8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

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

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) November 14, 2002

SYMPHONIX DEVICES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	000-23767	77-0376250
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

2331 Zanker Road, San Jose, California	95131-1109
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (408) 232-0710

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Item 5.    Other Events

On November 13, 2002, the Board of Directors of Symphonix Devices, Inc. deemed advisable the dissolution of the company and approved a plan of complete liquidation and dissolution for which Symphonix will seek stockholder approval. Symphonix expects to liquidate all assets, including its intellectual property.

Attached and incorporated herein are a form of plan of complete liquidation and dissolution and a press release disseminated by Symphonix on November 14, 2002 in connection with the proposed dissolution.

Item 7.    Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c) Exhibits

2.1	Form of Plan of Complete Liquidation and Dissolution.
99.1	Press release dated November 14, 2002.

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SIGNATURE

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

SYMPHONIX DEVICES, INC.

/s/    KIRK B. DAVIS

Kirk B. Davis

President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: November 14, 2002

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Exhibit Index

Exhibit No.
2.1	Form of Plan of Complete Liquidation and Dissolution.
99.1	Press release dated November 14, 2002.

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EX-2.1

Exhibit 2.1

PLAN OF COMPLETE LIQUIDATION AND DISSOLUTION OF

SYMPHONIX DEVICES, INC.

This Plan of Complete Liquidation and Dissolution (the “Plan”) is intended to accomplish the complete liquidation and dissolution of Symphonix Devices, Inc., Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) and Sections 331 and 336 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), as follows:

1.    The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board of Directors”) has adopted this Plan and called a meeting (the “Meeting”) of the holders of the Company’s Common Stock to take action on the Plan and ratify the Company’s actions taken to date on the Plan. If stockholders holding a majority of the Company’s outstanding common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), vote for the adoption of this Plan at the Meeting, the Plan shall constitute the adopted Plan of the Company as of the date of the Meeting, or such later date on which the stockholders may approve the Plan if the Meeting is adjourned to a later date (the “Adoption Date”).

2.    After the Adoption Date, the Company shall not engage in any business activities except to the extent necessary to preserve the value of its assets, wind up its business affairs, and distribute its assets in accordance with this Plan. No later than thirty (30) days following the Adoption Date, the Company shall file Form 966 with the Internal Revenue Service.

3.    From and after the Adoption Date, the Company shall complete the following corporate actions: The Board of Directors will liquidate the Company’s assets in accordance with any applicable provision of the DGCL, including Sections 280 and 281. Without limiting the flexibility of the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors may, at it option, instruct the officers of the Company to follow the procedures set forth in Sections 280 and 281 of the DGCL which instruct such officers to: (i) give notice of the dissolution to all persons having a claim against the Company and provide for the rejection of any such claims in accordance with Section 280 of the DGCL; (ii) offer to any claimant on a contract whose claim is contingent, conditional or unmatured, security in an amount sufficient to provide compensation to the claimant if the claim matures, and petition the Delaware Court of Chancery to determine the amount and form of security sufficient to provide compensation to any such claimant who rejects such offer in accordance with Section 280 of the DGCL; (iii) petition the Delaware Court of Chancery to determine the amount and form of security which would be reasonably likely to be sufficient to provide compensation for (A) claims that are the subject of pending litigation against the Company, and (B) claims that have not been made known to the Company at the time of dissolution, but are likely to arise or become known within five (5) years (or longer in the discretion of the Delaware Court of Chancery), each in accordance with Section 280 of the DGCL; (iv) pay, or make adequate provision for payment, of all claims made against the Company and not rejected, including all expenses of the sale of assets and of the liquidation and dissolution provided for by the Plan in accordance with Section 280 of the DGCL; and (v) post all

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security offered and not rejected and all security ordered by the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 280 of the DGCL.

4.    The distributions to the stockholders pursuant to Section 3, 6 and 7 hereof shall be in complete redemption and cancellation of all of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company. As a condition to receipt of any distribution to the Company’s stockholders, the Board of Directors or the Trustees (as defined below), in their absolute discretion, may require the stockholders to (i) surrender their certificates evidencing the Common Stock to the Company or its agents for recording of such distributions thereon or (ii) furnish the Company with evidence satisfactory to the Board of Directors or the Trustees of the loss, theft or destruction of their certificates evidencing the Common Stock, together with such surety bond or other security or indemnity as may be required by and satisfactory to the Board of Directors or the Trustees (“Satisfactory Evidence and Indemnity”). The Company will finally close its stock transfer books and discontinue recording transfers of Common Stock on the earliest to occur of (i) the close of business on the record date fixed by the Board of Directors for the final liquidating distribution, (ii) the close of business on the date on which the remaining assets of the Company are transferred to the Trust or (iii) the date on which the Company files its Certificate of Dissolution under the DGCL (following any post-dissolution continuation period thereunder), and thereafter certificates representing Common Stock will not be assignable or transferable on the books of the Company except by will, intestate succession, or operation of law.

5.    If any distribution to a stockholder cannot be made, whether because the stockholder cannot be located, has not surrendered its certificates evidencing the Common Stock as required hereunder or for any other reason, the distribution to which such stockholder is entitled (unless transferred to the Trust established pursuant to Section 6 hereof) shall be transferred, at such time as the final liquidating distribution is made by the Company, to the official of such state or other jurisdiction authorized by applicable law to receive the proceeds of such distribution. The proceeds of such distribution shall thereafter be held solely for the benefit of and for ultimate distribution to such stockholder as the sole equitable owner thereof and shall be treated as abandoned property and escheat to the applicable state or other jurisdiction in accordance with applicable law. In no event shall the proceeds of any such distribution revert to or become the property of the Company.

6.    If deemed necessary, appropriate or desirable by the Board of Directors, in its absolute discretion, in furtherance of the liquidation and distribution of the Company’s assets to the stockholders, as a final liquidating distribution or from time to time, the Company shall transfer to one or more liquidating trustees, for the benefit of its stockholders (the “Trustees”), under a liquidating trust (the “Trust”), any assets of the Company which are (i) not reasonably susceptible to distribution to the stockholders, including without limitation non-cash assets and assets held on behalf of the stockholders (a) who cannot be located or who do not tender their certificates evidencing the Common Stock to the Company or its agent as herein above required or (b) to whom distributions may not be made based upon restrictions under contract or law, including, without limitation, restrictions of the Federal securities laws and regulations promulgated thereunder, or (ii) held as the Contingency Reserve. The Board of Directors is hereby authorized to appoint one or more individuals, corporations, partnerships or other persons, or any combination thereof, including, without limitation, any one or more officers, directors, employees, agents or representatives of the Company, to act as the initial Trustee or Trustees for the benefit of the stockholders and to receive any assets of the Company. Any Trustees appointed as provided in the preceding sentence shall

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succeed to all right, title and interest of the Company of any kind and character with respect to such transferred assets and, to the extent of the assets so transferred and solely in their capacity as Trustees, shall assume all of the liabilities and obligations of the Company, including, without limitation, any unsatisfied claims and unascertained or contingent liabilities. Further, any conveyance of assets to the Trustees shall be deemed to be a distribution of property and assets by the Company to the stockholders for the purposes of Section 3 of this Plan. Any such conveyance to the Trustees shall be in trust for the stockholders of the Company. The Company, subject to this Section and as authorized by the Board of Directors, in its absolute discretion, may enter into a liquidating trust agreement with the Trustees, on such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors, in its absolute discretion, may deem necessary, appropriate or desirable. Adoption of this Plan by a majority of the outstanding Common Stock shall constitute the approval of the stockholders of any such appointment, any such liquidating trust agreement and any transfer of assets by the Company to the Trust as their act and as a part hereof as if herein written.

7.    Whether or not a Trust shall have been previously established pursuant to Section 6, in the event it should not be feasible for the Company to make the final distribution to its stockholders of all assets and properties of the Company prior to [____________], 2005 then, on or before such date, the Company shall be required to establish a Trust and transfer any remaining assets and properties (including, without limitation, any uncollected claims, contingent assets and the Contingency Reserve) to the Trustees as set forth in Section 6.

8.    After the Adoption Date, the officers of the Company shall, at such time as the Board of Directors, in its absolute discretion, deems necessary, appropriate or desirable, obtain any certificates required from the Delaware tax authorities and, upon obtaining such certificates, the Company shall file with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a certificate of dissolution (the “Certificate of Dissolution”) in accordance with the DGCL.

9.    Adoption of this Plan by holders of a majority of the outstanding Common Stock shall constitute the approval of the stockholders of the sale, exchange or other disposition in liquidation of all of the property and assets of the Company, including any sale, exchange or other disposition in liquidation of less than a majority of the property and assets of the Company to affiliates of the Company, whether such sale, exchange or other disposition occurs in one transaction or a series of transactions, and shall constitute ratification of all contracts for sale, exchange or other disposition which are conditioned on adoption of this Plan.

10.    In connection with and for the purposes of implementing and assuring completion of this Plan, the Company may, in the absolute discretion of the Board of Directors, pay any brokerage, agency, professional, legal and other fees and expenses of persons rendering services to the Company in connection with the collection, sale, exchange or other disposition of the Company’s property and assets and the implementation of this Plan. Adoption of the Plan shall constitute approval of such payments by the stockholders of the Company.

11.    In connection with and for the purpose of implementing and assuring completion of this Plan, the Company may, in the absolute discretion of the Board of Directors, pay the Company’s officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives, or any of them, compensation or additional compensation above their regular compensation, in money or other property, as severance,

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bonus, acceleration of vesting of stock or stock options, or in any other form, in recognition of the extraordinary efforts they, or any of them, will be required to undertake, or actually undertake, in connection with the implementation of this Plan. Adoption of this Plan by a majority of the outstanding Common Stock shall constitute the approval of the Company’s stockholders of the payment of any such compensation.

12.    The Company shall continue to indemnify its officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, as amended, and Bylaws and any contractual arrangements, for the actions taken in connection with this Plan and the winding up of the affairs of the Company. The Company’s obligation to indemnify such persons may also be satisfied out of the assets of the Trust. The Board of Directors and the Trustees, in their absolute discretion, are authorized to obtain and maintain insurance as may be necessary or appropriate to cover the Company’s obligation hereunder, including seeking an extension in time and coverage of the Company’s insurance policies currently in effect.

13.    Notwithstanding authorization or consent to this Plan and the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company’s stockholders, the Board of Directors may modify, amend or abandon this Plan and the transactions contemplated hereby without further action by the stockholders to the extent permitted by the DGCL.

14.    The Board of Directors of the Company is hereby authorized, without further action by the Company’s stockholders, to do and perform or cause the officers of the Company, subject to approval of the Board of Directors, to do and perform, any and all acts, and to make, execute, deliver or adopt any and all agreements, resolutions, conveyances, certificates and other documents of every kind which are deemed necessary, appropriate or desirable, in the absolute discretion of the Board of Directors, to implement this Plan and the transaction contemplated hereby, including, without limiting the foregoing, all filings or acts required by any state or federal law or regulation to wind up its affairs.

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EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

SYMPHONIX ANNOUNCES DISSOLUTION

OF ITS BUSINESS

SAN JOSE, Calif. — November 14, 2002 — Symphonix Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMPX) announced today that its Board of Directors has unanimously deemed advisable the dissolution of the company and approved a plan of complete liquidation and dissolution of its business. The Board of Directors made this decision after an unsuccessful process of pursuing various strategic alternatives, including potential partner arrangements and a sale of the company outright.

Kirk Davis, CEO and a Director of the company stated, “The slow market adoption of the Vibrant Soundbridge combined with the difficult current financing environment has led us to make this very difficult decision. However, upon careful consideration from our Directors, Officers and advisors, we believe that this action is in the best interests of our stockholders.”

Symphonix expects to submit the plan of complete liquidation and dissolution of its business to stockholders for approval at a special meeting of the stockholders to be held on a future date to be set by the Board of Directors.

# # #

Statements made in the press release regarding the dissolution of the Company are “forward looking statements” and are subject to a number of uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to a decision by the Company’s Board of Directors to pursue other alternatives, such as bankruptcy. Further information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s dissolution is included in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2002 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Contact:

Investor Relations:

(408) 232-0710

Customer Contact:

Customer Service:

(800) 833-7733

Media Contact:

Eric Gertsman

Neale-May & Partners

(650) 328-5555 x502

egertsman@nealemay.com

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