0001213900-22-074173.txt : 20221121 0001213900-22-074173.hdr.sgml : 20221121 20221121150032 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001213900-22-074173 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 6-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 7 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20221121 FILED AS OF DATE: 20221121 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20221121 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: NWTN, Inc. CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001932737 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: MOTOR VEHICLES & PASSENGER CAR BODIES [3711] IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: E9 FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 6-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-41559 FILM NUMBER: 221405500 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: OFF 114-117, FLR 1, BLD A, PO BOX 600 STREET 2: DUBAI DIGITAL PARK, DUBAI SILICON OASIS CITY: DUBAI STATE: C0 ZIP: 00000 BUSINESS PHONE: 971 4 259 0405 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: OFF 114-117, FLR 1, BLD A, PO BOX 600 STREET 2: DUBAI DIGITAL PARK, DUBAI SILICON OASIS CITY: DUBAI STATE: C0 ZIP: 00000 6-K 1 ea169060-6k_nwtninc.htm REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 6-K

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the month of November 2022

 

Commission File Number: 001- 41559

 

 

 

NWTN Inc.

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 

c/o Alan Nan WU

Office 114-117, Floor 1,

Building A1,

Dubai Digital Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis,

Dubai, UAE

(Address of principal executive office)

 

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F ☒  Form 40-F ☐

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ☐

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ☐

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explanatory Note

 

As previously disclosed on April 21, 2022, and as described in greater detail in the proxy statement prospectus included in the Registration Statements on Form F-4, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and declared effective on October 20, 2022 (the “Merger Proxy Statement”), which is incorporated herein by reference, East Stone Acquisition Corporation, a British Virgin Islands business company (“East Stone”), entered into a Business Combination Agreement, dated as of April 15, 2022, as amended on September 28, 2022 (the “Business Combination Agreement”), with Navy Sail International Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, in the capacity as the representative of East Stone and the shareholders of East Stone immediately prior to Closing from and after the Closing (the “Purchaser Representative”), NWTN Inc., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (“Pubco” or “NWTN”), Muse Merger Sub I Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of NWTN (the “First Merger Sub”), Muse Merger Sub II Limited, a British Virgin Islands business company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of NWTN (the “Second Merger Sub”), and ICONIQ Holding Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (the “ICONIQ”). Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, at the closing of the transaction that contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement (the “Closing”), (a) the First Merger Sub will merge with and into ICONIQ (the “First Merger”), with ICONIQ surviving the First Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco and the outstanding shares of ICONIQ being converted into the right to receive shares of Pubco; and (b) the Second Merger Sub will merge with and into East Stone (the “Second Merger”, and together with the First Merger, the “Mergers”), with East Stone surviving the Second Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Pubco and the outstanding securities of East Stone being converted into the right to receive substantially equivalent securities of the Pubco (the Mergers together with the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement and other ancillary documents, the “Transactions”). Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used herein are defined in the Business Combination Agreement.

 

On November 11, 2022 (the “Closing Date”), as contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, First Merger Sub merged with and into ICONIQ, with ICONIQ surviving the First Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco. Immediately following the First Merger, the Second Merger Sub merged with and into East Stone, with East Stone surviving the Second Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Pubco. In this Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K (this “Report”), the post-Transactions company is referred to as the “Company”.

 

Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, immediately prior to the Closing, all of the Class A ordinary shares of ICONIQ that were issued and outstanding immediately prior to the First Merger were cancelled and converted into an aggregate of 32,715,010 Pubco Class A ordinary shares. All of the Class B ordinary shares of ICONIQ that were issued and outstanding immediately prior to the First Merger were cancelled and converted into an aggregate of 207,314,707 Pubco Class B ordinary shares.

 

On the Closing Date, the following securities issuances were made by Pubco to East Stone’s securityholders: (i) each outstanding ordinary share of East Stone (including shares held by East Stone’s public shareholders as well as East Stone’s affiliates, the “East Stone Ordinary Shares”) was cancelled and converted automatically into the right to receive one Pubco Class B ordinary share (the “Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares”); (ii) each outstanding warrant (including public warrant and private warrant) of East Stone was converted into a warrant to purchase the same number of Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares at the same exercise price and for the same exercise period (“Pubco Warrant”); (iii) each outstanding right of East Stone was automatically converted into one-tenth of one Pubco Class B Ordinary Share.

 

Additionally, pursuant to certain subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with certain investors (the “PIPE Investors”), the PIPE Investors received an aggregate of 38,986,355 Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares for a purchase price at $10.26 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $400 million, as described in greater detail in the section entitled “General Description of the Business Combination Agreement” beginning on page 106 of the Merger Proxy Statement.

 

The foregoing descriptions of the Business Combination Agreement and the Subscription Agreements contained in this Report do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by the texts of the Business Combination Agreement and the Form of Subscription Agreement, which were filed as Exhibits to East Stone’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on April 21, 2022, June 15, 2022, September 29, 2022, and October 4, 2022, are incorporated by reference herein.

 

The NWTN Class B Ordinary Shares and NWTN Warrants commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on November 14, 2022 under the ticker symbols “NWTN” and “NWTNW,” respectively.

 

1

 

 

Board of Directors and Management of the Company

 

The Company’s directors and executive officers after the closing of the Transactions are described in the section entitled “Management After the Business Combination” beginning on page 243 of the Merger Proxy Statement, and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Amendment to Memorandum and Articles of Association

 

In connection with the closing of the Transactions, Pubco filed an amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Articles”) with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands. The material terms of the Articles and the general effect upon the rights of holders of the capital stock are included in the Merger Proxy Statement under the sections entitled “The Charter Proposal” and “The Organizational Documents Advisory Proposals” beginning on page 147 and page 152, respectively, which are incorporated by reference herein. The foregoing description of the Articles is a summary only and are qualified in its entirety by reference to the Articles, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 3.1 to this Report.

 

Related Agreements

 

Warrant Agreement Amendment

 

On the Closing Date, East Stone, Pubco and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (“Continental”), entered into that certain Amendment to Warrant Agreement (the “Amended Warrant Agreement”). The Amended Warrant Agreement amends that certain Warrant Agreement, dated as of February 19, 2020, by and between East Stone and Continental (the “Existing Warrant Agreement”) to provide for the assignment by East Stone and the assumption by Pubco of all the rights and obligations of East Stone under the Existing Warrant Agreement with respect to the East Stone warrants. Pursuant to the Amended Warrant Agreement, all East Stone warrants under the Existing Warrant Agreement will no longer be exercisable for East Stone Ordinary Shares, but instead will be exercisable for Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares.

 

A copy of the form of Warrant Agreement Amendment is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Report and the foregoing description of the Warrant Agreement Amendment is qualified in its entirety by reference thereto.

  

Seller Registration Rights Agreement

 

At the Closing, Pubco and certain holders of ICONIQ’s share (the “Sellers”) entered into the Seller Registration Rights Agreement which obligates Pubco to register for resale under the Securities Act all or any portion of their Pubco Class A Ordinary or the Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares received as Company Share Consideration (including any Earnout Shares) (together with any capital shares or other securities issued as a dividend or distribution with respect thereto or in exchange therefor, the “Registrable Securities”), except that Registrable Securities that are subject to transfer restrictions in the Lock-Up Agreements may not be requested to be registered or registered until the end of the Lock-Up Period. Sellers holding a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities (based on the number of shares and not voting rights) will be entitled under the Registration Rights Agreement to make a written demand for registration under the Securities Act of all or part of their Registrable Securities, and other Sellers holding Registrable Securities will be entitled to join in such demand registration. Subject to certain exceptions, if any time after the Closing, Pubco proposes to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to its securities, under the Seller Registration Rights Agreement, Pubco shall give notice to the Sellers holding Registrable Securities as to the proposed filing and offer them an opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as requested by them in writing, subject to customary cut-backs. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, Sellers holding Registrable Securities will be entitled under the Seller Registration Rights Agreement to request in writing that Pubco register the resale of any or all of such Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or F-3 and any similar short-form registration that may be available at such time. Under the Seller Registration Rights Agreement, Pubco will indemnify the holders of Registrable Securities and certain persons or entities related to them, such as their officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives, against any losses or damages resulting from any untrue statement or omission of a material fact in any registration statement or prospectus pursuant to which they sell Registrable Securities, unless such liability arose from their misstatement or omission, and the holders of Registrable Securities, including Registrable Securities in any registration statement or prospectus, will agree to indemnify Pubco and certain persons or entities related to Pubco, such as its officers and directors and underwriters, against all losses caused by their misstatements or omissions in those documents.

 

2

 

 

A copy of the form of Seller Registration Rights Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.2 to this Report and the foregoing description of the Seller Registration Rights Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference thereto.

 

Founders Registration Rights Agreement Amendment

 

At the Closing, East Stone, Pubco, certain initial shareholders of East Stone and the other parties thereto entered into the founders registration rights agreement amendment (the “Founders Registration Rights Agreement Amendment”). Under the Founders Registration Rights Agreement Amendment, the original founder registration rights agreement, entered into as of February 19, 2020 was amended to, among other things, add Pubco as a party and to reflect the issuance of Pubco Ordinary Shares and Pubco Warrants pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, and to reconcile with the provisions of the Seller Registration Rights Agreement, including making the registration rights of the Sellers and the initial Shareholders of East Stone pari passu with respect to any underwriting cut-backs.

 

A copy of the form of Founders Registration Rights Agreement Amendment is filed as Exhibit 10.3 to this Report and the foregoing description of the Founders Registration Rights Agreement Amendment is qualified in its entirety by reference thereto.

 

Non-Competition Agreement

 

At the Closing, Pubco, East Stone, ICONIQ and the Purchaser Representative entered into a non-competition and non-solicitation agreement ) (each a “Non-Competition Agreement”), with each of five (5) senior executives of ICONIQ (each a “Subject Party”) in favor of and for the benefit of the Pubco, East Stone, ICONIQ and each of their respective affiliates and successors, pursuant to which each Subject Party agreed that they would not directly or indirectly engage in a competitive business in the Territory (as defined in the Non-Competition Agreement) for a period of three (3) years after the Closing. Each Non-Competition Agreement also contains customary non-solicit, non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions.

 

A copy of the form of Non-Competition Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.4 to this Report and the foregoing description of the Non-Competition Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference thereto.

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

Some of the information contained in this Report, or incorporated by reference herein, constitutes “forward-looking statements” within the definition of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by forward-looking words such as “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “future,” “expect,” “intends,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “aim,” “strive,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” or similar words. Investors should read statements that contain these words carefully because they:

 

  discuss future expectations;

 

  contain projections of future results of operations or financial condition; or

 

  state other “forward-looking” information.

 

We believe it is important to communicate our expectations to its securityholders. However, there may be events in the future that our management is not able to predict accurately or over which we have no control. The risk factors and cautionary language contained in this Report, and incorporated herein by reference, involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results or events may differ materially from those projected or implied in those statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to the factors discussed under the “Risk Factors,” “Forward-Looking Statements,” and “ICONIQ’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections beginning on pages 47, 94, and 230, respectively, of the Merger Proxy Statement, which sections are incorporated herein by reference. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to revise any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events after the date of this Report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should, however, review the factors and risks described in the reports that the Company will file from time to time with the SEC after the date of this Report.

  

3

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

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

 

Dated: November 21, 2022

 

  NWTN Inc.
     
  By: /s/ Alan Nan Wu
  Name:  Alan Nan Wu
  Title: Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director and Chairman

 

4

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number   Description
3.1   Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of NWTN Inc.
10.1   Warrant Agreement Amendment.
10.2   Form of Seller Registration Rights Agreement
10.3   Founders Registration Rights Agreement Amendment
10.4   Form of Non-Competition Agreement

 

 

5

 

 

EX-3.1 2 ea169060ex3-1_nwtninc.htm AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF NWTN INC

Exhibit 3.1

 

Dated 11 November 2022
 

Companies Act (Revised)

 

Company Limited by Shares

 

 
 

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

memorandum of association

OF

NWTN Inc.

 

 

 

(Adopted by special resolution on 11 November 2022)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Companies Act (Revised)

 

Company Limited by Shares

 

Amended and Restated

 

Memorandum of Association

 

of

 

NWTN Inc.

 

Adopted by special resolution on 11 November 2022

 

1The name of the Company is NWTN Inc.

 

2The Company’s registered office will be situated at the office of ICS Corporate Services (Cayman) Limited, 3-212 Governors Square, 23 Lime Tree Bay Avenue, P.O. Box 30746, Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, KY1-1203, Cayman Islands or at such other place in the Cayman Islands as the directors may at any time decide.

 

3The Company’s objects are unrestricted. As provided by section 7(4) of the Companies Act (Revised), the Company has full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by any law of the Cayman Islands.

 

4The Company has unrestricted corporate capacity. Without limitation to the foregoing, as provided by section 27 (2) of the Companies Act (Revised), the Company has and is capable of exercising all the functions of a natural person of full capacity irrespective of any question of corporate benefit.

 

5Nothing in any of the preceding paragraphs permits the Company to carry on any of the following businesses without being duly licensed, namely:

 

(a)the business of a bank or trust company without being licensed in that behalf under the Banks and Trust Companies Act (Revised); or

 

(b)insurance business from within the Cayman Islands or the business of an insurance manager, agent, sub-agent or broker without being licensed in that behalf under the Insurance Act (Revised);or

 

(c)the business of company management without being licensed in that behalf under the Companies Management Act (Revised).

 

6The Company will not trade in the Cayman Islands with any person, firm or corporation except in furtherance of its business carried on outside the Cayman Islands. Despite this, the Company may effect and conclude contracts in the Cayman Islands and exercise in the Cayman Islands any of its powers necessary for the carrying on of its business outside the Cayman Islands.

 

7The Company is a company limited by shares and accordingly the liability of each member is limited to the amount (if any) unpaid on that member’s shares.

 

8The share capital of the Company is US$50,000 divided into 100,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares of US$0.0001 par value per share and 400,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares of US$0.0001 par value per shar. Other than as set out in the preceding sentence, there is no limit on the number of shares of any class which the Company is authorised to issue. However, subject to the Companies Act (Revised) and the Company’s articles of association, the Company has power to do any one or more of the following:

 

(a)redeem or repurchase any of its shares;

 

(b)increase or reduce its capital;

 

(c)issue any part of its capital (whether original, redeemed, increased or reduced):

 

(i)with or without any preferential, deferred, qualified or special rights, privileges or conditions; or

 

(ii)subject to any limitations or restrictions

 

and unless the condition of issue expressly declares otherwise, every issue of shares (whether declared to be ordinary, preference or otherwise) is subject to this power; and

 

(d)alter any of those rights, privileges, conditions, limitations or restrictions.

 

9The Company has power to register by way of continuation as a body corporate limited by shares under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and to be deregistered in the Cayman Islands.

 

 

 

 

Dated 11 November 2022
 

Companies Act (Revised)

 

Company Limited By Shares

 
 

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

articles of association
of
NWTN Inc.

 

 

 

(Adopted by special resolution on 11 November 2022)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents

 

1 Definitions, interpretation and exclusion of Table A 1
Definitions 1
Interpretation 4
Exclusion of Table A Articles 4
Shares 4
Power to issue Shares and options, with or without special rights 4
Power to pay commissions and brokerage fees 5
Trusts not recognised 5
Security interests 6
Power to vary class rights 6
Effect of new Share issue on existing class rights 6
No bearer Shares or warrants 6
Treasury Shares 6
Rights attaching to Treasury Shares and related matters 6
Register of Members 7
Annual Return 7
3  Share certificates 7
Issue of share certificates 7
Renewal of lost or damaged share certificates 7
Lien on Shares 8
Nature and scope of lien 8
Company may sell Shares to satisfy lien 8
Authority to execute instrument of transfer 8
Consequences of sale of Shares to satisfy lien 8
Application of proceeds of sale 8
5 Calls on Shares and forfeiture 9
Power to make calls and effect of calls 9
Time when call made 9
Liability of joint holders 9
Interest on unpaid calls 9
Deemed calls 9
Power to accept early payment 9
Power to make different arrangements at time of issue of Shares 9
Notice of default 9
Forfeiture or surrender of Shares 10
Disposal of forfeited or surrendered Share and power to cancel forfeiture or surrender 10
Effect of forfeiture or surrender on former Member 10
Evidence of forfeiture or surrender 10
Sale of forfeited or surrendered Shares 10
Transfer of Shares 10
Right to transfer
Form of Transfer 10
Power to refuse registration for Shares not listed on a Designated Stock Exchange 11
Suspension of transfers 11
Company may retain instrument of transfer 11
Notice of refusal to register 11

 

i

 

 

Transmission of Shares 11
Persons entitled on death of a Member 11
Registration of transfer of a Share following death or bankruptcy 11
Indemnity 12
Rights of person entitled to a Share following death or bankruptcy 12
Alteration of capital 12
Increasing, consolidating, converting, dividing and cancelling share capital 12
Dealing with fractions resulting from consolidation of Shares 12
Reducing share capital 12
9  Conversion, redemption and purchase of own Shares 13
Power to issue redeemable Shares and to purchase own Shares 13
Power to pay for redemption or purchase in cash or in specie 13
Effect of redemption or purchase of a Share 13
Conversion Rights 13
Share Conversions 14
10  Meetings of Members 14
Annual and extraordinary general meetings 14
Power to call meetings 14
Content of notice 15
Period of notice 15
Persons entitled to receive notice 15
Accidental omission to give notice or non-receipt of notice 15
11  Proceedings at meetings of Members 15
Quorum 15
Lack of quorum 16
Chairman 16
Right of a Director to attend and speak 16
Accommodation of Members at meeting 16
Security 16
Adjournment 16
Method of voting 16
Outcome of vote by show of hands 17
Withdrawal of demand for a poll 17
Taking of a poll 17
Chairman’s casting vote 17
Written resolutions 17
Sole-Member Company 18
12  Voting rights of Members 18
Right to vote 18
Voting Rights 18
Rights of joint holders 18
Representation of corporate Members 18
Member with mental disorder 18
Objections to admissibility of votes 19
Form of proxy 19
How and when proxy is to be delivered 19
Voting by proxy 21
13  Number and Class of Directors 21

 

ii

 

 

14  Appointment, disqualification and removal of Directors 22
First Directors 22
Designation 22
No age limit 22
Corporate Directors 22
No shareholding qualification 22
Appointment of Directors 22
Board’s power to appoint Directors 22
Eligibility 23
Appointment at annual general meeting 23
Removal of Directors 23
Resignation of Directors 23
Termination of the office of Director 23
15  Alternate Directors 24
Appointment and removal 24
Notices 24
Rights of alternate Director 24
Appointment ceases when the appointor ceases to be a Director 24
Status of alternate Director 25
Status of the Director making the appointment 25
16  Powers of Directors 25
Powers of Directors 25
Directors below the minimum number 25
Appointments to office 25
Provisions for employees 25
Exercise of voting rights 26
Remuneration 26
Disclosure of information 26
17  Delegation of powers 26
Power to delegate any of the Directors’ powers to a committee 26
Local boards 27
Power to appoint an agent of the Company 27
Power to appoint an attorney or authorised signatory of the Company 27
Borrowing Powers 28
Corporate Governance 28
18  Meetings of Directors 28
Regulation of Directors’ meetings 28
Calling meetings 28
Notice of meetings 28
Use of technology 28
Quorum 28
Chairman or deputy to preside 28
Voting 29
Recording of dissent 29
Written resolutions 29
Validity of acts of Directors in spite of formal defect 29
19  Permissible Directors’ interests and disclosure 29
20  Minutes 30
21  Accounts and audit 30
Auditors 30
22  Record dates 31
23  Dividends 31
Source of dividends 31
Declaration of dividends by Members 31
Payment of interim dividends and declaration of final dividends by Directors 31
Apportionment of dividends 32
Right of set off 32
Power to pay other than in cash 32
How payments may be made 32
Dividends or other monies not to bear interest in absence of special rights 32
Dividends unable to be paid or unclaimed 33
24  Capitalisation of profits 33
Capitalisation of profits or of any share premium account or capital redemption reserve; 33
Applying an amount for the benefit of Members 33
25  Share Premium Account 33
Directors to maintain share premium account 33
Debits to share premium account 33

 

iii

 

 

26  Seal 34
Company seal 34
Duplicate seal 34
When and how seal is to be used 34
If no seal is adopted or used 34
Power to allow non-manual signatures and facsimile printing of seal 34
Validity of execution 34
27  Indemnity 34
Release 35
Insurance 35
28  Notices 35
Form of notices 35
Electronic communications 35
Persons entitled to notices 36
Persons authorised to give notices 36
Delivery of written notices 36
Joint holders 36
Signatures 36
Giving notice to a deceased or bankrupt Member 36
Date of giving notices 37
Saving provision 37
29  Authentication of Electronic Records 37
Application of Articles 37
Authentication of documents sent by Members by Electronic means 37
Authentication of document sent by the Secretary or Officers of the Company by Electronic means 37
Manner of signing 38
Saving provision 38
30  Transfer by way of continuation 38
31  Winding up 38
Distribution of assets in specie 38
No obligation to accept liability 38
32  Amendment of Memorandum and Articles 38
Power to change name or amend Memorandum 38
Power to amend these Articles 38

 

iv

 

 

Companies Act (Revised)

 

Company Limited by Shares

 

Amended and Restated

 

Articles of Association

 

of

 

NWTN Inc.

 

Adopted by special resolution on 11 November 2022

 

1Definitions, interpretation and exclusion of Table A

 

Definitions

 

1.1In these Articles, the following definitions apply:

 

Act means the Companies Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands, including any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force;

 

Affiliate means, with respect to a person, (i) any other person which, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is Controlled by or is under common Control with such person, including trusts, funds and accounts promoted, sponsored, managed, advised or serviced by such person (ii) if such person is an individual, his/her Family Member and Affiliates of such person and/or his/her Family Members; provided, that in the case of a Key Executive, the term Affiliate shall include such Key Executive’s Permitted Entities, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein;

 

Articles means, as appropriate:

 

(a)these articles of association as amended from time to time: or

 

(b)two or more particular articles of these Articles;

 

and Article refers to a particular article of these Articles;

 

Auditors means the auditor or auditors for the time being of the Company;

 

Board means the board of Directors from time to time;

 

Business Day means a day when banks in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands are open for the transaction of normal banking business and for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in the Cayman Islands;

 

Cayman Islands means the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands;

 

Class A Ordinary Share means an Ordinary Share designated by the directors as a Class A Ordinary Share;

 

Class B Ordinary Share means an Ordinary Share designated by the directors as a Class B Ordinary Share;

 

Clear Days, in relation to a period of notice, means that period excluding:

 

(a)the day when the notice is given or deemed to be given; and

 

(b)the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect;

 

Commission means Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America or other federal agency for the time being administering the U.S. Securities Act;

 

Company means the above-named company;

 

1

 

 

Control, Controlling, under common Control with means, with respect to any person, the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power or authority (whether exercised or not) to direct or cause the direction of the operation of that person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, as a trustee or executor, or otherwise, and in any event shall be deemed to exist where one person owns more than 50% voting securities of another person or has the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board of directors (or a similar governing body) of such other person);

 

Default Rate means ten per cent per annum;

 

Designated Stock Exchanges means the Nasdaq Capital Market in the United States of America for so long as the Company’s Shares are there listed and any other stock exchange on which the Company’s Shares are listed for trading;

 

Designated Stock Exchange Rules means the relevant code, rules and regulations, as amended, from time to time, applicable as a result of the original and continued listing of any Shares on the Designated Stock Exchanges;

 

Directors means the directors for the time being of the Company and the expression Director shall be construed accordingly;

 

Electronic has the meaning given to that term in the Electronic Transactions Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands;

 

Electronic Record has the meaning given to that term in the Electronic Transactions Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands;

 

Electronic Signature has the meaning given to that term in the Electronic Transactions Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands;

 

Family Member means, with respect to an individual, any of such individual’s former, current or future spouse, parent, step-parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, child, step-child, grandchild, step-grandchild, sibling, step-sibling, niece, nephew and in-laws, including adoptive relationships;

 

Fully Paid Up means:

 

(a)in relation to a Share with par value, means that the par value for that Share and any premium payable in respect of the issue of that Share, has been fully paid or credited as paid in money or money’s worth; and

 

(b)in relation to a Share without par value, means that the agreed issue price for that Share has been fully paid or credited as paid in money or money’s worth;

 

General Meeting means a general meeting of the Company duly constituted in accordance with the Articles;

 

Independent Director means a Director who is an independent director as defined in the Designated Stock Exchange Rules as determined by the Board;

 

Key Executives means Muse Limited, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and Alan Nan WU, the sole shareholder of Muse Limited;

 

Member means any person or persons entered on the register of Members from time to time as the holder of a Share;

 

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Memorandum means the memorandum of association of the Company as amended from time to time;

 

month means a calendar month;

 

Officer means a person appointed to hold an office in the Company including a Director, alternate Director or liquidator and excluding the Secretary;

 

Ordinary Resolution means a resolution of a General Meeting passed by a simple majority of Members who (being entitled to do so) vote in person or by proxy at that meeting. The expression includes a unanimous written resolution;

 

Ordinary Share means an ordinary share in the capital of the Company having the rights set out in these Articles and issued as either a Class A Ordinary Share or as a Class B Ordinary Share. In these Articles the term Ordinary Share shall embrace all classes of Ordinary Share except where reference is made to a specific class;

 

Partly Paid Up means:

 

(a)in relation to a Share with par value, that the par value for that Share and any premium payable in respect of the issue of that Share, has not been fully paid or credited as paid in money or money’s worth; and

 

(b)in relation to a Share without par value, means that the agreed issue price for that Share has not been fully paid or credited as paid in money or money’s worth;

 

Permitted Entity means, with respect to any Key Executive: (a) any person in respect of which such Key Executive has, directly or indirectly: (i) Control with respect to the voting of all the Class A Ordinary Shares held by or to be transferred to such person; (ii) the ability to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such person or any other person having the authority referred to in the preceding clause (a)(i) (whether by contract, as executor, trustee, trust protector or otherwise); or (iii) the operational or practical Control of such person, including through the right to appoint, designate, remove or replace the person having the authority referred to in the preceding clauses (a)(i) or (ii); and (b) any trust or estate planning entity (including partnerships, limited companies, and limited liability companies), that is primarily for the benefit of, or the ownership interests of which are Controlled by, the Key Executive or its Affiliates and/or any persons Controlled directly or indirectly Controlled by such a trust or other trusts or estate planning entities described in this paragraph (b);

 

Permitted Transferee means, with respect to each holder of Class A Ordinary Shares, any or all of the following: (a) any Key Executive; (b) any Key Executive’s Affiliate; (c) the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (d) in connection with a transfer as a result of, or in connection with, the death or incapacity of a Key Executive: any Key Executive’s Family Members, another holder of Class A Ordinary Shares, or a designee approved by majority of all Directors, provided that in case of any transfer of Class A Ordinary Shares pursuant to clauses (b) through (c) above to a person who at any later time ceases to be a Permitted Transferee under the relevant clause, the Company shall be entitled to refuse registration of any subsequent transfer of such Class A Ordinary Shares except back to the transferor of such Class A Ordinary Shares pursuant to clauses (b) through (c) (or to a Key Executive or his or her Permitted Transferees) and in the absence of such transfer back to the transferor (or to a Key Executive or his or her Permitted Transferees), the applicable Class A Ordinary Shares shall convert in accordance with Article 9.6 applied mutatis mutandis;

 

Register of Members means the register of Members maintained in accordance with the Act and includes (except where otherwise stated) any branch or duplicate register of the Members;

 

Secretary means a person appointed to perform the duties of the secretary of the Company, including a joint, assistant or deputy secretary;

 

Share means a share in the capital of the Company and the expression:

 

(a)includes stock (except where a distinction between shares and stock is expressed or implied); and

 

(b)where the context permits, also includes a fraction of a Share;

 

Special Resolution means a resolution of a General Meeting or a resolution of a meeting of the holders of any class of Shares in a class meeting duly constituted in accordance with the Articles in each case passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of Members who (being entitled to do so) vote in person or by proxy at that meeting. The expression includes a unanimous written resolution;

 

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Treasury Shares means Shares held in treasury pursuant to the Act and Article 2.14; and

 

U.S. Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933 of the United States of America, as amended, or any similar federal statute and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time.

 

Interpretation

 

1.2In the interpretation of these Articles, the following provisions apply unless the context otherwise requires:

 

(a)A reference in these Articles to a statute is a reference to a statute of the Cayman Islands as known by its short title, and includes:

 

(i)any statutory modification, amendment or re-enactment; and

 

(ii)any subordinate legislation or regulations issued under that statute.

 

Without limitation to the preceding sentence, a reference to a revised law of the Cayman Islands is taken to be a reference to the revision of that law in force from time to time as amended from time to time.

 

(b)Headings are inserted for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of these Articles, unless there is ambiguity.

 

(c)If a day on which any act, matter or thing is to be done under these Articles is not a Business Day, the act, matter or thing must be done on the next Business Day.

 

(d)A word which denotes the singular also denotes the plural, a word which denotes the plural also denotes the singular, and a reference to any gender also denotes the other genders.

 

(e)A reference to a person includes, as appropriate, a company, trust, partnership, joint venture, association, body corporate or government agency.

 

(f)Where a word or phrase is given a defined meaning another part of speech or grammatical form in respect to that word or phrase has a corresponding meaning.

 

(g)All references to time are to be calculated by reference to time in the place where the Company’s registered office is located.

 

(h)The words written and in writing include all modes of representing or reproducing words in a visible form, but do not include an Electronic Record where the distinction between a document in writing and an Electronic Record is expressed or implied.

 

(i)The words including, include and in particular or any similar expression are to be construed without limitation.

 

1.3The headings in these Articles are intended for convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation of these Articles.

 

Exclusion of Table A Articles

 

1.4The regulations contained in Table A in the First Schedule of the Act and any other regulations contained in any statute or subordinate legislation are expressly excluded and do not apply to the Company.

 

2Shares

 

Power to issue Shares and options, with or without special rights

 

2.1Subject to the provisions of the Act, Article 2.3 and these Articles about the redemption and purchase of the Shares, the Directors have general and unconditional authority to allot (with or without confirming rights of renunciation), grant options over or otherwise deal with any unissued Shares to such persons, at such times and on such terms and conditions as they may decide. No Share may be issued at a discount except in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

 

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2.2Without limitation to the preceding Article, the Directors may so deal with the unissued Shares:

 

(a)either at a premium or at par; or

 

(b)with or without preferred, deferred or other special rights or restrictions, whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise.

 

2.3Subject to the applicable law, in addition to any rights provided by the Act or otherwise set forth in these Articles, the Company shall not, without the approval by vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the Class A Ordinary Shares, voting exclusively and as a separate class, directly or indirectly, or whether by amendment of these Articles, or through merger, recapitalization, consolidation or otherwise:

 

(a)increase the number of authorized Class A Ordinary Shares;

 

(b)issue any Class A Ordinary Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Class A Ordinary Shares, other than (i) to any Key Executive or his Affiliates, or (ii) on a pro rata basis to all holders of Class A Ordinary Shares permitted to hold such shares under these Articles;

 

(c)create, authorize, issue, or reclassify into, any preference shares in the capital of the Company or any Share that carry more than one (1) vote per Share;

 

(d)reclassify any Class A Ordinary Shares into any other class of Shares or consolidate or combine any Class A Ordinary Shares without proportionately increasing the number of votes per Class A Ordinary Share; or

 

(e)amend, restate, waive, adopt any provision inconsistent with or otherwise vary or alter any provision of the Memorandum or these Articles relating to the voting, conversion or other rights, powers, preferences, privileges or restrictions of the Class A Ordinary Shares.

 

2.4Without limitation to the three preceding Articles, the Directors may refuse to accept any application for Shares, and may accept any application in whole or in part, for any reason or for no reason.

 

Power to pay commissions and brokerage fees

 

2.5The Company may pay a commission to any person in consideration of that person:

 

(a)subscribing or agreeing to subscribe, whether absolutely or conditionally; or

 

(b)procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions, whether absolute or conditional,

 

for any Shares. That commission may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the allotment of Fully Paid Up or Partly Paid Up Shares or partly in one way and partly in another.

 

2.6The Company may employ a broker in the issue of its capital and pay him any proper commission or brokerage.

 

Trusts not recognised

 

2.7Except as required by law:

 

(a)no person shall be recognised by the Company as holding any Share on any trust; and

 

(b)no person other than the Member shall be recognised by the Company as having any right in a Share.

 

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Security interests

 

2.8Notwithstanding the preceding Article, the Company may (but shall not be obliged to) recognise a security interest of which it has actual notice over shares. The Company shall not be treated as having recognised any such security interest unless it has so agreed in writing with the secured party.

 

Power to vary class rights

 

2.9Subject to Article 8.1, if at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of Shares, the rights attached to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class) may, whether or not the Company is being wound up, be varied or abrogated without the consent of the holders of the issued Shares of that class where such variation or abrogation is considered by the Directors not to have a material adverse effect upon such rights; otherwise, any such variation or abrogation shall be made only with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the issued Shares of that class, or with the approval of a Special Resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the Shares of that class. For the avoidance of doubt, the Directors reserve the right, notwithstanding that any such variation or abrogation may not have a material adverse effect, to obtain consent from the holders of Shares of the relevant class.

 

2.10For the purpose of Article 2.9, all the provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings apply, mutatis mutandis, to every such separate meeting except that:

 

(a)the necessary quorum shall be one or more persons holding, or representing by proxy, not less than one third of the issued Shares of the class; and

 

(b)any Member holding issued Shares of the class, present in person or by proxy or, in the case of a corporate Member, by its duly authorised representative, may demand a poll.

 

2.11For the purposes of a separate class meeting, the Directors may treat two or more or all the classes of Shares as forming one class of Shares if the Directors consider that such classes of Shares would be affected in the same way by the proposals under consideration, but in any other case shall treat them as separate classes of Shares.

 

Effect of new Share issue on existing class rights

 

2.12Unless the terms on which a class of Shares was issued state otherwise, the rights conferred on the Member holding Shares of any class shall not be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu with the existing Shares of that class.

 

No bearer Shares or warrants

 

2.13The Company shall not issue Shares or warrants to bearers.

 

Treasury Shares

 

2.14Shares that the Company purchases, redeems or acquires by way of surrender in accordance with the Act shall be held as Treasury Shares and not treated as cancelled if:

 

(a)the Directors so determine prior to the purchase, redemption or surrender of those shares; and

 

(b)the relevant provisions of the Memorandum and Articles and the Act are otherwise complied with.

 

Rights attaching to Treasury Shares and related matters

 

2.15No dividend may be declared or paid, and no other distribution (whether in cash or otherwise) of the Company’s assets (including any distribution of assets to Members on a winding up) may be made to the Company in respect of a Treasury Share.

 

2.16The Company shall be entered in the register of Members as the holder of the Treasury Shares. However:

 

(a)the Company shall not be treated as a Member for any purpose and shall not exercise any right in respect of the Treasury Shares, and any purported exercise of such a right shall be void; and

 

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(b)a Treasury Share shall not be voted, directly or indirectly, at any meeting of the Company and shall not be counted in determining the total number of issued shares at any given time, whether for the purposes of these Articles or the Act.

 

2.17Nothing in Article 2.16 prevents an allotment of Shares as Fully Paid Up bonus shares in respect of a Treasury Share and Shares allotted as Fully Paid Up bonus shares in respect of a Treasury Share shall be treated as Treasury Shares.

 

2.18Treasury Shares may be disposed of by the Company in accordance with the Act and otherwise on such terms and conditions as the Directors determine.

 

Register of Members

 

2.19The Directors shall keep or cause to be kept a register of Members as required by the Act and may cause the Company to maintain one or more branch registers as contemplated by the Act, provided that where the Company is maintaining one or more branch registers, the Directors shall ensure that a duplicate of each branch register is kept with the Company’s principal register of Members and updated within such number of days of any amendment having been made to such branch register as may be required by the Act.

 

Annual Return

 

2.20The Directors in each calendar year shall prepare or cause to be prepared an annual return and declaration setting forth the particulars required by the Act and shall deliver a copy thereof to the registrar of companies for the Cayman Islands.

 

3Share certificates

 

Issue of share certificates

 

3.1A Member shall only be entitled to a share certificate if the Directors resolve that share certificates shall be issued. Share certificates representing Shares, if any, shall be in such form as the Directors may determine. If the Directors resolve that share certificates shall be issued, upon being entered in the register of Members as the holder of a Share, the Directors may issue to any Member:

 

(a)without payment, one certificate for all the Shares of each class held by that Member (and, upon transferring a part of the Member’s holding of Shares of any class, to a certificate for the balance of that holding); and

 

(b)upon payment of such reasonable sum as the Directors may determine for every certificate after the first, several certificates each for one or more of that Member’s Shares.

 

3.2Every certificate shall specify the number, class and distinguishing numbers (if any) of the Shares to which it relates and whether they are Fully Paid Up or Partly Paid Up. A certificate may be executed under seal or executed in such other manner as the Directors determine.

 

3.3Every certificate shall bear legends required under the applicable laws, including the U.S. Securities Act.

 

3.4The Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate for Shares held jointly by several persons and delivery of a certificate for a Share to one joint holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them.

 

Renewal of lost or damaged share certificates

 

3.5If a share certificate is defaced, worn-out, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such terms (if any) as to:

 

(a)evidence;

 

(b)indemnity;

 

(c)payment of the expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in investigating the evidence; and

 

(d)payment of a reasonable fee, if any for issuing a replacement share certificate,

 

as the Directors may determine, and (in the case of defacement or wearing-out) on delivery to the Company of the old certificate.

 

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4Lien on Shares

 

Nature and scope of lien

 

4.1The Company has a first and paramount lien on all Shares (whether Fully Paid Up or not) registered in the name of a Member (whether solely or jointly with others). The lien is for all monies payable to the Company by the Member or the Member’s estate:

 

(a)either alone or jointly with any other person, whether or not that other person is a Member; and

 

(b)whether or not those monies are presently payable.

 

4.2At any time the Board may declare any Share to be wholly or partly exempt from the provisions of this Article.

 

Company may sell Shares to satisfy lien

 

4.3The Company may sell any Shares over which it has a lien if all of the following conditions are met:

 

(a)the sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable;

 

(b)the Company gives notice to the Member holding the Share (or to the person entitled to it in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of that Member) demanding payment and stating that if the notice is not complied with the Shares may be sold; and

 

(c)that sum is not paid within fourteen Clear Days after that notice is deemed to be given under these Articles,

 

and Shares to which this Article 4.3 applies shall be referred to as Lien Default Shares.

 

4.4The Lien Default Shares may be sold in such manner as the Board determines.

 

4.5To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Directors shall incur no personal liability to the Member concerned in respect of the sale.

 

Authority to execute instrument of transfer

 

4.6To give effect to a sale, the Directors may authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Lien Default Shares sold to, or in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser.

 

4.7The title of the transferee of the Lien Default Shares shall not be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in respect of the sale.

 

Consequences of sale of Shares to satisfy lien

 

4.8On a sale pursuant to the preceding Articles:

 

(a)the name of the Member concerned shall be removed from the register of Members as the holder of those Lien Default Shares; and

 

(b)that person shall deliver to the Company for cancellation the certificate (if any) for those Lien Default Shares.

 

4.9Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 4.8, such person shall remain liable to the Company for all monies which, at the date of sale, were presently payable by him to the Company in respect of those Lien Default Shares. That person shall also be liable to pay interest on those monies from the date of sale until payment at the rate at which interest was payable before that sale or, failing that, at the Default Rate. The Board may waive payment wholly or in part or enforce payment without any allowance for the value of the Lien Default Shares at the time of sale or for any consideration received on their disposal.

 

Application of proceeds of sale

 

4.10The net proceeds of the sale, after payment of the costs, shall be applied in payment of so much of the sum for which the lien exists as is presently payable. Any residue shall be paid to the person whose Lien Default Shares have been sold:

 

(a)if no certificate for the Lien Default Shares was issued, at the date of the sale; or

 

(b)if a certificate for the Lien Default Shares was issued, upon surrender to the Company of that certificate for cancellation

 

but, in either case, subject to the Company retaining a like lien for all sums not presently payable as existed on the Lien Default Shares before the sale.

 

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5Calls on Shares and forfeiture

 

Power to make calls and effect of calls

 

5.1Subject to the terms of allotment, the Board may make calls on the Members in respect of any monies unpaid on their Shares including any premium. The call may provide for payment to be by instalments. Subject to receiving at least 14 Clear Days’ notice specifying when and where payment is to be made, each Member shall pay to the Company the amount called on his Shares as required by the notice.

 

5.2Before receipt by the Company of any sum due under a call, that call may be revoked in whole or in part and payment of a call may be postponed in whole or in part. Where a call is to be paid in instalments, the Company may revoke the call in respect of all or any remaining instalments in whole or in part and may postpone payment of all or any of the remaining instalments in whole or in part.

 

5.3A Member on whom a call is made shall remain liable for that call notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was made. He shall not be liable for calls made after he is no longer registered as Member in respect of those Shares.

 

Time when call made

 

5.4A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising the call was passed.

 

Liability of joint holders

 

5.5Members registered as the joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect of the Share.

 

Interest on unpaid calls

 

5.6If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the person from whom it is due and payable shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day it became due and payable until it is paid:

 

(a)at the rate fixed by the terms of allotment of the Share or in the notice of the call; or

 

(b)if no rate is fixed, at the Default Rate.

 

The Directors may waive payment of the interest wholly or in part.

 

Deemed calls

 

5.7Any amount payable in respect of a Share, whether on allotment or on a fixed date or otherwise, shall be deemed to be payable as a call. If the amount is not paid when due the provisions of these Articles shall apply as if the amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call.

 

Power to accept early payment

 

5.8The Company may accept from a Member the whole or a part of the amount remaining unpaid on Shares held by him although no part of that amount has been called up.

 

Power to make different arrangements at time of issue of Shares

 

5.9Subject to the terms of allotment, the Directors may make arrangements on the issue of Shares to distinguish between Members in the amounts and times of payment of calls on their Shares.

 

Notice of default

 

5.10If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the Directors may give to the person from whom it is due not less than 14 Clear Days’ notice requiring payment of:

 

(a)the amount unpaid;

 

(b)any interest which may have accrued;

 

(c)any expenses which have been incurred by the Company due to that person’s default.

 

5.11The notice shall state the following:

 

(a)the place where payment is to be made; and

 

(b)a warning that if the notice is not complied with the Shares in respect of which the call is made will be liable to be forfeited.

 

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Forfeiture or surrender of Shares

 

5.12If the notice given pursuant to Article 5.10 is not complied with, the Directors may, before the payment required by the notice has been received, resolve that any Share the subject of that notice be forfeited. The forfeiture shall include all dividends or other monies payable in respect of the forfeited Share and not paid before the forfeiture. Despite the foregoing, the Board may determine that any Share the subject of that notice be accepted by the Company as surrendered by the Member holding that Share in lieu of forfeiture.

 

Disposal of forfeited or surrendered Share and power to cancel forfeiture or surrender

 

5.13A forfeited or surrendered Share may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Board determine either to the former Member who held that Share or to any other person. The forfeiture or surrender may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit at any time before a sale, re-allotment or other disposition. Where, for the purposes of its disposal, a forfeited or surrendered Share is to be transferred to any person, the Directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Share to the transferee.

 

Effect of forfeiture or surrender on former Member

 

5.14On forfeiture or surrender:

 

(a)the name of the Member concerned shall be removed from the register of Members as the holder of those Shares and that person shall cease to be a Member in respect of those Shares; and

 

(b)that person shall surrender to the Company for cancellation the certificate (if any) for the forfeited or surrendered Shares.

 

5.15Despite the forfeiture or surrender of his Shares, that person shall remain liable to the Company for all monies which at the date of forfeiture or surrender were presently payable by him to the Company in respect of those Shares together with:

 

(a)all expenses; and

 

(b)interest from the date of forfeiture or surrender until payment:

 

(i)at the rate of which interest was payable on those monies before forfeiture; or

 

(ii)if no interest was so payable, at the Default Rate.

 

The Directors, however, may waive payment wholly or in part.

 

Evidence of forfeiture or surrender

 

5.16A declaration, whether statutory or under oath, made by a Director or the Secretary shall be conclusive evidence of the following matters stated in it as against all persons claiming to be entitled to forfeited Shares:

 

(a)that the person making the declaration is a Director or Secretary of the Company, and

 

(b)that the particular Shares have been forfeited or surrendered on a particular date.

 

Subject to the execution of an instrument of transfer, if necessary, the declaration shall constitute good title to the Shares.

 

Sale of forfeited or surrendered Shares

 

5.17Any person to whom the forfeited or surrendered Shares are disposed of shall not be bound to see to the application of the consideration, if any, of those Shares nor shall his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity in, or invalidity of the proceedings in respect of, the forfeiture, surrender or disposal of those Shares.

 

6Transfer of Shares

 

Form of Transfer

 

6.1Subject to Article 9.6 and the following Articles about the transfer of Shares, and provided that such transfer complies with applicable rules of the Designated Stock Exchange, a Member may freely transfer Shares to another person by completing an instrument of transfer in a common form or in a form prescribed by the Designated Stock Exchange or in any other form approved by the directors, executed:

 

(a)where the Shares are Fully Paid, by or on behalf of that Member; and

 

(b)where the Shares are partly paid, by or on behalf of that Member and the transferee.

 

6.2The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of a Share until the name of the transferee is entered into the Register of Members.

 

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Power to refuse registration for Shares not listed on a Designated Stock Exchange

 

6.3Where the Shares in question are not listed on or subject to the rules of any Designated Stock Exchange, the Directors may in their absolute discretion decline to register any transfer of such Shares which are not Fully Paid Up or on which the Company has a lien. The Directors may also, but are not required to, decline to register any transfer of any such Share unless:

 

(a)the instrument of transfer is lodged with the Company, accompanied by the certificate (if any) for the Shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer;

 

(b)the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of Shares;

 

(c)the instrument of transfer is properly stamped, if required;

 

(d)in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the Share is to be transferred does not exceed four;

 

(e)the Shares transferred are Fully Paid Up and free of any lien in favour of the Company; and

 

(f)any applicable fee of such maximum sum as the Designated Stock Exchanges may determine to be payable, or such lesser sum as the Board may from time to time require, related to the transfer is paid to the Company.

 

Suspension of transfers

 

6.4The registration of transfers may, on 14 days’ notice being given by advertisement in such one or more newspapers or by electronic means, be suspended and the register of Members closed at such times and for such periods as the Directors may, in their absolute discretion, from time to time determine, provided always that such registration of transfer shall not be suspended nor the register of Members closed for more than 30 days in any year.

 

Company may retain instrument of transfer

 

6.5All instruments of transfer that are registered shall be retained by the Company.

 

Notice of refusal to register

 

6.6If the Directors refuse to register a transfer of any Shares not listed on a Designated Stock Exchange, they shall within one month after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged with the Company send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of the refusal.

 

7Transmission of Shares

 

Persons entitled on death of a Member

 

7.1If a Member dies, the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to the deceased Members’ interest are the following:

 

(a)where the deceased Member was a joint holder, the survivor or survivors; and

 

(b)where the deceased Member was a sole holder, that Member’s personal representative or representatives.

 

7.2Nothing in these Articles shall release the deceased Member’s estate from any liability in respect of any Share, whether the deceased was a sole holder or a joint holder.

 

Registration of transfer of a Share following death or bankruptcy

 

7.3A person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member may elect to do either of the following:

 

(a)to become the holder of the Share; or

 

(b)to transfer the Share to another person.

 

7.4That person must produce such evidence of his entitlement as the Directors may properly require.

 

7.5If the person elects to become the holder of the Share, he must give notice to the Company to that effect. For the purposes of these Articles, that notice shall be treated as though it were an executed instrument of transfer.

 

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7.6If the person elects to transfer the Share to another person then:

 

(a)if the Share is Fully Paid Up, the transferor must execute an instrument of transfer; and

 

(b)if the Share is nil or Partly Paid Up, the transferor and the transferee must execute an instrument of transfer.

 

7.7All the Articles relating to the transfer of Shares shall apply to the notice or, as appropriate, the instrument of transfer.

 

Indemnity

 

7.8A person registered as a Member by reason of the death or bankruptcy of another Member shall indemnify the Company and the Directors against any loss or damage suffered by the Company or the Directors as a result of that registration.

 

Rights of person entitled to a Share following death or bankruptcy

 

7.9A person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy of a Member shall have the rights to which he would be entitled if he were registered as the holder of the Share. But, until he is registered as Member in respect of the Share, he shall not be entitled to attend or vote at any meeting of the Company or at any separate meeting of the holders of that class of Shares.

 

8Alteration of capital

 

Increasing, consolidating, converting, dividing and cancelling share capital

 

8.1Subject to the rights of Class A Ordinary Shares, including under Article 2.3, to the fullest extent permitted by the Act, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution do any of the following and amend its Memorandum for that purpose:

 

(a)increase its share capital by new Shares of the amount fixed by that Ordinary Resolution and with the attached rights, priorities and privileges set out in that Ordinary Resolution;

 

(b)consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger amount than its existing Shares;

 

(c)convert all or any of its Paid Up Shares into stock, and reconvert that stock into Paid Up Shares of any denomination;

 

(d)sub-divide its Shares or any of them into Shares of an amount smaller than that fixed by the Memorandum, so, however, that in the sub-division, the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced Share shall be the same as it was in case of the Share from which the reduced Share is derived; and

 

(e)cancel Shares which, at the date of the passing of that Ordinary Resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person, and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the Shares so cancelled or, in the case of Shares without nominal par value, diminish the number of Shares into which its capital is divided.

 

Dealing with fractions resulting from consolidation of Shares

 

8.2Whenever, as a result of a consolidation of Shares, any Members would become entitled to fractions of a Share the Directors may on behalf of those Members deal with the fractions as it thinks fit, including (without limitation):

 

(a)either round up or down the fraction to the nearest whole number, such rounding to be determined by the Directors acting in their sole discretion; or

 

(b)sell the Shares representing the fractions for the best price reasonably obtainable to any person (including, subject to the provisions of the Act, the Company); and

 

(c)distribute the net proceeds in due proportion among those Members.

 

8.3For the purposes of Article 8.2, the Directors may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Shares to, in accordance with the directions of, the purchaser. The transferee shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money nor shall the transferee’s title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity in, or invalidity of, the proceedings in respect of the sale.

 

Reducing share capital

 

8.4Subject to the Act and to any rights for the time being conferred on the Members holding a particular class of Shares, the Company may, by Special Resolution, reduce its share capital in any way.

 

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9Conversion, redemption and purchase of own Shares

 

Power to issue redeemable Shares and to purchase own Shares

 

9.1Subject to the Act and to any rights for the time being conferred on the Members holding a particular class of Shares, the Company may by its Directors:

 

(a)issue Shares that are to be redeemed or liable to be redeemed, at the option of the Company or the Member holding those redeemable Shares, on the terms and in the manner its Directors determine before the issue of those Shares;

 

(b)with the consent by Special Resolution of the Members holding Shares of a particular class, vary the rights attaching to that class of Shares so as to provide that those Shares are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company on the terms and in the manner which the Directors determine at the time of such variation; and

 

(c)purchase all or any of its own Shares of any class including any redeemable Shares on the terms and in the manner which the Directors determine at the time of such purchase.

 

The Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner authorised by the Act, including out of any combination of the following: capital, its profits and the proceeds of a fresh issue of Shares.

 

Power to pay for redemption or purchase in cash or in specie

 

9.2When making a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of Shares, the Directors may make the payment in cash or in specie (or partly in one and partly in the other) if so authorised by the terms of the allotment of those Shares or by the terms applying to those Shares in accordance with Article 9.1, or otherwise by agreement with the Member holding those Shares.

 

Effect of redemption or purchase of a Share

 

9.3Upon the date of redemption or purchase of a Share:

 

(a)the Member holding that Share shall cease to be entitled to any rights in respect of the Share other than the right to receive:

 

(i)the price for the Share; and

 

(ii)any dividend declared in respect of the Share prior to the date of redemption or purchase;

 

(b)the Member’s name shall be removed from the register of Members with respect to the Share; and

 

(c)the Share shall be cancelled or held as a Treasury Share, as the Directors may determine.

 

9.4For the purpose of Article 9.3, the date of redemption or purchase is the date when the Member’s name is removed from the register of Members with respect to the Shares the subject of the redemption or purchase.

 

Conversion Rights

 

9.5Each Class A Ordinary Share shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time after the date of issuance of such Share, at the office of the Company or any transfer agent for such Shares, into one fully paid and non-assessable Class B Ordinary Share (as adjusted for share splits, share combinations and similar transactions). In no event shall any Class B Ordinary Share be convertible into any Class A Ordinary Shares.

 

9.6Any number of Class A Ordinary Shares held by a holder thereof will be automatically and immediately converted into an equal number of Class B Ordinary Shares upon the occurrence of any of the following:

 

(a)Any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of such number of Class A Ordinary Shares by the holder thereof or the direct or indirect transfer or assignment of the voting power attached to such number of Class A Ordinary Shares through voting proxy or otherwise to any person that is not an Permitted Transferee of such holder;

 

for the avoidance of doubt, the creation of any pledge, charge, encumbrance, or other third party right of whatever description on any of Class A Ordinary Shares to secure contractual or legal obligations shall not be deemed as a sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition under this Article 9.6(a) unless and until any such pledge, charge, encumbrance, or other third party right is enforced and results in a third party that is not an Permitted Transferee of such holder holding directly or indirectly legal or beneficial ownership or voting power through voting proxy or otherwise to the related Class B Ordinary Shares, in which case all the related Class A Ordinary Shares shall be automatically converted into the same number of Class B Ordinary Shares;

 

(b)The direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of a majority of the issued and outstanding voting securities of, or the direct or indirect transfer or assignment of the voting power attached to such voting securities through voting proxy or otherwise, or the direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of, a holder of Class A Ordinary Shares that is an entity to any person that is not a Permitted Transferee of the such holder;

 

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for the avoidance of doubt, the creation of any pledge, charge, encumbrance, or other third party right of whatever description on the issued and outstanding voting securities or the assets of a holder of Class A Ordinary Shares to secure contractual or legal obligations shall not be deemed as a sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition under this Article 9.6(b) unless and until any such pledge, charge, encumbrance or other third party right is enforced and results in a third party that is not an Permitted Transferee of such holder holding directly or indirectly legal or beneficial ownership or voting power through voting proxy or otherwise to the related issued and outstanding voting securities or the assets.

 

9.7The Directors shall at all times reserve and keep available out of the Company’s authorised but unissued Class B Ordinary Shares, solely for the purpose of effecting the conversion of the Class A Ordinary Shares, such number of its Class B Ordinary Shares as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the conversion of all outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares; and if at any time the number of authorised but unissued Class B Ordinary Shares shall not be sufficient to effect the conversion of all then outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares, in addition to such other remedies as shall be available to the holders of such Class A Ordinary Shares, the Directors will take such action as may be necessary to increase its authorised but unissued Class B Ordinary Shares to such number of Shares as shall be sufficient for such purposes.

 

Share Conversions

 

9.8All conversions of Class A Ordinary Shares to Class B Ordinary Shares shall be effected by way of redemption or repurchase by the Company of the relevant Class A Ordinary Shares and the simultaneous issue of Class B Ordinary Shares in consideration for such redemption or repurchase. The Members and the Company will procure that any and all necessary corporate actions are taken to effect such conversion.

 

10Meetings of Members

 

Annual and extraordinary general meetings

 

10.1The chairman of the Board or a majority of the Directors may, but shall not (unless required by the Designated Stock Exchange Rules) be obligated to, in each year hold a general meeting as an annual general meeting, which, if held, shall be convened by the Board, in accordance with these Articles.

 

10.2All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings.

 

Power to call meetings

 

10.3The chairman of the Board or the Directors (acting by a majority) may call a general meeting at any time.

 

10.4If there are insufficient Directors to constitute a quorum and the remaining Directors are unable to agree on the appointment of additional Directors, the Directors must call a general meeting for the purpose of appointing additional Directors.

 

10.5The Directors must also call a general meeting if requisitioned in the manner set out in the next two Articles.

 

10.6The requisition must be in writing and given by one or more Members who together hold at least ten per cent of the rights to vote at such general meeting.

 

10.7The requisition must also:

 

(a)specify the purpose of the meeting.

 

(b)be signed by or on behalf of each requisitioner (and for this purpose each joint holder shall be obliged to sign). The requisition may consist of several documents in like form signed by one or more of the requisitioners; and

 

(c)be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions.

 

10.8Should the Directors fail to call a general meeting within 21 Clear Days’ from the date of receipt of a requisition, the requisitioners or any of them may call a general meeting within three months after the end of that period.

 

10.9Without limitation to the foregoing, if there are insufficient Directors to constitute a quorum and the remaining Directors are unable to agree on the appointment of additional Directors, any one or more Members who together hold at least five per cent of the rights to vote at a general meeting may call a general meeting for the purpose of considering the business specified in the notice of meeting which shall include as an item of business the appointment of additional Directors.

 

10.10If the Members call a meeting under the above provisions, the Company shall reimburse their reasonable expenses.

 

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Content of notice

 

10.11Notice of a general meeting shall specify each of the following:

 

(a)the place, the date and the hour of the meeting;

 

(b)if the meeting is to be held in two or more places, the technology that will be used to facilitate the meeting;

 

(c)subject to paragraph (d) and the requirements of (to the extent applicable) the Designated Stock Exchange Rules, the general nature of the business to be transacted; and

 

(d)if a resolution is proposed as a Special Resolution, the text of that resolution.

 

10.12In each notice there shall appear with reasonable prominence the following statements:

 

(a)that a Member who is entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint one or more proxies to attend and vote instead of that Member; and

 

(b)that a proxyholder need not be a Member.

 

Period of notice

 

10.13At least twenty-one Clear Days’ notice of an annual general meeting must be given to Members. For any other general meeting, at least fourteen Clear Days’ notice must be given to Members.

 

10.14Subject to the Act, a meeting may be convened on shorter notice, subject to the Act with the consent of the Member or Members who, individually or collectively, hold at least ninety per cent of the voting rights of all those who have a right to vote at that meeting.

 

Persons entitled to receive notice

 

10.15Subject to the provisions of these Articles and to any restrictions imposed on any Shares, the notice shall be given to the following people:

 

(a)the Members

 

(b)persons entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member;

 

(c)the Directors; and

 

(d)the Auditors.

 

10.16The Board may determine that the Members entitled to receive notice of a meeting are those persons entered on the register of Members at the close of business on a day determined by the Board.

 

Accidental omission to give notice or non-receipt of notice

 

10.17Proceedings at a meeting shall not be invalidated by the following:

 

(a)an accidental failure to give notice of the meeting to any person entitled to notice; or

 

(b)non-receipt of notice of the meeting by any person entitled to notice.

 

10.18In addition, where a notice of meeting is published on a website proceedings at the meeting shall not be invalidated merely because it is accidentally published:

 

(a)in a different place on the website; or

 

(b)for part only of the period from the date of the notification until the conclusion of the meeting to which the notice relates.

 

11Proceedings at meetings of Members

 

Quorum

 

11.1Save as provided in the following Article, no business shall be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum is present in person or by proxy. A quorum is as follows:

 

(a)if the Company has only one Member: that Member;

 

(b)if the Company has more than one Member: one or more Members holding Shares that represent not less than one-third of the outstanding Shares carrying the right to vote at such general meeting.

 

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Lack of quorum

 

11.2If a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes of the time appointed for the meeting, or if at any time during the meeting it becomes inquorate, then the following provisions apply:

 

(a)If the meeting was requisitioned by Members, it shall be cancelled.

 

(b)In any other case, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same time and place seven days hence, or to such other time or place as is determined by the Directors. If a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes of the time appointed for the adjourned meeting, then the Members present in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum.

 

Chairman

 

11.3The chairman of a general meeting shall be the chairman of the Board or such other Director as the Directors have nominated to chair Board meetings in the absence of the chairman of the Board. Absent any such person being present within fifteen minutes of the time appointed for the meeting, the Directors present shall elect one of their number to chair the meeting.

 

11.4If no Director is present within fifteen minutes of the time appointed for the meeting, or if no Director is willing to act as chairman, the Members present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall choose one of their number to chair the meeting.

 

Right of a Director to attend and speak

 

11.5Even if a Director is not a Member, he shall be entitled to attend and speak at any general meeting and at any separate meeting of Members holding a particular class of Shares.

 

Accommodation of Members at meeting

 

11.6lf it appears to the chairman of the meeting that the meeting place specified in the notice convening the meeting is inadequate to accommodate all Members entitled and wishing to attend, the meeting will be duly constituted and its proceedings valid if the chairman is satisfied that adequate facilities are available to ensure that a Member who is unable to be accommodated is able (whether at the meeting place or elsewhere):

 

(a)to participate in the business for which the meeting has been convened;

 

(b)to hear and see all persons present who speak (whether by the use of microphones, loud-speakers, audio-visual communications equipment or otherwise); and

 

(c)to be heard and seen by all other persons present in the same way.

 

Security

 

11.7In addition to any measures which the Board may be required to take due to the location or venue of the meeting, the Board may make any arrangement and impose any restriction it considers appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances to ensure the security of a meeting including, without limitation, the searching of any person attending the meeting and the imposing of restrictions on the items of personal property that may be taken into the meeting place. The Board may refuse entry to, or eject from, a meeting a person who refuses to comply with any such arrangements or restrictions.

 

Adjournment

 

11.8The chairman may at any time adjourn a meeting with the consent of the Members constituting a quorum. The chairman must adjourn the meeting if so directed by the meeting. No business, however, can be transacted at an adjourned meeting other than business which might properly have been transacted at the original meeting.

 

11.9Should a meeting be adjourned for more than 7 Clear Days, whether because of a lack of quorum or otherwise, Members shall be given at least seven Clear Days’ notice of the date, time and place of the adjourned meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted. Otherwise it shall not be necessary to give any notice of the adjournment.

 

Method of voting

 

11.10A resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless before, or on, the declaration of the result of the show of hands, a poll is duly demanded. Subject to the Act, a poll may be demanded:

 

(a)by the chairman of the meeting;

 

(b)by at least two Members having the right to vote on the resolutions;

 

(c)by any Member or Members present who, individually or collectively, hold at least ten per cent of the voting rights of all those who have a right to vote on the resolution.

 

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Outcome of vote by show of hands

 

11.11Unless a poll is duly demanded, a declaration by the chairman as to the result of a resolution and an entry to that effect in the minutes of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of the outcome of a show of hands without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against the resolution.

 

Withdrawal of demand for a poll

 

11.12The demand for a poll may be withdrawn before the poll is taken, but only with the consent of the chairman. The chairman shall announce any such withdrawal to the meeting and, unless another person forthwith demands a poll, any earlier show of hands on that resolution shall be treated as the vote on that resolution; if there has been no earlier show of hands, then the resolution shall be put to the vote of the meeting.

 

Taking of a poll

 

11.13A poll demanded on the question of adjournment shall be taken immediately.

 

11.14A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken either immediately or at an adjourned meeting at such time and place as the chairman directs, not being more than thirty Clear Days after the poll was demanded.

 

11.15The demand for a poll shall not prevent the meeting continuing to transact any business other than the question on which the poll was demanded.

 

11.16A poll shall be taken in such manner as the chairman directs. He may appoint scrutineers (who need not be Members) and fix a place and time for declaring the result of the poll. If, through the aid of technology, the meeting is held in more than place, the chairman may appoint scrutineers in more than place; but if he considers that the poll cannot be effectively monitored at that meeting, the chairman shall adjourn the holding of the poll to a date, place and time when that can occur.

 

Chairman’s casting vote

 

11.17In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the Chairman of the meeting at which the show of hands takes place or at which the poll is demanded shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.

 

Written resolutions

 

11.18Members may pass a resolution in writing without holding a meeting if the following conditions are met:

 

(a)all Members entitled to vote are given notice of the resolution as if the same were being proposed at a meeting of Members;

 

(b)all Members entitled so to vote;

 

(i)sign a document; or

 

(ii)sign several documents in the like form each signed by one or more of those Members; and

 

(c)the signed document or documents is or are delivered to the Company, including, if the Company so nominates, by delivery of an Electronic Record by Electronic means to the address specified for that purpose.

 

(d)Such written resolution shall be as effective as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Members entitled to vote duly convened and held.

 

11.19If a written resolution is described as a Special Resolution or as an Ordinary Resolution, it has effect accordingly.

 

11.20The Directors may determine the manner in which written resolutions shall be put to Members. In particular, they may provide, in the form of any written resolution, for each Member to indicate, out of the number of votes the Member would have been entitled to cast at a meeting to consider the resolution, how many votes he wishes to cast in favour of the resolution and how many against the resolution or to be treated as abstentions. The result of any such written resolution shall be determined on the same basis as on a poll.

 

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Sole-Member Company

 

11.21If the Company has only one Member, and the Member records in writing his decision on a question, that record shall constitute both the passing of a resolution and the minute of it.

 

12Voting rights of Members

 

Right to vote

 

12.1Subject to the following, unless their Shares carry no right to vote, or unless a call or other amount presently payable has not been paid, all Members are entitled to vote at a general meeting, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, and all Members holding Shares of a particular class of Shares are entitled to vote at a meeting of the holders of that class of Shares.

 

Voting Rights

 

12.2The holder of an Ordinary Share shall (in respect of such Ordinary Share) have the right to receive notice of, attend at and vote as a Member at any general meeting of the Company.

 

12.3Each holder of Ordinary Shares shall, on a poll, be entitled to one vote for each Share he or she holds save that each holder of Class A Ordinary Shares shall, on a poll, be entitled to exercise twenty-five votes for each Class A Ordinary Share he or she holds on any and all matters.

 

12.4Members may vote in person or by proxy.

 

12.5On a show of hands, every Member shall have one vote. For the avoidance of doubt, an individual who represents two or more Members, including a Member in that individual’s own right, that individual shall be entitled to a separate vote for each Member.

 

12.6No Member is bound to vote on his Shares or any of them; nor is he bound to vote each of his Shares in the same way.

 

Rights of joint holders

 

12.7If Shares are held jointly, only one of the joint holders may vote. If more than one of the joint holders tenders a vote, the vote of the holder whose name in respect of those Shares appears first in the register of Members shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holder.

 

Representation of corporate Members

 

12.8Save where otherwise provided, a corporate Member must act by a duly authorised representative.

 

12.9A corporate Member wishing to act by a duly authorised representative must identify that person to the Company by notice in writing.

 

12.10The authorisation may be for any period of time, and must be delivered to the Company before the commencement of the meeting at which it is first used.

 

12.11The Directors of the Company may require the production of any evidence which they consider necessary to determine the validity of the notice.

 

12.12Where a duly authorised representative is present at a meeting that Member is deemed to be present in person; and the acts of the duly authorised representative are personal acts of that Member.

 

12.13A corporate Member may revoke the appointment of a duly authorised representative at any time by notice to the Company; but such revocation will not affect the validity of any acts carried out by the duly authorised representative before the Directors of the Company had actual notice of the revocation.

 

Member with mental disorder

 

12.14A Member in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction (whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere) in matters concerning mental disorder may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by that Member’s receiver, curator bonis or other person authorised in that behalf appointed by that court.

 

12.15For the purpose of the preceding Article, evidence to the satisfaction of the Directors of the authority of the person claiming to exercise the right to vote must be received not less than 24 hours before holding the relevant meeting or the adjourned meeting in any manner specified for the delivery of forms of appointment of a proxy, whether in writing or by electronic means. In default, the right to vote shall not be exercisable.

 

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Objections to admissibility of votes

 

12.16An objection to the validity of a person’s vote may only be raised at the meeting or at the adjourned meeting at which the vote is sought to be tendered. Any objection duly made shall be referred to the chairman whose decision shall be final and conclusive.

 

Form of proxy

 

12.17An instrument appointing a proxy shall be in any common form or in any other form approved by the Directors.

 

12.18The instrument must be in writing and signed in one of the following ways:

 

(a)by the Member; or

 

(b)by the Member’s authorised attorney; or

 

(c)if the Member is a corporation or other body corporate, under seal or signed by an authorised officer, secretary or attorney.

 

If the Directors so resolve, the Company may accept an Electronic Record of that instrument delivered in the manner specified below and otherwise satisfying the Articles about authentication of Electronic Records.

 

12.19The Directors may require the production of any evidence which they consider necessary to determine the validity of any appointment of a proxy.

 

12.20A Member may revoke the appointment of a proxy at any time by notice to the Company duly signed in accordance with Article 12.18.

 

12.21No revocation by a Member of the appointment of a proxy made in accordance with Article 12.20 will affect the validity of any acts carried out by the relevant proxy before the Directors of the Company had actual notice of the revocation.

 

How and when proxy is to be delivered

 

12.22Subject to the following Articles, the Directors may, in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting, or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, specify the manner by which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited and the place and the time (being not later than the time appointed for the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting to which the proxy relates) at which the instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited. In the absence of any such direction from the Directors in the notice convening any meeting or adjourned meeting or in an instrument of proxy sent out by the Company, the form of appointment of a proxy and any authority under which it is signed (or a copy of the authority certified notarially or in any other way approved by the Directors) must be delivered so that it is received by the Company before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the form of appointment of proxy proposes to vote. They must be delivered in either of the following ways:

 

(a)In the case of an instrument in writing, it must be left at or sent by post:

 

(i)to the registered office of the Company; or

 

(ii)to such other place within the Cayman Islands specified in the notice convening the meeting or in any form of appointment of proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting.

 

(b)If, pursuant to the notice provisions, a notice may be given to the Company in an Electronic Record, an Electronic Record of an appointment of a proxy must be sent to the address specified pursuant to those provisions unless another address for that purpose is specified:

 

(i)in the notice convening the meeting; or

 

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(ii)in any form of appointment of a proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting; or

 

(iii)in any invitation to appoint a proxy issued by the Company in relation to the meeting.

 

(c)Notwithstanding Article 12.22(a) and Article 12.22(b), the chairman of the Company may, in any event at his discretion, direct that an instrument of proxy shall be deemed to have been duly deposited.

 

12.23Where a poll is taken:

 

(a)if it is taken more than seven Clear Days after it is demanded, the form of appointment of a proxy and any accompanying authority (or an Electronic Record of the same) must be delivered as required under the preceding Article not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the taking of the poll; and

 

(b)if it to be taken within seven Clear Days after it was demanded, the form of appointment of a proxy and any accompanying authority (or an Electronic Record of the same) must be delivered as required under the preceding Article not less than two hours before the time appointed for the taking of the poll.

 

12.24If the form of appointment of proxy is not delivered on time, it is invalid.

 

12.25When two or more valid but differing appointments of proxy are delivered or received in respect of the same Share for use at the same meeting and in respect of the same matter, the one which is last validly delivered or received (regardless of its date or of the date of its execution) shall be treated as replacing and revoking the other or others as regards that Share. lf the Company is unable to determine which appointment was last validly delivered or received, none of them shall be treated as valid in respect of that Share.

 

12.26The Board may at the expense of the Company send forms of appointment of proxy to the Members by post (that is to say, pre-paying and posting a letter), or by Electronic communication or otherwise (with or without provision for their return by pre-paid post) for use at any general meeting or at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of Shares, either blank or nominating as proxy in the alternative any one or more of the Directors or any other person. lf for the purpose of any meeting invitations to appoint as proxy a person or one of a number of persons specified in the invitations are issued at the Company’s expense, they shall be issued to all (and not to some only) of the Members entitled to be sent notice of the meeting and to vote at it. The accidental omission to send such a form of appointment or to give such an invitation to, or the non-receipt of such form of appointment by, any Member entitled to attend and vote at a meeting shall not invalidate the proceedings at that meeting

 

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Voting by proxy

 

12.27A proxy shall have the same voting rights at a meeting or adjourned meeting as the Member would have had except to the extent that the instrument appointing him limits those rights. Notwithstanding the appointment of a proxy, a Member may attend and vote at a meeting or adjourned meeting. If a Member votes on any resolution a vote by his proxy on the same resolution, unless in respect of different Shares, shall be invalid.

 

12.28The instrument appointing a proxy to vote at a meeting shall be deemed also to confer authority to demand or join in demanding a poll and, for the purposes of Article 11.11, a demand by a person as proxy for a Member shall be the same as a demand by a Member. Such appointment shall not confer any further right to speak at the meeting, except with the permission of the chairman of the meeting.

 

13Number and Class of Directors

 

13.1There shall be a Board consisting of seven (7) persons provided however that the Company may by Ordinary Resolution increase or reduce the limits in the number of Directors. Unless fixed by Ordinary Resolution, the maximum number of Directors shall be unlimited.

 

13.2The Directors shall be divided into three classes: Class I, Class II and Class III. The number of Directors in each class shall be as nearly equal as possible. Upon the adoption of these Articles, the existing Directors shall by resolution classify themselves as Class I, Class II or Class III Directors.

 

13.3The Class I Directors shall stand appointed for a term expiring at the Company’s first annual general meeting following the effectiveness of these Articles, the Class II Directors shall stand appointed for a term expiring at the Company’s second annual general meeting following the effectiveness of these Articles and the Class III Directors shall stand appointed for a term expiring at the Company’s third annual general meeting following the effectiveness of these Articles.

 

13.4Commencing at the Company’s first annual general meeting following the effectiveness of these Articles, and at each annual general meeting thereafter, Directors appointed to replace those Directors whose terms expire shall be appointed for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual general meeting after their appointment. If no replacement Directors are appointed, the existing Directors shall be automatically re-appointed for a further term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual general meeting after their re-appointment.

 

13.5No decrease in the number of Directors constituting the board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director.

 

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14Appointment, disqualification and removal of Directors

 

First Directors

 

14.1The first Directors shall be appointed in writing by the subscriber or subscribers to the Memorandum, or a majority of them.

 

Designation

 

14.2For so long as Shares are listed on a Designated Stock Exchange, the Board shall determine whether a Director is an Independent Director or not, in accordance with applicable law, rules or regulations or the Designated Stock Exchange Rules.

 

No age limit

 

14.3There is no age limit for Directors save that they must be at least eighteen years of age.

 

Corporate Directors

 

14.4Unless prohibited by law, a body corporate may be a Director. If a body corporate is a Director, the Articles about representation of corporate Members at general meetings apply, mutatis mutandis, to the Articles about Directors’ meetings.

 

No shareholding qualification

 

14.5Unless a shareholding qualification for Directors is fixed by Ordinary Resolution, no Director shall be required to own Shares as a condition of his appointment.

 

Appointment of Directors

 

14.6A Director may be appointed by Ordinary Resolution or by the Directors. Any appointment may be to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director.

 

14.7A remaining Director may appoint a Director even though there is not a quorum of Directors.

 

14.8No appointment can cause the number of Directors to exceed the maximum (if one is set); and any such appointment shall be invalid.

 

14.9For so long as Shares are listed on a Designated Stock Exchange, the Directors shall include at least such number of Independent Directors as applicable law, rules or regulations or the Designated Stock Exchange Rules require as determined by the Board.

 

Board’s power to appoint Directors

 

14.10Without prejudice to the Company’s power to appoint a person to be a Director pursuant to these Articles, the Board shall have power at any time to appoint any person who is willing to act as a Director, either to fill a vacancy or as an addition to the existing Board, subject to the total number of Directors not exceeding any maximum number fixed by or in accordance with these Articles.

 

14.11Any Director so appointed shall, if still a Director, retire at the next annual general meeting after his appointment and be eligible to stand for election as a Director at such meeting.

 

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Eligibility

 

14.12No person (other than a Director retiring in accordance with these Articles) shall be appointed or re-appointed a Director at any general meeting unless:

 

(a)he is recommended by the Board; or

 

(b)not less than seven nor more than forty-two Clear Days before the date appointed for the meeting, a Member (other than the person to be proposed) entitled to vote at the meeting has given to the Company notice of his intention to propose a resolution for the appointment of that person, stating the particulars which would, if he were so appointed, be required to be included in the Company’s register of Directors and a notice executed by that person of his willingness to be appointed.

 

Appointment at annual general meeting

 

14.13Unless re-appointed pursuant to the provisions of Article 14.6 or removed from office pursuant to the provisions of Article 14.15, each Independent Director shall be appointed for a term expiring at the next-following annual general meeting of the Company. At any such annual general meeting, Independent Directors will be elected by Ordinary Resolution. At each annual general meeting of the Company, each Independent Director elected at such meeting shall be elected to hold office for a one-year term and until the election of their respective successors in office or removal pursuant to Articles 14.6 and 14.15.

 

Removal of Directors

 

14.14A Director may be removed by Ordinary Resolution.

 

Resignation of Directors

 

14.15A Director may at any time resign office by giving to the Company notice in writing or, if permitted pursuant to the notice provisions, in an Electronic Record delivered in either case in accordance with those provisions.

 

14.16Unless the notice specifies a different date, the Director shall be deemed to have resigned on the date that the notice is delivered to the Company.

 

Termination of the office of Director

 

14.17A Director may retire from office as a Director by giving notice in writing to that effect to the Company at the registered office, which notice shall be effective upon such date as may be specified in the notice, failing which upon delivery to the registered office.

 

14.18Without prejudice to the provisions in these Articles for retirement (by rotation or otherwise), a Director’s office shall be terminated forthwith if:

 

(a)he is prohibited by the Act of the Cayman Islands from acting as a Director; or

 

(b)he is made bankrupt or makes an arrangement or composition with his creditors generally; or

 

(c)he resigns his office by notice to the Company; or

 

(d)he only held office as a Director for a fixed term and such term expires; or

 

(e)in the opinion of a registered medical practitioner by whom he is being treated he becomes physically or mentally incapable of acting as a Director; or

 

(f)he is given notice by the majority of the other Directors (not being less than two in number) to vacate office (without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any agreement relating to the provision of the services of such Director); or

 

(g)he is made subject to any law relating to mental health or incompetence, whether by court order or otherwise; or

 

(h)without the consent of the other Directors, he is absent from meetings of Directors for a continuous period of six months.

 

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15Alternate Directors

 

Appointment and removal

 

15.1Any Director may appoint any other person, including another Director, to act in his place as an alternate Director. No appointment shall take effect until the Director has given notice of the appointment to the Board.

 

15.2A Director may revoke his appointment of an alternate at any time. No revocation shall take effect until the Director has given notice of the revocation to the Board.

 

15.3A notice of appointment or removal of an alternate Director shall be effective only if given to the Company by one or more of the following methods:

 

(a)by notice in writing in accordance with the notice provisions contained in these Articles;

 

(b)if the Company has a facsimile address for the time being, by sending by facsimile transmission to that facsimile address a facsimile copy or, otherwise, by sending by facsimile transmission to the facsimile address of the Company’s registered office a facsimile copy (in either case, the facsimile copy being deemed to be the notice unless Article 29.7 applies), in which event notice shall be taken to be given on the date of an error-free transmission report from the sender’s fax machine;

 

(c)if the Company has an email address for the time being, by emailing to that email address a scanned copy of the notice as a PDF attachment or, otherwise, by emailing to the email address provided by the Company’s registered office a scanned copy of the notice as a PDF attachment (in either case, the PDF version being deemed to be the notice unless Article 29.7 applies), in which event notice shall be taken to be given on the date of receipt by the Company or the Company’s registered office (as appropriate) in readable form; or

 

(d)if permitted pursuant to the notice provisions, in some other form of approved Electronic Record delivered in accordance with those provisions in writing.

 

Notices

 

15.4All notices of meetings of Directors shall continue to be given to the appointing Director and not to the alternate.

 

Rights of alternate Director

 

15.5An alternate Director shall be entitled to attend and vote at any Board meeting or meeting of a committee of the Directors at which the appointing Director is not personally present, and generally to perform all the functions of the appointing Director in his absence. An alternate Director, however, is not entitled to receive any remuneration from the Company for services rendered as an alternate Director.

 

Appointment ceases when the appointor ceases to be a Director

 

15.6An alternate Director shall cease to be an alternate Director if:

 

(a)the Director who appointed him ceases to be a Director; or

 

(b)the Director who appointed him revokes his appointment by notice delivered to the Board or to the registered office of the Company or in any other manner approved by the Board; or

 

(c)in any event happens in relation to him which, if he were a Director of the Company, would cause his office as Director to be vacated.

 

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Status of alternate Director

 

15.7An alternate Director shall carry out all functions of the Director who made the appointment.

 

15.8Save where otherwise expressed, an alternate Director shall be treated as a Director under these Articles.

 

15.9An alternate Director is not the agent of the Director appointing him.

 

15.10An alternate Director is not entitled to any remuneration for acting as alternate Director.

 

Status of the Director making the appointment

 

15.11A Director who has appointed an alternate is not thereby relieved from the duties which he owes the Company.

 

16Powers of Directors

 

Powers of Directors

 

16.1Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Memorandum and these Articles the business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors who may for that purpose exercise all the powers of the Company.

 

16.2No prior act of the Directors shall be invalidated by any subsequent alteration of the Memorandum or these Articles. However, to the extent allowed by the Act, Members may, by Special Resolution, validate any prior or future act of the Directors which would otherwise be in breach of their duties.

 

Directors below the minimum number

 

16.3lf the number of Directors is less than the minimum prescribed in accordance with these Articles, the remaining Director or Directors shall act only for the purposes of appointing an additional Director or Directors to make up such minimum or of convening a general meeting of the Company for the purpose of making such appointment. lf there are no Director or Directors able or willing to act, any two Members may summon a general meeting for the purpose of appointing Directors. Any additional Director so appointed shall hold office (subject to these Articles) only until the dissolution of the annual general meeting next following such appointment unless he is re-elected during such meeting.

 

Appointments to office

 

16.4The Directors may appoint a Director:

 

(a)as chairman of the Board;

 

(b)as managing Director;

 

(c)to any other executive office,

 

for such period, and on such terms, including as to remuneration as they think fit.

 

16.5The appointee must consent in writing to holding that office.

 

16.6Where a chairman is appointed he shall, unless unable to do so, preside at every meeting of Directors.

 

16.7If there is no chairman, or if the chairman is unable to preside at a meeting, that meeting may select its own chairman; or the Directors may nominate one of their number to act in place of the chairman should he ever not be available.

 

16.8Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Directors may also appoint and remove any person, who need not be a Director:

 

(a)as Secretary; and

 

(b)to any office that may be required

 

for such period and on such terms, including as to remuneration, as they think fit. In the case of an Officer, that Officer may be given any title the Directors decide.

 

16.9The Secretary or Officer must consent in writing to holding that office.

 

16.10A Director, Secretary or other Officer of the Company may not the hold the office, or perform the services, of auditor.

 

Provisions for employees

 

16.11The Board may make provision for the benefit of any persons employed or formerly employed by the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings (or any member of his family or any person who is dependent on him) in connection with the cessation or the transfer to any person of the whole or part of the undertaking of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings.

 

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Exercise of voting rights

 

16.12The Board may exercise the voting power conferred by the Shares in any body corporate held or owned by the Company in such manner in all respects as it thinks fit (including, without limitation, the exercise of that power in favour of any resolution appointing any Director as a Director of such body corporate, or voting or providing for the payment of remuneration to the Directors of such body corporate).

 

Remuneration

 

16.13Every Director may be remunerated by the Company for the services he provides for the benefit of the Company, whether as Director, employee or otherwise, and shall be entitled to be paid for the expenses incurred in the Company’s business including attendance at Directors’ meetings.

 

16.14Until otherwise determined by the Company by Ordinary Resolution, the Directors (other than alternate Directors) shall be entitled to such remuneration by way of fees for their services in the office of Director as the Directors may determine.

 

16.15Remuneration may take any form and may include arrangements to pay pensions, health insurance, death or sickness benefits, whether to the Director or to any other person connected to or related to him.

 

16.16Unless his fellow Directors determine otherwise, a Director is not accountable to the Company for remuneration or other benefits received from any other company which is in the same group as the Company or which has common shareholdings.

 

Disclosure of information

 

16.17The Directors may release or disclose to a third party any information regarding the affairs of the Company, including any information contained in the register of Members relating to a Member, (and they may authorise any Director, Officer or other authorised agent of the Company to release or disclose to a third party any such information in his possession) if:

 

(a)the Company or that person, as the case may be, is lawfully required to do so under the laws of any jurisdiction to which the Company is subject; or

 

(b)such disclosure is in compliance with the Designated Stock Exchange Rules; or

 

(c)such disclosure is in accordance with any contract entered into by the Company; or

 

(d)the Directors are of the opinion such disclosure would assist or facilitate the Company’s operations.

 

17Delegation of powers

 

Power to delegate any of the Directors’ powers to a committee

 

17.1The Directors may delegate any of their powers to any committee consisting of one or more persons who need not be Members. Persons on the committee may include non-Directors so long as the majority of those persons are Directors. Any such committee shall be made up of such number of Independent Directors as required from time to time by the Designated Stock Exchange Rules or otherwise required by applicable law.

 

17.2The delegation may be collateral with, or to the exclusion of, the Directors’ own powers.

 

17.3The delegation may be on such terms as the Directors think fit, including provision for the committee itself to delegate to a sub-committee; save that any delegation must be capable of being revoked or altered by the Directors at will.

 

17.4Unless otherwise permitted by the Directors, a committee must follow the procedures prescribed for the taking of decisions by Directors.

 

17.5The Board shall establish an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Each of these committees shall be empowered to do all things necessary to exercise the rights of such committee set forth in these Articles. Each of the audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee shall consist of at least three Directors (or such larger minimum number as may be required from time to time by the Designated Stock Exchange Rules). The majority of the committee members on each of the compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee shall be Independent Directors. The audit committee shall be made up of such number of Independent Directors as required from time to time by the Designated Stock Exchange Rules or otherwise required by applicable law.

 

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Local boards

 

17.6The Board may establish any local or divisional board or agency for managing any of the affairs of the Company whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere and may appoint any persons to be members of a local or divisional Board, or to be managers or agents, and may fix their remuneration.

 

17.7The Board may delegate to any local or divisional board, manager or agent any of its powers and authorities (with power to sub-delegate) and may authorise the members of any local or divisional board or any of them to fill any vacancies and to act notwithstanding vacancies.

 

17.8Any appointment or delegation under this Article 17.8 may be made on such terms and subject to such conditions as the Board thinks fit and the Board may remove any person so appointed, and may revoke or vary any delegation.

 

Power to appoint an agent of the Company

 

17.9The Directors may appoint any person, either generally or in respect of any specific matter, to be the agent of the Company with or without authority for that person to delegate all or any of that person’s powers. The Directors may make that appointment:

 

(a)by causing the Company to enter into a power of attorney or agreement; or

 

(b)in any other manner they determine.

 

Power to appoint an attorney or authorised signatory of the Company

 

17.10The Directors may appoint any person, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or the authorised signatory of the Company. The appointment may be:

 

(a)for any purpose;

 

(b)with the powers, authorities and discretions;

 

(c)for the period; and

 

(d)subject to such conditions

 

as they think fit. The powers, authorities and discretions, however, must not exceed those vested in, or exercisable, by the Directors under these Articles. The Directors may do so by power of attorney or any other manner they think fit.

 

17.11Any power of attorney or other appointment may contain such provision for the protection and convenience for persons dealing with the attorney or authorised signatory as the Directors think fit. Any power of attorney or other appointment may also authorise the attorney or authorised signatory to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in that person.

 

17.12The Board may remove any person appointed under Article 17.10 and may revoke or vary the delegation.

 

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Borrowing Powers

 

17.13The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and assets both present and future and uncalled capital, or any part thereof, and to issue debentures and other securities, whether outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or its parent undertaking (if any) or any subsidiary undertaking of the Company or of any third party.

 

Corporate Governance

 

17.14The Board may, from time to time, and except as required by applicable law or the Designated Stock Exchange Rules, adopt, institute, amend, modify or revoke the corporate governance policies or initiatives of the Company, which shall be intended to set forth the guiding principles and policies of the Company and the Board on various corporate governance related matters as the Board shall determine by resolution from time to time.

 

18Meetings of Directors

 

Regulation of Directors’ meetings

 

18.1Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the Directors may regulate their proceedings as they think fit.

 

Calling meetings

 

18.2Any Director may call a meeting of Directors at any time. The Secretary must call a meeting of the Directors if requested to do so by a Director.

 

Notice of meetings

 

18.3Notice of a Board meeting may be given to a Director personally or by word of mouth or given in writing or by Electronic communications at such address as he may from time to time specify for this purpose (or, if he does not specify an address, at his last known address). A Director may waive his right to receive notice of any meeting either prospectively or retrospectively.

 

Use of technology

 

18.4A Director may participate in a meeting of Directors through the medium of conference telephone, video or any other form of communications equipment providing all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear and speak to each other throughout the meeting.

 

18.5A Director participating in this way is deemed to be present in person at the meeting.

 

Quorum

 

18.6The quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of Directors shall be two unless the Directors fix some other number.

 

Chairman or deputy to preside

 

18.7The Board may appoint a chairman and one or more deputy chairman or chairmen and may at any time revoke any such appointment.

 

18.8The chairman, or failing him any deputy chairman (the longest in office taking precedence if more than one is present), shall preside at all Board meetings. If no chairman or deputy chairman has been appointed, or if he is not present within five minutes after the time fixed for holding the meeting, or is unwilling to act as chairman of the meeting, the Directors present shall choose one of their number to act as chairman of the meeting.

 

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Voting

 

18.9A question which arises at a Board meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. If votes are equal the chairman may, if he wishes, exercise a casting vote.

 

Recording of dissent

 

18.10A Director present at a meeting of Directors shall be presumed to have assented to any action taken at that meeting unless:

 

(a)his dissent is entered in the minutes of the meeting; or

 

(b)he has filed with the meeting before it is concluded signed dissent from that action; or

 

(c)he has forwarded to the Company as soon as practical following the conclusion of that meeting signed dissent.

 

A Director who votes in favour of an action is not entitled to record his dissent to it.

 

Written resolutions

 

18.11The Directors may pass a resolution in writing without holding a meeting if all Directors sign a document or sign several documents in the like form each signed by one or more of those Directors.

 

18.12A written resolution signed by a validly appointed alternate Director need not also be signed by the appointing Director.

 

18.13A written resolution signed personally by the appointing Director need not also be signed by his alternate.

 

18.14A resolution in writing passed pursuant to Article 18.11, Article 18.12 and/or Article 18.13 shall be as effective as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors duly convened and held; and it shall be treated as having been passed on the day and at the time that the last Director signs (and for the avoidance of doubt, such day may or may not be a Business Day).

 

Validity of acts of Directors in spite of formal defect

 

18.15All acts done by a meeting of the Board, or of a committee of the Board, or by any person acting as a Director or an alternate Director, shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any Director or alternate Director or member of the committee, or that any of them were disqualified or had vacated office or were not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and qualified and had continued to be a Director or alternate Director and had been entitled to vote.

 

19Permissible Directors’ interests and disclosure

 

19.1A Director shall not, as a Director, vote in respect of any contract, transaction, arrangement or proposal in which he has an interest which (together with any interest of any person connected with him) is a material interest (otherwise then by virtue of his interests, direct or indirect, in Shares or debentures or other securities of, or otherwise in or through, the Company) and if he shall do so his vote shall not be counted, nor in relation thereto shall he be counted in the quorum present at the meeting, but (in the absence of some other material interest than is mentioned below) none of these prohibitions shall apply to:

 

(a)the giving of any security, guarantee or indemnity in respect of:

 

(i)money lent or obligations incurred by him or by any other person for the benefit of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or

 

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(ii)a debt or obligation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries for which the Director himself has assumed responsibility in whole or in part and whether alone or jointly with others under a guarantee or indemnity or by the giving of security;

 

(b)where the Company or any of its subsidiaries is offering securities in which offer the Director is or may be entitled to participate as a holder of securities or in the underwriting or sub-underwriting of which the Director is to or may participate;

 

(c)any contract, transaction, arrangement or proposal affecting any other body corporate in which he is interested, directly or indirectly and whether as an officer, shareholder, creditor or otherwise howsoever, provided that he (together with persons connected with him) does not to his knowledge hold an interest representing one per cent or more of any class of the equity share capital of such body corporate (or of any third body corporate through which his interest is derived) or of the voting rights available to members of the relevant body corporate (any such interest being deemed for the purposes of this Article 19.1 to be a material interest in all circumstances);

 

(d)any act or thing done or to be done in respect of any arrangement for the benefit of the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under which he is not accorded as a Director any privilege or advantage not generally accorded to the employees to whom such arrangement relates; or

 

(e)any matter connected with the purchase or maintenance for any Director of insurance against any liability or (to the extent permitted by the Act) indemnities in favour of Directors, the funding of expenditure by one or more Directors in defending proceedings against him or them or the doing of any thing to enable such Director or Directors to avoid incurring such expenditure.

 

19.2A Director may, as a Director, vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of any contract, transaction, arrangement or proposal in which he has an interest which is not a material interest or which falls within Article 19.1.

 

20Minutes

 

20.1The Company shall cause minutes to be made in books of:

 

(a)all appointments of Officers and committees made by the Board and of any such Officer’s remuneration; and

 

(b)the names of Directors present at every meeting of the Directors, a committee of the Board, the Company or the holders of any class of shares or debentures, and all orders, resolutions and proceedings of such meetings.

 

20.2Any such minutes, if purporting to be signed by the chairman of the meeting at which the proceedings were held or by the chairman of the next succeeding meeting or the Secretary, shall be prima facie evidence of the matters stated in them.

 

21Accounts and audit

 

21.1The Directors must ensure that proper accounting and other records are kept, and that accounts and associated reports are distributed in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

 

21.2The books of account shall be kept at the registered office of the Company and shall always be open to inspection by the Directors. No Member (other than a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by the Act or as authorised by the Directors or by Ordinary Resolution.

 

21.3Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe, the financial year of the Company shall end on 31 December in each year and begin on 1 January in each year.

 

Auditors

 

21.4The Directors may appoint an Auditor of the Company who shall hold office on such terms as the Directors determine.

 

21.5At any general meeting convened and held at any time in accordance with these Articles, the Members may, by Ordinary Resolution, remove the Auditor before the expiration of his term of office. If they do so, the Members shall, by Ordinary Resolution, at that meeting appoint another Auditor in his stead for the remainder of his term.

 

21.6The Auditors shall examine such books, accounts and vouchers; as may be necessary for the performance of their duties.

 

21.7The Auditors shall, if so requested by the Directors, make a report on the accounts of the Company during their tenure of office at the next annual general meeting following their appointment, and at any time during their term of office, upon request of the Directors or any general meeting of the Company.

 

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22Record dates

 

22.1Except to the extent of any conflicting rights attached to Shares, the resolution declaring a dividend on Shares of any class, whether it be an Ordinary Resolution of the Members or a Director’s resolution, may specify that the dividend is payable or distributable to the persons registered as the holders of those Shares at the close of business on a particular date, notwithstanding that the date may be a date prior to that on which the resolution is passed.

 

22.2If the resolution does so specify, the dividend shall be payable or distributable to the persons registered as the holders of those Shares at the close of business on the specified date in accordance with their respective holdings so registered, but without prejudice to the rights inter se in respect of the dividend of transferors and transferees of any of those Shares.

 

22.3The provisions of this Article apply, mutatis mutandis, to bonuses, capitalisation issues, distributions of realised capital profits or offers or grants made by the Company to the Members.

 

23Dividends

 

Source of dividends

 

23.1Dividends may be declared and paid out of any funds of the Company lawfully available for distribution.

 

23.2Subject to the requirements of the Act regarding the application of a company’s Share premium account and with the sanction of an Ordinary Resolution, dividends may also be declared and paid out of any share premium account.

 

Declaration of dividends by Members

 

23.3Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution declare dividends in accordance with the respective rights of the Members but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the Directors.

 

Payment of interim dividends and declaration of final dividends by Directors

 

23.4The Directors may declare and pay interim dividends or recommend final dividends in accordance with the respective rights of the Members if it appears to them that they are justified by the financial position of the Company and that such dividends may lawfully be paid.

 

23.5Subject to the provisions of the Act, in relation to the distinction between interim dividends and final dividends, the following applies:

 

(a)Upon determination to pay a dividend or dividends described as interim by the Directors in the dividend resolution, no debt shall be created by the declaration until such time as payment is made.

 

(b)Upon declaration of a dividend or dividends described as final by the Directors in the dividend resolution, a debt shall be created immediately following the declaration, the due date to be the date the dividend is stated to be payable in the resolution.

 

If the resolution fails to specify whether a dividend is final or interim, it shall be assumed to be interim.

 

23.6In relation to Shares carrying differing rights to dividends or rights to dividends at a fixed rate, the following applies:

 

(a)If the share capital is divided into different classes, the Directors may pay dividends on Shares which confer deferred or non-preferred rights with regard to dividends as well as on Shares which confer preferential rights with regard to dividends but no dividend shall be paid on Shares carrying deferred or non-preferred rights if, at the time of payment, any preferential dividend is in arrears.

 

(b)The Directors may also pay, at intervals settled by them, any dividend payable at a fixed rate if it appears to them that there are sufficient funds of the Company lawfully available for distribution to justify the payment.

 

(c)If the Directors act in good faith, they shall not incur any liability to the Members holding Shares conferring preferred rights for any loss those Members may suffer by the lawful payment of the dividend on any Shares having deferred or non-preferred rights.

 

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Apportionment of dividends

 

23.7Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to Shares all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts Paid Up on the Shares on which the dividend is paid. All dividends shall be apportioned and paid proportionately to the amount Paid Up on the Shares during the time or part of the time in respect of which the dividend is paid. But if a Share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for dividend as from a particular date, that Share shall rank for dividend accordingly.

 

Right of set off

 

23.8The Directors may deduct from a dividend or any other amount payable to a person in respect of a Share any amount due by that person to the Company on a call or otherwise in relation to a Share.

 

Power to pay other than in cash

 

23.9If the Directors so determine, any resolution declaring a dividend may direct that it shall be satisfied wholly or partly by the distribution of assets. If a difficulty arises in relation to the distribution, the Directors may settle that difficulty in any way they consider appropriate. For example, they may do any one or more of the following:

 

(a)issue fractional Shares;

 

(b)fix the value of assets for distribution and make cash payments to some Members on the footing of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of Members; and

 

(c)vest some assets in trustees.

 

How payments may be made

 

23.10A dividend or other monies payable on or in respect of a Share may be paid in any of the following ways:

 

(a)if the Member holding that Share or other person entitled to that Share nominates a bank account for that purpose - by wire transfer to that bank account; or

 

(b)by cheque or warrant sent by post to the registered address of the Member holding that Share or other person entitled to that Share.

 

23.11For the purposes of Article 23.10(a), the nomination may be in writing or in an Electronic Record and the bank account nominated may be the bank account of another person. For the purposes of Article 23.10(b), subject to any applicable law or regulation, the cheque or warrant shall be made to the order of the Member holding that Share or other person entitled to the Share or to his nominee, whether nominated in writing or in an Electronic Record, and payment of the cheque or warrant shall be a good discharge to the Company.

 

23.12If two or more persons are registered as the holders of the Share or are jointly entitled to it by reason of the death or bankruptcy of the registered holder (Joint Holders), a dividend (or other amount) payable on or in respect of that Share may be paid as follows:

 

(a)to the registered address of the Joint Holder of the Share who is named first on the register of Members or to the registered address of the deceased or bankrupt holder, as the case may be; or

 

(b)to the address or bank account of another person nominated by the Joint Holders, whether that nomination is in writing or in an Electronic Record.

 

23.13Any Joint Holder of a Share may give a valid receipt for a dividend (or other amount) payable in respect of that Share.

 

Dividends or other monies not to bear interest in absence of special rights

 

23.14Unless provided for by the rights attached to a Share, no dividend or other monies payable by the Company in respect of a Share shall bear interest.

 

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Dividends unable to be paid or unclaimed

 

23.15If a dividend cannot be paid to a Member or remains unclaimed within six weeks after it was declared or both, the Directors may pay it into a separate account in the Company’s name. If a dividend is paid into a separate account, the Company shall not be constituted trustee in respect of that account and the dividend shall remain a debt due to the Member.

 

23.16A dividend that remains unclaimed for a period of six years after it became due for payment shall be forfeited to, and shall cease to remain owing by, the Company.

 

24Capitalisation of profits

 

Capitalisation of profits or of any share premium account or capital redemption reserve;

 

24.1The Directors may resolve to capitalise:

 

(a)any part of the Company’s profits not required for paying any preferential dividend (whether or not those profits are available for distribution); or

 

(b)any sum standing to the credit of the Company’s share premium account or capital redemption reserve, if any.

 

24.2The amount resolved to be capitalised must be appropriated to the Members who would have been entitled to it had it been distributed by way of dividend and in the same proportions. The benefit to each Member so entitled must be given in either or both of the following ways::

 

(a)by paying up the amounts unpaid on that Member’s Shares;

 

(b)by issuing Fully Paid Up Shares, debentures or other securities of the Company to that Member or as that Member directs. The Directors may resolve that any Shares issued to the Member in respect of Partly Paid Up Shares (Original Shares) rank for dividend only to the extent that the Original Shares rank for dividend while those Original Shares remain Partly Paid Up.

 

Applying an amount for the benefit of Members

 

24.3The amount capitalised must be applied to the benefit of Members in the proportions to which the Members would have been entitled to dividends if the amount capitalised had been distributed as a dividend.

 

24.4Subject to the Act, if a fraction of a Share, a debenture or other security is allocated to a Member, the Directors may issue a fractional certificate to that Member or pay him the cash equivalent of the fraction.

 

25Share Premium Account

 

Directors to maintain share premium account

 

25.1The Directors shall establish a share premium account in accordance with the Act. They shall carry to the credit of that account from time to time an amount equal to the amount or value of the premium paid on the issue of any Share or capital contributed or such other amounts required by the Act.

 

Debits to share premium account

 

25.2The following amounts shall be debited to any share premium account:

 

(a)on the redemption or purchase of a Share, the difference between the nominal value of that Share and the redemption or purchase price; and

 

(b)any other amount paid out of a share premium account as permitted by the Act.

 

25.3Notwithstanding the preceding Article, on the redemption or purchase of a Share, the Directors may pay the difference between the nominal value of that Share and the redemption purchase price out of the profits of the Company or, as permitted by the Act, out of capital.

 

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26Seal

 

Company seal

 

26.1The Company may have a seal if the Directors so determine.

 

Duplicate seal

 

26.2Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Company may also have a duplicate seal or seals for use in any place or places outside the Cayman Islands. Each duplicate seal shall be a facsimile of the original seal of the Company. However, if the Directors so determine, a duplicate seal shall have added on its face the name of the place where it is to be used.

 

When and how seal is to be used

 

26.3A seal may only be used by the authority of the Directors. Unless the Directors otherwise determine, a document to which a seal is affixed must be signed in one of the following ways:

 

(a)by a Director (or his alternate) and the Secretary; or

 

(b)by a single Director (or his alternate).

 

If no seal is adopted or used

 

26.4If the Directors do not adopt a seal, or a seal is not used, a document may be executed in the following manner:

 

(a)by a Director (or his alternate) and the Secretary; or

 

(b)by a single Director (or his alternate); or

 

(c)in any other manner permitted by the Act.

 

Power to allow non-manual signatures and facsimile printing of seal

 

26.5The Directors may determine that either or both of the following applies:

 

(a)that the seal or a duplicate seal need not be affixed manually but may be affixed by some other method or system of reproduction;

 

(b)that a signature required by these Articles need not be manual but may be a mechanical or Electronic Signature.

 

Validity of execution

 

26.6If a document is duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Company, it shall not be regarded as invalid merely because, at the date of the delivery, the Secretary, or the Director, or other Officer or person who signed the document or affixed the seal for and on behalf of the Company ceased to be the Secretary or hold that office and authority on behalf of the Company.

 

27Indemnity

 

27.1To the extent permitted by law, the Company shall indemnify each existing or former Director (including alternate Director), Secretary and other Officer of the Company (including an investment adviser or an administrator or liquidator) and their personal representatives against:

 

(a)all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by the existing or former Director (including alternate Director), Secretary or Officer in or about the conduct of the Company’s business or affairs or in the execution or discharge of the existing or former Director’s (including alternate Director’s), Secretary’s or Officer’s duties, powers, authorities or discretions; and

 

(b)without limitation to paragraph (a), all costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by the existing or former Director (including alternate Director), Secretary or Officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative proceedings (whether threatened, pending or completed) concerning the Company or its affairs in any court or tribunal, whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere.

 

No such existing or former Director (including alternate Director), Secretary or Officer, however, shall be indemnified in respect of any matter arising out of his own dishonesty.

 

27.2To the extent permitted by law, the Company may make a payment, or agree to make a payment, whether by way of advance, loan or otherwise, for any legal costs incurred by an existing or former Director (including alternate Director), Secretary or Officer of the Company in respect of any matter identified in Article 27.1 on condition that the Director (including alternate Director), Secretary or Officer must repay the amount paid by the Company to the extent that it is ultimately found not liable to indemnify the Director (including alternate Director), Secretary or that Officer for those legal costs.

 

34

 

 

Release

 

27.3To the extent permitted by law, the Company may by Special Resolution release any existing or former Director (including alternate Director), Secretary or other Officer of the Company from liability for any loss or damage or right to compensation which may arise out of or in connection with the execution or discharge of the duties, powers, authorities or discretions of his office; but there may be no release from liability arising out of or in connection with that person’s own dishonesty.

 

Insurance

 

27.4To the extent permitted by law, the Company may pay, or agree to pay, a premium in respect of a contract insuring each of the following persons against risks determined by the Directors, other than liability arising out of that person’s own dishonesty:

 

(a)an existing or former Director (including alternate Director), Secretary or Officer or auditor of:

 

(i)the Company;

 

(ii)a company which is or was a subsidiary of the Company;

 

(iii)a company in which the Company has or had an interest (whether direct or indirect); and

 

(b)a trustee of an employee or retirement benefits scheme or other trust in which any of the persons referred to in paragraph (a) is or was interested.

 

28Notices

 

Form of notices

 

28.1Save where these Articles provide otherwise, and subject to the Designated Stock Exchange Rules, any notice to be given to or by any person pursuant to these Articles shall be:

 

(a)in writing signed by or on behalf of the giver in the manner set out below for written notices; or

 

(b)subject to the next Article, in an Electronic Record signed by or on behalf of the giver by Electronic Signature and authenticated in accordance with Articles about authentication of Electronic Records; or

 

(c)where these Articles expressly permit, by the Company by means of a website.

 

Electronic communications

 

28.2A notice may only be given to the Company in an Electronic Record if:

 

(a)the Directors so resolve;

 

(b)the resolution states how an Electronic Record may be given and, if applicable, specifies an email address for the Company; and

 

(c)the terms of that resolution are notified to the Members for the time being and, if applicable, to those Directors who were absent from the meeting at which the resolution was passed.

 

If the resolution is revoked or varied, the revocation or variation shall only become effective when its terms have been similarly notified.

 

28.3A notice may not be given by Electronic Record to a person other than the Company unless the recipient has notified the giver of an Electronic address to which notice may be sent.

 

28.4Subject to the Act, the Designated Stock Exchange Rules and to any other rules which the Company is bound to follow, the Company may also send any notice or other document pursuant to these Articles to a Member by publishing that notice or other document on a website where:

 

(a)the Company and the Member have agreed to his having access to the notice or document on a website (instead of it being sent to him);

 

(b)the notice or document is one to which that agreement applies;

 

(c)the Member is notified (in accordance with any requirements laid down by the Act and, in a manner for the time being agreed between him and the Company for the purpose) of:

 

(i)the publication of the notice or document on a website;

 

(ii)the address of that website; and

 

(iii)the place on that website where the notice or document may be accessed, and how it may be accessed; and

 

35

 

 

(d)the notice or document is published on that website throughout the publication period, provided that, if the notice or document is published on that website for a part, but not all of, the publication period, the notice or document shall be treated as being published throughout that period if the failure to publish that notice of document throughout that period is wholly attributable to circumstances which it would not be reasonable to have expected the Company to prevent or avoid. For the purposes of this Article 28.4 “publication period” means a period of not less than twenty-one days, beginning on the day on which the notification referred to in Article 28.4(c) is deemed sent.

 

Persons entitled to notices

 

28.5Any notice or other document to be given to a Member may be given by reference to the register of Members as it stands at any time within the period of twenty-one days before the day that the notice is given or (where and as applicable) within any other period permitted by, or in accordance with the requirements of, (to the extent applicable) the Designated Stock Exchange Rules and/or the Designated Stock Exchanges. No change in the register of Members after that time shall invalidate the giving of such notice or document or require the Company to give such item to any other person.

 

Persons authorised to give notices

 

28.6A notice by either the Company or a Member pursuant to these Articles may be given on behalf of the Company or a Member by a Director or company secretary of the Company or a Member.

 

Delivery of written notices

 

28.7Save where these Articles provide otherwise, a notice in writing may be given personally to the recipient, or left at (as appropriate) the Member’s or Director’s registered address or the Company’s registered office, or posted to that registered address or registered office.

 

Joint holders

 

28.8Where Members are joint holders of a Share, all notices shall be given to the Member whose name first appears in the register of Members.

 

Signatures

 

28.9A written notice shall be signed when it is autographed by or on behalf of the giver, or is marked in such a way as to indicate its execution or adoption by the giver.

 

28.10An Electronic Record may be signed by an Electronic Signature.

 

Evidence of transmission

 

28.11A notice given by Electronic Record shall be deemed sent if an Electronic Record is kept demonstrating the time, date and content of the transmission, and if no notification of failure to transmit is received by the giver.

 

28.12A notice given in writing shall be deemed sent if the giver can provide proof that the envelope containing the notice was properly addressed, pre-paid and posted, or that the written notice was otherwise properly transmitted to the recipient.

 

28.13A Member present, either in person or by proxy, at any meeting of the Company or of the holders of any class of Shares shall be deemed to have received due notice of the meeting and, where requisite, of the purposes for which it was called.

 

Giving notice to a deceased or bankrupt Member

 

28.14A notice may be given by the Company to the persons entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member by sending or delivering it, in any manner authorised by these Articles for the giving of notice to a Member, addressed to them by name, or by the title of representatives of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt or by any like description, at the address, if any, supplied for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled.

 

28.15Until such an address has been supplied, a notice may be given in any manner in which it might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred.

 

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Date of giving notices

 

28.16A notice is given on the date identified in the following table

 

Method for giving notices When taken to be given
(A) Personally At the time and date of delivery
(B) By leaving it at the Member’s registered address At the time and date it was left
(C) By posting it by prepaid post to the street or postal address of that recipient 48 hours after the date it was posted
(D) By Electronic Record (other than publication on a website), to recipient’s Electronic address 48 hours after the date it was sent
(E) By publication on a website 24 hours after the date on which the Member is deemed to have been notified of the publication of the notice or document on the website

 

Saving provision

 

28.17None of the preceding notice provisions shall derogate from the Articles about the delivery of written resolutions of Directors and written resolutions of Members.

 

29Authentication of Electronic Records

 

Application of Articles

 

29.1Without limitation to any other provision of these Articles, any notice, written resolution or other document under these Articles that is sent by Electronic means by a Member, or by the Secretary, or by a Director or other Officer of the Company, shall be deemed to be authentic if either Article 29.2 or Article 29.4 applies.

 

Authentication of documents sent by Members by Electronic means

 

29.2An Electronic Record of a notice, written resolution or other document sent by Electronic means by or on behalf of one or more Members shall be deemed to be authentic if the following conditions are satisfied:

 

(a)the Member or each Member, as the case may be, signed the original document, and for this purpose Original Document includes several documents in like form signed by one or more of those Members; and

 

(b)the Electronic Record of the Original Document was sent by Electronic means by, or at the direction of, that Member to an address specified in accordance with these Articles for the purpose for which it was sent; and

 

(c)Article 29.7 does not apply.

 

29.3For example, where a sole Member signs a resolution and sends the Electronic Record of the original resolution, or causes it to be sent, by facsimile transmission to the address in these Articles specified for that purpose, the facsimile copy shall be deemed to be the written resolution of that Member unless Article 28.7 applies.

 

Authentication of document sent by the Secretary or Officers of the Company by Electronic means

 

29.4An Electronic Record of a notice, written resolution or other document sent by or on behalf of the Secretary or an Officer or Officers of the Company shall be deemed to be authentic if the following conditions are satisfied:

 

(a)the Secretary or the Officer or each Officer, as the case may be, signed the original document, and for this purpose Original Document includes several documents in like form signed by the Secretary or one or more of those Officers; and

 

(b)the Electronic Record of the Original Document was sent by Electronic means by, or at the direction of, the Secretary or that Officer to an address specified in accordance with these Articles for the purpose for which it was sent; and

 

(c)Article 29.7 does not apply.

 

This Article 29.4 applies whether the document is sent by or on behalf of the Secretary or Officer in his own right or as a representative of the Company.

 

29.5For example, where a sole Director signs a resolution and scans the resolution, or causes it to be scanned, as a PDF version which is attached to an email sent to the address in these Articles specified for that purpose, the PDF version shall be deemed to be the written resolution of that Director unless Article 29.7 applies.

 

37

 

 

Manner of signing

 

29.6For the purposes of these Articles about the authentication of Electronic Records, a document will be taken to be signed if it is signed manually or in any other manner permitted by these Articles.

 

Saving provision

 

29.7A notice, written resolution or other document under these Articles will not be deemed to be authentic if the recipient, acting reasonably:

 

(a)believes that the signature of the signatory has been altered after the signatory had signed the original document; or

 

(b)believes that the original document, or the Electronic Record of it, was altered, without the approval of the signatory, after the signatory signed the original document; or

 

(c)otherwise doubts the authenticity of the Electronic Record of the document

 

and the recipient promptly gives notice to the sender setting the grounds of its objection. If the recipient invokes this Article, the sender may seek to establish the authenticity of the Electronic Record in any way the sender thinks fit.

 

30Transfer by way of continuation

 

30.1The Company may, by Special Resolution, resolve to be registered by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside:

 

(a)the Cayman Islands; or

 

(b)such other jurisdiction in which it is, for the time being, incorporated, registered or existing.

 

30.2To give effect to any resolution made pursuant to the preceding Article, the Directors may cause the following:

 

(a)an application be made to the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands to deregister the Company in the Cayman Islands or in the other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing; and

 

(b)all such further steps as they consider appropriate to be taken to effect the transfer by way of continuation of the Company.

 

31Winding up

 

Distribution of assets in specie

 

31.1If the Company is wound up the Members may, subject to these Articles and any other sanction required by the Act, pass a Special Resolution allowing the liquidator to do either or both of the following:

 

(a)to divide in specie among the Members the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and, for that purpose, to value any assets and to determine how the division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members; and/or

 

(b)to vest the whole or any part of the assets in trustees for the benefit of Members and those liable to contribute to the winding up.

 

No obligation to accept liability

 

31.2No Member shall be compelled to accept any assets if an obligation attaches to them.

 

31.3The Directors are authorised to present a winding up petition.

 

31.4The Directors have the authority to present a petition for the winding up of the Company to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands on behalf of the Company without the sanction of a resolution passed at a general meeting.

 

32Amendment of Memorandum and Articles

 

Power to change name or amend Memorandum

 

32.1Subject to the Act, the Company may, by Special Resolution:

 

(a)change its name; or

 

(b)subject to Article 2.3(e), change the provisions of its Memorandum with respect to its objects, powers or any other matter specified in the Memorandum.

 

Power to amend these Articles

 

32.2Subject to the Act, Article 2.3 and as provided elsewhere in these Articles, the Company may, by Special Resolution, amend these Articles in whole or in part.

 

 

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EX-10.1 3 ea169060ex10-1_nwtninc.htm WARRANT AGREEMENT AMENDMENT

Exhibit 10.1

 

Execution Version

 

AMENDMENT TO WARRANT AGREEMENT

 

THIS AMENDMENT TO WARRANT AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) is made and entered into as of November 11, 2022, by and among (i) East Stone Acquisition Corporation, a British Virgin Islands company (the “Company”), (ii) NWTN Inc., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (“Pubco”), and (iii) Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, as warrant agent (the “Agent”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in the Warrant Agreement (as defined below) (and if such term is not defined in the Warrant Agreement, then the Business Combination Agreement (as defined below)).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Agent are parties to that certain Warrant Agreement, dated as of February 19, 2020 (as amended, including without limitation by this Amendment, the “Warrant Agreement”), pursuant to which the Agent agreed to act as the Company’s warrant agent with respect to the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption and exercise of (i) warrants to purchase ordinary shares underlying the units of the Company issued in the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) (the “Public Warrants”), (ii) warrants to purchase ordinary shares of the Company acquired by Double Ventures Holdings Limited, the Company’s sponsor, in a private placement concurrent with the IPO (the “Private Warrants”), (iii) warrants to purchase ordinary shares of the Company issuable to the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain officers and directors of the Company upon conversion of up to $1,500,000 of working capital loans (the “Working Capital Warrants”), and (iv) all other warrants issued by the Company at or after the IPO (including the warrants issued to the IPO underwriter (the “Underwriter Warrants”), in connection with or following the Business Combination (the “Post-IPO Warrants” and together with the Public Warrants, the Private Warrants, and the Working Capital Warrants, the “Warrants”);

 

WHEREAS, on April 15, 2022, (i) the Company, (ii) Navy Sail International Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, in the capacity as the Purchaser Representative thereunder, (iii) Pubco, (iv) Muse Merger Sub I Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“First Merger Sub”), (v) Muse Merger Sub II Limited, a British Virgin Islands business company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Second Merger Sub”), and (vi) ICONIQ Holding Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (“Iconiq”), entered into that certain Business Combination Agreement (as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, including the Amendment to Business Combination Agreement, dated September 28, 2022, the “Business Combination Agreement”);

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, upon the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby (the “Closing”), among other matters, (i) First Merger Sub will merge with and into Iconiq, with Iconiq continuing as the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (the “First Merger”), and (a) each Class A ordinary share of Iconiq issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger will automatically be cancelled, in exchange for the right of the holder thereof to receive Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares, along with a contingent right to receive additional Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Business Combination Agreement, and (b) each Class B ordinary share of Iconiq issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger will automatically be cancelled, in exchange for the right of the holder thereof to receive Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares, and (ii) one business day following, and as part of the same overall transaction as the First Merger, Second Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company (the “Second Merger”), with the Company surviving the Second Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco and with the holders of the Company’s securities receiving substantially equivalent securities of Pubco, all upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Business Combination Agreement and in accordance with the provisions of applicable law;

 

 

 

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, at the effective time of the Second Merger (the “Effective Time”), (i) each outstanding Public Warrant will be converted into one Pubco Public Warrant, with each Pubco Public Warrant having substantially the same terms and conditions as set forth in the Public Warrants, (ii) each outstanding Private Warrant will be converted into one Pubco Private Warrant, with each Pubco Private Warrant having substantially the same terms and conditions as set forth in the Private Warrants, and (iii) each outstanding Underwriter Warrant will be converted into one Pubco Underwriter Warrant, with each Pubco Underwriter Warrant having substantially the same terms and conditions as set forth in the Underwriter Warrants, except in each case that the Pubco Public Warrants, the Pubco Public Warrants and the Pubco Underwriter Warrants will represent the right to receive Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares in lieu of ordinary shares of the Company; and

 

WHEREAS, the parties hereto desire to amend the Warrant Agreement to add Pubco as a party to the Warrant Agreement and to revise the terms of the Warrant Agreement in order to reflect the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, including without limitation the automatic conversion thereunder of the Warrants into Pubco Warrants.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises herein made, and in consideration of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. Addition of Pubco as a Party to the Warrant Agreement. The parties hereby agree to add Pubco as a party to the Warrant Agreement. The parties further agree that, from and after the Closing, (i) all of the rights and obligations of the Company under the Warrant Agreement shall be, and hereby are, assigned and delegated to Pubco as if it were the original “Company” party thereto, and (ii) all references to the Company under the Warrant Agreement relating to periods from and after the Closing shall instead be a reference to Pubco. By executing this Amendment, Pubco hereby agrees to be bound by and subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Warrant Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, from and after the Closing as if it were the original “Company” party thereto.

 

2. Amendments to Warrant Agreement. The parties hereto hereby agree to the following amendments to the Warrant Agreement:

 

(a) The defined terms in this Amendment, including in the preamble and recitals hereto, and the definitions incorporated by reference from the Business Combination Agreement, are hereby added to the Warrant Agreement as if they were set forth therein.

 

(b) The parties hereby agree that the term “Warrants” as used in the Warrant Agreement shall include any and all warrants of Pubco into which the Warrants automatically convert upon the Effective Time. The parties further agree that any reference (as applicable and as appropriate) in the Warrant Agreement to a Warrant will instead refer to the warrants of Pubco (and any warrants of Pubco or any successor entity issued in consideration of or in exchange for any of such warrants).

 

(c) The parties further agree that any reference (as applicable and as appropriate) in the Warrant Agreement to Ordinary Shares will instead refer to Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares (and any other securities of Pubco or any successor entity issued in consideration of (including as a stock split, dividend or distribution) or in exchange for any of such securities).

 

2

 

 

(d) Section 9.2 of the Warrant Agreement is hereby amended to delete the address of the Company for notices under the Warrant Agreement and instead add the following address for notices to Pubco under the Warrant Agreement as the “SPAC” party thereunder:

 

 

If to Pubco to:

 

NWTN Inc.
No.76 Mu Nan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, China
Attn: Baoji Su
Telephone No.: +86 022-23303776
Email: ir@iconiqmotors.com

 

with a copy (which will not constitute notice) to:

 

Linklaters LLP

1290 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10104

Facsimile No.: +1 212 903 9100
Telephone No.: +1 212 903 9000

 

and a copy to:

 

Linklaters LLP

11th Floor, Alexandra House

Chater Road

Hong Kong SAR

 

Facsimile No.: +852 2810 8133
Telephone No.: +852 2842 4888

 

3. Effectiveness. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, this Amendment shall only become effective upon the Closing. In the event that the Business Combination Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms prior to the Closing, this Amendment and all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall automatically terminate and be of no further force or effect.

 

4. Miscellaneous. Except as expressly provided in this Amendment, all of the terms and provisions in the Warrant Agreement are and shall remain in full force and effect, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein. This Amendment does not constitute, directly or by implication, an amendment or waiver of any provision of the Warrant Agreement, or any other right, remedy, power or privilege of any party thereto, except as expressly set forth herein. Any reference to the Warrant Agreement in the Warrant Agreement or any other agreement, document, instrument or certificate entered into or issued in connection therewith, shall hereinafter mean the Warrant Agreement as the case may be, as amended by this Amendment (or as such agreement may be further amended or modified in accordance with the terms thereof). The terms of this Amendment shall be governed by, enforced and construed and interpreted in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Warrant Agreement, as it applies to the amendments to the Warrant Agreement herein, including without limitation Section 9 of the Warrant Agreement.

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK; SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

3

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto has caused this Amendment to Warrant Agreement to be signed and delivered by its respective duly authorized officer as of the date first above written.

 

  The Company:
   
  East Stone Acquisition Corporation
     
  By: /s/ Xiaoma (Sherman) Lu
    Name:  Xiaoma (Sherman) Lu
    Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

  Pubco:
   
  NWTN INC.
     
  By: /s/ Alan Nan Wu
    Name:  Alan Nan Wu
    Title: Director

 

  Agent:
   
  Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
     
  By: /s/ Margaret B. Lloyd 
    Name:  Margaret B. Lloyd 
    Title: Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Amendment to Warrant Agreement]

 

 

4

 

 

EX-10.2 4 ea169060ex10-2_nwtninc.htm FORM OF SELLER REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

Exhibit 10.2

 

Execution Version

 

form of SELLER REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

THIS SELLER REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of November 11, 2022 by and among (i) NWTN Inc., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (including any successor entity thereto, Pubco”), and (ii) the undersigned parties listed as “Investors” on the signature page hereto (each, an “Investor” and collectively, the “Investors”).

 

WHEREAS, on April 15, 2022, (i) East Stone Acquisition Corporation, a British Virgin Islands business company (“Purchaser”), (ii) Navy Sail International Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, in the capacity under the Business Combination Agreement (defined below) as the Purchaser Representative (the “Purchaser Representative”), (iii) Pubco, (iv) Muse Merger Sub I Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“First Merger Sub”), (v) Muse Merger Sub II Limited, a British Virgin Islands business company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Second Merger Sub”), and (vi) ICONIQ Holding Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (“Iconiq”), entered into that certain Business Combination Agreement (as amended from time to time, including by the Amendment to Business Combination Agreement, dated September 28, 2022, and as further amended in accordance with the terms thereof, the “Business Combination Agreement”);

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, upon the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby (the “Closing”), among other matters, (i) First Merger Sub will merge with and into Iconiq, with Iconiq continuing as the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (the “First Merger”), and (a) each Class A ordinary share of Iconiq issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger will automatically be cancelled, in exchange for the right of the holder thereof to receive Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares, along with a contingent right to receive additional Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Business Combination Agreement (the “Earnout Shares”), and (b) each Class B ordinary share of Iconiq issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger will automatically be cancelled, in exchange for the right of the holder thereof to receive Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares (such Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares, Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares and the Earnout Shares, collectively, the “Company Share Consideration”), and (ii) one business day following, and as part of the same overall transaction as the First Merger, Second Merger Sub will merge with and into the Purchaser (the “Second Merger”), with the Purchaser surviving the Second Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco and with the holders of Purchaser’s securities receiving substantially equivalent securities of Pubco, all upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Business Combination Agreement and in accordance with the provisions of applicable law;

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the execution of the Business Combination Agreement, certain of the Investors (the “Lock-Up Investors”) entered into a lock-up agreement with Pubco and the Purchaser Representative (each, as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, a “Lock-Up Agreement”), pursuant to which each such Lock-Up Investor agreed not to transfer its Pubco securities for a certain period of time after the Closing as stated in the Lock-Up Agreement; and

 

WHEREAS, the parties desire to enter into this Agreement to provide the Investors with certain rights relating to the registration of the Company Share Consideration received by the Investors under the Business Combination Agreement, including any Earnout Shares issued after the Closing pursuant to Section 2.1(a) of the Business Combination Agreement.

 

 

 

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. DEFINITIONS. Any capitalized term used but not defined in this Agreement will have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Business Combination Agreement. The following capitalized terms used herein have the following meanings:

 

Agreement” means this Agreement, as amended, restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

Business Combination Agreement” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Closing” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Company” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Company Share Consideration” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Demand Registration” is defined in Section 2.1.1.

 

Demanding Holder” is defined in Section 2.1.1.

 

Earnout Shares” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time.

 

First Merger” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

First Merger Sub” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Founder Registration Rights Agreement” means that certain Registration Rights Agreement dated as of February 19, 2020, by and among Purchaser, I-Bankers Securities, Inc. and the holders of “Registrable Securities” thereunder, as it is to be amended at or prior to the Closing, including by the First Amendment to Registration Rights Agreement, and as it may further be amended in accordance with the terms thereof.

 

Founder Securities” means those securities included in the definition of “Registrable Securities” specified in the Founder Registration Rights Agreement.

 

Iconiq” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Indemnified Party” is defined in Section 4.3.

 

Indemnifying Party” is defined in Section 4.3.

 

Investor(s)” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement, and include any transferee of the Registrable Securities (so long as they remain Registrable Securities) of an Investor permitted under this Agreement and with respect to a Lock-Up Investor, its Lock-Up Agreement.

 

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Investor Indemnified Party” is defined in Section 4.1.

 

Lock-Up Agreement” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Lock-Up Investor” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Maximum Number of Securities” is defined in Section 2.1.4.

 

Option Securities” is defined in Section 2.1.4

 

Piggy-Back Registration” is defined in Section 2.2.1.

 

PIPE Documents” is defined in Section 2.5.

 

PIPE Investor” means an investor purchasing securities in a PIPE Investment as contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement.

 

PIPE Securities” means those securities sold to PIPE Investors in a PIPE Investment as contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement.

 

Pro Rata” is defined in Section 2.1.4.

 

Proceeding” is defined in Section 6.9.

 

Pubco” is defined in the preamble to this Agreement, and shall include Pubco’s successors by merger, acquisition, reorganization or otherwise.

 

Purchaser” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Purchaser Representative” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Register,” “Registered” and “Registration” mean a registration or offering effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.

 

Registrable Securities” means the Company Share Consideration, including any Earnout Shares issued the Closing pursuant to Section 2.1(a) of the Business Combination Agreement, and any Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon the conversion of the Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares. Registrable Securities include any warrants, capital shares or other securities of Pubco issued as a dividend or other distribution with respect to or in exchange for or in replacement of the foregoing securities. As to any particular Registrable Securities, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (a) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement; (b) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for them not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by Pubco and subsequent public distribution of them shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (c) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; or (d) such securities are freely saleable under Rule 144 without volume limitations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, a Person shall be deemed to be an “Investor holding Registrable Securities” (or words to that effect) under this Agreement only if they are an Investor or a transferee of the applicable Registrable Securities (so long as they remain Registrable Securities) of any Investor permitted under this Agreement and any applicable Lock-Up Agreement.

 

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Registration Statement” means a registration statement filed by Pubco with the SEC in compliance with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder for a public offering and sale of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities, including all amendments thereto, including post-effective amendments (other than a registration statement on Form S-4, F-4 or Form S-8, or their successors, or any registration statement covering only securities proposed to be issued in exchange for securities or assets of another entity).

 

Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor thereto.

 

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the time.

 

Second Merger” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Second Merger Sub” is defined in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Short Form Registration” is defined in Section 2.3.

 

Specified Courts” is defined in Section 6.9.

 

Underwriter” means a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an underwritten offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.

 

Unit Purchase Option” is defined in Section 2.1.4

 

2. REGISTRATION RIGHTS.

 

2.1 Demand Registration.

 

2.1.1 Request for Registration. Subject to Section 2.4, at any time and from time to time after the Closing, Investors holding a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities then issued and outstanding (for the avoidance of any doubt, throughout this agreement, such determination is based on the number of Registrable Securities held by the investors and not the voting rights of those Registrable Securities), may make a written demand for registration under the Securities Act of all or part of their Registrable Securities (a “Demand Registration”). Any demand for a Demand Registration shall specify the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. Within thirty (30) days following receipt of any request for a Demand Registration, Pubco will notify all other Investors holding Registrable Securities of the demand, and each Investor holding Registrable Securities who wishes to include all or a portion of such Investor’s Registrable Securities in the Demand Registration (each such Investor including shares of Registrable Securities in such registration, a “Demanding Holder”) shall so notify Pubco, in writing, within fifteen (15) days after the receipt by the Investor of the notice from Pubco. Upon any such request, the Demanding Holders shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in the Demand Registration, subject to Section 2.1.4 and the provisos set forth in Section 3.1.1. Pubco shall not be obligated to effect more than an aggregate of three (3) Demand Registrations under this Section 2.1.1 in respect of all Registrable Securities. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2.1 to the contrary, Pubco shall not be obligated to effect a Demand Registration, (i) if a Piggy-Back Registration had been available to the Demanding Holder(s) within the one hundred twenty (120) days preceding the date of request for the Demand Registration, (ii) within sixty (60) days after the effective date of a previous registration effected with respect to the Registrable Securities pursuant this Section 2.1, or (iii) during any period (not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days) following the closing of the completion of an offering of securities by Pubco if such Demand Registration would cause Pubco to breach a “lock-up” or similar provision contained in the underwriting agreement for such offering.

 

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2.1.2 Effective Registration. A Registration will not count as a Demand Registration until the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to such Demand Registration has been declared effective by the SEC and Pubco has complied in all material respects with its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided, however, that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, the offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Demand Registration is interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the SEC or any other governmental agency or court, the Registration Statement with respect to such Demand Registration will be deemed not to have been declared effective, unless and until, (i) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (ii) a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders thereafter elect to continue the offering; provided, further, that Pubco shall not be obligated to file another Registration Statement until a Registration Statement that has been filed is counted as a Demand Registration or is terminated, which termination may be effected, following a stop order or injunction, by notice to the Company from at least a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holder.

 

2.1.3 Underwritten Offering. If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so elect and advise Pubco as part of their written demand for a Demand Registration, the offering of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an underwritten offering. In such event, the right of any Demanding Holder to include its Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Demanding Holder’s participation in such underwritten offering and the inclusion of such Demanding Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwritten offering to the extent provided herein. All Demanding Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through such underwritten offering shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter or Underwriters selected for such underwritten offering by a majority-in-interest of the Investors initiating the Demand Registration and reasonably acceptable to Pubco.

 

2.1.4 Reduction of Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Demand Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises Pubco and the Demanding Holders in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities which the Demanding Holders desire to sell, taken together with all other Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities which Pubco desires to sell and the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities, if any, as to which Registration by Pubco has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by other security holders of Pubco who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares that can be sold in such offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Securities”), then Pubco shall include in such Registration: (i) first, the Registrable Securities as to which Demand Registration has been requested by the Demanding Holders and the Founder Securities for the account of any Persons who have exercised demand registration rights pursuant to the Founder Registration Rights Agreement during the period under which the Demand Registration hereunder is ongoing (all pro rata in accordance with the number of securities that each applicable Person has requested be included in such registration, regardless of the number of securities held by each such Person, as long as they do not request to include more securities than they own (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.2 and the Founder Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights of the Founder Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Pubco securities registrable pursuant to the terms of the Unit Purchase Option issued to the representative of the underwriters of the Purchaser’s initial public offering, or its designees, in connection with the Purchaser’s initial public offering (the “Unit Purchase Option” and such registrable securities, the “Option Securities”) as to which “piggy-back” registration has been requested by the holders thereof, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (v) fifth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities. In the event that Pubco securities that are convertible into Pubco Ordinary Shares are included in the offering, the calculations under this Section 2.1.4 shall include such Pubco securities on an as-converted to Pubco Ordinary Share basis.

 

2.1.5 Withdrawal. If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders disapprove of the terms of any underwritten offering or are not entitled to include all of their Registrable Securities in any offering, such majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders may elect to withdraw from such offering by giving written notice to Pubco and the Underwriter or Underwriters of their request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to such Demand Registration. If the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders withdraws from a proposed offering relating to a Demand Registration in such event, then such registration shall not count as a Demand Registration provided for in Section 2.1.

 

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2.2 Piggy-Back Registration.

 

2.2.1 Piggy-Back Rights. Subject to Section 2.4, if at any time after the Closing Pubco proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Registration of or an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, equity securities, by Pubco for its own account or for security holders of Pubco for their account (or by Pubco and by security holders of Pubco including pursuant to Section 2.1), other than a Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee share option or other benefit plan, (ii) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to Pubco’s existing security holders, (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of Pubco, or (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then Pubco shall (x) give written notice of such proposed filing to Investors holding Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but in no event less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date, which notice shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering or registration, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, of the offering, and (y) offer to Investors holding Registrable Securities in such notice the opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such Investors may request in writing within five (5) days following receipt of such notice (a “Piggy-Back Registration”). To the extent permitted by applicable securities laws with respect to such registration by Pubco or another demanding security holder, Pubco shall use its best efforts to cause (i) such Registrable Securities to be included in such registration and (ii) the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed underwritten offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Piggy-Back Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of Pubco and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All Investors holding Registrable Securities proposing to distribute their securities through a Piggy-Back Registration that involves an Underwriter or Underwriters shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter or Underwriters selected for such Piggy-Back Registration.

 

2.2.2 Reduction of Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Piggy-Back Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises Pubco and Investors holding Registrable Securities proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through such Piggy-Back Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of Pubco Ordinary Shares or other Pubco securities which Pubco desires to sell, taken together with the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other Pubco securities, if any, as to which registration has been demanded pursuant to written contractual arrangements with Persons other than the Investors holding Registrable Securities hereunder, the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested under this Section 2.2, and the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other Pubco securities, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other security holders of Pubco, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then Pubco shall include in any such registration:

 

(a) If the registration is undertaken for Pubco’s account: (i) first, the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Founder Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Founder Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;

 

(b) If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of Demanding Holders pursuant to Section 2.1: (i) first, the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the Demanding Holders and the Founder Securities for the account of any Persons who have exercised demand registration rights pursuant to the Founder Registration Rights Agreement during the period under which the Demand Registration hereunder is ongoing, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Founder Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Founder Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;

 

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(c) If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of holders of Founder Securities under the Founder Registration Rights Agreement: (i) first, the Founder Securities for the account of the demanding holders and the Registrable Securities for the account of Demanding Holders who have exercised demand registration rights pursuant to Section 2.1 during the period under which the demand registration under the Founder Registration Rights Agreement is ongoing, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Founder Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Founder Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and

 

(d) If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of holders of Option Securities, (i) first, the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the demanding holders of Option Securities, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Unit Purchase Option and the Founder Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Founder Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and

 

(e) If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of Persons other than either Demanding Holders under Section 2.1, the holders of Option Securities or the holders of Founder Securities exercising demand registration rights under the Founder Registration Rights Agreement: (i) first, the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the demanding Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Founder Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Founder Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.

 

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In the event that Pubco securities that are convertible into Pubco Ordinary Shares are included in the offering, the calculations under this Section 2.2.2 shall include such Pubco securities on an as-converted to Pubco Ordinary Share basis. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary above, to the extent that the registration of an Investor’s Registrable Securities would prevent Pubco or the demanding shareholders from effecting such registration and offering, such Investor shall not be permitted to exercise Piggy-Back Registration rights with respect to such registration and offering.

 

2.2.3 Withdrawal. Any Investor holding Registrable Securities may elect to withdraw such Investor’s request for inclusion of Registrable Securities in any Piggy-Back Registration by giving written notice to Pubco of such request to withdraw prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. Pubco (whether on its own determination or as the result of a withdrawal by Persons making a demand pursuant to written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement without any liability to the applicable Investor, subject to the next sentence and the provisions of Section 4. Notwithstanding any such withdrawal, Pubco shall pay all expenses incurred in connection with such Piggy-Back Registration as provided in Section 3.3 (subject to the limitations set forth therein) by Investors holding Registrable Securities that requested to have their Registrable Securities included in such Piggy-Back Registration.

 

2.3 Short Form Registrations. After the Closing, subject to Section 2.4, Investors holding Registrable Securities may at any time and from time to time, request in writing that Pubco register the resale of any or all of such Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or F-3 or any similar short-form registration which may be available at such time (“Short Form Registration”); provided, however, that Pubco shall not be obligated to effect such request through an underwritten offering. Upon receipt of such written request, Pubco will promptly give written notice of the proposed registration to all other Investors holding Registrable Securities, and, as soon as practicable thereafter, use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of all or such portion of such Investors’ Registrable Securities as are specified in such request, together with all or such portion of the Registrable Securities, if any, of any other Investors joining in such request as are specified in a written request given within fifteen (15) days after receipt of such written notice from Pubco; provided, however, that Pubco shall not be obligated to effect any such registration pursuant to this Section 2.3: (i) if Short Form Registration is not available to Pubco for such offering; or (ii) if Investors holding Registrable Securities, together with the holders of any other securities of Pubco entitled to inclusion in such registration, propose to sell Registrable Securities and such other securities (if any) at any aggregate price to the public of less than $1,000,000. Registrations effected pursuant to this Section 2.3 shall not be counted as Demand Registrations effected pursuant to Section 2.1.

 

2.4 Restriction of Offerings. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Investors shall not be entitled to request, and Pubco shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration (including any Demand Registration or Piggy-Back Registration) pursuant to this Section 2 with respect to any Registrable Securities that are subject to the transfer restrictions under the applicable Lock-Up Investor’s Lock-Up Agreement.

 

2.5 PIPE Securities. The Investors hereby acknowledge that the Purchaser has granted, or may prior to the Closing grant, registration rights to PIPE Investors with respect to the PIPE Securities in the subscription agreements entered into for the PIPE Investment or a registration rights agreement to be entered into between the Purchaser and PIPE Investors in connection therewith (collectively, the “PIPE Documents”). The Holders hereby acknowledge and agree that nothing in this Agreement shall restrict or impair, or would reasonably be expected to restrict or impair, the ability of the Purchaser or Pubco to fulfill its registration obligations under the PIPE Documents with respect to the PIPE Securities (and such PIPE Securities shall take priority and precedence over any of the Registrable Securities or Founder Securities with respect to the provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of Sections 2.1.4 and 2.2.2 hereof), and the Purchaser shall be entitled without violation or breach of, or liability under, this Agreement to refuse to register any Registrable Securities and Insider Securities or withdraw any Registration Statement for any Registrable Securities or Insider Securities if such Registration has restricted or impaired the ability of the Purchaser to fulfill its registration obligations under the PIPE Documents with respect to the PIPE Securities.

 

3. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES.

 

3.1 Filings; Information. Whenever Pubco is required to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2, Pubco shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration and sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof as expeditiously as practicable, and in connection with any such request:

 

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3.1.1 Filing Registration Statement. Pubco shall use its reasonable best efforts to, as expeditiously as possible after receipt of a request for a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement on any form for which Pubco then qualifies or which counsel for Pubco shall deem appropriate and which form shall be available for the sale of all Registrable Securities to be registered thereunder in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof, and shall use its reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and use its reasonable efforts to keep it effective for the period required by Section 3.1.3; provided, however, that Pubco shall have the right to defer any Demand Registration for up to ninety (90) days, and any Piggy-Back Registration for such period as may be applicable to deferment of any demand registration to which such Piggy-Back Registration relates, in each case if Pubco shall furnish Investors requesting to include their Registrable Securities in such registration a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Chairman of Pubco stating that, in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors of Pubco, it would be materially detrimental to Pubco and its shareholders for such Registration Statement to be effected at such time or the filing would require premature disclosure of material information which is not in the interests of Pubco to disclose at such time; provided further, however, that Pubco shall not have the right to exercise the right set forth in the immediately preceding proviso more than twice in any 365-day period in respect of a Demand Registration hereunder.

 

3.1.2 Copies. Pubco shall, prior to filing a Registration Statement or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to Investors holding Registrable Securities included in such registration, and such Investors’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary prospectus), and such other documents as Investors holding Registrable Securities included in such registration or legal counsel for any such Investors may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investors.

 

3.1.3 Amendments and Supplements. Pubco shall prepare and file with the SEC such amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements to such Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective and in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act until all Registrable Securities and other securities covered by such Registration Statement have been disposed of in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or such securities have been withdrawn or until such time as the Registrable Securities cease to be Registrable Securities as defined by this Agreement.

 

3.1.4 Notification. After the filing of a Registration Statement pursuant to this Agreement, Pubco shall promptly, and in no event more than five (5) Business Days after such filing, notify Investors holding Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement of such filing, and shall further notify such Investors promptly and confirm such advice in writing in all events within five (5) Business Days after the occurrence of any of the following: (i) when such Registration Statement becomes effective; (ii) when any post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement becomes effective; (iii) the issuance or threatened issuance by the SEC of any stop order (and Pubco shall take all actions required to prevent the entry of such stop order or to remove it if entered); and (iv) any request by the SEC for any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or any prospectus relating thereto or for additional information or of the occurrence of an event requiring the preparation of a supplement or amendment to such prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the securities covered by such Registration Statement, such prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and promptly make available to Investors holding Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement any such supplement or amendment; except that before filing with the SEC a Registration Statement or prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, including documents incorporated by reference, Pubco shall furnish to Investors holding Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement and to the legal counsel for any such Investors, copies of all such documents proposed to be filed sufficiently in advance of filing to provide such Investors and legal counsel with a reasonable opportunity to review such documents and comment thereon; provided that such Investors and their legal counsel must provide any comments promptly (and in any event within five (5) Business Days) after receipt of such documents.

 

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3.1.5 State Securities Laws Compliance. Pubco shall use its reasonable efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as Investors holding Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may reasonably request and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of Pubco and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable Investors holding Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that Pubco shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this paragraph or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or to taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise subject.

 

3.1.6 Agreements for Disposition. To the extent required by the underwriting agreement or similar agreements, Pubco shall enter into reasonable customary agreements (including, if applicable, an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take such other actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities. The representations, warranties and covenants of Pubco in any underwriting agreement which are made to or for the benefit of any Underwriters, to the extent applicable, shall also be made to and for the benefit of Investors holding Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement. No Investor holding Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement shall be required to make any representations or warranties in the underwriting agreement except, if applicable, with respect to such Investor’s organization, good standing, authority, title to Registrable Securities, lack of conflict of such sale with such Investor’s material agreements and organizational documents, and with respect to written information relating to such Investor that such Investor has furnished in writing expressly for inclusion in such Registration Statement.

 

3.1.7 Cooperation. The principal executive officer of Pubco, the principal financial officer of Pubco, the principal accounting officer of Pubco and all other officers and members of the management of Pubco shall reasonably cooperate in any offering of Registrable Securities hereunder, which cooperation shall include the preparation of the Registration Statement with respect to such offering and all other offering materials and related documents, and participation in meetings with Underwriters, attorneys, accountants and potential investors.

 

3.1.8 Records. Pubco shall make available for inspection by Investors holding Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement, any Underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such Registration Statement and any attorney, accountant or other professional retained by any Investor holding Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement or any Underwriter, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of Pubco, as shall be reasonably necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence responsibility, and cause Pubco’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any of them in connection with such Registration Statement; provided that Pubco may require execution of a reasonable confidentiality agreement prior to sharing any such information.

 

3.1.9 Opinions and Comfort Letters. Pubco shall request its counsel and accountants to provide customary legal opinions and customary comfort letters, to the extent so reasonably required by any underwriting agreement.

 

3.1.10 Earnings Statement. Pubco shall comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and the Securities Act, and make available to its shareholders if reasonably required, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering a period of twelve (12) months, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder.

 

3.1.11 Listing. Pubco shall use its best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities that are Pubco Ordinary Shares included in any registration to be listed on such exchanges or otherwise designated for trading in the same manner as similar securities issued by Pubco are then listed or designated or, if no such similar securities are then listed or designated, in a manner satisfactory to Investors holding a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities included in such registration.

 

3.1.12 Road Show. If the registration involves the registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $50,000,000, Pubco shall use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of Pubco to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any underwritten offering.

 

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3.2 Obligation to Suspend Distribution. Upon receipt of any notice from Pubco of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3.1.4(iv), or in the event that the financial statements contained in the Registration Statement become stale, or in the event that the Registration Statement or prospectus included therein contains a misstatement of material fact or omits to state a material fact due to a bona fide business purpose, or, in the case of a resale registration on Short Form Registration pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof, upon any suspension by Pubco, pursuant to a written insider trading compliance program adopted by Pubco’s Board of Directors, of the ability of all “insiders” covered by such program to transact in Pubco’s securities because of the existence of material non-public information, each Investor holding Registrable Securities included in any registration shall immediately discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until such Investor receives the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3.1.4(iv) or the Registration Statement is updated so that the financial statements are no longer stale, or the restriction on the ability of “insiders” to transact in Pubco’s securities is removed, as applicable, and, if so directed by Pubco, each such Investor will deliver to Pubco all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such Investor’s possession, of the most recent prospectus covering such Registrable Securities at the time of receipt of such notice.

 

3.3 Registration Expenses. Subject to Section 4, Pubco shall bear all reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with any Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, any Piggy-Back Registration pursuant to Section 2.2, and any registration on Short Form Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.3, and all reasonable expenses incurred in performing or complying with its other obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the Registration Statement becomes effective, including: (i) all registration and filing fees; (ii) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or “blue sky” laws (including fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with blue sky qualifications of the Registrable Securities); (iii) printing expenses; (iv) Pubco’s internal expenses (including all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees); (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities as required by Section 3.1.11; (vi) Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fees; (vii) fees and disbursements of counsel for Pubco and fees and expenses for independent certified public accountants retained by Pubco (including the expenses or costs associated with the delivery of any opinions or comfort letters requested pursuant to Section 3.1.9); (viii) the reasonable fees and expenses of any special experts retained by Pubco in connection with such registration; and (ix) the reasonable fees and expenses (up to a maximum of $15,000 in the aggregate in connection with such registration) of one legal counsel selected by Investors holding a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities included in such registration for such legal counsel’s review, comment and finalization of the proposed Registration Statement and other relevant documents. Pubco shall have no obligation to pay any underwriting discounts or selling commissions attributable to the Registrable Securities being sold by the holders thereof, which underwriting discounts or selling commissions shall be borne by such holders. Additionally, in an underwritten offering, all selling security holders and Pubco shall bear the expenses of the Underwriter pro rata in proportion to the respective amount of securities each is selling in such offering.

 

3.4 Information. Investors holding Registrable Securities included in any Registration Statement shall provide such information as may reasonably be requested by Pubco, or the managing Underwriter, if any, in connection with the preparation of such Registration Statement, including amendments and supplements thereto, in order to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 2 and in connection with the obligation to comply with federal and applicable state securities laws. Investors selling Registrable Securities in any offering must provide all questionnaires, powers of attorney, custody agreements, stock powers, and other documentation reasonably requested by Pubco or the managing Underwriter.

 

4. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION

 

4.1 Indemnification by Pubco. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.1 below, Pubco agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Investor, and each Investor’s officers, employees, affiliates, directors, partners, members, attorneys and agents, and each Person, if any, who controls an Investor (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) (each, an “Investor Indemnified Party”), from and against any expenses, losses, judgments, claims, damages or liabilities, whether joint or several, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which the sale of such Registrable Securities was registered under the Securities Act, any preliminary prospectus, final prospectus or summary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement, or arising out of or based upon any omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or any violation by Pubco of the Securities Act or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder applicable to Pubco and relating to action or inaction required of Pubco in connection with any such registration (provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 4.1 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim, loss, damage, liability or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of Pubco, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned); and Pubco shall promptly reimburse the Investor Indemnified Party for any legal and any other expenses reasonably incurred by such Investor Indemnified Party in connection with investigating and defending any such expense, loss, judgment, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that Pubco will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such expense, loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or allegedly untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such Registration Statement, preliminary prospectus, final prospectus, or summary prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to Pubco, in writing, by such selling holder or Investor Indemnified Party expressly for use therein. Pubco also shall indemnify any Underwriter of the Registrable Securities, their officers, affiliates, directors, partners, members and agents and each Person who controls such Underwriter on substantially the same basis as that of the indemnification provided above in this Section 4.1.

 

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4.2 Indemnification by Investors Holding Registrable Securities. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.2 below, each Investor selling Registrable Securities will, in the event that any registration is being effected under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement of any Registrable Securities held by such selling Investor, indemnify and hold harmless Pubco, each of its directors and officers and each Underwriter (if any), and each other selling holder and each other Person, if any, who controls another selling holder or such Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act, against any losses, claims, judgments, damages or liabilities, whether joint or several, insofar as such losses, claims, judgments, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which the sale of such Registrable Securities was registered under the Securities Act, any preliminary prospectus, final prospectus or summary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, or arise out of or are based upon any omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement therein not misleading, if the statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to Pubco by such selling Investor expressly for use therein (provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 4.2 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim, loss, damage, liability or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of the indemnifying Investor, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), and shall reimburse Pubco, its directors and officers, each Underwriter and each other selling holder or controlling Person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by any of them in connection with investigation or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action. Each selling Investor’s indemnification obligations hereunder shall be several and not joint and shall be limited to the amount of any net proceeds actually received by such selling Investor.

 

4.3 Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. Promptly after receipt by any Person of any notice of any loss, claim, damage or liability or any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 4.1 or 4.2, such Person (the “Indemnified Party”) shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any other Person for indemnification hereunder, notify such other Person (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing of the loss, claim, judgment, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the failure by the Indemnified Party to notify the Indemnifying Party shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party from any liability which the Indemnifying Party may have to such Indemnified Party hereunder, except and solely to the extent the Indemnifying Party is actually prejudiced by such failure. If the Indemnified Party is seeking indemnification with respect to any claim or action brought against the Indemnified Party, then the Indemnifying Party shall be entitled to participate in such claim or action, and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with all other Indemnifying Parties, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel satisfactory to the Indemnified Party. After notice from the Indemnifying Party to the Indemnified Party of its election to assume control of the defense of such claim or action, the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable to the Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that in any action in which both the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party are named as defendants, the Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (but no more than one such separate counsel) to represent the Indemnified Party and its controlling Persons who may be subject to liability arising out of any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought by the Indemnified Party against the Indemnifying Party, with the fees and expenses of such counsel to be paid by such Indemnifying Party if, based upon the written opinion of counsel of such Indemnified Party, representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party (acting reasonably), consent to entry of judgment or effect any settlement of any claim or pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which the Indemnified Party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Party, unless such judgment or settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability arising out of such claim or proceeding.

 

4.4 Contribution. 4.4.1 If the indemnification provided for in the foregoing Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 is unavailable to any Indemnified Party in respect of any loss, claim, damage, liability or action referred to herein, then each such Indemnifying Party, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, liability or action in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnified Parties and the Indemnifying Parties in connection with the actions or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability or action, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of any Indemnified Party and any Indemnifying Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by such Indemnified Party or such Indemnifying Party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

4.4.2 The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 4.4 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding Section 4.4.1.

 

4.4.3 The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Party as a result of any loss, claim, damage, liability or action referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 4.4, no Investor holding Registrable Securities shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the dollar amount of the net proceeds (after payment of any underwriting fees, discounts, commissions or taxes) actually received by such Investor from the sale of Registrable Securities which gave rise to such contribution obligation. No Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

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5. RULE 144.

 

5.1 Rule 144. Pubco covenants that it shall file any reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and shall take such further action as Investors holding Registrable Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Investors to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as such Rule 144 may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC.

 

6. MISCELLANEOUS.

 

6.1 Other Registration Rights. Pubco represents and warrants that as of the date of this Agreement, no Person, other than the holders of (i) Registrable Securities, (ii) Founder Securities (iii) Option Securities and (iv) PIPE Securities has any right to require Pubco to register any of Pubco’s share capital for sale or to include Pubco’s share capital in any registration filed by Pubco for the sale of share capital for its own account or for the account of any other Person.

 

6.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of Pubco hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by Pubco in whole or in part, unless Pubco first provides Investors holding Registrable Securities at least ten (10) Business Days prior written notice; provided that no assignment or delegation by Pubco will relieve Pubco of its obligations under this Agreement unless Investors holding a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities provide their prior written consent, which consent must not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of Investors holding Registrable Securities hereunder may be freely assigned or delegated by such Investor in conjunction with and to the extent of any transfer of Registrable Securities by such Investor which is permitted by such Investor’s applicable Lock-Up Agreement; provided that no assignment by any Investor of its rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate Pubco unless and until Pubco shall have received (i) written notice of such assignment and (ii) the written agreement of the assignee, in a form reasonably satisfactory to Pubco, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement (which may be accomplished by an addendum or certificate of joinder to this Agreement). This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties, to the permitted assigns of the Investors or of any assignee of the Investors. This Agreement is not intended to confer any rights or benefits on any Persons that are not party hereto other than as expressly set forth in Section 4 and this Section 6.2. If the Purchaser Representative is replaced in accordance with the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, the replacement Purchaser Representative shall automatically become a party to this Agreement as if it were the original Purchaser Representative hereunder.

 

6.3 Notices. All notices, consents, waivers and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered (i) in person, (ii) by facsimile or other electronic means, with affirmative confirmation of receipt, (iii) one Business Day after being sent, if sent by reputable, nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) [three (3) Business Days] after being mailed, if sent by registered or certified mail, pre-paid and return receipt requested, in each case to the applicable party at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):

 

If to Pubco, to:

 

NWTN Inc.
No.76 Mu Nan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, China
Attn: Baoji Su
Telephone No.: +86 022-23303776

Email: ir@iconiqmotors.com

With copies to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Linklaters LLP

1290 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10104

Facsimile No.: +1 212 903 9100
Telephone No.: +1 212 903 9000

 

and a copy to:

 

Linklaters LLP

11th Floor, Alexandra House

Chater Road

Hong Kong SAR

Facsimile No.: 852 2810 8133
Telephone No.: +852 2842 4888

 

and

 

Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor
New York, New York 10105, USA
Attn: Barry Grossman, Esq.
Facsimile No.: (212) 370-7889
Telephone No.: (212) 370-1300
Email: bigrossman@egsllp.com

 

 

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If to an Investor, to: the address set forth underneath such Investor’s name on the signature page.

With copies to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Linklaters LLP

1290 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10104

Facsimile No.: +1 212 903 9100
Telephone No.: +1 212 903 9000

 

and a copy to:

 

Linklaters LLP

11th Floor, Alexandra House

Chater Road

Hong Kong SAR

Facsimile No.: 852 2810 8133
Telephone No.: +852 2842 4888

 

 

6.4 Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible that is valid and enforceable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, in the event that a duly executed copy of this Agreement is not delivered to Pubco by a Person receiving Company Share Consideration in connection with the Closing, such Person failing to provide such signature shall not be a party to this Agreement or have any rights or obligations hereunder, but such failure shall not affect the rights and obligations of the other parties to this Agreement as amongst such other parties.

 

6.5 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (together with the Business Combination Agreement and the Lock-Up Agreements to the extent incorporated herein, and including all agreements entered into pursuant hereto or thereto or referenced herein or therein and all certificates and instruments delivered pursuant hereto and thereto) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, representations, understandings, negotiations and discussions between the parties, whether oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof; provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing shall not affect the rights and obligations of the parties under the Business Combination Agreement or any other Ancillary Document or the rights or obligations of the parties under the Founder Registration Rights Agreement.

 

6.6 Interpretation. Titles and headings of sections of this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of any provision of this Agreement. In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires: (i) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (ii) “including” (and with correlative meaning “include”) means including without limiting the generality of any description preceding or succeeding such term and shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (iii) the words “herein,” “hereto,” and “hereby” and other words of similar import in this Agreement shall be deemed in each case to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section or other subdivision of this Agreement; and (iv) the term “or” means “and/or”. The parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. Consequently, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement.

 

6.7 Amendments; Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, and either retroactively or prospectively) only with the written agreement or consent of Pubco, the Purchaser Representative and Investors holding a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities; provided, that any amendment or waiver of this Agreement which affects an Investor in a manner materially and adversely disproportionate to other Investors will also require the consent of such Investor. No failure or delay by a party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No waivers of or exceptions to any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such term, condition, or provision.

 

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6.8 Remedies Cumulative. In the event a party fails to observe or perform any covenant or agreement to be observed or performed under this Agreement, the other parties may proceed to protect and enforce its rights by suit in equity or action at law, whether for specific performance of any term contained in this Agreement or for an injunction against the breach of any such term or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Agreement or to enforce any other legal or equitable right, or to take any one or more of such actions, without being required to post a bond. None of the rights, powers or remedies conferred under this Agreement shall be mutually exclusive, and each such right, power or remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to any other right, power or remedy, whether conferred by this Agreement or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.

 

6.9 Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement and any dispute or controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of law principles thereof. All Actions arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be heard and determined exclusively in any state or federal court located in New York (or in any appellate courts thereof) (the “Specified Courts”). Each party hereto hereby (i) submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of any Specified Court for the purpose of any Action arising out of or relating to this Agreement brought by any party hereto and (ii) irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert by way of motion, defense or otherwise, in any such Action, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that the Action is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the Action is improper, or that this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may not be enforced in or by any Specified Court. Each party agrees that a final judgment in any Action shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by applicable Law. Each party irrevocably consents to the service of the summons and complaint and any other process in any other action or proceeding relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, on behalf of itself, or its property, by personal delivery of copies of such process to such party at the applicable address set forth in Section 6.3. Nothing in this Section 6.9 shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by applicable Law.

 

6.10 WAIVER OF TRIAL BY JURY. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, IN EACH CASE, WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING, AND WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, EQUITY, OR OTHERWISE. EACH PARTY HERETO (i) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THAT FOREGOING WAIVER AND (ii) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 6.10.

 

6.11 Termination of Business Combination Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon each party upon such party’s execution and delivery of this Agreement, but this Agreement shall only become effective upon the Closing. In the event that the Business Combination Agreement is validly terminated in accordance with its terms prior to the Closing, this Agreement shall automatically terminate and become null and void and be of no further force or effect, and the parties shall have no obligations hereunder.

 

6.12 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed and delivered (including by facsimile, email or other electronic transmission) in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

 

{REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK; SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW}

 

15

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Seller Registration Rights Agreement to be executed and delivered as of the date first written above.

 

  Pubco:
   
  NWTN INC.
   
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

{Signature Page to Seller Registration Rights Agreement}

 

16

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be executed and delivered as of the date first written above.

 

  Investor:
   
  [INVESTOR]
   
  By:             
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

  Address for Notice:
   
  Address:                 
   
   

 

  Facsimile No.:            
  Telephone No.:  
  Email:  

 

{Signature Page to Seller Registration Rights Agreement}

 

17

 

 

 

EX-10.3 5 ea169060ex10-3_nwtninc.htm FOUNDERS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT AMENDMENT

Exhibit 10.3

 

FIRST AMENDMENT TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) is made and entered into as of November 11, 2022, and shall be effective as of the Closing (defined below), by and among (i) East Stone Acquisition Corporation, a British Virgin Islands business company (the “Company”), (ii) NWTN Inc., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (“Pubco”), and (iii) the individuals and entities listed under Investors on the signature page hereto, (collectively, the “Investors”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in the Registration Rights Agreement (as defined below) (and if such term is not defined in the Registration Rights Agreement, then the Business Combination Agreement (as defined below)).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Investors are parties to that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of February 19, 2020 (the “Original Agreement” and, as amended by this Amendment, the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company granted certain registration rights to the Investors named therein with respect to the Company’s securities;

 

WHEREAS, on April 15, 2022, (i) the Company, (ii) Navy Sail International Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, in the capacity as the Purchaser Representative thereunder, (iii) Pubco, (iv) Muse Merger Sub I Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“First Merger Sub”), (v) Muse Merger Sub II Limited, a British Virgin Islands business company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Second Merger Sub”), and (vi) ICONIQ Holding Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (“Iconiq”), entered into that certain Business Combination Agreement (as amended from time to time, including by the Amendment to Business Combination Agreement, dated September 28, 2022, and as further amended, in accordance with the terms thereof, the “Business Combination Agreement”);

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, upon the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby (the “Closing”), among other matters, (i) First Merger Sub will merge with and into Iconiq, with Iconiq continuing as the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (the “First Merger”), and (a) each Class A ordinary share of Iconiq issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger will automatically be cancelled, in exchange for the right of the holder thereof to receive Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares, along with a contingent right to receive additional Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Business Combination Agreement, and (b) each Class B ordinary share of Iconiq issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger will automatically be cancelled, in exchange for the right of the holder thereof to receive Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares, and (ii) one business day following, and as part of the same overall transaction as the First Merger, Second Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company (the “Second Merger”), with the Company surviving the Second Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco and with the holders of the Company’s securities receiving substantially equivalent securities of Pubco, all upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Business Combination Agreement and in accordance with the provisions of applicable law;

 

WHEREAS, concurrently with the Closing, the holders of Iconiq’s capital shares (the “Iconiq Shareholders”) and Pubco shall enter into a Registration Rights Agreement (as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, the “Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement”) for Pubco to grant the Iconiq Shareholders certain registration rights with respect to their “Registrable Securities” as defined therein (the “Iconiq Securities”);

 

 

 

 

WHEREAS, the parties hereto desire to amend the Original Agreement to add Pubco as a party to the Registration Rights Agreement and to revise the terms hereof in order to reflect the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, including the issuance of the Pubco Ordinary Shares thereunder and the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement; and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 6.7 of the Original Agreement, the Original Agreement can be amended and binding on each party thereto when such amendment is executed in writing by all parties thereto.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises herein made, and in consideration of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. Addition of Pubco as a Party to the Registration Rights Agreement. The parties hereby agree to add Pubco as a party to the Registration Rights Agreement. The parties further agree that, from and after the Closing, all of the rights and obligations of the Company under the Registration Rights Agreement shall be, and hereby are, assigned and delegated to Pubco as if it were the original “Company” party thereto. By executing this Amendment, Pubco hereby agrees to be bound by and subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Registration Rights Agreement, including from and after the Closing as if it were the original “Company” party thereto.

 

2. Amendments to Registration Rights Agreement. The Parties hereby agree to the following amendments to the Registration Rights Agreement:

 

(a) The defined terms in this Amendment, including in the preamble and recitals hereto, and the definitions incorporated by reference from the Business Combination Agreement, are hereby added to the Registration Rights Agreement as if they were set forth therein.

 

(b) The parties hereby agree that the term “Registrable Security” shall include any Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares issued by Pubco under the Business Combination Agreement to the security holders of the Company in the Second Merger for their Registrable Securities of the Company, and any other securities of Pubco or any successor entity issued in consideration of (including as a stock split, dividend or distribution) or in exchange for any of such securities. The parties also agree that any reference in the Registration Rights Agreement to “Ordinary Shares” will instead refer to Pubco Ordinary Shares, and any other securities of Pubco or any successor entity issued in consideration of (including as a stock split, dividend or distribution) or in exchange for any of such securities. The parties further agree that any reference to “holders of Registrable Securities” (or words to that effect) shall instead mean “Investors holding Registrable Securities” (or words to that effect) and “holders” as used in the context of holding Registrable Securities shall be a reference to “Investors” holding Registrable Securities.

 

2

 

 

(c) Section 2.1.1 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“2.1.1 Request for Registration. At any time and from time to time on or after the date that the Company consummates a Business Combination, the holders of a majority-in-interest of such Private Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares), Working Capital Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares) or other Registrable Securities, as the case may be, held by the Investors, officers or directors of the Company or their affiliates, or the transferees of the Investors, may make a written demand for registration under the Securities Act of all or part of their Private Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares), Working Capital Units (or underlying Ordinary Shares) or other Registrable Securities, as the case may be (a “Demand Registration”). Any demand for a Demand Registration shall specify the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. The Company will notify, in writing, all holders of Registrable Securities of the demand within thirty (30) days of the Company’s receipt of such demand, and each holder of Registrable Securities who wishes to include all or a portion of his, her or its Registrable Securities in the Demand Registration (each such holder including Registrable Securities in such registration, including the holder(s) making the initial demand, a “Demanding Holder”) shall so notify the Company, in writing, within fifteen (15) days after the receipt by the holder of the notice from the Company. Upon any such request, the Demanding Holders shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in the Demand Registration, subject to Sections 2.1.4 and 3.5 and the provisos set forth in Section 3.1.1. The Company shall not be obligated to effect more than an aggregate of three (3) Demand Registrations under this Section 2.1.1 in respect of all Registrable Securities. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2.1 to the contrary, Company shall not be obligated to effect a Demand Registration, (i) if a Piggy-Back Registration had been available to the Demanding Holder(s) within the one hundred twenty (120) days preceding the date of request for the Demand Registration, (ii) within sixty (60) days after the effective date of a previous registration effected with respect to the Registrable Securities pursuant this Section 2.1, or (iii) during any period (not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days) following the closing of the completion of an offering of securities by the Company if such Demand Registration would cause the Company to breach a “lock-up” or similar provision contained in the underwriting agreement for such offering.”

 

(d) Section 2.1.3 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“2.1.3 Underwritten Offering. If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so elect and such holders so advise the Company as part of their written demand for a Demand Registration, the offering of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an underwritten public offering. In such event, the right of any holder to include its Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such holder’s participation in such underwritten offering and the inclusion of such holder’s Registrable Securities in such underwritten offering to the extent provided herein. All Demanding Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through such underwritten offering shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter or Underwriters selected for such underwriting by a majority-in-interest of the holders initiating the Demand Registration and reasonably acceptable to the Company.

 

3

 

 

(e) Section 2.1.4 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“2.1.4 Reduction of Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Demand Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises Pubco and the Demanding Holders in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities which the Demanding Holders desire to sell, taken together with all other Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities which Pubco desires to sell and the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities, if any, as to which Registration by Pubco has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by other security holders of Pubco who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares that can be sold in such offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Securities”), then Pubco shall include in such Registration: (i) first, the Registrable Securities as to which Demand Registration has been requested by the Demanding Holders and the Iconiq Securities for the account of any Persons who have exercised demand registration rights pursuant to the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement during the period under which the Demand Registration hereunder is ongoing (all pro rata in accordance with the number of securities that each applicable Person has requested be included in such registration, regardless of the number of securities held by each such Person, as long as they do not request to include more securities than they own (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.2 and the Iconiq Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights of the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i),(ii) and (iii), the Pubco securities registrable pursuant to the terms of the Unit Purchase Option issued to the representative of the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering, or its designees, in connection with the Company’s initial public offering (the “Unit Purchase Option” and such registrable securities, the “Option Securities”) as to which “piggy-back” registration has been requested by the holders thereof, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (v) fifth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities. In the event that Pubco securities that are convertible into Pubco Ordinary Shares are included in the offering, the calculations under this Section 2.1.4 shall include such Pubco securities on an as-converted to Pubco Ordinary Share basis.

 

4

 

 

(f) Section 2.2.2 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“2.2.2 Reduction of Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Piggy-Back Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises Pubco and Investors holding Registrable Securities proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through such Piggy-Back Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of Pubco Ordinary Shares or other Pubco securities which Pubco desires to sell, taken together with the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other Pubco securities, if any, as to which registration has been demanded pursuant to written contractual arrangements with Persons other than the Investors holding Registrable Securities hereunder, the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested under this Section 2.2, and the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other Pubco securities, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other security holders of Pubco, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then Pubco shall include in any such registration:

 

(a) If the registration is undertaken for Pubco’s account: (i) first, the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Iconiq Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;

 

(b) If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of Demanding Holders pursuant to Section 2.1: (i) first, the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the Demanding Holders and the Iconiq Securities for the account of any Persons who have exercised demand registration rights pursuant to the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement during the period under which the Demand Registration hereunder is ongoing, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Iconiq Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;

 

5

 

 

(c) If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of holders of Iconiq Securities under the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement: (i) first, the Iconiq Securities for the account of the demanding holders and the Registrable Securities for the account of Demanding Holders who have exercised demand registration rights pursuant to Section 2.1 during the period under which the demand registration under the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement is ongoing, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Unit Purchase Options and the Iconiq Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;

 

(d) If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of holders of Option Securities, (i) first, the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the demanding holders of Option Securities, Pro Rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Unit Purchase Options and and the Iconiq Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such persons, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and

 

(e) If the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of Persons other than either Demanding Holders under Section 2.1, the holders of Option Securities or the holders of Iconiq Securities exercising demand registration rights under the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement: (i) first, the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities for the account of the demanding Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other securities that Pubco desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Registrable Securities of Investors as to which registration has been requested pursuant to this Section 2.2, the Option Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the Unit Purchase Option and the Iconiq Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the applicable written contractual piggy-back registration rights under the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement, Pro Rata among the holders thereof based on the number of securities requested by such holders to be included in such registration, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the Pubco Ordinary Shares or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that Pubco is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.

 

6

 

 

In the event that Pubco securities that are convertible into Pubco Ordinary Shares are included in the offering, the calculations under this Section 2.2.2 shall include such Pubco securities on an as-converted to Pubco Ordinary Share basis. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary above, to the extent that the registration of an Investor’s Registrable Securities would prevent Pubco or the demanding shareholders from effecting such registration and offering, such Investor shall not be permitted to exercise Piggy-Back Registration rights with respect to such registration and offering.”

 

(g) Section 2.2.4 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“2.2.4 Registrations on Form S-3. The holders of Registrable Securities may at any time and from time to time, request in writing that the Company register the resale of any or all of such Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or Form F-3 or any similar short-form registration which may be available at such time (“Form S-3”); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to effect such request through an underwritten offering. Upon receipt of such written request, the Company will promptly give written notice of the proposed registration to all other holders of Registrable Securities, and, as soon as practicable thereafter, use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of all or such portion of such holder’s or holders’ Registrable Securities as are specified in such request, together with all or such portion of the Registrable Securities or other securities of the Company, if any, of any other holder or holders joining in such request as are specified in a written request given within fifteen (15) days after receipt of such written notice from the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to effect any such registration pursuant to this Section 2.2.4: (i) if Form S-3 is not available for such offering; or (ii) if the holders of the Registrable Securities, together with the holders of any other securities of the Company entitled to inclusion in such registration, propose to sell Registrable Securities and such other securities (if any) at any aggregate price to the public of less than $1,000,000. Registrations effected pursuant to this Section 2.2.4 shall not be counted as Demand Registrations effected pursuant to Section 2.1.”

 

(h) Section 3.1.1. of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.1.1 Filing Registration Statement. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to, as expeditiously as possible after receipt of a request for a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement on any form for which the Company then qualifies or which counsel for the Company shall deem appropriate and which form shall be available for the sale of all Registrable Securities to be registered thereunder in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof, and shall use its best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and use its best efforts to keep it effective for the period required by Section 3.1.3; provided, however, that the Company shall have the right to defer any Demand Registration for up to ninety (90) days, and any Piggy-Back Registration for such period as may be applicable to deferment of any demand registration to which such Piggy-Back Registration relates, in each case if the Company shall furnish to the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officers or Chairman of the Company stating that, in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company, it would be materially detrimental to the Company and its shareholders for such Registration Statement to be effected at such time or the filing would require premature disclosure of material information which is not in the interests of Pubco to disclose at such time; provided further, however, that the Company shall not have the right to exercise the right set forth in the immediately preceding proviso more than twice in any 365-day period in respect of a Demand Registration hereunder.”

 

7

 

 

(i) Section 3.1.3. of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.1.3 Notification. After the filing of any Registration Statement pursuant to this Agreement, any prospectus related thereto or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or prospectus, the Company shall promptly, and in no event more than five (5) business days after such filing, notify the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement of such filing, and shall further notify such holders promptly and confirm such advice in writing in all events within five (5) business days of the occurrence of any of the following: (i) when such Registration Statement becomes effective; (ii) when any post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement becomes effective; (iii) the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order (and the Company shall take all actions required to prevent the entry of such stop order or to remove it if entered); (iv) any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or any prospectus relating thereto or for additional information; and (v) the occurrence of an event requiring the preparation of a supplement or amendment to such Registration Statement or prospectus so that, after such amendment is filed or prospectus delivered to the purchasers of the securities covered by such Registration Statement, such Registration Statement or prospectus 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 the case of the prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading, and the Company shall promptly make available to the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement any such supplement or amendment; except that before filing with the Commission a Registration Statement or prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, including documents incorporated by reference, the Company shall furnish to the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement and to the legal counsel for any such holders, copies of all such documents proposed to be filed sufficiently in advance of filing to provide such holders and legal counsel with a reasonable opportunity to review such documents and comment thereon, provided that such Investors and their legal counsel must provide any comments promptly (and in any event within five (5) Business Days) after receipt of such documents.” .”

 

(j) Section 3.1.5 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.1.5 State Securities Laws Compliance. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may reasonably request and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this paragraph or take any action which would subject it to general service of processor taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise subject.”

 

8

 

 

(k) Section 3.1.6 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.1.6 Agreements for Disposition. The Company shall enter into reasonable customary agreements (including, if applicable, an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take such other actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities. The representations, warranties and covenants of the Company in any underwriting agreement which are made to or for the benefit of any Underwriters, to the extent applicable, shall also be made to and for the benefit of the holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration statement. No holder of Registrable Securities included in such registration statement shall be required to make any representations or warranties in the underwriting agreement except, if applicable, with respect to such holder’s organization, good standing, authority, title to Registrable Securities, lack of conflict of such sale with such holder’s material agreements and organizational documents, and with respect to written information relating to such holder that such holder has furnished in writing expressly for inclusion in such Registration Statement.”

 

(l) Section 3.1.7 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.1.7 Cooperation. The principal executive officer of the Company, the principal financial officer of the Company, the principal accounting officer of the Company and all other officers and members of the management of the Company shall reasonable cooperate in any offering of Registrable Securities hereunder, which cooperation shall include, without limitation, the preparation of the Registration Statement with respect to such offering and all other offering materials and related documents, and participation in meetings with Underwriters, attorneys, accountants and potential investors.”

 

(m) Section 3.1.8 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.1.8 Records. The Company shall make available for inspection by the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement, any Underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such Registration Statement and any attorney, accountant or other professional retained by any holder of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement or any Underwriter, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company, as shall be necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence responsibility, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information requested by any of them in connection with such Registration Statement; provided that the Company may require execution of a reasonable confidentiality agreement prior to sharing any such information.”

 

9

 

 

(n) Section 3.1.9 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.1.9 Opinions and Comfort Letters. The Company shall request its counsel and accountants to provide customary legal opinions and customary comfort letters, to the extent so reasonably required by any underwriting agreement.”

 

(o) Section 3.1.10 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.1.10 Earnings Statement. The Company shall comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission and the Securities Act, and make available to its shareholders if reasonably required, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering a period of twelve (12) months, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder.”

 

(p) Section 3.1.12 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.1.12 Road Show. If the registration involves the registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $50,000,000, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any underwritten offering.”

 

(q) Section 3.2 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.2 Obligation to Suspend Distribution. Upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3.1.4(iv) or (v), or, in the event that the financial statements contained in the Registration Statement become stale, or in the event that the Registration Statement or prospectus included therein contains a misstatement of material fact or omits to state a material fact due to a bona fide business purpose, or in the case of a resale registration on Form S-3 pursuant to Section 2.2.4 hereof, upon any suspension by the Company, pursuant to a written insider trading compliance program adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors, of the ability of all “insiders” covered by such program to transact in the Company’s securities because of the existence of material non-public information, each holder of Registrable Securities included in any registration shall immediately discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until such holder receives the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3.1.4 or the Registration Statement is updated so that the financial statements are no longer stale, or the restriction on the ability of “insiders” to transact in the Company’s securities is removed, as applicable, and, if so directed by the Company, each such holder will deliver to the Company all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such holder’s possession, of the most recent prospectus covering such Registrable Securities at the time of receipt of such notice.”

 

10

 

 

(r) Section 3.3 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“3.3 Registration Expenses. The Company shall bear all costs and expenses incurred in connection with any Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, any Piggy-Back Registration pursuant to Section 2.2, and any registration on Form S-3 effected pursuant to Section 2.2.4, and all reasonable expenses incurred in performing or complying with its other obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the Registration Statement becomes effective, including, without limitation: (i) all registration and filing fees; (ii) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or “blue sky” laws (including fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with blue sky qualifications of the Registrable Securities); (iii) printing, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses; (iv) the Company’s internal expenses (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees); (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities (including as required by Section 3.1.11); (vi) Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fees; (vii) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and fees and expenses for independent certified public accountants retained by the Company (including the expenses or costs associated with the delivery of any opinions or comfort letters requested pursuant to Section 3.1.9); (viii) the reasonable fees and expenses of any special experts retained by the Company in connection with such registration; and (ix) the reasonable fees and expenses (up to a maximum of $15,000 in the aggregate in connection with such registration) of one legal counsel selected by the holders of a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities included in such registration for such legal counsel’s review, comment and finalization of the proposed Registration Statement and other relevant document. The Company shall have no obligation to pay any underwriting discounts or selling commissions attributable to the Registrable Securities being sold by the holders thereof, which underwriting discounts or selling commissions shall be borne by such holders in proportion to the number of Registrable Securities included in such offering for each such holder.”

 

(s) Section 3.4 of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following to the end thereof:

 

Investors selling Registrable Securities in any offering must provide all questionnaires, powers of attorney, custody agreements, stock powers, and other documentation reasonably requested by Company or the managing Underwriter.”

 

(t) Section 6.2 of the Original Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

 

“6.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part less the Company first provides Investors holding Registrable Securities at least ten (10) Business Days prior written notice; provided that no assignment or delegation by the Company will relieve the Company of its obligations under this Agreement unless Investors holding a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities provide their prior written consent, which consent must not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the holders of Registrable Securities hereunder may be freely assigned or delegated by such holder of Registrable Securities in conjunction with and to the extent of any transfer of Registrable Securities by any such holder. This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties, to the permitted assigns of the Investors or holder of Registrable Securities or of any assignee of the Investors or holder of Registrable Securities. This Agreement is not intended to confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not party hereto other than as expressly set forth in Article 4 and this Section 6.2. Any additional holder of Registrable Securities may become party to this Agreement by executing and delivering a joinder to the Company and the Investors in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company.”

 

11

 

 

(u) Section 6.3 of the Original Agreement is hereby amended to delete the address of the Company and provide that the following address shall be used for notices to Pubco or the Company thereunder:

 

If to Pubco or the Company to:

 

NWTN Inc.
No.76 Mu Nan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, China
Attn: Baoji Su
Telephone No.: +86 022-23303776
Email: ir@iconiqmotors.com

 

with a copy (which will not constitute notice) to:

 

Linklaters LLP

1290 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10104

Facsimile No.: +1 212 903 9100
Telephone No.: +1 212 903 9000

 

and a copy to:

 

Linklaters LLP

11th Floor, Alexandra House

Chater Road

Hong Kong SAR

Facsimile No.: +852 2810 8133
Telephone No.: +852 2842 4888

 

 

(v) Section 6.8 of the Original Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following sentence after the first sentence in Section 6.8:

 

“The use of the word “including”, “include” or “includes” in this Agreement shall be by way of example rather than by limitation, and shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation”.”

 

3. Acknowledgement of Other Registration Rights Agreement. The parties hereby acknowledge and agree that, notwithstanding Section 6.1 of the Registration Rights Agreement, in connection with the Business Combination Agreement, Pubco has entered into the Iconiq Registration Rights Agreement with respect to the Iconiq Securities, and consent to the foregoing. The parties hereby further acknowledge and agree that, notwithstanding Section 6.1 of the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company has granted resale registration rights to investors in a PIPE Investment (as defined in the Business Combination Agreement) in the subscription agreements with respect to the shares of Pubco ordinary shares to be purchased thereunder, and that nothing in the Registration Rights Agreement shall restrict the ability of Pubco to fulfill its resale registration obligations under the subscription agreements.

 

4. Effectiveness. This Amendment shall only become effective upon the Closing. In the event that the Business Combination Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms prior to the Closing, this Amendment and all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall automatically terminate and be of no further force or effect.

 

5. Miscellaneous. Except as expressly provided in this Amendment, all of the terms and provisions in the Original Agreement are and shall remain in full force and effect, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein. This Amendment does not constitute, directly or by implication, an amendment or waiver of any provision of the Original Agreement, or any other right, remedy, power or privilege of any party thereto, except as expressly set forth herein. Any reference to the Registration Rights Agreement in the Original Agreement or any other agreement, document, instrument or certificate entered into or issued in connection therewith shall hereinafter mean the Registration Rights Agreement, as amended by this Amendment (or as the Registration Rights Agreement may be further amended or modified in accordance with the terms thereof). The terms of this Amendment shall be governed by, enforced and construed and interpreted in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Original Agreement, including Sections 6.11 and 6.12 thereof.

 

{REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK; SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW}

 

12

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto has signed or has caused to be signed by its officer thereunto duly authorized this First Amendment to Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  Company:
   
  EAST STONE ACQUISITION CORPORATION
   
  By: /s/ Xiaoma (Sherman) Lu
  Name: Xiaoma (Sherman) Lu
  Title: Chief Executive Officer
   
  Pubco:
   
  NWTN INC.
   
  By: /s/ Nan (Alan) Wu
  Name:  Nan (Alan) Wu
  Title: Director
   
  Investors:
   
  /s/ Michael S. Cashel
  Michael S. Cashel
   
  /s/ Chunyi (Charlie) Hao
  Chunyi (Charlie) Hao
   
  /s/ Xiaoma (Sherman) Lu
  Xiaoma (Sherman) Lu
   
  /s/ Hua Mao
  Hua Mao
   
  /s/ Sanjay Prasad
  Sanjay Prasad
   
  /s/ Cheng Zhao
  Cheng Zhao
   
  /s/ William Zielke
  William Zielke

 

{Signature Page to First Amendment to Registration Rights Agreement}

 

13

 

 

  DOUBLE VENTURES HOLDINGS LIMITED
   
  By: /s/ Chunyi (Charlie) Hao
  Name: Chunyi (Charlie) Hao
  Title: Director
   
  NAVY SAIL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
   
  By: /s/ Chunyi (Charlie) Hao
  Name: Chunyi (Charlie) Hao
  Title: Director
   
  I-BANKERS SECURITIES, INC.
   
  By: /s/ Shelley Leonard
  Name: Shelley Leonard
  Title: President

 

[Signature Page to First Amendment to Registration Rights Agreement]

 

 

14 

 

 

EX-10.4 6 ea169060ex10-4_nwtninc.htm FORM OF NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENT

Exhibit 10.4

 

Execution Version

 

FORM OF NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT

 

THIS NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is being executed and delivered as of November 11, 2022, by the undersigned security holder of the Company (as defined below) (the “Subject Party”) in favor of and for the benefit of NWTN Inc., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (“Pubco”), East Stone Acquisition Corporation, a British Virgin Islands company (together with its successors, including the Surviving Corporation (as defined in the Business Combination Agreement) “Purchaser”), Iconiq Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (the “Company”), and each of Pubco’s, Purchaser’s and/or the Company’s present and future Affiliates, successors and direct and indirect Subsidiaries (including the Company) (collectively with Pubco, Purchaser and the Company, the “Covered Parties”). Any capitalized term used, but not defined in this Agreement will have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Business Combination Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, on April 15, 2022, (i) the Purchaser, (ii) Navy Sail International Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, in the capacity as the Purchaser Representative thereunder (the “Purchaser Representative”), (iii) Pubco, (iv) Muse Merger Sub I Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“First Merger Sub”), (v) Muse Merger Sub II Limited, a British Virgin Islands business company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (“Second Merger Sub”), and (vi) ICONIQ Holding Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands (“Iconiq”), entered into that certain Business Combination Agreement (as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, the “Business Combination Agreement”), pursuant to which, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, among other matters, (a) First Merger Sub will merge with and into Iconiq, with Iconiq continuing as the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco (the “First Merger”), and (i) each Class A ordinary share of Iconiq issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger will automatically be cancelled, in exchange for the right of the holder thereof to receive Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares, along with a contingent right to receive additional Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares upon the occurrence of certain events set forth in the Business Combination Agreement (the “Earnout Shares”), and (ii) each Class B ordinary share of Iconiq issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger will automatically be cancelled, in exchange for the right of the holder thereof to receive Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares (such Pubco Class A Ordinary Shares, Pubco Class B Ordinary Shares and the Earnout Shares, collectively, the “Company Share Consideration”), and (b) one business day following, and as part of the same overall transaction as the First Merger, Second Merger Sub will merge with and into the Purchaser (the “Second Merger”), with the Purchaser surviving the Second Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pubco and with the holders of Purchaser’s securities receiving substantially equivalent securities of Pubco, all upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Business Combination Agreement and in accordance with the provisions of applicable law;

 

WHEREAS, the Company (and after the First Merger, Pubco), directly and indirectly through its Subsidiaries, [engages in the business of developing smart electric vehicles that aim to integrate avant-garde design, life-style personalization, IoT connectivity, and autonomous driving technology into “a passenger-centric green premium vehicles] (the “Business”);

 

WHEREAS, in connection with, and as a condition to the execution and delivery of the Business Combination Agreement and the consummation of the First Merger, the Second Merger and the other transactions contemplated thereby (collectively, the “Transactions”), and to enable Pubco and Purchaser to secure more fully the benefits of the Transactions, including the protection and maintenance of the goodwill and confidential information of the Company, Pubco and their respective Subsidiaries, each of Pubco and Purchaser has required that the Subject Party enter into this Agreement;

 

 

 

 

WHEREAS, the Subject Party is entering into this Agreement in order to induce Pubco, Purchaser and the Company to enter into the Business Combination Agreement and consummate the Transactions, pursuant to which the Subject Party will directly or indirectly receive a material benefit; and

 

WHEREAS, [the Subject Party, as a former and/or current shareholder, director, officer and/or employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries (and after the First Merger, Pubco),] has contributed to the value of the Company and its Subsidiaries and has obtained extensive and valuable knowledge and confidential information concerning the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries (and after the First Merger, Pubco).

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in order to induce Pubco, Purchaser and the Company to enter into the Business Combination Agreement and consummate the Transactions, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Subject Party hereby agrees as follows:

 

1. Restriction on Competition.

 

(a) Restriction. The Subject Party hereby agrees that during the period from the Closing until the three (3) year anniversary of the Closing Date (such period, the “Restricted Period”), the Subject Party will not, and will cause its Affiliates not to, without the prior written consent of Pubco (which may be withheld in its sole discretion), anywhere in the People’s Republic of China or in any other markets in which the Covered Parties are engaged, or are actively contemplating to become engaged, in the Business as of the Closing Date or during the Restricted Period (the “Territory”), directly or indirectly engage in the Business (other than through a Covered Party) or own, manage, finance or control, or participate in the ownership, management, financing or control of, or become engaged or serve as an officer, director, member, partner, employee, agent, consultant, advisor or representative of, a business or entity (other than a Covered Party) that engages in the Business (a “Competitor”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Subject Party and its Affiliates may own passive investments of no more than two percent (2%) of any class of outstanding equity interests in a Competitor that is publicly traded, so long as the Subject Party and its Affiliates and immediate family members are not directly or indirectly involved in the management or control of such Competitor (“Permitted Ownership”).

 

(b) Acknowledgment. The Subject Party acknowledges and agrees, based upon the advice of legal counsel and/or the Subject Party’s own education, experience and training, that (i) the Subject Party possesses knowledge of confidential information of the Covered Parties and the Business, (ii) the Subject Party’s execution of this Agreement is a material inducement to Purchaser and Pubco to enter into the Business Combination Agreement and consummate the Transactions and to realize the goodwill of the Company and its Subsidiaries, for which the Subject Party and/or its Affiliates will receive a substantial direct or indirect financial benefit, and that Purchaser and Pubco would not have entered into the Business Combination Agreement or consummated the Transactions but for the Subject Party’s agreements set forth in this Agreement; (iii) it would impair the goodwill of the Covered Parties and reduce the value of the assets of the Covered Parties and cause serious and irreparable injury if the Subject Party and/or its Affiliates were to use their ability and knowledge by engaging in the Business in competition with a Covered Party, and/or to otherwise breach the obligations contained herein and that the Covered Parties would not have an adequate remedy at law because of the unique nature of the Business, (iv) the Subject Party and its Affiliates have no intention of engaging in the Business (other than through the Covered Parties) during the Restricted Period other than through Permitted Ownership, (v) the relevant public policy aspects of restrictive covenants, covenants not to compete and non-solicitation provisions have been discussed, and every effort has been made to limit the restrictions placed upon the Subject Party to those that are reasonable and necessary to protect the Covered Parties’ legitimate interests, (vi) the Covered Parties conduct and intend to conduct the Business everywhere in the Territory and compete with other businesses that are or could be located in any part of the Territory, (vii) the foregoing restrictions on competition are fair and reasonable in type of prohibited activity, geographic area covered, scope and duration, (viii) the consideration provided to the Subject Party under this Agreement and the Business Combination Agreement is not illusory, and (ix) such provisions do not impose a greater restraint than is necessary to protect the goodwill or other business interests of the Covered Parties.

 

2

 

 

2. No Solicitation; No Disparagement.

 

(a) No Solicitation of Employees and Consultants. The Subject Party agrees that, during the Restricted Period, the Subject Party will not and will not permit its Affiliates to, without the prior written consent of Pubco (which may be withheld in its sole discretion), either on its own behalf or on behalf of any other Person (other than, if applicable, a Covered Party in the performance of its duties on behalf of the Covered Parties), directly or indirectly: (i) hire or engage as an employee, independent contractor, consultant or otherwise any Covered Personnel (as defined below); (ii) solicit, induce, encourage or otherwise knowingly cause (or attempt to do any of the foregoing) any Covered Personnel to leave the service (whether as an employee, consultant or independent contractor) of any Covered Party; or (iii) in any way interfere with or attempt to interfere with the relationship between any Covered Personnel and any Covered Party; provided, however, the Subject Party and its Affiliates will not be deemed to have violated this Section 2(a) if any Covered Personnel voluntarily and independently solicits an offer of employment from the Subject Party or its Affiliate (or other Person whom any of them is acting on behalf of) by responding to a general advertisement or solicitation program conducted by or on behalf of the Subject Party or its Affiliate (or such other Person whom any of them is acting on behalf of) that is not targeted at such Covered Personnel or Covered Personnel generally, so long as such Covered Personnel is not hired. For purposes of this Agreement, “Covered Personnel” shall mean any Person who is or was an employee, consultant or independent contractor of the Covered Parties as of the date of the relevant act prohibited by this Section 2(a) or during the one (1) year period preceding such date.

 

(b) Non-Solicitation of Customers and Suppliers. The Subject Party agrees that, during the Restricted Period, the Subject Party will not and it will not permit its Affiliates to, without the prior written consent of Pubco (which may be withheld in its sole discretion), individually or on behalf of any other Person (other than, if applicable, a Covered Party in the performance of the Subject Party’s duties on behalf of the Covered Parties), directly or indirectly: (i) solicit, induce, encourage or otherwise knowingly cause (or attempt to do any of the foregoing) any Covered Customer (as defined below) to (A) cease being, or not become, a client or customer of any Covered Party with respect to the Business or (B) reduce the amount of business of such Covered Customer with any Covered Party, or otherwise alter such business relationship in a manner adverse to any Covered Party, in either case, with respect to or relating to the Business; (ii) interfere with or disrupt (or attempt to interfere with or disrupt) the contractual relationship between any Covered Party and any Covered Customer; (iii) divert any business with any Covered Customer relating to the Business from a Covered Party; (iv) solicit for business, provide services to, engage in or do business with, any Covered Customer for products or services that are part of the Business; or (v) interfere with or disrupt (or attempt to interfere with or disrupt), any Person that was a vendor, supplier, distributor, agent or other service provider of a Covered Party at the time of such interference or disruption, for a purpose competitive with a Covered Party as it relates to the Business. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Covered Customer” shall mean any Person who is or was an actual customer or client (or prospective customer or client with whom a Covered Party actively marketed or made or taken specific action to make a proposal) of a Covered Party as of the date of the relevant act prohibited by this Section 2(b) or during the one (1) year period preceding such date.

 

3

 

 

(c) Non-Disparagement. The Subject Party agrees that from and after the Closing until the second (2nd) anniversary of the end of the Restricted Period, the Subject Party will not and will not permits its Affiliates to, directly or indirectly engage in any conduct that involves the making or publishing (including through electronic mail distribution or online social media) of any written or oral statements or remarks (including the repetition or distribution of derogatory rumors, allegations, negative reports or comments) that are disparaging, deleterious or damaging to the integrity, reputation or good will of one or more Covered Parties or their respective management, officers, employees, independent contractors or consultants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to Section 3 below, the provisions of this Section 2(c) shall not restrict the Subject Party from providing truthful testimony or information in response to a subpoena or investigation by a Governmental Authority or in connection with any legal action by the Subject Party or its Affiliate against any Covered Party under this Agreement, the Business Combination Agreement or any other Ancillary Document that is asserted by the Subject Party or its Affiliate in good faith.

 

3. Confidentiality. From and after the Closing Date, the Subject Party will, and will cause its Representatives to, keep confidential and not (except, if applicable, in the performance of its duties on behalf of the Covered Parties) directly or indirectly use, disclose, reveal, publish, transfer or provide access to, any and all Covered Party Information without the prior written consent of Pubco (which may be withheld in its sole discretion). As used in this Agreement, “Covered Party Information” means all material and information relating to the business, affairs and assets of any Covered Party, including material and information that concerns or relates to such Covered Party’s bidding and proposal, technical information, computer hardware or software, administrative, management, operational, data processing, financial, marketing, sales, human resources, business development, planning and/or other business activities, regardless of whether such material and information is maintained in physical, electronic, or other form, that is: (A) gathered, compiled, generated, produced or maintained by such Covered Party through its Representatives, or provided to such Covered Party by its suppliers, service providers or customers; and (B) intended and maintained by such Covered Party or its Representatives, suppliers, service providers or customers to be kept in confidence. The obligations set forth in this Section 3 will not apply to any Covered Party Information where the Subject Party can prove that such material or information: (i) is known or available through other lawful sources not bound by a confidentiality agreement with, or other confidentiality obligation to, any Covered Party; (ii) is or becomes publicly known through no violation of this Agreement or other non-disclosure obligation of the Subject Party or any of its Representatives; (iii) is already in the possession of the Subject Party at the time of disclosure through lawful sources not bound by a confidentiality agreement or other confidentiality obligation as evidenced by the Subject Party’s documents and records; or (iv) is required to be disclosed pursuant to an order of any administrative body or court of competent jurisdiction (provided that (A) the applicable Covered Party is given reasonable prior written notice, (B) the Subject Party cooperates (and causes its Representatives to cooperate) with any reasonable request of any Covered Party to seek to prevent or narrow such disclosure and (C) if after compliance with clauses (A) and (B) such disclosure is still required, the Subject Party and its Representatives only disclose such portion of the Covered Party Information that is expressly required by such order, as it may be subsequently narrowed).

 

4. Representations and Warranties. The Subject Party hereby represents and warrants, to and for the benefit of the Covered Parties as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, that: (a) the Subject Party has full power and capacity to execute and deliver, and to perform all of the Subject Party’s obligations under, this Agreement; and (b) neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the performance of the Subject Party’s obligations hereunder will result directly or indirectly in a violation or breach of any agreement or obligation by which the Subject Party is a party or otherwise bound. By entering into this Agreement, the Subject Party certifies and acknowledges that the Subject Party has carefully read all of the provisions of this Agreement, and that the Subject Party voluntarily and knowingly enters into this Agreement.

 

4

 

 

5. Remedies. The covenants and undertakings of the Subject Party contained in this Agreement relate to matters which are of a special, unique and extraordinary character and a violation of any of the terms of this Agreement may cause irreparable injury to the Covered Parties, the amount of which may be impossible to estimate or determine and which cannot be adequately compensated. The Subject Party agrees that, in the event of any breach or threatened breach by the Subject Party of any covenant or obligation contained in this Agreement, each applicable Covered Party will be entitled to obtain the following remedies (in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedy at law or in equity or pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement or the other Ancillary Documents that may be available to the Covered Parties, including monetary damages), and a court of competent jurisdiction may award: (i) an injunction, restraining order or other equitable relief restraining or preventing such breach or threatened breach, without the necessity of proving actual damages or that monetary damages would be insufficient or posting bond or security, which the Subject Party expressly waives; and (ii) recovery of the Covered Party’s attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in enforcing the Covered Party’s rights under this Agreement. The Subject Party hereby consents to the award of any of the above remedies to the applicable Covered Party in connection with any such breach or threatened breach. The Subject Party hereby acknowledges and agrees that in the event of any breach of this Agreement, any value attributed or allocated to this Agreement (or any other non-competition agreement with the Subject Party) under or in connection with the Business Combination Agreement shall not be considered a measure of, or a limit on, the damages of the Covered Parties.

 

6. Survival of Obligations. The expiration of the Restricted Period will not relieve the Subject Party of any obligation or liability arising from any breach by the Subject Party of this Agreement during the Restricted Period. The Subject Party further agrees that the time period during which the covenants contained in Section 1, 2 and 3 and of this Agreement will be effective will be computed by excluding from such computation any time during which the Subject Party is in violation of any provision of such Sections.

 

7. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) Notices. All notices, consents, waivers and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered (i) in person, (ii) by facsimile or other electronic means, with affirmative confirmation of receipt, (iii) one Business Day after being sent, if sent by reputable, nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) three (3) Business Days after being mailed, if sent by registered or certified mail, pre-paid and return receipt requested, in each case to the applicable party at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):

 

 

If to Purchaser prior to the Closing, to:

 

East Stone Acquisition Corp.

25 Mall Road, Suite 330

Burlington, MA 01803

Attn: Sherman Xiaoma Lu, Chief Executive Officer
Telephone No.: 781 202 9128
Email: sherman@estonecapital.com

 

with a copy (that will not constitute notice) to:

 

Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor
New York, New York 10105, USA
Attn: Barry I. Grossman, Esq.
Facsimile No.: (212) 370-7889
Telephone No.: (212) 370-1300
Email: bigrossman@egsllp.com

 

 

5

 

 

 

If to the Company or Pubco prior to the Closing, to:

 

ICONIQ Holding Limited
No.76 Mu Nan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, China
Attn: Baoji Su
Telephone No.: +86 022-23303776
Email: ir@iconiqmotors.com

 

 

 

 

with a copy (that will not constitute notice) to:

 

Linklaters LLP

1290 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10104

Facsimile No.: +1 212 903 9100
Telephone No.: +1 212 903 9000

 

and a copy to:

 

Linklaters LLP

11th Floor, Alexandra House

Chater Road

Hong Kong SAR

Facsimile No.: +852 2810 8133
Telephone No.: +852 2842 4888

 

 

If to Purchaser, Pubco, the Company or any other Covered Party from or after the Closing, to:

 

NWTN Inc.
No.76 Mu Nan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, China
Attn: Baoji Su
Telephone No.: +86 022-23303776

Email: ir@iconiqmotors.com

 

 

 

 

with a copy (that will not constitute notice) to:

 

Linklaters LLP

1290 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10104

Facsimile No.: +1 212 903 9100
Telephone No.: +1 212 903 9000

 

and a copy to:

 

Linklaters LLP

11th Floor, Alexandra House

Chater Road

Hong Kong SAR

Facsimile No.: +852 2810 8133
Telephone No.: +852 2842 4888

 

If to the Subject Party, to:
the address below the Subject Party’s name on the signature page to this Agreement.

 

(b) Integration and Non-Exclusivity. This Agreement, the Business Combination Agreement and the other Ancillary Documents contain the entire agreement between the Subject Party and the Covered Parties concerning the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the rights and remedies of the Covered Parties under this Agreement are not exclusive of or limited by any other rights or remedies which they may have, whether at law, in equity, by contract or otherwise, all of which will be cumulative (and not alternative). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the rights and remedies of the Covered Parties, and the obligations and liabilities of the Subject Party and its Affiliates, under this Agreement, are in addition to their respective rights, remedies, obligations and liabilities (i) under the laws of unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, or other requirements of statutory or common law, or any applicable rules and regulations and (ii) otherwise conferred by contract, including the Business Combination Agreement and any other written agreement between the Subject Party or its Affiliate and any of the Covered Parties. Nothing in the Business Combination Agreement will limit any of the obligations, liabilities, rights or remedies of the Subject Party or the Covered Parties under this Agreement, nor will any breach of the Business Combination Agreement or any other agreement between the Subject Party or its Affiliate and any of the Covered Parties limit or otherwise affect any right or remedy of the Covered Parties under this Agreement. If any term or condition of any other agreement between the Subject Party or its Affiliate and any of the Covered Parties conflicts or is inconsistent with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the more restrictive terms will control as to the Subject Party or its Affiliate, as applicable.

 

6

 

 

(c) Severability; Reformation. Each provision of this Agreement is separable from every other provision of this Agreement. If any provision of this Agreement is found or held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part, by a court of competent jurisdiction, then (i) such provision will be deemed amended to conform to applicable laws so as to be valid, legal and enforceable to the fullest possible extent, (ii) the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of such provision will not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of such provision under any other circumstances or in any other jurisdiction, and (iii) the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of such provision will not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of the remainder of such provision or the validity, legality or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement. The Subject Party and the Covered Parties will substitute for any invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision a suitable and equitable provision that carries out, so far as may be valid, legal and enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision. Without limiting the foregoing, if any court of competent jurisdiction determines that any part hereof is unenforceable because of the duration, geographic area covered, scope of such provision, or otherwise, such court will have the power to reduce the duration, geographic area covered or scope of such provision, as the case may be, and, in its reduced form, such provision will then be enforceable. The Subject Party will, at a Covered Party’s request, join such Covered Party in requesting that such court take such action.

 

(d) Amendment; Waiver. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any respect, except by a written agreement executed by the Subject Party, Pubco, Purchaser and, from and after the Closing, the Purchaser Representative (or their respective permitted successors or assigns). No waiver will be effective unless it is expressly set forth in a written instrument executed by the waiving party (and from and after the Closing if such waiving party is a Covered Party, the Purchaser Representative) and any such waiver will have no effect except in the specific instance in which it is given. Any delay or omission by a party in exercising its rights under this Agreement, or failure to insist upon strict compliance with any term, covenant, or condition of this Agreement will not be deemed a waiver of such term, covenant, condition or right, nor will any waiver or relinquishment of any right or power under this Agreement at any time or times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of such right or power at any other time or times.

 

(e) Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by, construed and enforced in accordance with the Laws (both substantive and procedural) of the State of Delaware. All Actions arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be heard and determined exclusively in any Delaware Chancery Court; provided, that if jurisdiction is not then available in the Delaware Chancery Court, then any such legal Action may be brought in any federal court located in the State of Delaware or any other Delaware state court (collectively, the “Specified Courts”). Each Party hereto hereby (a) submits to the exclusive personal and subject matter jurisdiction of any Specified Court for the purpose of any Action arising out of or relating to this Agreement brought by any Party hereto and (b) irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert by way of motion, defense or otherwise, in any such Action, any claim that it is not subject to the personal or subject matter jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that the Action is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the Action is improper, or that this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may not be enforced in or by any Specified Court. Each Party agrees that a final judgment in any Action shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by Law. Each Party irrevocably consents to the service of the summons and complaint and any other process in any other Action relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, on behalf of itself, or its property, by personal delivery of copies of such process to such Party at the applicable address set forth Section 7(a). Nothing in this Section 7(e) shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by Law.

 

7

 

 

(f) WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, IN EACH CASE, WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING, AND WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, EQUITY, OR OTHERWISE. EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THAT FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 7(f). ANY PARTY HERETO MAY FILE AN ORIGINAL COUNTERPART OR A COPY OF THIS SECTION 7(f) WITH ANY COURT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF THE CONSENT OF EACH SUCH PARTY TO THE WAIVER OF ITS RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.

 

(g) Successors and Assigns; Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement will be binding upon the Subject Party and the Subject Party’s estate, successors and assigns, and will inure to the benefit of the Covered Parties, and their respective successors and assigns. Each Covered Party may freely assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement, at any time, in whole or in part, to any Person which acquires, in one or more transactions, at least a majority of the equity securities (whether by equity sale, merger or otherwise) of such Covered Party or all or substantially all of the assets of such Covered Party and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, without obtaining the consent or approval of the Subject Party. The Subject Party agrees that the obligations of the Subject Party under this Agreement are personal and will not be assigned by the Subject Party. Each of the Covered Parties are express third party beneficiaries of this Agreement and will be considered parties under and for purposes of this Agreement.

 

(h) Purchaser Representative Authorized to Act on Behalf of Covered Parties. The parties acknowledge and agree that from and after the Closing the Purchaser Representative is authorized and shall have the sole right to act on behalf of Pubco, Purchaser and the other Covered Parties under this Agreement, including the right to enforce Pubco’s, Purchaser’s and the other Covered Parties’ rights and remedies under this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, in the event that the Subject Party serves as a director, officer, employee or other authorized agent of a Covered Party, the Subject Party shall have no authority, express or implied, to act or make any determination on behalf of a Covered Party in connection with this Agreement or any dispute or Action with respect hereto.

 

8

 

 

(i) Construction. The Subject Party acknowledges that the Subject Party has been represented by counsel, or had the opportunity to be represented by counsel of the Subject Party’s choice. Any rule of construction to the effect that ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party will not be applied in the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. Neither the drafting history nor the negotiating history of this Agreement will be used or referred to in connection with the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. The headings and subheadings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. In this Agreement: (i) the words “include,” “includes” and “including” when used herein shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (ii) the definitions contained herein are applicable to the singular as well as the plural forms of such terms; (iii) whenever required by the context, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (iv) the words “herein,” “hereto,” and “hereby” and other words of similar import shall be deemed in each case to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Section or other subdivision of this Agreement; (v) the word “if” and other words of similar import when used herein shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the phrase “and only if”; (vi) the term “or” means “and/or”; and (vii) any agreement or instrument defined or referred to herein or in any agreement or instrument that is referred to herein means such agreement or instrument as from time to time amended, modified or supplemented, including by waiver or consent and references to all attachments thereto and instruments incorporated therein.

 

(j) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. A photocopy, faxed, scanned and/or emailed copy of this Agreement or any signature page to this Agreement, shall have the same validity and enforceability as an originally signed copy.

 

(k) Effectiveness. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Subject Party upon the Subject Party’s execution and delivery of this Agreement, but this Agreement shall only become effective upon the consummation of the Transactions. In the event that the Business Combination Agreement is validly terminated in accordance with its terms prior to the consummation of the Transactions, this Agreement shall automatically terminate and become null and void, and the parties shall have no obligations hereunder.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank; Signature Page Follows]

 

9

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed and delivered this Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

  Subject Party:
   
  [________________________________]
   
  By:                                                                 
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

  Address for Notice:
   
  Address:         
   
   

 

  Facsimile No.:         
  Telephone No.:           
  Email:  

 

{Signature Page to Non-Competition Agreement}

 

10

 

 

Acknowledged and accepted as of the date first written above:
     
Pubco:  
   
NWTN INC  
   
By:                 
Name:    
Title:    

 

     
Purchaser:  
   
East Stone Acquisition Corporation  
   
By:                       
Name:    
Title:    

 

The Company:  
   
ICONIQ HOLDING LIMITED  
   
By:           
Name:    
Title:    

 

The Purchaser Representative:  
   
NAVY SAIL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED,  
solely in the capacity as the Purchaser  
Representative  
   
By:                         
Name:    
Title:    

 

{Signature Page to Non-Competition Agreement}

 

 

11

 

 

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