EX-2.3 2 exhibit_2-3.htm EXHIBIT 2.3

Exhibit 2.3
Description of Securities

CyberArk Software Ltd., an Israeli corporation (the “Company,” “we” or “our”), currently has one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Company’s ordinary shares, par value NIS 0.01 per share. The following is a summary of some of the terms of our ordinary shares based on our articles of association, as may be amended and restated from time to time, and Israeli law.
 
The following summary is not complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the provisions of our articles of association and Israeli law.
 
Name of exchange on which registered: Our ordinary shares have been quoted on Nasdaq under the symbol “CYBR” since September 24, 2014. Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for our ordinary shares. Our IPO was priced at $16.00 per share on September 24, 2014.
 
Registration Number and Purposes of the Company. Our registration number with the Israeli Registrar of Companies is 51-229164-2. Our purpose, as set forth in article 3 of our articles of association, is to engage in any lawful activity.
 
Share Capital. Our authorized share capital consists of 250,000,000 ordinary shares, par value NIS 0.01 per share. All of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Our ordinary shares are not redeemable and do not have any preemptive rights.
 
Restrictions on Securities. The ownership or voting of ordinary shares by non-residents of Israel is not restricted in any way by our articles of association or the laws of the State of Israel, except for citizens of countries which are, or have been in a state of war with Israel or under anti-terror legislation.
 
Transfer of Shares. Our fully paid ordinary shares are issued in registered form and may be freely transferred under our articles of association, unless the transfer is restricted or prohibited by another instrument, applicable law or the rules of a stock exchange on which the shares are listed for trade.
 
Election of Directors. Our ordinary shares do not have cumulative voting rights for the election of directors. As a result, the holders of a majority of the voting power represented at a shareholders meeting have the power to elect all of our directors.
 
Under our articles of association, our board of directors must consist of not less than four but no more than nine directors, as may be fixed from time to time by our board of directors. Pursuant to our articles of association, the vote required to appoint a director is a simple majority vote of holders of our voting shares, participating and voting at the relevant meeting. In addition, our directors are divided into three classes that are each elected at the third annual general meeting of our shareholders, in a staggered fashion (such that one class is elected each annual general meeting), and serve on our board of directors unless they are removed by a vote of 65% of the total voting power of our shareholders at a general meeting of our shareholders or upon the occurrence of certain events, in accordance with Israeli Companies Law 5759,1999 (the “Companies Law”) and our articles of association. In addition, our articles of association allow our board of directors to fill vacancies on the board of directors or to appoint new directors up to the maximum number of directors permitted under our articles of association. Such directors serve for a term of office equal to the remaining period of the term of office of the directors(s) whose office(s) have been vacated or in the case of new directors, for a term of office according to the class to which such director was assigned upon appointment.
 
Dividend and Liquidation Rights. We may declare a dividend to be paid to the holders of our ordinary shares in proportion to their respective shareholdings. Under the Companies Law, dividend distributions are determined by the board of directors and do not require the approval of the shareholders of a company unless the company’s articles of association provide otherwise. Our articles of association do not require shareholder approval of a dividend distribution and provide that dividend distributions may be determined by our board of directors.
 
Pursuant to the Companies Law, the distribution amount is limited to the greater of retained earnings or earnings generated over the previous two years, according to our then last reviewed or audited financial statements, provided that the date of the financial statements is not more than six months prior to the date of the distribution. In the event that we do not have retained earnings or earnings generated over the two most recent years, we may seek the approval of the Israeli court in order to distribute a dividend. In each case, we are only permitted to distribute a dividend if our board of directors and the court, if applicable, determines that there is no reasonable concern that payment of the dividend will prevent us from satisfying our existing and foreseeable obligations as they become due.

In the event of our liquidation, after satisfaction of liabilities to creditors, our assets will be distributed to the holders of our ordinary shares in proportion to their shareholdings. This right, as well as the right to receive dividends, may be affected by the grant of preferential dividend or distribution rights to the holders of a class of shares with preferential rights that may be authorized in the future.
 
Exchange Controls. There are currently no Israeli currency control restrictions on remittances of dividends on our ordinary shares, proceeds from the sale of the shares or interest or other payments to non-residents of Israel, except for shareholders who are subjects of countries that are, or have been, in a state of war with Israel.
 
Shareholder Meetings. Under Israeli law, we are required to hold an annual general meeting of our shareholders once every calendar year that must be held no later than 15 months after the date of the previous annual general meeting. All meetings other than the annual general meeting of shareholders are referred to in our articles of association as special general meetings. Our board of directors may call special general meetings whenever it sees fit, at such time and place, within or outside of Israel, as it may determine. In addition, the Companies Law provides that our board of directors is required to convene a special general meeting upon the written request of (i) any two of our directors or one-quarter of the members of our board of directors or (ii) one or more shareholders holding, in the aggregate, either (a) 5% or more of our outstanding issued shares and 1% of our outstanding voting power or (b) 5% or more of our outstanding voting power.
 
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Law and the regulations promulgated thereunder, shareholders entitled to participate and vote at general meetings are the shareholders of record on a date to be decided by the board of directors, which may be between four and 40 days prior to the date of the meeting. Furthermore, the Companies Law requires that resolutions regarding the following matters must be passed at a general meeting of our shareholders:
 

amendments to our articles of association;
 

appointment or termination of our auditors;
 

approval of certain related party transactions;
 

increases or reductions of our authorized share capital;
 

certain merger transactions; and
 

the exercise of our board of director’s powers by a general meeting, if our board of directors is unable to exercise its powers and the exercise of any of its powers is required for our proper management.
 
The Companies Law requires that notice of any annual general meeting or special general meeting be provided to shareholders at least 21 days prior to the meeting and if the agenda of the meeting includes the appointment or removal of directors, the approval of transactions with office holders or interested or related parties, or an approval of a merger, notice must be provided at least 35 days prior to the meeting.
 
Under the Companies Law, shareholders of a public company are not permitted to take action via written consent in lieu of a meeting.
 
Voting Rights
 
Voting Rights and Conversion. All ordinary shares have identical voting and other rights in all respects.
 
Quorum requirements. Pursuant to our articles of association, holders of our ordinary shares have one vote for each ordinary share held on all matters submitted to a vote before the shareholders at a general meeting. As a foreign private issuer, the quorum required for our general meetings of shareholders consists of at least two shareholders present in person or by proxy who hold or represent between them at least 25% of the total outstanding voting rights. A meeting adjourned for lack of a quorum is generally adjourned to the same day in the following week at the same time and place, to such time and date if so specified in the notice of the meeting, or to such time and date as the chairman of the general meeting shall determine (which may be earlier or later than the forgoing dates). At the reconvened meeting, any one shareholder present in person or by proxy shall constitute a lawful quorum, generally, regardless of the number of shares held by such shareholder unless the meeting was convened pursuant to a shareholders request as permitted under the Companies Law, in such case, the quorum shall be one or more shareholder, present in person or by proxy, and holding the number of shares required under the Companies Law for making such requisition.

Vote Requirements. Our articles of association provide that all resolutions of our shareholders require a simple majority vote, unless otherwise required by the Companies Law or by our articles of association. Under our articles of association, the alteration of the rights, privileges, preferences or obligations of any class of our shares requires the ordinary majority vote of all classes of shares voting together as a single class at a shareholder meeting. Our articles of association also require that the removal of any director from office (other than external directors, if applicable) or the amendment of the provisions of our articles of association relating to our staggered board requires the vote of 65% of the total voting power of our shareholders. Another exception to the simple majority vote requirement is a resolution for the voluntary winding up, or an approval of a scheme of arrangement or reorganization, of the company pursuant to Section 350 of the Companies Law, which requires the approval of holders of 75% of the voting rights represented at the meeting, in person, by proxy or by voting deed and voting on the resolution.
 
Access to Corporate Records. Under the Companies Law, shareholders are provided access to: minutes of our general meetings; our shareholders register and principal shareholders register, articles of association and annual financial statements, certain other documents as provided in the Companies Law, and any document that we are required by law to file publicly with the Israeli Companies Registrar or the Israel Securities Authority. In addition, shareholders may request to be provided with any document related to an action or transaction requiring shareholder approval under the related party transaction provisions of the Companies Law. We may deny this request if we believe it has not been made in good faith or if such denial is necessary to protect our interest or protect a trade secret or patent.
 
Acquisitions under Israeli Law
 
Full Tender Offer. A person wishing to acquire shares of an Israeli public company and who would as a result hold over 90% of the target company’s issued and outstanding share capital or that of a certain class of shares is required by the Companies Law to make a tender offer to all of the company’s shareholders or the shareholders who hold shares of the relevant class for the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding shares of the company or of the same class, as applicable.
 
If the shareholders who do not accept the offer hold less than 5% of the issued and outstanding share capital of the company or of the applicable class of shares, and more than half of the shareholders who do not have a personal interest in the offer accept the offer, all of the shares that the acquirer offered to purchase will be transferred to the acquirer by operation of law. However, a tender offer will also be accepted if the shareholders who do not accept the offer hold less than 2% of the issued and outstanding share capital of the company or of the applicable class of shares.
 
If the tender offer was not accepted, the acquirer may not acquire shares of the company that will increase its holdings to more than 90% of the company’s issued and outstanding share capital or of the applicable class from shareholders who accepted the tender offer.
 
Special Tender Offer. The Companies Law provides that an acquisition of shares of an Israeli public company must be made by means of a special tender offer if as a result of the acquisition the purchaser would become a holder of 25% or more of the voting rights in the company. This requirement does not apply if there is already another holder of at least 25% of the voting rights in the company. Similarly, the Companies Law provides that an acquisition of shares in a public company must be made by means of a special tender offer if as a result of the acquisition the purchaser would become a holder of more than 45% of the voting rights in the company, if there is no other shareholder of the company who holds more than 45% of the voting rights in the company, subject to certain exceptions. These requirements do not apply if the acquisition occurs in the context of a private placement approved by the general meeting as a private offering whose purpose is to give the acquirer at least 25% or 45% or more, as the case may be.

A special tender offer may be consummated only if (i) at least 5% of the voting power attached to the company’s outstanding shares will be acquired by the offeror and (ii) the special tender offer is accepted by a majority of the votes of those offerees who gave notice of their position in respect of the offer; in counting the votes of offerees, the votes of a holder of control in the offeror, a person who has personal interest in acceptance of the special tender offer, holders of 25% or more of the voting rights in the company or anyone on their behalf, including their relatives and entities controlled by them, will not be taken into account.
 
Merger. The Companies Law permits merger transactions if approved by each party’s board of directors and, unless certain requirements described under the Companies Law are met, by a majority vote of each party’s shareholders.
 
For purposes of the shareholder vote, unless a court rules otherwise, the merger will not be deemed approved if a majority of the votes of shares represented at the shareholders meeting that are held by parties other than the other party to the merger, or by any person (or group of persons acting in concert) who holds (or hold, as the case may be) 25% or more of the voting rights or the right to appoint 25% or more of the directors of the other party, vote against the merger. If, however, the merger involves a merger with a company’s own controlling shareholder or if the controlling shareholder has a personal interest in the merger, then the merger is instead subject to the same special majority approval that governs all extraordinary transactions with controlling shareholders (as described under “Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Board Practices—Approval of Related Party Transactions under Israeli Law—Disclosure of Personal Interests of Controlling Shareholders and Approval of Certain Transactions” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 20-F).
 
If the transaction would have been approved by the shareholders of a merging company but for the separate approval of each class or the exclusion of the votes of certain shareholders as provided above, a court may still approve the merger upon the request of holders of at least 25% of the voting rights of a company, if the court holds that the merger is fair and reasonable, taking into account the value of the parties to the merger and the consideration offered to the shareholders of the company.
 
Upon the request of a creditor of either party to the proposed merger, the court may delay or prevent the merger if it concludes that there exists a reasonable concern that, as a result of the merger, the surviving company will be unable to satisfy the obligations of the merging entities, and may further give instructions to secure the rights of creditors.
 
In addition, a merger may not be consummated unless at least 50 days have passed from the date on which a proposal for approval of the merger was filed by each party with the Israeli Registrar of Companies and at least 30 days have passed from the date on which the merger was approved by the shareholders of each party.
 
Anti-takeover Measures under Israeli Law and our Articles of Association
 
The Companies Law allows us to create and issue shares having rights different from those attached to our ordinary shares, including shares providing certain preferred rights with respect to voting, distributions or other matters and shares having preemptive rights. No preferred shares are authorized under our articles of association. In the future, if we do authorize, create and issue a specific class of preferred shares, such class of shares, depending on the specific rights that may be attached to it, may have the ability to frustrate or prevent a takeover or otherwise prevent our shareholders from realizing a potential premium over the market value of their ordinary shares. The authorization and designation of a class of preferred shares will require an amendment to our articles of association, which requires the prior approval of the holders of a majority of the voting power attaching to our issued and outstanding shares at a general meeting. The convening of the meeting, the shareholders entitled to participate and the majority vote required to be obtained at such a meeting will be subject to the requirements set forth in the Companies Law as described above in “—Voting Rights.”
 
Furthermore, in accordance with our articles of association and the Companies Law, our directors are divided into three classes such that each class is elected at the third annual general meeting of our shareholders, in a staggered fashion, and serve on our board of directors unless they are removed by a vote of 65% of the total voting power of our shareholders at a general meeting of our shareholders or upon the occurrence of certain events, in accordance with the Companies Law and our articles of association. See further discussion above in “—Election of Directors.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar
 
The transfer agent and registrar for our ordinary shares is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. Its address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219, and its telephone number is (800) 937-5449.
 
Changes to Share Capital
 
The Company may, from time to time, by a resolution of our shareholders, increase its authorized share capital by the creation of new shares. Any such increase shall be in such amount and shall be divided into shares of such nominal amounts, and such shares shall confer such rights and preferences, and shall be subject to such restrictions, as such resolution shall provide. Except to the extent otherwise provided in such resolution, any new shares included in the authorized share capital increased as aforesaid shall be subject to all the provisions of our articles of association which are applicable to shares of such class included in the existing share capital without regard to class (and, if such new shares are of the same class as a class of shares included in the existing share capital, to all of the provisions which are applicable to shares of such class included in the existing share capital).
 
The Company may, from time to time, by a resolution of our shareholders, provide for shares with such preferred or deferred rights or other special rights and/or such restrictions, whether in regard to dividends, voting, repayment of share capital or otherwise, as may be stipulated in such resolution.
 
If at any time our share capital is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any such class, unless otherwise provided by our articles of association, may be modified or cancelled by the Company by a resolution of a general meeting of the shareholders holding all shares as one class, without any required separate resolution of any class of shares.
 
The Company may, by or pursuant to an authorization of a resolution of our shareholders:
 

consolidate all or any part of our issued or unissued authorized share capital into shares of a per share nominal value which is larger, equal to or smaller than the per share nominal value of its existing shares;
 

divide or sub-divide our shares (issued or unissued) or any of them, into shares of smaller or the same nominal value, and the resolution whereby any share is divided may determine that, as among the holders of the shares resulting from such subdivision, one or more of the shares may, in contrast to others, have any such preferred or deferred rights or rights of redemption or other special rights, or be subject to any such restrictions, as we may attach to unissued or new shares;
 

cancel any shares which, at the date of the adoption of such resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person, and reduce the amount of its share capital by the amount of the shares so canceled; or
 

reduce our share capital in any manner.