EX-4.1 2 ex4-1.htm

 

Exhibit 4.1

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

 

The following description of the capital stock of HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. (the “Company”) is based upon the Company’s certificate of incorporation, the Company’s bylaws and applicable provisions of law, in each case as currently in effect. This discussion does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Company’s certificate of incorporation and the Company’s bylaws, copies of which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Authorized Capital Stock

 

The Company is authorized to issue 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share.

 

As of March 31, 2023, there were 20,842,690 shares of common stock issued and outstanding and no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding. As of such date, there were approximately 56 holders of record of the Company’s common stock and no holders of record of the Company’s preferred stock.

 

Common Stock

 

The holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by the Company’s stockholders. There shall be no cumulative voting.

 

Subject to the rights of holders of preferred stock, the holders of shares of the Company’s common stock are entitled to dividends when and as declared by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) from funds legally available therefor if, as and when determined by the Board in its sole discretion, subject to provisions of law, and any provision of the Company’s certificate of incorporation, as amended from time to time. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company’s affairs, the holders of the Company’s common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of or provision for all of the Company’s debts and other liabilities. There are no preemptive, conversion or redemption privileges, nor sinking fund provisions with respect to the common stock.

 

All outstanding shares of common stock are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Preferred Stock

 

The Company’s certificate of incorporation authorizes the Board to issue up to 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to determine the designations and the powers, preferences and rights and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, including the dividend rights, conversion or exchange rights, voting rights (including the number of votes per share), redemption rights and terms, liquidation preferences, sinking fund provisions and the number of shares constituting the series. The Board could, 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 common stock and which could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire, a majority of the Company’s outstanding voting stock.

 

2021 Equity Incentive Plan

 

The Board and the Company’s stockholders approved the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”) on August 6, 2021. Under the 2021 Plan, 2,400,000 shares of common stock were authorized for issuance to employees, directors and independent contractors (except those performing services in connection with the offer or sale of the Company’s securities in a capital raising transaction, or promoting or maintaining a market for the Company’s securities) of the Company or its subsidiary. The 2021 Plan authorizes equity-based and cash-based incentives for participants.

 

 

 

 

There were 6,330 and 777,680 shares available for award under the 2021 Plan as of March 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. As of March 30, 2023, the Company has granted (i) options to purchase a total of 1,651,000 shares of common stock under the 2021 Plan, and (ii) an aggregate of 169,153 restricted stock units under the 2021 Plan.

 

Exclusive Forum Provision

 

Section 21 of the Company’s certificate of incorporation and Section 7.4 of the Company’s bylaws provide that “[u]nless the corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be a state or federal court located in the county in which the principal office of the corporation in the State of Delaware is established, in all cases subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange of 1934, as amended, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any claim for which the federal courts have exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction.”

 

This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with the Company or its directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against the Company and its directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, a court could find these provisions of the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in respect of one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, which may require the Company to incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect the Company’s business and financial condition.

 

Fee Shifting Provision

 

Section 7.4 of the Company’s bylaws provides that “[i]f any action is brought by any party against another party, relating to or arising out of these Bylaws, or the enforcement hereof, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover from the other party reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the prosecution or defense of such action.”

 

The bylaws provide that for this section, the term “attorneys’ fees” or “attorneys’ fees and costs” means the fees and expenses of counsel to the Company and any other parties asserting a claim subject to Section 7.4 of the bylaws, which may include printing, photocopying, duplicating and other expenses, air freight charges, and fees billed for law clerks, paralegals and other persons not admitted to the bar but performing services under the supervision of an attorney, and the costs and fees incurred in connection with the enforcement or collection of any judgment obtained in any such proceeding.

 

The Company adopted the fee-shifting provision to eliminate or decrease nuisance and frivolous litigation. The Company intends to apply the fee-shifting provision broadly to all actions except for claims brought under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

There is no set level of recovery required to be met by a plaintiff to avoid payment under this provision. Instead, whoever is the prevailing party is entitled to recover the reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the prosecution or defense of such action. Any party who brings an action, and the party against whom such action is brought under Section 7.4 of the Company’s bylaws, which could include, but is not limited to former and current shareholders, Company directors, officers, affiliates, legal counsel, expert witnesses, and other parties, are subject to this provision. Additionally, any party who brings an action, and the party against whom such action is brought under Section 7.4 of the bylaws, which could include, but is not limited to former and current shareholders, Company directors, officers, affiliates, legal counsel, expert witnesses, and other parties, would be able to recover fees under this provision.

 

 

 

 

In the event a claim is initiated or asserted against the Company, in accordance with the dispute resolution provisions contained in the Company’s bylaws, and the plaintiff does not in a judgment prevail, the plaintiff will be obligated to reimburse the Company for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with such claim, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses and costs of appeal, if any. Additionally, this provision in Section 7.4 of the bylaws could discourage shareholder lawsuits that might otherwise benefit the Company and its shareholders.

 

THE FEE SHIFTING PROVISION CONTAINED IN THE BYLAWS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE DEEMED A WAIVER BY ANY STOCKHOLDER OF THE COMPANY’S COMPLIANCE WITH THE U.S. FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS AND THE RULES AND REGULATIONS PROMULGATED THEREUNDER. THE FEE SHIFTING PROVISION CONTAINED IN THE BYLAWS DOES NOT APPLY TO CLAIMS BROUGHT UNDER THE EXCHANGE ACT AND SECURITIES ACT.

 

Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws

 

Provisions of the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it more difficult to acquire the Company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest, open market purchases, removal of incumbent directors and otherwise. These provisions, which are summarized below, are expected to discourage types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of the Company to first negotiate with the Company. The Company believes that the benefits of increased protection of the Company’s potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure the Company outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging takeover or acquisition proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

 

Removal of Directors. The certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that directors may be removed prior to the expiration of their terms by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the voting power of the issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote.

 

Vacancies. The certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide the exclusive right of the Board to elect a director to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the Board or the resignation, death, or removal of a director, which prevents stockholders from being able to fill vacancies on the Board.

 

Preferred Stock. The certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock with such rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Board in its sole discretion. The Board may, without stockholder approval, issue series of preferred stock with dividends, liquidation, conversion, voting or other rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of the common stock.

 

Amendment of Bylaws. The certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that the bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed by the Board by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors at any regular meeting of the Board.

 

Limitation of Liability. The certificate of incorporation provides for the limitation of liability of, and providing indemnification to, the Company’s directors and officers.

 

Special Stockholders Meeting. The certificate of incorporation provides that a special meeting of the stockholders may only be called by a majority of the Board.

 

Nominations of Directors. The bylaws provide for advance notice procedures that stockholders must comply with in order to nominate candidates to the Board or to propose matters to be acted upon at a stockholders’ meeting, which may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the Company.

 

Transfer Agent

 

The transfer agent and registrar for the Company’s common stock is Transhare Corporation. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is Bayside Center 1, 17755 US Highway 19 N, Suite 140, Clearwater, Florida 33764 and its telephone number is (303) 662-1112.