocation and M&A are centrally-managed by Post. The subsidiary businesses are unified, but not operationally integrated, by select shared services across the portfolio related to food safety, regulatory and compliance oversight; treasury; finance; investor relations; tax; select information technology; human resources; and corporate legal. De-centralization allows each business to flexibly and quickly respond to market movements, and enables them to be separated in the future without significant disintegration effects or stranded costs.
103
Stemming from its own strategic principles, Post intends to provide the following support to the ultimate partner as sponsor:
|
Consumer products industry expertise and relationships. Posts management team has a collective 100+ years of industry experience in consumer products. Rob Vitale additionally serves on the board of directors of Energizer Holdings, Inc., a publicly-traded company operating in the household products category. The management teams relationships with business managers and operators across all corporate functions, as well as among the financial communities that invest in CPG businesses, provides the partnering candidate access to best-in-class leadership and strategic acumen. |
|
M&A experience and capabilities, including access to deal flow. Post has completed 16 acquisitions since 2012, building the relationships that place it at the nexus of deal flow between strategic and sponsor transactions, while developing the resources and experience to move quickly and decisively. Since future M&A opportunity is a major consideration in our selection of an ultimate partner, Post would be a valuable resource. |
1. |
Transformative acquisitions are defined as transactions with a purchase price >$1,000 million. |
|
Tax and structuring expertise and resources. Posts own corporate organization and transaction experience provide administrative resources and third party relationships that will help optimize corporate and deal structure. |
|
Capitalization formation and ongoing balance sheet management. Post already provides treasury services to its business units as well as to its affiliate investments under master services agreements, so an extension of its guidance to our business would be a natural step to leverage its expertise. Post takes a thoughtful, appropriately aggressive, and proactive approach to balance sheet management, having flexed up and down leverage for acquisitions since its spin-off. |
|
Experienced manager of a public company. Post management has deep expertise in leading a public company. Post intends to leverage its experience to support the partnering candidate as it enters the public markets for the first time. |
|
Potential shared services. While we will not be integrated into Post as a wholly-owned subsidiary, we expect to have a similar relationship to the sponsor as Posts current subsidiaries. Post and management will take into account potential revenue and cost synergies that might be available based on common capabilities, customers, operations, or distribution channels in evaluating potential partnering opportunities; Post may be able to offer certain administrative services to leverage costs across a larger portfolio. |
Post aims to help build a foundation for our long-term success, and will lend its expertise, resources, and guidance, backed by its initial financial commitment, to start our journey as a public company.
Immediately prior to this proposed public offering our sponsor owned 100% of our capital stock, consisting of shares of Series F common stock which will automatically convert at the time of our partnering transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, into shares of Series B common stock on a one-for-one basis. In
104
connection with our partnering transaction, our sponsor has agreed to purchase 10,000,000 forward purchase units consisting of one share of Series B common stock and one-fifth of a forward purchase warrant. Following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock entitles the holder to ten votes per share which differs from the typical capital structure of many other special purpose acquisition companies. Assuming that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our sponsor forfeits an aggregate of 1,500,000 founder shares, that there are 51,200,000 shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering and that the issuance of 10,000,000 forward purchase units to our sponsor pursuant to the forward purchase agreement are the only additional equity securities issued in connection with our partnering transaction, our sponsor is expected to own approximately 35% of the outstanding shares of our common stock and approximately 83% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock immediately following the closing of our partnering transaction. We anticipate that our sponsors voting power and equity ownership may be substantially diluted in connection with our partnering transaction, either from the issuance of new shares of common stock in exchange for the capital stock of the target, the issuance of our capital stock to third party investors providing additional funding to our company in connection with the partnering transaction, or both. However, until such time, our sponsor and Post will have the ability to exercise control over our affairs, policies and operations, such as the appointment of management, the issuance of additional shares of our common stock or other securities, the payment of dividends on our common stock, the incurrence of debt by us and over matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents and any change of control of our company. Our sponsor may have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree and which may be adverse to your interests.
Posts Investment Track Record Is Highly Relevant Across the Consumer Landscape
When Post became a standalone public company in 2012, it was a single-category business operating in the highly-competitive RTE cereal category with concentrated distribution channels in food, drug, mass, and club, offering only center-of-store products. Since then, Post has transformed into a dynamic, multi-category food company with diversified income streams and portfolio optionality. Posts experience is relevant across the CPG industry as many categories face similar dynamics.
A core element of Posts strategy relates to empowering management teams to operate toward a model that prioritizes top-line stability, margin enhancement, free cash flow generation, and agile responses to consumer preferences. The de-centralized model is intentionally designed to increase each individual units flexibility, accountability, and entrepreneurship. Posts performance demonstrates managements ability to effectively incentivize and guide capital allocation decisions without crafting or developing each units specific operating or go-to-market strategy.
Layered on top of organic growth is a discerning approach to inorganic expansion. Management has acquired 16 companies ranging from sub-$100 million to ~$2.45 billion in size since 2012. Despite the broad diversity in size, category, geography, and other business characteristics, Posts strategy has been consistent. That is, to build leadership positions in categories with attractive dynamics and to diversify the total portfolio by expanding into new categories and channels, while addressing secular themes in food to insulate the portfolio from potential dietary, lifestyle or economic shifts. Post utilizes tax benefits (as appropriate and available) and aims to extract synergies where possible, using integration expertise to buy down the effective purchase multiple and enhance value creation. However, given Posts de-centralized operating structure and diversified portfolio approach, synergies are not a pre-requisite for pursuing an acquisition that makes strategic sense or unlocks long-term strategic value.
Adherence to its upfront acquisition criteria, combined with effective integration that does not prioritize extreme cost-focused synergy extraction, has enhanced the return of Posts portfolio and resulted in a strong track record of nearly all M&A targets performing ahead of the acquisition case under Posts stewardship.
105
Posts results with its own business are a clear indicator of its track record. Post has driven attractive total returns for its shareholders and has delivered returns in excess of its peers since its formation.
Post has also monetized assets opportunistically, using structured M&A to generate return while simultaneously retaining potential future upside. On October 1, 2018, Post completed an independent capitalization of 8th Avenue, providing gross proceeds to Post of $875 million while allowing Post to retain 60.5% in common equity post-closing. 8th Avenue is now a deconsolidated equity investment that is owned jointly with third party investors. On October 21, 2019, BellRing completed an initial public offering, providing net proceeds to Post of $524 million while allowing Post to retain a 71.2% ownership stake. BellRing remains fully-consolidated in Posts financial results. Based on its current valuation in the public equity markets as of December 31, 2020, BellRing has achieved a more than six times increase in the entitys enterprise value since the businesses were acquired and combined by Post in 2014. Post is therefore positioned to continue to realize value from growth in these investments, while still having recovered nearly all of its initial cash investment in both assets, providing ongoing strategic and portfolio optionality.
Note: Entry enterprise value represents the cumulative headline purchase price paid for the assets that comprise the ultimate company
1. |
Current market data per FactSet as of 12/31/2020. CAGR is calculated between the closing date of the final asset acquired at entry through current market data as of 12/31/2020. |
2. |
2018 enterprise value per Lender Presentation published in connection with the 8th Avenue capitalization in October 2018. |
106
As the sole member of our sponsor, Post will be providing us with differentiated expertise as a result of its track record of identifying high potential businesses as well as its differentiated access to a deep network of investors worldwide. Additionally, Posts franchise strength brings capital, credibility, and institutional know-how to execute the partnering transaction quickly.
Our Business Strategy
Our strategy is to identify, partner with and, after our partnering transaction, fundamentally enhance a company in the public markets. We intend to partner with a company in the consumer products industry that complements the experience and expertise of our management team and is a business to which we believe we can add value.
Our management team is deeply familiar with the trends of our target industries and brings an investing approach that offers multiple competitive advantages in sourcing, evaluating and executing on opportunities, including:
|
Long-term investment horizon. We take a long-term, strategic view when evaluating our various operating businesses and are less concerned with seeking profits based on near-term volatility or temporary market disruptions. |
|
Attractive risk-adjusted returns. We believe we can create significant value through efficient capital allocation, appropriately aggressive balance sheet management and a business model that focuses on outsized growth prospects and free cash flow generation. |
|
Sophisticated transaction structuring to enhance value. We will be creative in our deal structures in order to maximize value creation for our prospective investors and shareholders. |
|
Differentiated partner sourcing across consumer sectors. Post management is at the nexus of deal flow for both strategics and sponsors. We believe that the capabilities and connections of our management team, in combination with those of Post, will provide us with a differentiated pipeline of partnering opportunities that would be difficult for other participants in the M&A markets to replicate. |
|
Speed and agility to consummate a partnering transaction. Our team has proven managerial expertise in deal execution having previously acquired and divested a number of businesses. We believe that we will be able to conduct candidate sourcing, screening, diligence and execution thoughtfully and efficiently as opportunities arise. |
Our Investment Criteria
We have identified general criteria and guidelines for selecting an appropriate target, which we believe are important in evaluating prospective partnering businesses:
|
Fundamental business value. We look for businesses with consumer utility, strong brand awareness, and unique value propositions anchored by effective distribution and solid household penetration. We are also looking for businesses that are future-forward and disruptive in the way that they operate and/or the value proposition that they offer to consumers. |
|
Attractive categories within the consumer products industry broadly. Categories where competitive dynamics remain supportive of growth opportunities, there are pockets of growth or pent-up demand, adjacency opportunities, multiple routes to market, or consolidation potential. |
|
Well-established strategic moat. Entrenched, defensible leadership positions in core growth categories. |
|
Strong margin potential. Attractive gross margin and adjusted EBITDA margin performance with identifiable opportunities for organic growth and operating leverage through increased scale. |
107
|
Strong free cash flow capability. Limited capital expenditure needs and modest working capital requirements to drive strong cash generation. |
|
Portfolio optionality. Our goal is to build multiple paths to value creation, either with in-bound or out-bound M&A. We favor businesses with platform opportunities, where the structure of a candidate enables building or disaggregating consumer products businesses over time. |
|
Experienced management team. We will seek to partner with deep, experienced and talented management teams to lead the business and have responsibility for driving operating results. |
|
Desire to become a standalone public company. We will seek to partner with a business that has a desire to become a standalone public company and retain its economic autonomy. |
These criteria and guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. Further, we intend to use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition opportunities, but we may decide to enter into our partnering transaction with a candidate that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular partnering transaction may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general criteria and guidelines, as well as other considerations, factors and criteria deemed relevant by our management in effecting our partnering transaction consistent with our business objectives. In the event that we decide to enter into our partnering transaction with a candidate that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the candidate does not meet the above criteria in our shareholder communications related to our partnering transaction, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.
While our Series A, Series B and Series C common stock capital structure with its low vote, high vote and no vote, respectively, features differs from the typical capital structure of many other special purpose acquisition companies we expect to maintain this capital structure following our partnering transaction. However, maintenance of this capital structure is not a condition for us to evaluate acquisition opportunities. Although we are not aware of and are unable to determine at this time the criteria on which we would base our decision regarding whether to engage in a partnering transaction that would eliminate our Series B common stock or its high vote feature we may, in our sole discretion, seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to change this feature.
Our Competitive Strengths
The sourcing, valuation, diligence, and execution capabilities of our management team and Post will provide us with a significant pipeline of opportunities from which to evaluate and select a business that will benefit from our expertise. Our competitive strengths include the following core principles by which we govern ourselves:
|
Long-term orientation. Closing our partnering transaction is important but we are intensely focused on long-term share price performance and the interests of common stockholders post-closing. |
|
Partnership model. We are not reliant on finding a company which needs operational improvement, cost cutting or replacing senior management. We are not activist investors. We are not buyout specialists. We are not short-term promoters. We have a long-term partnership mentality and collaborative investment model which is grounded and driven by our belief in fairness and alignment of interests. |
|
Committed co-investment capital. Post intends to utilize its balance sheet to co-invest alongside public market investors. We believe that our initial committed capital in conjunction with our aligned economic interests will allow us to partner with a high quality company. |
|
Continued ownership. We are focused on partnering with management teams who are focused on long- term compounded growth and existing owners who may want to continue ownership in a high |
108
quality asset but need to provide liquidity to existing stockholders and/or limited partners. PHPC provides an ability to transition ownership to the public market, which is deeper and more liquid than the private market, in a disciplined fashion and for existing owners to share in the future upside potential over the long term. |
|
Deep experience of our sponsor and our management team. We believe that our ability to leverage the operational experience of Post, which has completed over 16 acquisitions since 2012 across a wide spectrum of size, subsector, and ownership structure, will provide us with a distinct advantage in being able to source, diligence, and add value post-closing of the partnering transaction. |
|
Differentiated sourcing channels with leading industry, private equity, and venture capital relationships. Our management team and sponsor believe the capabilities and connections associated with our management team will provide us with a differentiated pipeline of partnering opportunities that would be difficult for other participants in the market to replicate. We expect these sourcing capabilities will be further bolstered by our management teams reputation and deep industry, private equity, and venture capital relationships. |
|
Investing experience. Our management team and sponsor believe that our managements track record of identifying and sourcing transactions in the consumer sector positions us well to appropriately evaluate potential partnering candidates and select one that will be well received by the public markets and our stockholders. |
|
Post-closing value-add capabilities and requirements. Our management team and sponsor believe that our combined expertise and reputation will allow us to drive meaningful value post-closing with the partner company. If our value-add is not readily identifiable, then we will choose not to execute that partnering transaction. |
We believe our ability to complete a partnering transaction will be enhanced by our having entered into a forward purchase agreement with our sponsor pursuant to which our sponsor will commit to purchase from us up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units, each consisting of one forward purchase share and one-fifth of one forward purchase warrant, for $10.00 per forward purchase unit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our partnering transaction. The proceeds from the sale of these forward purchase units, together with the amounts available to us from the trust account (after giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the partnering transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the partnering transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-partnering transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the trust account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, our sponsor may purchase less than 10,000,000 forward purchase units. The terms of the forward purchase warrants will generally be identical to the terms of the redeemable warrants included in the units being issued in this offering.
Our Process
In evaluating a prospective partnering candidate, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees and inspection of physical assets, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information that will be made available to us. We will employ third party diligence to support our internal efforts where appropriate.
We are not prohibited from pursuing a partnering transaction with a business that is owned by our sponsor or any of the related companies, or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with any of them. In the event we seek to complete our partnering transaction with a target that is owned by one of the related companies, a committee of our independent and disinterested directors will obtain
109
an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another accounting, valuation or appraisal firm that such partnering transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view. However, we are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular candidate is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our partnering transaction. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular partnering transaction if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a candidate business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our partnering transaction.
As described under Management Conflicts of Interest, each of our officers and directors has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to one or more other entities, including, in certain cases, to Post, pursuant to which such officer or director may be required to present a partnering transaction opportunity to such entities before he or she presents such opportunity to us. Also, none of our sponsor or any of our directors and officers is prohibited from sponsoring, investing or otherwise becoming involved with any other blank check companies, including in connection with their partnering transactions. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a partnering transaction opportunity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to another entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, he or she may only present such opportunity to us if such other entity including, in certain cases, to Post, rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company, such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and such person has no fiduciary or contractual obligation to present the opportunity to any other person or entity, including, in certain cases, to Post. We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our partnering transaction. We believe that potential conflicts with Post are naturally mitigated by the differing nature of the investments Post would typically consider most synergistic to the existing Post businesses and the types of transactions we expect to find most attractive based, in part, on transaction size and ability to operate as a standalone public company. Notwithstanding our belief regarding natural mitigation, Post and its subsidiaries may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that fall within Posts investment objectives or strategies. A decision by Post to pursue an opportunity would preclude us from pursuing it and could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our partnering transaction.
You should not rely on the historical record or performance of Post or our management team as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or are likely to, generate going forward. See Risk Factors General Risk Factors Past performance by Post and members of our management team may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.
110
Our Management Team
Our experienced management team is well suited to identify and execute an attractive partnering transaction for our shareholders. Our management team is led by Robert V. Vitale as President and Chief Investment Officer, Bradly A. Harper as Chief Financial Officer, Jeff A. Zadoks as a member of our board of directors, and Jim Dwyer, Jennifer Kuperman, Dave Peacock and David Taiclet who will become members of our board of directors upon the completion of this offering.
|
Robert V. Vitale President and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Vitale has served as our President and Chief Investment Officer since January 2021. Mr. Vitale has also served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Post since November 2014. He joined Post during the time of its spinoff from Ralcorp and was Posts Chief Financial Officer from 2011 to 2014. Mr. Vitale is the Executive Chairman of BellRing, of which Post is the majority stockholder. Mr. Vitale previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AHM Financial Group, LLC, a diversified provider of insurance brokerage and wealth management services, from 2006 to 2011. Prior to AHM Financial Group, LLC, Mr. Vitale was a Partner of Westgate Equity Partners, LLC, a consumer-oriented private equity firm, and started his career at Boatmens Bancshares and KPMG. Mr. Vitale also serves on the board of directors of 8th Avenue and Energizer Holdings, Inc. |
|
Bradly A. Harper Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Harper has served as our Chief Financial Officer since January 2021. Mr. Harper has also served as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Principal Accounting Officer of Post since December 1, 2018. Mr. Harper served as the Vice President and Corporate Controller of Post from November 2014 to December 2018 and the Director of Corporate Accounting and Reporting of Post from December 2011 until November 2014. Prior to joining Post, Mr. Harper served as Assistant Controller of Savvis, Inc., a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprises. |
|
Jeff A. Zadoks Director. Mr. Zadoks has served as a member of our board of directors since January 2021. Mr. Zadoks has also served as Executive Vice President of Post since November 2017 and Chief Financial Officer of Post since 2014. He joined Post in 2011 as Corporate Controller. Mr. Zadoks previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of RehabCare Group, a national rehabilitation services company. Prior to RehabCare, Mr. Zadoks was the Corporate Controller at MEMC Electronic Materials (SunEdison), and started his career in the audit practice at KPMG. |
|
Jim Dwyer Director Nominee. Mr. Dwyer will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Dwyer has been the Chairman of the board of directors of 8th Avenue since May 2020 and served as its Chief Executive Officer from January 2018 until May 2020. Mr. Dwyer served as the President and CEO of Michael Foods, an operating company of Post, from October 2009 until February 2018. |
|
Jennifer Kuperman Director Nominee. Ms. Kuperman will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Ms. Kuperman was Head of International Corporate Affairs at Alibaba Group Holding Limited, a multinational conglomerate holding company specializing in eCommerce, retail, internet and technology, from April 2016 until January 2021 and served as Vice President, International Corporate Affairs at Alibaba Group Holding Limited from August 2014 to April 2016. Prior to joining Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Ms. Kuperman was Senior Vice President of Corporate Brand and Reputation at Visa Inc., a global payments technology company, from April 2013 to August 2014 and Chief of Staff, Officer of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Visa Inc. from August 2010 to April 2013. Ms. Kuperman also served as Head of Global Corporate Communications and Citizenship at Visa Inc. from August 2008 to July 2010 and Head of Employee and Client Communication at Visa Inc. from August 2004 to June 2008. Ms. Kuperman serves on the board of directors of BellRing. Ms. Kuperman also serves on the board of directors of CoachArt, a nonprofit organization that provides arts and recreational opportunities to youth with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. |
111
|
Dave Peacock Director Nominee. Mr. Peacock will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Peacock has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Schnucks Markets since May 2017. Prior to joining Schnucks management team, he was on the board of advisors for the firm as well as founder and Chairman of Vitaligent, LLC, a multi-unit restaurant franchisee. Mr. Peacock served as Senior Advisor to Anheuser-Busch from February 2012 until June 2012, President of Anheuser-Busch from November 2008 until January 2012, Vice President of Marketing at Anheuser-Busch from October 2007 until November 2008, and Vice President of Business Operations, Anheuser-Busch Incorporated from December 2004 until September 2007. |
|
David L. Taiclet Director Nominee. Mr. Taiclet will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Taiclet has served as General Partner and Managing Director of the Lewis & Clark Partners AgriFood Investment Group since November 2018. Mr. Taiclet served in several leadership positions for 1800Flowers.com from May 2006 until May 2017 as CEO of Fannie May Confections Brands from May 2006 until October 2008 and, ultimately, as President of the Gourmet Food Group from October 2008 until May 2017. Mr. Taiclet held numerous positions in the Strategy and Business Development Group of Cargill, Inc., an international marketer, processor and distributor of food, financial and industrial products. |
Partnering Transaction
NYSE listing rules require that our partnering transaction must be with one or more target businesses that have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our partnering transaction. We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our partnering transaction, although there is no assurance that will be the case.
We anticipate structuring our partnering transaction so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own or acquire shares will own or acquire 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our partnering transaction such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such partnering transaction if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the target or otherwise acquires an interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the target, our stockholders prior to our partnering transaction may collectively own a minority interest (economic and/or voting) in the post-partnering transaction company, depending on, among other things, valuations ascribed to the target and us in our partnering transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock, shares or other equity interests of a target business, issue a substantial number of new shares to third parties in connection with financing our partnering transaction or our sponsor could convert some or all of its Series B common stock into Series A common stock. In such cases, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares of common stock or other changes to our capital structure, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction (including our sponsor) could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock subsequent to such transaction and therefore a minority interest (economic and/or voting) in the post-transaction company. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the
112
portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired by us is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our partnering transaction involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if we are not then listed on the NYSE for whatever reason, we would no longer be required to meet the foregoing 80% of net assets test.
Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the completion of our partnering transaction.
Sourcing of Potential Partnering Transaction Targets
We believe our management teams significant transaction experience and industry relationships with companies will provide us with a substantial number of potential partnering transaction targets. Over the course of their careers, the members of our management team have developed a broad network of contacts and corporate relationships. This network has grown through the activities of our management team sourcing, acquiring, financing and selling businesses, our management teams relationships with sellers, financing sources and target management teams and the experience of our management team in executing transactions under varying economic and financial market conditions.
We believe this network provides our management team with a robust and consistent flow of acquisition opportunities which were proprietary or where a limited group of investors were invited to participate in the sale process. We believe that the network of contacts and relationships of our management team will provide us with important sources of acquisition opportunities. In addition, we anticipate that target business candidates will be brought to our attention from various unaffiliated sources, including investment market participants, private equity funds and large business enterprises seeking to divest non-core assets or divisions.
We are not prohibited from pursuing a partnering transaction with a business that is owned by our sponsor or any of the related companies, or making the acquisition through a joint venture or other form of shared ownership with any of them. In the event we seek to complete our partnering transaction with a target that is owned by the related companies, our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another accounting, valuation or appraisal firm that such partnering transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view. However, we are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.
See Management Conflicts of Interest for information regarding limitations on our access to investment opportunities sourced by members of our management team, Post and other entities in which members of our management team are involved, including a list of our executive officers and directors and entities for which a conflict of interest may or does exist between such officers and our company.
Status as a Public Company
We believe our structure will make us an attractive partnering transaction partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we will offer target businesses an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar partnering transaction. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for shares of our stock or for a combination of shares of our stock and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more certain and
113
cost-effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, road show and public reporting efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a partnering transaction with us.
Furthermore, once a proposed partnering transaction is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholders interests. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a companys profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that fiscal years second fiscal quarter, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Financial Position
With funds available for a partnering transaction initially in the amount of $488,500,000 (which includes $100,000,000 that may be received pursuant to the forward purchase agreement) assuming no redemptions and after payment of $14,000,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $546,400,000 (which includes the $100,000,000 that may be received pursuant to the forward purchase agreement) assuming no redemptions and after payment of up to $16,100,000 of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), after estimated offering expenses of $1,500,000 (and prior to any estimated post-IPO working capital expenses of $2,500,000), we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our partnering transaction using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.
Effecting our Partnering Transaction
We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our partnering transaction using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units and forward purchase units, our capital stock, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our partnering transaction. We may seek to complete our partnering transaction with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.
If our partnering transaction is paid for using equity or debt or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our partnering transaction or used for redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our partnering transaction, to fund the purchase of other businesses or for working capital.
114
We have not selected any specific partnering candidate and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions directly or indirectly with any partnering candidate with respect to a partnering transaction with us. The members of our management team and Post and other entities in which members of our management team are involved are from time to time made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue, for a partnering transaction, but we have not selected any partnering transaction target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, engaged in any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any partnering transaction target with respect to a partnering transaction with us. See Sourcing of Potential Partnering Transaction Targets, Conflicts of Interest and Management Conflicts of Interest for additional information regarding limitations on our access to investment opportunities sourced by members of our management team, Post and other entities in which members of our management team are involved.
In addition to the forward purchase agreement, we may seek to raise additional funds through a private offering of debt or equity securities in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction, and we may effectuate our partnering transaction using the proceeds of such offerings or loans rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.
In the case of a partnering transaction funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the partnering transaction would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by applicable law or we decide to do so for business or other reasons, we would seek stockholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our partnering transaction. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.
Selection of a Target Business and Structuring of our Partnering Transaction
NYSE listing rules require that our partnering transaction must be with one or more target businesses that have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our partnering transaction. The fair market value of the target or targets will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation or value of comparable businesses. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our partnering transaction, although there is no assurance that will be the case. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our partnering transaction solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
In any case, we will only complete a partnering transaction if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the target or otherwise acquires an interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired by us is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our partnering transaction.
To the extent we effect our partnering transaction with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in
115
such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors.
In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews and inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information that will be made available to us.
The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our partnering transaction, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our partnering transaction is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another partnering transaction.
Lack of Business Diversification
For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our partnering transaction, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business.
By completing our partnering transaction with only a single entity our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several partnering transactions in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:
|
solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset; or |
|
dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services. |
This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our partnering transaction.
Potential Management Concerns Post-Partnering Transaction
Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our partnering transaction with that business, our assessment of the target businesss management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidates management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our partnering transaction, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place and it is highly unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our partnering transaction. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.
We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the post-partnering transaction company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our partnering transaction.
116
Following our partnering transaction, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management team of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management team.
Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve our Partnering Transaction
We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC. However, we will seek stockholder approval if it is required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek stockholder approval for business or other reasons. Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of partnering transactions we may consider and whether stockholder approval is currently required under Delaware law for each such transaction.
Type of Transaction |
Whether Stockholder Approval is Required |
|
Purchase of assets | No | |
Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the company | No | |
Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company | No | |
Merger of the company with a target | Yes |
Under NYSEs listing rules, stockholder approval would be required for our partnering transaction if, for example:
|
we issue (other than in a public offering for cash) shares of common stock that will either (a) be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of common stock (other than in a public offering) then outstanding or (b) have voting power equal to or in excess of 20% of the voting power then outstanding; |
|
any of our directors, officers or substantial security holders (as defined by the NYSE rules) has a 5% or greater interest, directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired or otherwise and the present or potential issuance of shares of common stock could result in an increase in issued and outstanding shares of common stock or voting power of 1% or more (or 5% or more if the related party involved is classified as such solely because such person is a substantial security holder); or |
|
the issuance or potential issuance will result in our undergoing a change of control. |
The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed partnering transaction in those instances in which stockholder approval is not required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on business and other reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
|
the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine stockholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek stockholder approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company; |
|
the expected cost of holding a stockholder vote; |
|
the risk that the stockholders would fail to approve the proposed partnering transaction; |
|
other time and budget constraints of the company; and |
|
additional legal complexities of a proposed partnering transaction that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to stockholders. |
117
Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities
In the event we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies and their directors, officers or advisors may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our partnering transaction. There is no limit on the number of securities such persons may purchase. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our partnering transaction, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies and their directors, officers or advisors may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our partnering transaction or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such purchases or other transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such purchases or other transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions. Such persons will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares, is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. We will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to refrain from purchasing securities during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including, but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.
In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies and their directors, officers or advisors purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights or submitted a proxy to vote against our partnering transaction, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares and any proxy to vote against our partnering transaction. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules.
The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote such shares in favor of the partnering transaction and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the partnering transaction, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our partnering transaction or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the consummation of our partnering transaction, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our partnering transaction that may not otherwise have been possible.
In addition, if such purchases are made, the public float of our shares of Series A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.
Our sponsor, officers, directors, and advisors anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors, or advisors or any of the related companies or their officers, directors or
118
advisors may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by stockholders (in the case of public shares) following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our partnering transaction. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, or advisors or any of the related companies or their officers, directors or advisors enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming stockholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our partnering transaction. Such persons would select the stockholders from whom to acquire shares based on the number of shares available, the negotiated price per share and such other factors as any such person may deem relevant at the time of purchase. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our partnering transaction. Our sponsor, officers, directors, or advisors or any of the related companies or their officers, directors or advisors will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.
Any purchases by any person who is an affiliated purchaser under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will be restricted unless such purchases are made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, officers, and directors and any of the related companies and their officers and directors will be restricted from making purchases of common stock if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.
Redemption Rights for Public Stockholders upon Completion of our Partnering Transaction
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of common stock upon the completion of our partnering transaction at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the partnering transaction, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. At completion of the partnering transaction, we will be required to purchase any public shares properly delivered for redemption and not withdrawn. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our partnering transaction with respect to our warrants. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to waive their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction.
Manner of Conducting Redemptions
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Series A common stock upon the completion of our partnering transaction either: (1) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the partnering transaction; or (2) by means of a tender offer. At completion of the partnering transaction, we will be required to purchase any public shares properly delivered for redemption and not withdrawn. Except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed partnering transaction or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction. Asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would typically require stockholder approval. If we structure a partnering transaction with a target company in
119
a manner that requires stockholder approval, we will not have discretion as to whether to seek a stockholder vote to approve the proposed partnering transaction. We intend to conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other reasons.
If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:
|
conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and |
|
file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our partnering transaction which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the partnering transaction and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies. |
Upon the public announcement of our partnering transaction, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our Series A common stock in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our partnering transaction until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our partnering transaction. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such partnering transaction, and we instead may search for an alternate partnering transaction (including, potentially, with the same target).
If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:
|
conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and |
|
file proxy materials with the SEC. |
We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public stockholders at least 10 days prior to the stockholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such stockholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any stockholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our NYSE listing or Exchange Act registration.
In the event that we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public stockholders with the redemption rights described above upon the consummation of the partnering transaction.
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction, we will complete our partnering transaction only if a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock voted are voted in favor of the partnering transaction, subject to any other vote required by applicable law. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the
120
holders present in person or by proxy of shares of our outstanding capital stock representing a majority of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will count towards this quorum and will agree to vote any shares held by them in favor of our partnering transaction. We expect that at the time of any stockholder vote relating to our partnering transaction, our sponsor and its permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) entitled to vote thereon. These quorum and voting thresholds and agreements may make it more likely that we will consummate our partnering transaction. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting and, if it does vote, irrespective of whether it votes for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to waive their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of a partnering transaction.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions. Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our partnering transaction. For example, the proposed partnering transaction may require: (1) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners; (2) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes; or (3) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed partnering transaction. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Series A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed partnering transaction exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the partnering transaction or redeem any shares, and all shares of Series A common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate partnering transaction (including, potentially, with the same target).
Limitation on Redemption upon Completion of our Partnering Transaction if we Seek Stockholder Approval
Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a group (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to Excess Shares, without our prior consent. We believe this restriction will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares, and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to exercise their redemption rights against a proposed partnering transaction as a means to force us or our sponsor to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights if such holders shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our partnering transaction, particularly in connection with a partnering transaction with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our partnering transaction.
121
Tendering Stock Certificates in Connection with a Tender Offer or Redemption Rights
We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in street name, to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the partnering transaction in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Companys DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, rather than simply voting against the partnering transaction at the holders option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our partnering transaction will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements, which will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the partnering transaction if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days and, in the case of a stockholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public stockholders at least 10 days prior to the stockholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such stockholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for stockholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.
There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through The Depository Trust Companys DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a fee of approximately $80 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.
The foregoing is different from the procedures used by some blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their partnering transactions, some blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the stockholders vote on a partnering transaction, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed partnering transaction and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the partnering transaction was approved, the company would contact such stockholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the stockholder then had an option window after the completion of the partnering transaction during which he or she could monitor the price of the companys stock in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which stockholders were aware they needed to commit before the stockholder meeting, would become option rights surviving past the completion of the partnering transaction until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming holders election to redeem is irrevocable once the partnering transaction is approved.
Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or two business days prior to the scheduled date of the stockholder meeting set forth in our proxy materials, as applicable (unless we elect to allow additional withdrawal rights). Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our partnering transaction.
122
If our partnering transaction is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.
If our proposed partnering transaction is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a partnering transaction until 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period.
Redemption of Public Shares and Liquidation if no Partnering Transaction
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) to complete our partnering transaction. If we have not completed our partnering transaction within such period or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within the 24-month (or 27-month, as applicable) time period.
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period (although our sponsor, officers and directors will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame).
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree, pursuant to a letter agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Series A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions.
We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the estimated $2,500,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.
123
If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account and any tax payments or expenses for the dissolution of the trust, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. See Risk Factors Risks Relating to Our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Partnering Transaction If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share and other risk factors described above. Under Section 281(b) of the DGCL, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors claims.
Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management team will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third partys engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative.
Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where we are unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor will agree that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party (other than our independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below the lesser of: (1) $10.00 per public share; and (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor, which is a newly formed entity, has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsors only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our partnering transaction and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event,
124
we may not be able to complete our partnering transaction, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses. We believe the likelihood of our sponsor having to indemnify the trust account is limited because we will endeavor to have all vendors and prospective target businesses as well as other entities execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account.
In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of: (1) $10.00 per public share; and (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account, due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in certain instances. For example, the cost of such legal action may be deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or the independent directors may determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be substantially less than $10.00 per public share. See Risk Factors Risks Relating to Our Search for, and Consummation of or Inability to Consummate, a Partnering Transaction If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share and other risk factors described above.
We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to an estimated $1,500,000 from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units with which to pay any such potential claims (including costs and expenses incurred in connection with any liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,500,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,500,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.
Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our partnering transaction within the required time period may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholders pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.
125
Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our partnering transaction within the required time period is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution. If we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the end of our acquisition period and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.
Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time, that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent ten years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting agreement, we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account.
As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is remote. Further, our sponsor may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not reduced below the lesser of: (1) $10.00 per public share; and (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.
If we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public stockholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a preferential transfer or a fraudulent conveyance. As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached
126
its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons. See Risk Factors If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.
A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (1) the completion of our partnering transaction and then, only in connection with those public shares that such stockholder has properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described in this prospectus; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our partnering transaction, a stockholders voting in connection with our partnering transaction alone will not result in a stockholders redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. Holders of warrants will not have any rights to proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants.
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our partnering transaction. If we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity, we will provide public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with any such vote. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree to waive any redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that:
|
prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, we shall either: (1) seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction at a meeting called for such purpose, in connection with which stockholders may seek to redeem their shares, without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed partnering transaction, for their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable); or (2) provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to tender their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein; |
127
|
we will consummate our partnering transaction only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and, solely if we seek stockholder approval, a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock voted are voted in favor of the partnering transaction at a duly held stockholders meeting, subject to any other vote required by applicable law; |
|
if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) from the closing of this offering, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law; and |
|
prior to our partnering transaction, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (1) receive funds from the trust account or (2) vote pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on any partnering transaction. |
These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of holders of 66 2/3% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock.
Additionally, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, prior to our partnering transaction, only holders of our Series F common stock will have the right to vote on the election of directors. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock. In addition, prior to our partnering transaction and so long as any shares of Series F common stock remain outstanding, the rights, powers and preferences provided by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to the Series B common stock may be amended only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Series F common stock.
See Description of Securities for additional information.
128
Comparison of Redemption or Purchase Prices in Connection with our Partnering Transaction and if we Fail to Complete our Partnering Transaction
The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction and if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period.
Redemptions in
|
Other Permitted
|
Redemptions if we Fail to
|
||||
Calculation of redemption price or other permitted purchases |
Redemptions at the time of our partnering transaction may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. The redemption price will be the same whether we conduct
redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. In either case, our public stockholders may redeem their public shares for cash
equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the partnering transaction (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share), including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that no redemptions will take place if all of the redemptions would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions, and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed partnering transaction. |
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction, our sponsor, directors, officers, or advisors or any of the related companies or their
directors, officers or advisors may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our partnering transaction. Such purchases will be
restricted except to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase shares in such transactions. |
If we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in
principle event) or during any Extension Period, we will redeem all public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (which is initially
anticipated to be $10.00
per public share), including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. |
129
Redemptions in
|
Other Permitted
|
Redemptions if we Fail to
|
||||
Impact to remaining stockholders |
The redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction will reduce the book value per share for our remaining stockholders, who will bear the burden of the deferred underwriting commissions and interest withdrawn in order to pay taxes (to the extent not paid from amounts accrued as interest on the funds held in the trust account). | If the permitted purchases described above are made, there will be no impact to our remaining stockholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us. | The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our partnering transaction will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our sponsor, who will be our only remaining stockholder after such redemptions. |
Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419
The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriters will not exercise their over-allotment option. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
Escrow of offering proceeds |
NYSE listing rules provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement units be deposited in a trust account. $400,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units will be deposited into a United States-based trust account at J.P. Morgan Chase with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. | Approximately $340,200,000 of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of this offering less allowable underwriting commissions, expenses and company deductions under Rule 419, would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account. | ||
Investment of net proceeds |
$400,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and the sale of the private placement units held in trust will be invested only in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in United States Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. | Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States. |
130
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
Receipt of interest on escrowed funds |
Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to stockholders is reduced by: (1) any taxes paid or payable; and (2) in the event of any liquidation for failure to complete our partnering transaction within the allotted time, up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation. | Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a partnering transaction. | ||
Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business |
NYSE listing rules require that our partnering transaction must be with one or more target businesses that have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our partnering transaction. | The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds. | ||
Trading of securities issued |
The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Series A common stock and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus, unless Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide | No trading of the units or the underlying common stock and warrants would be permitted until the completion of a partnering transaction. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account. |
131
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option. | ||||
Exercise of the warrants |
The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction and 12 months from the closing of this offering. | The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a partnering transaction, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account. | ||
Election to remain an investor |
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, including interest, which interest shall be net of taxes payable, upon the completion of our partnering transaction, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by applicable law or stock exchange rule to hold a stockholder vote. If we are not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule and do not otherwise decide to hold a stockholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the partnering transaction and the redemption rights as is required under the SECs proxy rules. If, however, we hold a stockholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the | A prospectus containing information pertaining to the partnering transaction required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the companys registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a stockholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the stockholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued. |
132
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
tender offer rules. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days and, in the case of a stockholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public stockholders at least 10 days prior to the stockholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such stockholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our partnering transaction only if the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock voted are voted in favor of the partnering transaction, subject to any other vote required by applicable law. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting and, if it does vote, irrespective of whether it votes for or against the proposed transaction. | ||||
Partnering transaction deadline |
If we have not completed a partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share | If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the companys registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors. |
133
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. | ||||
Release of funds |
Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of our partnering transaction; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders | The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a partnering transaction and the failure to effect a partnering transaction within the allotted time. |
134
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), subject to applicable law. | ||||
Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a stockholder vote |
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a group (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering), without our prior consent. Our public stockholders inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our partnering transaction and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. | Most blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of stockholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such stockholders in connection with a partnering transaction. | ||
Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights |
We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in street name, to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to | In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their partnering transactions, holders could vote against a proposed partnering transaction and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the partnering transaction was approved, the company would contact such stockholders to arrange for them to deliver |
135
Terms of Our Offering |
Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering |
|||
approve the partnering transaction in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Companys DWAC
(Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holders option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we
|
their certificates to verify ownership. | |||
will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our partnering transaction will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the partnering transaction if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. |
Competition
We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. Furthermore, our high vote capital structure differs from the typical capital structure of many other special purpose acquisition company competitors and may make us less attractive to an acquisition target or may make an acquisition more costly to complete. While we believe there will be numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our partnering transaction and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by target businesses. Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating and completing a partnering transaction.
136
Facilities
We currently maintain our executive offices at 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63144. The cost for this space is included in the $40,000 per month fee that we will pay Post and certain of its subsidiaries for office space, administrative and support services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
Employees
We currently have 2 officers and do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our partnering transaction. Such officers are all employees of Post and receive their compensation directly from Post. Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our partnering transaction. The amount of time that any such person will devote in any time period to our company will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our partnering transaction and the current stage of the partnering transaction process.
Periodic Reporting and Financial Information
We will register our units, Series A common stock and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accounting firm.
We will provide stockholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, GAAP or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with PCAOB standards. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame. While this may limit the pool of potential partnering transaction candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.
We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements on our internal control over financial reporting. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.
Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the completion of our partnering transaction.
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not
137
limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that fiscal years second fiscal quarter, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Legal Proceedings
There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 12 months preceding the date of this prospectus.
138
Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers
Our directors, director nominees and executive officers are as follows:
Name |
Age |
Title |
||
Robert V. Vitale |
55 | President and Chief Investment Officer | ||
Bradly A. Harper |
47 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
Jeff A. Zadoks |
55 | Director | ||
Jim Dwyer |
63 | Director nominee | ||
Jennifer Kuperman |
47 | Director nominee | ||
Dave Peacock |
52 | Director nominee | ||
David L. Taiclet |
57 | Director nominee |
Robert V. Vitale, age 55, has served as our President and Chief Investment Officer since January 27, 2021. Mr. Vitale has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Post, and a member of Posts board of directors, since November 2014. Mr. Vitale is the Executive Chairman of BellRing, of which Post is the majority stockholder. Mr. Vitale also serves on the board of directors of 8th Avenue. Previously, Mr. Vitale served as Chief Financial Officer of Post from October 2011 until November 2014. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AHM Financial Group, LLC, a diversified provider of insurance brokerage and wealth management services, from 2006 until 2011 and previously was a partner of Westgate Equity Partners, LLC, a consumer-oriented private equity firm. Mr. Vitale also has served on the board of directors of Energizer Holdings, Inc., a publicly traded manufacturer and distributor of primary batteries, portable lighting products and automotive, appearance, performance, refrigerant and fragrance products, since August 2017. Mr. Vitale earned his undergraduate degree from St. Louis University and his MBA from Washington University.
Bradly A. Harper, age 47, has served as our Chief Financial Officer since January 27, 2021. Mr. Harper has served as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Principal Accounting Officer of Post since December 1, 2018. Mr. Harper served as the Vice President and Corporate Controller of Post from November 2014 to December 2018 and the Director of Corporate Accounting and Reporting of Post from December 2011 until November 2014. Prior to joining Post, Mr. Harper served as Assistant Controller of Savvis, Inc., a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprises. Mr. Harper earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Jeff A. Zadoks, age 55, has served as a Director since January 27, 2021. Mr. Zadoks has served as Posts Executive Vice President since November 2017 and as Posts Chief Financial Officer since November 2014. Mr. Zadoks previously served as Posts Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from November 2014 until November 2017. Mr. Zadoks served as Posts Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer from January 2014 until November 2014, and Posts Corporate Controller from October 2011 until November 2014. Prior to joining Post, Mr. Zadoks served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at RehabCare Group, Inc., a leading provider of post-acute care in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, from February 2010 to September 2011, and as Vice President and Corporate Controller of RehabCare Group from December 2003 until January 2010. Mr. Zadoks was selected to serve on our board of directors based on his significant leadership positions and roles in industries relevant to our business. Mr. Zadoks earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois.
Jim Dwyer, age 62, will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Dwyer has been the Chairman of the board of directors of 8th Avenue since May 2020. Mr. Dwyer also served as the Chief Executive Officer of 8th Avenue from January 2018 until May 2020. Mr. Dwyer served as the President and CEO of Michael Foods, an operating company of Post, from October 2009 until February 2018. Mr. Dwyer was selected to serve on our board of directors based on his experience in significant leadership positions and roles in industries relevant to our business. Mr. Dwyer earned his undergraduate degree from The University of Virginia and his MBA from The Darden School at The University of Virginia.
139
Jennifer Kuperman, age 47, will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Ms. Kuperman was Head of International Corporate Affairs at Alibaba Group Holding Limited, a multinational conglomerate holding company specializing in eCommerce, retail, internet and technology, from April 2016 until January 2021 and served as Vice President, International Corporate Affairs at Alibaba Group Holding Limited from August 2014 to April 2016. Prior to joining Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Ms. Kuperman was Senior Vice President of Corporate Brand and Reputation at Visa Inc., a global payments technology company, from April 2013 to August 2014 and Chief of Staff, Office of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Visa Inc. from August 2010 to April 2013. Ms. Kuperman also served as Head of Global Corporate Communications and Citizenship at Visa Inc. from August 2008 to July 2010 and Head of Employee and Client Communication at Visa Inc. from August 2004 to June 2008. Ms. Kuperman serves on the board of directors of BellRing. Ms. Kuperman also serves on the board of directors of CoachArt, a nonprofit organization that provides arts and recreational opportunities to youth with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Ms. Kuperman was selected to serve on our board of directors based on her experience in significant leadership positions and her international experience. Ms. Kuperman received her undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and her masters of arts degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University in the City of New York.
Dave Peacock, age 52, will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Peacock has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Schnucks Markets since May 2017. Prior to joining Schnucks management team, he was on the board of advisors for the firm as well as founder and Chairman of Vitaligent, LLC, a multi-unit restaurant franchisee. Mr. Peacock served as Senior Advisor to Anheuser-Busch from February 2012 until June 2012, President of Anheuser-Busch from November 2008 until January 2012, Vice President of Marketing of Anheuser-Busch from October 2007 until November 2008, and Vice President of Business Operations, Anheuser-Busch Incorporated from December 2004 until September 2007. Mr. Peacock was selected to serve on our board of directors based on his experience in significant leadership positions and roles in industries relevant to our business. Mr. Peacock earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and his MBA from Washington University.
David L. Taiclet, age 57, will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Taiclet has served as General Partner and Managing Director of the Lewis & Clark Partners AgriFood Investment Group since November 2018. Mr. Taiclet served in several leadership positions for 1800Flowers.com from May 2006 until May 2017 as CEO of Fannie May Confections Brands from May 2006 until October 2008 and, ultimately, as President of the Gourmet Food Group from October 2008 until May 2017. Mr. Taiclet held numerous positions in the Strategy and Business Development Group of Cargill, Inc., an international marketer, processor and distributor of food, financial and industrial products. Mr. Taiclet was selected to serve on our board of directors based on his experience in significant leadership positions. Mr. Taiclet earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from Harvard University.
Number, Terms of Office and Election of Officers and Directors
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect that our board of directors will consist of five members. Following the consummation of our partnering transaction, our board of directors will be divided into three classes, with only one class of directors being elected in each year, and with each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a three-year term. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of David Taiclet and Dave Peacock, will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders following our partnering transaction. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Jim Dwyer and Jennifer Kuperman, will expire at our second annual meeting of stockholders following our partnering transaction. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Jeff Zadoks, will expire at our third annual meeting of stockholders following our partnering transaction.
140
Prior to consummation of our partnering transaction, holders of our Series F common stock will have the right to elect all of our directors. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock. Approval of our partnering transaction will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors. Subject to any other special rights applicable to the stockholders, prior to our partnering transaction, any vacancies on our board of directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present and voting at the meeting of our board of directors that includes any directors representing our sponsor then on our board of directors, or by holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Series F common stock.
Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our amended and restated bylaws as it deems appropriate. Our amended and restated bylaws will provide that our officers may consist of a President, a Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers as may be determined by the board of directors.
Director Independence
NYSE listing rules require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An independent director is defined generally as a person other than an executive officer or employee of the company or any of its parents or subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which, in the opinion of the companys board of directors, would interfere with the directors exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. We intend to add independent directors as defined in NYSE listing rules and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to have three independent directors as defined in the NYSE listing rules and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Executive Officer and Director Compensation
Our executive officers are all employees of Post and receive their compensation directly from Post. Upon completion of this offering, we will execute a services agreement with Post pursuant to which Post will cause our management team and other Post personnel to provide us with the services we need to conduct our business in exchange for a flat monthly fee of $40,000.
We will pay fees in cash to each of our non-employee directors for service on our board of directors in the amounts of $50,000 on each of the closing of this offering, the one-year anniversary of the closing of this offering, and the earlier of (x) the two-year anniversary of the closing of this offering and (y) the closing of our partnering transaction.
In addition, our sponsor, Post and its subsidiaries, and their officers and directors will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable partnering transactions. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors or Post or its other subsidiaries.
After the completion of our partnering transaction, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other compensation from the combined company. All compensation paid by us to our directors and executive officers will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed partnering transaction. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be
141
known at the time such materials are distributed, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our executive officers after the completion of our partnering transaction will be determined by a corporate governance and compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors.
We are not party to any agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment, although certain of the related companies are. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements may influence our managements motivation in identifying or selecting a target business, and we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the completion of our partnering transaction should be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential partnering transaction.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will have two standing committees: an audit committee and a corporate governance and compensation committee. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of NYSE and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Subject to phase-in rules and a limited exception, the rules of NYSE require that the corporate governance and compensation committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Both our audit committee and our corporate governance and compensation committee will be composed solely of independent directors.
Audit Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. David Taiclet, Dave Peacock and Jennifer Kuperman will serve as members of our audit committee. We expect that David Taiclet, Dave Peacock and Jennifer Kuperman will meet the independent director standard under NYSE listing rules and under Rule 10A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act, and Dave Peacock will serve as chairperson of the audit committee.
Each member of the audit committee will be financially literate and our board of directors may determine that an independent director qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the scope and principal functions of the audit committee, including:
|
assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) our registered public accounting firms qualifications and independence, and (4) the performance of our internal audit function and registered public accounting firm; |
|
the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the registered public accounting firm and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us; |
|
reviewing and approving the services to be provided by the registered public accounting firm for the coming year, including the scope of audits, audit plan and fees therefor; |
|
reviewing and discussing with the registered public accounting firm all relationships the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence; |
|
setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the registered public accounting firm; |
|
setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
142
|
obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the registered public accounting firm describing (1) the registered public accounting firms internal quality-control procedures and (2) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues; |
|
meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent auditor, including reviewing our specific disclosures under Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; |
|
reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC; and |
|
reviewing with management, the registered public accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. |
Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee
Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a corporate governance and compensation committee of the board of directors, consisting of David Taiclet, Dave Peacock and Jennifer Kuperman. We expect that David Taiclet, Dave Peacock and Jennifer Kuperman will meet the independent director standard under NYSE listing rules, and Jennifer Kuperman will serve as chairperson of the corporate governance and compensation committee. We will adopt a corporate governance and compensation committee charter, which will detail the purpose, responsibilities, scope and principal functions of the corporate governance and compensation committee, including:
|
reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Presidents compensation, evaluating our Presidents performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our President based on such evaluation; |
|
reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive officers; |
|
reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; |
|
implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans; |
|
assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements; |
|
approve direct and indirect remuneration of all non-President Section 16 executive officers and other executives as may be determined; |
|
producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; |
|
reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors; |
|
identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors, consistent with criteria approved by the board, and recommending to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of stockholders or to fill vacancies on the board of directors; |
|
developing and recommending to the board of directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate governance guidelines; |
143
|
coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the management in the governance of the company; and |
|
reviewing our overall corporate governance from time to time and recommending improvements as and when necessary. |
The charter will also provide that the corporate governance and compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, independent legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the corporate governance and compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by NYSE and the SEC. The corporate governance and compensation committee may also, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of, and terminate, any search firm to be used to identify director candidates, and will be directly responsible for approving the search firms fees and other retention terms.
We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders. Prior to our partnering transaction, holders of our public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board of directors.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our executive officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, (i) as a member of the compensation committee or board of directors of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our corporate governance and compensation committee, or (ii) as a member of the compensation committee of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on our board of directors.
Code of Ethics
Prior to the closing of this offering, we will have adopted a code of ethics and business conduct (our Code of Ethics) applicable to our directors, officers and employees. A copy of our Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K. See Where You Can Find Additional Information.
Conflicts of Interest
All of our officers also serve as officers of one or more of the related companies, and there are overlapping directors with such entities. Our officers and members of our board of directors have fiduciary duties to our stockholders. Likewise, any such persons who serve in similar capacities at any of the related companies have fiduciary duties to that companys stockholders. Therefore, such persons may have conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest with respect to matters involving or affecting us and one or more of the related companies to which they owe fiduciary duties.
Each of our officers and directors has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to one or more other entities (including, without limitation, to one or more of the entities listed in this section) pursuant to which such officer or director may be required to present a partnering transaction opportunity to such entities before he or she presents such opportunity to us. Also, none of Post, our sponsor or any of our directors and officers is prohibited from sponsoring, investing or otherwise becoming involved with, any other blank check companies, including in connection with their partnering transactions.
144
Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a partnering transaction opportunity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to another entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, he or she may only present such opportunity to us if such other entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, rejects the opportunity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company, such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue, and such person has no fiduciary or contractual obligation to present the opportunity to any other person or entity, including, in certain cases, to Post.
We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors will materially affect our ability to complete our partnering transaction. We believe that potential conflicts with Post are naturally mitigated by the differing nature of the investments Post would typically consider most synergistic to the existing Post businesses and the types of transactions we expect to find most attractive based, in part, on transaction size and ability to operate as a standalone public company. Notwithstanding our belief regarding natural mitigation, Post and its subsidiaries may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that fall within Posts investment objectives or strategies. A decision by Post to pursue an opportunity would preclude us from pursuing it and could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our partnering transaction.
Moreover, most of our directors and officers continue to own stock and options to purchase stock in one or more of the related companies. These ownership interests and/or such disparity could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest when the applicable individuals are faced with decisions that could have different implications for our company and the related companies.
Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:
|
None of our officers or directors is required to, nor will he or she, commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, each of our officers may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her time among our operations, including our search for a partnering transaction, and these other businesses. |
|
In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities that may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as the other entities of which they are also officers or directors. Our management may be required to present such business opportunities to such entities before presenting such opportunities to us. |
|
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree to waive their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction. Additionally, our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree to waive their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them if we fail to consummate our partnering transaction within 24 months (or 27 months upon an agreement in principle event) after the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period. However, if our sponsor, officers or directors then hold any public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within the allotted time frame to complete our partnering transaction. If we do not complete our partnering transaction within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. With certain exceptions as described under Principal Stockholders Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor until the earlier of: (1) one year after the completion of our partnering transaction; and (2) subsequent to our partnering transaction, (x) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of our Series A common stock |
145
equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our partnering transaction. With certain exceptions, the private placement warrants and the shares of our common stock underlying such warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction. Since our sponsor, officers and directors may directly or indirectly own our common stock and warrants following this offering, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our partnering transaction. |
|
Our key personnel may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular partnering transaction if the retention or resignation of any such key personnel was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our partnering transaction. |
The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.
In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware are required to present business opportunities to a corporation if:
|
the corporation is financially able to exploit the opportunity; |
|
the opportunity is within the corporations line of business; |
|
the corporation has an interest or expectancy in the opportunity; and |
|
by taking the opportunity for his or her own, the corporate fiduciary will thereby be placed in a position inimical to his or her duties to the corporation. |
Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors have similar legal obligations or duties relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our officers, directors and director nominees currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may present a conflict of interest:
Name of Individual |
Entity Name |
Entitys Business |
Affiliation |
|||
Robert V. Vitale |
Post Holdings, Inc. | Consumer Packaged Goods | President/CEO/Director | |||
BellRing Brands, Inc. | Consumer Packaged Goods | Executive Chairman | ||||
Engergizer Holdings, Inc. | Batteries, Lights and Auto Care | Director | ||||
8th Avenue Food & Provisions, Inc. | Consumer Packaged Goods | Director | ||||
Bradly A. Harper |
Post Holdings, Inc. | Consumer Packaged Goods | Senior Vice President/Chief Accounting Officer/Principal Accounting Officer | |||
Jeff A. Zadoks |
Post Holdings, Inc. | Consumer Packaged Goods | Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer | |||
Jim Dwyer |
8th Avenue Food & Provisions, Inc. | Consumer Packaged Goods | Chairman | |||
Jennifer Kuperman |
BellRing Brands, Inc. | Consumer Packaged Goods | Director | |||
Dave Peacock |
Schnucks Markets, Inc. | Consumer Packaged Goods | President and Chief Operating Officer | |||
Stifel Financial Corp. | Full-Service Retail and Institutional Wealth Management | Director | ||||
David L. Taiclet |
Lewis & Clark Partners | Investments and Venture Capital | General Partner and Managing Director of Agrifood Growth Fund |
146
Accordingly, if any of the above officers or directors become aware of a partnering transaction opportunity which is suitable for any of the above entities to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations, he or she will honor his or her fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such partnering transaction opportunity to such entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, and only present it to us if such entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, rejects the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us.
We do not believe, however, that any of the foregoing fiduciary duties or contractual obligations described above will materially affect our ability to complete our partnering transaction. As noted above, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company; such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue; and such person has no fiduciary or contractual obligation to present the opportunity to any other person or entity.
In the event that we submit our partnering transaction to our public stockholders for a vote, our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree, and their permitted transferees will agree, to vote our common stock held by them in favor of our partnering transaction.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or stockholders for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted by the DGCL.
We will enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our amended and restated bylaws also permit us to maintain insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit such indemnification. We will obtain a policy of directors and officers liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.
A stockholders investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
147
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, by:
|
each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock; |
|
each of our executive officers, directors and director nominees; and |
|
all our executive officers, directors and director nominees as a group. |
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
The after-offering percentages in the following table assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option, that our sponsor forfeits an aggregate of 1,500,000 founder shares and that there are 51,200,000 shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering.
Number
of
Shares Beneficially Owned(2) |
Approximate
Percentage of Outstanding Common Stock |
|||||||||||
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) |
Before
Offering |
After
Offering(3) |
||||||||||
PHPC Sponsor, LLC (our sponsor)(4) |
11,500,000 | 100 | % | 21.9 | % | |||||||
Robert V. Vitale |
| | | |||||||||
Jeff A. Zadoks |
| | | |||||||||
Bradly A. Harper |
| | | |||||||||
Jim Dwyer |
| | | |||||||||
Jennifer Kuperman |
| | | |||||||||
Dave Peacock |
| | | |||||||||
David L. Taiclet |
| | | |||||||||
All directors and executive officers as a group (7 individuals) |
| | |
(1) |
Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63144. |
(2) |
Interests shown consist solely of shares of Series F common stock which are referred to herein as founder shares, and excludes the shares of Series A common stock underlying the private placement units. Such founder shares will automatically convert into shares of Series B common stock at the time of our partnering transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, as described under Description of Securities. Prior to and following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of our Series A common stock. Excludes forward purchase securities that will only be issued, if at all, at the time of our partnering transaction. |
(3) |
Interests shown include the shares of Series A common stock to be issued as a part of the sale of the private placement units. |
(4) |
Post is the sole member of our sponsor. Post may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by our sponsor by virtue of its direct ownership over our sponsor. |
Upon the completion of this offering, our sponsor will beneficially own 20% of the then issued and outstanding shares of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private
148
placement units and assuming our sponsor does not purchase any units in this offering). As a result of holding substantially all of the founder shares, our sponsor will have the right, prior to our partnering transaction, to elect all of our directors. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to appoint any directors to our board of directors prior to our partnering transaction. In addition, because of this ownership block, our sponsor may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all other matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Series F common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the consummation of this offering.
In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will enter into a forward purchase agreement with our sponsor pursuant to which our sponsor will commit to purchase from us up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units, consisting of one share of Series B common stock, or a forward purchase share, and one-fifth of one warrant to purchase one share of Series A common stock, or a forward purchase warrant, for $10.00 per forward purchase unit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our partnering transaction. The proceeds from the sale of these forward purchase units, together with the amounts available to us from the trust account (after giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the partnering transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the partnering transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-partnering transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the trust account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, our sponsor may purchase less than 10,000,000 forward purchase units. Our sponsor has agreed (a) to vote any founder shares, private placement shares and public shares held by it in favor of any proposed partnering transaction and (b) not to redeem any founder shares or public shares held by it in connection with a shareholder vote to approve a proposed partnering transaction.
In addition, certain members of our management team, and officers and directors of Post and their affiliates, may purchase our securities in the open market following the IPO and enter into an agreement in accordance with the guidelines of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, to place limit orders, through an independent broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act which is not affiliated with us nor part of the underwriting or selling group, to purchase our securities in the open market at market prices. Certain members of our management team, and officers and directors of Post and their affiliates, will not have any discretion or influence with respect to such purchases. It is intended that the brokers purchase obligation will be subject to applicable law, including Regulation M under the Exchange Act, which may prohibit or limit purchases pursuant to the limit order agreement in certain circumstances.
Our sponsor and our officers and directors are deemed to be our promoters as such term is defined under the federal securities laws. See Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions for additional information regarding our relationships with our promoters.
Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units
The founder shares, private placement units, private placement shares and private placement warrants (and any shares of Series A common stock issued upon exercise thereof) are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the letter agreement with us to be entered into by our sponsor, executive officers and directors. Those lock-up provisions will provide that such securities are not transferable, assignable or salable (1) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our partnering transaction and (B) subsequent to our partnering transaction, (x) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public
149
stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of our Series A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after completion of our partnering transaction, and (2) in the case of the private placement units, private placement shares, private placement warrants and the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise thereof, until 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction. Notwithstanding the above, during the applicable lock-up period our sponsor will be able to transfer founder shares, private placement units, private placement shares and private placement warrants (and any shares of Series A common stock issued upon exercise thereof) (a) to our officers, Posts directors or officers, their respective family members and entities formed by such persons for investment or estate planning purposes which are controlled by such persons or formed for their benefit or for charitable purposes, (b) to Post or any entity in which Post or the officers and directors of Post hold, in the aggregate, securities representing no less than 25% of the outstanding voting power of such entity (so long as no other holder or group holds a higher percentage of the voting power of such entity), and the subsidiaries of each of the foregoing, (c) to any corporation or other entity which, as a result of any spinoff, splitoff or other distribution transaction, becomes the beneficial owner of the founder shares and private placement warrants (and shares issuable upon the exercise of such warrants), (d) by bona fide gift to a member of the holders immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the holders immediate family, for estate planning purposes, (e) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death or (f) by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of a partnering transaction at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (f) such permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions. In addition, our sponsor or its permitted transferees will be permitted to pledge or grant a security interest in such securities to secure bona fide indebtedness or engage in certain hedging transactions; provided, that the holder thereof retains voting control over such securities prior to delivery of shares upon foreclosure or upon satisfaction of the hedge. In the event of any liquidation prior to our completion of our partnering transaction or our completion of a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Series A common stock for cash, securities or other property subsequent to our completion of our partnering transaction, the lockup period will be deemed terminated. In no event will any such transfer restrictions prohibit or otherwise restrict Posts ability to reattribute its interest in our sponsor or us between or among its tracking stock groups, combine such tracking stock groups or otherwise take actions with respect to its tracking stock groups provided for or permitted by Posts organizational documents or its policies.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, forward purchase shares, forward purchase warrants, private placement shares, private placement warrants and shares and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the private placement warrants, forward purchase warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares and the forward purchase shares) will be entitled to registration rights with respect to private placement shares, private placement warrants, forward purchase warrants, shares and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans, warrants purchased by them in the open market and shares of Series A common stock purchased by them in the open market or issuable upon (1) conversion of the founder shares, (2) exercise of the private placement warrants, (3) conversion of the forward purchase shares and shares of Series B common stock purchased in connection with our partnering transaction (if any), (4) exercise of the forward purchase warrants and (5) exercise of warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans (if any), pursuant to an investor rights agreement and forward purchase agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale. The holder of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands in any 12-month period under each agreement, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders will have certain piggy-back registration rights with respect to registration statements filed
150
subsequent to our completion of our partnering transaction and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, both the investor rights agreement and the forward purchase agreement will provide that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their lock-up restrictions, as described herein. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
151
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
In January 2021, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 11,500,000 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000, with a purchase price of approximately $0.002 per share. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Series F common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the consummation of this offering. As such, our sponsor will collectively beneficially own 20% of our issued and outstanding capital stock immediately after this offering (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units and assuming our sponsor does not purchase units in this offering). Our sponsor does not intend to purchase any units in this offering. Up to 1,500,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised.
Our sponsor will commit, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase an aggregate of 1,200,000 private placement units (or 1,320,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per unit ($12,000,000 in the aggregate or $13,200,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. The private placement units are identical to the units sold in this offering, subject to certain limited exceptions as described in this prospectus. Each whole private placement warrant underlying the private placement units entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Series A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. The private placement warrants (including the Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction.
In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will enter into a forward purchase agreement with our sponsor pursuant to which our sponsor will commit to purchase from us up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units, consisting of one share of Series B common stock, or a forward purchase share, and one-fifth of one warrant to purchase one share of Series A common stock, or a forward purchase warrant, for $10.00 per forward purchase unit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of our partnering transaction. The proceeds from the sale of these forward purchase units, together with the amounts available to us from the trust account (after giving effect to any redemptions of public shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the partnering transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the partnering transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-partnering transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the trust account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, our sponsor may purchase less than 10,000,000 forward purchase units. As described under Management Conflicts of Interest, each of our officers and directors has, and any of them in the future may have, additional fiduciary or contractual obligations to one or more entities pursuant to which such officer or director may be required to present a partnering transaction opportunity to such entities before he or she presents such opportunity to us. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a partnering transaction opportunity to which he or she has then-current fiduciary or contractual obligations to present such opportunity to another entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, he or she may only present such opportunity to us if such other entity, including, in certain cases, to Post, rejects the opportunity. For more information, see Management Conflicts of Interest.
We will enter into a services agreement pursuant to which we will also pay Post and certain of its subsidiaries a total of $40,000 per month for office space and administrative and support services. Upon completion of our partnering transaction or any liquidation, we may cease paying some or all of these monthly fees. Accordingly, in the event the completion of our partnering transaction takes up to 24 months, subsidiaries of Post will be paid a total of $960,000 ($40,000 per month) for office space and administrative and support
152
services and will be entitled to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses. Pursuant to such agreement we will indemnify Post and its affiliates for (i) any claims made by us or a third party and resulting liabilities in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by them, (ii) any liability arising with respect to their activities in connection with our affairs and (iii) any services that are provided without a separate written agreement between us and Post or an affiliate of Post. Such indemnity will provide that the indemnified parties cannot access the funds held in our trust account.
Our sponsor, officers and directors or Post or its other subsidiaries will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable partnering transactions. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors or Post or its other subsidiaries and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.
Our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of January 27, 2021 we had not borrowed any amount under the promissory note with our sponsor. Subsequent to January, 27, 2021, we borrowed approximately $120,000 under the promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2021 and the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,500,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account.
In addition, certain members of our management team, and officers and directors of Post and their affiliates, may purchase our securities in the open market following the IPO and enter into an agreement in accordance with the guidelines of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, to place limit orders, through an independent broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act which is not affiliated with us nor part of the underwriting or selling group, to purchase our securities in the open market at market prices. Certain members of our management team, and officers and directors of Post and their affiliates, will not have any discretion or influence with respect to such purchases. It is intended that the brokers purchase obligation will be subject to applicable law, including Regulation M under the Exchange Act, which may prohibit or limit purchases pursuant to the limit order agreement in certain circumstances.
In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended partnering transaction, our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our partnering transaction, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our partnering transaction does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans made to us may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. The units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, Post or its subsidiaries, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.
After our partnering transaction, members of our management team who remain with us, if any, may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a stockholder meeting held to consider our partnering transaction, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive officer and director compensation.
153
Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to waive: (a) their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction; (b) their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (c) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period (although our sponsor, officers and directors will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame). Additionally, if we seek stockholder approval in connection with our partnering transaction, our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree, pursuant to the terms of the letter agreement, and their permitted transferees will agree, to vote any of our common stock held by them in favor of our partnering transaction.
We will enter into an investor rights agreement providing for registration rights with respect to private placement shares, private placement warrants, forward purchase shares and forward purchase warrants, shares and warrants underlying units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans and shares of Series A common stock issuable upon (1) conversion of the founder shares, (2) exercise of private placement warrants, (3) conversion of the forward purchase shares and shares of Series B common stock purchased in connection with our partnering transaction (if any), (4) exercise of the forward purchase warrants and (5) exercise of warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans (if any). The investor rights agreement will also provide that our sponsor will be entitled, upon consummation of our partnering transaction, to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as the sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration rights described in the paragraph above.
Related Party Policy
We have not yet adopted a formal policy for the review, approval or ratification of related party transactions. Accordingly, the transactions discussed above were not reviewed, approved or ratified in accordance with any such policy.
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt our Code of Ethics requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our board of directors (or the appropriate committee of our board of directors) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our Code of Ethics, conflict of interest situations will include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the company.
In addition, our audit committee, pursuant to a written charter that we will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee will constitute a quorum. Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the audit committee will be required to approve a related party transaction. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors or Post or its other subsidiaries.
These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.
154
To further minimize conflicts of interest, we expect not to consummate a partnering transaction with a business that is owned by any of the related companies, or our sponsor, or its or their officers or directors unless we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another accounting, valuation or appraisal firm that such partnering transaction is fair to our company from a financial point of view. There will be no finders fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by us to our sponsor, Post or its other subsidiaries, or their officers or directors, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units held in the trust account prior to the completion of our partnering transaction:
|
repayment of an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses; |
|
payment to certain subsidiaries of Post of a total of $40,000 per month for office space and administrative and support services; |
|
payments of fees in cash to each of our non-employee directors for service on our board of directors in the amounts of $50,000 on each of the closing of this offering, the one-year anniversary of the closing of this offering, and the earlier of (x) the two-year anniversary of the closing of this offering and (y) the closing of our partnering transaction; |
|
reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing a partnering transaction; and |
|
repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor or Post or its other subsidiaries to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended partnering transaction, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans made to us may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. |
These payments may be funded using the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement units, in each case to the extent not held in the trust account or, upon the consummation of the partnering transaction, from any amounts remaining from the proceeds of the trust account released to us in connection therewith.
155
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation which will be adopted upon the consummation of this offering, our authorized capital stock will consist of 500,000,000 shares of Series A common stock, $0.0001 par value, 80,000,000 shares of Series B common stock, $0.0001 par value, 40,000,000 shares of Series C common stock, $0.0001 par value, 40,000,000 shares of Series F common stock, $0.0001 par value, and 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.0001 par value. The following description summarizes the material terms of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Units
Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of Series A common stock and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Series A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares of the companys Series A common stock. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at by a warrant holder following the consummation of our partnering transaction as described below.
The common stock and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus, unless Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the shares of Series A common stock and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of Series A common stock and warrants. Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our partnering transaction. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you are separating at least five units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.
In no event will the Series A common stock and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet of our company reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering and the sale of the private placement units. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering which will include this audited balance sheet. If the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option.
Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our partnering transaction.
In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended partnering transaction, our sponsor or an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. Up to $2,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into units at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender. Such units would be identical to the private placement units issued to our sponsor.
156
Common Stock
Upon the closing of this offering, 51,200,000 shares of our common stock will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option and the corresponding forfeiture of an aggregate of 1,500,000 founder shares by our sponsor), including:
|
40,000,000 shares of our Series A common stock underlying the units being offered in this offering; |
|
10,000,000 shares of Series F common stock held by our sponsor; and |
|
1,200,000 private placement shares held by our sponsor. |
If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Series F common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the consummation of this offering.
Prior to our partnering transaction, holders of the Series A common stock, holders of our Series B common stock, if any, and holders of the Series F common stock are entitled to one vote for each share on all matters to be voted on by stockholders, including any vote in connection with our partnering transaction, and vote together as a single class; provided that, prior to our partnering transaction, only holders of our Series F common stock will have the right to elect our directors. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock. In addition, prior to our partnering transaction and so long as any shares of Series F common stock remain outstanding, the rights, powers and preferences provided by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to the Series B common stock may be amended only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Series F common stock.
Following our partnering transaction, holders of our Series A common stock and holders of our Series B common stock will generally vote together as a single class on matters presented for a stockholder vote, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, with each share of Series A common stock entitling the holder to one vote per share and each share of Series B common stock entitling the holder to ten votes per share.
Holders of the Series C common stock will not be entitled to any voting powers, except as otherwise required by applicable law or stock exchange rule. When so required, holders of Series C common stock will be entitled to 1/100th of a vote for each share of such stock held.
While our Series A, Series B and Series C common stock capital structure with its low vote, high vote and no vote features differs from the typical capital structure of many other special purpose acquisition companies, we expect to maintain this capital structure following our partnering transaction. Any change to these voting features would require an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Prior to our partnering transaction, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Series F common stock is required to approve the election of directors. Following the consummation of our partnering transaction, our board of directors will be divided into three classes, each of which will generally serve for a term of three years with only one class of directors being elected in each year. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that, prior to our partnering transaction, the holders of more than 50% of the Series F common stock voted for the election of directors can elect all of the directors. Our stockholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
157
Because our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize the issuance of up to 500,000,000 shares of Series A common stock, if we were to enter into a partnering transaction, we may (depending on the terms of such a partnering transaction) be required to increase the number of shares of common stock which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our stockholders vote on the partnering transaction to the extent we seek stockholder approval in connection with our partnering transaction.
In accordance with NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the NYSE. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our amended and restated bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.
We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares upon the completion of our partnering transaction at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our partnering transaction, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per-share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial owner must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to waive their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction or certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Permitted transferees of our sponsor, executive officers and directors will be subject to the same obligations.
Unlike some blank check companies that hold stockholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their partnering transactions and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such partnering transactions even when a vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, if a stockholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our partnering transaction. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about the partnering transaction and the redemption rights as is required under the SECs proxy rules. If, however, a stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our partnering transaction only if a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock voted are voted in favor of the partnering transaction, subject to any other vote required by applicable law. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of our outstanding capital stock representing a majority of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors or advisors in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our partnering transaction even if a majority of our public stockholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such partnering transaction. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock for the purposes of our partnering transaction, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our partnering
158
transaction once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give approximately 30 days (but not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days) prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our partnering transaction. These quorum and voting thresholds, and agreements, may make it more likely that we will consummate our partnering transaction.
If we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a group (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming Excess Shares, without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our partnering transaction. Our stockholders inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our partnering transaction, and such stockholders could suffer a material loss in their investment if they sell such Excess Shares on the open market. Additionally, such stockholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete the partnering transaction. And, as a result, such stockholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell their stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.
If we seek stockholder approval in connection with our partnering transaction, our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree, pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, and their permitted transferees will agree, to vote their founder shares, private placement shares and our common stock held by them in favor of our partnering transaction. As a result, in addition to our sponsors founder shares and private placement shares, we would need 14,400,001, or 36.0% (assuming all outstanding shares are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised), or 1,600,001, or 4.00% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted and the over-allotment option is not exercised), of the 40,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a partnering transaction in order to have such partnering transaction approved. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting and, if it does vote, irrespective of whether it votes for or against the proposed transaction.
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event, or such later date as approved by holders of a majority of the voting power of shares of our outstanding common stock that are voted at the meeting to extend such date, voting together as a single class), we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) (although our sponsor, executive officers and directors will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame).
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a partnering transaction, our stockholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after
159
payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of stock, if any, having preference over the common stock. Our stockholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock, except that we will provide our stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), upon the completion of our partnering transaction, subject to the limitations described herein.
Founder Shares
The founder shares are identical to the shares of Series A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: (1) prior to our partnering transaction, only holders of the Series F common stock have the right to vote on the election of directors; (2) following our partnering transaction, holders of the Series B common stock and holders of the Series A common stock will vote together as a single class, with each share of Series B common stock having ten votes per share and each share of Series A common stock having one vote per share except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule; (3) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; (4) our sponsor, executive officers and directors will enter into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they will agree to waive: (a) their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with the completion of our partnering transaction; (b) their redemption rights with respect to our common stock held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (ii) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity; and (c) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period (although our sponsor, officers and directors will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our partnering transaction within the prescribed time frame); (5) shares of our Series F common stock are automatically convertible into shares of our Series B common stock at the time of our partnering transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, and, prior to and following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of our Series A common stock; and (6) the holders of founder shares are entitled to registration rights. If we submit our partnering transaction to our public stockholders for a vote, our sponsor, executive officers and directors will agree (and their permitted transferees will agree), pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement entered into with us, to vote all founder shares, private placement shares, and public shares held by them purchased during or after this offering in favor of our partnering transaction.
Prior to and following our partnering transaction, each share of Series B common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of our Series A common stock.
With certain exceptions as described under Principal Stockholders - Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our partnering transaction; and (B) subsequent to our partnering transaction, (x) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of our Series A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our partnering transaction.
160
Preferred Stock
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock and will provide that shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors will be able to, without stockholder approval, issue preferred stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the common stock and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preferred stock outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any shares of preferred stock, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No shares of preferred stock are being issued or registered in this offering.
Warrants
Public Stockholders Warrants
Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of Series A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the closing of this offering and 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction, except as described below. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares of Series A common stock. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at a given time by a warrant holder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you are separating a multiple of five units, the number of warrants issuable to you upon separation of the units will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of warrants. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our partnering transaction, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Series A common stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Series A common stock is available, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration is available. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of Series A common stock underlying such unit.
We have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the consummation of our partnering transaction, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC, and within 60 business days following our partnering transaction to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Series A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed. Notwithstanding the above, if our Series A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a covered security under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities
161
Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00. Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):
|
in whole and not in part; |
|
at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
|
upon a minimum of 30 days prior written notice of redemption (the 30-day redemption period) to each warrant holder; and |
|
if, and only if, the last reported sale price of the Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading Description of Securities - Warrants - Public Stockholders Warrants Anti-dilution Adjustments) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
We will not redeem the warrants for cash unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem warrants even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise their warrants.
We have established the $18.00 per share (as adjusted) redemption criteria discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Series A common stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading Description of Securities - Warrants - Public Stockholders Warrants - Anti-dilution Adjustments) as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
No fractional shares of Series A common stock will be issued upon exercise. If, upon exercise, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of shares of Series A common stock to be issued to the holder. If, at the time of redemption, the warrants are exercisable for a security other than the shares of Series A common stock pursuant to the warrant agreement (for instance, if we are not the surviving company in our partnering transaction), the warrants may be exercised for such security.
Redemption procedures and cashless exercise. If we call the warrants for redemption as described above under Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00, our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a cashless basis (such option, the Cashless Exercise Option). In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Series A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of
162
Series A common stock equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Series A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the fair market value (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) 0.361 shares of Series A common stock per warrant. The fair market value for this purpose shall mean the volume weighted average price of our Series A common stock during the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management takes advantage of this Cashless Exercise Option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of shares of Series A common stock to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the fair market value in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this Cashless Exercise Option feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our partnering transaction. If we call our warrants for redemption and our management does not take advantage of this Cashless Exercise Option, our sponsor and its permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had management taken advantage of this Cashless Exercise Option, as described in more detail below.
A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such persons affiliates), would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the shares of Series A common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
Anti-dilution Adjustments. If the number of outstanding shares of Series A common stock is increased by a stock dividend payable in shares of Series A common stock to all or substantially all holders of our Series A common stock, or by a split-up of shares of Series A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such stock dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of shares of Series A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding shares of Series A common stock. A rights offering to holders of Series A common stock entitling holders to purchase shares of Series A common stock at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a stock dividend of a number of shares of Series A common stock equal to the product of (1) the number of shares of Series A common stock actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Series A common stock) multiplied by (2) one minus the quotient of (x) the price per share of Series A common stock paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (1) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Series A common stock, in determining the price payable for Series A common stock, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (2) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Series A common stock as reported during the ten trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the shares of Series A common stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Series A common stock on account of such shares of Series A common stock (or other shares of our capital stock into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Series A common stock in connection with a proposed partnering transaction, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Series A common stock in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (I) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our Series A common stock if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (II) with respect to any other
163
provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our partnering transaction, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each share of Series A common stock in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding shares of our Series A common stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse stock split or reclassification of shares of Series A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of Series A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of Series A common stock.
Whenever the number of shares of Series A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of shares of Series A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares of Series A common stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In addition, if (x) we issue additional shares of common stock or equity-linked securities, excluding forward purchase units, for capital raising purposes in connection with the consummation of our partnering transaction at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by our board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to our sponsor or Post or its other subsidiaries, without taking into account any founder shares held by our sponsor or Post or its other subsidiaries, as applicable) (the Newly Issued Price), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances, excluding the forward purchase units, represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of our partnering transaction on the date of the completion of our partnering transaction (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of our Series A common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which we consummate our partnering transaction (such price, the Market Value) is below $9.20 per share, the exercise price of the warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger price described below under Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Series A common stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such shares of Series A common stock), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a merger or consolidation in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding shares of Series A common stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the shares of our Series A common stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. However, if such holders were entitled to exercise a right of election as to the kind or amount of securities, cash or other assets receivable upon such merger or consolidation, then the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets for which each warrant will become exercisable will be deemed to be the weighted average of the kind and amount received per share by such holders in such merger or consolidation that affirmatively make such election, and if a tender, exchange or redemption offer has been made to and accepted by such holders (other than a tender, exchange or
164
redemption offer made by the company in connection with redemption rights held by stockholders of the company as provided for in the companys amended and restated certificate of incorporation or as a result of the redemption of shares of Series A common stock by the company if a proposed partnering transaction is presented to the stockholders of the company for approval) under circumstances in which, upon completion of such tender or exchange offer, the maker thereof, together with members of any group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act) of which such maker is a part, and together with any affiliate or associate of such maker (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) and any members of any such group of which any such affiliate or associate is a part, own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Series A common stock, the holder of a warrant will be entitled to receive the highest amount of cash, securities or other property to which such holder would actually have been entitled as a stockholder if such warrant holder had exercised the warrant prior to the expiration of such tender or exchange offer, accepted such offer and all of the Series A common stock held by such holder had been purchased pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, subject to adjustments (from and after the consummation of such tender or exchange offer) as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in the warrant agreement. Additionally, if less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of Series A common stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of Series A common stock in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the per share consideration minus Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant.
The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants. The warrant agreement provides that (a) the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or correcting any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, or defective provision or (ii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not materially adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants and (b) all other modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants; provided that any amendment that solely affects the terms of the private placement warrants or forward purchase warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement solely with respect to the private placement warrants or forward purchase warrants will also require the vote or written consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding private placement warrants or forward purchase warrants, respectively. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment.
The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Series A common stock and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive shares of Series A common stock. After the issuance of shares of Series A common stock upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by stockholders.
No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. See Risk Factors Risks Relating to Our Securities Our warrant agreement will designate the courts of the State of
165
Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of our warrants, which could limit the ability of warrant holders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company. This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to claims under the Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
Private Placement Warrants
The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees: (1) they will not be redeemable by us; (2) they (including the Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction (except as described herein under Principal Stockholders - Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units); (3) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis; and (4) the holders thereof (including with respect to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) are entitled to registration rights. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.
If holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering his, her or its warrants for that number of shares of Series A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Series A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the sponsor fair market value (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the sponsor fair market value. The sponsor fair market value shall mean the average last reported sale price of the Series A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor and its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether our sponsor will cease to be affiliated with us following a partnering transaction. If our sponsor remains affiliated with us its ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time.
Forward Purchase Units
Prior to this offering, we will enter into a forward purchase agreement pursuant to which our sponsor will agree to acquire forward purchase units for $100,000,000, in the aggregate, in connection with our partnering transaction. Each forward purchase unit will consist of one share of Series B common stock, or a forward purchase share, and one-fifth of one warrant to purchase one share of Series B common stock, or a forward purchase warrant, at a purchase price of $10.00 per unit, and will be sold in a private placement that will close substantially concurrently with the consummation of our partnering transaction. The terms of the forward purchase warrants will generally be identical to the terms of the redeemable warrants included in the units being issued in this offering.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our partnering transaction. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our partnering transaction. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our partnering transaction will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of this offering, in which case we will effect a stock dividend or other appropriate mechanism with respect to our Series F common stock immediately prior to the
166
consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our partnering transaction, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for our common stock and warrant agent for our warrants will be Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We will agree to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our partnering transaction. These provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment of directors prior to our partnering transaction, which require the approval of holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock) cannot be amended without the approval of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock except in limited circumstances described under Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws Actions Requiring Supermajority Stockholder Vote. Our sponsor, who will beneficially own 20% of the shares of our common stock outstanding upon the closing of this offering (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units and assuming our sponsor does not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and will have the discretion to vote in any manner it chooses. Prior to our partnering transaction, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Series F common stock is required to approve the election of directors. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that:
|
if we have not completed our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event), we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law; |
|
prior to our partnering transaction, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to: (1) receive funds from the trust account; or (2) vote pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on any partnering transaction; |
|
if a stockholder vote on our partnering transaction is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our partnering transaction which contain |
167
substantially the same financial and other information about our partnering transaction and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act; |
|
as long as our securities are listed on the NYSE, our partnering transaction must occur with one or more target businesses that have an aggregate fair market value equal to at least 80% of the value of the trust account (excluding any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the income earned on the trust account) at the time of our signing a definitive agreement in connection with our partnering transaction; |
|
if our stockholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our partnering transaction or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of common stock upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares; and |
|
we will not effectuate our partnering transaction solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations. |
In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that under no circumstances will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions.
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
DGCL 203 Opt Out
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we have opted out of the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL regulating corporate takeovers. This statute prevents certain Delaware corporations, under certain circumstances, from engaging in a business combination with:
|
a stockholder who owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock (otherwise known as an interested stockholder); |
|
an affiliate of an interested stockholder; or |
|
an associate of an interested stockholder, for three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder. |
A business combination includes a merger or sale of more than 10% of our assets. However, the above provisions of Section 203 do not apply if:
|
our board of directors approves the transaction that made the stockholder an interested stockholder, prior to the date of the transaction; |
|
after the completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, that stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, other than statutorily excluded shares of common stock; or |
|
on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at a meeting of our stockholders, and not by written consent, by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder. |
168
We have opted out of the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL because we believe this statute could prohibit or delay mergers or other change in control attempts, and thus may discourage attempts to acquire us.
Authorized Shares
Our authorized but unissued common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Special Meeting of Stockholders
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called (i) upon the written request of the holders of not less than 66 2/3% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock and preferred stock, (ii) prior to the consummation of the partnering transaction, upon the written request of the holders of not less than a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series F common stock or (iii) by an affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the members of the board of directors then in office.
Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations
Our amended and restated bylaws will provide for advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of our board of directors or a committee of our board of directors. In order for any matter to be properly brought before a meeting, a stockholder will have to comply with advance notice requirements and provide us with certain information. Generally, to be timely, a stockholders notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. Our amended and restated bylaws will also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholders notice. Our amended and restated bylaws will allow the chairperson of the meeting at a meeting of the stockholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may also defer, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirers own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to influence or obtain control of us.
Action by Written Consent
After the date on which our sponsor, Post or its other subsidiaries beneficially own, in the aggregate, less than 50% of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be effected by any consent in writing in lieu of a meeting of such stockholders, subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock with respect to such series.
Classified Board of Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that prior to our partnering transaction, only holders of our Series F common stock will have the right to elect our directors. Upon the consummation of our partnering transaction, our board of directors will initially be divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with members of each class serving staggered three-year terms. As a result, in most circumstances, a person other than our sponsor can gain control of our board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual stockholder meetings following our partnering transaction.
169
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Subject to the terms of any preferred stock, following the consummation of our partnering transaction, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all then outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.
Prior to our partnering transaction, any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by the affirmative vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of our Series F common stock, or for vacancies not resulting from removal, by the remaining directors then in office or by the sole remaining director. Following the consummation of our partnering transaction, any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office (even though less than a quorum) or by the sole remaining director.
No Cumulative Voting
The DGCL provides that stockholders are not entitled to cumulate votes in the election of directors unless a corporations certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will not provide for cumulative voting.
Actions Requiring Supermajority Stockholder Vote
Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the rights of the holders of any series of our preferred stock, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3 % of the total voting power of all then outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class at a meeting specifically called for such purpose, will be required in order for us to take any action to authorize (i) the amendment, alteration or repeal of any provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or the addition or insertion of other provisions thereto, except (a) for those as to which the laws of the State of Delaware, as then in effect, do not require stockholder consent or (b) where at least 75% of the members of the board of directors then in office have approved such change; (ii) the adoption, amendment or repeal of any provision of our amended and restated bylaws, except by the board of directors in accordance with our amended and restated certificate of incorporation; (iii) the merger or consolidation of us with or into any other corporation (including pursuant to Section 251(h) of the DGCL) unless (a) the laws of the State of Delaware, as then in effect, do not require consent by our stockholders (other than Section 251(h) of the DGCL) or (b) at least 75% of the members of the board of directors then in office have approved; (iv) the sale, lease or exchange of all, or substantially all, of our property or assets, unless at least 75% of the members of the board of directors then in office have approved; or (v) our dissolution, unless approved by at least 75% of the members of the board of directors then in office. However, if we seek stockholder approval of our partnering transaction such stockholder approval will not be subject to the foregoing.
Supermajority of Board of Directors Permitted to Amend Bylaws
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws authorize our board of directors to adopt, amend or repeal our amended and restated bylaws by the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the members of the board of directors then in office.
Series F Common Stock Consent Right
Prior to the consummation of our partnering transaction, for so long as any shares of our Series F common stock remain outstanding, we will not have the power, without the prior vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of voting power of the shares of our Series F common stock then outstanding, voting separately as
170
a single class to amend, alter or repeal any provision of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, if such amendment, alteration or repeal would alter or change the powers, preferences or relative, participating, optional or other special rights of the Series B common stock. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the holders of our Series F common stock may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of the outstanding shares of Series F common stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of our Series F common stock were present and voted.
Exclusive Forum for Certain Lawsuits
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, another state court within the State of Delaware or, if no state court in Delaware has subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district courts of the United Stated States of America) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) to bring (1) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought or purportedly brought on behalf of our company, (2) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, stockholder, officer, employee or agent of our company to our company or our stockholders, or any claim of aiding and abetting such breach, (3) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to, or seeking to enforce any right, obligation, or remedy under, any provision of the DGCL or the amended and restated certificate of incorporation or the amended and restated bylaws, (4) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the amended and restated certificate of incorporation or the amended and restated bylaws, (5) any action asserting a claim against our company or any director or officer of our company governed by the internal affairs doctrine, (6) any action, suit, or proceeding as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery, or (7) any action, suit or proceeding asserting an internal corporate claim as defined in Section 115 of the DGCL; in all cases, subject to the courts having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to any actions arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or otherwise arising under federal securities laws, for which the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the sole and exclusive forum.
Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all such Securities Act actions. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also will provide that the federal district courts of the United States of America will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act.
Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding or owning (or continuing to hold or own) any interest in any of our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing amended and restated certificate of incorporation provisions. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law and federal securities laws in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may limit a stockholders ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, stockholders, or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims against us and our current and former directors, officers, stockholders, or other employees. Furthermore, the enforceability of choice of forum provisions in other companies certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable. See Risk Factors Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, and also provide that the
171
federal district courts will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each of which could limit our stockholders ability to choose the judicial forum for disputes with our company or our companys directors, officers or employees.
Securities Eligible for Future Sale
Immediately after this offering we will have 51,200,000 (or 58,820,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) shares of common stock outstanding. Of these shares, the 40,000,000 shares (or 46,000,000 shares if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the outstanding founder shares (10,000,000 founder shares if the underwriters over-allotment option is not exercised and 11,500,000 founder shares if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) and all of the outstanding private placement units (1,200,000 private placement units if the underwriters over-allotment option is not exercised and 1,320,000 private placement units if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering.
Upon the closing of the sale of the forward purchase units, all forward purchase shares and forward purchase warrants will be restricted securities under Rule 144. Otherwise, the forward purchase units will not be subject to any transfer restrictions.
Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that: (1) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale; and (2) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
|
1% of the total number of shares of common stock then outstanding, which will equal 512,000 shares immediately after this offering (or 588,200 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full); or |
|
the average weekly reported trading volume of the common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale. |
Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than a partnering transaction related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
|
the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; |
172
|
the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; |
|
the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; and |
|
at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company. |
As a result, our sponsor will be able to sell its founder shares and its private placement warrants, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our partnering transaction.
Registration Rights
The holders of the founder shares, forward purchase shares, forward purchase warrants, private placement shares, private placement warrants and shares and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the private placement warrants, forward purchase warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares and the forward purchase shares) will be entitled to registration rights with respect to private placement shares, private placement warrants, forward purchase warrants, shares and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans, warrants purchased by them in the open market and shares of Series A common stock purchased by them in the open market or issuable upon (1) conversion of the founder shares, (2) exercise of the private placement warrants, (3) conversion of the forward purchase shares and shares of Series B common stock purchased in connection with our partnering transaction (if any), (4) exercise of the forward purchase warrants and (5) exercise of warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans (if any), pursuant to an investor rights agreement and forward purchase agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale. The holder of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands in any 12-month period under each agreement, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders will have certain piggy-back registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our partnering transaction and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, both the investor rights agreement and the forward purchase agreement will provide that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their lock-up restrictions, as described under Principal Stockholders Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
The investor rights agreement will also provide that our sponsor will be entitled, upon consummation of our partnering transaction, to nominate three individuals for appointment to our board of directors, as long as our sponsor holds any securities covered by the registration rights described in the paragraph above.
Listing of Securities
We intend to apply to list our units, Series A common stock and warrants on the NYSE under the symbols PSPC.U, PSPC and PSPC WS, respectively. We expect that our units will be listed on the NYSE on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Following the date the shares of our Series A common stock and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our common stock and warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on the NYSE. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE.
173
UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion is a summary of the United States federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the ownership and disposition of our units, Series A common stock and warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. This summary is based upon United States federal income tax law as of the date of this prospectus, which is subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. This summary does not discuss all aspects of United States federal income taxation that may be important to particular investors in light of their individual circumstances, including investors subject to special tax rules (e.g., our sponsor, financial institutions, insurance companies, broker-dealers, tax-exempt organizations (including private foundations), taxpayers that have elected mark-to-market accounting for United States federal income tax purposes, S corporations, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, investors that will hold Series A common stock or warrants as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion, or other integrated transaction for United States federal income tax purposes, persons that actually or constructively own five percent or more of the total combined voting power or value of our securities or United States Holders (as defined below) that have a functional currency other than the United States dollar), all of whom may be subject to tax rules that differ materially from those summarized below. Furthermore, this summary does not discuss other United States federal tax consequences (e.g., estate or gift tax), any state, local, or non-United States tax considerations or the Medicare tax or alternative minimum tax nor does this summary address any person who beneficially holds both shares or our common stock and shares of Post. In addition, this summary is limited to investors that will hold our securities as capital assets (generally, property held for investment) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and that acquired the securities pursuant to this offering (or, in the case of Series A common stock, upon exercise of warrants so acquired). No ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) has been or will be sought regarding any matter discussed herein. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax aspects set forth below.
For purposes of this summary, a United States Holder is a beneficial holder of securities who or that for United States federal income tax purposes is:
|
an individual who is a United States citizen or resident of the United States; |
|
a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes created in, or organized under the law of, the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof; |
|
an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for United States federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or |
|
a trust (A) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a United States court and which has one or more United States persons (within the meaning of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has in effect a valid election under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. |
A non-United States Holder is a beneficial holder of shares who or that is neither a United States Holder nor a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes.
If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) holds our securities, the tax treatment of a partner, member or other beneficial owner in such partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner, member or other beneficial owner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner, member or other beneficial owner level. If you are a partnership or a partner, member or other beneficial owner of a partnership holding our securities, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our securities.
THIS DISCUSSION OF UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TAX ADVICE. WE URGE PROSPECTIVE HOLDERS TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS
174
CONCERNING THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF OWNING AND DISPOSING OF OUR SECURITIES, AS WELL AS THE APPLICATION OF ANY STATE, LOCAL AND NON-UNITED STATES INCOME, ESTATE AND OTHER TAX CONSIDERATIONS.
Personal Holding Company Status
We would be subject to a second level of United States federal income tax on a portion of our income if we are determined to be a personal holding company, or PHC, for United States federal income tax purposes. A United States corporation will generally be classified as a PHC for United States federal income tax purposes in a given taxable year if (1) at any time during the last half of such taxable year, five or fewer individuals (without regard to their citizenship or residency and including as individuals for this purpose certain entities such as certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds, and charitable trusts) own or are deemed to own (pursuant to certain constructive ownership rules) more than 50% of the stock of the corporation by value and (2) at least 60% of the corporations adjusted ordinary gross income, as determined for United States federal income tax purposes, for such taxable year consists of PHC income (which includes, among other things, dividends, interest, certain royalties, annuities and, under certain circumstances, rents).
Depending on the date and size of our partnering transaction, it is possible that at least 60% of our adjusted ordinary gross income may consist of PHC income as discussed above. In addition, depending on the concentration of our stock in the hands of individuals, including certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds, and charitable trusts, as a result of this offering, it is possible that more than 50% of our stock will be owned or deemed owned (pursuant to the constructive ownership rules) by five or fewer such persons during the last half of a taxable year. Thus, no assurance can be given that we will not become a PHC following this offering or in the future. If we are or were to become a PHC in a given taxable year, we would be subject to an additional PHC tax, currently 20%, on our undistributed PHC income, which generally includes our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments.
General Treatment of Units
There is no authority directly addressing the treatment, for United States federal income tax purposes, of instruments with terms substantially the same as the units and, therefore, their treatment is not entirely clear. The acquisition of a unit should be treated for United States federal income tax purposes as the acquisition of one share of our Series A common stock and one-fifth of one warrant to acquire one share of our Series A common stock. We intend to treat the acquisition of a unit in this manner and, by purchasing a unit, you agree to adopt such treatment for tax purposes. Each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the one share of Series A common stock and the one-fifth of one warrant based on their respective relative fair market values. Under United States federal income tax law, each investor must make his or her own determination of such value based on all the relevant facts and circumstances. Therefore, we strongly urge each investor to consult his or her tax advisor regarding the determination of value for these purposes. A holders initial tax basis in the Series A common stock and the warrant included in each unit should equal the portion of the purchase price of the unit allocated thereto. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for United States federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the share of Series A common stock and one-fifth of one warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the Series A common stock and the one-fifth of one warrant based on their respective relative fair market values (as determined by each such unit holder based on all the relevant facts and circumstances) at the time of disposition. The separation of the Series A common stock and warrant constituting a unit should not be a taxable event for United States federal income tax purposes.
The foregoing treatment of the units and a holders purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there is no authority that directly addresses instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax advisors regarding the United States federal, state, local and any foreign tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative
175
characterizations of a unit and its components). The following discussion is based on the assumption that the characterization of the Series A common stock and warrants and the allocation described above are respected for United States federal income tax purposes.
United States Holders
Taxation of Distributions
If we pay distributions in cash or other property (other than certain distributions of our stock or rights to acquire our stock) to United States Holders of shares of our Series A common stock, such distributions will constitute dividends for United States federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under United States federal income tax principles. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the United States Holders adjusted tax basis in our Series A common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the Series A common stock and will be treated as described under United States Holders - Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Series A Common Stock below.
Dividends we pay to a United States Holder that is a taxable corporation generally will qualify for the dividends received deduction if the requisite holding period is satisfied. With certain exceptions (including dividends treated as investment income for purposes of investment interest deduction limitations), and provided certain holding period requirements are met, dividends we pay to a non-corporate United States Holder will generally constitute qualified dividends that will be subject to tax at the preferential tax rate accorded to long-term capital gains. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the Series A common stock described in this prospectus may prevent a United States Holder from satisfying the applicable holding period requirements with respect to the dividends received deduction or the preferential tax rate on qualified dividend income, as the case may be. If the holding period requirements are not satisfied, then a corporation may not be able to qualify for the dividends received deduction and would have taxable income equal to the entire dividend amount, and non-corporate United States Holders may be subject to tax on such dividend at regular ordinary income tax rates instead of the preferential rate that applies to qualified dividend income.
Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Series A Common Stock
A United States Holder will recognize gain or loss on the sale, taxable exchange or other taxable disposition (which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not complete a partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period) of our Series A common stock. Any such gain or loss will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the United States Holders holding period for the Series A common stock so disposed of exceeds one year. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate United States Holders are eligible to be taxed at reduced rates.
The amount of gain or loss recognized will generally be equal to the difference between (1) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the Series A common stock is held as part of a unit at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Series A common stock based upon the then fair market values of the Series A common stock and the warrant included in the unit) and (2) the United States Holders adjusted tax basis in its Series A common stock so disposed of. A United States Holders adjusted tax basis in its Series A common stock will generally equal the United States Holders acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a share of Series A common stock or, as discussed below, the United States Holders initial basis for Series A common stock received upon exercise of a warrant) less any prior distributions treated as a return of capital. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
176
Redemption of Series A Common Stock
In the event that a United States Holders Series A common stock is redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under Description of Securities - Common Stock or if we purchase a United States Holders Series A common stock in an open market transaction (each of which we refer to as a redemption), the treatment of the transaction for United States federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as a sale of the Series A common stock under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of Series A common stock under the tests described below, the tax consequences to the United States Holder will be the same as described under United States Holders - Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Series A Common Stock above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Series A common stock, the United States Holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution, the tax consequences of which are described above under United States Holders - Taxation of Distributions. Whether the redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend primarily on the total number of shares of our stock treated as held by the United States Holder (including any stock constructively owned by the United States Holder as a result of owning warrants) both before and after the redemption. The redemption of Series A common stock will generally be treated as a sale of the Series A common stock (rather than as a corporate distribution) if the redemption (1) is substantially disproportionate with respect to the United States Holder, (2) results in a complete termination of the United States Holders interest in us or (3) is not essentially equivalent to a dividend with respect to the United States Holder. These tests are explained more fully below.
In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a United States Holder takes into account not only stock actually owned by the United States Holder, but also shares of our stock that are constructively owned by it. A United States Holder may constructively own, in addition to stock owned directly, stock owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the United States Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such United States Holder, as well as any stock the United States Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include common stock which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. A redemption of a United States Holders stock will be substantially disproportionate with respect to the United States Holder if the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the United States Holder immediately following the redemption of common stock is, among other requirements, less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the United States Holder immediately before the redemption. Prior to our partnering transaction, the Series A common stock may not be treated as voting stock for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of a United States Holders interest if either (1) all of the shares of our stock actually and constructively owned by the United States Holder are redeemed or (2) all of the shares of our stock actually owned by the United States Holder are redeemed and the United States Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of stock owned by certain family members and the United States Holder does not constructively own any other stock (including any stock constructively owned by the United States Holder as a result of owning warrants). The redemption of the Series A common stock will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if the redemption results in a meaningful reduction of the United States Holders proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a United States Holders proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. The IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority stockholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a meaningful reduction. A United States Holder is urged to consult its tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption, including the application of the constructive ownership rules described above.
If none of the foregoing tests is satisfied, the redemption will be treated as a corporate distribution, the tax consequences of which are described under United States Holders - Taxation of Distributions, above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the United States Holder in the redeemed Series A common stock should be added to the United States Holders adjusted tax basis in its remaining stock, or, if it has none, to the United States Holders adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other stock constructively owned by it.
177
Exercise of a Warrant
Except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a United States Holder will not recognize gain or loss upon the exercise of a warrant. The United States Holders tax basis in the share of our Series A common stock received upon exercise of the warrant will generally be an amount equal to the sum of the United States Holders initial investment in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the United States Holders purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under - General Treatment of Units) and the exercise price of such warrant. It is unclear whether a United States Holders holding period for the Series A common stock received upon exercise of the warrant would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant; however, in either case the holding period will not include the period during which the United States Holder held the warrants.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be nontaxable, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for United States federal income tax purposes. In either situation, a United States Holders tax basis in the Series A common stock received would generally equal the holders tax basis in the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as not being a realization event, it is unclear whether a United States Holders holding period for the Series A common stock would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant. If, however, the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Series A common stock would include the holding period of the warrant exercised.
It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss is recognized. In such event, a United States Holder would be deemed to have surrendered a number of warrants having an aggregate fair market value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised. The United States Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the warrants deemed surrendered and the United States Holders tax basis in such warrants. In this case, a United States Holders tax basis in the Series A common stock received would equal the sum of the United States Holders initial investment in the warrants deemed exercised (i.e., the portion of the United States Holders purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrant deemed exercised, as described above under - General Treatment of Units) and the exercise price of such warrants deemed exercised. It is unclear whether a United States Holders holding period for the Series A common stock would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant; in either case, the holding period would not include the period during which the United States Holder held the warrant.
Due to the absence of authority on the United States federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, including when a United States Holders holding period would commence with respect to the Series A common stock received, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, United States Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
Sale, Taxable Exchange, Redemption or Expiration of a Warrant
Upon a sale, taxable exchange (other than by exercise), redemption (other than a redemption for Series A common stock), or expiration of a warrant, a United States Holder will recognize taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (1) the amount realized upon such disposition or expiration (or, if the warrant is held as part of a unit at the time of the disposition of the unit, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the warrant based on the then fair market values of the warrant and the Series A common stock constituting such unit) and (2) the United States Holders tax basis in the warrant (that is, the portion of the United States Holders purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under - General Treatment of Units). Such gain or loss will generally be treated as long-term
178
capital gain or loss if the warrant is held by the United States Holder for more than one year at the time of such disposition or expiration. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a United States Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holders tax basis in the warrant. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.
The tax consequences of an exercise of a warrant occurring after our giving notice of an intention to redeem the warrant for $0.01 as described in the section of this prospectus entitled Description of Securities Warrants Public Stockholders Warrants are unclear under current law. In the case of a cashless exercise, the exercise may be treated either as if we redeemed such warrant for Series A common stock or as an exercise of the warrant. If the cashless exercise of a warrant for Series A common stock is treated as a redemption, then such redemption generally should be treated as a tax-deferred recapitalization for United States federal income tax purposes, in which case a United States Holder should not recognize any gain or loss on such redemption, and accordingly, a United States Holders basis in the Series A common stock received should equal the United States Holders basis in the warrant and the holding period of the Series A common stock would include the holding period of the warrant. If the cashless exercise of a warrant occurring after our giving notice of an intention to redeem the warrant is treated in the same manner as a cashless exercise of a warrant by a United States Holder that is not following such notice, there is some uncertainty regarding the treatment, as described above under the heading United States Holders Exercise of a Warrant. Due to the lack of clarity under current law regarding the treatment of an exercise of a warrant after our giving notice of an intention to redeem the warrant for $0.01, there can be no assurance as to which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, United States Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of the exercise of a warrant occurring after our giving notice of an intention to redeem the warrant as described above.
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of Series A common stock for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus captioned Description of Securities - Warrants - Public Stockholders Warrants. An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution is generally not a taxable event. Nevertheless, a United States Holder of warrants would be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the holders proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of Series A common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease to the exercise price, including, for example, the decrease to the exercise price of the warrants where additional shares of Series A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued in connection with the closing of our partnering transaction at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Series A common stock, as described under Description of Securities Warrants Anti-Dilution Adjustments) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property to the holders of shares of our Series A common stock which is taxable to such holders as a dividend. In addition, an adjustment to the exercise price or conversion rate of any of our outstanding securities (or a failure to make an adjustment to the exercise price or conversion rate of such outstanding securities) may, depending on the circumstances, result in a deemed taxable distribution to a United States Holder of shares of Series A common stock, if as a result of such adjustment or failure to make an adjustment, the proportionate interest of the United States Holder of shares of Series A common stock in our assets or earnings and profits is increased. Any constructive distribution received by a United States Holder would be subject to United States federal income tax as described under United States Holders Taxation of Distributions above in the same manner as if such United States Holder received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest without any corresponding receipt of cash.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
In general, information reporting requirements may apply to dividends paid to a United States Holder and to the proceeds of the sale or other disposition of our units, Series A common stock and warrants, unless the
179
United States Holder is an exempt recipient. Backup withholding may apply to such payments if the United States Holder fails to provide a taxpayer identification number, a certification of exempt status or has been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding (and such notification has not been withdrawn).
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against a United States Holders United States federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Non-United States Holders
Taxation of Distributions
In general, any distributions (including constructive distributions) we make to a non-United States Holder of shares of our Series A common stock, to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under United States federal income tax principles), will constitute dividends for United States federal income tax purposes and, provided such dividends are not effectively connected with the non-United States Holders conduct of a trade or business within the United States, we will be required to withhold tax from the gross amount of the dividend at a rate of 30%, unless such non-United States Holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable). In the case of any constructive dividend, it is possible that this tax would be withheld from any amount owed to a non-United States Holder by the applicable withholding agent, including cash distributions on other property or sale proceeds from warrants or other property subsequently paid or credited to such holder. A Non-United States Holder that does not timely furnish the required documentation, but that qualifies for a reduced treaty rate, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. Non-United States Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under any applicable income tax treaty. Any distribution not constituting a dividend will be treated first as reducing (but not below zero) the non-United States Holders adjusted tax basis in its shares of our Series A common stock and, to the extent such distribution exceeds the non-United States Holders adjusted tax basis, as gain realized from the sale or other disposition of the Series A common stock, which will be treated as described under Non-United States Holders Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Series A Common Stock and Warrants below. In addition, if we determine that we are classified as a United States real property holding corporation (see Non-United States Holders Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Series A Common Stock and Warrants below), we will withhold 15% of any distribution that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits.
Dividends we pay to a non-United States Holder that are effectively connected with such non-United States Holders conduct of a trade or business within the United States (or if a tax treaty applies are attributable to a United States permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-United States Holder) will generally not be subject to United States withholding tax, provided such non-United States Holder complies with certain certification and disclosure requirements (usually by providing an IRS Form W-8ECI or other applicable form). Instead, such dividends will generally be subject to United States federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the same graduated individual or corporate rates applicable to United States Holders. If the non-United States Holder is a corporation, dividends that are effectively connected income may also be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty).
Exercise, Lapse or Redemption of a Warrant
The characterization for United States federal income tax purposes of a non-United States Holders exercise of a warrant (including an exercise of a warrant occurring after our giving notice of an intention to redeem the warrant for $0.01 as described in the section of this prospectus entitled Description of Securities Warrants Public Stockholders Warrants), the lapse of a warrant or the redemption of a warrant held by a
180
non-United States Holder generally will correspond to the characterization described under United States Holders Exercise of a Warrant or United States Holders Sale, Exchange, Redemption or Expiration of a Warrant above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the tax consequences to the non-United States Holder would be the same as those described below in Non-United States Holders Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Series A Common Stock and Warrants.
Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Series A Common Stock and Warrants
A non-United States Holder will generally not be subject to United States federal income or withholding tax in respect of gain recognized on a sale, taxable exchange or other taxable disposition of our Series A common stock, which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not complete a partnering transaction within 24 months from the closing of this offering (or 27 months following an agreement in principle event) or during any Extension Period, or warrants (including an expiration or redemption of our warrants), in each case without regard to whether those securities were held as part of a unit, unless:
|
the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-United States Holder within the United States (and, if an applicable tax treaty so requires, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-United States Holder); |
|
the non-United States Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and certain other conditions are met; or |
|
we are or have been a United States real property holding corporation for United States federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the period that the non-United States Holder held our Series A common stock, and, in the case where shares of our Series A common stock are regularly traded on an established securities market, the non-United States Holder has owned, directly or constructively, more than 5% of our Series A common stock at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or such non-United States Holders holding period for the shares of our Series A common stock. There can be no assurance that our Series A common stock will be treated as regularly traded on an established securities market for this purpose. |
Unless an applicable treaty provides otherwise, gain described in the first bullet point above will be subject to tax at generally applicable United States federal income tax rates as if the non-United States Holder were a United States resident. Any gains described in the first bullet point above of a non-United States Holder that is a foreign corporation may also be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate (or lower applicable treaty rate). Gain described in the second bullet point above will generally be subject to a flat 30% United States federal income tax. Non-United States Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding possible eligibility for benefits under income tax treaties.
If the third bullet point above applies to a non-United States Holder, gain recognized by such holder on the sale, exchange or other disposition of our Series A common stock or warrants will be subject to tax at generally applicable United States federal income tax rates. In addition, a buyer of our Series A common stock or warrants from such holder may be required to withhold United States income tax at a rate of 15% of the amount realized upon such disposition. We cannot determine whether we will be a United States real property holding corporation in the future until we complete a partnering transaction. We will be classified as a United States real property holding corporation if the fair market value of our United States real property interests equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of our worldwide real property interests plus our other assets used or held for use in a trade or business, as determined for United States federal income tax purposes. If we are or have been a United States real property holding corporation you are urged to consult your own tax advisors regarding the application of these rules.
Possible Constructive Distributions
The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of Series A common stock for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the
181
section of this prospectus captioned Description of Securities Warrants Public Stockholders Warrants. An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution is generally not a taxable event. Nevertheless, a non-United States Holder of warrants would be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the holders proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of Series A common stock that would be obtained upon exercise or through a decrease to the exercise price, including, for example, the decrease to the exercise price of the warrants where additional shares of Series A common stock or equity-linked securities are issued in connection with the closing of our partnering transaction at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Series A common stock, as described under Description of Securities Warrants Anti-Dilution Adjustments) as a result of a distribution of cash or other property to the holders of shares of our Series A common stock which is taxable to such holders as a distribution. In addition, an adjustment to the exercise price or conversion rate of any of our outstanding securities (or a failure to make an adjustment to the exercise price or conversion rate of such outstanding securities) may, depending on the circumstances, result in a deemed taxable distribution to a United States Holder of shares of Series A common stock, if as a result of such adjustment or failure to make an adjustment, the proportionate interest of the United States Holder of shares of Series A common stock in our assets or earnings and profits is increased. Any constructive distribution received by a non-United States Holder would be subject to United States federal income tax withholding as described under Non-United States Holders Taxation of Distributions above in the same manner as if such non-United States Holder received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest without any corresponding receipt of cash.
Redemption of Series A Common Stock
The characterization for United States federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a non-United States Holders Series A common stock pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under Description of Securities Common Stock will generally correspond to the United States federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a United States Holders Series A common stock, as described under United States Holders Redemption of Series A Common Stock above, and the consequences of the redemption to the non-United States Holder will be as described above under Non-United States Holders Taxation of Distributions and Non-United States Holders Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Series A Common Stock and Warrants, as applicable.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
In general, information reporting requirements will apply to payments of dividends and proceeds from the sale of our securities to non-United States Holders that are not exempt recipients. We must report annually to the IRS and to each such holder the amount of dividends or other distributions we pay to such non-United States Holder on our shares of Series A common stock and the amount of tax withheld with respect to those distributions, regardless of whether withholding is required. The IRS may make copies of the information returns reporting those dividends and amounts withheld available to the tax authorities in the country in which the non-United States Holder resides pursuant to the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty or exchange of information treaty.
The gross amount of dividends and proceeds from the disposition of our Series A common stock or warrants paid to a holder that fails to provide the appropriate certification in accordance with applicable United States Treasury regulations generally will be subject to backup withholding at the applicable rate.
Information reporting and backup withholding are generally not required with respect to the amount of any proceeds from the sale by a non-United States Holder of Series A common stock or warrants outside the United States through a foreign office of a foreign broker that does not have certain specified connections to the United States. However, if a non-United States Holder sells Series A common stock or warrants through a United States broker or the United States office of a foreign broker, the broker will generally be required to
182
report to the IRS the amount of proceeds paid to such holder, unless the non-United States Holder provides appropriate certification (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable) to the broker of its status as a non-United States Holder or such non-United States Holder is an exempt recipient. In addition, for information reporting purposes, certain non-United States brokers with certain relationships with the United States will be treated in a manner similar to United States brokers.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts we withhold under the backup withholding rules may be refunded or credited against a holders United States federal income tax liability, if any, by the IRS if the required information is furnished in a timely manner to the IRS.
All non-United States Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of information reporting and backup withholding to them.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance promulgated thereunder (commonly referred as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act or FATCA) generally impose withholding at a rate of 30% in certain circumstances on dividends in respect of our securities which are held by or through certain foreign financial institutions (including investment funds), unless any such institution (1) enters into, and complies with, an agreement with the IRS to report, on an annual basis, information with respect to interests in, and accounts maintained by, the institution that are owned by certain United States persons and by certain non-United States entities that are wholly or partially owned by United States persons and to withhold on certain payments, or (2) if required under an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country, reports such information to its local tax authority, which will exchange such information with the United States authorities. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify these requirements. Accordingly, the entity through which our securities are held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends in respect of our securities held by an investor that is a non-financial non-United States entity that does not qualify under certain exceptions will generally be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%, unless such entity either (1) certifies to us or the applicable withholding agent that such entity does not have any substantial United States owners or (2) provides certain information regarding the entitys substantial United States owners, which will in turn be provided to the United States Department of Treasury.
Prior to the issuance of proposed United States Treasury regulations, such United States federal withholding tax under FATCA also would have applied to gross proceeds from the sale or disposition of our Series A common stock or warrants. However, the proposed United States Treasury regulations provide that such gross proceeds will not be subject to United States federal withholding taxes under FATCA. Taxpayers may rely on these proposed United States Treasury regulations until they are revoked or final United States Treasury regulations are issued. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in our securities.
183
Under the terms and subject to the conditions contained in an underwriting agreement dated , 2021 we have agreed to sell to the underwriters named below, for whom Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. are acting as representatives, the following respective numbers of units:
Underwriter |
Number of
Units |
|||
Evercore Group L.L.C.. |
||||
Barclays Capital Inc. |
||||
|
|
|||
Total |
40,000,000 | |||
|
|
The underwriting agreement will provide that the underwriters are obligated to purchase all the units in this offering if any are purchased, other than those units covered by the over-allotment option described below.
We have granted to the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase on a pro rata basis up to 6,000,000 additional units at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The option may be exercised only to cover any over-allotments of units.
The underwriters propose to offer the units initially at the public offering price on the cover page of this prospectus and to selling group members at that price less a selling concession of $ per unit.
The following table summarizes the compensation and estimated expenses we will pay:
Per Unit(1) |
Total(1) |
|||||||
Without Over- allotment |
With Over- allotment |
Without Over-
|
With Over-
|
|||||
Underwriting Discounts and Commissions paid by us |
$0.55 | $0.55 | $22,000,000 | $25,300,000 |
(1) |
Includes $0.35 per unit, or $14,000,000 (or $16,100,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in the aggregate, payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. Up to 25% of the deferred underwriting commissions ($3,500,000 or $4,025,000 if the option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) may be paid at the sole discretion of our management team to the underwriters in the allocations determined by our management team and/or to third parties not participating in this offering (but who are members of FINRA) that assist us in consummating our partnering transaction. The deferred commissions will be released only on completion of a partnering transaction, in an amount equal to $0.35 multiplied by the number of shares of Series A common stock sold as part of the units in this offering, as described in this prospectus. |
We estimate that our out-of-pocket expenses for this offering will be approximately $1,500,000. We have agreed to pay for the FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters legal counsel, not to exceed $25,000.
The representatives have informed us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.
We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that we will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, any units, warrants, common stock or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares of common stock; provided, however, that we may (1) issue and sell the private placement units; (2) issue and sell the additional
184
units to cover our underwriters over-allotment option (if any); (3) register with the SEC pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, the resale of the private placement units or the securities underlying the same and the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise or conversion of the warrants and the founder shares; and (4) issue securities in connection with our partnering transaction. However, the foregoing shall not apply to the forfeiture of any founder shares pursuant to their terms or any transfer of founder shares to any current or future independent director of the Company (as long as such current or future independent director is subject to the terms of the letter agreement, filed herewith, at the time of such transfer; and as long as, to the extent any Section 16 reporting obligation is triggered as a result of such transfer, any related Section 16 filing includes a practical explanation as to the nature of the transfer). Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. in their sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.
Our sponsor will agree not to transfer, assign or sell any of its founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of our partnering transaction; and (B) subsequent to our partnering transaction, (x) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of our Series A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30 trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our partnering transaction, subject to certain exceptions described herein under Principal Stockholders Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units. Any permitted transferees as described herein under Principal Stockholders Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements as our sponsor with respect to any founder shares.
The private placement warrants (including the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our partnering transaction (except with respect to permitted transferees as described herein under Principal Stockholders Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Units).
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in that respect.
We expect our units to be listed on the NYSE, under the symbol PSPC.U and, once the Series A common stock and warrants begin separate trading, to have our Series A common stock and warrants listed on the NYSE under the symbols PSPC and PSPC WS, respectively.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the units was determined by negotiations between us and the representatives.
The determination of our per unit offering price was more arbitrary than would typically be the case if we were an operating company. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Series A common stock or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Series A common stock or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.
If we do not complete our partnering transaction, the underwriters have agreed that: (1) the underwriters will forfeit any rights or claims to their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account; and (2) the deferred underwriters discounts and commissions
185
will be distributed on a pro rata basis, together with any accrued interest thereon (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) to the public stockholders.
In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, over-allotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
|
Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. |
|
Over-allotment involves sales by the underwriters of units in excess of the number of units the underwriters are obligated to purchase, which creates a syndicate short position. The short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of units over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of units that they may purchase in the over-allotment option. In a naked short position, the number of units involved is greater than the number of units in the over-allotment option. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their over-allotment option and/or purchasing units in the open market. |
|
Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the units in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of units to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the over-allotment option. If the underwriters sell more units than could be covered by the over-allotment option, a naked short position, the position can only be closed out by buying units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering. |
|
Penalty bids permit the representatives to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the units originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. |
These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the units. As a result, the price of our units may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be effected on the NYSE or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
We are not under any contractual obligation to engage any of the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, but we may do so at our discretion. However, any of the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future, including by acting as a placement agent in a private offering or underwriting or arranging debt financing. If any of the underwriters provides services to us after this offering, we may pay such underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arms length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with any of the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to any of the underwriters prior to the date that is 60 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriters compensation in connection with this offering, and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any entity with which they are affiliated a finders fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a partnering transaction. Any fees we may pay the underwriters or their affiliates for services rendered to us after this offering may be contingent on the completion of a partnering transaction and may be paid in other than cash. The underwriters or their affiliates that provide these services to us may have a potential conflict of interest given that the underwriters are entitled to the deferred portion of their underwriting compensation for this offering only if a partnering transaction is completed within the specified timeframe.
186
Some of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates, including Post and our sponsor. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions. In particular, affiliates of Barclays Capital Inc. are lenders under Posts credit agreement and hold certain of Posts outstanding indebtedness.
In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the web sites maintained by one or more of the underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering and one or more of the underwriters participating in this offering may distribute prospectuses electronically. The representatives may agree to allocate a number of units to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the underwriters and selling group members that will make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations.
The units are offered for sale in those jurisdictions in the United States, Europe, Asia and elsewhere where it is lawful to make such offers.
Each of the underwriters has represented and agreed that it has not offered, sold or delivered and will not offer, sell or deliver any of the units directly or indirectly, or distribute this prospectus or any other offering material relating to the units, in or from any jurisdiction except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations thereof and that will not impose any obligations on us except as set forth in the underwriting agreement.
European Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area (each, a Relevant State), no units have been offered or will be offered pursuant to this offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the units that has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another relevant state and notified to the competent authority in that relevant state, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that offers of units may be made to the public in that relevant state at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:
(a) |
to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the Prospectus Regulation; |
(b) |
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the Prospectus Regulation); or |
(c) |
in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation, |
provided that no such offer of units shall require the Company or any representative to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
187
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an offer to the public in relation to any units in any relevant state means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any units to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any units, and the expression Prospectus Regulation means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
We have not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of units through any financial intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by the underwriters with a view to the final placement of the units as contemplated in this prospectus. Accordingly, no purchaser of the units, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer of the units on behalf of us or the underwriters.
Notice to Investors in the United Kingdom
In relation to the United Kingdom, no units have been offered or will be offered pursuant to this offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the units that either (i) has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority, or (ii) is to be treated as if it had been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority in accordance with the transitional provision in Regulation 74 of the Prospectus (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, except that offers of units may be made to the public in the United Kingdom at any time under the following exemptions under the UK Prospectus Regulation:
(a) |
to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation; |
(b) |
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation); or |
(c) |
in any other circumstances falling within section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), |
provided that no such offer of units shall require the Company or any representative to publish a prospectus pursuant to section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an offer to the public in relation to any units in any relevant state means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any units to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any units, and the expression UK Prospectus Regulation means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
We have not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of units through any financial intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by the underwriters with a view to the final placement of the units as contemplated in this prospectus. Accordingly, no purchaser of the units, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer of the units on behalf of us or the underwriters.
In addition, in the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer subsequently made may only be directed at persons who are qualified investors (as defined in Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation) (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended, or the Order, and/or (ii) who are high net worth companies (or persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated) falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as relevant persons) or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and will not result in an offer to the public of the units in the United Kingdom within the meaning of the FSMA.
Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on the information included in this document or use it as basis for taking any action. In the United Kingdom, any investment or investment activity that this document relates to may be made or taken exclusively by relevant persons.
188
Notice to Residents of Japan
The underwriters will not offer or sell any of our units directly or indirectly in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any Japanese person or to others, for re-offering or re-sale directly or indirectly in Japan or to any Japanese person, except in each case pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Securities and Exchange Law of Japan and any other applicable laws and regulations of Japan. For purposes of this paragraph, Japanese person means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.
Notice to Residents of Hong Kong
The underwriters and each of their affiliates have not (1) offered or sold, and will not offer or sell, in Hong Kong, by means of any document, our units other than (A) to professional investors as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance or (B) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a prospectus as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32 of Hong Kong) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance or (2) issued or had in its possession for the purposes of issue, and will not issue or have in its possession for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere any advertisement, invitation or document relating to our units which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to our securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to professional investors as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made under that Ordinance. The contents of this document have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. You are advised to exercise caution in relation to the offer. If you are in any doubt about any of the contents of this document, you should obtain independent professional advice.
Notice to Residents of Singapore
This prospectus or any other offering material relating to our units has not been and will not be registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the units will be offered in Singapore pursuant to exemptions under Section 274 and Section 275 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the Securities and Futures Act). Accordingly our units may not be offered or sold, or be the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material relating to our units be circulated or distributed, whether directly or indirectly, to the public or any member of the public in Singapore other than (a) to an institutional investor or other person specified in Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, (b) to a sophisticated investor, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the Securities and Futures Act or (c) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the Securities and Futures Act.
Notice to Residents of Germany
Each person who is in possession of this prospectus is aware that no German sales prospectus (Verkaufsprospekt) within the meaning of the Securities Sales Prospectus Act (Wertpapier-Verkaufsprospektgesetz, the Act) of the Federal Republic of Germany has been or will be published with respect to our units. In particular, each underwriter has represented that it has not engaged and has agreed that it will not engage in a public offering (offentliches Angebot) within the meaning of the Act with respect to any of our units otherwise then in accordance with the Act and all other applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Notice to Residents of France
The units are being issued and sold outside the Republic of France and, in connection with their initial distribution, the Company has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell, directly or indirectly, any units to the
189
public in the Republic of France, and the Company has not distributed and will not distribute or cause to be distributed to the public in the Republic of France this prospectus or any other offering material relating to the units, and such offers, sales and distributions have been and will be made in the Republic of France only to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) in accordance with Article L.411-2 of the Monetary and Financial Code and decrét no. 98-880 dated October 1, 1998.
Notice to Residents of the Netherlands
Our units may not be offered, sold, transferred or delivered in or from the Netherlands as part of their initial distribution or at any time thereafter, directly or indirectly, other than to individuals or legal entities situated in The Netherlands who or which trade or invest in securities in the conduct of a business or profession (which includes banks, securities intermediaries (including dealers and brokers), insurance companies, pension funds, collective investment institution, central governments, large international and supranational organizations, other institutional investors and other parties, including treasury departments of commercial enterprises, which as an ancillary activity regularly invest in securities; hereinafter, Professional Investors); provided that in the offer, prospectus and in any other documents or advertisements in which a forthcoming offering of our units is publicly announced (whether electronically or otherwise) in The Netherlands it is stated that such offer is and will be exclusively made to such Professional Investors. Individual or legal entities who are not Professional Investors may not participate in the offering of our units, and this prospectus or any other offering material relating to our units may not be considered an offer or the prospect of an offer to sell or exchange our units.
Notice to Canadian Residents
Resale Restrictions
The distribution of units in Canada is being made only in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of the units in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.
Representations of Canadian Purchasers
By purchasing units in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
|
the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase the units without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws as it is an accredited investor as defined under National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions; |
|
the purchaser is a permitted client as defined in National Instrument 31-103 - Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations; |
|
where required by law, the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent; and |
|
the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions. |
Conflicts of Interest
Canadian purchasers are hereby notified that Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. are relying on the exemption set out in section 3A.3 or 3A.4, if applicable, of National Instrument 33-105 - Underwriting Conflicts from having to provide certain conflict of interest disclosure in this document.
190
Statutory Rights of Action
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the prospectus (including any amendment thereto) such as this document contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchasers province or territory. The purchaser of these securities in Canada should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchasers province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Enforcement of Legal Rights
All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Canadian purchasers of units should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the units in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the units for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.
191
Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago, Illinois will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus with respect to units and warrants. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP advised the underwriters in connection with the offering of the securities.
The financial statements of Post Holdings Partnering Corporation as of January 27, 2021 and for the period from January 27, 2021 (inception) through January 27, 2021 appearing in this prospectus have been audited by WithumSmith+Brown, PC, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, and are included in reliance on such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SECs website at www.sec.gov.
192
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
F-1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholder and the Board of Directors of
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Post Holdings Partnering Corporation (the Company) as of January 27, 2021, the related statements of operations, changes in stockholders equity and cash flows for the period from January 27, 2021 (inception) through January 27, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of January 27, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period from January 27, 2021 (inception) through January 27, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Companys management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Companys financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the United States federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
We have served as the Companys auditor since 2021.
New York, New York
February 9, 2021
F-2
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
January 27, 2021
Assets: |
||||
Deferred offering costs associated with the proposed public offering |
$ | 40,000 | ||
|
|
|||
Total assets |
$ | 40,000 | ||
|
|
|||
Liabilities and Stockholders Equity: |
||||
Current liabilities: |
||||
Accrued expenses |
$ | 20,000 | ||
|
|
|||
Total current liabilities |
20,000 | |||
|
|
|||
Commitments and contingencies (Note 5) |
||||
Stockholders Equity: |
||||
Series A common stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding |
| |||
Series B common stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding |
| |||
Series C common stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding |
| |||
Series F common stock, $0.0001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 11,500,000 shares issued and outstanding(1) |
1,150 | |||
Additional paid-in capital |
23,850 | |||
Accumulated deficit |
(5,000 | ) | ||
|
|
|||
Total stockholders equity |
20,000 | |||
|
|
|||
Total Liabilities and Stockholders Equity |
$ | 40,000 | ||
|
|
(1) |
This number includes up to 1,500,000 shares of Series F common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-3
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
For the period from January 27, 2021 (inception) through January 27, 2021
Formation and operating costs |
$ | 5,000 | ||
|
|
|||
Net loss |
$ | (5,000 | ) | |
|
|
|||
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted (1) |
10,000,000 | |||
|
|
|||
Basic and diluted net loss per share |
$ | (0.00 | ) | |
|
|
(1) |
This number excludes an aggregate of up to 1,500,000 shares of Series F common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-4
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY
For the period from January 27, 2021 (inception) through January 27, 2021
Common Stock |
Additional
Paid-In Capital |
Accumulated
Deficit |
Total
Stockholders Equity |
|||||||||||||||||
Series F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | |||||||||||||||||||
Balance - January 27, 2021 (inception) |
| $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | |||||||||||
Issuance of Series F common stock to Sponsor (1) |
11,500,000 | 1,150 | 23,850 | | 25,000 | |||||||||||||||
Net loss |
| | | (5,000 | ) | (5,000 | ) | |||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Balance - January 27, 2021 |
11,500,000 | $ | 1,150 | $ | 23,850 | $ | (5,000 | ) | $ | 20,000 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
This number includes up to 1,500,000 shares of Series F common stock subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part by the underwriters. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-5
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
For the period from January 27, 2021 (inception) through January 27, 2021
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: |
||||
Net loss |
$ | (5,000 | ) | |
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
||||
Accrued expenses |
5,000 | |||
|
|
|||
Net cash used in operating activities |
| |||
Net change in cash |
| |||
Cash - beginning of the period |
| |||
|
|
|||
Cash - end of the period |
$ | | ||
|
|
|||
Supplemental disclosure of noncash activities: |
||||
Deferred offering costs paid by Sponsor for issuance of Series F common stock |
$ | 25,000 | ||
|
|
|||
Deferred offering costs included in accrued expenses |
$ | 15,000 | ||
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-6
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation (the Company) is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on January 27, 2021. The Company was incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar partnering transaction with one or more businesses that the Company has not yet identified (Partnering Transaction).
As of January 27, 2021, the Company had not yet commenced operations. All activity for the period from January 27, 2021 (inception) through January 27, 2021 relates to the Companys formation and the Proposed Public Offering, which is described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its Partnering Transaction, at the earliest. The Company will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Public Offering. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year end.
The Companys sponsor, PHPC Sponsor, LLC, is a Delaware limited liability company (the Sponsor). The Companys ability to commence operations is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through a proposed public offering (the Proposed Public Offering) of 40,000,000 units of the Company (each, a Unit and collectively, the Units and, with respect to the shares of Series A common stock included in the Units, the Public Shares) at $10.00 per Unit (or 46,000,000 Units if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), which is discussed in Note 3, and the sale of 1,200,000 Units (or 1,320,000 Units if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Unit (each, a Private Placement Unit and collectively, the Private Placement Units), in a private placement to the Sponsor that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Public Offering.
The Companys management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Public Offering and the sale of Private Placement Units, although substantially all of the net proceeds are intended to be applied generally toward consummating a Partnering Transaction. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to complete a Partnering Transaction successfully. The Company must complete one or more Partnering Transactions having an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (as defined below) (excluding the amount of deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on the interest earned on the Trust Account) at the time of the signing of the agreement to enter into the Partnering Transaction. However, the Company will only complete a Partnering Transaction if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act). Upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering, management has agreed that an amount equal to at least $10.00 per Public Share sold in the Proposed Public Offering, including a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units, will be held in a trust account (Trust Account), located in the United States at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and will be invested only in United States government securities, within the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act, with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting the conditions of paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3) and (d)(4) of Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act, as determined by the Company, until the earlier of: (i) the completion of a Partnering Transaction and (ii) the distribution of the Trust Account as described below.
The Company will provide the holders (the Public Stockholders) of Public Shares with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their Public Shares upon the completion of a Partnering Transaction either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the Partnering Transaction or (ii) by means of a tender offer. The decision as to whether the Company will seek stockholder approval of a Partnering Transaction or
F-7
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
conduct a tender offer will be made by the Company, solely in its discretion. The Public Stockholders will be entitled to redeem their Public Shares for a pro rata portion of the amount then in the Trust Account (initially anticipated to be $10.00 per Public Share, plus any pro rata interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes). The per-share amount to be distributed to Public Stockholders who redeem their Public Shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions the Company will pay to the underwriters (as discussed in Note 5).
These Public Shares will be classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Boards (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 480 Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity. In such case, the Company will proceed with a Partnering Transaction if the Company has net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation of a Partnering Transaction and only if a majority of the common shares, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, voted at a stockholder meeting are voted in favor of the Partnering Transaction. If a stockholder vote is not required by law and the Company does not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, the Company will, pursuant to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation which the Company will adopt upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering (the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation), conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing a Partnering Transaction. If, however, stockholder approval of the transactions is required by law, or the Company decides to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, the Company will offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Additionally, each Public Stockholder may elect to redeem their Public Shares irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction or vote at all. If the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with a Partnering Transaction, the initial stockholders (as defined below) have agreed to vote their Founder Shares (as defined below in Note 4), the shares underlying the Private Placement Units, and any Public Shares purchased during or after the Proposed Public Offering in favor of a Partnering Transaction. Subsequent to the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (i) refrain from purchasing shares during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (ii) clear all trades with the Companys legal counsel prior to execution. In addition, the initial stockholders have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to their Founder Shares, the shares underlying the Private Placement Units and Public Shares in connection with the completion of a Partnering Transaction.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company seeks stockholder approval of its Partnering Transaction and does not conduct redemptions in connection with its Partnering Transaction pursuant to the tender offer rules, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation will provide that a Public Stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a group (as defined under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the Series A common shares sold in the Proposed Public Offering, without the prior consent of the Company.
The Companys Sponsor, officers and directors (the initial stockholders) have agreed not to propose an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (a) that would modify the substance or timing of the Companys obligation to provide holders of its Public Shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with a Partnering Transaction or to redeem 100% of the Companys Public Shares if the Company does not complete its Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering or 27 months following an agreement in principle event, which means the Company has executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Public Offering but has not completed the Partnering Transaction within such 24-month period (such 24-month or 27-month period, the Combination Period) or with respect to
F-8
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
any other provision relating to the rights of Public Stockholders, unless the Company provides the Public Stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Series A common shares in conjunction with any such amendment.
If the Company has not completed a Partnering Transaction within the Combination Period, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay for its income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Companys remaining stockholders and its board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to the Companys obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.
The initial stockholders have agreed to waive their liquidation rights with respect to the Founder Shares and the shares underlying the Private Placement Units held by them if the Company fails to complete a Partnering Transaction within the Combination Period. However, if the initial stockholders acquire Public Shares in or after the Proposed Public Offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to such Public Shares if the Company fails to complete a Partnering Transaction within the Combination Period. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission (see Note 5) held in the Trust Account in the event the Company does not complete a Partnering Transaction within the Combination Period and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the other funds held in the Trust Account that will be available to fund the redemption of the Public Shares. In the event of such distribution, it is possible that the per share value of the assets remaining available for distribution (including Trust Account assets) will be only $10.00 per share initially held in the Trust Account. In order to protect the amounts held in the Trust Account, the Sponsor has agreed to be liable to the Company if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company, or a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account if less than $10.00 per Public Share due to reductions in the value of the trust assets. This liability will not apply with respect to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account or to any claims under the Companys indemnity of the underwriters of the Proposed Public Offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act).
Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, the Sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. The Company will seek to reduce the possibility that the Sponsor will have to indemnify the Trust Account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (excluding the Companys independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses or other entities with which the Company does business, execute agreements with the Company waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the Trust Account.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are presented in United States dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
F-9
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Company does not have sufficient liquidity to meet its anticipated obligations over the next year from the issuance of these financial statements. In connection with the Companys assessment of going concern considerations in accordance with FASBs Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entitys Ability to Continue as a Going Concern, management has determined that the Company has access to funds from the Sponsor that are sufficient to fund the working capital needs of the Company until the earlier of the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering or one year from the issuance of these financial statements.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an emerging growth company, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the JOBS Act), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Companys financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Risks and Uncertainties
Management continues to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that the pandemic could have a negative effect on the Companys financial position, results of its operations and/or search for a target company, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of these financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Companys management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.
F-10
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Companys assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under the FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Deferred Offering Costs
Deferred offering costs consist of legal fees incurred through the balance sheet date that are directly related to the Proposed Public Offering and that will be charged to stockholders equity upon the completion of the Proposed Public Offering. Should the Proposed Public Offering prove to be unsuccessful, these deferred costs, as well as additional expenses to be incurred, will be charged to operations.
Net Loss Per Common Share
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share. Net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period excluding shares of common stock subject to forfeiture. Weighted average shares were reduced for the effect of an aggregate of 1,500,000 shares of Series F common stock that are subject to forfeiture if the over-allotment option is not exercised by the underwriters (as further described in Note 4). At January 27, 2021, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into shares of common stock and then share in the earnings of the Company. As a result, diluted loss per common share is the same as basic loss per common share for the period presented.
Income Taxes
The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Deferred tax assets were deemed immaterial as of January 27, 2021.
FASB ASC Topic 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of January 27, 2021. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. No amounts were accrued for the payment of interest and penalties as of January 27, 2021. The Company is currently not aware of any
F-11
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.
The provision for income taxes was deemed to be de minimis for the period from January 27, 2021 (inception) through January 27, 2021.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Companys financial statements.
NOTE 3. PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING
Pursuant to the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will offer for sale up to 40,000,000 Units (or 46,000,000 Units if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a purchase price of $10.00 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one Series A common share and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant (Public Warrant). Each whole Public Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Series A common share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment (see Note 6).
NOTE 4. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Founder Shares
On January 27, 2021, the Sponsor paid an aggregate of $25,000 for certain expenses on behalf of the Company in exchange for issuance of 11,500,000 Series F common shares (the Founder Shares). The Sponsor has agreed to forfeit up to an aggregate of 1,500,000 Founder Shares to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters. The forfeiture will be adjusted to the extent that the over-allotment option is not exercised in full by the underwriters so that the Founder Shares will represent 20% of the Companys issued and outstanding shares after the Proposed Public Offering. If the Company increases or decreases the size of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will effect a share capitalization or a share repurchase or redemption or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to the Series F common shares prior to the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering in such amount as to maintain the number of Founder Shares at 20% of the Companys issued and outstanding common shares upon the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering.
The initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their Founder Shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of the Partnering Transaction or earlier if, subsequent to the Partnering Transaction, the closing price of the Series A common share equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for share sub-divisions, capitalization of shares, share dividends, rights issuances, subdivisions reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Partnering Transaction, and (B) the date following the completion of the Partnering Transaction on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Companys stockholders having the right to exchange their Series A common shares for cash, securities or other property.
Private Placement
In connection with the Proposed Public Offering, the Sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 1,200,000 Private Placement Units (or 1,320,000 Private Placement Units if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit ($12,000,000 in the aggregate, or $13,200,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private
F-12
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. Each Private Placement Unit will consist of one share of Series A common stock and one-fifth of one warrant (the Private Placement Warrant). Each whole Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for one share of Series A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. A portion of the proceeds from the Private Placement Units will be added to the proceeds from the Proposed Public Offering to be held in the Trust Account. If the Company does not complete a Partnering Transaction within the Combination Period, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units will be used to fund the redemption of the Public Shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions from the Trust Account with respect to the Private Placement Warrants.
Forward Purchase
In connection with the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering, the Company will enter into a forward purchase agreement with the Sponsor pursuant to which the Sponsor will commit to purchase from the Company up to 10,000,000 forward purchase units (Forward Purchase Units), consisting of one share of Series B common stock, or a Forward Purchase Share, and one-fifth of one warrant to purchase one share of Series A common stock, or a Forward Purchase Warrant, for $10.00 per Forward Purchase Unit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000, in a private placement that will close concurrently with the closing of the Partnering Transaction. The proceeds from the sale of these Forward Purchase Units, together with the amounts available to us from the Trust Account (after giving effect to any redemptions of Public Shares) and any other equity or debt financing obtained by us in connection with the Partnering Transaction, will be used to satisfy the cash requirements of the Partnering Transaction, including funding the purchase price and paying expenses and retaining specified amounts to be used by the post-Partnering Transaction company for working capital or other purposes. To the extent that the amounts available from the Trust Account and other financing are sufficient for such cash requirements, the Sponsor may purchase less than 10,000,000 Forward Purchase Units. The terms of the Forward Purchase Warrants will generally be identical to the terms of the redeemable warrants included in the Units being issued in the Proposed Public Offering.
Related Party Loans
On January 27, 2021, the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to $300,000 to be used for the payment of costs related to the Proposed Public Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the Note). The Note is non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on the earlier of December 31, 2021 and the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. The Company intends to repay the Note from the proceeds of the Private Placement Units not being placed in the Trust Account. Subsequent to January 27, 2021, the Company borrowed approximately $120,000 under the Note to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Public Offering.
In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with a Partnering Transaction, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor, or certain of the Companys officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan the Company funds as may be required (Working Capital Loans). If the Company completes a Partnering Transaction, the Company may repay the Working Capital Loans out of the proceeds of the Trust Account released to the Company. Otherwise, the Working Capital Loans may be repaid only out of funds held outside the Trust Account. In the event that a Partnering Transaction does not close, the Company may use a portion of proceeds held outside the Trust Account to repay the Working Capital Loans but no proceeds held in the Trust Account would be used to repay the Working Capital Loans. The Working Capital Loans would either be repaid upon consummation of a Partnering Transaction, without interest, or, at the lenders discretion, up to $2.5 million of such Working Capital Loans may be convertible into Units of the post-Partnering Transaction entity at a price of $10.00 per Unit. The Units would be identical to the Private Placement Units. Except for the foregoing, the terms of such Working Capital Loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. As of January 27, 2021, the Company had no borrowings under the Working Capital Loans.
F-13
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Services Agreement
The Company will enter into an agreement that will provide that, commencing on the date that the Companys securities are first listed on NYSE through the earlier of consummation of the Partnering Transaction and its liquidation, the Company will pay Post $40,000 per month for office space and administrative and support services provided to members of the Companys management team.
In addition, the Sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates (including Post) will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on the Companys behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable Partnering Transactions. The audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by the Company to the Sponsor, officers or directors, or the Companys or their affiliates. Any such payments prior to a Partnering Transaction will be made from funds held outside the Trust Account.
NOTE 5. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Registration Rights
The holders of the Founder Shares, Forward Purchase Shares, Forward Purchase Warrants, Private Placement Shares, Private Placement Warrants and shares and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants, Forward Purchase Warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares and the Forward Purchase Shares) will be entitled to registration rights with respect to Private Placement Shares, Private Placement Warrants, Forward Purchase Warrants, shares and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans and shares of Series A common stock issuable upon (1) conversion of the Founder Shares, (2) exercise of the Private Placement Warrants, (3) conversion of the Forward Purchase Shares and shares of Series B common stock purchased in connection with the Companys Partnering Transaction (if any), (4) exercise of the Forward Purchase Warrants and (5) exercise of warrants issued upon conversion of Working Capital Loans (if any) pursuant to an investor rights agreement and forward purchase agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of the Proposed Public Offering requiring the Company to register such securities for resale. The holder of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands in any 12-month period under each agreement, excluding short form registration demands, that the Company register such securities. In addition, the holders will have certain piggy-back registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to the Companys completion of its Partnering Transaction and rights to require the Company to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.
Underwriting Agreement
The Company will grant the underwriters a 45-day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 6,000,000 additional Units at the Proposed Public Offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters will be entitled to an underwriting discount of $0.20 per unit, or $8.0 million in the aggregate (or $9.2 million in the aggregate if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), payable upon the closing of the Proposed Public Offering. In addition, $0.35 per unit, or $14.0 million in the aggregate (or $16.1 million in the aggregate if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full), will be payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions. The deferred fee will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event that the Company completes a Partnering Transaction, subject to the terms of the underwriting agreement.
F-14
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 6. STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY
Series A Common Stock The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of Series A common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. As of January 27, 2021, there were no shares of Series A common stock issued or outstanding.
Series B Common Stock The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of Series B common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. As of January 27, 2021, there were no shares of Series B common stock issued or outstanding.
Series C Common Stock The Company is authorized to issue 1,000,000 shares of Series C common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. As of January 27, 2021, there were no shares of Series C common stock issued or outstanding.
Series F Common Stock The Company is authorized to issue 20,000,000 shares of Series F common stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share. On January 27, 2021, the Company issued 11,500,000 shares of Series F common stock, including an aggregate of up to 1,500,000 shares of Series F common stock that are subject to forfeiture to the Company by the Sponsor for no consideration to the extent that the underwriters over-allotment option is not exercised in full or in part, so that the number of shares of Series F common stock will equal 20% of the Companys issued and outstanding common stock after the Proposed Public Offering.
Prior to the Companys Partnering Transaction, holders of the Series A common stock, Series B common stock, if any, and holders of the Series F common stock are entitled to one vote for each share on all matters to be voted on by stockholders, including any vote in connection with the Companys Partnering Transaction, and vote together as a single class; provided that, prior to the Companys Partnering Transaction, only holders of the Series F common stock will have the right to elect the Companys directors. These provisions of the Companys Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of more than 50% of the total voting power of the outstanding shares of the Companys common stock entitled to vote thereon as well as more than 50% of the outstanding Series F common stock.
Following the Companys Partnering Transaction, holders of the Series A common stock and holders of the Series B common stock will generally vote together as a single class on matters presented for a stockholder vote, except as required by Delaware law or stock exchange rule, with each share of Series A common stock entitling the holder to one vote per share and each share of Series B common stock entitling the holder to ten votes per share.
Holders of the Series C common stock will not be entitled to any voting powers, except as otherwise required by applicable law or stock exchange rule. When so required, holders of Series C common stock will be entitled to 1/100th of a vote for each share of such stock held.
Shares of Series F common stock are automatically convertible into shares of the Series B common stock at the time of the Companys Partnering Transaction, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis and, prior to and following the Companys Partnering Transaction, each share of Series B common stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of the Series A common stock.
Warrants Public Warrants may only be exercised for a whole number of shares. No fractional Public Warrants will be issued upon separation of the Units and only whole Public Warrants will trade. The Public Warrants will become exercisable on the later of (a) 30 days after the completion of a Partnering Transaction
F-15
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
and (b) 12 months from the consummation of the Proposed Public Offering; provided in each case that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or the Company permits holders to exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act). The Company has agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 20 business days after the consummation of its Partnering Transaction, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC and have an effective registration statement covering the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants and will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become effective within 60 business days after the consummation of the Companys Partnering Transaction and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Series A common stock until the Public Warrants expire or are redeemed. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants are not registered under the Securities Act in accordance with the above requirements, the Company will be required to permit holders to exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis. However, no Public Warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and the Company will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their Public Warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration is available. Notwithstanding the above, if the Companys shares of Series A common stock are at the time of any exercise of a Public Warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that they satisfy the definition of a covered security under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, the Company may, at its option, require holders of Public Warrants who exercise their Public Warrants to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event the Company so elects, it will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, and in the event the Company does not so elect, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
The Public Warrants have an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments, and will expire five years after the completion of a Partnering Transaction or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. In addition, if (x) the Company issues additional shares of Series A common stock or equity-linked securities, excluding Forward Purchase Units, for capital raising purposes in connection with the consummation of the Partnering Transaction at an issue price or effective issue price of less than $9.20 per share of Series A common stock (with such issue price or effective issue price to be determined in good faith by the Companys board of directors and, in the case of any such issuance to the Sponsor or affiliates of the Sponsor, without taking into account any Founder Shares held by the Sponsor or affiliates of the Sponsor, as applicable) (the Newly Issued Price), (y) the aggregate gross proceeds from such issuances, excluding the Forward Purchase Units, represent more than 60% of the total equity proceeds, and interest thereon, available for the funding of the Partnering Transaction on the date of the consummation of the Partnering Transaction (net of redemptions), and (z) the volume weighted average trading price of the Series A common stock during the 20 trading day period starting on the trading day prior to the day on which the Company consummates the Partnering Transaction (such price, the Market Value) is below $9.20 per share, then the exercise price of the Public Warrants will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 115% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price, and the $18.00 per share redemption trigger prices described below under Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) to be equal to 180% of the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price.
The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants, except that the Private Placement Warrants and the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of a Partnering Transaction,
F-16
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
subject to certain limited exceptions. Additionally, the Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees. If the Private Placement Warrants are held by someone other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Placement Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.
Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00:
Once the warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the Private Placement Warrants):
|
in whole and not in part; |
|
at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
|
upon a minimum of 30 days prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and |
|
if, and only if, the last reported sale price of the Series A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
The Company will not redeem the warrants for cash unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by the Company, the Company may exercise its redemption right even if it is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
If the Company calls the warrants for redemption as described above, the management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a cashless basis. In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, management will consider, among other factors, the cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on the Companys stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Series A common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Companys warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Series A common stock equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Series A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the fair market value of the Series A common stock (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) 0.361 shares of Series A common stock per warrant (subject to adjustment).
In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any warrant. If the Company is unable to complete a Partnering Transaction within the Combination Period and the Company liquidates the funds held in the Trust Account, holders of warrants will not receive any of such funds with respect to their warrants, nor will they receive any distribution from the Companys assets held outside of the Trust Account with respect to such warrants. Accordingly, the warrants may expire worthless.
NOTE 7. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Subsequent to January 27, 2021, the Company borrowed approximately $120,000 under the Note to be used for a portion of the expenses of the Proposed Public Offering. The Company has evaluated subsequent events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date up to February 9, 2021, the date that the financial statements were available to be issued. Based upon this review, the Company did not identify any other subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.
F-17
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:
SEC expenses |
$ | 50,186 | ||
FINRA expenses |
69,500 | |||
Accounting fees and expenses |
47,000 | |||
Printing and engraving expenses |
40,000 | |||
Directors and officers liability insurance premiums(1) |
500,000 | |||
Legal fees and expenses |
350,000 | |||
NYSE listing and filing fees |
85,000 | |||
Miscellaneous |
358,314 | |||
|
|
|||
Total |
$ | 1,500,000 | ||
|
|
(1) |
This amount represents the approximate amount of annual director and officer liability insurance premiums the registrant anticipates paying following the completion of its initial public offering and until it completes a partnering transaction. |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that all of our directors, officers, employees and agents shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (DGCL). Section 145 of the DGCL concerning indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents is set forth below.
Section 145. Indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents; insurance.
(a) |
A corporation shall have power to 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 persons 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 persons conduct was unlawful. |
(b) |
A corporation shall have power to 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 |
II-1
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 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. |
(c) |
To the extent that a present or former director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, 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 subsections (a) and (b) of this section (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 subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (1) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (2) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (3) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (4) by the stockholders. |
(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 as authorized in this section. Such expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred by former officers and directors 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, the other subsections of this section shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such persons official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. A right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses arising under a provision of the certificate of incorporation or a bylaw shall not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to such provision after the occurrence of the act or omission that is the subject of the civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought, unless the provision in effect at the time of such act or omission explicitly authorizes such elimination or impairment after such action or omission has occurred. |
(g) |
A corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such persons status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under this section. |
II-2
(h) |
For purposes of this section, 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 this section 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. |
(i) |
For purposes of this section, references to other enterprises shall include employee benefit plans; references to fines shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any 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 services 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 section. |
(j) |
The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this section 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. |
(k) |
The Court of Chancery is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine all actions for advancement of expenses or indemnification brought under this section or under any by law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise. The Court of Chancery may summarily determine a corporations obligation to advance expenses (including attorneys fees). |
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in a successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
In accordance with Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that no director shall be personally liable to us or any of our stockholders for monetary damages resulting from breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except to the extent such limitation on or exemption from liability is not permitted under the DGCL. The effect of this provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is to eliminate our rights and those of our stockholders (through stockholders derivative suits on our behalf) to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of the fiduciary duty of care as a director, including breaches resulting from negligent or grossly negligent behavior, except as restricted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL. However, this provision does not limit or eliminate our rights or the rights of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a directors duty of care.
If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the liability of directors, then, in accordance with our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the liability of our
II-3
directors to us or our stockholders will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as so amended. Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limiting or eliminating the liability of directors, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by applicable law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to further limit or eliminate the liability of directors on a retroactive basis.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also provide that we will, to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by applicable law, indemnify our current and former officers and directors, as well as those persons who, while directors or officers of our corporation, are or were serving as directors, officers, employees or agents of another entity, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, in connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, against all expense, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorneys fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by any such person in connection with any such proceeding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person eligible for indemnification pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will be indemnified by us in connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding was authorized by our board of directors, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification.
The right to indemnification which will be conferred by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is a contract right that includes the right to be paid by us the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding referenced above in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that if the DGCL requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by our officer or director (solely in the capacity as an officer or director of our corporation) will be made only upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such officer or director, to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or otherwise.
The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which any person covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may have or hereafter acquire under law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.
Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation affecting indemnification rights, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by applicable law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also permit us, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other that those specifically covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Our amended and restated bylaws, which we intend to adopt immediately prior to the closing of this offering, include the provisions relating to advancement of expenses and indemnification rights consistent with those which will be set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In addition, our amended and restated bylaws provide for a right of indemnity to bring a suit in the event a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses is not paid in full by us within a specified period of time. Our amended and restated bylaws also permit us to purchase and maintain insurance, at our expense, to protect us and/or any director, officer, employee or agent of our corporation or another entity, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.
II-4
Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated bylaws affecting indemnification rights, whether by our board of directors, stockholders or by changes in applicable law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by applicable law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing thereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.
We will enter into indemnification agreements with each of our officers and directors a form of which is to be filed as Exhibit 10.7 to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
In January 2021, PHPC Sponsor, LLC (our sponsor) purchased an aggregate of 11,500,000 founder shares, with a purchase price of approximately $0.002 per share. The number of founder shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock (excluding the private placement shares underlying the private placement units) upon completion of this offering. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Our sponsor is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D.
In addition, our sponsor will commit, pursuant to a written agreement, to purchase from us an aggregate of 1,200,000 (or 1,320,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) private placement units at $10.00 per unit (for an aggregate purchase price of $12,000,000 or $13,200,000 if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering. This issuance will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
Prior to or in connection with this offering, we will enter into a forward purchase agreement pursuant to which our sponsor will agree to acquire forward purchase units for $100,000,000, in the aggregate, in connection with our partnering transaction. Each forward purchase unit will consist of one share of Series B common stock, or a forward purchase share, and one-fifth of one warrant to purchase one share of Series A common stock, or a forward purchase warrant, at a purchase price of $10.00 per unit, and will be sold in a private placement that will close substantially concurrently with the consummation of our partnering transaction. The terms of the forward purchase warrants will generally be identical to the terms of the redeemable warrants included in the units being issued in this offering.
No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
II-5
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) |
Exhibits. The following exhibits are being filed herewith: |
* |
Previously filed |
II-6
(b) Financial Statements. See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement.
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a) |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser. |
(b) |
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
(c) |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that: |
(1) |
For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
(2) |
For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
(3) |
For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
(4) |
For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
(i) |
Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
II-7
(ii) |
Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant; |
(iii) |
The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
(iv) |
Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
II-8
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, on March 30, 2021.
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION | ||
By: |
/s/ Robert V. Vitale |
|
Name: | Robert V. Vitale | |
Title: | President and Chief Investment Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature |
Title |
Date |
||
/s/ Robert V. Vitale Robert V. Vitale |
President and Chief Investment Officer
(Principal Executive Officer) |
March 30, 2021 | ||
/s/ Bradly A. Harper Bradly A. Harper |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer |
March 30, 2021 | ||
* Jeff A. Zadoks |
Director | March 30, 2021 |
*By: |
/s/ Bradly A. Harper |
|
Bradly A. Harper | ||
Attorney-in-fact |
II-9
Exhibit 1.1
[40,000,000] Units
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
March , 2021
Evercore Group L.L.C.
55 East 52nd Street, Ste 35
New York, New York 10055
Barclays Capital Inc.
745 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Company), proposes to sell to you and, as applicable, to the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (collectively, the Underwriters), for whom you (the Representatives) are acting as representatives, 40,000,000 units (the units) of the Company (said units to be issued and sold by the Company being hereinafter called the Underwritten Securities). The Company also proposes to grant to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to 6,000,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any (the Option Securities; the Option Securities, together with the Underwritten Securities, being hereinafter called the Securities). Certain capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined are defined in Section 21 hereof.
Each unit consists of one share of the Companys Series A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the Series A common stock), and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant, where each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of Series A common stock (the Warrant(s)). The Series A common stock and Warrants included in the units will not trade separately until the 52nd day following the date of the Prospectus (unless the Representatives inform the Company of their decision to allow earlier separate trading), subject to (a) the Companys preparation of an audited balance sheet reflecting the receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the Offering (as defined below), (b) the filing of such audited balance sheet with the Commission on a Form 8-K or similar form by the Company that includes such audited balance sheet, and (c) the Company having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Each whole Warrant entitles its holder, upon exercise, to purchase one share of Series A common stock for $11.50 per share during the period commencing on the later of thirty (30) days after the completion of an initial Partnering Transaction (as defined below) or twelve (12) months from the date of the consummation of the Offering and terminating on the five-year anniversary of the date of the completion of such initial Partnering Transaction or earlier upon redemption or liquidation; provided, however, that pursuant to the Warrant Agreement (as defined below), a warrant may not be exercised for a fractional share. As used herein, the term Partnering Transaction (as described more fully in the Registration Statement) shall mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar partnering transaction with one or more businesses.
The Company will enter into an Investment Management Trust Agreement, effective as of the Closing Date, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (CST), as trustee, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Registration Statement (the Investment Management Trust Agreement), pursuant to which certain proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units (as defined below) and the proceeds of the Offering will be deposited and held in a trust account (the Trust Account) for the benefit of the Company, the Underwriters and the holders of the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities, if and when issued.
The Company will enter into a Warrant Agreement, effective as of the Closing Date, with respect to the Warrants, the Private Placement Warrants (as defined below) and the Forward Purchase Warrants (as defined below) with CST, as warrant agent, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 4.4 to the Registration Statement (the Warrant Agreement), pursuant to which CST will act as warrant agent in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption, and exercise of the Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants.
The Company has entered into a Securities Subscription Agreement, dated as of January 27, 2021 (the Securities Subscription Agreement), with PHPC Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Sponsor), in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.5 to the Registration Statement, pursuant to which the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 11,500,000 shares of Series F common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the Founder Shares), for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. The Founder Shares are substantially similar to the shares of Series A common stock included in the units except as described in the Prospectus.
The Company will enter into a forward purchase agreement (the Forward Purchase Agreement) with the Sponsor, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.10 to the Registration Statement, providing for the sale of up to $100,000,000 of units (the Forward Purchase Units), for a purchase price of $10.00 per unit, in a private placement transaction to occur concurrently with the closing of the initial Partnering Transaction. Each Forward Purchase Unit includes one share of Series B common stock (the Forward Purchase Shares) and one-fifth of one Warrant (the Forward Purchase Warrants, and, together with the Forward Purchase Shares, the Forward Purchase Securities). Each whole Forward Purchase Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise, to purchase one share of Series A common stock, for $11.50 per share. The Forward Purchase Units are identical to the units sold in the Offering, except as described in the Prospectus. The Forward Purchase Warrants are substantially similar to the Warrants included in the units, except as described in the Prospectus.
The Company has entered into a Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement), with the Sponsor, pursuant to which the Sponsor will purchase an aggregate of 1,200,000 private placement units (the Private Placement Units) (or up to 1,320,000 Private Placement Units if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit. Each Private Placement Unit includes one share of Series A common stock (the Private Placement Shares) and one-fifth of one Warrant (the Private Placement Warrants). Each whole
2
Private Placement Warrant entitles the holder, upon exercise, to purchase one share of Series A common stock, for $11.50 per share. The Private Placement Units are identical to the units sold in the Offering, except as described in the Prospectus. The Private Placement Warrants are substantially similar to the Warrants included in the units, except as described in the Prospectus.
The Company will enter into an Investor Rights Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, with the Sponsor and the other parties thereto, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the Registration Statement (the Investor Rights Agreement), pursuant to which the Company has granted certain registration rights in respect of the Founder Shares, the Forward Purchase Securities, the Private Placement Shares and the Private Placement Warrants (including any shares of Series A common stock and Warrants underlying such securities and Private Placement Units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans).
The Company has caused to be duly executed and delivered a letter agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Sponsor, the Company and each of the Companys executive officers, directors, and director nominees, substantially in the form filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Registration Statement (the Insider Letter).
The Company will enter into a Services Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, with the Sponsor, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.8 to the Registration Statement (the Services Agreement), pursuant to which the Company will pay to the Sponsor an aggregate monthly fee of $40,000 for the use of certain premises and certain services.
1. |
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. |
The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1.
(a) The Company has prepared and filed with the Commission the Registration Statement (file number 333-252910) on Form S-1, including the related Preliminary Prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Securities. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Execution Time, has become effective. The Company has filed one or more amendments thereto, including the related Preliminary Prospectus, each of which has previously been furnished to you. The Company will file with the Commission the Prospectus in accordance with Rule 424(b). As filed, such Prospectus shall contain all information required by the Act and, except to the extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Execution Time or, to the extent not completed at the Execution Time, only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the latest Preliminary Prospectus) as the Company has advised you and that has been approved by you, prior to the Execution Time, will be included or made therein. The Company has complied to the Commissions satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information.
3
(b) On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement did, and when the Prospectus is first filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date (as defined herein) and on any date on which Option Securities are purchased, if such date is not the Closing Date (an Additional Closing Date), the Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) will, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act; on the Effective Date and at the Execution Time, the Registration Statement did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; as of the Applicable Time did not, and on the Closing Date and any Additional Closing Date, any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined herein) will not, conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Statutory Prospectus, complied or will comply, as applicable, in all material respects with the Act, when considered together with the Statutory Prospectus, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date and any Additional Closing Date, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(c) The Statutory Prospectus, as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date and any Additional Closing Date, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Statutory Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(d) The Company has filed with the Commission a Form 8-A (file number []) providing for the registration under the Exchange Act of the Securities, which registration is currently effective on the date hereof. The Securities have been authorized for listing, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution, on the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE), and the Company knows of no reason or set of facts that is likely to adversely affect such authorization.
(e) The Commission has not issued any order or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened to issue any order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any part thereof, and has not instituted or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened to institute any proceedings with respect to such an order.
4
(f) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was and is an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405).
(g) The Company has not prepared or used a Free Writing Prospectus.
(h) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with full corporate power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus and to enter into this Agreement, the Investment Management Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Securities Subscription Agreement, the Forward Purchase Agreement, the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement, the Investor Rights Agreement, the Insider Letter and the Services Agreement, and to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction that requires such qualification. The Company has no subsidiaries (as defined under the Act).
(i) There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required (and the Statutory Prospectus contains in all material respects the same description of the foregoing matters contained in the Prospectus); and the statements in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings Principal Stockholders, Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions, and Description of Securities insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings. There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any other person required by the Act to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus that have not been described as required.
(j) The Companys authorized equity capitalization is as set forth in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(k) All issued and outstanding shares of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable; and none of such shares were issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The offers and sales of the outstanding shares of Series A common stock and Warrants were at all relevant times either registered under the Act, the applicable state securities and blue sky laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of such shares of Series A common stock and Warrants, exempt from such registration requirements. The holders of outstanding shares of the Company are not entitled to preemptive or other rights to subscribe for the Securities arising by operation of law or under the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation), amended and restated bylaws of the Company (the Amended and Restated Bylaws) or otherwise; and, except as set forth in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares or other ownership interests in the Company are outstanding.
5
(l) The Securities have been duly authorized and when issued and delivered by the Company against payment by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued.
(m) The shares of Series A common stock included in the Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment for the Securities by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(n) The shares of Series A common stock included in the Private Placement Units and the shares of Series B common stock included in the Forward Purchase Units have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor pursuant to the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement and the Forward Purchase Agreement, as applicable, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(o) The Warrants included in the units, when executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in the manner set forth in the Warrant Agreement against payment for the Securities by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will be duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered, and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(p) The shares of Series A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants included in the units, the Forward Purchase Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance upon exercise thereof and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor pursuant to the Warrants, the Forward Purchase Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants, as applicable, and the Warrant Agreement and Forward Purchase Agreement, as applicable, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The holders of such shares of Series A common stock are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; such shares of Series A common stock are not and will not be subject to any preemptive or other similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of such shares of Series A common stock (other than such execution, countersignature and delivery at the time of issuance) has been duly and validly taken.
(q) Except as set forth in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the Company or any rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of the Company under the Act or to include any such securities in a registration statement to be filed by the Company.
(r) No securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any person or persons controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company from its inception through and including the date hereof, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
6
(s) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has, prior to the date hereof, made any offer or sale of any securities that are required to be integrated pursuant to the Act with the offer and sale of the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(t) The Founder Shares are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(u) The Private Placement Units (including the underlying Private Placement Warrants), when delivered upon the consummation of this Offering, will be duly executed, authenticated and issued, and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(v) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(w) On the Closing Date, the Investment Management Trust Agreement will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company, in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(x) On the Closing Date, the Warrant Agreement will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(y) The Securities Subscription Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Sponsor, and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company and the Sponsor, enforceable against the Company and the Sponsor in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(z) The Forward Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Sponsor, and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company and the Sponsor, enforceable against the Company and the Sponsor in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
7
(aa) The Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Sponsor, and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company and the Sponsor, enforceable against the Company and the Sponsor in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(bb) On the Closing Date, the Investor Rights Agreement will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(cc) The Insider Letter executed by the Company, the Sponsor and each executive officer, director and director nominee of the Company, has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, the Sponsor and, to the Companys knowledge, each such executive officer, director and director nominee, respectively, and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, the Sponsor and, to the Companys knowledge, each such executive officer, director and director nominee, respectively, enforceable against the Company, the Sponsor and, to the Companys knowledge, each such executive officer, director and director nominee, respectively, in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(dd) On the Closing Date, the Services Agreement will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by Post Holdings, Inc., will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(ee) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, will not be an investment company as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(ff) No consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the transactions contemplated herein or in the Investment Management Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Securities Subscription Agreement, the Forward Purchase Agreement, the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement, the Investor Rights Agreement, the Insider Letter or the Services Agreement, except for the registration under the Act and the Exchange Act of the Securities and such as may be required under state securities or blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated herein and in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
8
(gg) The Company is not in violation or default of (i) any provision of its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws (or similar organizational documents), (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject, or (iii) any (x) statute, law, rule, regulation, or (y) judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company; except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above for any such conflict, breach or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business (a Material Adverse Effect).
(hh) Neither the issue and sale of the Securities nor the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof or of the Investment Management Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Securities Subscription Agreement, the Forward Purchase Agreement, the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement, the Investor Rights Agreement, the Insider Letter or the Services Agreement will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, (i) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company is a party or bound or to which the Company property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, or regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, except in the cases of clauses (ii) and (iii) above for any such conflict, breach or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) No holders of securities of the Company have rights to the registration of such securities under the Registration Statement.
(jj) The historical financial statements, including the notes thereto and the supporting schedules, if any, of the Company included in the Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein). The summary financial data set forth under the caption Summary Financial Data in the Statutory Prospectus, Prospectus and Registration Statement fairly present, on the basis stated in the Statutory Prospectus, Prospectus and Registration Statement, the information included therein. The Company is not party to any off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), or other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Companys financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
9
(kk) No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or the Sponsor, or the property of either of them is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened that (i) would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company or (ii) would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(ll) The Company owns or leases all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of its operations as presently conducted.
(mm) WithumSmith+Brown, PC (Withum), who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and delivered their report with respect to the audited financial statements and schedules included in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, is a registered public accounting firm that is independent with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder.
(nn) The Company maintains effective disclosure controls and procedures (as defined under Rule 13a-15 (e) under the Exchange Act to the extent required by such rule).
(oo) Solely to the extent that the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder (the Sarbanes Oxley Act) have been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company to comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes Oxley Act.
(pp) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Companys officers or directors, in their capacities as such, to comply with (as and when applicable), and immediately following the Effective Date the Company will be in compliance with, Section 303A of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual (subject to applicable phase-in rules). Further, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Companys officers or directors, in their capacities as such, to comply with (as and when applicable), and immediately following the Effective Date the Company will be in compliance with, the phase-in requirements and all other provisions of the New York Stock Exchange LLC corporate governance requirements set forth in the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual.
(qq) There are no transfer, stamp, issue, registration, documentary or other similar taxes, duties, fees or charges under U.S. federal law or the laws of any state, or any political subdivision thereof, or under the laws of any non-U.S. jurisdiction, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance or sale by the Company of the Securities.
10
(rr) The Company has filed all tax returns (including U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S.) that are required to be filed by it, subject to permitted extensions (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse Effect) through the date hereof and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves required by generally accepted accounting principles have been created with respect thereto or as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(ss) The Company possesses all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct its business, except for any of the foregoing that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and the Company has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, authorization or permit that, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(tt) None of the Company, the Sponsor or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, director nominee, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company: (i) has used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity: (ii) has made any direct or indirect unlawful contribution or payment to any official of, or candidate for, or any employee of, any federal, state or foreign office from corporate funds; (iii) has made any bribe, unlawful rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment; or (iv) is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the OECD Convention on Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (OECD Convention), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the FCPA) or any similar law or regulation to which the Company, any director, director nominee, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company is subject. The Company, the Sponsor and its directors, director nominees, officers, agents, employees and affiliates have each conducted the business of the Company and their own businesses on behalf of the Company in compliance with the FCPA and any applicable similar law or regulation and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(uu) The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA
11
PATRIOT Act), the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company conducts business, the applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(vv) None of the Company, the Sponsor or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, director nominee, officer, agent or affiliate of the Company is currently subject to any sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (OFAC) or any similar sanctions imposed by any other body, governmental or other, to which any of such persons is subject (collectively, other economic sanctions); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any sanctions administered by OFAC or other economic sanctions.
(ww) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any of the Underwriters and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any of the Underwriters.
(xx) The Company acknowledges that, in accordance with the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
(yy) All information contained in the questionnaires (the Questionnaires) completed by the Sponsor and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Companys executive officers, directors and director nominees and provided to the Underwriters as an exhibit to his or her Insider Letter, is true and correct in all material respects and the Company has not become aware of any information that would cause the information disclosed in the Questionnaires completed by the Sponsor or the Companys officers, directors and director nominees to become inaccurate and incorrect in any material respect.
(zz) Except as described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, to the Companys knowledge, none of the Sponsor, officers, directors or director nominees of the Company is subject to a non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer that could materially affect its, his or her ability to be and act in the capacity of stockholder, officer or director of the Company, as applicable.
(aaa) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, prior to the date hereof, the Company has not selected any specific acquisition target and has not, nor, to its knowledge, has anyone on its behalf, initiated contact with any prospective acquisition target or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a possible initial Partnering Transaction, or undertaken, or engaged or retained any agent or other representative, to contact any suitable acquisition candidate.
12
(bbb) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, contracts, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a brokerage commission or finders, consulting, origination or similar fee by the Company or the Sponsor with respect to the sale of the Securities hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company, the Sponsor or any officer or director of the Company, or their respective affiliates, that may affect the Underwriters compensation, as determined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA).
(ccc) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or any other item of value as defined in Rule 5110(c)(3) of FINRAs Conduct Rules): (i) to any person, as a finders fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) to any person that, to the Companys knowledge, has been accepted by FINRA as a member of FINRA (a Member); or (iii) to any person or entity that, to the Companys knowledge, has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any Member, within the twelve months prior to the Effective Date, other than payments to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.
(ddd) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, during the period beginning 180 days prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement and ending on the Effective Date, no Member and/or any person associated or affiliated with a Member has provided any investment banking, financial advisory and/or consulting services to the Company.
(eee) Except as disclosed in the FINRA Questionnaires provided to the Representatives, to the Companys knowledge no executive officer, director, or beneficial owner of any class of the Companys securities (whether debt or equity, registered or unregistered, regardless of the time acquired or the source from which derived) (any such individual or entity, a Company Affiliate) is a Member or a person associated or affiliated with a Member.
(fff) Except as disclosed in the FINRA Questionnaires provided to the Representatives, to the Companys knowledge, no Company Affiliate is an owner of shares or other securities of any Member (other than securities purchased on the open market).
(ggg) No Company Affiliate has made a subordinated loan to any Member.
(hhh) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, no proceeds from the sale of the Underwritten Securities (excluding underwriting compensation as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus) will be paid by the Company to any Member, or any persons associated or affiliated with a Member.
13
(iii) The Company has not issued any warrants or other securities, or granted any options, directly or indirectly to anyone who is a potential underwriter in the Offering or a related person (as defined by FINRA rules) of such an underwriter within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement.
(jjj) Except as disclosed in the FINRA Questionnaires, no person to whom securities of the Company have been privately issued within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Registration Statement has to the Companys knowledge any relationship or affiliation or association with any Member.
(kkk) To the Companys knowledge, no Member intending to participate in the Offering has a conflict of interest with the Company. For this purpose, a conflict of interest means, if at the time of the Members participation in the Offering, any of the following applies: (A) the securities are to be issued by the Member; (B) the Company controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Member or the Members associated persons; (C) at least 5% of the net offering proceeds, not including underwriting compensation, are intended to be: (i) used to reduce or retire the balance of a loan or credit facility extended by the Member, its affiliates and its associated persons, in the aggregate; or (ii) otherwise directed to the Member, its affiliates and associated persons, in the aggregate; or (D) as a result of the Offering and any transactions contemplated at the time of the Offering: (i) the Member will be an affiliate of the Company; (ii) the Member will become publicly owned; or (iii) the Company will become a Member or form a broker-dealer subsidiary.
(lll) The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(mmm) The Company does not own an interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other entity.
(nnn) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Company or any affiliate of the Company, on the one hand, and any director, director nominee, executive officer, stockholder, special advisor, customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company, on the other hand, which is required by the Act or the Exchange Act to be described in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus that is not described as required. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers, directors or director nominees of the Company or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus. The Company has not extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or officer of the Company.
(ooo) The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, the Underwritten Securities to any person or entity with the intention of unlawfully influencing: (a) a customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company to alter the customers or suppliers level or type of business with the Company or such affiliate or (b) a journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any such affiliate.
14
(ppp) Upon delivery and payment for the units on the Closing Date, the Company will not be subject to Rule 419 under the Act and none of the Companys outstanding securities will be deemed to be a penny stock as defined in Rule 3a51-1 under the Exchange Act.
(qqq) From the time of the initial filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged, directly or through any Person authorized to act on its behalf, in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the Execution Time, the Company has been and is an emerging growth company, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an Emerging Growth Company). Testing-the-Waters Communication means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) and/or Rule 163B of the Act.
(rrr) The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule III hereto. Written Testing-the-Waters Communication means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.
(sss) To the Companys knowledge, (i) there has been no material security breach or other material compromise of or relating to any of the Companys information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of its customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third-party data maintained by or on behalf of the Company), equipment or technology (collectively, IT Systems and Data), (ii) the Company has not been notified of, and there has been no event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any material security breach or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data, (iii) except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company is presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, and (iv) the Company has implemented security, backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.
Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the Offering shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
15
2. |
PURCHASE AND SALE. |
(a) Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of $9.80 per unit, the amount of the Underwritten Securities set forth opposite such Underwriters name in Schedule I hereto.
(b) Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to 6,000,000 Option Securities at the same purchase price per unit as the Underwriters shall pay for the Underwritten Securities. Said option may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sale of the Underwritten Securities by the Underwriters. Said option may be exercised in whole or in part at any time on or before the 45th day after the date of the Prospectus upon written notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option and the Additional Closing Date. The number of Option Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be based upon the same percentage of the total number of the Option Securities to be purchased by the several Underwriters as such Underwriter is purchasing of the Underwritten Securities, subject to such adjustments as the Representatives in their absolute discretion shall make to eliminate any fractional shares.
(c) In addition to the discount from the public offering price represented by the purchase price set forth in the first sentence of Section 2(a) of this Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to pay to the Underwriters a deferred discount of $0.350 per Unit (for both Underwritten Securities and Option Securities) purchased hereunder (the Deferred Discount). The Deferred Discount will be paid directly to the Representatives, on behalf of the Underwriters, by the Trustee from amounts on deposit in the Trust Account by wire transfer if and when the Company consummates a Partnering Transaction. The Underwriters hereby agree that if no Partnering Transaction is consummated within the time period provided in the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the funds held under the Trust Agreement are distributed to the holders of the shares of Series A common stock included in the Securities sold pursuant to this Agreement (the Public Stockholders), (i) the Underwriters will forfeit any rights or claims to the Deferred Discount and (ii) the Trustee is authorized to distribute the Deferred Discount to the Public Stockholders on a pro rata basis. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, up to 25% of the Deferred Discount (or $3,500,000, or $4,025,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) may be paid at the sole and absolute discretion of the Companys management to the Underwriters in allocations determined by the Companys management and/or to third parties not participating as Underwriters in this Offering (as defined below), but who are Members, that assist the Company in consummating its Partnering Transaction.
3. |
DELIVERY AND PAYMENT. |
Delivery of and payment for the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities (if the option provided for in Section 2 hereof shall have been exercised on or before the third Business Day prior to the Closing Date) shall be made at 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on [], 2021, or at such time on such later date not more than three Business Days after the foregoing date as the
16
Representatives shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the Closing Date). Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to an account specified by the Company and to the Trust Account as described below in this Section 3. Delivery of the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (DTC) unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.
(a) Payment for the Underwritten Securities shall be made as follows: $390,500,000 of the net proceeds for the Underwritten Securities shall be deposited in the Trust Account pursuant to the terms of the Investment Management Trust Agreement along with such portion of the gross proceeds of the Private Placement Units (the Private Placement Portion) in order for the Trust Account to equal the product of the number of units sold and the Public Offering price per unit as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus upon delivery to the Representatives of the Underwritten Securities through the facilities of DTC or, if the Representatives have otherwise instructed, upon delivery to the Representatives of certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives) representing the Underwritten Securities, in each case for the account of the Underwriters. The Underwritten Securities shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representatives may request in writing at least two Business Days prior to the Closing Date. If delivery is not made through the facilities of DTC, the Company will permit the Representatives to examine and package the Underwritten Securities for delivery, at least one Business Day prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Underwritten Securities except upon tender of payment by the Representatives for all the Underwritten Securities. Payment by the Underwriters for the Underwritten Securities is contingent on the (i) payment by the Sponsor to the Company for the Private Placement Units and (ii) deposit of the Private Placement Portion by or at the direction of the Company into the Trust Account, in each case at least one Business Day prior to the Closing Date.
(b) Payment for the Option Securities shall be made as follows: $9.80 per Option Security shall be deposited in the Trust Account pursuant to the terms of the Investment Management Trust Agreement upon delivery to the Representatives of the Option Securities through the facilities of DTC or, if the Representatives have otherwise instructed, upon delivery to the Representatives of certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives) representing the Option Securities (or through the facilities of DTC) for the account of the Underwriters. The Option Securities shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representatives may request in writing at least two Business Days prior to the Closing Date. If delivery is not made through the facilities of DTC, the Company will permit the Representatives to examine and package the Option Securities for delivery, at least one Business Day prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Option Securities except upon tender of payment by the Representatives for all the Option Securities.
17
If the option provided for in Section 2 hereof is exercised after the third Business Day prior to the Closing Date, the Company will deliver the Option Securities (at the expense of the Company) to Evercore Group L.L.C. on behalf of the Representatives, at 55 East 52nd Street, Ste 35, New York, New York 10055, on the date specified by the Representatives (which shall be at least three Business Days after exercise of said option) for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof to the Trust Account as described above in this Section 3(b). If settlement for the Option Securities occurs after the Closing Date, the Company will deliver to the Representatives on the Additional Closing Date for the Option Securities, and the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Option Securities shall be conditioned upon receipt of, supplemental opinions, certificates and letters confirming as of such date the opinions, certificates and letters delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 6 hereof.
4. |
OFFERING BY UNDERWRITERS. |
It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Prospectus (the Offering).
5. |
AGREEMENTS. |
The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) Prior to the termination of the Offering, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment, supplement or Rule 462(b) Registration Statement to which you reasonably object. The Company will cause the Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed in a form approved by the Representatives with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives (i) when the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or when any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication shall have been filed with the Commission, (ii) when, prior to termination of the Offering, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective, (iii) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or for any supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the occurrence of any such suspension or objection to the use of the Registration Statement and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and using its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.
18
(b) If, at any time prior to the filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b), any event or development occurs as a result of which the Statutory Prospectus would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Representatives so that any use of the Statutory Prospectus may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Statutory Prospectus to correct such statement or omission in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.
(c) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), any event or development occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or the rules thereunder, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Representatives of any such event; (ii) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the first two sentences of paragraph (a) of this Section 5, an amendment or supplement that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and (iii) supply any supplemented Prospectus to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.
(d) The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries that will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.
(e) The Company will not make any offer relating to the units that constitutes or would constitute a Free Writing Prospectus or a portion thereof required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Act.
(f) The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the Offering.
(g) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Securities, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
19
(h) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction that is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company, in each case, other than those entities or individuals that have executed the Insider Letter), directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Commission in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to, any other units, shares of Series A common stock, Warrants or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares of Series A common stock or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of this Agreement; provided, however, that the Company may (1) issue and sell the Private Placement Units (including the Private Placement Units that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans) and the Private Placement Shares and the Private Placement Warrants included therein, (2) issue and sell the Option Securities on exercise of the option provided for in Section 2 hereof, (3) issue and sell the Forward Purchase Units, (4) register with the Commission pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement or the Forward Purchase Agreement, in accordance with the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, the resale of the securities covered thereby and (5) issue securities in connection with a Partnering Transaction.
(i) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(j) The Company agrees to pay the costs and expenses relating to the following matters: (i) the preparation, printing or reproduction and filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as may, in each case, be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Securities, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Securities; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the Offering; (v) the registration of the Securities under the Exchange Act and the listing of the Securities on the NYSE; (vi) the printing and delivery of a preliminary blue sky memorandum, any registration or qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states, and any filings required to be made with FINRA (including filing fees
20
and the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such filings, memorandum, registration and qualification in an aggregate amount up to $25,000); (vii) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Company (and not the Underwriters) in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Securities; (ix) the fees and expenses of the Companys accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel for the Company; and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.
(k) For a period commencing on the Effective Date and ending five (5) years from the date of the consummation of the Partnering Transaction or until such earlier time at which the Liquidation occurs, the Company will use its best efforts to maintain the registration of the Series A common stock (or such other security into which shares of Series A common stock may be exchanged in connection with a Partnering Transaction) under the provisions of the Exchange Act, except after giving effect to a going private transaction after the completion of a Partnering Transaction. The Company will not deregister the Series A common stock under the Exchange Act (except in connection with an exchange of the shares of Series A common stock pursuant to a Partnering Transaction or a going private transaction after the completion of a Partnering Transaction) without the prior written consent of the Representatives.
(l) The Company shall, on the date hereof, retain its independent registered public accounting firm to audit the balance sheet of the Company as of the Closing Date (the Audited Balance Sheet) reflecting the receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the Offering on the Closing Date. As soon as the Audited Balance Sheet becomes available, the Company shall promptly, but not later than four Business Days after the Closing Date, file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission, which Report shall contain the Companys Audited Balance Sheet. Additionally, upon the Companys receipt of the proceeds from the exercise of all or any portion of the option provided for in Section 2 hereof, the Company shall promptly, but not later than four Business Days after the receipt of such proceeds, file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission, which report shall disclose the Companys sale of the Option Securities and its receipt of the proceeds therefrom.
(m) For a period commencing on the Effective Date and ending five (5) years from the date of the consummation of the Partnering Transaction or until such earlier time at which the Liquidation occurs or the shares of Series A common stock and Warrants cease to be publicly traded, the Company, at its expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent registered public accounting firm to review (but not audit) the Companys financial statements for each of the first three fiscal quarters prior to the announcement of quarterly financial information, the filing of the Companys Form 10-Q quarterly report and the mailing, if any, of quarterly financial information to stockholders.
(n) For a period commencing on the Effective Date and ending five (5) years from the date of the consummation of the Partnering Transaction or until such earlier time at which the Liquidation occurs, the Company shall, to the extent such information or documents are not otherwise publicly available, upon written request from the Representatives, furnish to the Representatives copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any class of securities, and, to the extent such information or documents are not otherwise publicly available, upon written request
21
from the Representatives promptly furnish to the Representatives: (i) a copy of such registration statements, financial statements and periodic and special reports as the Company shall be required to file with the Commission and from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any such class of its securities; and (ii) such additional documents and information with respect to the Company and the affairs of any future subsidiaries of the Company as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request, all subject to the execution of a satisfactory confidentiality agreement. Any registration statements, financial statements, periodic and special reports or other additional documents referred to in the preceding sentence filed on the Commissions EDGAR website will be considered furnished for the purposes of this section.
(o) For a period commencing on the Effective Date and ending five (5) years from the date of the consummation of the Partnering Transaction or until such earlier time at which the Liquidation occurs or the shares of Series A common stock and Warrants cease to be publicly traded, the Company shall retain a transfer and warrant agent.
(p) In no event will the amounts payable by the Company for the use of certain premises and certain services exceed $40,000 per month in the aggregate until the earlier of the date of the consummation of the Partnering Transaction or the Liquidation.
(q) The Company will not consummate a Partnering Transaction with any entity that is affiliated with the Sponsor or any of the Companys officers or directors unless it obtains an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such Partnering Transaction is fair to the Company from a financial point of view. The Company shall not pay the Sponsor or its affiliates or any of the Companys officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates any fees or compensation for services rendered to the Company prior to, or in connection with, the consummation of a Partnering Transaction; provided however, that such officers, directors and affiliates (i) may receive reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with activities on the Companys behalf to the extent that such expenses do not exceed the amount of available proceeds not deposited in the Trust Account; (ii) with respect to non-employee directors, may receive payments of fees in cash for service on our board of directors as described in the Registration Statement, (iii) may be repaid loans as described in the Registration Statement; and (iv) may be paid $40,000 per month for the use of certain premises and certain services pursuant to the Services Agreement between the Company and an affiliate of the Sponsor.
(r) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units received by it in a manner consistent in all material respects with the applications described under the caption Use of Proceeds in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(s) For a period of 60 days following the Effective Date, in the event any person or entity (regardless of any FINRA affiliation or association) is engaged to assist the Company in its search for a merger candidate or to provide any other merger and acquisition services, or has provided or will provide any underwriting services to the Company, the Company agrees that it shall promptly provide to FINRA (via a FINRA submission), the Representatives and its counsel a notification prior to entering into the agreement or transaction relating to a potential Partnering Transaction: (i) the identity of the person or entity providing any such services; (ii) complete
22
details of all such services and copies of all agreements governing such services prior to entering into the agreement or transaction; and (iii) justification as to why the value received by any person or entity for such services is not underwriting compensation for the Offering. The Company also agrees that proper disclosure of such arrangement or potential arrangement will be made in the tender offer materials or proxy statement, as applicable, which the Company may file in connection with the Partnering Transaction for purposes of offering redemption of shares held by its stockholders or for soliciting stockholder approval, as applicable.
(t) The Company shall advise FINRA, the Representatives and its counsel if it is aware that any 10% or greater stockholder of the Company becomes an affiliate or associated person of a Member participating in the distribution of the Securities.
(u) The Company shall cause the proceeds of the Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units to be held in the Trust Account to be invested only in United States government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act as set forth in the Investment Management Trust Agreement and disclosed in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus. The Company will otherwise conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act. Furthermore, once the Company consummates a Partnering Transaction, it will not be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
(v) All funds held in the Trust Account (including any interest income earned on the amounts held in the Trust Account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable)) will remain in the Trust Account until the earlier of (a) the completion of the Companys initial Partnering Transaction, (b) the redemption of any shares of Public Stock (as defined below) properly tendered in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Companys Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (i) to modify the substance or timing of the Companys obligation to redeem 100% of its shares of Public Stock if it does not complete its initial Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering (or 27 months from the closing of the Offering if the Company has executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for an initial Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering), or (ii) with respect to any other provisions relating to the rights of holders of the Companys Series A common stock, and (c) the redemption of the Companys public shares if it is unable to complete a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering (or 27 months from the closing of the Offering if the Company has executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for an initial Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering), subject to applicable law; provided, however, that in the event of the Liquidation, up to $100,000 of interest income may be released to the Company if the proceeds of the Offering held outside of the Trust Account are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing the Companys plan of dissolution; provided, further that funds may be withdrawn from the Trust Account to pay the Companys income tax and franchise tax obligations.
(w) The Company will reserve and keep available that maximum number of its authorized but unissued securities that are issuable upon the settlement of the Forward Purchase Units and the exercise of any of the Warrants and Private Placement Warrants, collectively, outstanding from time to time.
23
(x) Prior to the consummation of a Partnering Transaction or the Liquidation, the Company shall not issue any shares of Series A common stock, Warrants or any options or other securities convertible into shares of Series A common stock, or any preferred shares, in each case, that participate in any manner in the Trust Account or that vote as a class with the shares of Series A common stock on a Partnering Transaction.
(y) Prior to the consummation of a Partnering Transaction or the Liquidation, the Companys audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments made to the Sponsor, to the Companys executive officers or directors, or to the Companys or any of such other persons respective affiliates.
(z) The Company agrees that it will use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the Company from becoming subject to Rule 419 under the Act prior to the consummation of any Partnering Transaction, including, but not limited to, using its best efforts to prevent any of the Companys outstanding securities from being deemed to be a penny stock as defined in Rule 3a-51-1 under the Exchange Act during such period.
(aa) To the extent required by Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act, the Company will maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined under Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(bb) The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the units, shares of Series A common stock and Warrants on the NYSE (or another national securities exchange) prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction.
(cc) As soon as legally required to do so, the Company and its directors and officers, in their capacities as such, shall take all actions necessary to comply with any applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications, and to comply with the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual.
(dd) The Company shall not take any action or omit to take any action that would cause the Company to be in breach or violation of its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws.
(ee) The Company will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than independent accountants), prospective target businesses, lenders or other entities with which it does business enter into agreements waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account for the benefit of the holders of the Series A common stock included in the Securities sold pursuant to this Agreement (the Public Stockholders). The Company may forego obtaining such waivers only if the Company shall have received the approval of its President or Chief Financial Officer.
24
(ff) The Company may consummate the initial Partnering Transaction and conduct redemptions of shares of Series A common stock for cash upon consummation of such Partnering Transaction without a stockholder vote pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, including the filing of tender offer documents with the Commission. Such tender offer documents will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial Partnering Transaction and the redemption rights as is required under the Commissions proxy rules and will provide each stockholder of the Company with the opportunity prior to the consummation of the initial Partnering Transaction to redeem the shares of Series A common stock held by such stockholder for an amount of cash equal to (A) the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two Business Days prior to the consummation of the initial Partnering Transaction, representing (x) the proceeds held in the Trust Account from the Offering and certain of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units and (y) any interest income earned on the funds held in the Trust Account not previously released to the Company to pay franchise and income taxes, divided by (B) the total number of shares of Series A common stock sold as part of the units in the Offering (the Public Stock) then outstanding. If, however, a stockholder vote is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement in connection with the initial Partnering Transaction or the Company decides to hold a stockholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will submit such Partnering Transaction to the Companys stockholders for their approval (Partnering Transaction Vote). With respect to the initial Partnering Transaction Vote, if any, the Sponsor and the Companys executive officers and directors have agreed to vote all of their Founder Shares and any other shares of Series A common stock purchased during or after the Offering in favor of the Companys initial Partnering Transaction. If the Company seeks stockholder approval of the initial Partnering Transaction, the Company will offer to each Public Stockholder holding shares of Series A common stock the right to have its shares redeemed in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules of the Commission at a per share redemption price (the Redemption Price) equal to (I) the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two Business Days prior to the consummation of the initial Partnering Transaction, representing (1) the proceeds held in the Trust Account from the Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units and (2) any interest income earned on the funds held in the Trust Account not previously released to the Company to pay franchise and income taxes, divided by (II) the total number of shares of Public Stock then outstanding. If the Company seeks stockholder approval of the initial Partnering Transaction, the Company may proceed with such Partnering Transaction only if a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A common stock and Founder Shares voted by the stockholders at a duly held stockholders meeting are voted to approve such Partnering Transaction. If, after seeking and receiving such stockholder approval, the Company elects to so proceed, it will redeem shares, at the Redemption Price, from those Public Stockholders who affirmatively requested such redemption. Only Public Stockholders holding shares of Series A common stock who properly exercise their redemption rights, in accordance with the applicable tender offer or proxy materials related to such Partnering Transaction and the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, shall be entitled to receive distributions from the Trust Account in connection with an initial Partnering Transaction, and the Company shall pay no
25
distributions with respect to any other holders of shares of capital stock of the Company in connection therewith. In the event that the Company does not effect a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering (or 27 months from the closing of the Offering if the Company has executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for an initial Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering), the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten (10) Business Days thereafter, redeem 100% of the Public Stock, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (including interest not previously released to the Company to pay franchise and income taxes, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding shares of Public Stock, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Companys remaining stockholders and the Companys board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Companys obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Only Public Stockholders holding shares of Series A common stock included in the Securities shall be entitled to receive such redemption amounts and the Company shall pay no such redemption amounts or any distributions in liquidation with respect to any other shares of the Company. The Sponsor and the Companys executive officers and directors have agreed that they will not propose any amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation that would affect the substance or timing of the Companys obligation to redeem 100% of the outstanding Public Stock if the Company has not consummated a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering (or 27 months from the closing of the Offering if the Company has executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for an initial Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering) unless the Company offers to redeem the Public Stock in connection with such amendment, as described in the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus.
(gg) In the event that the Company desires or is required by an applicable law or regulation to cause an announcement (Partnering Transaction Announcement) to be placed in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times or any other news or media publication or outlet or to be made via a public filing with the Commission announcing the consummation of the Partnering Transaction that indicates that the Underwriters were the underwriters in the Offering, the Company shall supply the Representatives with a draft of the Partnering Transaction Announcement and provide the Representatives with a reasonable advance opportunity to comment thereon, subject to the agreement of the Underwriters to keep confidential such draft announcement in accordance with the Representatives standard policies regarding confidential information.
(hh) The Company will endeavor in good faith, in cooperation with the Representatives, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities, provided that no such qualification shall be required in any jurisdiction where, as a result thereof, the Company would be subject to service of general process or to taxation as a foreign corporation doing business in such jurisdiction. Until the earliest of (i) the date on which all Underwriters shall
26
have ceased to engage in market-making activities in respect of the Securities, (ii) the date on which the Securities are listed on the NYSE (or any successor thereto), (iii) a going private transaction after the completion of a Partnering Transaction, and (iv) the date of the liquidation of the Company, in each jurisdiction where such qualification shall be effected, the Company will, unless the Representatives agree that such action is not at the time necessary or advisable, use all reasonable efforts to file and make such statements or reports at such times as are or may be required to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
(ii) If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time, not misleading, the Company will promptly (i) notify the Representatives so that use of the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Representatives in such quantities as may be reasonably requested.
(jj) The Company will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and the Company undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing Certification.
(kk) The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Securities within the meaning of the Act and (ii) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 5(h) hereof.
(ll) [Intentionally Omitted]
(mm) Upon the earlier to occur of the expiration or termination of the Underwriters over-allotment option, the Company shall cancel or otherwise effect the forfeiture of Founder Shares from the Sponsor, in an aggregate amount equal to the number of Founder Shares determined by multiplying (a) 1,500,000 by (b) a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is 6,000,000 minus the number of shares of Series A common stock purchased by the Underwriters upon the exercise of their over-allotment option, and (ii) the denominator of which is 6,000,000. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, the Company shall not cancel or otherwise effect the forfeiture of the Founder Shares pursuant to this subsection.
27
6. |
CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS. |
The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities, as the case may be, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time, the Closing Date and any Additional Closing Date pursuant to Section 3 hereof, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.
(b) The Company shall have requested and caused Kirkland & Ellis LLP, counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the Representatives its opinions dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives.
(c) The Representatives shall have received from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(d) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate of the Company, signed by the President or Chief Financial Officer and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, and this Agreement and that:
(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as if made on the Closing Date and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date;
(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened; and
(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there has been no Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
28
(e) The Company shall have requested and caused Withum to have furnished to the Representatives, at the Execution Time and at the Closing Date, letters, dated respectively as of the Execution Time and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, confirming that they are a registered public accounting firm that is independent with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder and that they have performed a review of the audited financial statements of the Company for the period January 27, 2021 (date of inception) through [], 2021 provided that the cutoff date shall not be more than two Business Days prior to such Execution Time or Closing Date, as applicable, and stating in effect that:
(i) in their opinion the audited financial statements and financial statement schedules included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus and reported on by them comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission; and
(ii) they have performed certain other specified procedures as a result of which they determined that certain information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature (which is limited to accounting, financial or statistical information derived from the general accounting records of the Company) set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, including the information set forth under the captions Dilution and Capitalization in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, agrees with the accounting records of the Company, excluding any questions of legal interpretation.
References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (e) include any supplement thereto at the date of the letter.
(f) Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 6 or (ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(g) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(h) FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting or other arrangements of the transactions contemplated hereby.
29
(i) The Securities shall be duly listed subject to notice of issuance on the NYSE, satisfactory evidence of which shall have been provided to the Representatives.
(j) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representatives executed copies of the Investment Management Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Securities Subscription Agreement, the Forward Purchase Agreement, the Private Placement Units Purchase Agreement, the Insider Letter, the Investor Rights Agreement and the Services Agreement.
(k) At least one Business Day prior to the Closing Date, the Sponsor shall have caused certain proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Units to be deposited into the Trust Account such that the cumulative amount deposited into the Trust Account as of such Closing Date shall equal the product of the number of units issued in the Offering as of such Closing Date or such settlement date, as applicable, and the public offering price per unit as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.
(l) No order preventing or suspending the sale of the units in any jurisdiction designated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(hh) hereof shall have been issued as of the Closing Date, and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall have been threatened.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or electronic mail confirmed in writing.
The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, at 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017, Attention: Derek Dostal and Deanna Kirkpatrick, unless otherwise indicated herein, on the Closing Date.
7. |
REIMBURSEMENT OF UNDERWRITERS EXPENSES. |
If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, because of any termination pursuant to Section 10 hereof (other than clauses (ii), (iii) or (vi) thereof) or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through the Representatives on demand for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of outside counsel) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.
30
8. |
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION. |
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter, each person or entity who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each affiliate of each Underwriter against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement for the registration of the Securities as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus, any roadshow as defined in Section 433(h) of the Act or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action (whether or not such indemnified party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described in the last sentence of Section 8(b) hereof. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company may otherwise have.
(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person or entity who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with reference to written information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that any Underwriter may otherwise have. The Company acknowledges that the following information set forth under the heading Underwriting in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus constitutes the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity: (x) the list of Underwriters and their respective roles and participation in the sale of the Securities and (y) the seventh, sixteenth and seventeenth paragraphs.
31
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of material rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying partys choice at the indemnifying partys expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying partys election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless (i) such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 45 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including outside counsel legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively Losses) to which the Company and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
32
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Underwriters on the other from the Offering; provided, however, that in no case shall any Underwriter (except as may be provided in any agreement among underwriters relating to the Offering) be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the Offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Underwriters shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. For purposes of this Section 8, each person or entity who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each person or entity who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).
(e) In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment thereto, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this Section 8 hereby consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan and (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the Specified Courts), agrees that process issuing from such courts may be served upon it by any other contributing party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other contributing party may join it as an additional defendant in any such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.
33
(f) Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 8 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 8 and the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling any Underwriter, the Company, its directors or officers or any persons controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Securities and payment therefor hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to any Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 8.
9. |
DEFAULT BY AN UNDERWRITER. |
If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions that the amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities that the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event that the aggregate amount of Securities that the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the Underwritten Securities, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities. If within one Business Day after such default relating to more than 10% of the Underwritten Securities the remaining Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Underwritten Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of one Business Day within which to procure another party or parties reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives to purchase said Underwritten Securities. In the event that neither the remaining Underwriters nor the Company purchase or arrange for the purchase of all of the Underwritten Securities to which a default relates as provided in this Section 9, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any nondefaulting Underwriter or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding five Business Days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.
10. |
TERMINATION. |
This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if at any time prior to such delivery and payment (i) trading in the Companys units, Series A common stock or Warrants shall have been suspended by the Commission, or trading in securities generally on the NYSE or the Nasdaq Capital Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange or trading market, (ii) a
34
banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State authorities, (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other national or international calamity or crisis (including, without limitation, an act of terrorism) or change in economic or political conditions the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), (iv) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (v) the enactment, publication, decree or other promulgation of any statute, regulation, rule or order of any court or other governmental authority which in the Representatives opinion materially and adversely affects or may materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company, or (vi) the taking of any action by any governmental body or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs which in the Representatives opinion has a material adverse effect on the securities markets in the United States.
11. |
REPRESENTATIONS AND INDEMNITIES TO SURVIVE. |
The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
12. |
NOTICES. |
All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed and delivered to Evercore Group L.L.C., 55 East 52nd Street, Ste 35, New York, NY 10055 and Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, with a copy to the Representatives counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, 450 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10017, Attention: Derek Dostal; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed and delivered to Post Holdings Partnering Corporation, 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, MO 63144, with a copy to the Companys counsel at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 601 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10022, Attention: Christian O. Nagler.
13. |
SUCCESSORS. |
This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. No party to this Agreement may assign, in whole or in part, this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto.
35
14. |
NO FIDUCIARY DUTY. |
The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arms-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Underwriters are acting as principal and not as an agent or fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Companys engagement of the Underwriters in connection with the Offering and the process leading up to the Offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the Offering (irrespective of whether any of the Underwriters has advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Underwriters for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Underwriters shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.
15. |
RECOGNITION OF THE U.S. SPECIAL RESOLUTION REGIMES. |
(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
For purposes of this Section 15: (A) a BHC Act Affiliate has the meaning assigned to the term affiliate in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k); (B) Covered Entity means any of the following: (i) a covered entity as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a covered bank as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a covered FSI as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); (C) Default Right has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and (D) U.S. Special Resolution Regime means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
36
16. |
INTEGRATION. |
This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
17. |
APPLICABLE LAW. |
This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York, without regard to the conflicts of laws principles that would apply to the laws of another jurisdiction. The Company and each Underwriter hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company and each Underwriter irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
18. |
WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. |
The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
19. |
COUNTERPARTS. |
This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The words execution, signed, signature, delivery, and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement or any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, and the parties hereto consent to conduct the transactions contemplated hereunder by electronic means.
37
20. |
HEADINGS. |
The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
21. |
DEFINITIONS. |
The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.
Act shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
Applicable Time shall mean [] PM (New York time) on the date of this Agreement.
Business Day shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.
Commission shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Effective Date shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement became or becomes effective.
Exchange Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
Execution Time shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto.
Free Writing Prospectus shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.
FINRA Questionnaires shall mean the written questionnaires sent on behalf of the Representatives to the officers, directors, and holders of 10% or more of any class of the Companys capital stock prior to the Closing Date.
Liquidation shall mean the distributions of the Trust Account to the Public Stockholders in connection with the redemption of Series A common stock held by the Public Stockholders pursuant to the terms of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws if the Company fails to consummate a Partnering Transaction.
Preliminary Prospectus shall mean any preliminary prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above and any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date that omits Rule 430A Information.
Prospectus shall mean the prospectus relating to the Securities that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the Execution Time.
38
Registration Statement shall mean the registration statements referred to in paragraph 1(a) above, including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus and prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A, as amended at the Execution Time and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement becomes effective prior to the Closing Date, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended or such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, as the case may be.
Rule 158, Rule 172, Rule 405, Rule 419, Rule 424, Rule 430A, Rule 433, Rule 462 and Rule 501 refer to such rules under the Act.
Rule 430A Information shall mean information with respect to the Securities and the offering thereof permitted to be omitted from the Registration Statement when it becomes effective pursuant to Rule 430A.
Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall mean a registration statement and any amendments thereto filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) relating to the offering covered by the registration statement referred to in Section 1(a) hereof.
Statutory Prospectus shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus dated [], contained in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness relating to the Securities and (ii) the Time of Delivery Information, if any, set forth on Schedule II hereto.
22. |
CONSTRUCTION. |
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) the words hereof, hereto, herein and hereunder and words of similar import, when used in this Agreement, shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement;
(b) words defined in the singular shall have a comparable meaning when used in the plural, and vice versa;
(c) wherever the word include, includes or including is used in this Agreement, it shall be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation;
(d) references herein to any law shall be deemed to refer to such law as amended, reenacted, supplemented or superseded in whole or in part and in effect from time to time and also to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;
(e) if the last day for the giving of any notice or the performance of any act required or permitted under this Agreement is a day that is not a Business Day, then the time for the giving of such notice or the performance of such action shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day;
39
(f) with regard to each and every term and condition of this Agreement and all other agreements and instruments subject to the terms hereof, the parties understand and agree that such documents have been mutually negotiated, prepared and drafted, and if at any time the parties desire or are required to interpret or construe any such term or condition, no consideration will be given to the issue of which party actually prepared, drafted or requested any such term or condition; and
(g) a reference to knowledge of the Company or of which the Company is aware means to the actual knowledge of any of the directors or executive officers of the Company, each after due and reasonable inquiry.
[remainder of page intentionally left blank]
40
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, |
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written. |
Evercore Group L.L.C. |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
Barclays Capital Inc. |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
SCHEDULE I
Underwriters |
Number of
Underwritten Securities to be Purchased |
|||
Evercore Group L.L.C. |
||||
Barclays Capital Inc. |
||||
Total |
[40,000,000] |
SCHEDULE II
TIME OF DELIVERY INFORMATION
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation priced [40,000,000] units at $10.00 per unit plus an additional [6,000,000] units if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full.
The units will be issued pursuant to an effective registration statement that has been previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy the securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities law of any such state or jurisdiction.
Copies of the prospectus related to this offering may be obtained from Evercore Group L.L.C., 55 East 52nd Street, Ste 35, New York, NY 10055 or Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019.
SCHEDULE III
SCHEDULE OF WRITTEN TESTING-THE-WATERS COMMUNICATIONS
1. |
Investor presentation dated [], 2021. |
Exhibit 3.2
AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, hereby certifies as follows:
(1) The name of the Corporation is Post Holdings Partnering Corporation. The original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 27, 2021, and the name under which the Corporation was originally incorporated was Post Holdings Partnering Corporation.
(2) This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and stockholder approval of the adoption of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was effected by consent in accordance with Section 228 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
(3) This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation restates, integrates and further amends the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation.
(4) Pursuant to Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the text of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby restated and amended in its entirety to read as follows:
ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of the corporation is Post Holdings Partnering Corporation (the Corporation).
ARTICLE II
REGISTERED OFFICE
The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 251 Little Falls Drive, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, 19808. The name of its registered agent at such address is the Corporation Service Company.
ARTICLE III
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 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the DGCL). In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers and privileges conferred upon the Corporation by law and those incidental thereto, the Corporation shall possess and may exercise all the powers and privileges that are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business or purposes of the Corporation, including, but not limited to, effecting the Corporations initial merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar partnering transaction with one or more businesses (a Partnering Transaction).
ARTICLE IV
AUTHORIZED STOCK
The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock, each with a par value of $0.0001 per share, which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 670,000,000, of which (a) 660,000,000 shares shall be common stock, including (i) 500,000,000 shares of Series A common stock (the Series A Common Stock), (ii) 80,000,000 shares of Series B common stock (the Series B Common Stock), (iii) 40,000,000 shares of Series C common stock (the Series C Common Stock), and (iv) 40,000,000 shares of Series F common stock (the Series F Common Stock and together with the Series A Common Stock, the Series B Common Stock and the Series C Common Stock, the Common Stock) and (b) 10,000,000 shares shall be preferred stock (the Preferred Stock).
The description of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, and the powers, designations, preferences, and relative, participating, optional or other rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, or the method of fixing and establishing the same, are as hereinafter set forth in this Article IV.
SECTION A
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms defined below will have, for all purposes of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the Restated Certificate), the meanings herein specified:
Agreement in Principle Event means the Corporation having executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for the Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering but having not consummated the Partnering Transaction within such 24-month period.
Amendment Time shall have the meaning set forth in Article XI, Section 3(a).
Board of Directors or Board means the Board of Directors of the Corporation and, unless the context indicates otherwise, also means, to the extent permitted by law, any committee thereof authorized, with respect to any particular matter, to exercise the power of the Board of Directors of the Corporation with respect to such matter.
Capital Stock means any and all shares of capital stock of the Corporation.
2
Common Stock shall have the meaning set forth in Article IV.
Control means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement, or otherwise. The terms Controls, Controlled and Controlling will have corresponding meanings.
Convertible Securities means (x) any securities of the Corporation (other than any series of Common Stock) that are directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for, or that evidence the right to purchase, directly or indirectly, securities of the Corporation or any other Person, whether upon conversion, exercise, exchange, pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of such securities or otherwise, and (y) any securities of any other Person that are directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for, or that evidence the right to purchase, directly or indirectly, securities of such Person or any other Person (including the Corporation), whether upon conversion, exercise, exchange, pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of such securities or otherwise.
Corporation shall have the meaning set forth in Article I.
Court of Chancery shall have the meaning set forth in Article XII, Section A.1.
DGCL shall have the meaning set forth in Article III.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Foreign Action shall have the meaning set forth in Article XII, Section A.4.
FSC Enforcement Action shall have the meaning set forth in Article XII, Section A.4.
indemnitee shall have the meaning set forth in Article V, Section E.2.
Post means Post Holdings, Inc., including any successor thereto by operation of law or otherwise.
Post Stockholders means Post and its Wholly Owned Subsidiaries (other than the Corporation and its Subsidiaries); provided, that following a Qualified Transfer, the term Post Stockholders will be deemed to refer to the Qualified Transferee and its Wholly Owned Subsidiaries.
Offering shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 1(b).
Offering Shares shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 1(b).
Other Entity shall have the meaning set forth in Article XI, Section 1(a).
Partnering Transaction shall have the meaning set forth in Article III.
Person means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, general or limited partnership, joint venture, trust, estate, proprietorship, unincorporated association, organization or other entity.
3
Preferred Stock shall have the meaning set forth in Article IV.
Preferred Stock Designation shall have the meaning set forth in Article IV, Section C.
Preferred Stock Directors shall have the meaning set forth in Article V, Section B.
proceeding shall have the meaning set forth in Article V, Section E.2.
Proxy Solicitation Rules shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 2(b).
Public Stockholders shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 1(b).
Qualified Transfer means, following the Partnering Transaction, the transfer, sale, assignment or other disposition by the Post Stockholders of all or substantially all of the shares of Series B Common Stock beneficially owned by them in any spinoff, splitoff or other transaction in which the equity interests of a Post Stockholder holding, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all of the shares of Series B Common Stock beneficially owned by the Post Stockholders are distributed to or acquired by (whether by redemption, dividend, share distribution, merger or otherwise) holders of one or more classes or series of common stock of Post on a pro rata basis with respect to each such class or series, or such equity interests are available to be acquired by the holders of one or more classes or series of Posts common stock (including through any rights offering, exchange offer, exercise of subscription rights or other offer made available to such holders) on a pro rata basis with respect to each such class or series, whether voluntary or involuntary.
Qualified Transferee means the Post Stockholder whose equity interests are distributed or acquired in a Qualified Transfer.
Redemption Limitation shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 2(a).
Redemption Price shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 2(a).
Redemption Rights shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 2(a).
Registration Statement shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 1(b).
Related Companies means Post, 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, Inc., BellRing Brands, Inc. and Lewis & Clark Partners, and each of their respective Subsidiaries and any other entity with an executive management team that may from time to time include one or more members of the Corporations management team (other than the Corporation and its Subsidiaries).
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Series A Common Stock shall have the meaning set forth in Article IV.
Series A Convertible Securities means Convertible Securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Series A Common Stock.
4
Series B Common Stock shall have the meaning set forth in Article IV.
Series B Convertible Securities means Convertible Securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Series B Common Stock.
Series C Common Stock shall have the meaning set forth in Article IV.
Series C Convertible Securities means Convertible Securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Series C Common Stock.
Series F Common Stock shall have the meaning set forth in Article IV.
Series F Convertible Securities means Convertible Securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Series F Common Stock.
Share Distribution shall have the meaning set forth in Article IV, Section B.3.
Subsidiary when used with respect to any Person, means any other Person of which (x) in the case of a corporation, (A) at least 50% of the equity or (B) securities representing at least 50% of the outstanding voting power of such other Person are owned or Controlled, directly or indirectly, by such first Person, by any one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such first Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries or (y) in the case of any Person other than a corporation, such first Person, one or more of its Subsidiaries, or such first Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries (A) owns at least 50% of the equity interests thereof or (B) has the power to elect or direct the election of at least 50% of the members of the governing body thereof or otherwise has Control over such organization or entity.
Tender Offer Rules shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 2(b).
Trigger Event means the date following the consummation of the Partnering Transaction on which the Post Stockholders cease to beneficially own in the aggregate at least 50% of the voting power of all shares of Voting Securities issued and outstanding. For the purposes of this Restated Certificate, beneficial ownership of shares shall be determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
Trust Account shall have the meaning set forth in Article X, Section 1(b).
Underlying Securities means, with respect to any class or series of Convertible Securities, the class or series of securities into which such class or series of Convertible Securities are directly or indirectly convertible, or for which such Convertible Securities are directly or indirectly exchangeable, or that such Convertible Securities evidence the right to purchase or otherwise receive, directly or indirectly.
Voting Securities means the Series A Common Stock, the Series B Common Stock, the Series F Common Stock and any series of Preferred Stock which by the terms of this Restated Certificate or its Preferred Stock Designation is designated as a Voting Security; provided that, except as otherwise required by the laws of the State of Delaware, each such series of Preferred Stock will be entitled to vote together with the other Voting Securities only as and to the extent expressly provided for in this Restated Certificate or the applicable Preferred Stock Designation.
5
Wholly Owned Subsidiary means, as to any Person, a Subsidiary of such Person, 100% of the equity and voting interest in which is beneficially owned or owned of record, directly and/or indirectly, by such Person.
SECTION B
SERIES A COMMON STOCK, SERIES B COMMON STOCK,
SERIES C COMMON STOCK, AND SERIES F COMMON STOCK
Each share of Common Stock will, except as otherwise provided in this Restated Certificate or as required by applicable law, be identical in all respects and will have equal rights, powers and privileges.
1. Voting Rights.
(a) Prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, except as otherwise provided for by this Restated Certificate (including as set forth in Article X, Section 8 hereof) or as required by applicable law:
(i) Holders of Series A Common Stock will be entitled to one vote for each share of such stock held of record.
(ii) Holders of Series B Common Stock will be entitled to one vote for each share of such stock held of record.
(iii) Holders of Series F Common Stock will be entitled to one vote for each share of such stock held of record.
(iv) Holders of Series C Common Stock will not be entitled to any voting powers, except as (and then only to the extent) otherwise required by the laws of the State of Delaware. If a vote or consent of the holders of Series C Common Stock should at any time be required by the laws of the State of Delaware on any matter, the holders of Series C Common Stock will be entitled to one-hundredth (1/100) of a vote on such matter for each share of Series C Common Stock held of record.
(b) Following the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, except as otherwise provided for by this Restated Certificate or as required by applicable law:
(i) Holders of Series A Common Stock will be entitled to one vote for each share of such stock held of record.
(ii) Holders of Series B Common Stock will be entitled to ten votes for each share of such stock held of record.
6
(iii) Holders of Series C Common Stock will not be entitled to any voting powers, except as (and then only to the extent) otherwise required by the laws of the State of Delaware. If a vote or consent of the holders of Series C Common Stock should at any time be required by the laws of the State of Delaware on any matter, the holders of Series C Common Stock will be entitled to one-hundredth (1/100) of a vote on such matter for each share of Series C Common Stock held of record.
(c) Except (i) as may otherwise be required by the laws of the State of Delaware, (ii) as may otherwise be provided in this Restated Certificate (including, without limitation, Article X, Section 8 hereof), or (iii) as may otherwise be provided in any Preferred Stock Designation, the holders of outstanding shares of Series A Common Stock, the holders of outstanding shares of Series B Common Stock, the holders of outstanding shares of Series F Common Stock and the holders of outstanding shares of each series of Preferred Stock that is designated as a Voting Security and is entitled to vote thereon in accordance with the terms of the applicable Preferred Stock Designation, will vote as one class with respect to the election of directors and with respect to all other matters to be voted on by stockholders of the Corporation (including, without limitation, and irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL, any proposed amendment to this Restated Certificate (including any amendment to any Preferred Stock Designation) required to be voted on by the stockholders of the Corporation that would (x) increase (i) the number of authorized shares of Common Stock or any series thereof, (ii) the number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock or any series thereof or (iii) the number of authorized shares of any other class or series of Capital Stock hereafter established or (y) decrease (i) the number of authorized shares of Common Stock or any series thereof, (ii) the number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock or any series thereof or (iii) the number of authorized shares of any other class or series of Capital Stock hereafter established (but, in each case, not below the number of shares of such class or series of Capital Stock, as the case may be, then outstanding)), and, except as otherwise provided in a Preferred Stock Designation with respect to any series of Preferred Stock, no separate class or series vote or consent of the holders of shares of any class or series of Capital Stock will be required for the approval of any such matter, and such stockholders will not be allowed to cumulate their votes.
2. Conversion Rights.
(a) Series B Common Stock Conversion Rights. Each share of Series B Common Stock will be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, into one fully paid and non-assessable share of Series A Common Stock.
(b) Series F Common Stock Conversion Rights. Each share of Series F Common Stock will be convertible, (i) at the option of the holder thereof and (ii) automatically at the time of the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, into one fully paid and non-assessable share of Series B Common Stock.
7
(c) General.
(i) Any voluntary conversion of (A) Series B Common Stock into Series A Common Stock pursuant to Article IV, Section B.2(a) or (B) Series F Common Stock into Series B Common Stock pursuant to Article IV, Section B.2(b)(i) may be effected by any holder of Series B Common Stock or Series F Common Stock, as applicable, by surrendering such holders certificate or certificates (if any) for the Common Stock to be converted, duly endorsed, at the office of the Corporation or any transfer agent for such Common Stock, or by delivering to the Corporation or its transfer agent an appropriate instrument or instruction if the shares of Common Stock to be converted are uncertificated, in either case, together with a written notice to the Corporation at such office that such holder elects to convert all or a specified number of shares of such Common Stock and stating the name or names in which such holder desires the shares of Series A Common Stock or Series B Common Stock, as applicable, to be issued and, if the shares of Common Stock to be converted are certificated and less than all of the shares of Common Stock represented by one certificate and convertible pursuant to this Article IV, Section B.2(c)(i) are to be converted, the name or names in which such holder desires the certificate representing such remaining unconverted shares of Common Stock to be issued. If so required by the Corporation or its transfer agent, any certificate representing shares surrendered for conversion, or any appropriate instrument or instruction delivered in the case of uncertificated shares, in accordance with this Article IV, Section B.2(c)(i) will be accompanied by instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Corporation or its transfer agent, duly executed by the holder of such shares or the duly authorized representative of such holder, and will, if required by the last sentence of Article IV, Section B.2(c)(ii) of this Restated Certificate, be accompanied by payment, or evidence of payment, of applicable issue or transfer taxes. Promptly thereafter, the Corporation will, (A) if the applicable shares of Common Stock are certificated, issue and deliver to such holder or such holders nominee or nominees, a certificate or certificates representing the number of shares of applicable Common Stock to which such holder will be entitled as herein provided, and if less than all of the shares of Common Stock represented by any one certificate and convertible pursuant to this Article IV, Section B.2(c)(i) are to be converted, the Corporation will issue and deliver to such holder or such holders nominee or nominees a new certificate representing such remaining unconverted shares of Common Stock, or (B) if the applicable shares of Common Stock are uncertificated, issue and deliver to such holder or such holders nominee or nominees, a notice of issuance of uncertificated shares or other evidence of shares held in book-entry form. Such conversion will be deemed to have been made at the close of business on the date of receipt by the Corporation or any such transfer agent of the certificate or certificates (if any), an appropriate instrument or instruction (if applicable), notice and, if required, instruments of transfer and payment or evidence of payment of taxes referred to above, and the person or persons entitled to receive the Common Stock issuable on such conversion will be treated for all purposes as the record holder or holders of such Common Stock on that date. A number of shares of issuable
8
Common Stock equal to the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock convertible pursuant to this Article IV, Section B.2(c)(i) from time to time will be set aside and reserved for issuance upon conversion of such shares of Common Stock. Shares of Series A Common Stock and shares of Series C Common Stock are not voluntarily convertible into shares of any other series of Common Stock.
(ii) The Corporation will pay any and all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of certificates representing shares of issuable Common Stock on conversion of shares of convertible Common Stock pursuant to Article IV, Sections B.2(a) or B.2(b)(i), as applicable. The Corporation will not, however, be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any issue or delivery of certificates representing any shares of issuable Common Stock in a name other than that in which the shares of Common Stock so converted were registered and no such issue or delivery will be made unless and until the Person requesting the same has paid to the Corporation the amount of any such tax or has established to the satisfaction of the Corporation that such tax has been paid.
3. Dividends.
Whenever a dividend, other than a dividend that constitutes a Share Distribution, is paid to the holders of any series of Common Stock then outstanding, the Corporation will also pay to the holders of each other series of Common Stock then outstanding an equal dividend per share. Dividends will be payable only as and when declared by the Board of Directors out of assets of the Corporation legally available therefor. Whenever a Share Distribution is paid to the holders of any series of Common Stock then outstanding, the Corporation will also pay a Share Distribution to the holders of each other series of Common Stock then outstanding, as provided in Article IV, Section B.4 below. For purposes of this Article IV, Section B.3 and Article IV, Section B.4 below, a Share Distribution means a dividend or distribution (including a distribution made in connection with any stock-split, reclassification, recapitalization, dissolution, winding up or full or partial liquidation of the Corporation) payable in shares of any class or series of Capital Stock, Convertible Securities or other securities of the Corporation or any other Person.
4. Share Distributions.
If at any time a Share Distribution is to be made with respect to any series of Common Stock, such Share Distribution may be declared and paid only as follows:
(a) a Share Distribution (i) consisting of shares of Series C Common Stock or Series C Convertible Securities may be declared and paid to holders of Series A Common Stock, Series B Common Stock, Series C Common Stock and Series F Common Stock, on an equal per share basis, or (ii) consisting of (w) shares of Series A Common Stock or Series A Convertible Securities may be declared and paid to holders of Series A Common Stock, on an equal per share basis, (x) shares of Series B Common Stock or Series B Convertible Securities may be declared and paid to holders of Series B Common Stock, on an equal per share basis, (y) shares of Series C
9
Common Stock or Series C Convertible Securities may be declared and paid to holders of Series C Common Stock, on an equal per share basis, and (z) shares of Series F Common Stock or Series F Convertible Securities may be declared and paid to holders of Series F Common Stock, on an equal per share basis; or
(b) a Share Distribution consisting of any class or series of securities of the Corporation or any other Person, other than Series A Common Stock, Series B Common Stock, Series C Common Stock or Series F Common Stock (or Series A Convertible Securities, Series B Convertible Securities, Series C Convertible Securities or Series F Convertible Securities), may be declared and paid on the basis of a distribution of (i) identical securities, on an equal per share basis, to holders of Series A Common Stock, Series B Common Stock, Series C Common Stock and Series F Common Stock, (ii) separate classes or series of securities, on an equal per share basis, to the holders of each such series of Common Stock or (iii) a separate class or series of securities to the holders of one or more series of Common Stock and, on an equal per share basis, a different class or series of securities to the holders of all other series of Common Stock; provided, that, in connection with a Share Distribution pursuant to clause (ii) or clause (iii), (1) such separate classes or series of securities (and, if the distribution consists of Convertible Securities, the Underlying Securities) do not differ in any respect other than their relative voting rights (and any related differences in designation, conversion and share distribution provisions, as applicable), with holders of shares of Series B Common Stock and Series F Common Stock receiving the class or series of securities having (or convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for securities having) the highest relative voting rights and the holders of shares of each other series of Common Stock receiving securities of a class or series having (or convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for securities having) lesser relative voting rights, in each case, without regard to whether such rights differ to a greater or lesser extent than the corresponding differences in voting rights (and any related differences in designation, conversion and share distribution, as applicable) among the Series A Common Stock, the Series B Common Stock, the Series C Common Stock and the Series F Common Stock, and (2) in the event the securities to be received by the holders of shares of Common Stock other than the Series B Common Stock and Series F Common Stock consist of different classes or series of securities, with each such class or series of securities (or the Underlying Securities into which such class or series is convertible or for which such class or series is exercisable or exchangeable) differing only with respect to the relative voting rights of such class or series (and any related differences in designation, conversion and share distribution provisions, as applicable), then such classes or series of securities will be distributed to the holders of each series of Common Stock (other than the Series B Common Stock and Series F Common Stock) (A) as the Board of Directors determines or (B) such that the relative voting rights (and any related differences in designation, conversion and share distribution provisions, as applicable) of the class or series of securities (or the Underlying Securities) to be received by the holders of each series of Common Stock (other than the Series B Common Stock and Series F Common Stock) corresponds to the extent practicable to the relative voting rights (and any related differences in designation, conversion and share distribution provisions, as applicable) of such series of Common Stock, as compared to the other series of Common Stock (other than the Series B Common Stock and Series F Common Stock).
10
5. Reclassification.
The Corporation will not reclassify, subdivide or combine any series of Common Stock then outstanding without reclassifying, subdividing or combining each other series of Common Stock then outstanding, on an equal per share basis. Any such reclassification, subdivision or combination is subject to Article IX of this Restated Certificate.
6. Liquidation and Dissolution.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and liabilities of the Corporation and the distribution of the Trust Account as provided for under Article X, Section 2(d), and subject to the prior payment in full of the preferential or other amounts to which any series of Preferred Stock are entitled, the holders of shares of Common Stock will share equally, on a share for share basis, in the assets of the Corporation remaining for distribution to the holders of Common Stock. Neither the consolidation or merger of the Corporation with or into any other Person or Persons nor the sale, transfer or lease of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation will itself be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Article IV, Section B.6.
7. Protective Provisions.
(a) Prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, for so long as any shares of Series F Common Stock shall remain outstanding and in addition to any requirements for approval under the laws of the state of Delaware, the Corporation shall not, without the prior affirmative vote or consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of Series F Common Stock then outstanding, voting or consenting as a separate class, amend, alter or repeal any provision of this Restated Certificate, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, if such amendment, alteration or repeal would alter or change the powers, preferences or relative, participating, optional or other special rights of the Series B Common Stock, including, without limitation, those provided in Article IV, Section B.7(b) hereof.
(b) Except with respect to the conversion of shares of Series F Common Stock into Series B Common Stock pursuant to Article IV, Section B.2(b) hereof, so long as any shares of Series B Common Stock or Series F Common Stock are issued and outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the prior affirmative vote or consent of the holders of a majority of the voting power of shares of Series B Common Stock and Series F Common Stock then outstanding, voting or consenting together as a single class, issue any shares of Series B Common Stock, Series B Convertible Securities, shares of Series F Common Stock or Series F Convertible Securities to any Person who is not either (x) a Post Stockholder or (y) prior to the issuance in question to such Person, a beneficial owner (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of issued and outstanding shares of Series B Common Stock.
(c) Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the holders of Series B Common Stock and/or Series F Common Stock, as applicable, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents, setting forth the action to be so taken, shall be signed by the holders of the outstanding shares of Series B Common Stock
11
and/or Series F Common Stock, as applicable, having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of Series B Common Stock and/or Series F Common Stock, as applicable, then outstanding were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation in accordance with Section 228 of the DGCL.
SECTION C
PREFERRED STOCK
The Preferred Stock may be divided and issued in one or more series from time to time, with such powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as will be stated and expressed in a resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of each such series adopted by the Board of Directors (a Preferred Stock Designation) by action taken by the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the members of the Board of Directors then in office. The Board of Directors, in the Preferred Stock Designation with respect to a series of Preferred Stock (a copy of which will be filed as required by law), will, without limitation of the foregoing, fix the following with respect to such series of Preferred Stock:
(a) the distinctive serial designations and the number of authorized shares of such series, which may be increased or decreased, but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding, by a certificate made, signed and filed as required by law (except where otherwise provided in a Preferred Stock Designation);
(b) the dividend rate or amounts, if any, for such series, the date or dates from which dividends on all shares of such series will be cumulative, if dividends on stock of such series will be cumulative, and the relative preferences or rights of priority, if any, or participation, if any, with respect to payment of dividends on shares of such series;
(c) the rights of the shares of such series in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, if any, and the relative preferences or rights of priority, if any, of payment of shares of such series;
(d) the right, if any, of the holders of such series to convert or exchange such stock into or for other classes or series of a class of stock or indebtedness of the Corporation or of another Person, and the terms and conditions of such conversion or exchange, including provision for the adjustment of the conversion or exchange rate in such events as the Board of Directors may determine;
(e) the voting powers, if any, of the holders of such series, including whether such series will be a Voting Security and, if so designated, the terms and conditions on which the holders of such series may vote together with the holders of any other class or series of Capital Stock;
(f) the terms and conditions, if any, for the Corporation to purchase or redeem shares of such series; and
12
(g) any other relative rights, powers, preferences and limitations, if any, of such series.
The Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized to exercise its authority with respect to fixing, designating and issuing various series of the Preferred Stock and determining the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights of such series of Preferred Stock, if any, and the qualifications, restrictions or limitations thereof, if any, to the full extent permitted by applicable law, subject to any stockholder vote that may be required by this Restated Certificate or any Preferred Stock Designation. All shares of any one series of the Preferred Stock will be alike in every particular. Except to the extent otherwise expressly provided in the Preferred Stock Designation for a series of Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of such series will have no voting rights except as may be required by the laws of the State of Delaware. Further, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Preferred Stock Designation for a series of Preferred Stock, no consent or vote of the holders of shares of Preferred Stock or any series thereof, consenting or voting as a separate class or series, will be required for any amendment to this Restated Certificate that would increase the number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock or the number of authorized shares of any series thereof or decrease the number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock or the number of authorized shares of any series thereof (but not below the number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock or such series, as the case may be, then outstanding).
Except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in a Preferred Stock Designation or by law, shares of any series of Preferred Stock that have been redeemed (whether through the operation of a sinking fund or otherwise) or purchased by the Corporation, or which, if convertible or exchangeable, have been converted into or exchanged for shares of stock of any other class or classes will have the status of authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as a part of the series of which they were originally a part or may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by a Preferred Stock Designation or as part of any other series of Preferred Stock.
ARTICLE V
DIRECTORS
SECTION A
NUMBER OF DIRECTORS
The governing body of the Corporation will be a Board of Directors. Subject to any rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors, the total number of directors will not be less than three (3) and the exact number of directors will be fixed exclusively by the Board of Directors by resolution from time to time. Election of directors need not be by written ballot.
13
SECTION B
CLASSIFICATION OF THE BOARD
Upon the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, except as otherwise fixed by or pursuant to the provisions of any Preferred Stock Designation relating to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to separately elect any additional directors (the Preferred Stock Directors), which Preferred Stock Directors are not required to be classified pursuant to the terms of such series of Preferred Stock, the Board of Directors will be divided into three classes: Class I, Class II and Class III. Each class will consist, as nearly as possible, of a number of directors equal to one-third (1/3) of the total number of members of the Board of Directors (other than any Preferred Stock Directors) authorized as provided in Article V, Section A. The Board of Directors is authorized to assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to such classes at the time the classification of the Board of Directors becomes effective pursuant to this Article V, Section B. The term of office of the initial Class I directors will expire at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the Partnering Transaction; the term of office of the initial Class II directors will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the Partnering Transaction; and the term of office of the initial Class III directors will expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the Partnering Transaction. At each annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation the successors of that class of directors whose term expires at that meeting will be elected to hold office in accordance with this Article V, Section B for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election. The directors of each class will hold office until the expiration of the term of such class and until their respective successors are elected and qualified or until such directors earlier death, resignation or removal.
SECTION C
REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS
Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock and except as otherwise provided for by this Restated Certificate (including as set forth in Article X, Section 8 hereof), (i) prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, any or all of the directors may be removed from office with or without cause, and (ii) following the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause, and, in each case, only upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the total voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.
SECTION D
NEWLY CREATED DIRECTORSHIPS AND VACANCIES
Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock, (i) prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation or removal or other cause, and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors on the Board of Directors, will be filled only by the holders of
14
a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series F Common Stock, voting or consenting as a separate class, and (ii) following the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation or removal or other cause, and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors on the Board of Directors, will be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office (even though less than a quorum) or by the sole remaining director (and not by stockholders) and, in all cases, any director so appointed will hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred or to which the new directorship is apportioned, and until such directors successor will have been elected and qualified or until such directors earlier death, resignation or removal. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors will shorten the term of any incumbent director, except as may be provided with respect to any additional director elected by the holders of the applicable series of Preferred Stock.
SECTION E
LIMITATION ON LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION
1. Limitation On Liability.
To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, a director of the Corporation shall not be liable to the Corporation or any of its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of, or adoption of any provision inconsistent with, this Article V, Section E.1 will be prospective only and will not adversely affect any limitation, right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of such amendment, alteration, repeal or adoption.
2. Indemnification.
(a) Right to Indemnification. The Corporation will indemnify, 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 such person, or, to the fullest extent permitted by law, a person for whom such person is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans (an indemnitee), against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred by such person. Such right of indemnification will inure whether or not the claim asserted is based on matters which antedate the adoption of this Article V, Section E. Notwithstanding this Article V, Section E, the Corporation will be required to indemnify or make advances to an indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only if the proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors.
15
(b) Prepayment of Expenses. The Corporation will pay the expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred by a director or officer in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that the payment of expenses incurred by a director or officer in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding will be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the director or officer to repay all amounts advanced if it should ultimately be determined that the director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article V, Section E or otherwise.
(c) Claims. To the fullest extent permitted by law, if a claim for indemnification or payment of expenses under this Article V, Section E is not paid in full (following the final disposition of the proceeding) within 60 days after a written claim therefor has been received by the Corporation, the claimant may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful, will be entitled to be paid the expense (including attorneys fees) of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware. In any such action, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporation will have the burden of proving that the claimant was not entitled to the requested indemnification or payment of expenses under applicable law.
(d) Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any indemnitee by this Article V, Section E will not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of this Restated Certificate, the Bylaws of the Corporation, agreement, vote of stockholders or resolution of disinterested directors or otherwise.
(e) Other Indemnification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporations obligation, if any, to indemnify any indemnitee 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 will be reduced by any amount such indemnitee may collect as indemnification from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity. This Article V, Section E shall not limit the right of the Corporation, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than indemnitees.
3. Amendment or Repeal.
Any amendment, alteration or repeal of, or adoption of any provision inconsistent with, the foregoing provisions of this Article V, Section E will be prospective only (except to the extent such amendment, alteration or repeal or adoption or change in law permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis than permitted prior thereto) and will 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 amendment, alteration, repeal or adoption.
SECTION F
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the DGCL, the Board of Directors, by action taken by the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the members of the Board of Directors then in office, is hereby expressly authorized and empowered to adopt, alter, amend or repeal any provision or all of the Bylaws of the Corporation; provided that the Board of Directors shall not have the power to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision of the Bylaws relating to amendment in any manner that alters the stockholders power to amend, alter, change or repeal the Bylaws.
16
ARTICLE VI
TERM
The term of existence of the Corporation shall be perpetual.
ARTICLE VII
STOCK NOT ASSESSABLE
The Capital Stock shall not be assessable. It shall be issued as fully paid, and the private property of the stockholders shall not be liable for the debts, obligations or liabilities of the Corporation. This Restated Certificate shall not be subject to amendment in this respect.
ARTICLE VIII
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
SECTION A
ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETINGS
Except as otherwise provided in a Preferred Stock Designation with respect to any series of Preferred Stock or unless otherwise prescribed by law or by another provision of this Restated Certificate, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation, for any purpose or purposes, will be called only by the Secretary of the Corporation (i) upon the written request of the holders of not less than 662/3% of the total voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities entitled to vote thereon, (ii) prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, upon the written request of the holders of not less than a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series F Common Stock or (iii) at the request of not less than 75% of the members of the Board of Directors then in office.
SECTION B
ACTION WITHOUT A MEETING
Prior to the Trigger Event, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents setting forth the action taken are signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant series or class(es) of stock of the Corporation representing not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of stock of the Corporation then issued and outstanding entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and delivered to the Corporation in accordance with Section 228 of the DGCL. Subject to the terms of any series of Preferred Stock permitting the holders of such series of Preferred Stock to act by consent, and
17
except as provided in Article IV, Section B.7, from and after the Trigger Event, no action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at any annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders may be taken without a meeting, and the power of stockholders to consent, without a meeting, to the taking of any action is specifically denied.
ARTICLE IX
ACTIONS REQUIRING SUPERMAJORITY STOCKHOLDER VOTE
Subject to the rights of the holders of Series B Common Stock, Series F Common Stock and any series of Preferred Stock, and except as expressly provided in Article X, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 662/3% of the total voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class at a meeting specifically called for such purpose, will be required in order for the Corporation to take any action to authorize:
(i) the amendment, alteration or repeal of any provision of this Restated Certificate or the addition or insertion of other provisions herein; provided, however, that this clause (i) will not apply to any such amendment, alteration, repeal, addition or insertion (A) as to which the laws of the State of Delaware, as then in effect, do not require the vote or consent of the Corporations stockholders, or (B) that at least 75% of the members of the Board of Directors then in office have approved;
(ii) the adoption, amendment or repeal of any provision of the Bylaws of the Corporation; provided that that the stockholders shall not have the power to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision of the Bylaws relating to amendment in any manner that alters the powers of the Board of Directors to amend, alter, change or repeal the Bylaws. For avoidance of doubt, this clause (ii) will not apply to, and no vote of the stockholders of the Corporation will be required to authorize, the adoption, amendment or repeal of any provision of the Bylaws of the Corporation by the Board of Directors in accordance with the power conferred upon it pursuant to Article V, Section F;
(iii) the merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other corporation (including a merger consummated pursuant to Section 251(h) of the DGCL and notwithstanding the exception to a vote of the stockholders for such a merger set forth therein); provided, however, that this clause (iii) will not apply to any such merger or consolidation (A) which constitutes the Corporations Partnering Transaction, (B) as to which the laws of the State of Delaware, as then in effect, do not require the vote or consent of the Corporations stockholders (other than Section 251(h) of the DGCL), or (C) that at least 75% of the members of the Board of Directors then in office have approved;
(iv) the sale, lease or exchange of all, or substantially all, of the property or assets of the Corporation; provided, however, that this clause (iv) will not apply to any such sale, lease or exchange that at least 75% of the members of the Board of Directors then in office have approved; or
18
(v) the dissolution of the Corporation; provided, however, that this clause (v) will not apply to such dissolution if at least 75% of the members of the Board of Directors then in office have approved such dissolution.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Article IX and except as otherwise provided in Article X, the Corporation reserves the right at any time, and from time to time, to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Restated Certificate, and other provisions authorized by the laws of the State of Delaware at the time in force may be added or inserted, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by law; and all rights, preferences and privileges of whatsoever nature conferred upon stockholders, directors or any other Persons whomsoever by and pursuant to this Restated Certificate in its present form or as hereafter amended are granted subject to the rights reserved in this Article IX.
ARTICLE X
PARTNERING TRANSACTION REQUIREMENTS; EXISTENCE
1. General.
(a) The provisions of this Article X shall apply during the period commencing upon the effectiveness of this Restated Certificate and shall terminate upon the consummation of the Corporations Partnering Transaction, and no amendment to this Article X shall be effective prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction unless approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 662/3% of the total voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class (except as otherwise set forth in Article X, Section 8 hereof).
(b) In connection with the Corporations initial public offering of securities (the Offering), an amount equal to the gross offering proceeds received by the Corporation in the Offering (including the proceeds of any exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option) as described in the Corporations registration statement on Form S-1, as initially filed with the SEC on February 9, 2021, as amended (the Registration Statement), shall be deposited in a trust account (the Trust Account), established for the benefit of the Public Stockholders pursuant to a trust agreement described in the Registration Statement. Except for the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes, none of the funds held in the Trust Account (including the interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account) will be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of (i) the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, (ii) the redemption of 100% of the Offering Shares if the Corporation is unable to complete its Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering (or 27 months if an Agreement in Principle Event has occurred) or such later date as approved by holders of a majority of the voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities that are voted at a meeting to extend such date, voting together as a single class and (iii) the redemption of Offering Shares in connection with a vote seeking to amend any provisions of this Restated Certificate (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Corporations obligation to allow redemptions in connection with the Corporations Partnering Transaction or to redeem 100% of the Offering Shares if the Corporation has not consummated a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the date of the closing of the Offering (or 27 months if an Agreement in Principle Event has occurred) or such later date as approved by holders of a majority of the voting power of
19
the then outstanding Voting Securities that are voted at a meeting to extend such date, voting together as a single class or (B) relating to stockholders rights or pre-Partnering Transaction activity (as described in Article X, Section 6). Holders of shares of Series A Common Stock included as part of the units sold in the Offering (including as part of an underwriters overallotment option) (the Offering Shares) (whether such Offering Shares were purchased in the Offering or in the secondary market following the Offering and whether or not such holders are PHPC Sponsor, LLC or officers or directors of the Corporation, or affiliates of any of the foregoing) are referred to herein as Public Stockholders.
2. Redemption Rights.
(a) Prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, the Corporation shall provide all Public Stockholders with the opportunity to have their Offering Shares redeemed (which redemption may be in the form of a repurchase by the Corporation), subject to lawfully available funds, upon the consummation of the Partnering Transaction pursuant to, and subject to the limitations of, Article X, Sections 2(b), 2(c) and 6 (such rights of such holders to have their Offering Shares redeemed pursuant to such sections, the Redemption Rights) hereof for cash equal to the applicable redemption price per share determined in accordance with Article X, Section 2(b) hereof (the Redemption Price); provided, however, that the Corporation shall not have the power to redeem Offering Shares to the extent that such redemption would result in the Corporation having net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule 3a51-1(g)(1) of the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) of less than $5,000,001 (such limitation hereinafter called the Redemption Limitation). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Restated Certificate, there shall be no Redemption Rights or liquidating distributions with respect to any warrant issued pursuant to the Offering.
(b) If the Corporation offers to redeem the Offering Shares other than in conjunction with a stockholder vote on a Partnering Transaction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act (or any successor rules or regulations) (such rules and regulations hereinafter called the Proxy Solicitation Rules) and filing proxy materials with the SEC, the Corporation shall offer to redeem the Offering Shares upon the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, in accordance with the provisions of Article X, Section 2(a) hereof pursuant to a tender offer in accordance with Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act (or any successor rule or regulation) (such rules and regulations hereinafter called the Tender Offer Rules) which it shall commence prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction and shall file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction that contain substantially the same financial and other information about the Partnering Transaction and the Redemption Rights as is required under the Proxy Solicitation Rules, even if such information is not required under the Tender Offer Rules; provided, however, that if a stockholder vote is required by law to approve the proposed Partnering Transaction, or the Corporation decides to submit the proposed Partnering Transaction to the stockholders for their approval for business or other reasons, the Corporation shall offer to redeem the Offering Shares, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, in accordance with the provisions of Article X, Section 2(a) hereof in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the Proxy Solicitation Rules (and not the Tender Offer Rules) at a price per share equal to the Redemption Price calculated in accordance with the following provisions of this Article X, Section 2(b). In the event that the Corporation offers to redeem the Offering Shares
20
pursuant to a tender offer in accordance with the Tender Offer Rules, the Redemption Price per share of the Common Stock payable to holders of the Offering Shares tendering their Offering Shares pursuant to such tender offer shall be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing: (i) the aggregate amount on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, including interest (net of taxes payable), by (ii) the total number of then outstanding Offering Shares. If the Corporation offers to redeem the Offering Shares in conjunction with a stockholder vote on the proposed Partnering Transaction pursuant to a proxy solicitation, the Redemption Price per share of the Common Stock payable to holders of the Offering Shares exercising their Redemption Rights shall be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the aggregate amount on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, including interest (net of taxes payable), by (b) the total number of then outstanding Offering Shares.
(c) If the Corporation offers to redeem the Offering Shares in conjunction with a stockholder vote on a Partnering Transaction pursuant to a proxy solicitation, a Public Stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a group (as defined under Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), shall be restricted from seeking to exercise its Redemption Rights with respect to Offering Shares in excess of an aggregate of 15% of the Offering Shares without the consent of the Corporation, unless the Corporation waives such restriction with respect to a particular stockholder or group.
(d) In the event that the Corporation has not consummated a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Offering (or 27 months if an Agreement in Principle Event has occurred) or such later date as approved by holders of a majority of the voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities that are voted at a meeting to extend such date, voting together as a single class, the Corporation shall (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the Offering Shares in consideration of a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (A) the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of such net interest to pay dissolution expenses), by (B) the total number of then outstanding Offering Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish rights of the Public Stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the remaining stockholder(s) and the Board in accordance with applicable law, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Corporations obligations under the DGCL to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law.
(e) If the Corporation offers to redeem the Offering Shares in conjunction with a stockholder vote on a Partnering Transaction, the Corporation shall have the power to consummate the proposed Partnering Transaction only if (i) such Partnering Transaction is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of the Common Stock that are voted at a stockholder meeting held to consider such Partnering Transaction (in addition to any other vote required by applicable law) and (ii) the Redemption Limitation is not exceeded.
21
(f) If the Corporation conducts a tender offer pursuant to Article X, Section 2(b), the Corporation shall have the power to consummate the proposed Partnering Transaction only if the Redemption Limitation is not exceeded.
3. Distributions from the Trust Account.
(a) A Public Stockholder shall be entitled to receive funds from the Trust Account only as provided in Article X, Sections 2(a), 2(b), 2(d) or 6 hereof. In no other circumstances shall a Public Stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in or to distributions from the Trust Account, and no stockholder other than a Public Stockholder shall have any interest in or to the Trust Account.
(b) Each Public Stockholder that does not exercise its Redemption Rights shall retain its interest in the Corporation and shall be deemed to have given its consent to the release of the remaining funds in the Trust Account to the Corporation, and following payment to any Public Stockholders exercising their Redemption Rights, the remaining funds in the Trust Account shall be released to the Corporation.
(c) The exercise by a Public Stockholder of the Redemption Rights (and any withdrawal of any exercise of such rights) shall be conditioned on such Public Stockholder following the specific procedures for redemptions (or withdrawals, as applicable) set forth by the Corporation in any applicable tender offer or proxy materials sent to the Corporations Public Stockholders relating to the proposed Partnering Transaction. Payment of the amounts necessary to satisfy the Redemption Rights properly exercised shall be made as promptly as practical after the consummation of the Partnering Transaction.
4. Share Issuances. Subsequent to the issuance and sale of the Offering Shares and prior to the consummation of the Corporations Partnering Transaction, the Corporation shall not have the power to issue any additional shares of Capital Stock that would entitle the holders thereof to receive funds from the Trust Account or vote pursuant to the Restated Certificate on any Partnering Transaction or on any amendment to this Article X, except as a result of a stock-split or a Share Distribution.
5. No Transactions with Other Blank Check Companies. The Corporation shall not have the power to enter into a Partnering Transaction solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.
6. Additional Redemption Rights. If, in accordance with Article X, Section 1(a), any amendment is made to this Restated Certificate that would modify the substance or timing of the Corporations obligation to allow redemptions in connection with the Corporations Partnering Transaction or to redeem 100% of the Offering Shares if the Corporation has not consummated a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the date of the closing of the Offering (or 27 months if an Agreement in Principle Event has occurred) or such later date as approved by holders of a majority of the voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities that are voted at a meeting to extend such date, voting together as a single class, or with respect to any other provision herein relating to stockholders rights or pre-Partnering Transaction activity, the Public Stockholders shall be provided with the opportunity to redeem their Offering Shares upon the approval of any
22
such amendment, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding Offering Shares. The Corporations ability to provide such opportunity and implement such an amendment is subject to the Redemption Limitation. Each Public Stockholder that does not exercise its Redemption Rights under this Section 6 shall retain its interest in the Corporation and shall be deemed to have given its consent to the release of the applicable funds in the Trust Account pursuant to this Section 6. The exercise by a Public Stockholder of the Redemption Rights under this Section 6 (and any withdrawal of any exercise of such rights) shall be conditioned on such Public Stockholder following the specific procedures for redemptions (or withdrawals, as applicable) set forth by the Corporation in any applicable tender offer or proxy materials sent to the Corporations Public Stockholders relating to the proposed Partnering Transaction.
7. Minimum Value of Target. As long as the Corporations securities are listed on The New York Stock Exchange, the Corporation shall have the power to consummate a Partnering Transaction only if such Partnering Transaction is consummated with one or more target businesses that together have an aggregate fair market value of at least 80% of the assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount and taxes payable on interest earned on the trust account) at the time of signing a definitive agreement in connection with the Partnering Transaction.
8. Appointment of Directors. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Restated Certificate, prior to the consummation of the Partnering Transaction, the holders of Series F Common Stock shall have the exclusive right to elect any director, and the holders of Series A Common Stock, Series B Common Stock, Series C Common Stock or Preferred Stock shall have no right to vote on the election of any director. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Restated Certificate, any amendment to this Article X, Section 8 shall be effective solely upon approval by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least (i) a majority of the voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, and (ii) a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series F Common Stock, voting or consenting as a separate class.
9. Approval of Partnering Transaction. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Restated Certificate, approval of the Partnering Transaction shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board, which must include a majority of the Corporations independent directors.
ARTICLE XI
CERTAIN BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
1. Certain Acknowledgements; Definitions.
In recognition and anticipation that:
(a) directors and officers of the Corporation may serve as directors, officers, employees and agents of any other corporation, company, partnership, association, firm or other entity, including, without limitation, the Related Companies and any current and former Subsidiaries and Affiliates of the Corporation and the Related Companies (Other Entity),
23
(b) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage in the same, similar or related lines of business as those engaged in by any Other Entity and other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which such Other Entity may engage,
(c) the Corporation may have an interest in the same areas of business opportunity as any Other Entity, and
(d) the Corporation may engage in material business transactions with any Other Entity and its Affiliates, including, without limitation, receiving services from, providing services to or being a significant customer or supplier to such Other Entity and its Affiliates, and that the Corporation and such Other Entity or one or more of their respective Subsidiaries or Affiliates may benefit from such transactions, and as a consequence of the foregoing, it is in the best interests of the Corporation that the rights of the Corporation, and the duties of any directors or officers of the Corporation (including any such persons who are also directors, officers or employees of any Other Entity), be determined and delineated, as set forth herein, in respect of (x) any transactions between the Corporation and its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, on the one hand, and such Other Entity and its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, on the other hand, and (y) any potential transactions or matters that may be presented to officers or directors of the Corporation, or of which such officers or directors may otherwise become aware, which potential transactions or matters may constitute business opportunities of the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates.
In recognition of the benefits to be derived by the Corporation through its continued contractual, corporate and business relations with any Other Entity and of the benefits to be derived by the Corporation by the possible service as directors or officers of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries of persons who may also serve from time to time as directors, officers or employees of any Other Entity, the provisions of this Article XI will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, regulate and define the conduct of the business and affairs of the Corporation in relation to such Other Entity and its Affiliates, and as such conduct and affairs may involve such Other Entitys respective directors, officers or employees, and the powers, rights, duties and liabilities of the Corporation and its officers and directors in connection therewith and in connection with any potential business opportunities of the Corporation.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, any Person purchasing, receiving or otherwise becoming the owner of any shares of Capital Stock, or any interest therein, will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of this Article XI. References in this Article XI to directors, officers or employees of any Person will be deemed to include those Persons who hold similar positions or exercise similar powers and authority with respect to any Other Entity that is a limited liability company, partnership, joint venture or other non-corporate entity.
24
2. Duties of Directors and Officers Regarding Potential Business Opportunities; No Liability for Certain Acts or Omissions.
The doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any other analogous doctrine, shall not apply with respect to the Corporation or any of its officers or directors in circumstances where the application of any such doctrine to a corporate opportunity would conflict with any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations they may have as of the date of this Restated Certificate or in the future, and the Corporation renounces any expectancy that any of the directors or officers of the Corporation will offer any such corporate opportunity of which he or she may become aware to the Corporation. If a director or officer of the Corporation is offered, or otherwise acquires knowledge of, a potential transaction or matter that may constitute or present a business opportunity for the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, in which the Corporation could, but for the provisions of this Article XI, have an interest or expectancy (any such transaction or matter, and any such actual or potential business opportunity, a Potential Business Opportunity):
(a) such director or officer will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have no duty or obligation to refer such Potential Business Opportunity to the Corporation, or to refrain from referring such Potential Business Opportunity to any Other Entity, or to give any notice to the Corporation regarding such Potential Business Opportunity (or any matter related thereto),
(b) such director or officer will not be liable to the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries or any of its stockholders, as a director, officer, stockholder or otherwise, for any failure to refer such Potential Business Opportunity to the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, or for referring such Potential Business Opportunity to any Other Entity, or for any failure to give any notice to or otherwise inform the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries regarding such Potential Business Opportunity or any matter relating thereto,
(c) any Other Entity may engage or invest in, independently or with others, any such Potential Business Opportunity,
(d) the Corporation shall not have any right in or to such Potential Business Opportunity or to receive any income or proceeds derived therefrom, and
(e) the Corporation shall have no interest or expectancy, and hereby specifically renounces any interest or expectancy, in any such Potential Business Opportunity, unless (for any of (a) through (d) above and this (e)) all of the following conditions are satisfied: (A) such Potential Business Opportunity was expressly offered to a director or officer of the Corporation solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the Corporation or as a director or officer of any Subsidiary of the Corporation, (B) such opportunity is one the Corporation is legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for the Corporation to pursue and (C) the director or officer has no fiduciary or contractual obligation to present the opportunity to any other Person.
25
3. Amendment of Article XI.
No alteration, amendment or repeal of, or adoption of any provision inconsistent with, any provision of this Article XI will have any effect upon:
(a) any agreement between the Corporation or an Affiliate thereof and any Other Entity or an Affiliate thereof, that was entered into before the time of such alteration, amendment, repeal or adoption of any such inconsistent provision (the Amendment Time), or any transaction entered into in connection with the performance of any such agreement, whether such transaction is entered into before or after the Amendment Time,
(b) any transaction entered into between the Corporation or an Affiliate thereof and any Other Entity or an Affiliate thereof, before the Amendment Time,
(c) the allocation of any business opportunity between the Corporation or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof and any Other Entity before the Amendment Time, or
(d) any duty or obligation owed by any director or officer of the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation (or the absence of any such duty or obligation) with respect to any Potential Business Opportunity which such director or officer was offered, or of which such director or officer otherwise became aware, before the Amendment Time (regardless of whether any proceeding relating to any of the above is commenced before or after the Amendment Time).
4. Definitions for Article XI
For purposes of this Article XI, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:
Affiliate means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries Controls, is Controlled by, or is under common Control with such Person.
ARTICLE XII
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION A
EXCLUSIVE FORUM
1. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the Court of Chancery) (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, another state court within the State of Delaware or, if no state court within the State of Delaware has subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) to bring (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought or purportedly brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, stockholder, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporations stockholders, or any claim of aiding and abetting such breach, (iii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to, or seeking to enforce any right, obligation, or remedy under, any provision of the DGCL or this Restated Certificate or the Bylaws of the Corporation, (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of this Restated Certificate or the Bylaws of the Corporation, (v) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer of the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine, (vi) any action, suit, or
26
proceeding as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery, or (vii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting an internal corporate claim as defined in Section 115 of the DGCL; in all cases, subject to the courts having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. The choice of forum provision set forth in this Article XII, Section A.1 does not apply to any actions arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
2. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act.
3. To the fullest extent permitted by law, any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of Capital Stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article XII, Section A and personal jurisdiction and venue (x) in any state or federal court located within the State of Delaware for any action or proceeding set forth above in clauses (i) to (vii) of Article XII, Section A.1 and (y) in any federal court of the United States of America for any complaint set forth in Article XII, Section A.2.
4. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of this Article XII, Section A is filed in a court other than the courts set forth in Article XII, Section A.1 or Section A.2, as applicable (a Foreign Action), in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the state courts located within the State of Delaware and the federal courts of the United States of America, as applicable, in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce this Article XII, Section A (an FSC Enforcement Action) and (ii) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such FSC Enforcement Action by service upon such stockholders counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.
SECTION B
SEVERABILITY
If any provision or provisions of this Restated Certificate shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law (1) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Restated Certificate (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Restated Certificate containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (2) the provisions of this Restated Certificate (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Restated Certificate containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service or for the benefit of the Company to the fullest extent permitted by law.
27
SECTION C
APPLICATION OF DGCL SECTION 203
1. The Corporation hereby expressly elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL, and the restrictions contained in Section 203 of the DGCL shall not apply to the Corporation.
2. Limitation on Partnering Transactions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall not engage in any business combination (as defined below), at any point in time at which the Corporations Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act with any interested stockholder (as defined below) (or if the Corporations Common Stock is no longer so registered as a result of action taken, directly or indirectly, by an interested stockholder or as a result of a transaction in which a person becomes an interested stockholder) for a period of three (3) years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:
(a) prior to such time, the Board approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, or
(b) upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned by (i) persons who are directors and also officers of the Corporation and (ii) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer, or
(c) at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by the Board and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.
3. Certain Definitions. Solely for purposes of this Section C, references to:
(a) affiliate means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, another person.
(b) associate, when used to indicate a relationship with any person, means: (i) any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity of which such person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of any class of voting stock; (ii) any trust or other estate in which such person has at least a twenty percent (20%) beneficial interest or as to which such person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (iii) any relative or spouse of such person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same residence as such person.
28
(c) business combination, when used in reference to the Corporation and any interested stockholder of the Corporation, means:
(i) any merger or consolidation of the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (a) with the interested stockholder, or (b) with any other corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity if the merger or consolidation is caused by the interested stockholder and as a result of such merger or consolidation Article XII, Section C.2 is not applicable to the surviving entity;
(ii) any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions), except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation, to or with the interested stockholder, whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which assets have an aggregate market value equal to ten percent (10%) or more of either the aggregate market value of all the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the Corporation;
(iii) any transaction which results in the issuance or transfer by the Corporation or by any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation of any stock of the Corporation or of such subsidiary to the interested stockholder, except: (a) pursuant to the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which securities were outstanding prior to the time that the interested stockholder became such; (b) pursuant to a merger under Section 251(g) of the DGCL; (c) pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made, or the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which security is distributed, pro rata to all stockholders of a class or series of stock of the Corporation subsequent to the time the interested stockholder became such; (d) pursuant to an exchange offer by the Corporation to purchase stock made on the same terms to all stockholders of said stock; or (e) any issuance or transfer of stock by the Corporation; provided, however, that in no case under items (c)-(e) of this subsection (iii) shall there be an increase in the interested stockholders proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the Corporation or of the voting stock of the Corporation (except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments); or
(iv) any transaction involving the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series, or securities convertible into the stock of any class or series, of the Corporation or of any such subsidiary which is owned by the interested stockholder, except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments or as a result of any purchase or redemption of any shares of stock not caused, directly or indirectly, by the interested stockholder.
29
(d) control, including the terms controlling, controlled by and under common control with, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting stock, by contract, or otherwise. A person who is the owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity shall be presumed to have control of such entity, in the absence of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to the contrary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a presumption of control shall not apply where such person holds voting stock, in good faith and not for the purpose of circumventing this Article XII, Section C, as an agent, bank, broker, nominee, custodian or trustee for one or more owners who do not individually or as a group have control of such entity.
(e) Exempted Person means Post Holdings, Inc., PHPC Sponsor, LLC and any of their respective affiliates, any of their respective direct or indirect transferees of at least 15% of the Corporations outstanding Common Stock and any group of which any such person is a part under Rule 13d-5 of the Exchange Act.
(f) interested stockholder means any person (other than the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation) that (i) is the owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the voting stock of the Corporation, or (ii) is an affiliate or associate of the Corporation and was the owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the voting stock of the Corporation at any time within the three (3) year period immediately prior to the date on which it is sought to be determined whether such person is an interested stockholder; and the affiliates and associates of such person; but interested stockholder shall not include (a) any Exempted Person, or (b) any person whose ownership of shares in excess of the fifteen percent (15%) limitation set forth herein is the result of any action taken solely by the Corporation; provided that with respect to clause (b) such person shall be an interested stockholder if thereafter such person acquires additional shares of voting stock of the Corporation, except as a result of further corporate action not caused, directly or indirectly, by such person. For the purpose of determining whether a person is an interested stockholder, the voting stock of the Corporation deemed to be outstanding shall include stock deemed to be owned by the person through application of the definition of owner below but shall not include any other unissued stock of the Corporation which may be issuable pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise.
(g) owner, including the terms own and owned, when used with respect to any stock, means a person that individually or with or through any of its affiliates or associates:
(i) beneficially owns such stock, directly or indirectly; or
30
(ii) has (a) the right to acquire such stock (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of stock tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such person or any of such persons affiliates or associates until such tendered stock is accepted for purchase or exchange; or (b) the right to vote such stock pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of any stock because of such persons right to vote such stock if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such stock arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to ten (10) or more persons; or
(iii) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent as described in item (b) of subsection (ii) above), or disposing of such stock with any other person that beneficially owns, or whose affiliates or associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, such stock.
(h) person means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, general or limited partnership, joint venture, trust, estate, proprietorship, unincorporated association, organization or other entity.
(i) stock means, with respect to any corporation, capital stock and, with respect to any other entity, any equity interest.
(j) voting stock means stock of any class or series entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.
31
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation on this [] day of [], 2021.
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION | ||
By: |
|
|
Name: | ||
Title: |
Exhibit 10.2
, 2021
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation
2503 S. Hanley Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63144
Re: |
Initial Public Offering |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter (this Letter Agreement) is being delivered to you in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriting Agreement) entered into or proposed to be entered into by and between Post Holdings Partnering Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Company), and Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc., as the representatives of the several underwriters named therein (each an Underwriter and collectively, the Underwriters), relating to an underwritten initial public offering (the Public Offering), of up to 46,000,000 of the Companys units (including up to 6,000,000 units that may be purchased to cover the Underwriters option to purchase additional units, if any) (the Units), each comprised of one share of Series A common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (Series A Common Stock), and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant (each whole warrant, a Warrant). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Series A Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The Units shall be sold in the Public Offering pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 and prospectus (the Prospectus) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission). Certain capitalized terms used herein are defined in paragraph 11 hereof.
In order to induce the Company and the Underwriters to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and to proceed with the Public Offering and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, PHPC Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Sponsor), and the other undersigned persons (each such other undersigned person, an Insider and collectively, the Insiders), each hereby agrees, severally but not jointly, with the Company as follows:
1. The Sponsor and each Insider agrees with the Company that if the Company seeks stockholder approval of a proposed Partnering Transaction, then in connection with such proposed Partnering Transaction, it, he or she shall (i) vote any Shares owned by it, him or her in favor of any proposed Partnering Transaction (including any proposals recommended by the Companys Board of Directors in connection with such Partnering Transaction) and (ii) not redeem any Shares owned by it, him or her in connection with such stockholder approval.
2. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees with the Company that in the event that the Company fails to consummate a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Public Offering (or 27 months from the closing of the Public Offering if the Company has executed a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement for a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Public Offering (an Agreement in Principle Event)), or such later period approved by the Companys stockholders in accordance with the Companys amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the Sponsor and each Insider shall
take all reasonable steps to cause the Company to (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten (10) business days thereafter, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the Series A Common Shares sold as part of the Units in the Public Offering (the Offering Shares), at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Offering Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish all Public Stockholders rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any) and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Companys remaining stockholders and the Companys board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Companys obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the other requirements of applicable law. The Sponsor and each Insider agrees to not propose any amendment to the Companys amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Companys obligation to allow redemption in connection with the Companys Partnering Transaction or to redeem 100% of the Offering Shares if the Company does not complete its Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Public Offering (or 27 months if an Agreement in Principle Event has occurred) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-partnering transaction activity, unless the Company provides its Public Stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Offering Shares upon approval of any such amendment at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding Offering Shares.
The Sponsor and each Insider acknowledges that it, he or she has no right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account or any other asset of the Company as a result of any liquidation of the Company with respect to the Founder Shares or Private Placement Shares held by it. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby further waives, with respect to any Shares held by it, him or her, if any, any redemption rights it, he or she may have in connection with (x) the consummation of a Partnering Transaction, including, without limitation, any such rights available in the context of a stockholder vote to approve such Partnering Transaction or in the context of a tender offer made by the Company to purchase Series A Common Shares and (y) a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to the Companys amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Companys obligation to allow redemptions in connection with the Companys Partnering Transaction or to redeem 100% of the Offering Shares if the Company has not consummated its Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the closing of the Public Offering (or 27 months if an Agreement in Principle Event has occurred) or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders rights or pre-Partnering Transaction activity (although the Sponsor and the Insiders shall be entitled to redemption and liquidation rights with respect to any Offering Shares it or they hold if the Company fails to consummate a Partnering Transaction within 24 months from the date of the closing of the Public Offering (or 27 months if an Agreement in Principle Event has occurred)).
3. During the period commencing on the effective date of the Underwriting Agreement and ending 180 days after such date, the Sponsor and each Insider shall not, without the prior written consent of Evercore Group L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc., offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establish or increase a put
2
equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, with respect to, any Units, Series A Common Shares, Warrants or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, Series A Common Shares or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction; provided, however, that the foregoing does not apply to the forfeiture of any Founder Shares pursuant to their terms or any transfer of Founder Shares to any current or future independent director of the Company (as long as such current or future independent director transferee is subject to this Letter Agreement or executes an agreement substantially identical to the terms of this Letter Agreement, as applicable to directors and officers at the time of such transfer; and as long as, to the extent any Section 16 reporting obligation is triggered as a result of such transfer, any related Section 16 filing includes a practical explanation as to the nature of the transfer). The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (i) the transfer of securities is not for consideration, (ii) the transfer of securities is by bona fide gift to a member of the holders immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the holders immediate family, for estate planning purposes, (iii) the transfer of securities is by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death, (iv) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of securities, provided that (A) such plan does not provide for the transfer of securities during such 180-day period and (B) no public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company regarding the establishment of such plan and (v) with respect to exceptions (i)(iii) immediately above, the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this Letter Agreement to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.
4. In the event of the liquidation of the Trust Account, the Sponsor (which for purposes of clarification shall not extend to any other stockholders, members or managers of the Sponsor) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including, but not limited to, any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, whether pending or threatened, or any claim whatsoever) to which the Company may become subject as a result of any claim by (i) any third party (other than the Companys independent registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to the Company or (ii) a prospective target business with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement (a Target); provided, however, that such indemnification of the Company by the Sponsor shall (I) apply only to the extent necessary to ensure that such claims by a third party for services rendered (other than the Companys independent registered public accounting firm) or products sold to the Company or a Target do not reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (i) $10.00 per Offering Share or (ii) such lesser amount per Offering Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, in each case, net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes and (II) not apply with respect to any claims by any third party which has executed a waiver of any and all of such third partys rights to proceed against, or seek satisfaction from the Trust Account or with respect to any claims under the Companys indemnity of the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). In the event that any such executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against such third party, the Sponsor shall not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third party claims. The Sponsor shall have the right to defend against any such claim with counsel of its choice reasonably satisfactory to the Company if, within 15 days following written receipt of notice of the claim to the Sponsor, the Sponsor notifies the Company in writing that it shall undertake such defense.
3
5. To the extent that the Underwriters do not exercise in full their option to purchase up to an additional 6,000,000 Units within 45 days from the date of the Prospectus (and as further described in the Prospectus), the Sponsor agrees that it shall forfeit, at no cost, a number of Founder Shares in the aggregate equal to 1,500,000 multiplied by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is 6,000,000 minus the number of Units purchased by the Underwriters upon the exercise of their option to purchase additional Units, and (ii) the denominator of which is 6,000,000. All references in this Letter Agreement to Founder Shares of the Company being forfeited shall take effect as a contribution of such Founder Shares to the Companys capital as a matter of Delaware law. The Sponsor and each Insider further acknowledge and agree that to the extent that the size of the Public Offering is increased or decreased, the Company will effect a recapitalization or stock repurchase or redemption, as applicable, immediately prior to the consummation of the Public Offering in such amount as to maintain the number of Founder Shares at 20.0% of the Companys issued and outstanding Shares (not including the Private Placement Shares) upon the consummation of the Public Offering. In connection with such increase or decrease in the size of the Public Offering, then (A) the references to 6,000,000 in the numerator and denominator of the formula in the first sentence of this paragraph shall be changed to a number equal to 15.0% of the number of Series A Common Shares included in the Units issued in the Public Offering and (B) the reference to 1,500,000 in the formula set forth in the immediately preceding sentence shall be adjusted to such number of Founder Shares that the Sponsor would have to return to the Company in order for the number of Founder Shares to equal an aggregate of 20.0% of the Companys issued and outstanding Shares (not including the Private Placement Shares) after the Public Offering.
6. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees and acknowledges that: (i) the Underwriters and the Company would be irreparably injured in the event of a breach by such Sponsor or Insider of its, his or her obligations under paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7(a), 7(b), and 9 of this Letter Agreement, (ii) monetary damages may not be an adequate remedy for such breach and (iii) the non-breaching party shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief, in addition to any other remedy that such party may have in law or in equity, in the event of such breach.
7. (a) In addition to the provisions set forth in paragraph 3, the Sponsor and each Insider agrees that it, he or she shall not Transfer (as defined below) any Founder Shares until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of the Companys Partnering Transaction and (B) subsequent to the Companys Partnering Transaction, (x) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Public Stockholders having the right to exchange their Series A Common Shares for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of the Series A Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Companys Partnering Transaction (the Founder Shares Lock-up Period).
4
(b) In addition to the provisions set forth in paragraph 3, the Sponsor and each Insider agrees that it, he or she shall not Transfer any of the Private Placement Units, the Private Placement Shares or the Private Placement Warrants (or Series A Common Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants), until 30 days after the completion of the Companys Partnering Transaction (the Private Placement Units Lock-up Period, together with the Founder Shares Lock-up Period, the Lock-up Periods).
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in paragraphs 3, 7(a) and (b), Transfers of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Units, the Private Placement Shares, Private Placement Warrants and Series A Common Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants and that are held by the Sponsor or any Insider or any of their permitted transferees (that have complied with this paragraph 7(c) or Section 3, if applicable), are permitted (i) to the Companys directors or officers, to the directors or officers of Post Holdings, Inc., a Missouri corporation (or any successor thereto) (Post), and to their respective family members and entities formed by such persons for investment or estate planning purposes which are controlled by such persons or formed for their benefit or for charitable purposes, (ii) to Post or any entity in which Post or the officers and directors of Post hold, in the aggregate, securities representing no less than 25% of the outstanding voting power of such entity (so long as no other holder or group holds a higher percentage of the voting power of such entity), and the subsidiaries of Post or such entities, (iii) to any corporation or other entity which, as a result of any spinoff, splitoff or other distribution transaction, becomes the beneficial owner of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Units, Private Placement Shares and Private Placement Warrants (and shares issuable upon the exercise of such warrants), (iv) by bona fide gift to a member of the holders immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the holders immediate family, for estate planning purposes, (v) by virtue of the laws of descent and distribution upon death or (vi) by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of a Partnering Transaction at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (i) through (vi), such permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement with the Company, agreeing to be bound by the transfer restrictions and other applicable restrictions in this Letter Agreement. In addition, the Sponsor or its permitted transferees will be permitted to pledge or grant a security interest in such securities to secure bona fide indebtedness or engage in hedging transactions; provided, that the holder thereof retains voting control over such securities prior to delivery of shares upon foreclosure or upon satisfaction of the hedge. In the event of any liquidation prior to the completion of the Companys Partnering Transaction or the Companys completion of a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of the Companys Public Stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Series A Common Stock for cash, securities or other property subsequent to the Companys completion of our Partnering Transaction, the Lock-Up Periods will be deemed terminated.
8. The Sponsor and each Insider represents and warrants that, as of the date hereof, it, he or she has never been suspended or expelled from membership in any securities or commodities exchange or association or had a securities or commodities license or registration denied, suspended or revoked. Each Insiders biographical information furnished to the Company, if any (including any such information included in the Prospectus), is true and accurate in all material respects as of the date when such information was furnished and does not omit any material information with respect to such Insiders background. The Sponsor and each Insiders
5
questionnaire furnished to the Company, if any, is true and accurate in all material respects as of the date when such questionnaire was furnished. Except as otherwise disclosed in any publicly available filings with the Commission, the Sponsor and each Insider represents and warrants, each as to itself and not jointly with any other person, that: as of the date hereof, it, he or she is not subject to, or a respondent in any legal action for, any injunction, cease-and-desist order or order or stipulation to desist or refrain from any act or practice relating to the offering of securities in any jurisdiction; and it has never been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, any crime (i) involving fraud, (ii) relating to any financial transaction or handling of funds of another person, or (iii) pertaining to any dealings in any securities and it is not currently a defendant in any such criminal proceeding.
9. Except as disclosed in, or as expressly contemplated by, the Prospectus, or as otherwise contemplated in the proxy statement related to the Companys Partnering Transaction, neither the Sponsor nor any Insider nor any affiliate of the Sponsor or any Insider, nor any director or officer of the Company, shall receive from the Company any finders fee, reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any repayment of a loan or other compensation prior to, or in connection with any services rendered in order to effectuate the consummation of, the Companys Partnering Transaction (regardless of the type of transaction that it is).
10. The Sponsor and each Insider has full right and power, without violating any agreement to which it is bound (including, without limitation, any non-competition or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or former employer), to enter into this Letter Agreement and, as applicable, to serve as an officer and/or a director on the board of directors of the Company and hereby consents to being named in the Prospectus as an officer and/or a director of the Company.
11. As used herein, (i) Partnering Transaction shall mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar partnering transaction, involving the Company and one or more businesses; (ii) Shares shall mean, collectively, the Series A Common Shares and the Founder Shares; (iii) Series A Common Shares shall mean shares of Series A Common Stock; (iv) Founder Shares shall mean (a) the 11,500,000 shares of the Companys Series F common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, initially purchased by the Sponsor in a private placement prior to the Public Offering, (b) shares of the Companys Series B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, issued upon the conversion of such shares of Series F common stock, and (c) Series A Common Shares issued upon the conversion of such shares of Series B common stock; (v) Private Placement Units shall mean the units that will be acquired by the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase price of $12,000,000 in the aggregate (or $13,200,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full), at $10.00 per Private Placement Unit, in a private placement that shall occur simultaneously with the consummation of the Public Offering (including the shares of Series A Common Stock (the Private Placement Shares) and private placement warrants underlying such units (the Private Placement Warrants) and the shares of Series A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of such Private Placement Warrants thereof); (vi) Public Stockholders shall mean the holders of securities issued in the Public Offering; (vii) Trust Account shall mean the trust fund into which a portion of the net proceeds of the Public Offering and the Private Placement Units shall be deposited; and (viii) Transfer shall mean the (a) sale or assignment of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly,
6
or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to, any security, (b) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (c) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b) herein.
12. This Letter Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements, or representations by or among the parties hereto, written or oral, to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof or the transactions contemplated hereby. This Letter Agreement may not be changed, amended, modified or waived (other than to correct a typographical error) as to any particular provision, except by a written instrument executed by (1) each Insider that is the subject of any such change, amendment modification or waiver, (2) the Sponsor, and (3) the Company.
13. No party hereto may assign either this Letter Agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Company and the Sponsor. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual and shall not operate to transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee. This Letter Agreement shall be binding on the Sponsor and each Insider and their respective successors, heirs and assigns and permitted transferees.
14. Nothing in this Letter Agreement shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person or entity other than the parties hereto any right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Letter Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise or agreement hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises and agreements contained in this Letter Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns and permitted transferees.
15. This Letter Agreement may be executed in any number of original, facsimile or electronic counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
16. This Letter Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Letter Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Letter Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.
17. This Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware. The parties hereto (i) all agree that any action, proceeding, claim or dispute arising out of, or relating in any way to, this Letter Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, and irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction and venue, which jurisdiction and venue shall be exclusive and (ii) waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and venue or that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
7
18. Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Letter Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given (a) on the date of delivery if delivered personally or sent via e-mail (providing proof of delivery) or (b) on the first (1st) business day following the date of dispatch if sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier (providing proof of delivery).
19. No party hereto shall be liable for any breaches or misrepresentations contained in this Letter Agreement by any other party to this Letter Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Insider with respect to any other Insider), and no party shall be liable or responsible for the obligations of another party, including, without limitation, indemnification obligations and notice obligations.
20. This Letter Agreement shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the Lock-up Periods and (ii) the liquidation of the Company; provided, however, that this Letter Agreement shall earlier terminate in the event that the Public Offering is not consummated and closed by December 31, 2021; provided further that paragraph 4 of this Letter Agreement shall survive such liquidation.
[Signature page follows]
8
Sincerely, | ||
PHPC SPONSOR, LLC | ||
By: |
|
|
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
|
||
Name: Robert V. Vitale | ||
|
||
Name: Bradly A. Harper | ||
|
||
Name: Jeff A. Zadoks | ||
|
||
Name: Jim Dwyer | ||
|
||
Name: Jennifer Kuperman | ||
|
||
Name: Dave Peacock | ||
|
||
Name: David L. Taiclet |
[Signature Page to Letter Agreement]
Acknowledged and Agreed:
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION |
||
By: |
|
|
Name: | ||
Title: |
[Signature Page to Letter Agreement]
Exhibit 10.8
SERVICES AGREEMENT
SERVICES AGREEMENT (this Agreement), dated as of , 2021, by and between Post Holdings, Inc., a Missouri corporation (the Provider), and Post Holdings Partnering Corporation, a Delaware corporation (PHPC).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, PHPC and the Provider desire that, following the Effective Date (as defined below), PHPC obtain from the Provider the services described herein, and that PHPC compensate the Provider for the performance of such services on the basis set forth in this Agreement.
AGREEMENT
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals, the mutual agreements contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be bound legally, agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICES
Section 1.1 Engagement. PHPC engages the Provider to provide to PHPC, commencing on the date the securities of PHPC are first listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the Effective Date), the Services (as defined below), and the Provider accepts such engagement, in each case subject to and upon the terms and conditions of this Agreement. The parties acknowledge that certain of the Services will be performed by officers, employees or consultants of the Provider.
Section 1.2 Services. The Provider shall render to PHPC, by and through such of the Providers officers, employees, agents, representatives and affiliates as the Provider, in its sole discretion, may designate from time to time, as the services set forth in Schedule 1 hereto, as amended from time to time (collectively, the Services).
Section 1.3 Services Not to Interfere with the Providers Business. PHPC acknowledges and agrees that in providing Services hereunder the Provider will not be required to take any action that would disrupt, in any material respect, the orderly operation of the Providers business activities.
Section 1.4 Services Fee.
(a) For the period from the Effective Date to the expiration of the Term, PHPC agrees to pay, and the Provider agrees to accept, a monthly fee equal to $40,000, payable in arrears (the Services Fee); provided, that the first payment following the Effective Date shall be prorated based on the number of days after (but excluding) the Effective Date until (and including) the last day of the calendar month in an amount equal to one-thirtieth of the Services Fee per day; provided, further, that upon the consummation by PHPC of the Partnering Transaction (as defined below), the Provider and PHPC will review and evaluate (and thereafter will review and evaluate semiannually) the Services and Services Fee for reasonableness during the Term and will negotiate in good faith to reach agreement on any appropriate adjustments to the Services and Services Fee,
and based on such review and evaluation, Provider and PHPC will agree on the appropriate effective date (which may be retroactive, but in no event earlier than the date of the consummation by PHPC of the Partnering Transaction) of any such adjustment to the Services and Services Fee. For the avoidance of doubt, such Services Fee may include reimbursement through the Provider of third party costs or pass through expenses (whether separately billed to PHPC or amounts allocated to PHPC out of the overall bill to the Provider) paid by Provider for goods and services used by PHPC. All such third party costs and pass through expenses may be reimbursed by PHPC as provided above.
(b) PHPC will pay the Provider the Services Fee by wire or intrabank transfer of funds or in such other reasonable manner specified by the Provider to PHPC, in arrears on or before the last day of each calendar month following the Effective Date.
Section 1.5 Survival. PHPCs obligation to pay the Services Fee shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement with respect to such amounts as are payable in respect of the period of time prior to the effective date of such expiration or termination.
Section 1.6 PHPC Trust Account. Notwithstanding Article IV, Article V or anything contained herein to the contrary, the Provider hereby irrevocably waives any and all right, title, interest, causes of action and claims of any kind or nature whatsoever (each, a Claim) in or to, and any and all right to seek payment of any amounts due to it out of, the trust account established for the benefit of the public stockholders of PHPC and into which substantially all of the proceeds of PHPCs initial public offering will be deposited (the Trust Account), and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim it presently has or may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, this Agreement, which Claim would reduce, encumber or otherwise adversely affect the Trust Account or any monies or other assets in the Trust Account, and further agrees not to seek recourse, reimbursement, payment or satisfaction of any Claim against the Trust Account or any monies or other assets in the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.
ARTICLE II
TERM
Section 2.1 Term. The term of this Agreement (the Term) will commence on the Effective Date and will continue until terminated in accordance with Section 2.2.
Section 2.2 Termination. This Agreement will be terminated prior to the expiration of the Term in the following events:
(a) upon mutual written agreement of the parties hereto;
(b) immediately upon written notice (or at any later time specified in such notice) by the Provider to PHPC if a Change in Control occurs with respect to PHPC following the consummation by PHPC of a partnering transaction (as described in the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-252910) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) (the Partnering Transaction);
2
(c) immediately upon written notice (or at any later time specified in such notice) by PHPC to the Provider if a Change in Control occurs with respect to the Provider following the consummation by PHPC of the Partnering Transaction; or
(d) immediately upon written notice by either of the parties (or at any later time specified in such notice) to the other party to the extent that the Services or Services Fee is not renegotiated to either partys reasonable satisfaction in accordance with Section 1.4 upon completion of the Partnering Transaction.
For purposes of this Section 2.2, a Change in Control will be deemed to have occurred with respect to a party if a merger, consolidation, binding share exchange, acquisition, or similar transaction (each, a Transaction), or series of related Transactions, involving such party occurs as a result of which the voting power of all voting securities of such party outstanding immediately prior thereto represent (either by remaining outstanding or being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) less than 75% of the voting power of such party or the surviving entity of the Transaction outstanding immediately after such Transaction (or if such party or the surviving entity after giving effect to such Transaction is a subsidiary of the issuer of securities in such Transaction, then the voting power of all voting securities of such party outstanding immediately prior to such Transaction represent (by being converted into voting securities of such issuer) less than 75% of the voting power of the issuer outstanding immediately after such Transaction). For the avoidance of doubt, the consummation of the Partnering Transaction shall not be deemed to constitute a Change in Control with respect to PHPC.
Each party will remain liable to the other for any required payment accrued prior to the termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE III
PERSONNEL AND EMPLOYEES
Section 3.1 Personnel to Provide Services.
(a) The Provider will make available to PHPC, on a non-exclusive basis, certain employees, independent contractors or other personnel engaged by Provider or one of its Subsidiaries (the Personnel) to perform the Services.
(b) PHPC acknowledges that certain of the Personnel also will be performing services for the Provider and/or other companies, from time to time, including certain Subsidiaries and Affiliates of each of the foregoing, in each case, while also potentially performing services directly for PHPC irrespective of this Agreement.
Section 3.2 Provider as Payor. The parties acknowledge and agree that the Provider, and not PHPC, will be solely responsible for the payment of salaries, wages, benefits (including health insurance, retirement, and other similar benefits, if any) and other compensation applicable to all Personnel. All Personnel will be subject to the personnel policies of the Provider. The Provider will be responsible for the payment of all federal, state, and local withholding taxes on the compensation of all Personnel and other such employment related taxes as are required by law. PHPC will cooperate with the Provider to facilitate the Providers compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances applicable to the employment or engagement of all Personnel.
3
Section 3.3 Additional Employee Provisions. The Provider will have the right to terminate its employment or engagement of any Personnel at any time.
ARTICLE IV
INDEMNIFICATION
Section 4.1 Indemnification by the Provider. Following the consummation by PHPC of the Partnering Transaction, the Provider will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless PHPC and each of its Subsidiaries and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, successors and assigns (collectively, the PHPC Indemnitees), from and against any and all judgments, Liabilities, losses, costs, damages, or expenses, including reasonable attorneys fees, disbursements, and costs (collectively, Losses), incurred in connection with any Action brought by a third party (a Third-Party Claim) (including but not limited to defending or avoiding any such Action) arising from or out of, or relating to the gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, or bad faith of the Provider in connection with the performance of any provision of this Agreement (the Provider Indemnification Matter); provided, that notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provisions of this Agreement, at any time during the Term, the Provider shall not be liable, responsible or accountable to the PHPC Indemnitees for any Losses incurred by the PHPC Indemnitees for any act or omission by the Provider unless such conduct constitutes gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, or bad faith of the Provider.
Section 4.2 Indemnification by PHPC.
(a) Following the consummation by PHPC of the Partnering Transaction, PHPC will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Provider and each of its Subsidiaries and Affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, successors and assigns (collectively, the Provider Indemnitees; provided that none of PHPC or its Subsidiaries shall be included in the definition of Provider Indemnities), from and against any and all Losses incurred by a Provider Indemnitee or on a Provider Indemnitees behalf in connection with any Action brought by a third party (including but not limited to defending or avoiding any Action) arising from or out of, or relating to (a) any material breach by PHPC of its obligations under this Agreement or (b) any acts or omissions of the Provider in providing the Services pursuant to this Agreement (including for its own negligence, but except to the extent such Losses arise from the Provider Indemnification Matter); provided further, for the avoidance of doubt, that under no circumstance shall a Provider Indemnitee have a Claim to any monies or assets held in the Trust Account, and PHPC shall not be permitted to procure monies or assets held in the Trust Account for the satisfaction of its obligations to any Provider Indemnitee in respect of the indemnification provided hereunder.
(b) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, PHPC will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Provider Indemnities from and against any and all Losses incurred by a Provider Indemnitee or on a Provider Indemnitees behalf in connection with any Action brought by PHPC or any third party in respect of any investment opportunities sourced by a Provider Indemnitee for PHPC or any liability arising with respect to a Provider Indemnitees
4
activities in connection with the affairs of PHPC (in each case that are provided without a separate written agreement between PHPC and such Provider Indemnitee); provided, that in no event shall a Provider Indemnitee be entitled to be indemnified or held harmless hereunder in respect of any Losses that such Provider Indemnitee may incur by reason of such persons own actual fraud or intentional misconduct; provided further, for the avoidance of doubt, that under no circumstance shall a Provider Indemnitee have a Claim to any monies or assets held in the Trust Account, and PHPC shall not be permitted to procure monies or assets held in the Trust Account for the satisfaction of its obligations to any Provider Indemnitee in respect of the indemnification provided hereunder.
Section 4.3 Indemnification Procedures.
(a) (i) In connection with any indemnification provided for in Section 4.1 or 4.2, the party seeking indemnification (the Indemnitee) will give the party from which indemnification is sought (the Indemnitor) prompt notice whenever it comes to the attention of the Indemnitee that the Indemnitee has suffered or incurred, or may suffer or incur, any Losses for which it is entitled to indemnification under Section 4.1 or 4.2, and, if and when known, the facts constituting the basis for such claim and the projected amount of such Losses (which shall not be conclusive as to the amount of such Losses), in each case in reasonable detail, provided that such notice will be given no later than ten business days following receipt by the Indemnitee of written notice of any Third-Party Claim as to which indemnification is available hereunder. Failure by any Indemnitee to so notify the Indemnitor will not affect the rights of such Indemnitee hereunder except to the extent that such failure has a material prejudicial effect on the defenses or other rights available to the Indemnitor with respect to such Third-Party Claim. The Indemnitee will deliver to the Indemnitor as promptly as practicable, and in any event within five business days after Indemnitees receipt, copies of all notices, court papers and other documents received by the Indemnitee relating to any Third-Party Claim.
(ii) The Indemnitor will be entitled, if it so elects, to take control of the defense and investigation with respect to such Third-Party Claim and to employ and engage attorneys reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee to handle and defend such claim, at the Indemnitors cost, risk and expense, upon written notice to the Indemnitee of such election, which notice acknowledges the Indemnitors obligation to provide indemnification under this Agreement with respect to any Losses arising out of or relating to such Third-Party Claim. The Indemnitor will not settle any Third-Party Claim that is the subject of indemnification without the written consent of the Indemnitee, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided, however, that, after reasonable notice, the Indemnitor may settle a claim without the Indemnitees consent if such settlement (A) makes no admission or acknowledgment of Liability or culpability with respect to the Indemnitee, (B) includes a complete release of the Indemnitee and (C) does not seek any relief against the Indemnitee other than the payment of money damages to be borne by the Indemnitor. The Indemnitee will cooperate in all reasonable respects with the Indemnitor and its attorneys in the investigation, trial and defense of any lawsuit or action with respect to such claim and any appeal arising therefrom (including the filing in the Indemnitees name of appropriate cross-claims and counterclaims). The Indemnitee may, at its own cost, participate in any investigation, trial and defense of any Third-Party Claim
5
controlled by the Indemnitor and any appeal arising therefrom, including participating in the process with respect to the potential settlement or compromise thereof. If the Indemnitee has been advised by its counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to the Indemnitee that conflict with those available to, or that are not available to, the Indemnitor (Separate Legal Defenses), or that there may be actual or potential differing or conflicting interests between the Indemnitor and the Indemnitee in the conduct of the defense of such Third-Party Claim, the Indemnitee will have the right, at the expense of the Indemnitor, to engage separate counsel reasonably acceptable to the Indemnitor to handle and defend such Third-Party Claim, provided, that, if such Third-Party Claim can be reasonably separated between those portion(s) for which Separate Legal Defenses are available (Separable Claims) and those for which no Separate Legal Defenses are available, the Indemnitee will instead have the right, at the expense of the Indemnitor, to engage separate counsel reasonably acceptable to the Indemnitor to handle and defend the Separable Claims, and the Indemnitor will not have the right to control the defense or investigation of such Third-Party Claim or such Separable Claims, as the case may be (and, in which latter case, the Indemnitor will have the right to control the defense or investigation of the remaining portion(s) of such Third-Party Claim).
(iii) With respect to any Third-Party Claim as to which indemnification is available hereunder, if the Indemnitor does not undertake to defend the Indemnitee against such Third-Party Claim, whether by not giving the Indemnitee timely notice of its election to so defend or otherwise, the Indemnitee may, but will have no obligation to, assume its own defense, at the expense of the Indemnitor (including attorneys fees and costs), it being understood that the Indemnitees right to indemnification for such Third-Party Claim shall not be adversely affected by its assuming the defense of such Third-Party Claim. The Indemnitor will be bound by the result obtained with respect thereto by the Indemnitee; provided, that the Indemnitee may not settle any lawsuit or action with respect to which the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification hereunder without the consent of the Indemnitor, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided further, that such consent shall not be required if (i) the Indemnitor had the right under this Section 4.3 to undertake control of the defense of such Third-Party Claim and, after notice, failed to do so within thirty days of receipt of such notice (or such lesser period as may be required by court proceedings in the event of a litigated matter), or (ii) (x) the Indemnitor does not have the right to control the defense of the entirety of such Third-Party Claim pursuant to Section 4.3(a)(ii) or (y) the Indemnitor does not have the right to control the defense of any Separable Claim pursuant to Section 4.3(a)(ii) (in which case such settlement may only apply to such Separable Claims), the Indemnitee provides reasonable notice to Indemnitor of the settlement, and such settlement (A) makes no admission or acknowledgment of Liability or culpability with respect to the Indemnitor, (B) does not seek any relief against the Indemnitor and (C) does not seek any relief against the Indemnitee for which the Indemnitor is responsible other than the payment of money damages.
(b) In no event will the Indemnitor be liable to any Indemnitee for any special, consequential, indirect, collateral, incidental or punitive damages, however caused and on any theory of liability arising in any way out of this Agreement, whether or not such Indemnitor was advised of the possibility of any such damages; provided, that the foregoing limitations shall not limit a partys indemnification obligations for any Losses incurred by an Indemnitee as a result of the assertion of a Third-Party Claim.
6
(c) The Indemnitor and the Indemnitee shall use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid production of confidential information, and to cause all communications among employees, counsel and others representing any party with respect to a Third-Party Claim to be made so as to preserve any applicable attorney-client or work-product privilege.
(d) The Indemnitor shall pay all amounts payable pursuant to this Section 4.3 by wire transfer of immediately available funds, promptly following receipt from an Indemnitee of a bill, together with all accompanying reasonably detailed backup documentation, for any Losses that are the subject of indemnification hereunder, unless the Indemnitor in good faith disputes the amount of such Losses or whether such Losses are covered by the Indemnitors indemnification obligation in which event the Indemnitor shall promptly so notify the Indemnitee. In any event, the Indemnitor shall pay to the Indemnitee, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, the amount of any Losses for which it is liable hereunder no later than three (3) days following any final determination of the amount of such Losses and the Indemnitors liability therefor. A final determination shall exist when (a) the parties to the dispute have reached an agreement in writing or (b) a court of competent jurisdiction shall have entered a final and non-appealable order or judgment.
(e) The remedies provided in this Section 4.3 shall be cumulative and shall not preclude assertion by any Indemnitee of any other rights or the seeking of any and all other remedies against an Indemnitor, subject to Section 4.3(b).
(f) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Indemnitor will indemnify the Indemnitee against any and all reasonable fees, costs and expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred in connection with the enforcement of his, her or its rights under this Article IV.
Section 4.4 Survival. The terms and conditions of this Article IV will survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 5.1 Defined Terms.
(a) The following terms will have the following meanings for all purposes of this Agreement:
Action means any demand, action, claim, suit, countersuit, litigation, arbitration, prosecution, proceeding (including any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or appellate proceeding), hearing, inquiry, audit, examination or investigation commenced, brought, conducted or heard by or before, or otherwise involving, any court, grand jury or other governmental authority or any arbitrator or arbitration panel.
7
Affiliate means, with respect to any Person, any other Person controlled by such first Person, with control for such purpose meaning the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or voting interests, by contract, or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of this Agreement, none of the Persons listed in clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) shall be deemed to be Affiliates of any Person listed in any other such clause: (i) Provider taken together with its Subsidiaries, (ii) PHPC taken together with its Subsidiaries, (iii) 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, Inc. taken together with its Subsidiaries, (iv) BellRing Brands, Inc. taken together with its Subsidiaries, or (v) any other entities with an executive management team that may from time to time include certain of the Personnel taken together with the Subsidiaries of such entities.
Confidential Information means any information marked, noticed, or treated as confidential by a party which such party holds in confidence, including all trade secrets, technical, business, or other information, including customer or client information, however communicated or disclosed, relating to past, present and future research, development and business activities.
Liabilities means any and all debts, liabilities, commitments and obligations, whether or not fixed, contingent or absolute, matured or unmatured, direct or indirect, liquidated or unliquidated, accrued or unaccrued, known or unknown, and whether or not required by GAAP to be reflected in financial statements or disclosed in the notes thereto (other than taxes).
Person means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust, unincorporated organization, association, governmental authority, or other entity.
Subsidiary when used with respect to any Person means (i)(A) a corporation a majority in voting power of whose share capital or capital stock with voting power, under ordinary circumstances, to elect directors is at the time, directly or indirectly, owned by such Person, by one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, or by such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, whether or not such power is subject to a voting agreement or similar encumbrance, (B) a partnership or limited liability company in which such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person is, at the date of determination, (1) in the case of a partnership, a general partner of such partnership with the power affirmatively to direct the policies and management of such partnership or (2) in the case of a limited liability company, the managing member or, in the absence of a managing member, a member with the power affirmatively to direct the policies and management of such limited liability company, or (C) any other Person (other than a corporation) in which such Person, one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination thereof, has or have (1) the power to elect or direct the election of a majority of the members of the governing body of such Person, whether or not such power is subject to a voting agreement or similar encumbrance, or (2) in the absence of such a governing body, at least a majority ownership interest or (ii) any other Person of which an aggregate of 50% or more of the equity interests are, at the time, directly or indirectly, owned by such Person and/or one or more Subsidiaries of such Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of this Agreement, none of the Subsidiaries of the Provider will be deemed to be Subsidiaries of PHPC or any of its Subsidiaries, nor will any of PHPCs Subsidiaries be deemed to be Subsidiaries of the Provider or any of its Subsidiaries.
8
(b) The following terms will have the meanings for all purposes of this Agreement set forth in the Section reference provided next to such term:
Definition |
Section Reference |
|
Agreement |
Preamble |
|
Claim |
Section 1.6 |
|
Change in Control |
Section 2.2 |
|
Effective Date |
Section 1.1 |
|
Indemnitee |
Section 4.3(a)(i) |
|
Indemnitor |
Section 4.3(a)(i) |
|
Losses |
Section 4.1 |
|
Partnering Transaction |
Section 2.2 |
|
Personnel |
Section 3.1 |
|
Provider |
Preamble |
|
Provider Indemnification Matter |
Section 4.1 |
|
Provider Indemnitees |
Section 4.2 |
|
PHPC |
Preamble |
|
PHPC Indemnitees |
Section 4.1 |
|
Separate Claims |
Section 4.3(a)(ii) |
|
Separate Legal Defense |
Section 4.3(a)(ii) |
|
Services |
Section 1.2 |
|
Services Fee |
Section 1.3 |
|
Term |
Section 2.1 |
|
Third-Party Claim |
Section 4.1 |
|
Transaction |
Section 2.2 |
|
Trust Account |
Section 1.6 |
Section 5.2 Entire Agreement; Severability. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral and written, among the parties hereto with respect to such subject matter. It is the intention of the parties hereto that the provisions of this Agreement will be enforced to the fullest extent permissible under all applicable laws and public policies, but that the unenforceability of any provision hereof (or the modification of any provision hereof to conform with such laws or public policies, as provided in the next sentence) will not render unenforceable or impair the remainder of this Agreement. Accordingly, if any provision is determined to be invalid or unenforceable either in whole or in part, this Agreement will be deemed amended to delete or modify, as necessary, the invalid or unenforceable provisions and to alter the balance of this Agreement in order to render the same valid and enforceable, consistent (to the fullest extent possible) with the intent and purposes hereof.
Section 5.3 Notices. All notices and communications hereunder will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given if delivered personally or mailed, certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, or sent by electronic mail, addressed as follows:
9
If to the Provider: |
Post Holdings, Inc. 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63144 Attention: Diedre J. Gray Email: Diedre.Gray@postholdings.com |
|
If to PHPC: |
Post Holdings Partnering Corporation 2503 S. Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63144 Attention: Diedre J. Gray Email: Diedre.Gray@postholdings.com |
or to such other address (or to the attention of such other person) as the parties may hereafter designate in writing. All such notices and communications will be deemed to have been given on the date of delivery if sent by electronic mail or personal delivery, or the third day after the mailing thereof, except that any notice of a change of address will be deemed to have been given only when actually received.
Section 5.4 Governing Law. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties hereto will be governed in all respects, including validity, interpretation and effect, by the laws of the State of Missouri applicable to contracts made and performed wholly therein, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of laws provisions or rules that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
Section 5.5 Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that it will not commence any action, litigation or proceeding of any kind whatsoever, whether in law or equity, or whether in contract or tort or otherwise, in any way relating to this Agreement and the legal relations among the parties hereto, in any forum other than the courts of the State of Missouri sitting in St. Louis County, and of the United States District Court of Missouri, and any appellate court from any thereof, and each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the jurisdiction of such courts and agrees that any such action, litigation or proceeding may be brought in any such Missouri State court or, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in such federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action, litigation or proceeding will be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. The parties waive the right to a trial by jury in any dispute or other claim in connection with this Agreement.
Section 5.6 Rules of Construction. The descriptive headings in this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of or to affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Words used in this Agreement, regardless of the gender and number specifically used, will be deemed and construed to include any other gender, masculine, feminine, or neuter, and any other number, singular or plural, as the context requires. As used in this Agreement, the word including or any variation thereof is not limiting, and the word or is not exclusive. The word day means a calendar day. If the last day for giving any notice or taking any other action is a Saturday, Sunday, or a day on which banks in New York, New York or St. Louis, Missouri are authorized or required to be closed, the time for giving such notice or taking such action will be extended to the next day that is not such a day.
10
Section 5.7 No Third-Party Rights. Nothing expressed or referred to in this Agreement is intended or will be construed to give any Person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or with respect to this Agreement, or any provision hereof, it being the intention of the parties hereto that this Agreement and all of its provisions and conditions are for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties to this Agreement and their respective successors and assigns.
Section 5.8 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which will be an original and all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.
Section 5.9 Payment of Expenses. From and after the Effective Date, and except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, each of the parties to this Agreement will bear its own expenses, including the fees of any attorneys and accountants engaged by such party, in connection with this Agreement.
Section 5.10 Binding Effect; Assignment.
(a) This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding on the parties to this Agreement and their respective legal representatives, successors and permitted assigns.
(b) Except as expressly contemplated hereby, this Agreement, and the obligations arising hereunder, may not be assigned by either party to this Agreement; provided, however, that Provider may assign its rights, interests, duties, liabilities and obligations under this Agreement to any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, but such assignment shall not relieve the Provider, as the assignor, of its obligations hereunder.
Section 5.11 Amendment, Modification, Extension or Waiver. Any amendment, modification or supplement of or to any term or condition of this Agreement will be effective only if in writing and signed by both parties hereto. Either party to this Agreement may (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other party to this Agreement, or (b) waive compliance by the other party with any of the agreements or conditions contained herein or any breach thereof. Any agreement on the part of either party to any such extension or waiver will be valid only if set forth in an instrument in writing signed on behalf of such party. No waiver of any term, provision or condition of this Agreement, whether by conduct or otherwise, in any one or more instance, will be deemed or construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such term, provision or condition or of any other term, provision or condition, but any party hereto may waive its rights in any particular instance by written instrument of waiver.
Section 5.12 Force Majeure. Neither party will be liable to the other party with respect to any nonperformance or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement, other than for payment of the Services Fee, to the extent such failure or delay is due to any action or claims by any third party, labor dispute, labor strike, weather conditions, pandemics (including, without limitation, COVID-19) or any cause beyond a partys reasonable control. Each party agrees that it will use all commercially reasonable efforts to continue to perform its obligations under this Agreement, to resume performance of its obligations under this Agreement, and to minimize any delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement notwithstanding the occurrence of any such event beyond such partys reasonable control.
11
Section 5.13 Specific Performance. Each party agrees that irreparable damage would occur and that the parties would not have any adequate remedy at law in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that each of the parties shall be entitled to seek an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.
Section 5.14 Confidentiality.
(a) Except with the prior consent of Provider, PHPC will:
(i) limit access to the Confidential Information of Provider disclosed to PHPC hereunder to its agents, representatives, and consultants on a need-to-know basis;
(ii) advise its agents, representatives, and consultants having access to such Confidential Information of the proprietary nature thereof and of the obligations set forth in this Agreement; and (iii) safeguard such Confidential Information by using a reasonable degree of care to prevent disclosure of the Confidential Information to third parties, but not less than that degree of care used by PHPC in safeguarding its own similar information or material.
(b) PHPCs obligations respecting confidentiality under Section 5.14(a) will not apply to any of the Confidential Information of Provider that PHPC can demonstrate: (i) was, at the time of disclosure to PHPC, in the public domain or (ii) after disclosure to PHPC, is published or otherwise becomes part of the public domain other than by acts of PHPC in violation of this Section 5.14.
(c) The provisions of this Section 5.14 will survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
12
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has signed this Agreement, or has caused this Agreement to be signed by its duly authorized officer, as of the date first above written.
PROVIDER: |
POST HOLDINGS, INC. |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
PHPC: |
POST HOLDINGS PARTNERING CORPORATION |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
[Signature Page to PHPC Services Agreement]