SOS SOS Limited

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 14, 2025 

Registration No. 333-       

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM F-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

SOS Limited

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Not Applicable

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 

 

Cayman Islands		Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of		(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)		Identification Number)

 

Building 6, East Seaview Park, 298 Haijing Road, Yinzhu Street

West Coast New District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province 266400

People’s Republic of China

+86-532-86617117

(Address and telephone number of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Puglisi & Associates

850 Library Avenue,

Suite 204

Newark, Delaware 19711

302-738-6680 

(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Joan Wu, Esq.

Charles Tan, Esq.

Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC

950 Third Avenue, 19^th Floor

New York, NY 10022

(212) 530-2208

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

 

Emerging growth company ☐

 

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

 

†	The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

PROSPECTUS

 

Subject to Completion, dated March 14, 2025

 

SOS Limited

$500,000,000 

Class A Ordinary Shares

Class A Ordinary Shares represented by American Depositary Shares

Preferred Shares

Debt Securities

Warrants

Rights, and

Units

 

And

 

484,281,240 Class A Ordinary Shares

Representing 484,281,240 Class A Ordinary Shares Underlying Warrants

Offered by the Selling Shareholders

 

 

We may from time to time in one or more offerings offer and sell Class A ordinary shares, including Class A ordinary shares represented by American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), preferred shares, debt securities, warrants to purchase ADSs, either individually or as units composed of one or more of the other securities, of an aggregate offering price of up to US$500,000,000. The prospectus supplement for each offering of securities will describe in detail the plan of distribution for that offering. For general information about the distribution of securities offered, please see “Plan of Distribution of the Primary Offering” in this prospectus.

 

This prospectus also relates to the offer and resale of up to an aggregate of 484,281,240 Class A ordinary shares (the “Resale Shares”), issuable upon exercise of certain warrants held by the security holder identified as the Selling Shareholders in the section of this prospectus entitled “SELLING SHAREHOLDERS.” The Resale Shares include 484,281,240 Class A ordinary shares, issuable upon exercise of the Company’s warrants issued on June 19, 2024, to certain investors. The Selling Shareholders may, from time to time, sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any or all of their Resale Shares registered herein, in the form of ADSs, on any stock exchange, market, or trading facility on which the ADSs are traded or in private transactions. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of the Resale Shares by the Selling Shareholders, but we will bear all costs, fees and expenses in connection with the registration of the Resale Shares offered by the Selling Shareholders. The Selling Shareholders will bear all commissions and discounts, if any, attributable to the sale of the Resale Shares offered through this prospectus. For information regarding the Selling Shareholder and the times and manner in which they may offer or sell the Resale Shares, see “Selling Shareholders” and “Plan of Distribution of the Selling Shareholders.”

 

We are not a Chinese operating company. We are a Cayman Islands holding company conducting our operations through our subsidiaries in China and the U.S. Our ADSs are ADSs of SOS, the offshore holding company in the Cayman Islands, instead of shares of our subsidiaries. Investors may never directly hold equity interests in our subsidiaries. As we conduct part of our operations through our subsidiaries in China, we face various legal and operational risks and uncertainties related to doing business in China that could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our securities. We are subject to a series of PRC laws and regulations. The PRC government has recently issued statements and conducted regulatory actions relating to areas such as approvals, filings or other administrative requirements on offshore offerings, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, and oversight on cybersecurity and data privacy. The PRC government’s authority in regulating our operations in China and its management on offerings conducted overseas by, and foreign investment in, China-based issuers could limit our and our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to conduct business and/or limit or hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, accept foreign investments or list on a United States or other foreign exchange, or cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless. For more details, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China.”

 

 

Our ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), under the symbol “SOS.” On March 13, 2025, the closing trading price for our ADSs, as reported on NYSE, was US$4.69 per ADS.

 

Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.5. of Form F-3, in no event will we sell the securities covered hereby in a public primary offering with a value exceeding more than one-third of the aggregate market value of our ordinary shares in any 12-month period so long as the aggregate market value of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares held by non-affiliates remains below US$75,000,000. The aggregate market value of our issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates, or public float, as of February 14, 2025, was approximately US$ 17.8 million, which was calculated based on 429,981,132 Class A ordinary shares held by non-affiliates and the per ADS price of US$6.24, which was the closing price of our ADSs on February 14, 2025. During the 12 calendar months prior to and including the date of this prospectus, we have not offered or sold any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.5 of Form F-3.

 

Each time we sell these securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the terms of the securities offered. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement before you invest in any of these securities.

 

We may offer and sell the securities from time to time at fixed prices, at market prices or at negotiated prices, to or through underwriters, to other purchasers, through agents, or through a combination of these methods, on a continuous or delayed basis. See “Plan of Distribution.” If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names, and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangements between or among them, will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. 

 

Our authorized share capital is US$50,000,000 divided into 10,000,000,000 ordinary shares of par value of US$0.005 each, comprising of (i) 9,000,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.005 each and (ii) 1,000,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.005 each. As of the date of this prospectus, we have 444,688,474 Class A ordinary shares and 24,481,451 Class B ordinary shares  issued and outstanding. Each Class B Ordinary Share is convertible into one Class A Ordinary Share at any time by the holder thereto. In respect of matters requiring shareholders’ vote, each Class A Ordinary Share is entitled to one vote and each Class B Ordinary Share is entitled to ten (10) votes.

 

We are a Cayman Islands holding company conducting our operations through our subsidiaries in China and the U.S. Our ADSs are ADSs of SOS, the offshore holding company in the Cayman Islands, instead of shares of our subsidiaries. Investors may never directly hold equity interests in our subsidiaries. As we conduct part of our operations through our subsidiaries in China, we face various legal and operational risks and uncertainties related to doing business in China that could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our securities. We are subject to a series of PRC laws and regulations. The PRC government has recently issued statements and conducted regulatory actions relating to areas such as approvals, filings or other administrative requirements on offshore offerings, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, and oversight on cybersecurity and data privacy. The PRC government’s authority in regulating our operations in China and its management on offerings conducted overseas by, and foreign investment in, China-based issuers could limit our and our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to conduct business and/or limit or hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, accept foreign investments or list on a United States or other foreign exchange, or cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless. For more details, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China.”

 

 

On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”) and five supporting guidelines, which went into effect on March 31, 2023. The Trial Measures regulate both direct and indirect overseas offering and listing of PRC domestic companies’ securities by adopting a filing-based regulatory regime. Based on the Trial Measures and the clarification issued by at a press conference held by CSRC, and as advised by our PRC counsel, Hebei Changjun Law Firm (“Hebei Changjun”), based on their understanding of the Trial Measures, that the Company will file with the CSRC notice of its offering of ADSs representing its Class A ordinary shares and the Warrants. The Trial Measures require the filing with the CSRC of the overseas offering and listing plans and the follow-on offering plans by PRC domestic companies under certain conditions, and the filing with the CSRC by their underwriters associated with such companies’ overseas securities offering and listing. Companies, like us, that are already listed overseas as of March 31, 2023 are not required to make an immediate filing with the CSRC until a subsequent offering, in which case a filing should be made with the CSRC within three business days after the offering is completed. In the opinion of our PRC legal counsel, Hebei Changjun Law Firm, the Selling Shareholders’ resale of the Resale Shares as described hereunder does not constitute a “subsequent offering” under the CSRC rules and hence we are not required to complete the filing procedures with CSRC for the Selling Shareholders’ resale.  In addition, if a domestic company fails to complete required filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties, such as an order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—The reinforcement by China regulatory authorities on the supervision or law enforcement on offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could limit or hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline.”

 

Pursuant to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “HFCA ACT”), if the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspections by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) for two consecutive years, the SEC will prohibit our shares or ADSs from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States. Pursuant to the HFCA Act, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report on December 16, 2021 which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1) mainland China of the People’s Republic of China because of a position taken by one or more authorities in mainland China; and (2) Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in Hong Kong. Our auditor, Audit Alliance LLP (“Audit Alliance”), the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included in this prospectus, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to the PCAOB’s regular inspections to assess Audit Alliance’s compliance with applicable professional standards. Audit Alliance is headquartered in Singapore and is not subject to the determinations announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. However, recent developments with respect to audits of China-based companies create uncertainty about the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to fully cooperate with Audit Alliance’s audit without the approval of the Chinese authorities. In the event that it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in our securities to be prohibited under the HFCA Act, and ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist our securities. In addition, on August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol (the “SOP”) Agreement with the CSRC and China’s Ministry of Finance. The SOP Agreement, together with two protocol agreements (collectively, “SOP Agreements”), governs inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the SEC, the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB Board determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB Board will consider the need to issue a new determination. For more details, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—The PRC operating entity must conduct its business activities substantially subject to PRC laws, regulations and administration. If the Chinese government significantly regulates our operating entity’s business operations in the future and it is not able to substantially comply with such regulations, our operating entity’s business operations may be materially adversely affected, and the value of our Class A ordinary shares may significantly decrease,” “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Changes, application and interpretation with respect to the applicable legal laws/regulations, and economic policies for our PRC subsidiaries, could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale,” and “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Our ADSs may be prohibited from trading in the United States under the HFCA ACT in the future if the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely of our auditor. The delisting of the ADSs, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.”

 

 

We are a holding company, and we may rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders and service any debt we may incur. If our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business. For more details, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—We may rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.” In addition, the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that withholding tax rate of 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by PRC companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC-resident enterprises are incorporated. For more details, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—It is unclear whether we will be considered a PRC “resident enterprise” under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and, depending on the determination of our PRC “resident enterprise” status, our global income may be subject to the 25% PRC enterprise income tax, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.”

 

SOS Limited is a holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China primarily through our PRC subsidiaries. As a result, although other means are available for us to obtain financing at the holding company level, SOS Limited’s ability to pay dividends to the shareholders and to service any debt it may incur may depend upon dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries.

 

As a holding company registered in the Cayman Islands, we may rely on dividends from our subsidiaries in China for our cash requirements, including any payment of dividends to our shareholders. PRC regulations may restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to us. If any of our subsidiaries incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing such debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends to SOS Limited. Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries are subject to certain restrictions with respect to payment of dividends or other transfers of any of their net assets to us. Our PRC subsidiaries are permitted to pay dividends only out of their retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. PRC laws also require a foreign-invested enterprise to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits as the statutory common reserve fund until the cumulative amount of the statutory common reserve fund reaches 50% or more of such enterprise’s registered capital, if any, to fund its statutory common reserves, which are not available for distribution as cash dividends. Remittance of dividends by a wholly foreign-owned enterprise out of mainland China is also subject to examination by the banks designated by the PRC State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”). These restrictions are benchmarked against the paid-up capital and the statutory reserve funds of our PRC subsidiaries. To the extent cash in our business is in China or in an entity in mainland China, the funds may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of mainland China due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations by the PRC government on our ability to transfer cash. As a result, our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business may be materially and adversely affected. We have also presented financial information to illustrate the consolidated cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2023 for (i) SOS Limited; (ii) China SOS Limited; (iii) Qingdao SOS Investment, one of our WFOEs; (iv) the VIE; (v) Subsidiaries outside China; and (vi) Subsidiaries inside China. The financial information of SOS Limited has been extracted from SOS Limited’s audited consolidated statements of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the related notes, included elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated by reference herein. For a detailed description of how cash is transferred through our organization, see “Prospectus Summary—Cash and Asset Flows through Our Organization.”

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, SOS Limited transferred nil to its subsidiaries inside China and transferred $16,379,378 to its subsidiaries outside China. $2,460,000 was transferred from the subsidiary named Future Digital Trade Limited of SOS Limited to SOS Limited. For the six months ended June 30, 2024, SOS Limited transferred $22,801,192 to its subsidiaries outside China named SOS Information Technology New York Inc. Since July 1, 2024 and until the date of this prospectus, SOS Limited has transferred, as intercompany borrowing, an aggregate of nil to its subsidiaries outside China, and SOS Information Technology New York Inc. transferred $811,448 to SOS Limited. Other than the transfers mentioned above, as of the date of this prospectus, SOS Limited has not made any other transfers, dividends or distributions between the holding company, any of its subsidiaries or to investors. 

 

 

We are also subject to restrictions and limitations on our ability to distribute earnings from our businesses, including subsidiaries, to our holding company and U.S. investors. Neither we nor any of our subsidiaries has obtained the approval from either the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) or the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) for any offering of our ADSs in the United States, and we do not intend to obtain the approval from either the CSRC or the CAC in connection with any such offering, since we do not believe, based upon advice of our PRC counsel, Hebei Changjun, that such approval is required for the time being. We cannot assure you, however, that regulators in China will not take a contrary view or will not subsequently require us to undergo the approval procedures and subject us to penalties for non-compliance. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — The approval of the CSRC, may be required in connection with the listing and trading of our securities under PRC rules, regulations, or policies, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or how soon we will be able to obtain such approval. As a result, both you and us fact uncertainty about future actions by the PRC government that could significantly affect our business, our listing on NYSE, financial condition and results of operations.”

 

Investing in these securities involves risks. See the “Risk Factors” section contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference in this prospectus to read about factors you should consider before investing in these securities.

 

This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell any securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the disclosures in this prospectus, including any prospectus supplement and documents incorporated by reference. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The date of this prospectus is March 14, 2025

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS		ii
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY		1
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE		16
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS		17
RISK FACTORS		18
USE OF PROCEEDS		30
DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES		31
DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL		32
DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES		42
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED SHARES		51
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES		52
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS		54
DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS		56
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS		57
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRIMARY OFFERING		58
SELLING SHAREHOLDERS		60
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION OF THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS		63
TAXATION		65
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES		66
LEGAL MATTERS		66
EXPERTS		67
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US		68

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

You should read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information About Us” and “Incorporation of Documents by Reference.”

 

In this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires,

 

	●	“ADSs” refers to our American depositary shares, each of which represents one hundred and fifty (150) Class A ordinary shares;
	●	“China,” “Chinese” and “PRC,” are references to the People’s Republic of China;
	●	“Class A ordinary shares” refers to Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.005 per share of SOS Limited;
	●	“Class B ordinary shares” refers to Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.005 per share of SOS Limited;
	●	“former variable interest entity” or “former VIE” refer to the consolidated variable interest entity, Qingdao SOS Industrial Holding Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries which are PRC companies in which SOS did not have equity interests but whose financial results had been consolidated by SOS in accordance with U.S. GAAP due to SOS being the primary beneficiary of these companies prior to the disposition of the VIE and its subsidiaries;
	●	“Inner Mongolia SOS” refers to Inner Mongolia SOS Insurance Agency Co., Ltd., a PRC company organized under the laws of PRC and a wholly-owned subsidiary of SOS Information;
	●	“NYSE” refers to the New York Stock Exchange;
	●	“RMB” and “Renminbi” refer to the legal currency of China;
	●	“SOS Information” refers to SOS Information Technology Co., Ltd, a PRC company organized under the laws of PRC and a variable interest entity controlled by YBT;
	●	“SOS,” “SOS Ltd.,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company” are references to SOS Limited, an exempted company registered in the Cayman Islands with limited liability;
	●	“Wei Bao Enterprise Consulting” refers to Wei Bao Enterprise Consulting Management (Shijiazhuang) Co., Ltd., a PRC company organized under the laws of PRC and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yong Bao Two; and
	●	“Yong Bao Two” or “YBT” refers to Yong Bao Two Limited, a British Virgin Islands company organized under the laws of British Virgin Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of SOS.

 

 

Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to Renminbi in this prospectus are made at a rate of RMB7.099 to US$1.0000, the exchange rate in effect as of December 30, 2023 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. We make no representation that any Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this prospectus could have been, or could be, converted to U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all. The PRC government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of Renminbi into foreign exchange.

 

Any discrepancies in any table in this prospectus between the amounts identified as total amounts and the sum of the amounts listed therein are due to rounding. 

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form F-3 that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), using a shelf registration process permitted under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). By using a shelf registration statement, we may sell any of our securities to the extent permitted in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, from time to time in one or more offerings on a continuous or delayed basis. This prospectus only provides you with a summary description of these securities. Each time we sell the securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and the specific terms of that offering. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the prospectus supplement.

 

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We will not make an offer to sell the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and the applicable supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of the date on its respective cover, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RISK FACTORS

 

Investing in the securities involves risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors and uncertainties described in this section and under the heading “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” in the Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (the “2023 20-F”), which is incorporated in this prospectus by reference, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and, if applicable, in any accompanying prospectus supplement or documents incorporated by reference before investing in any of the securities that may be offered or sold pursuant to this prospectus. These risks and uncertainties could materially affect our business, results of operations or financial condition and cause the value of the securities to decline. You could lose all or part of your investment.

 

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

 

Our and the VIEs’ failure to obtain necessary permits for offline events may subject us and the VIEs to penalties and adversely affect our and the VIEs’ business, results of operations, and financial condition.

 

Under PRC laws and regulations, we and the VIEs may be required to obtain certain permits each time before we and the VIEs hold an offline event, including a security permit to organize large-scale mass activities and a permit for temporary occupation of urban roads, depending on the estimated number of participants and the need to temporarily occupy public roads. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Regulation — Regulations Relating to Security Administration of Large-scale Mass Activities and Temporary Urban Road Occupation” in the 2023 Form 20-F. Although we and the VIEs have endeavored and will continue to endeavor to obtain all necessary permits according to our and the VIEs’ estimate of the condition of each specific event, we cannot assure you that we and the VIEs have been or will continue to be in full compliance with the licensing requirements for all the offline events we and the VIEs have held or will hold because the regulatory practices with respect to an offline event vary among different regions and the local authorities retain broad discretion in enforcing the licensing requirements. In addition, the licensing requirements in China are constantly evolving, and we and the VIEs may be subject to more stringent regulatory requirements due to political or economic changes in the future. We cannot assure you that we and the VIEs will be able to satisfy such regulatory requirements and as a result we and the VIEs may be unable to obtain the necessary permits for each of our offline events in a timely manner in the future. If relevant PRC government authorities determine that we and the VIEs are operating offline events without proper licenses or permits or impose additional restrictions on the operation of any of the offline events, we and the VIEs might be subject to administrative penalties, such as fines, confiscation of income, additional restrictions and forced discontinuation of the offline events, which may materially and adversely affect our and the VIEs’ business, results of operations, and financial condition. As of the date of this prospectus, we and the VIEs have obtained requisite licenses in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations for offline events held, and we and the VIEs have not received any inquiry or investigation from any PRC government authority regarding non-compliance of the offline events.

 

Relevant government authorities may suspend our and the VIEs’ offline events due to various reasons beyond our and the VIEs’ control.

 

Even if we and the VIEs have obtained all prerequisite permits, government authorities may unexpectedly suspend our and the VIEs’ scheduled offline events due to a variety of reasons beyond our and the VIEs’ control. For example, two weeks prior to an auto show in April 2018 in Beijing National Stadium, the local public security authority abruptly demanded that the VIEs suspend the auto show for one morning, even though the VIEs had already obtained the required approvals. Under such circumstances, we and the VIEs usually negotiate with industry customers to reschedule the auto show. In addition, the local police security authorities may prevent consumers from entering our and the VIEs’ auto shows and impose administrative penalties on us and the VIEs if the visitor flow exceeds the prescribed limit. Such abrupt suspensions, re-scheduling and restrictions might adversely affect the sales volumes of our industry customers, which in turn could discourage them from participating in our and the VIEs’ future events and materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. As of the date of this prospectus, we and the VIEs have obtained requisite licenses in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations for offline events held, and we and the VIEs have not received any inquiry or investigation from any PRC government authority regarding non-compliance of the offline events.

 

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

 

If the PRC government finds that the agreements that establish the structure for operating some of the VIEs’ operations in mainland China do not comply with PRC regulations relating to the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.

 

Foreign investment in the value-added telecommunications services industry in mainland China is extensively regulated and subject to numerous restrictions. For example, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunications service provider with certain exceptions relating to e-commerce business, domestic multi-party communications services business, store-and-forward business and call center business in accordance with the special management measures for the entry of foreign investment (as amended) (the “Negative List”), and other applicable laws and regulations.

 

 

We are a Cayman Islands company and our wholly-owned subsidiaries in mainland China are currently considered foreign-invested enterprises. Accordingly, our subsidiaries in mainland China are not eligible to provide certain value-added telecommunications services in mainland China. Due to these restrictions, we carry out our value-added telecommunications business in mainland China through the VIEs. We, through TuanYuan, Sangu Maolu and Chema Beijing, our WFOEs, entered into a series of contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their respective shareholders, in order to (1) exercise significant influence over our consolidated affiliated entities, (2) receive substantially all of the economic benefits of our consolidated affiliated entities, and (3) have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in the VIEs when and to the extent permitted by PRC law. We have been and expect to continue to be dependent on the consolidated affiliated entities to operate our value-added telecommunications business. As a result of these contractual arrangements, we have significant influence over and are the primary beneficiary of the VIEs and hence consolidate the financial results of our consolidated affiliated entities under U.S. GAAP.

 

In the opinion of our PRC counsel, Hebei Changchun, the ownership structures of our WFOEs and the VIEs, currently do not result in any violation of the applicable PRC laws or regulations currently in effect; and the contractual arrangements among our WFOEs, the VIEs and their respective shareholders, are governed by PRC laws or regulations, and are currently valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with the applicable PRC laws or regulations currently in effect, and do not result in any violation of the applicable PRC laws or regulations currently in effect, except that the equity pledge under that certain equity pledge agreement would not be deemed validly created until they are registered with the competent governmental authorities. However, Shihui Partners has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current or future PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that the PRC government will ultimately take a view that is consistent with the opinion of our PRC counsel.

 

In particular, in March 2019, the National People’s Congress (the “NPC”), passed the PRC Foreign Investment Law, which became effective as of January 1, 2020. For the effect of the PRC Foreign Investment Law on us, see “—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure—Uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.”

 

If our ownership structure and contractual arrangements are found to violate any PRC laws or regulations, or if we or the VIEs are found to be required but failed to obtain any of the permits or approvals for our or the VIEs’ value-added telecommunications business, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (the “MIIT”), would have broad discretion in imposing fines or administrative penalties upon us and/or the VIEs for such violations, including:

 

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revoking the business and operating licenses of ours and/or the VIEs’;

 

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discontinuing or restricting any related-party transactions between us and the VIEs;

  

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imposing fines and penalties, confiscating the income from us or the VIEs, or imposing additional requirements for our or the VIEs’ operations which we or the VIEs may not be able to comply with;

 

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requiring us to restructure our ownership structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements and deregistering the equity pledges of the VIEs, which in turn would affect our ability to consolidate, derive economic interests from, or exercise significant influence over the consolidated affiliated entities;

 

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restricting or prohibiting our use of the proceeds of this offering to finance our or the VIEs’ business and operations in mainland China, particularly the expansion of our business through strategic acquisitions; or

 

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restricting the use of financing sources by us or the consolidated affiliated entities or otherwise restricting our or their ability to conduct business.

 

 

As of the date of this prospectus, similar ownership structure and contractual arrangements have been used by many China-based companies listed overseas, including a number of value-added telecommunications companies listed in the United States. To our knowledge, none of the fines or punishments listed above has been imposed on any of these public companies. However, we cannot assure you that such fines or punishments will not be imposed on us, the VIEs or any other companies in the future. If any of the above fines or punishments is imposed on us or the VIEs, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. If any of these penalties results in our inability to direct the activities of the consolidated affiliated entities that most significantly impact their economic performance, and/or our failure to receive the economic benefits from the consolidated affiliated entities, we may not be able to consolidate them in our financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. However, we do not believe that such actions would result in the liquidation or dissolution of our company, our WFOEs or the VIEs or their subsidiaries. To the extent commercially practicable and in compliance with the relevant PRC laws and regulations, we plan to conduct the VIEs’ current businesses through our subsidiaries in mainland China and cease substantially all of the operation of the VIEs within the next three to five years.

 

Uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

 

On March 15, 2019, the NPC approved the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in mainland China, i.e., the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. In December 2019, the State Council promulgated the Implementation Regulation on the Foreign Investment Law to further clarify relevant provisions of the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. The Foreign Investment Law and its implementation regulation embody an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments.

 

However, since the Foreign Investment Law and its implementation regulation are relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to their interpretation and implementation. For instance, under the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in mainland China. Though it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment via contractual arrangements would not be deemed as a type of indirect foreign investment activities under the definition in the future. In addition, the definition has a catch-all provision which includes investments made by foreign investors through means stipulated in laws or administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council. The Special Administrative Measures (Negative Lest) for Foreign Investment Access (2021 Version) (the “Negative List (2021 version)”) stipulates that any domestic enterprise in mainland China engaging in prohibited business under the Negative List shall be subject to review by and shall obtain the consent of the relevant competent PRC authorities for overseas listing, and the foreign investors shall not participate in the operation and management of such enterprise, and the shareholding percentage of the foreign investors in such enterprise shall be subject, mutatis mutandis, to the relevant administrative provisions of the PRC domestic securities investment by foreign investors. The Negative List does not further elaborate whether existing overseas listed enterprises, like us, will be subject to such requirements. Further, pursuant to the press conference held by the NDRC on January 18, 2022, the foresaid requirements shall not be applicable to domestic enterprises that seek to offer and list securities in overseas markets indirectly. Although it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment via contractual arrangement would not be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activities in the future. In any of these cases, it will be uncertain whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market access requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws and regulations. Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangements, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all.

 

In addition, the Foreign Investment Law provides that foreign-invested enterprises established before the Foreign Investment Law came into effect may maintain their structure and corporate governance within a five-year transition period, which means that we may be required to adjust the structure and corporate governance of certain of our subsidiaries in mainland China when such transition period ends. Failure to take timely and appropriate measures to cope with any of these or similar regulatory compliance challenges could materially and adversely affect our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

 

 

We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our subsidiaries in mainland China and Hong Kong to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct the business.

 

Under our current corporate structure, our ability to pay dividends depends upon dividends paid by our Hong Kong subsidiary, which in turn depends on dividends paid by our subsidiaries in mainland China, which further depends on payments from the VIEs under the contractual arrangements. To the extent cash or assets in the business is in mainland China or Hong Kong or an entity domiciled in mainland China or Hong Kong, and may need to be used to fund operations outside of mainland China or Hong Kong, the funds and assets may not be available to fund operations or for other uses outside of mainland China or Hong Kong due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations by the government on our, our subsidiaries’ or the VIEs’ ability to transfer cash and assets.

 

Although we consolidate the results of the VIEs and their subsidiaries, we only have access to the assets or earnings of the VIEs and their subsidiaries through the contractual arrangements. If the PRC authorities determine that the contractual arrangements constituting part of the VIE structure do not comply with PRC regulations, or if current regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, our ability to settle amount owed by the VIEs under the contractual arrangements may be seriously hindered. In addition, if our existing subsidiaries in China or any newly formed ones incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing their debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends to us.

 

Our WFOEs are permitted to pay dividends to us only out of its retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Under PRC laws, each of our subsidiary, the VIEs and their subsidiaries in mainland China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds until such reserve funds reach 50% of its registered capital. In addition, after making an allocation to the statutory reserve funds from their after-tax profits, our wholly owned subsidiary in mainland China, the VIEs and their subsidiaries may allocate a portion of their after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to a discretionary surplus fund at their discretion. The statutory reserve funds and the discretionary funds are not distributable as cash dividends.

 

There are limitations on our ability to transfer cash between us, our subsidiaries and the VIEs, and there is no assurance that the PRC government will not intervene or impose restrictions on cash transfer between us, our subsidiaries and the VIEs. We may encounter difficulties in our ability to transfer cash between subsidiaries in mainland China and other subsidiaries largely due to various PRC laws and regulations imposed on foreign exchange. The majority of our income is denominated in Renminbi, and shortage in foreign currencies may restrict our ability to pay dividends or other payment to satisfy our foreign currency denominated obligations, if any. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and expenditures from trade-related transactions can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the State Administration of the Foreign Exchange in the PRC as long as certain procedural requirements are met. Approval from appropriate government authorities is required if Renminbi is converted into foreign currency and remitted out of the PRC to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may, at its discretion, impose restrictions on access to foreign currencies for current account transactions and if this occurs in the future, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders. The PRC government has implemented a series of capital control measures, including stricter vetting procedures for China-based companies to remit foreign currency for overseas acquisitions, dividend payments and shareholder loan repayments. It may continue to strengthen its capital controls and dividends and other distributions of our subsidiaries in mainland China may be subjected to tighter scrutiny and may limit the ability of our Cayman Islands holding company, to use capital from our subsidiaries in mainland China, which may restrict our ability to satisfy our liquidity requirements.

 

Our Hong Kong subsidiary may be considered a non-resident enterprise for tax purposes, so that any dividends our subsidiary in mainland China pays to our Hong Kong subsidiary may be regarded as China-sourced income and, as a result, may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10% unless a tax treaty or similar arrangement provides otherwise. If we are required under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law to pay income tax for any dividends we receive from our subsidiaries in mainland China, or if our Hong Kong subsidiary is determined by PRC government authority as receiving benefits from reduced income tax rate due to a structure or arrangement that is primarily tax-driven, it would materially and adversely affect the amount of dividends, if any, we may pay to our shareholders.

 

If the PRC tax authorities determine that our Cayman Islands holding company is a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes and unless a tax treaty or similar arrangement provides otherwise, we may be required to withhold a 10% tax from dividends we pay to our shareholders that are non-resident enterprises, including the holders of the ADSs. In addition, non-resident enterprise shareholders, including the ADS holders, may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 10% on gains realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares if such income is treated as sourced from within the PRC. Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid to our non-PRC individual shareholders, including the ADS holders, and any gain realized on the transfer of ADSs or ordinary shares by such shareholders may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 20% which in the case of dividends may be withheld at source. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the ADSs.

 

 

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

 

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could have a material adverse on us and the VIEs.

 

The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions in a civil law system may be cited as reference but have limited precedential value. Since 1979, newly introduced PRC laws and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections of interest relating to foreign investments in mainland China. However, since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to evolve rapidly, the interpretations of such laws and regulations may not always be consistent, and enforcement of these laws and regulations involves significant uncertainties, any of which could limit the available legal protections.

 

In addition, the PRC administrative and judicial authorities have significant discretion in interpreting, implementing or enforcing statutory rules and contractual terms, and it may be more difficult to predict the outcome of administrative and judicial proceedings and the level of legal protection we and the VIEs may enjoy in the PRC than under some more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. These uncertainties may affect our decisions on the policies and actions to be taken to comply with PRC laws and regulations, and may affect our and the VIEs’ ability to enforce our and their contractual or tort rights, respectively. In addition, the regulatory uncertainties may be exploited through unmerited legal actions or threats in an attempt to extract payments or benefits from us or the VIEs. Such uncertainties may therefore increase our and the VIEs’ operating expenses and costs, and materially and adversely affect our and the VIEs’ business and results of operations.

 

The PRC government may exert, at any time, substantial intervention and influence over the manner of our operations, and the rules and regulations to which we are subject, including the ways they are enforced, may change rapidly and with little advance notice to us or our shareholders. Any such actions by the Chinese government, including any decision to intervene or influence the operations of our subsidiaries in mainland China or the VIEs or to exert control over any offering of securities conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, may cause us to make material changes to the operations of our subsidiaries in mainland China or the VIEs, may limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, and may cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.

 

The ability of our subsidiaries and the VIEs to operate in mainland China may be impaired by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to value-added telecommunications service industry, taxation, foreign investment limitations, and other matters.

 

The PRC government may exert, at any time, substantial intervention and influence over the manner of our operations, and the rules and regulations to which we are subject, including the ways they are enforced, may change rapidly and with little advance notice to us or our shareholders. Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, and adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews and new laws and regulations relating to data security. The PRC government may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our subsidiaries in mainland China and the VIEs’ compliance with such regulations or interpretations. As such, our subsidiaries in mainland China and the VIEs may be subject to various government actions and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. They could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. They may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply.

 

Furthermore, it is uncertain when and whether we will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to maintain our listing status on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be later denied or rescinded. On December 24, 2021, the CSRC issued the Provisions of the State Council on the Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (Draft for Comments) and the Administrative Measures for the Filing of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (Draft for Comments) (collectively, the “Draft Overseas Listing Regulations”), which propose to require companies in mainland China and their overseas special purpose vehicles that seek to offer and list in overseas markets to file with the CSRC and meet compliance rules for their listing. As advised by our PRC counsel, under existing applicable PRC laws, regulations and regulatory rules, our company, our WFOEs, the VIEs and their subsidiaries, are not required to obtain permission from the CSRC in connection with any such offering. In addition, none of them has received any notice of denial of permission to list on a U.S. exchange from any Chinese authorities. However, we cannot assure you that the relevant PRC government agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion as our PRC counsel does. If the CSRC or any other PRC regulatory body subsequently determines that we need to file with the CSRC or obtain the CSRC’s approval to maintain our listing status on U.S. exchanges or for the offering of securities by us under this prospectus or if the CSRC or any other PRC government authorities promulgates any interpretation or implements rules that would require us to file with or obtain approvals of the CSRC or other governmental bodies for any such listing status or offering, we may face adverse actions that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, as well as the trading price of the ADSs.

 

 

Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision to intervene or influence the operations of our subsidiaries in mainland China or the VIEs at any time, or to exert control over an offering of securities conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, may cause us to make material changes to the operations of our subsidiaries in mainland China or the VIEs, may limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, and/or may cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. We or the VIEs have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions regarding our corporate structure, contractual arrangements, the VIEs’ operations and the offering that we may make under this prospectus from the CSRC, CAC or any other PRC government authorities.

 

The approval of and the filing with the CSRC or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with an offshore offering under PRC law, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or for how long we will be able to obtain such approval or complete such filing.

 

The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors (the “M&A Rules”), adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, include, among other things, provisions that purport to require that an offshore special purpose vehicle, formed for the purpose of an overseas listing of securities through acquisitions of domestic enterprises in mainland China or assets and controlled by enterprises or individuals in mainland China, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, pursuant to the M&A Rules and other PRC laws, the CSRC published on its official website relevant guidance regarding its approval of the listing and trading of special purpose vehicles’ securities on overseas stock exchanges, including a list of application materials. However, substantial uncertainty remains regarding the scope and applicability of the M&A Rules to offshore special purpose vehicles. We completed our initial public offering on November 23, 2018. If the CSRC approval is required for any of the subsequent offshore offering or to maintain our offshore listing status on U.S. exchanges, it is uncertain whether we can or how long it will take us to obtain the approval and, even if we obtain such CSRC approval, the approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or delay in obtaining the CSRC approval for any of our offshore offerings, or a rescission of such approval if obtained, may subject us to sanctions imposed by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

On July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC government authorities issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in accordance with the Law. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies. These opinions and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. As these opinions were recently issued, official guidance to act upon and the interpretation thereof remain unclear at this time. We cannot assure that we will remain fully compliant with all new regulatory requirements of these opinions or any future implementation rules on a timely basis, or at all. On December 24, 2021, the CSRC issued the Draft Overseas Listing Regulations, which propose to establish a new filing-based regime to regulate overseas offerings and listings by domestic companies. Specifically, an overseas offering and listing by a company in mainland China, whether directly or indirectly, an initial or follow-on offering, must be filed with the CSRC. The examination and determination of an indirect offering and listing will be conducted on a substance-over-form basis, and an offering and listing shall be deemed as an indirect overseas offering and listing of a company in mainland China if the issuer meets the following conditions: (1) any of the operating income, gross profit, total assets, or net assets of the enterprise in mainland China in the most recent fiscal year was more than 50% of the relevant line item in the issuer’s audited consolidated financial statement for that year; and (2) senior management personnel responsible for business operations and management are mostly citizens of mainland China or have domicile in mainland China, and the principal place of business is in mainland China or main business activities are carried out in mainland China. The issuer or its affiliated entity in mainland China, as the case may be, shall file with the CSRC for its initial public offering, follow-on offering and other equivalent offering activities. Particularly, the issuer shall submit the filing with respect to its initial public offering and listing within three business days after its initial filing of the listing application, and submit the filing with respect to its follow-on offering within three business days after the completion of the follow-on offering. Failure to comply with the filing requirements may result in fines to the relevant companies in mainland China, suspension of their businesses, revocation of their business licenses and operation permits and fines on the controlling shareholder and other responsible persons. The Draft Overseas Listing Regulations also set forth certain regulatory red lines for overseas offerings and listings by enterprises in mainland China.

 

 

There are substantial uncertainties as to whether these draft measures to regulate direct or indirect overseas offering and listing would be further amended or updated, their enactment timetable and final content. In a Q&A released on CSRC’s official website on December 24, 2021, the respondent CSRC official indicated that the proposed new filing requirement will start with new issuers and listed companies seeking follow-on financing and other financing activities. As for the filings for other listed companies, the regulator will grant adequate transition period and apply separate arrangements. The Q&A also pointed out that, if compliant with relevant PRC laws and regulations, companies with compliant VIE structure may seek overseas listing after completion of the CSRC filings. Nevertheless, the Q&A did not specify what would qualify as a “compliant VIE structure” and what relevant PRC laws and regulations are required to be complied with. As advised by our PRC counsel, under existing applicable PRC laws, regulations and regulatory rules, our company, our WFOEs, the VIEs and their subsidiaries, are not required to obtain permission from the CSRC in connection with any such offering. In addition, none of them has received any notice of denial of permission to list on a U.S. exchange from any Chinese authorities. However, we cannot assure you that the relevant PRC government agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion as our PRC counsel does. Given the substantial uncertainties surrounding the latest CSRC filing requirements at this stage, we cannot assure you that, if ever required, we would be able to complete the filings and fully comply with the relevant new rules on a timely basis, or at all.

 

On December 27, 2021, the NDRC and MOFCOM jointly issued the Negative List (2021 Version), which became effective on January 1, 2022. Pursuant to the Negative List (2021 Version), if a company in mainland China engaging in the prohibited business stipulated in the Negative List (2021 Version) seeks an overseas offering and listing, it shall obtain the approval from the competent governmental authorities. The foreign investors of the issuer shall not be involved in the company’s operation and management, and their shareholding percentages shall be subject, mutatis mutandis, to the relevant regulations on the domestic securities investments by foreign investors. As the 2021 Negative List is relatively new, there remain substantial uncertainties as to the interpretation and implementation of these new requirements, and it is unclear as to whether and to what extent listed companies like us will be subject to these new requirements. If we are required to comply with these requirements and fail to do so on a timely basis, if at all, our business operation, financial condition and business prospect may be adversely and materially affected.

 

On April 2, 2022, the CSRC published the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Related to the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (Draft for Comments) (the “Draft Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration”), which was open for public comments until April 17, 2022. The Draft Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration requires that, in the process of overseas issuance and listing of securities by domestic entities, the domestic entities, and securities companies and securities service institutions that provide relevant securities service shall strictly implement the provisions of relevant laws and regulations and the requirements of these provisions, establish and improve rules on confidentiality and archives administration. Where the domestic entities provide with or publicly disclose documents, materials or other items related to the state secrets and government work secrets to the relevant securities companies, securities service institutions, overseas regulatory authorities, or other entities or individuals, the companies shall apply for approval of competent departments with the authority of examination and approval in accordance with law and report the matter to the secrecy administrative departments at the same level for record filing. Where there is unclear or controversial whether or not the concerned materials are related to state secrets, the materials shall be reported to the relevant secrecy administrative departments for determination. However, the Draft Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration have not yet been settled or become effective, and there remain uncertainties regarding the further interpretation and implementation of the Draft Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration.

 

 

In addition, we cannot assure you that any new rules or regulations promulgated in the future will not impose additional requirements on us. If it is determined in the future that approval and filing from the CSRC or other regulatory authorities or other procedures, including the cybersecurity review under the Measures for Cybersecurity Review and the annual data security review under the Administrative Measures for Internet Data Security (Draft for Comments), are required for our offshore offerings, it is uncertain whether we can or how long it will take us to obtain such approval or complete such filing procedures and any such approval or filing could be rescinded or rejected. For details, see “— Failure to comply with governmental regulations and other legal obligations concerning data protection and cybersecurity may materially and adversely affect our business.” As of the date of this prospectus, we have not received any inquiry or notice or any objection to this offering from the CSRC, the CAC or any other PRC governmental authorities that have jurisdiction over our operations. However, given the current regulatory environment in mainland China, there remains uncertainty regarding the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws, which can change quickly with little notice in advance and subject to any future actions within the discretion of PRC authorities. Any failure to obtain or delay in obtaining such approval or completing such filing procedures for our offshore offerings, or a rescission of any such approval or filing if obtained by us, may subject us to sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects, as well as the trading price of our listed securities. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities also may take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt our offshore offerings before settlement and delivery of the shares offered. Consequently, if investors engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to settlement and delivery, they do so at the risk that settlement and delivery may not occur. In addition, if the CSRC or other regulatory authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals or accomplish the required filing or other regulatory procedures for our prior offshore offerings, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties or negative publicity regarding such approval requirement could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, reputation, and the trading price of our listed securities.

 

Failure to comply with governmental regulations and other legal obligations concerning data protection and cybersecurity may materially and adversely affect our business.

 

We and the VIEs are subject to PRC laws and regulations governing the collecting, storing, sharing, using, processing, disclosure and protection of data on the internet and mobile platforms as well as cybersecurity. The PRC regulators, including the MIIT and the CAC, have been increasingly focused on regulation in the areas of cybersecurity and data protection and governmental authorities have enacted a series of laws and regulations to enhance the protection of privacy and data, which require certain authorization or consent from users prior to collection, use or disclosure of their personal data and also protection of the security of the personal data of such users. The MIIT issued the Order for the Protection of Telecommunications and Internet User Personal Information on July 16, 2013, requiring internet service providers to establish and publish protocols relating to the collection or use of personal information, keep any collected information strictly confidential and take technological and other measures to maintain the security of such information. Institutions and their employees are prohibited from selling or otherwise illegally disclosing a person’s personal information obtained during the course of performing duties or providing services. Pursuant to the PRC Cybersecurity Law, effective on June 1, 2017, network operators are required to fulfill certain obligations to safeguard cyber security and enhance network information management. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Regulations — Regulations relating to internet information security and privacy protection” of the 2023 Form 20-F.

 

Moreover, existing PRC privacy, cybersecurity and data protection-related laws and regulations are evolving and subject to potentially differing interpretations, and various legislative and regulatory bodies may expand current or enact new laws and regulations regarding privacy, cybersecurity and data protection-related matters. These developments could adversely affect our and the VIEs’ business, operating results and financial condition. Any failure or perceived failure by us or the VIEs to comply with new or existing PRC privacy, cybersecurity or data protection laws, regulations, policies, industry standards or legal obligations, or any systems failure or security incident that results in the unauthorized access to, or acquisition, release or transfer of, personally identifiable information or other data relating to customers or individuals may result in governmental investigations, inquiries, enforcement actions and prosecutions, private claims and litigation, fines and penalties, adverse publicity or potential loss of business. For example, on June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (the “Standing Committee of the NPC”), promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The PRC Data Security Law provides for data security obligations on entities and individuals carrying out data activities. The PRC Data Security Law also introduces a national security review procedure for those data activities which may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data information. Furthermore, along with the promulgation of the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in accordance with the Law, overseas-listed China-based companies are experiencing a heightened scrutiny over their compliance with laws and regulations regarding data security, cross-border data flow and management of confidential information from PRC regulatory authorities.

 

 

On August 20, 2021, the Standing Committee of the NPC issued the Personal Information Protection Law, which has been effective from November 1, 2021 and reiterates the circumstances under which a personal information processor could process personal information and the requirements for such circumstances. The Personal Information Protection Law clarifies the scope of application, the definition of personal information and sensitive personal information, the legal basis of personal information processing and the basic requirements of notice and consent.

 

On October 29, 2021, the CAC publicly solicited opinions on the Measures for the Security Assessment of Data Cross-border Transfer (Draft for Comments), which requires that any data processor who provides to an overseas recipient important data collected and generated during operations within the territory of the PRC or personal information that should be subject to security assessment shall conduct security assessment. The Measures for the Security Assessment of Data Cross-border Transfer was adopted on July 7, 2022 and will take effect on September 1, 2022.

 

On November 14, 2021, the CAC publicly solicited opinions on the Administrative Measures for Internet Data Security (Draft for Comments) (the “Draft Measures for Internet Data Security”), which requires that data processors processing “important data” or listed overseas shall conduct an annual data security assessment by itself or commission a data security service provider to do so and submit the assessment report for the preceding year to the municipal cybersecurity department by the end of January each year. As of the date of this prospectus, the Draft Measures for Internet Data Security has not been formally adopted. However, if the Draft Measures for Internet Data Security were to be enacted in the current form, we, as an overseas listed company, will be required to conduct an annual data security review and comply with the relevant reporting obligations. Furthermore, according to the Draft Measures for Internet Data Security, data processors shall, in accordance with relevant state provisions, apply for cyber security review when carrying out the following activities: (1) the merger, reorganization or separation of internet platform operators that have acquired a large number of data resources related to national security, economic development or public interests, which affects or may affect national security, (2) data processors that handle the personal information of more than one million people intends to be listed abroad, (3) the data processor intends to be listed in Hong Kong, which affects or may affect national security, and (4) other data processing activities that affect or may affect national security. It remains uncertain whether the requirement of cybersecurity review applies to follow-on offerings by an overseas-listed online platform operator that possesses personal data of more than one million users. We completed our initial public offering on November 23, 2018, and the ADSs have been listed on Nasdaq Capital Market since November 2018. Considering the substantial uncertainties existing with respect to the enactment timetable, final content, interpretation and implementation of the Draft Measures for Internet Data Security, in particular with respect to the explanation or interpretation for “affects or may affect national security,” there remain uncertainties as to whether our data processing activities may be deemed to affect national security, thus subjecting us to a cybersecurity review. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not received any formal notice from any cybersecurity regulator that we shall be subject to a cybersecurity review.

 

 

On December 28, 2021, the CAC and 12 other government authorities published the Measures for Cybersecurity Review, which took effect on February 15, 2022. The Measures for Cybersecurity Review provides that certain operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing internet products and services or network platform operators carrying out data processing activities, which affect or may affect national security, must apply with the Cybersecurity Review Office for a cybersecurity review. On July 30, 2021, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, which became effective on September 1, 2021. Pursuant to the Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, critical information infrastructure shall mean any important network facilities or information systems of an important industry or field, such as public communication and information service, energy, communications, water conservation, finance, public services, e-government affairs and national defense science, and any other important network facilities or information system which may endanger national security, people’s livelihoods and public interest in the event of damage, function loss or data leakage. In addition, relevant administrative departments of each critical industry and sector, shall be responsible to formulate eligibility criteria and determine the critical information infrastructure operator in the respective industry or sector. The operators shall be informed about the final determination as to whether they are categorized as critical information infrastructure operators. As of the date of this prospectus, the exact scope of “critical information infrastructure operators” under the current regulatory regime remains unclear, and we have not been informed that we are identified as a critical information infrastructure operator by any governmental authorities. Furthermore, since the Measures for Cybersecurity Review is relatively new and the determination of “affecting national security” are subject to further explanations and interpretations, there remain uncertainties as to whether our data processing activities may be deemed to affect national security and whether we would be required to apply for a cybersecurity review. In light of such uncertainties in relation to the interpretations and implementation of Measures for Cybersecurity Review, we cannot predict the impact of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review and will continue to closely monitor and assess the statutory developments in this regard. If we are identified as an operator of “critical information infrastructure,” we would be required to fulfill various obligations as required under PRC cybersecurity laws and other applicable laws for such operators of “critical information infrastructure,” and we may be subject to cybersecurity review procedure before making certain purchases of network products and services, which could lead to adverse impacts on our business and a diversion of time and attention of our management and our other resources. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that we will obtain the clearance or approval for these applications from the Cybersecurity Review Office and the relevant regulatory authorities in a timely manner, or at all. If we are found to be in violation of cybersecurity requirements of the PRC, the relevant governmental authorities may conduct investigations, levy fines, or require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business. Any of these actions may disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Currently, the cybersecurity laws and regulations in force have not directly affected our business and operations, but in anticipation of the strengthened implementation of cybersecurity laws and regulations and the expansion of our business, we face potential risks if we are deemed as a CIIO under the Cybersecurity Law. In such case, we must fulfill certain obligations as required under the Cybersecurity Law and other applicable laws, including, among others, storing personal information and important data collected and produced within the PRC territory during our operations in mainland China, which we are already doing in our business, and we may be subject to review when purchasing internet products and services. As the Measures for Cybersecurity Review took effect in February 2022, we may be subject to review when conducting data processing activities, and may face challenges in addressing its requirements and make necessary changes to our internal policies and practices in data processing. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not been involved in any investigations on cybersecurity review made by the CAC on such basis, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions in such respect. Based on the foregoing, we and our PRC legal counsel do not expect that, as of the date of this prospectus, the applicable PRC laws on cybersecurity currently in effect would have a material adverse impact on our business.

 

Complying with these obligations concerning data protection and cybersecurity could cause us to incur substantial costs. As the interpretation and application of cybersecurity laws, regulations and standards of the PRC are still uncertain and evolving, we may be required to make further adjustments to our and the VIEs’ business practices to comply with the enacted form of the laws, which may increase our compliance cost and adversely affect our business performance. We expect that there will continue to be new proposed laws, rules of self-regulatory bodies, regulations and industry standards concerning privacy, data protection and information security in the PRC, and we cannot yet determine the impact such future laws, rules, regulations and standards may have on our business.

 

 

Moreover, we may not disclose any personal data or information, unless required by the competent PRC authorities through certain procedures required by the laws, for the purpose of, among others, safeguarding the national security, investigating crimes, investigating infringement of information network communications rights, or cooperating with the supervision and inspection of telecommunications regulatory authorities. Failure to comply with these requirements could subject us to fines and penalties.

 

Trading in our securities on any U.S. stock exchange and the U.S. over the counter market may be prohibited under the HFCA Act or the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the SEC subsequently determines our audit work is performed by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely, and as a result, U.S. national securities exchanges, such as the Nasdaq, may determine to delist our securities, and our securities may be prohibited from being traded over the counter.

 

The HFCA Act was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCA Act states if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit our shares or ADSs from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the United States.

 

On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCA Act. A company will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCA Act, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if enacted, would amend the HFCA Act and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCA Act, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCA Act, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong.

 

Our current auditor, Audit Alliance LLP (“Audit Alliance”), the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included in the 2023 Form 20-F, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Audit Alliance is headquartered in Singapore, and, as of the date of this prospectus, was not included in the list of PCAOB Identified Firms in the PCAOB Determination Report issued in December 2021. Our ability to retain an auditor subject to PCAOB inspection and investigation, including but not limited to inspection of the audit working papers related to us, may depend on the relevant positions of U.S. and Chinese regulators. Audit Alliance’s audit working papers are kept in singapore.

 

 

Whether the PCAOB will be able to conduct inspections of our auditor, including but not limited to inspection of the audit working papers related to us, in the future is subject to substantial uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our, and our auditor’s, control. If our shares and ADSs are prohibited from trading in the United States, there is no certainty that we will be able to list on a non-U.S. exchange or that a market for our shares will develop outside of the United States. Such a prohibition would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our ADSs when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with delisting would have a negative impact on the price of our ADSs. Also, such a prohibition would significantly affect our ability to raise capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and prospects. 

 

There are difficulties in bringing actions and enforcing foreign judgments in China against us, our management or our assets.

 

We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, but most of our, our subsidiaries’ and the VIEs’ operations are conducted in mainland China and most of our, our subsidiaries’ and the VIEs’ assets are located in mainland China. In addition, most of our directors and officers are nationals and/or residents of the PRC, and all or a substantial portion of their assets are located in mainland China. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe we have violated your rights or have a claim against us, either under United States federal or state securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may not allow you to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

 

It may also be difficult for our shareholders to effect service of process upon us or those persons in mainland China. As advised by our PRC legal counsel, China currently does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of court judgments with the Cayman Islands, United States and many other countries and regions. Therefore, with respect to matters that are not subject to a binding arbitration provision, it may be difficult or impossible to recognize and enforce judgments of any of those non-PRC jurisdictions in a China court.

 

Our Hong Kong subsidiary could become subject to more influence and/or control of the PRC government if the Hong Kong legal system becomes more integrated into the PRC legal system.

 

Hong Kong is currently a separate jurisdiction from mainland China. The national laws and regulations of the PRC, including but not limited to the Measures for Cybersecurity Review and other PRC regulations, are not applicable in Hong Kong, except for those listed in the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC (the “Basic Law”). However, such list of national laws and regulations that are applicable in Hong Kong can be expanded by amendment to the Basic Law. There is no assurance that (1) the Basic Law will not be further amended to appl more PRC laws and regulations in Hong Kong, or (2) the PRC and/or Hong Kong government will not take other actions to promote the integration of Hong Kong legal system into the PRC legal system. Our Hong Kong subsidiary could be subject to more influence and/or control of the PRC government or even direct oversight or intervention thereof if the Hong Kong legal system becomes more integrated into the PRC legal system. We cannot assure you that our Hong Kong subsidiary will not be exposed to the similar regulatory and/or policy risks and uncertainties faced by our subsidiaries in mainland China in the future. 

 

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities we offer as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement(s).

 

  

DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES

 

We may issue, offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings, the following securities:

 

	●	Class A ordinary shares, including Class A ordinary shares represented by ADSs;
	●	preferred shares;
	●	debt securities;
	●	warrants; and
	●	units.

 

The following is a description of the terms and provisions of our Class A ordinary shares, the ADSs, preferred shares, debt securities, warrants and units, which we may offer and sell using this prospectus. These summaries are not meant to be a complete description of each security. We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement a description of the preferred shares, debt securities, warrants, and units, in certain cases, the Class A ordinary shares (including Class A ordinary shares represented by ADSs) that may be offered under this prospectus. The terms of the offering of securities, the offering price and the net proceeds to us, as applicable, will be contained in the prospectus supplement and other offering material relating to such offering. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement will contain the material terms and conditions for each security. You should carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement before you invest in any of our securities.

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL

 

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability and our affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time and the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, which is referred to as the Companies Act below, and the common law of the Cayman Islands.

 

Our sixth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (“M&A”) provides for two classes of shares, which became effective immediately following our IPO, the Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. On August 15, 2024, the Company’s shareholders adopted an ordinary resolution to increase the Company’s authorized share capital to US$50,000,000 divided into 10,000,000,000 shares with a par value of US$0.005 each, comprised of (1) 9,000,000,000 Class A ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.005 each, and (2) 1,000,000,000 Class B ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.005 each.

 

As of the date of this prospectus, we have 430,752,474 Class A ordinary shares and 24,481,451 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding.

 

Ordinary Shares

 

Each outstanding Class A Ordinary Share entitles the holder thereof to one vote per share on all matters. Each outstanding Class B Ordinary Share entitles the holder thereof to ten (10) votes per share on all matters. Holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares shall, at all times, vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote for shareholders’ consent. Our M&A provides that elections for directors shall be by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders, which requires a simple majority of votes cast at a general meeting of our shareholders, or a written resolution approved in writing by two-thirds of our shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting. Shareholders do not have preemptive rights to purchase shares in any future issuance of our ordinary shares. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, and after payment of creditors and preferred shareholders, if any, our assets available for distribution will be distributed amongst our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up, subject to a deduction from those shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to our company for unpaid calls or otherwise.

 

The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to dividends out of funds legally available when and as declared by our board of directors (the “Board”). The Board has never declared a dividend and does not anticipate declaring a dividend in the foreseeable future. Should we decide in the future to pay dividends, as a holding company, our ability to do so and meet other obligations depends upon the receipt of dividends or other payments from our operating subsidiaries and other holdings and investments. In addition, our operating subsidiaries, from time to time, may be subject to restrictions on their ability to make distributions to us, including as a result of restrictive covenants in loan agreements, restrictions on the conversion of local currency into U.S. dollars or other hard currency and other regulatory restrictions.

 

General. All of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Our Ordinary Shares are issued in registered form, and are issued when registered in our register of members. Our shareholders who are nonresidents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their shares. Under our M&A, we may issue only non-negotiable shares and may not issue bearer or negotiable shares.

 

Dividends. The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Under Cayman Islands law, dividends may be declared and paid only out of funds legally available therefor, namely out of either profit or our share premium account, provided that a dividend may not be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business.

 

Classes of Ordinary Shares. Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Except for conversion rights and voting rights, the Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares carry equal rights and rank pari passu with one another, including but not limited to the rights to dividends and other capital distributions.

 

 

Each Class B Ordinary Share is convertible into one Class A Ordinary Share at any time by the holder thereof. In addition, (i) each Class B ordinary shares shall automatically and immediately be converted into one Class A Ordinary Share if at any time the total number of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares in aggregate is less than 5% of the total number of Class B ordinary shares of our company issued and outstanding immediately following the Company’s initial public offering, and (ii) upon any sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of any Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity which is not an Affiliate (as defined in our M&A) of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares shall be automatically and immediately converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances.

 

Voting Rights. Holders of our ordinary shares vote as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, except as may otherwise be required by law. In respect of matters requiring shareholders’ vote, each Class A Ordinary Share is entitled to one vote and each Class B Ordinary Share is entitled to ten (10) votes. At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided by poll.

 

An ordinary resolution to be passed by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by those shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy at a general meeting (or if passed as a resolution in writing, the approval of two-thirds of our shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting of our company), while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the votes cast by those shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy at a general meeting (or if passed as a written resolution, the approval of all of our shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting of our company). A special resolution is required for important matters such as a change of name or any amendment to our M&A. Holders of our ordinary shares may effect certain changes by ordinary resolution, including increasing the amount of our authorized share capital, consolidating all or any of our share capital into shares of larger amount than our existing shares, sub-dividing our shares or any of them into shares of an amount smaller than that fixed by our M&A, and cancelling any unissued shares.

 

General Meetings of Shareholders and Shareholder Proposals. As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obliged by the Companies Act to call shareholders’ annual general meetings. Our M&A provides that we may, but are not obliged to, in each year hold a general meeting as our annual general meeting in which case we shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it, and the annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as may be determined by our directors.

 

Shareholders’ annual general meetings and any other general meetings of our shareholders may be convened by our board of directors. Advance notice of at least ten (10) calendar days is required for the convening of our annual general shareholders’ meeting and any other general meeting of our shareholders. A quorum required for a general meeting of shareholders consists of one or more shareholders present in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorized representative, who hold shares which represent, in aggregate, not less than one-third of the votes attaching to all issued and outstanding shares of our company entitled to vote at general meetings.

 

Cayman Islands law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our M&A allows any of our shareholders holding in aggregate not less than two-thirds of the aggregate number of votes attaching to all issued and outstanding shares of our company entitled to vote at general meetings, to requisition an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders, in which case our directors are obliged to call such meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting; however, our M&A does not provide our shareholders with any right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders.

 

Transfer of Shares. Subject to the restrictions of our M&A set out below, as applicable, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her Ordinary Shares by an instrument of transfer in writing and in such usual or common form or such other form approved by our board of directors.

 

 

Our board of directors may, in its absolute discretion, and without assigning any reason, refuse to register any transfer of any ordinary share which is not fully paid up or upon which our company has a lien. Our directors may also decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share unless (a) the instrument of transfer is lodged with us, accompanied by the certificate for the ordinary shares to which it relates and such other evidence as our board of directors 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 ordinary share is to be transferred does not exceed four; or (e) a fee of such maximum sum as the NYSE may determine to be payable, or such lesser sum as our board of directors may from time to time require, is paid to us in respect thereof.

 

If our directors refuse to register a transfer they shall, within two months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal. The registration of transfers may, on fourteen (14) days’ notice being given by advertisement in an appointed newspaper or any other newspapers or by any other means in accordance with the requirements of the NYSE to that effect, be suspended at such times and for such periods (not exceeding in the whole thirty (30) calendar days in any year) as our directors may determine.

 

Liquidation. On a winding up of our company, if the assets available for distribution among our shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed among our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up, subject to a deduction from those shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to our company for unpaid calls or otherwise. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay all of the paid-up capital, the assets will be distributed so that the losses are borne by our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them.

 

Calls on Shares and Forfeiture of Shares. Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 days prior to the specified time and place of payment. The shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid on the specified time are subject to forfeiture.

 

Redemption, Purchase and Surrender of Shares. We may issue shares on terms that such shares are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders, on such terms and in such manner as our board of directors, before the issue of such shares, or our shareholders by special resolution may determine. We may also repurchase any of our shares provided that the manner and terms of such purchase have been approved by our board of directors or by ordinary resolution of our shareholders, or are otherwise authorized by our memorandum and articles of association. Under the Companies Act, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our company’s profits or out of the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) if the company can, immediately following such payment, pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, under the Companies Act no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (a) unless it is fully paid up, (b) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding, or (c) if the company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration.

 

Variations of Rights of Shares. If at any time, our share capital is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any class of shares may be varied or abrogated either with the written consent of the holders of two-thirds of the issued shares of that class, or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of shares of that class. The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights will not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with such existing class of shares.

 

Inspection of Books and Records. Holders of our ordinary shares have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records (other than our memorandum and articles of association, any special resolutions of our shareholders, and our register of mortgages and charges). However, at the discretion of our board of directors, we intend to provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements.

 

 

Changes in Capital. Our shareholders may from time to time by ordinary resolution:

 

●

increase our share capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such classes and amount, as the resolution shall prescribe;

 

●

consolidate and divide all or any of our share capital into shares of a larger amount than our existing shares;

 

●

sub-divide our existing shares, or any of them into shares of a smaller amount than that fixed by our memorandum; and

 

●

cancel any shares that, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of our share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled.

 

Our shareholders may, by special resolution and subject to confirmation by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands on an application by our company for an order confirming such reduction, reduce our share capital and any capital redemption reserve in any manner authorized by law.

 

Issuance of Additional Shares. Our M&A authorizes our board of directors to issue additional Ordinary Shares from time to time as our board of directors shall determine, to the extent there are available authorized but unissued shares.

 

Our M&A authorizes our board of directors to establish from time to time one or more series of convertible redeemable preferred shares and to determine, with respect to any series of convertible redeemable preferred shares, the terms and rights of that series, including:

 

●

designation of the series;

 

●

the number of shares of the series;

 

●

the dividend rights, conversion rights and voting rights; and

 

●

the rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences.

 

The issuance of convertible redeemable preferred shares may be used as an anti-takeover device without further action on the part of the shareholders. Issuance of these shares may dilute the voting power of holders of ordinary shares.

 

Anti-Takeover Provisions. Some provisions of M&A may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that:

 

●

authorize our board of directors to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preferred shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders; and

 

●

limit the ability of shareholders to requisition and convene general meetings of shareholders.

 

However, under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our M&A for a proper purpose and for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company.

 

 

Exempted Company. We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Act. The Companies Act distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except that an exempted company:

 

●

does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies;

 

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is not required to open its register of members for inspection;

 

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does not have to hold an annual general meeting;

 

●

may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 30 years in the first instance);

 

●

may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands;

 

●

may register as a limited duration company; and

 

●

may register as a segregated portfolio company.

 

Preferred Shares 

 

The Board is empowered to allot, issue, and dispose of shares (including, without limitation, preferred shares) (whether in certificated form or non-certificated form), to such persons, in such manner, on such terms and having such rights and being subject to such restrictions as they may from time to time determine. The Board may, without the approval of the shareholders, create and designate out of the unissued shares of the Company (including unissued Class A ordinary shares) one or more classes or series of preferred shares, comprising such number of preferred shares, and having such designations, powers, preferences, privileges and other rights, including dividend rights, voting rights, conversion rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, as the Board may determine in their sole and absolute discretion.

 

You should refer to the prospectus relating to any series of preferred shares being offered for the specific terms of that series, including:

 

●

title of the series and the number of shares in the series;

 

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the price at which the preferred shares will be offered;

 

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the dividend rate or rates or method of calculating the rates, the dates on which the dividends will be payable, whether or not dividends will be cumulative or noncumulative and, if cumulative, the dates from which dividends on the preferred shares being offered will cumulate;

 

●

the voting rights, if any, of the holders of preferred shares being offered;

 

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the provisions for a sinking fund, if any, and the provisions for redemption, if applicable, of the preferred shares being offered, including any restrictions on the foregoing as a result of arrearage in the payment of dividends or sinking fund installments;

 

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the liquidation preference per share;

 

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the terms and conditions, if applicable, upon which the preferred shares being offered will be convertible into our ordinary shares, including the conversion price, or the manner of calculating the conversion price, and the conversion period;

 

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the terms and conditions, if applicable, upon which the preferred shares being offered will be exchangeable for debt securities, including the exchange price, or the manner of calculating the exchange price, and the exchange period;

 

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any listing of the preferred shares being offered on any securities exchange;

 

●

a discussion of any material federal income tax considerations applicable to the preferred shares being offered;

 

●

any preemptive rights;

 

●

the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred shares being offered as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or the winding up of our affairs;

 

●

any limitations on the issuance of any class or series of preferred shares ranking senior or equal to the series of preferred shares being offered as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or the winding up of our affairs; and

 

●

any additional rights, preferences, qualifications, limitations and restrictions of the series.

 

 

Upon issuance, the preferred shares will be fully paid and nonassessable, which means that its holders will have paid their purchase price in full and we may not require them to pay additional funds.

 

Any preferred share terms selected by the Board could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of our ordinary shares or adversely affect the rights and power, including voting rights, of the holders of our ordinary shares without any further vote or action by the shareholders. The rights of holders of our ordinary shares will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of any preferred shares that may be issued by us in the future. The issuance of preferred shares could also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult.

 

Differences in Corporate Law

 

The Companies Act of the Cayman Islands is derived, to a large extent, from the older Companies Acts of England but does not follow recent English statutory enactments and, accordingly, there are significant differences between the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands and the current Companies Act of England. In addition, the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands differs from laws applicable to U.S. corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of certain significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.

 

Mergers and Similar Arrangements

 

The Companies Act permits mergers and consolidations between Cayman Islands companies and between Cayman Islands companies and non-Cayman Islands companies. For these purposes, (i) “merger” means the merging of two or more constituent companies and the vesting of their undertaking, property and liabilities in one of such companies as the surviving company, and (ii) a “consolidation” means the combination of two or more constituent companies into a consolidated company and the vesting of the undertaking, property and liabilities of such companies to the consolidated company. In order to effect such a merger or consolidation, the directors of each constituent company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation, which must then be authorized by (a) a special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company, and (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. The written plan of merger or consolidation must be filed with the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands together with a declaration as to the solvency of the surviving or consolidated company, a declaration as to the assets and liabilities of each constituent company and an undertaking that a copy of the certificate of merger or consolidation will be given to the members and creditors of each constituent company and that notification of the merger or consolidation will be published in the Cayman Islands Gazette. Court approval is not required for a merger or consolidation that is effected in compliance with these statutory procedures.

 

A merger between a Cayman parent company and its Cayman subsidiary or subsidiaries does not require authorization by a resolution of shareholders of that Cayman subsidiary if a copy of the plan of merger is given to every member of that Cayman subsidiary to be merged unless that member agrees otherwise. For this purpose a company is a “parent” of a subsidiary if it holds issued shares that together represent at least 90.0% of the votes at a general meeting of the subsidiary.

 

The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest over a constituent company is required unless this requirement is waived by a court in the Cayman Islands.

 

 

Save in certain limited circumstances, a shareholder of a Cayman constituent company who dissents from the merger or consolidation is entitled to payment of the fair value of his shares (which, if not agreed between the parties, will be determined by the Cayman Islands court) upon dissenting to the merger or consolidation; provided that the dissenting shareholder complies strictly with the procedures set out in the Companies Act. The exercise of dissenter rights will preclude the exercise by the dissenting shareholder of any other rights to which he or she might otherwise be entitled by virtue of holding shares, save for the right to seek relief on the grounds that the merger or consolidation is void or unlawful.

 

Separate from the statutory provisions relating to mergers and consolidations, the Companies Act also contains statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies by way of schemes of arrangement; provided that the arrangement is approved by (a) 75% in value of the shareholders or class of shareholders, or (b) a majority in number representing 75% in value of the creditors or class of creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meetings, convened for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder has the right to express to the court the view that the transaction ought not to be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it determines that:

 

●

the statutory provisions as to the required majority vote have been met;

 

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the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question and the statutory majority are acting bona fide without coercion of the minority to promote interests adverse to those of the class;

 

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the arrangement is such that may be reasonably approved by an intelligent and honest man of that class acting in respect of his interest; and

 

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the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Act.

 

The Companies Act also contains a statutory power of compulsory acquisition, which may facilitate the “squeeze out” of dissentient minority shareholders upon a tender offer. When a tender offer is made and accepted by holders of 90.0% of the shares affected within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period commencing on the expiration of such four-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares to the offeror on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands but this is unlikely to succeed in the case of an offer that has been so approved unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith or collusion.

 

If an arrangement and reconstruction by way of scheme of arrangement is thus approved and sanctioned, or if a tender offer is made and accepted, in accordance with the foregoing statutory procedures, a dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of Delaware corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.

 

Shareholders’ Suits

 

In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff to sue for a wrong done to us as a company, and as a general rule a derivative action may not be brought by a minority shareholder. However, based on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands court can be expected to follow and apply the common law principles (namely the rule in Foss v. Harbottle and the exceptions thereto) so that a non-controlling shareholder may be permitted to commence a class action against or derivative actions in the name of the company to challenge actions where:

 

●

a company acts or proposes to act illegally or ultra vires (and is therefore incapable of ratification by the shareholders);

 

●

the act complained of, although not ultra vires, could only be effected duly if authorized by more than a simple majority vote that has not been obtained; and

 

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those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”

 

 

Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability

 

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our memorandum and articles of association provide that we shall indemnify our directors and officers against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such directors or officer, other than by reason of such person’s dishonesty, willful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of our company’s business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment) or in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such director or officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning our company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation.

 

In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that provide such persons with additional indemnification beyond that provided in our memorandum and articles of association.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

Directors’ Fiduciary Duties 

 

Under Delaware corporate law, a director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He must not use his corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, the director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction, and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.

 

As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a director of a Cayman Islands company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company and therefore it is considered that he owes the following duties to the company — a duty to act bona fide in the best interests of the company, a duty not to make a profit based on his position as director (unless the company permits him to do so), a duty not to put himself in a position where the interests of the company conflict with his personal interest or his duty to a third party, and a duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were intended. A director of a Cayman Islands company owes to the company a duty to act with skill and care. It was previously considered that a director need not exhibit in the performance of his duties a greater degree of skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care and these authorities are likely to be followed in the Cayman Islands.

 

Shareholder Action by Written Consent

 

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may eliminate the right of shareholders to act by written consent by amendment to its certificate of incorporation. Cayman Islands law and our memorandum and articles of association provide that our shareholders may approve corporate matters by way of (i) in the case of ordinary resolutions, a written resolution signed by two-thirds of our shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings of our company, or (ii) in the case of special resolutions, a unanimous written resolution signed by all of our shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings of our company, without a meeting being held.

 

 

Shareholder Proposals

 

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a shareholder has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders; provided that it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.

 

The Companies Act provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our memorandum and articles of association allow any one or more of our shareholders who together hold shares that carry in aggregate not less than two-thirds of the total number of votes attaching to all issued and outstanding shares of our company entitled to vote at general meetings to requisition an extraordinary general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our board is obliged to convene an extraordinary general meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting. Other than this right to requisition a shareholders’ meeting, our memorandum and articles of association do not provide our shareholders with any other right to put proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders. As an exempted Cayman Islands company, we are not obliged by law to call shareholders’ annual general meetings.

 

Cumulative Voting

 

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially facilitates the representation of minority shareholders on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled on a single director, which increases the shareholder’s voting power with respect to electing such director. There are no prohibitions in relation to cumulative voting under the laws of the Cayman Islands but our memorandum and articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting. As a result, our shareholders are not afforded any less protections or rights on this issue than shareholders of a Delaware corporation.

 

Removal of Directors

 

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our memorandum and articles of association, directors may be removed with or without cause, by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders or by a written resolution signed by every director other than the director being removed. A director will also cease to be a director if he (i) becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors; (ii) dies or is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; (iii) resigns his office by notice in writing; (iv) without special leave of absence from our board, is absent from meetings of our board for three consecutive meetings and our board resolves that his office be vacated; or (v) is removed from office pursuant to any other provision of our articles of association.

 

Transactions with Interested Shareholders

 

The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute applicable to Delaware corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such statute by amendment to its certificate of incorporation, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested shareholder” for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is a person or a group who or which owns or owned 15% or more of the target’s outstanding voting shares within the past three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquirer to make a two-tiered bid for the target in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on which such shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquirer of a Delaware corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target’s board of directors.

 

 

Cayman Islands law has no comparable statute. As a result, we cannot avail ourselves of the types of protections afforded by the Delaware business combination statute. However, although Cayman Islands law does not regulate transactions between a company and its significant shareholders, the directors of our Company are required to comply with fiduciary duties, which they owe to our Company under Cayman Islands laws, including the duty to ensure that, in their opinion, any such transactions must be entered into bona fide in the best interests of the company and not with the effect of constituting a fraud on the minority shareholders.

 

Restructuring.

 

A company may present a petition to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands for the appointment of a restructuring officer on the grounds that the company:

 

(a) is or is likely to become unable to pay its debts; and

 

(b) intends to present a compromise or arrangement to its creditors (or classes thereof) either pursuant to the Companies Act, the law of a foreign country or by way of a consensual restructuring.

 

The Grand Court may, among other things, make an order appointing a restructuring officer upon hearing of such petition, with such powers and to carry out such functions as the court may order. At any time (i) after the presentation of a petition for the appointment of a restructuring officer but before an order for the appointment of a restructuring officer has been made, and (ii) when an order for the appointment of a restructuring officer is made, until such order has been discharged, no suit, action or other proceedings (other than criminal proceedings) shall be proceeded with or commenced against the company, no resolution to wind up the company shall be passed, and no winding up petition may be presented against the company, except with the leave of the court. However, notwithstanding the presentation of a petition for the appointment of a restructuring officer or the appointment of a restructuring officer, a creditor who has security over the whole or part of the assets of the company is entitled to enforce the security without the leave of the court and without reference to the restructuring officer appointed.

 

Dissolution; Winding up

 

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board.

 

Under Cayman Islands law, a company may be wound up by either an order of the courts of the Cayman Islands or by a special resolution of its members or, if the company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due, by an ordinary resolution of its members. The court has authority to order winding up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so.

 

Variation of Rights of Shares

 

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our memorandum and articles of association, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, we may vary the rights attached to any class with the written consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class.

 

Amendment of Governing Documents

 

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation’s governing documents may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under the Companies Act and our memorandum and articles of association, our memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution of our shareholders.

 

Rights of Non-resident or Foreign Shareholders

 

There are no limitations imposed by our memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in our memorandum and articles of association that require our Company to disclose shareholder ownership above any particular ownership threshold.

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

 

Citibank, N.A. as Depositary, will register and deliver ADSs. Each ADS represents one hundred and fifty (150) Class A ordinary shares. Citibank’s depositary offices are located at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013. ADSs may be represented by certificates that are commonly known as American Depositary Receipts or ADRs. The Depositary typically appoints a custodian to safekeep the securities on deposit. In this case, the custodian is Citibank, N.A. - Hong Kong, located 10/F, Harbour Front (II), 22, Tak Fung Street, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

 

Each ADS represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial ownership interests in, one hundred and fifty Class A ordinary shares that are on deposit with the Depositary and/or custodian. An ADS also represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial interests in, any other property received by the Depositary or the custodian on behalf of the owner of the ADS but that has not been distributed to the owners of ADSs because of legal restrictions or practical considerations. We and the Depositary may agree to change the ADS-to-share ratio by amending the deposit agreement. This amendment may give rise to, or change, the depositary fees payable by ADS owners. The custodian, the Depositary and their respective nominees will hold all deposited property for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of ADSs. The deposited property does not constitute the proprietary assets of the Depositary, the custodian or their nominees. Beneficial ownership in the deposited property will under the terms of the deposit agreement be vested in the beneficial owners of the ADSs. The Depositary, the custodian and their respective nominees will be the record holders of the deposited property represented by the ADSs for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of the corresponding ADSs. A beneficial owner of ADSs may or may not be the holder of ADSs. Beneficial owners of ADSs will be able to receive, and to exercise beneficial ownership interests in, the deposited property only through the registered holders of the ADSs, the registered holders of the ADSs (on behalf of the applicable ADS owners) only through the Depositary, and the Depositary (on behalf of the owners of the corresponding ADSs) directly, or indirectly, through the custodian or their respective nominees, in each case upon the terms of the deposit agreement.

 

If you become an owner of ADSs, you will become a party to the deposit agreement and therefore will be bound to its terms and to the terms of any ADR that represents your ADSs. The deposit agreement and the ADR specify our rights and obligations as well as your rights and obligations as owner of ADSs and those of the Depositary. As an ADS holder, you appoint the Depositary to act on your behalf in certain circumstances. The deposit agreement and the ADRs are governed by New York law. However, our obligations to the holders of Class A Ordinary Shares will continue to be governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands, which may be different from the laws in the United States.

 

In addition, applicable laws and regulations may require you to satisfy reporting requirements and obtain regulatory approvals in certain circumstances. You are solely responsible for complying with such reporting requirements and obtaining such approvals. Neither the Depositary, the custodian, us or any of their or our respective agents or affiliates shall be required to take any actions whatsoever on your behalf to satisfy such reporting requirements or obtain such regulatory approvals under applicable laws and regulations.

 

As an owner of ADSs, we will not treat you as one of our shareholders and you will not have direct shareholder rights. The Depositary will hold on your behalf the shareholder rights attached to the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. As an owner of ADSs you will be able to exercise the shareholders rights for the Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs through the Depositary only to the extent contemplated in the deposit agreement. To exercise any shareholder rights not contemplated in the deposit agreement you will, as an ADS owner, need to arrange for the cancellation of your ADSs and become a direct shareholder.

 

As an owner of ADSs, you may hold your ADSs either by means of an ADR registered in your name, through a brokerage or safekeeping account, or through an account established by the Depositary in your name reflecting the registration of uncertificated ADSs directly on the books of the Depositary, which is commonly referred to as the direct registration system or DRS. The direct registration system reflects the uncertificated (book-entry) registration of ownership of ADSs by the Depositary. Under the direct registration system, ownership of ADSs is evidenced by periodic statements issued by the Depositary to the holders of the ADSs. The direct registration system includes automated transfers between the Depositary and The Depository Trust Company, or the DTC, the central book-entry clearing and settlement system for equity securities in the United States. If you decide to hold your ADSs through your brokerage or safekeeping account, you must rely on the procedures of your broker or bank to assert your rights as ADS owner. Banks and brokers typically hold securities such as the ADSs through clearing and settlement systems such as DTC. The procedures of such clearing and settlement systems may limit your ability to exercise your rights as an owner of ADSs. Please consult with your broker or bank if you have any questions concerning these limitations and procedures. All ADSs held through DTC will be registered in the name of a nominee of DTC. This summary description assumes you have opted to own the ADSs directly by means of an ADS registered in your name and, as such, we will refer to you as the “holder.” When we refer to “you,” we assume the reader owns ADSs and will own ADSs at the relevant time.

 

The registration of the Class A ordinary shares in the name of the Depositary or the custodian shall, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, vest in the Depositary or the custodian the record ownership in the applicable Class A ordinary shares with the beneficial ownership rights and interests in such Class A ordinary shares being at all times vested with the beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the Class A ordinary shares. The Depositary or the custodian shall at all times be entitled to exercise the beneficial ownership rights in all deposited property, in each case only on behalf of the holders and beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the deposited property.

 

The following is a summary of the material provisions of the deposit agreement. For more complete information, you should read the entire deposit agreement and the form of ADR.

 

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

As a holder of ADSs, you generally have the right to receive the distributions we make on the securities deposited with the custodian. Your receipt of these distributions may be limited, however, by practical considerations and legal limitations. Holders of ADSs will receive such distributions under the terms of the deposit agreement in proportion to the number of ADSs held as of the specified record date, after deduction the applicable fees, taxes and expenses.

 

Distributions of Cash

 

Whenever we make a cash distribution for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the funds with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of the deposit of the requisite funds, the Depositary will arrange for the funds to be converted into U.S. dollars and for the distribution of the U.S. dollars to the holders, subject to the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands.

 

The conversion into U.S. dollars will take place only if practicable and if the U.S. dollars are transferable to the United States. The Depositary will apply the same method for distributing the proceeds of the sale of any property (such as undistributed rights) held by the custodian in respect of securities on deposit.

 

The distribution of cash will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. The Depositary will hold any cash amounts it is unable to distribute in a non-interest bearing account for the benefit of the applicable holders and beneficial owners of ADSs until the distribution can be effected or the funds that the Depositary holds must be escheated as unclaimed property in accordance with the laws of the relevant states of the United States.

 

Distributions of Class A Ordinary Shares

 

Whenever we make a free distribution of Class A Ordinary Shares for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the applicable number of Class A Ordinary Shares with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the Depositary will either distribute to holders new ADSs representing the Class A Ordinary Shares deposited or modify the ADS-to-share ratio, in which case each ADS you hold will represent rights and interests in the additional Class A Ordinary shares so deposited. Only whole new ADSs will be distributed. Fractional entitlements will be sold and the proceeds of such sale will be distributed as in the case of a cash distribution.

 

The distribution of new ADSs or the modification of the ADS-to-share ratio upon a distribution of Class A Ordinary Shares will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. In order to pay such taxes or governmental charges, the Depositary may sell all or a portion of the new Class A Ordinary Shares so distributed.

 

No such distribution of new ADSs will be made if it would violate a law (i.e., the U.S. securities laws) or if it is not operationally practicable. If the Depositary does not distribute new ADSs as described above, it may sell the Class A Ordinary Shares received upon the terms described in the deposit agreement and will distribute the proceeds of the sale as in the case of a distribution of cash.

 

Distributions of Rights

 

Whenever we intend to distribute rights to purchase additional Class A Ordinary Shares, we will give prior notice to the Depositary and we will assist the Depositary in determining whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs to holders.

 

The Depositary will establish procedures to distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs to holders and to enable such holders to exercise such rights if it is lawful and reasonably practicable to make the rights available to holders of ADSs, and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement (such as opinions to address the lawfulness of the transaction). You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges to subscribe for the new ADSs upon the exercise of your rights. The Depositary is not obligated to establish procedures to facilitate the distribution and exercise by holders of rights to purchase new Class A Ordinary Shares other than in the form of ADSs.

 

The Depositary will not distribute the rights to you if:

 

●

We do not timely request that the rights be distributed to you or we request that the rights not be distributed to you; or

 

●

We fail to deliver satisfactory documents to the Depositary; or

 

●

It is not reasonably practicable to distribute the rights.

 

The Depositary will sell the rights that are not exercised or not distributed if such sale is lawful and reasonably practicable. The proceeds of such sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution. If the Depositary is unable to sell the rights, it will allow the rights to lapse.

 

 

Elective Distributions

 

Whenever we intend to distribute a dividend payable at the election of shareholders either in cash or in additional Class A Ordinary Shares, we will give prior notice thereof to the Depositary and will indicate whether we wish the elective distribution to be made available to you. In such case, we will assist the Depositary in determining whether such distribution is lawful and reasonably practicable.

 

The Depositary will make the election available to you only if it is reasonably practicable and if we have provided all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement. In such case, the Depositary will establish procedures to enable you to elect to receive either cash or additional ADSs, in each case as described in the deposit agreement.

 

If the election is not made available to you, you will receive either cash or additional ADSs, depending on what a shareholder in the Cayman Islands would receive upon failing to make an election, as more fully described in the deposit agreement.

 

Other Distributions

 

Whenever we intend to distribute property other than cash, Class A Ordinary Shares or rights to purchase additional Class A Ordinary Shares, we will notify the Depositary in advance and will indicate whether we wish such distribution to be made to you. If so, we will assist the Depositary in determining whether such distribution to holders is lawful and reasonably practicable.

 

If it is reasonably practicable to distribute such property to you and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the Depositary will distribute the property to the holders in a manner it deems practicable.

 

The distribution will be made net of fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. In order to pay such taxes and governmental charges, the Depositary may sell all or a portion of the property received.

 

The Depositary will not distribute the property to you and will sell the property if:

 

●

We do not request that the property be distributed to you or if we ask that the property not be distributed to you; or

 

●

We do not deliver satisfactory documents to the Depositary; or

 

●

The Depositary determines that all or a portion of the distribution to you is not reasonably practicable.

 

The proceeds of such a sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution.

 

Redemption

 

Whenever we decide to redeem any of the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will notify the Depositary in advance. If it is practicable and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the Depositary will provide notice of the redemption to the holders.

 

The custodian will be instructed to surrender the Class A Ordinary Shares being redeemed against payment of the applicable redemption price. The Depositary will convert the redemption funds received into U.S. dollars upon the terms of the deposit agreement and will establish procedures to enable holders to receive the net proceeds from the redemption upon surrender of their ADSs to the Depositary. You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges upon the redemption of your ADSs. If less than all ADSs are being redeemed, the ADSs to be retired will be selected by lot or on a pro rata basis, as the Depositary may determine.

 

Changes Affecting Class A Ordinary Shares

 

The Class A Ordinary Shares held on deposit for your ADSs may change from time to time. For example, there may be a change in nominal or par value, split-up, cancellation, consolidation or any other reclassification of such Class A Ordinary Shares or a recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of assets of our company.

 

 

If any such change were to occur, your ADSs would, to the extent permitted by law, represent the right to receive the property received or exchanged in respect of the Class A Ordinary Shares held on deposit. The Depositary may in such circumstances deliver new ADSs to you, amend the deposit agreement, the ADRs and the applicable Registration Statement(s) on Form F-6, call for the exchange of your existing ADSs for new ADSs and take any other actions that are appropriate to reflect as to the ADSs the change affecting the Class A ordinary shares. If the Depositary may not lawfully distribute such property to you, the Depositary may sell such property and distribute the net proceeds to you as in the case of a cash distribution.

 

Issuance of ADSs upon Deposit of Class A Ordinary Shares

 

The Depositary will deliver ADSs if you or your broker deposits shares or evidence of rights to receive shares with the custodian. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, the Depositary will register the appropriate number of ADSs in the names you request and will deliver the ADSs to or upon the order of the person or persons that made the deposit.

 

Transfer, Combination and Split Up of ADRs

 

As an ADR holder, you will be entitled to transfer, combine or split up your ADRs and the ADSs evidenced thereby. For transfers of ADRs, you will have to surrender the ADRs to be transferred to the Depositary and also must:

 

●

ensure that the surrendered ADR is properly endorsed or otherwise in proper form for transfer;

 

●

provide such proof of identity and genuineness of signatures as the Depositary deems appropriate;

 

●

provide any transfer stamps required by the State of New York or the United States; and

 

●

pay all applicable fees, charges, expenses, taxes and other government charges payable by ADR holders pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, upon the transfer of ADRs.

 

To have your ADRs either combined or split up, you must surrender the ADRs in question to the Depositary with your request to have them combined or split up, and you must pay all applicable fees, charges and expenses payable by ADR holders, pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, upon a combination or split up of ADRs.

 

Withdrawal of Class A Ordinary Shares Upon Cancellation of ADSs

 

As a holder, you will be entitled to present your ADSs to the Depositary for cancellation and then receive the corresponding number of underlying Class A Ordinary Shares at the custodian’s offices. Your ability to withdraw the Class A Ordinary Shares held in respect of the ADSs may be limited by U.S. and Cayman Islands law considerations applicable at the time of withdrawal. In order to withdraw the Class A Ordinary Shares represented by your ADSs, you will be required to pay to the Depositary the fees for cancellation of ADSs and any charges and taxes payable upon the transfer of the Class A Ordinary Shares. You assume the risk for delivery of all funds and securities upon withdrawal. Once canceled, the ADSs will not have any rights under the deposit agreement.

 

If you hold ADSs registered in your name, the Depositary may ask you to provide proof of identity and genuineness of any signature and such other documents as the Depositary may deem appropriate before it will cancel your ADSs. The withdrawal of the Class A Ordinary Shares represented by your ADSs may be delayed until the Depositary receives satisfactory evidence of compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Please keep in mind that the Depositary will only accept ADSs for cancellation that represent a whole number of securities on deposit.

 

You will have the right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs at any time except for:

 

●

Temporary delays that may arise because (i) the transfer books for the Class A Ordinary Shares or ADSs are closed, or (ii) Class A ordinary shares are immobilized on account of a shareholders’ meeting or a payment of dividends.

 

●

Obligations to pay fees, taxes and similar charges.

 

●

Restrictions imposed because of laws or regulations applicable to ADSs or the withdrawal of securities on deposit.

 

The deposit agreement may not be modified to impair your right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs except to comply with mandatory provisions of law.

 

 

 

Voting Rights

 

As a holder, you generally have the right under the deposit agreement to instruct the Depositary to exercise the voting rights for the Class A Ordinary Shares represented by your ADSs. The voting rights of holders of Class A Ordinary Shares are described in “Description of Share Capital.”

 

At our request, the Depositary will distribute to you any notice of shareholders’ meeting received from us together with information explaining how to instruct the Depositary to exercise the voting rights of the securities represented by ADSs.

 

If the Depositary timely receives voting instructions from a holder of ADSs, it will endeavor to cause the Class A Ordinary Shares on deposit to be voted in accordance with the voting instructions received from holders of ADSs. Class A Ordinary Shares in respect of which no timely voting instructions have been received from ADS holders will not be voted.

 

Securities for which no voting instructions have been received will not be voted (except as otherwise contemplated herein). If the Depositary does not receive your voting instructions in a timely manner you will nevertheless be treated as having instructed the depositary bank to give a proxy to a person we designate to vote the Class A Ordinary Shares represented by your ADSs in his/her discretion. The Depositary will deliver such discretionary proxy only if:

 

-

we confirm that we wish the Depositary to issue such discretionary proxy;

 

-

we designate the person who is to receive such discretionary proxy;

 

-

we certify that the matters to be considered at the shareholders meeting do not adversely affect the rights of shareholders; and

 

-

we certify that there exists no substantial opposition to such matters.

 

Please note that the ability of the Depositary to carry out voting instructions may be limited by practical and legal limitations and the terms of the securities on deposit. We cannot assure you that you will receive voting materials in time to enable you to return voting instructions to the Depositary in a timely manner.

 

 

Fees and Charges

 

As an ADS holder, you will be required to pay the following fees under the terms of the deposit agreement:

 

Service			Fees
●	Issuance of ADSs (i.e., an issuance of ADS upon a deposit of Class A ordinary shares or upon a change in the ADS-to-share ratio), excluding ADS issuances as a result of distributions of Class A ordinary shares		Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS issued
●	Cancellation of ADSs (i.e., a cancellation of ADSs for delivery of deposited property or upon a change in the ADS-to-share ratio)		Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS cancelled
●	Distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions (i.e., upon a sale of rights and other entitlements)		Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held
●	Distribution of ADSs pursuant to (i) stock dividends or other free stock distributions, or (ii) exercise of rights to purchase additional ADSs		Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held
●	Distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs (i.e., upon a spin-off)		Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held
●	ADS Services		Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held on the applicable record date(s) established by the Depositary

 

As an ADS holder you will also be responsible to pay certain charges such as:

 

●

taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) and other governmental charges;

 

●

the registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of Class A Ordinary Shares on the share register and applicable to transfers of Class A Ordinary Shares to or from the name of the custodian, the Depositary or any nominees upon the making of deposits and withdrawals, respectively;

 

●

certain cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery expenses;

 

●

the expenses and charges incurred by the Depositary in the conversion of foreign currency;

 

●

the fees and expenses incurred by the Depositary in connection with compliance with exchange control regulations and other regulatory requirements applicable to Class A Ordinary Shares, ADSs and ADRs; and

 

●

the fees and expenses incurred by the Depositary, the custodian, or any nominee in connection with the servicing or delivery of deposited property.

 

 

ADS fees and charges payable upon (i) the issuance of ADSs, and (ii) the cancellation of ADSs are charged to the person to whom the ADSs are issued (in the case of ADS issuances) and to the person whose ADSs are cancelled (in the case of ADS cancellations). In the case of ADSs issued by the Depositary into DTC, the ADS issuance and cancellation fees and charges may be deducted from distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC participant(s) receiving the ADSs being issued or the DTC participant(s) holding the ADSs being cancelled, as the case may be, on behalf of the beneficial owner(s) and will be charged by the DTC participant(s) to the account of the applicable beneficial owner(s) in accordance with the procedures and practices of the DTC participants as in effect at the time. ADS fees and charges in respect of distributions and the ADS service fee are charged to the holders as of the applicable ADS record date. In the case of distributions of cash, the amount of the applicable ADS fees and charges is deducted from the funds being distributed. In the case of (i) distributions other than cash and (ii) the ADS service fee, holders as of the ADS record date will be invoiced for the amount of the ADS fees and charges and such ADS fees and charges may be deducted from distributions made to holders of ADSs. For ADSs held through DTC, the ADS fees and charges for distributions other than cash and the ADS service fee may be deducted from distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC participants in accordance with the procedures and practices prescribed by DTC and the DTC participants in turn charge the amount of such ADS fees and charges to the beneficial owners for whom they hold ADSs.

 

In the event of refusal to pay the Depositary fees, the Depositary may, under the terms of the deposit agreement, refuse the requested service until payment is received or may set off the amount of the Depositary fees from any distribution to be made to the ADS holder. Certain of the depositary fees and charges (such as the ADS services fee) may become payable shortly after the closing of the ADS offering. Note that the fees and charges you may be required to pay may vary over time and may be changed by us and by the Depositary. You will receive prior notice of such changes. The Depositary may reimburse us for certain expenses incurred by us in respect of the ADR program, by making available a portion of the ADS fees charged in respect of the ADR program or otherwise, upon such terms and conditions as we and the Depositary agree from time to time.

 

Amendments and Termination

 

We may agree with the Depositary to modify the deposit agreement at any time without your consent. We undertake to give holders 30 days’ prior notice of any modifications that would materially prejudice any of their substantial rights under the deposit agreement. We will not consider to be materially prejudicial to your substantial rights any modifications or supplements that are reasonably necessary for the ADSs to be registered under the Securities Act or to be eligible for book-entry settlement, in each case without imposing or increasing the fees and charges you are required to pay. In addition, we may not be able to provide you with prior notice of any modifications or supplements that are required to accommodate compliance with applicable provisions of law.

 

You will be bound by the modifications to the deposit agreement if you continue to hold your ADSs after the modifications to the deposit agreement become effective. The deposit agreement cannot be amended to prevent you from withdrawing the Class A Ordinary Shares represented by your ADSs (except as permitted by law).

 

We have the right to direct the Depositary to terminate the deposit agreement. Similarly, the Depositary may in certain circumstances on its own initiative terminate the deposit agreement. In either case, the Depositary must give notice to the holders at least 30 days before termination. Until termination, your rights under the deposit agreement will be unaffected.

 

After termination, the Depositary will continue to collect distributions received (but will not distribute any such property until you request the cancellation of your ADSs) and may sell the securities held on deposit. After the sale, the Depositary will hold the proceeds from such sale and any other funds then held for the holders of ADSs in a non-interest bearing account. At that point, the Depositary will have no further obligations to holders other than to account for the funds then held for the holders of ADSs still outstanding (after deduction of applicable fees, taxes and expenses).

 

In connection with any termination of the deposit agreement, the Depositary may make available to owners of ADSs a means to withdraw the Class A Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs and to direct the Depositary of such shares into an unsponsored American depositary share program established by the Depositary. The ability to receive unsponsored American depositary shares upon termination of the deposit agreement would be subject to satisfaction of certain U.S. regulatory requirements applicable to the creation of unsponsored American depositary shares and the payment of applicable depositary fees.

 

 

Books of Depositary

 

The Depositary will maintain ADS holder records at its depositary office. You may inspect such records at such office during regular business hours but solely for the purpose of communicating with other holders in the interest of business matters relating to the ADSs and the deposit agreement.

 

The Depositary will maintain in New York facilities to record and process the issuance, cancellation, combination, split-up and transfer of ADSs. These facilities may be closed from time to time, to the extent not prohibited by law.

 

Limitations on Obligations and Liabilities

 

The deposit agreement limits our obligations and the Depositary’s obligations to you. Please note the following:

 

●

We and the Depositary are obligated only to take the actions specifically stated in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith.

 

●

The Depositary disclaims any liability for any failure to carry out voting instructions, for any manner in which a vote is cast or for the effect of any vote, provided it acts in good faith and in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement.

 

●

The Depositary disclaims any liability for any failure to determine the lawfulness or practicality of any action, for the content of any document forwarded to you on our behalf or for the accuracy of any translation of such a document, for the investment risks associated with investing in Class A ordinary shares, for the validity or worth of the Class A Ordinary Shares, for any tax consequences that result from the ownership of ADSs, for the creditworthiness of any third party, for allowing any rights to lapse under the terms of the deposit agreement, for the timeliness of any of our notices or for our failure to give notice.

 

●

We and the Depositary will not be obligated to perform any act that is inconsistent with the terms of the deposit agreement.

 

●

We and the Depositary disclaim any liability if we or the Depositary are prevented or forbidden from or subject to any civil or criminal penalty or restraint on account of, or delayed in, doing or performing any act or thing required by the terms of the deposit agreement, by reason of any provision, present or future of any law or regulation, or by reason of present or future provision of any provision of our memorandum and articles of association, or any provision of or governing the securities on deposit, or by reason of any act of God or war or other circumstances beyond our control.

 

●

We and the Depositary disclaim any liability by reason of any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in the deposit agreement or in our articles of incorporation or in any provisions of or governing the securities on deposit.

 

●

We and the Depositary further disclaim any liability for any action or inaction in reliance on the advice or information received from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting Class A Ordinary Shares for deposit, any holder of ADSs or authorized representatives thereof, or any other person believed by either of us in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information.

 

●

We and the Depositary also disclaim liability for the inability by a holder to benefit from any distribution, offering, right or other benefit that is made available to holders of Class A Ordinary Shares but is not, under the terms of the deposit agreement, made available to you.

 

●

We and the Depositary may rely without any liability upon any written notice, request or other document believed to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper parties.

 

●

We and the Depositary also disclaim liability for any consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the deposit agreement.

 

●

No disclaimer of any Securities Act liability is intended by any provision of the deposit agreement.

 

 

Taxes

 

You will be responsible for the taxes and other governmental charges payable on the ADSs and the securities represented by the ADSs. We, the Depositary and the custodian may deduct from any distribution the taxes and governmental charges payable by holders and may sell any and all property on deposit to pay the taxes and governmental charges payable by holders. You will be liable for any deficiency if the sale proceeds do not cover the taxes that are due.

 

The Depositary may refuse to issue ADSs, to deliver, transfer, split and combine ADRs or to release securities on deposit until all taxes and charges are paid by the applicable holder. The Depositary and the custodian may take reasonable administrative actions to obtain tax refunds and reduced tax withholding for any distributions on your behalf. However, you may be required to provide to the Depositary and to the custodian proof of taxpayer status and residence and such other information as the Depositary and the custodian may require to fulfill legal obligations. You are required to indemnify us, the Depositary and the custodian for any claims with respect to taxes based on any tax benefit obtained for you.

 

Foreign Currency Conversion

 

The Depositary will arrange for the conversion of all foreign currency received into U.S. dollars if such conversion is practical, and it will distribute the U.S. dollars in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. You may have to pay fees and expenses incurred in converting foreign currency, such as fees and expenses incurred in complying with currency exchange controls and other governmental requirements.

 

If the conversion of foreign currency is not practical or lawful, or if any required approvals are denied or not obtainable at a reasonable cost or within a reasonable period, the Depositary may take the following actions in its discretion:

 

●

Convert the foreign currency to the extent practical and lawful and distribute the U.S. dollars to the holders for whom the conversion and distribution is lawful and practical.

 

●

Distribute the foreign currency to holders for whom the distribution is lawful and practical.

 

●

Hold the foreign currency (without liability for interest) for the applicable holders.

 

Governing Law/Waiver of Jury Trial

 

The deposit agreement and the ADRs will be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The rights of holders of Class A Ordinary Shares (including Class A Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs) is governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands.

 

AS A PARTY TO THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT, YOU IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOUR RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT OR THE ADRs AGAINST US AND/OR THE DEPOSITARY. 

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED SHARES

 

Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our ordinary shares. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preferred shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future.

 

As of the date of this prospectus, there are no issued and outstanding preferred shares of any series. The material terms of any series of preferred shares that we offer, together with any material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to such preferred shares, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Holders of our preferred shares are entitled to certain rights and subject to certain conditions as set forth in our currently effective memorandum and articles of association and the Companies Act. See “Description of Share Capital.”

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

 

We may issue series of debt securities, which may include debt securities exchangeable for or convertible into ordinary shares or preferred shares. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of that series in a supplement to this prospectus. The following description of debt securities will apply to the debt securities offered by this prospectus unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement for a particular series of debt securities may specify different or additional terms.

 

The debt securities offered by this prospectus may be secured or unsecured, and may be senior debt securities, senior subordinated debt securities or subordinated debt securities. The debt securities offered by this prospectus may be issued under an indenture between us and the trustee under the indenture. The indenture may be qualified under, subject to, and governed by, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. We have summarized selected portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement on Form F-3, of which this prospectus is a part, and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you.

 

The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and detailed or determined in the manner provided in a board of directors’ resolution, an officers’ certificate and by a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to the series, including any pricing supplement.

 

We may issue any amount of debt securities under the indenture, which may be in one or more series with the same or different maturities, at par, at a premium or at a discount. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement, including any related pricing supplement, relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the offering price, the aggregate principal amount offered and the terms of the debt securities, including, among other things, the following:

 

	●	the title of the debt securities;
	●	the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities;
	●	any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;
	●	the date or dates on which we will repay the principal on the debt securities and the right, if any, to extend the maturity of the debt securities;
	●	the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will be payable and any regular record date for any interest payment date;
	●	the place or places where the principal of, premium, and interest on the debt securities will be payable, and where the debt securities of the series that are convertible or exchangeable may be surrendered for conversion or exchange;
	●	any obligation or right we have to redeem the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of holders of the debt securities or at our option, and the terms and conditions upon which we are obligated to or may redeem the debt securities;
	●	any obligation we have to repurchase the debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities, the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase the debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations;
	●	the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued;
	●	whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities;
	●	the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount;
	●	the currency of denomination of the debt securities;
	●	the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be made;

 

 

	●	if payments of principal of, premium or interest on, the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined;
	●	the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium or interest on, the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies other than that in which the debt securities are denominated or designated to be payable or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
	●	any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities;
	●	any addition to or change in the events of default described in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
	●	any addition to or change in the covenants described in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
	●	whether the debt securities will be senior or subordinated and any applicable subordination provisions;
	●	a discussion of material income tax considerations applicable to the debt securities;
	●	any other terms of the debt securities, which may modify any provisions of the indenture as it applies to that series; and
	●	any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities.

 

We may issue debt securities that are exchangeable for and/or convertible into ordinary shares or preferred shares. The terms, if any, on which the debt securities may be exchanged and/or converted will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Such terms may include provisions for exchange or conversion, which can be mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option, and the manner in which the number of ordinary shares, preferred shares or other securities to be received by the holders of debt securities would be calculated.

 

We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the U.S. federal income tax considerations, and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

We may issue debt securities of a series in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depositary identified in the prospectus supplement. Global securities will be issued in registered form and in either temporary or definitive form. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual debt securities, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary for such global security to a nominee of such depositary or by a nominee of such depositary to such depositary or another nominee of such depositary or by such depositary or any such nominee to a successor of such depositary or a nominee of such successor. The specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any debt securities of a series and the rights of and limitations upon owners of beneficial interests in a global security will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York, unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

 

We may issue warrants to purchase our ADSs or preferred shares. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities that may be sold by us pursuant to this prospectus or any combination of the foregoing and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. To the extent warrants that we issue are to be publicly-traded, each series of such warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe in particular the terms of any series of warrants that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. 

 

We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of the warrant and/or warrant agreement, if any, which may include a form of warrant certificate, as applicable that describes the terms of the particular series of warrants we may offer before the issuance of the related series of warrants. We may issue the warrants under a warrant agreement that we will enter into with a warrant agent to be selected by us. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any registered holders of warrants or beneficial owners of warrants. The following summary of material provisions of the warrants and warrant agreements is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the form of warrant and/or warrant agreement and warrant certificate applicable to a particular series of warrants. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the complete form of warrant and/or the warrant agreement and warrant certificate, as applicable, that contain the terms of the warrants. 

  

The particular terms of any issue of warrants will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the issue. Those terms may include:

 

●

the title of the warrants;

 

●

the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued;

 

●

the designation, amount and terms of the securities or other rights for which the warrants are exercisable;

 

●

the designation and terms of the other securities, if any, with which the warrants are to be issued and the number of warrants issued with each other security;

 

●

the aggregate number of warrants;

 

●

any provisions for adjustment of the number or amount of securities receivable upon exercise of the warrants or the exercise price of the warrants;

 

●

the price or prices at which the securities or other rights purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased;

 

●

if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the securities or other rights purchasable upon exercise of the warrants will be separately transferable;

 

 

●

a discussion of any material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the exercise of the warrants;

 

	●	the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence, and the date on which the right will expire;
	●	the maximum or minimum number of warrants that may be exercised at any time;

 

●

information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; and

 

●

any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants.

 

Exercise of Warrants

 

Each warrant will entitle the holder of warrants to purchase the number of ADSs or preferred shares of the relevant class or series at the exercise price stated or determinable in the prospectus supplement for the warrants. Warrants may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date shown in the applicable prospectus supplement, unless otherwise specified in such prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, if applicable, unexercised warrants will become void. Warrants may be exercised in the manner described in the applicable prospectus supplement. When the warrant holder makes the payment and properly completes and signs the warrant certificate at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent, if any, or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as possible, forward the securities or other rights that the warrant holder has purchased. If the warrant holder exercises less than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate, we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining warrants. If we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may surrender securities as all or part of the exercise price for warrants. 

  

Prior to the exercise of any warrants to purchase ADSs or preferred shares of the relevant class or series, holders of the warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of ADSs or preferred shares purchasable upon exercise, including the right to vote or to receive any payments of dividends or payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up on the ADSs or preferred shares purchasable upon exercise, if any. 

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS

 

We may issue rights to purchase our securities. The rights may or may not be transferable by the persons purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with any rights offering, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other persons would purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agent agreement to be entered into between us and one or more banks, trust companies or other financial institutions, as rights agent, that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the rights and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights.

 

The prospectus supplement relating to any rights that we offer will include specific terms relating to the offering, including, among other matters:

 

●

the date of determining the security holders entitled to the rights distribution;

 

●

the aggregate number of rights issued and the aggregate amount of securities purchasable upon exercise of the rights;

 

●

the exercise price;

 

●

the conditions to completion of the rights offering;

  

●

the date on which the right to exercise the rights will commence and the date on which the rights will expire; and

 

●

any applicable federal income tax considerations.

 

Each right would entitle the holder of the rights to purchase for cash the principal amount of securities at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for the rights provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights will become void.

 

If less than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than our security holders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

 

We may issue units composed of any combination of our Class A ordinary shares, ADSs, preferred shares, debt securities or warrants. We will issue each unit so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. As a result, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date.

 

The following description is a summary of selected provisions relating to units that we may offer. The summary is not complete. When units are offered in the future, a prospectus supplement, information incorporated by reference or a free writing prospectus, as applicable, will explain the particular terms of those securities and the extent to which these general provisions may apply. The specific terms of the units as described in a prospectus supplement, information incorporated by reference, or free writing prospectus will supplement and, if applicable, may modify or replace the general terms described in this section.

 

This summary and any description of units in the supplement, information incorporated by reference or free writing prospectus is subject to and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the unit agreement, collateral arrangements and depositary arrangements, if applicable. We will file each of these documents, as applicable, with the SEC and incorporate them by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part on or before we issue a series of units. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” above for information on how to obtain a copy of a document when it is filed.

 

The applicable prospectus supplement, information incorporated by reference or free writing prospectus may describe:

 

	●	the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;
	●	any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer, or exchange of the units or of the securities composing the units;
	●	whether the units will be issued in fully registered or global form; and
	●	any other terms of the units.

 

The applicable provisions described in this section, as well as those described under “Description of Shares Capital,” “Description of American Depositary Shares,” “Description of Preferred Shares,” “Description of Debt Securities” and “Description of Warrants” above, will apply to each unit and to each security included in each unit, respectively.

 

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

We may sell the securities offered through this prospectus (i) to or through underwriters or dealers, (ii) directly to purchasers, including our affiliates, (iii) through agents, or (iv) through a combination of any these methods. The securities may be distributed at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, market prices prevailing at the time of sale, prices related to the prevailing market prices, or negotiated prices. The prospectus supplement will include the following information:

 

●

the terms of the offering;

 

●

the names of any underwriters or agents;

 

●

the name or names of any managing underwriter or underwriters;

 

●

the purchase price of the securities;

 

●

any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us;

 

●

the net proceeds from the sale of the securities;

 

●

any delayed delivery arrangements;

 

●

any underwriting discounts, commissions and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation;

 

●

any initial public offering price;

 

●

any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;

 

●

any commissions paid to agents; and

 

●

any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed.

 

Sale Through Underwriters or Dealers

 

Only underwriters named in the prospectus supplement are underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement. If underwriters are used in the sale, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account, including through underwriting, purchase, security lending or repurchase agreements with us. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions. Underwriters may sell the securities in order to facilitate transactions in any of our other securities (described in this prospectus or otherwise), including other public or private transactions and short sales. Underwriters may offer securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may change from time to time any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.

 

If dealers are used in the sale of securities offered through this prospectus, we will sell the securities to them as principals. They may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. The prospectus supplement will include the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.

 

We will provide in the applicable prospectus supplement any compensation we will pay to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers.

 

 

Direct Sales and Sales Through Agents

 

We may sell the securities offered through this prospectus directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. Such securities may also be sold through agents designated from time to time. The prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the offered securities and will describe any commissions payable to the agent. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of its appointment.

 

We may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those securities. The terms of any such sales will be described in the prospectus supplement.

  

Delayed Delivery Contracts

 

If the prospectus supplement indicates, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from certain types of institutions to purchase securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those conditions described in the prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for solicitation of those contracts.

 

Market Making, Stabilization and Other Transactions

 

Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, other than our ADSs, all securities we offer under this prospectus will be a new issue and will have no established trading market. We may elect to list offered securities on an exchange or in the over-the-counter market. Any underwriters that we use in the sale of offered securities may make a market in such securities, but may discontinue such market making at any time without notice. Therefore, we cannot assure you that the securities will have a liquid trading market.

 

Any underwriter may also engage in stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Rule 104 under the Securities Exchange Act. Stabilizing transactions involve bids to purchase the underlying security in the open market for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the securities. Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions.

 

Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. Stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would be in the absence of the transactions. The underwriters may, if they commence these transactions, discontinue them at any time.

 

General Information

 

Agents, underwriters, and dealers may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, to indemnification by us against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Our agents, underwriters, and dealers, or their affiliates, may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business.

 

 

SELLING SHAREHOLDERS 

 

This prospectus also relates to the offer and resale of up to an aggregate of 484,281,240 Class A Ordinary Shares, issuable upon exercise of certain warrants, each to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share of the Company (the “Warrant”) held by the security holder identified as the Selling Shareholders in this section. The Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, include 484,281,240 Class A ordinary shares, issuable upon exercise of the Warrants issued on June 19, 2024, to certain investors.

 

Selling Securityholders Table

 

The following table and accompanying footnotes, which were prepared based on information furnished to us by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholders and information filed with the SEC, set forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of Resale Shares owned by the Selling Shareholders as of the date of this prospectus. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with rules of the SEC, and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under the rules of the SEC, a person is deemed to be a “beneficial owner” of a security if that person has or shares “voting power,” which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting of such security, or “investment power,” which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of such security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner of a security if that person has the right to acquire beneficial ownership of such security within 60 days.

 

The second column indicates the number of Resale Shares underlying Warrants beneficially owned by the Selling Shareholders, based on their respective ownership as of the date of this prospectus. The second column also assumes the exercise of all of the Warrants held by the Selling Shareholders, without regard to any limitations on exercise described in this prospectus or in the warrants. The third column lists the number of Resale Share underlying Warrants being offered by this prospectus by the Selling Shareholders.

 

This prospectus covers the resale of all of the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, issuable upon exercise of the Warrants that are held by the Selling Shareholders. The Selling Shareholders can offer all, some or none of their Resale Shares, thus we have no way of determining the number of the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, underlying Warrants that will be held after this offering. Therefore, the fourth and fifth columns assume that the Selling Shareholders will sell all of the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, issuable upon exercise of the Warrants which are covered by this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution of Selling Securityholders.”

 

Information concerning the Selling Shareholders may change over time. Any changed information will be set forth in amendments to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or in supplements to this prospectus, if and when necessary or as otherwise required by law.

 

Selling Shareholders		Number of Resale Shares Owned Prior to Offering				Maximum Number of Resale Shares to be Sold Pursuant to this Prospectus				Percentage Beneficially Owned Prior to Offering(1)				Number of ADSs Owned After Offering
Xueli Zhao (2)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0
Guochao Zheng (3)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0
Nana Feng (4)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0
Jingming Li (5)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0
Xinjian Feng (6)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0
Xiaoqiang Yu (7)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0
Decai Kong (8)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0
Pengen Duan (9)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0
Jianmin Zhao (10)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0
Chunying Liu (11)			48,428,124				48,428,124				10.89	%			0

 

(1)

This is calculated based on 444,688,474  Class A Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus.

 

 

(2)

Xueli Zhao is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at No.18 Nanpo Street, Yangjiazhai Village, Beizheng Township, Yuanshi County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, PRC

 

(3)

Guochao Zheng is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at No.30, Zone3. Duanwu Village, Raoyang Town, Raoyang County, Hengshui City, Hebei Province, PRC

 

(4)

Nana Feng is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at No.27, District 2, Baichi Village, Raoyang Town, Raoyang County, Hengshui City, Hebei Province, PRC

  

(5)

Jingming Li is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at Group1, Emu Village, Emu Town, Dunhua City, JilinProvince, PRC

 

(6)

Xinjian Feng is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at Qianfeng, Fengfan Village, Huaidian Township, Guangshan County, Henan Province, PRC

 

(7)

Xiaoqiang Yu is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at Dongxiawan, Yangang Village, Huidian Township, Guangshan County, Henan Province, PRC

 

(8)

Decai Kong is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at No.157 Zhangtao Village, Jizhou Town, Jizhou City, Hebei Province, PRC

 

(9)

Pengen Duan is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at No.29. Zone 2. Duan Jundao Village, Raoyang Town, Raoyang County, Hengshui City, Hebei Province, PRC

 

(10)

Jianmin Zhao is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at No.49, 17th Floor, Nanhai Wucun, South Station Road, donghe district, Inner Mongolia

 

(11)

Chunying Liu is a resident and citizen of China, with the address at No.49, 17th Floor, Nanhaiwu Village, Zhannan Road, Donghe District, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia

 

Certain Transactions and Relationships Between SOS and the Selling Securityholders

 

Private Placement

 

On June 11, 2024, the Company entered into certain securities purchase agreement (the “SPA”) with the Selling Shareholders, who are “non-U.S. Persons” as defined in Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell an aggregate of 161,427,080 units (the “Units”), each Unit consisting of one Class A Ordinary Share of the Company (“Share”) and three Warrants, each to purchase one Share with an initial exercise price of $0.13153 per Share, at a price of $0.105225 per Unit, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $16.99 million (the “Offering”). The net proceeds to the Company from such Offering were used by the Company for working capital and general corporate purposes.

 

 

The Warrants are exercisable immediately upon the date of issuance at an initial exercise price of $0.13153 per Share, for cash (the “Warrant Shares”). The Warrants may also be exercised cashlessly if at any time after the three-month anniversary of the issuance date, there is no effective registration statement registering, or no current prospectus available for, the resale of the Warrant Shares. The Warrants shall expire five years from its date of issuance. The Warrants are subject to customary anti-dilution provisions reflecting stock dividends and splits or other similar transactions, and full ratchet anti-dilution protection with respect to the issuance of ordinary shares or ordinary share equivalents for consideration per share less than the initial exercise price of the Warrants. The Warrants contain a mandatory exercise right for the Company to force exercise of the Warrants if the Company’s Shares trades at or above $0.197295 per Share, for 20 consecutive trading days, provided, among other things, that the shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants are registered or may be sold pursuant to Rule 144 and the daily trading volume exceeds 300,000 Shares per trading day on each trading day in a period of 20 consecutive trading days prior to the applicable date.

 

The parties to the SPA have each made customary representations, warranties and covenants, including, among other things, (a) the Selling Shareholders are “non-U.S. Persons” as defined in Regulation S and are acquiring the Shares for the purpose of investment, (d) the absence of any undisclosed material adverse effects, and (e) the absence of legal proceedings that affect the completion of the transaction contemplated by the SPA.

 

On June 19, 2024, the transaction contemplated by the SPA consummated and the Warrants were issued to the Selling Shareholders.

 

The forms of the SPA and the Warrant are filed as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, respectively, to the Current Report on Form 6-K, dated June 12, 2024 and such documents are incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing is only a brief description of the material terms of the SPA and Warrant, and does not purport to be a complete description of the rights and obligations of the parties thereunder and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibits.

 

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION OF SELLING SECURITYHOLDERS

 

The Selling Securityholders and any of its pledgees, donees, transferees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, on the NYSE or any other securities exchange, market or trading facility on which shares of our ADSs are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. The Selling Securityholders may use any one or more of the following methods when selling Resale Shares:

 

	●	ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;
	●	sales by a broker-dealer of a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share, pursuant to agreements between the Selling Shareholder and broker-dealer;
	●	block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;
	●	purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;
	●	an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;
	●	privately negotiated transactions;
	●	settlement of short sales, loans or pledges entered into after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part;
	●	writing or settlement of options, derivative securities or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;
	●	a combination of any such methods of sale; or
	●	any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

 

The Selling Securityholders may also sell the Resale Shares in the form of ADSs, under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, if available, rather than pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Broker-dealers engaged by the Selling Securityholders may arrange for other brokers-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the Selling Securityholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of shares, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction not in excess of a customary brokerage commission, and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown, in each case in compliance with Rule 2121 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

 

In connection with any permitted short sale, loan, pledge, option, derivative or hedging transaction, the Selling Securityholders may enter into agreements with broker-dealers or other financial institution that in turn engage in short sales of our ADSs in the course of hedging the positions they assume. If any Resale Shares in the form of ADSs, are delivered to a broker-dealer or other financial institution in connection with any such transaction, the broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction, including, if necessary, updates to the list of Selling Securityholders to include such broker-dealer or financial institution).

 

The Selling Securityholders may also transfer and donate the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, in other circumstances in which case the transferees, donees, pledgees or other successors-in-interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

 

 

The Selling Securityholders and any brokers, dealers or agents that are involved in selling the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such brokers, dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of any Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting compensation under the Securities Act. The Selling Securityholders have advised us that they do not have any written or oral agreement, understanding or arrangement, directly or indirectly, with any broker, dealer, agent or other person regarding the sale of the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, . There are no underwriters or coordinating brokers acting in connection with the proposed sale of the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, by the Selling Securityholders.

 

Because the Selling Securityholders may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, it may be subject to the requirements of the Securities Act to deliver this prospectus to each purchaser at or prior to the time of the sale. We have informed the Selling Securityholders of this requirement, and we will make copies of this prospectus available to them.

 

Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to our ADSs for the applicable restricted period, as defined in Regulation M, prior to the commencement of the distribution. In addition, the Selling Securityholders will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares of our ADSs by the Selling Securityholders or any other person.

 

We will pay certain fees and expenses incurred by us incident to the registration of the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, including SEC filing fees, fees and expenses of compliance with securities laws, and various related expenses. The Selling Securityholders are responsible for all discounts, selling commissions and other costs related to their offer and sale of the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, .

 

Under the warrant inducement agreements between the Company and the Selling Securityholders, we have agreed to indemnify each other from certain liabilities, including those arising under the Securities Act, in connection with the registration of the Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, for sale, and the offer and sale of Resale Shares, in the form of ADSs, through this prospectus.

 

 

TAXATION

 

Material income tax consequences relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of any of the securities offered by this prospectus will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the offering of those securities.

 

 

ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

 

We are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability. We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands to take advantage of certain benefits associated with being a Cayman Islands exempted company, such as:

 

●

political and economic stability;

 

●

an effective judicial system;

 

●

a favorable tax system;

 

●

the absence of exchange control or currency restrictions; and

 

●

the availability of professional and support services.

 

However, certain disadvantages accompany incorporation in the Cayman Islands. These disadvantages include but are not limited to:

 

●

the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States and these securities laws provide significantly less protection to investors as compared to the United States; and

 

●

Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the federal courts of the United States.

 

Our constitutional documents do not contain provisions requiring that disputes, including those arising under the securities laws of the United States, between us, our officers, directors and shareholders, be arbitrated.

 

A substantial portion of our assets are located in China. In addition, some of our directors and officers are residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and all or a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or our directors and officers, or to enforce against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.

 

We have appointed Puglisi & Associates, located at 850 Library Avenue, Suite 204, Newark, Delaware 19711, as our agent upon whom process may be served in any action brought against us under the securities laws of the United States.

 

According to our Cayman Islands’ legal counsel, there is uncertainty with regard to Cayman Islands law relating to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands would (i) recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers that are predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state in the United States, or (ii) entertain original actions brought in the Cayman Islands against us or our directors or officers that are predicated upon the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state in the United States.

 

Cayman Islands’ counsel further advised that although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States (and the Cayman Islands are not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), the courts of the Cayman Islands will, at common law, recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without any re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute, provided such judgment (1) is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction, (2) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given, (3) is final, (4) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty, and (5) was not obtained in a manner and is of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands.

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

We are being represented by Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC with respect to certain legal matters as to United States federal securities and New York State law. The validity of the Class A ordinary shares represented by the ADSs offered in this offering will be passed upon for us by Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP. Certain legal matters as to PRC law will be passed upon for us by Hebei Changjun Law Firm. Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC may rely upon Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP with respect to matters governed by Cayman Islands law and Hebei Changjun Law Firm with respect to matters governed by PRC law.

 

 

EXPERTS

 

The consolidated financial statements of our company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023 included in this prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of Audit Alliance LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

The offices of Audit Alliance LLP are located at 20 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069113.

 

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US

 

We are subject to the periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act as applicable to foreign private issuers. Under the Exchange Act, we are required to file reports and other information with the SEC. Specifically, we are required to file annually a Form 20-F within four months after the end of each fiscal year. All information filed with the SEC can be obtained over the internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules of the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of quarterly reports and proxy statements, and our executive officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.

 

You can also find information on our website http://www.sosyun.com/. The information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus.

 

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 8. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our memorandum and articles of association provide that we shall indemnify our directors and officers against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such directors or officer, other than by reason of such person’s dishonesty, willful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of our company’s business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment) or in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such director or officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning our company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation.

 

In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that provide such persons with additional indemnification beyond that provided in our memorandum and articles of association.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

Any underwriting agreement entered into in connection with an offering of securities will also provide for indemnification of us and our officers and directors in certain cases.

 

Item 9. Exhibits.

 

See Exhibit Index of this registration statement.

  

Item 10. Undertakings.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 8, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

(1)

For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

(2)

For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering.

 

For the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(1)

Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

(2)

The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

(3)

Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.		Description
1.1		Form of Underwriting Agreement**
4.1		Form of Preferred Shares Certificate**
4.2		Form of Warrant**
4.3		Form of Warrant Agreement**
4.4		Form of Unit Agreement**
4.5		Form of indenture with respect to senior debt securities, to be entered into between registrant and a trustee acceptable to the registrant, if any.*
4.6		Form of indenture with respect to subordinated debt securities, to be entered into between registrant and a trustee acceptable to the registrant, if any.*
4.7		Form of debt securities, if any**
4.8		Form of Share Purchase Agreement, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to Form 6-K, dated June 12, 2024
4.9		Form of Warrant, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to Form 6-K dated June 12, 2024
5.1		Opinion of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP*
5.2		Opinion of Hebei Changqun Law Firm*
23.1		Consent of Audit Alliance LLP*
23.2		Consent of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)*
23.3		Consent of Hebei Changjun Law Firm*
24.1		Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this registration statement)
107		Filing Fee Table*

 

*	Filed herewith
**	To be filed by amendments

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-1 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Qingdao, China, on March 14, 2025.

 

	SOS LIMITED
	By:	/s/ Yandai Wang
		Name:	Yandai Wang
		Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Yandai Wang and Li Sing Leung, and each of them, individually, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities (including his capacity as a director and/or officer of the registrant), to sign any and all amendments and post-effective amendments and supplements to this registration statement, and including any registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Form F-1 registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

Name		Position		Date
/s/ Yandai Wang		Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman		March 14, 2025
Yandai Wang		(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Li Sing Leung		Chief Financial Officer and Director		March 14, 2025
Li Sing Leung		(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Russell Krauss				March 14, 2025
Russell Krauss		Director
/s/ Douglas L. Brown				March 14, 2025
Douglas L. Brown		Director
/s/ Ronggang (Jonathan) Zhang				March 14, 2025
Ronggang (Jonathan) Zhang		Director
/s/ Wenbin Wu				March 14, 2025
Wenbin Wu		Director

 

 

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES

 

Pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of America, has signed this registration statement thereto in Newark, DE on March 14, 2025.

 

	By:	/s/ Donald J. Puglisi
	Name:	Donald J. Puglisi
	Title:	Managing Director Puglisi & Associates

 

 

II-4

Exhibit 4.5

 

SOS LIMITED

 

(the “Issuer”)

 

AND

 

[TRUSTEE]

 

(the “Trustee”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDENTURE

 

Dated as of [●], 20[●]

 

 

 

 

 

Senior Debt Securities

 

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		Page
ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS		1
Section 1.01	Definitions of Terms	1
ARTICLE 2 ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES		5
Section 2.01	Designation and Terms of Securities	5
Section 2.02	Form of Securities and Trustee’s Certificate	7
Section 2.03	Denominations: Provisions for Payment	7
Section 2.04	Execution and Authentication	9
Section 2.05	Registration of Transfer and Exchange	10
Section 2.06	Temporary Securities	11
Section 2.07	Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities	11
Section 2.08	Cancellation	12
Section 2.09	Benefits of Indenture	12
Section 2.10	Authenticating Agent	12
Section 2.11	Global Securities	13
ARTICLE 3 REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS		14
Section 3.01	Redemption	14
Section 3.02	Notice of Redemption	14
Section 3.03	Payment Upon Redemption	15
Section 3.04	Sinking Fund	16
Section 3.05	Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities	16
Section 3.06	Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund	16
ARTICLE 4 COVENANTS		17
Section 4.01	Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest	17

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		Page
Section 4.02	Maintenance of Office or Agency	17
Section 4.03	Paying Agents	17
Section 4.04	Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of Trustee	19
Section 4.05	Compliance with Consolidation Provisions	19
ARTICLE 5 SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE		19
Section 5.01	Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Securityholders	19
Section 5.02	Preservation Of Information; Communications With Securityholders	19
Section 5.03	Reports by the Company	20
Section 5.04	Reports by the Trustee	20
ARTICLE 6 REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS ON EVENT OF DEFAULT		20
Section 6.01	Events of Default	20
Section 6.02	Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee	22
Section 6.03	Application of Moneys or Property Collected	24
Section 6.04	Limitation on Suits	24
Section 6.05	Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver	25
Section 6.06	Control by Securityholders	25
Section 6.07	Undertaking to Pay Costs	26
ARTICLE 7 CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE		26
Section 7.01	Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee	26
Section 7.02	Certain Rights of Trustee	27
Section 7.03	Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance or Securities	29

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		Page
Section 7.04	May Hold Securities	29
Section 7.05	Moneys Held in Trust	29
Section 7.06	Compensation and Reimbursement	29
Section 7.07	Reliance on Officers’ Certificate	30
Section 7.08	Disqualification; Conflicting Interests	30
Section 7.09	Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility	30
Section 7.10	Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor	31
Section 7.11	Acceptance of Appointment By Successor	32
Section 7.12	Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business	33
Section 7.13	Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company	34
Section 7.14	Notice of Default	34
ARTICLE 8 CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS		34
Section 8.01	Evidence of Action by Securityholders	34
Section 8.02	Proof of Execution by Securityholders	35
Section 8.03	Who May be Deemed Owners	35
Section 8.04	Certain Securities Owned by Company Disregarded	35
Section 8.05	Actions Binding on Future Securityholders	36
ARTICLE 9 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES		36
Section 9.01	Supplemental Indentures Without the Consent of Securityholders	36
Section 9.02	Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders	38
Section 9.03	Effect of Supplemental Indentures	38
Section 9.04	Securities Affected by Supplemental Indentures	38
Section 9.05	Execution of Supplemental Indentures	39

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		Page
ARTICLE 10 SUCCESSOR ENTITY		39
Section 10.01	Company May Consolidate, Etc.	39
Section 10.02	Successor Entity Substituted	40
Section 10.03	Evidence of Consolidation, Etc. to Trustee	40
ARTICLE 11 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE		40
Section 11.01	Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture	40
Section 11.02	Discharge of Obligations	41
Section 11.03	Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust	41
Section 11.04	Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents	41
Section 11.05	Repayment to Company	42
ARTICLE 12 IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS		42
Section 12.01	No Recourse	42
ARTICLE 13 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS		43
Section 13.01	Effect on Successors and Assigns	43
Section 13.02	Actions by Successor	43
Section 13.03	Surrender of Company Powers	43
Section 13.04	Notices	43
Section 13.05	Governing Law	43
Section 13.06	Treatment of Securities as Debt	44
Section 13.07	Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent	44
Section 13.08	Payments on Business Days	44
Section 13.09	Conflict with Trust Indenture Act	44
Section 13.10	Indenture and Securities Solely Corporate Obligations	45
Section 13.11	Counterparts	45
Section 13.12	Separability	45
Section 13.13	Compliance Certificates	45

 

(1)

This Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions.

 

  

INDENTURE

 

INDENTURE, dated as of [●], 20[●], among SOS Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and [TRUSTEE], as trustee (the “Trustee”).

 

WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance of debt securities (hereinafter referred to as the “Securities”), in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued from time to time in one or more series as in this Indenture provided, as registered Securities without coupons, to be authenticated by the certificate of the Trustee;

 

WHEREAS, to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the execution of this Indenture; and

 

WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed as follows for the equal and ratable benefit of the holders of Securities:

 

ARTICLE 1

 

DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.01 Definitions of Terms.

 

The terms defined in this Section (except as in this Indenture or any indenture supplemental hereto otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section and shall include the plural as well as the singular. All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined in the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or that are by reference in such Act defined in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (except as herein or any indenture supplemental hereto otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires), shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in said Trust Indenture Act and in said Securities Act as in force at the date of the execution of this instrument.

 

“Authenticating Agent” means an authenticating agent with respect to all or any of the series of Securities appointed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.10.

 

“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

 

“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of such Board.

 

 

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification.

 

“Business Day” means, with respect to any series of Securities, any day other than a day on which federal or state banking institutions in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, or in the city of the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, are authorized or obligated by law, executive order or regulation to close.

 

“Certificate” means a certificate signed by any Officer. The Certificate need not comply with the provisions of Section 13.07.

 

“Company” means SOS Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company, and, subject to the provisions of Article Ten, shall also include its successors and assigns.

 

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at .

 

“Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

 

“Default” means any event, act or condition that with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.

 

“Depositary” means, with respect to Securities of any series for which the Company shall determine that such Securities will be issued as a Global Security, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, another clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or other applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case, shall be designated by the Company pursuant to either Section 2.01 or 2.11.

 

“Event of Default” means, with respect to Securities of a particular series, any event specified in Section 6.01, continued for the period of time, if any, therein designated.

 

“Global Security” means, with respect to any series of Securities, a Security executed by the Company and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, all in accordance with the Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee.

 

“Governmental Obligations” means securities that are (a) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America that, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof at any time prior to the stated maturity of the Securities, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such Governmental Obligation or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such Governmental Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt; provided, however, that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Governmental Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the Governmental Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.

 

 

“herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and other words of similar import, refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

 

“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

“Interest Payment Date”, when used with respect to any installment of interest on a Security of a particular series, means the date specified in such Security or in a Board Resolution or in an indenture supplemental hereto with respect to such series as the fixed date on which an installment of interest with respect to Securities of that series is due and payable.

 

“Officer” means, with respect to the Company, the chairman of the Board of Directors, a chief executive officer, a president, a chief financial officer, chief operating officer, any executive vice president, any senior vice president, any vice president, the treasurer or any assistant treasurer, the controller or any assistant controller or the secretary or any assistant secretary.

 

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by any two Officers. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 13.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.

 

“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion in writing subject to customary exceptions of legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel for the Company, that is delivered to the Trustee in accordance with the terms hereof. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 13.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.

 

“Outstanding”, when used with reference to Securities of any series, means, subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, as of any particular time, all Securities of that series theretofore authenticated and delivered by the Trustee under this Indenture, except (a) Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or any paying agent, or delivered to the Trustee or any paying agent for cancellation or that have previously been canceled; (b) Securities or portions thereof for the payment or redemption of which moneys or Governmental Obligations in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any paying agent (other than the Company) or shall have been set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own paying agent); provided, however, that if such Securities or portions of such Securities are to be redeemed prior to the maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall have been given as in Article Three provided, or provision satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been made for giving such notice; and (c) Securities in lieu of or in substitution for which other Securities shall have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.07.

 

 

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, joint-stock company, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization, any other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.

 

“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 2.07 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.

 

“Responsible Officer” when used with respect to the Trustee means the chairman of its board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president, any vice president, the secretary, the treasurer, any trust officer, any corporate trust officer or any other officer or assistant officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

 

“Securities” means the debt Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

 

“Securityholder”, “holder of Securities”, “registered holder”, or other similar term, means the Person or Persons in whose name or names a particular Security shall be registered on the books of the Company kept for that purpose in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.

 

“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” shall have the meanings as set forth in Section 2.05.

 

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, (i) any corporation at least a majority of whose outstanding Voting Stock shall at the time be owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its Subsidiaries or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any general partnership, joint venture or similar entity, at least a majority of whose outstanding partnership or similar interests shall at the time be owned by such Person, or by one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries and (iii) any limited partnership of which such Person or any of its Subsidiaries is a general partner.

 

“Trustee” means , and, subject to the provisions of Article Seven, shall also include its successors and assigns, and, if at any time there is more than one Person acting in such capacity hereunder, “Trustee” shall mean each such Person. The term “Trustee” as used with respect to a particular series of the Securities shall mean the trustee with respect to that series.

 

“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

 

“Voting Stock”, as applied to stock of any Person, means shares, interests, participations or other equivalents in the equity interest (however designated) in such Person having ordinary voting power for the election of a majority of the directors (or the equivalent) of such Person, other than shares, interests, participations or other equivalents having such power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency.

 

 

ARTICLE 2

 

ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES

 

Section 2.01 Designation and Terms of Securities.

 

(a) The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series up to the aggregate principal amount of Securities of that series from time to time authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or pursuant to one or more indentures supplemental hereto. Prior to the initial issuance of Securities of any series, there shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto:

 

(1) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that series from all other Securities);

 

(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of that series);

 

(3) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable, any original issue discount that may apply to the Securities of that series upon their issuance, the principal amount due at maturity, and the place(s) of payment;

 

(4) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest or the manner of calculation of such rate or rates, if any;

 

(5) the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest will be payable or the manner of determination of such Interest Payment Dates, the place(s) of payment, and the record date for the determination of holders to whom interest is payable on any such Interest Payment Dates or the manner of determination of such record dates;

 

(6) the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of such extension;

 

(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

 

(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund, mandatory redemption, or analogous provisions (including payments made in cash in satisfaction of future sinking fund obligations) or at the option of a holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions upon which, Securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

 

 

(9) the form of the Securities of the series including the form of the Certificate of Authentication for such series;

 

(10) if other than denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the series shall be issuable;

 

(11) any and all other terms (including terms, to the extent applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the Securities of that series and any security for the obligations of the Company with respect to such Securities) with respect to such series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the terms of this Indenture, as amended by any supplemental indenture) including any terms which may be required by or advisable under United States laws or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that series;

 

(12) whether the Securities are issuable as a Global Security and, in such case, the terms and the identity of the Depositary for such series;

 

(13) whether the Securities will be convertible into or exchangeable for ordinary shares or other securities of the Company or any other Person and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at the Company’s option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, and the applicable conversion or exchange period;

 

(14) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.01;

 

(15) any additional or different Events of Default or restrictive covenants (which may include, among other restrictions, restrictions on the Company’s ability or the ability of the Company’s Subsidiaries to: incur additional indebtedness; issue additional securities; create liens; pay dividends or make distributions in respect of their capital stock; redeem capital stock; place restrictions on such Subsidiaries placing restrictions on their ability to pay dividends, make distributions or transfer assets; make investments or other restricted payments; sell or otherwise dispose of assets; enter into sale-leaseback transactions; engage in transactions with stockholders and affiliates; issue or sell stock of their Subsidiaries; or effect a consolidation or merger) or financial covenants (which may include, among other financial covenants, financial covenants that require the Company and its Subsidiaries to maintain specified interest coverage, fixed charge, cash flow-based or asset-based ratios) provided for with respect to the Securities of the series;

 

(16) if other than dollars, the coin or currency in which the Securities of the series are denominated (including, but not limited to, foreign currency);

 

 

(17) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the Company shall pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the Securities of the series to any Securityholder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes; and

 

(18) any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the Securities of the series.

 

All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to any such Board Resolution or in any indentures supplemental hereto.

 

If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution of the Company, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officers’ Certificate of the Company setting forth the terms of the series.

 

Securities of any particular series may be issued at various times, with different dates on which the principal or any installment of principal is payable, with different rates of interest, if any, or different methods by which rates of interest may be determined, with different dates on which such interest may be payable and with different redemption dates.

 

Section 2.02 Form of Securities and Trustee’s Certificate.

 

The Securities of any series and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by such Securities shall be substantially of the tenor and purport as set forth in one or more indentures supplemental hereto or as provided in a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, and they may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements printed, lithographed or engraved thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange on which Securities of that series may be listed, or to conform to usage.

 

Section 2.03 Denominations: Provisions for Payment.

 

The Securities shall be issuable as registered Securities and in the denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof, subject to Section 2.01(a)(10). The Securities of a particular series shall bear interest payable on the dates and at the rate specified with respect to that series. Subject to Section 2.01(a)(16), the principal of and the interest on the Securities of any series, as well as any premium thereon in case of redemption thereof prior to maturity, shall be payable in the coin or currency of the United States of America that at the time is legal tender for public and private debt, at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. Interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months.

 

 

The interest installment on any Security that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of that series shall be paid to the Person in whose name said Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest installment. In the event that any Security of a particular series or portion thereof is called for redemption and the redemption date is subsequent to a regular record date with respect to any Interest Payment Date and prior to such Interest Payment Date, interest on such Security will be paid upon presentation and surrender of such Security as provided in Section 3.03.

 

Any interest on any Security that is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of the same series (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date by virtue of having been such holder; and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at its election, as provided in clause (1) or clause (2) below:

 

(1) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each such Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall not be more than 15 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such special record date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor to be mailed, first class postage prepaid, to each Securityholder at his or her address as it appears in the Security Register (as hereinafter defined), not less than 10 days prior to such special record date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered on such special record date.

 

(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on any Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

 

 

Unless otherwise set forth in a Board Resolution or one or more indentures supplemental hereto establishing the terms of any series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the term “regular record date” as used in this Section with respect to a series of Securities and any Interest Payment Date for such series shall mean either the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the first day of a month, or the first day of the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the fifteenth day of a month, whether or not such date is a Business Day.

 

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security of a series delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security of such series shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, that were carried by such other Security.

 

Section 2.04 Execution and Authentication.

 

The Securities shall be signed on behalf of the Company by one of its Officers. Signatures may be in the form of a manual or facsimile signature.

 

The Company may use the facsimile signature of any Person who shall have been an Officer, notwithstanding the fact that at the time the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered or disposed of such Person shall have ceased to be such an officer of the Company. The Securities may contain such notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication by the Trustee.

 

A Security shall not be valid until authenticated manually by an authorized signatory of the Trustee, or by an Authenticating Agent. Such signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, signed by an Officer, and the Trustee in accordance with such written order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.

 

In authenticating such Securities and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the form and terms thereof have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture.

 

The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner that is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

 

 

Section 2.05 Registration of Transfer and Exchange.

 

(a) Securities of any series may be exchanged upon presentation thereof at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, for other Securities of such series of authorized denominations, and for a like aggregate principal amount, upon payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, all as provided in this Section. In respect of any Securities so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange therefor the Security or Securities of the same series that the Securityholder making the exchange shall be entitled to receive, bearing numbers not contemporaneously outstanding.

 

(b) The Company shall keep, or cause to be kept, at its office or agency designated for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, or such other location designated by the Company, a register or registers (herein referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall register the Securities and the transfers of Securities as in this Article provided and which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the Trustee. The registrar for the purpose of registering Securities and transfer of Securities as herein provided shall be appointed as authorized by Board Resolution (the “Security Registrar”).

 

Upon surrender for transfer of any Security at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in the name of the transferee or transferees a new Security or Securities of the same series as the Security presented for a like aggregate principal amount.

 

All Securities presented or surrendered for exchange or registration of transfer, as provided in this Section, shall be accompanied (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) by a written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company or the Security Registrar, duly executed by the registered holder or by such holder’s duly authorized attorney in writing.

 

(c) Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, no service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Securities, or issue of new Securities in case of partial redemption of any series, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 2.06, Section 3.03(b) and Section 9.04 not involving any transfer.

 

(d) The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, exchange or register the transfer of any Securities during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of less than all the Outstanding Securities of the same series and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, nor (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of any series or portions thereof called for redemption, other than the unredeemed portion of any such Securities being redeemed in part. The provisions of this Section 2.05 are, with respect to any Global Security, subject to Section 2.11 hereof.

 

 

Section 2.06 Temporary Securities.

 

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities (printed, lithographed or typewritten) of any authorized denomination. Such temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, but with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for temporary Securities, all as may be determined by the Company. Every temporary Security of any series shall be executed by the Company and be authenticated by the Trustee upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with like effect, as the definitive Securities of such series. Without unnecessary delay the Company will execute and will furnish definitive Securities of such series and thereupon any or all temporary Securities of such series may be surrendered in exchange therefor (without charge to the holders), at the office or agency of the Company designated for the purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, and the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange for such temporary Securities an equal aggregate principal amount of definitive Securities of such series, unless the Company advises the Trustee to the effect that definitive Securities need not be executed and furnished until further notice from the Company. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of such series shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series authenticated and delivered hereunder.

 

Section 2.07 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities.

 

In case any temporary or definitive Security shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company (subject to the next succeeding sentence) shall execute, and upon the Company’s request the Trustee (subject as aforesaid) shall authenticate and deliver, a new Security of the same series, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Security, or in lieu of and in substitution for the Security so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for a substituted Security shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also furnish to the Company and the Trustee evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of the applicant’s Security and of the ownership thereof. The Trustee may authenticate any such substituted Security and deliver the same upon the written request or authorization of any officer of the Company. Upon the issuance of any substituted Security, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

 

In case any Security that has matured or is about to mature shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute Security, pay or authorize the payment of the same (without surrender thereof except in the case of a mutilated Security) if the applicant for such payment shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as they may require to save them harmless, and, in case of destruction, loss or theft, evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee of the destruction, loss or theft of such Security and of the ownership thereof.

 

 

Every replacement Security issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the Company whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be found at any time, or be enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of the same series duly issued hereunder. All Securities shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities, and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) any and all other rights or remedies, notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement or payment of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.

 

Section 2.08 Cancellation.

 

All Securities surrendered for the purpose of payment, redemption, exchange or registration of transfer shall, if surrendered to the Company or any paying agent, be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, or, if surrendered to the Trustee, shall be cancelled by it, and no Securities shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly required or permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture. In the absence of such request the Trustee may dispose of canceled Securities in accordance with its standard procedures and deliver a certificate of disposition to the Company. If the Company shall otherwise acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

Section 2.09 Benefits of Indenture.

 

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and the holders of the Securities any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Indenture, or under any covenant, condition or provision herein contained; all such covenants, conditions and provisions being for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and of the holders of the Securities.

 

Section 2.10 Authenticating Agent.

 

So long as any of the Securities of any series remain Outstanding there may be an Authenticating Agent for any or all such series of Securities which the Trustee shall have the right to appoint. Said Authenticating Agent shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon exchange, transfer or partial redemption thereof, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. All references in this Indenture to the authentication of Securities by the Trustee shall be deemed to include authentication by an Authenticating Agent for such series. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall be a corporation that has a combined capital and surplus, as most recently reported or determined by it, sufficient under the laws of any jurisdiction under which it is organized or in which it is doing business to conduct a trust business, and that is otherwise authorized under such laws to conduct such business and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities. If at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with these provisions, it shall resign immediately.

 

 

Any Authenticating Agent may at any time resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time (and upon request by the Company shall) terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon resignation, termination or cessation of eligibility of any Authenticating Agent, the Trustee may appoint an eligible successor Authenticating Agent acceptable to the Company. Any successor Authenticating Agent, upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder, shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent pursuant hereto.

 

Section 2.11 Global Securities.

 

(a) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.01 that the Securities of a particular series are to be issued as a Global Security, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section 2.04, authenticate and deliver, a Global Security that (i) shall represent, and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of, all of the Outstanding Securities of such series, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect: “Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11 of the Indenture, this Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.”

 

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.05, the Global Security of a series may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the manner provided in Section 2.05, only to another nominee of the Depositary for such series, or to a successor Depositary for such series selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.

 

(c) If at any time the Depositary for a series of the Securities notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such series or if at any time the Depositary for such series shall no longer be registered or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, and a successor Depositary for such series is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be, or if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Company has received a request from the Depositary, this Section 2.11 shall no longer be applicable to the Securities of such series and the Company will execute, and subject to Section 2.04, the Trustee will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. In addition, the Company may at any time determine that the Securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a Global Security and that the provisions of this Section 2.11 shall no longer apply to the Securities of such series. In such event the Company will execute and, subject to Section 2.04, the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officers’ Certificate evidencing such determination by the Company, will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange of the Global Security for such Securities in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, the Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Such Securities in definitive registered form issued in exchange for the Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the Depositary for delivery to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.

 

 

ARTICLE 3

 

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS

 

Section 3.01 Redemption.

 

The Company may redeem the Securities of any series issued hereunder on and after the dates and in accordance with the terms established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.

 

Section 3.02 Notice of Redemption.

 

(a) In case the Company shall desire to exercise such right to redeem all or, as the case may be, a portion of the Securities of any series in accordance with any right the Company reserved for itself to do so pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the Company shall, or shall cause the Trustee to, give notice of such redemption to holders of the Securities of such series to be redeemed by mailing, first class postage prepaid, a notice of such redemption not less than 30 days and not more than 90 days before the date fixed for redemption of that series to such holders at their last addresses as they shall appear upon the Security Register, unless a shorter period is specified in the Securities to be redeemed. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the registered holder receives the notice. In any case, failure duly to give such notice to the holder of any Security of any series designated for redemption in whole or in part, or any defect in the notice, shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Securities of such series or any other series. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers’ Certificate evidencing compliance with any such restriction.

 

Each such notice of redemption shall specify the date fixed for redemption and the redemption price at which Securities of that series are to be redeemed, and shall state that payment of the redemption price of such Securities to be redeemed will be made at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, upon presentation and surrender of such Securities, that interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption will be paid as specified in said notice, that from and after said date interest will cease to accrue and that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case. If less than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the notice to the holders of Securities of that series to be redeemed in part shall specify the particular Securities to be so redeemed.

 

 

In case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice that relates to such Security shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed, and shall state that on and after the redemption date, upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities of such series in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued.

 

(b) If less than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the Company shall give the Trustee at least 45 days’ notice (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) in advance of the date fixed for redemption as to the aggregate principal amount of Securities of the series to be redeemed, and thereupon the Trustee shall select, by lot or in such other manner as it shall deem appropriate and fair in its discretion and that may provide for the selection of a portion or portions (equal to one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of such Securities of a denomination larger than $1,000, the Securities to be redeemed and shall thereafter promptly notify the Company in writing of the numbers of the Securities to be redeemed, in whole or in part. The Company may, if and whenever it shall so elect, by delivery of instructions signed on its behalf by an Officer, instruct the Trustee or any paying agent to call all or any part of the Securities of a particular series for redemption and to give notice of redemption in the manner set forth in this Section, such notice to be in the name of the Company or its own name as the Trustee or such paying agent may deem advisable. In any case in which notice of redemption is to be given by the Trustee or any such paying agent, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to, or permit to remain with, the Trustee or such paying agent, as the case may be, such Security Register, transfer books or other records, or suitable copies or extracts therefrom, sufficient to enable the Trustee or such paying agent to give any notice by mail that may be required under the provisions of this Section.

 

Section 3.03 Payment Upon Redemption.

 

(a) If the giving of notice of redemption shall have been completed as above provided, the Securities or portions of Securities of the series to be redeemed specified in such notice shall become due and payable on the date and at the place stated in such notice at the applicable redemption price, together with interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption and interest on such Securities or portions of Securities shall cease to accrue on and after the date fixed for redemption, unless the Company shall default in the payment of such redemption price and accrued interest with respect to any such Security or portion thereof. On presentation and surrender of such Securities on or after the date fixed for redemption at the place of payment specified in the notice, said Securities shall be paid and redeemed at the applicable redemption price for such series, together with interest accrued thereon to the date fixed for redemption (but if the date fixed for redemption is an interest payment date, the interest installment payable on such date shall be payable to the registered holder at the close of business on the applicable record date pursuant to Section 2.03).

 

(b) Upon presentation of any Security of such series that is to be redeemed in part only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and the office or agency where the Security is presented shall deliver to the holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security of the same series of authorized denominations in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Security so presented.

 

 

Section 3.04 Sinking Fund.

 

The provisions of Sections 3.04, 3.05 and 3.06 shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.01 for Securities of such series.

 

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment,” and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment”. If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 3.05. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series.

 

Section 3.05 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.

 

The Company (i) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series and (ii) may apply as a credit Securities of a series that have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such series, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the redemption price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.

 

Section 3.06 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.

 

Not less than 45 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of the series, the portion thereof, if any, that is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 3.05 and the basis for such credit and will, together with such Officers’ Certificate, deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.02 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.02. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Section 3.03.

 

 

ARTICLE 4

 

COVENANTS

 

Section 4.01 Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.

 

The Company will duly and punctually pay or cause to be paid the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities of that series at the time and place and in the manner provided herein and established with respect to such Securities.

 

Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.

 

So long as any series of the Securities remain Outstanding, the Company agrees to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, with respect to each such series and at such other location or locations as may be designated as provided in this Section 4.02, where (i) Securities of that series may be presented for payment, (ii) Securities of that series may be presented as herein above authorized for registration of transfer and exchange, and (iii) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be given or served, such designation to continue with respect to such office or agency until the Company shall, by written notice signed by any officer authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate and delivered to the Trustee, designate some other office or agency for such purposes or any of them. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, notices and demands. The Company initially appoints the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee located in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York as its paying agent with respect to the Securities.

 

Section 4.03 Paying Agents.

 

(a) If the Company shall appoint one or more paying agents for all or any series of the Securities, other than the Trustee, the Company will cause each such paying agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section:

 

(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series (whether such sums have been paid to it by the Company or by any other obligor of such Securities) in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto;

 

 

(2) that it will give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company (or by any other obligor of such Securities) to make any payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series when the same shall be due and payable;

 

(3) that it will, at any time during the continuance of any failure referred to in the preceding paragraph (a)(2) above, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such paying agent; and

 

(4) that it will perform all other duties of paying agent as set forth in this Indenture.

 

(b) If the Company shall act as its own paying agent with respect to any series of the Securities, it will on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on Securities of that series, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay such principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due on Securities of that series until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of such action, or any failure (by it or any other obligor on such Securities) to take such action. Whenever the Company shall have one or more paying agents for any series of Securities, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with the paying agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such paying agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of this action or failure so to act.

 

(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, (i) the agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section is subject to the provisions of Section 11.05, and (ii) the Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or direct any paying agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such paying agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same terms and conditions as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such paying agent; and, upon such payment by the Company or any paying agent to the Trustee, the Company or such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

 

 

Section 4.04 Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of Trustee.

 

The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.10, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.

 

Section 4.05 Compliance with Consolidation Provisions.

 

The Company will not, while any of the Securities remain Outstanding, consolidate with or merge into any other Person, in either case where the Company is not the survivor of such transaction, or sell or convey all or substantially all of its property to any other Person unless the provisions of Article Ten hereof are complied with.

 

ARTICLE 5

 

SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE

 

Section 5.01 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Securityholders.

 

The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee (a) within 15 days after each regular record date (as defined in Section 2.03) a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the holders of each series of Securities as of such regular record date, provided that the Company shall not be obligated to furnish or cause to furnish such list at any time that the list shall not differ in any respect from the most recent list furnished to the Trustee by the Company and (b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided, however, that, in either case, no such list need be furnished for any series for which the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar.

 

Section 5.02 Preservation Of Information; Communications With Securityholders.

 

(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the holders of Securities contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 and as to the names and addresses of holders of Securities received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar (if acting in such capacity).

 

(b) The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

 

(c) Securityholders may communicate as provided in Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and, in connection with any such communications, the Trustee shall satisfy its obligations under Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the provisions of Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

 

Section 5.03 Reports by the Company.

 

The Company covenants and agrees to provide a copy to the Trustee, after the Company files the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Securities and Exchange Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) that the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to deliver to the Trustee any materials for which the Company has sought and received confidential treatment by the SEC. The Company shall also comply with the requirements of Section 314 of the Trust Indenture Act, but only to the extent then applicable to the Company.

 

Section 5.04 Reports by the Trustee.

 

(a) On or before July 1 in each year in which any of the Securities are Outstanding, the Trustee shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register, a brief report dated as of the preceding May 1, if and to the extent required under Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

(b) The Trustee shall comply with Section 313(b) and 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Securityholders, be filed by the Trustee with the Company, with each securities exchange upon which any Securities are listed (if so listed) and also with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company agrees to notify the Trustee when any Securities become listed on any securities exchange.

 

ARTICLE 6

 

REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS ON EVENT OF DEFAULT

 

Section 6.01 Events of Default.

 

(a) Whenever used herein with respect to Securities of a particular series, “Event of Default” means any one or more of the following events that has occurred and is continuing:

 

(1) the Company defaults in the payment of any installment of interest upon any of the Securities of that series, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by the Company in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose;

 

 

(2) the Company defaults in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of that series as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such Securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any;

 

(3) the Company fails to observe or perform any other of its covenants or agreements with respect to that series contained in this Indenture or otherwise established with respect to that series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof (other than a covenant or agreement that has been expressly included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of Securities other than such series) for a period of 90 days after the date on which written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder, shall have been given to the Company by the Trustee, by registered or certified mail, or to the Company and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities of that series at the time Outstanding;

 

(4) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law (i) commences a voluntary case, (ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case, (iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property or (iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or

 

(5) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order under any Bankruptcy Law that (i) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case, (ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company for all or substantially all of its property or (iii) orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days.

 

(b) In each and every such case (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (4) or clause (5) above), unless the principal of all the Securities of that series shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Securityholders), may declare the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of that series to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become and shall be immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in clause (4) or clause (5) above occurs, the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of that series shall automatically be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or the holders of the Securities.

 

 

(c) At any time after the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities of that series shall have been so declared due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if: (i) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest upon all the Securities of that series and the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any and all Securities of that series that shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent that such payment is enforceable under applicable law, upon overdue installments of interest, at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of that series to the date of such payment or deposit) and the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06, and (ii) any and all Events of Default under the Indenture with respect to such series, other than the nonpayment of principal on (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on Securities of that series that shall not have become due by their terms, shall have been remedied or waived as provided in Section 6.06.

 

No such rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

(d) In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right with respect to Securities of that series under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of such rescission or annulment or for any other reason or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceedings, the Company and the Trustee shall be restored respectively to their former positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Company and the Trustee shall continue as though no such proceedings had been taken.

 

Section 6.02 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

 

(a) The Company covenants that (i) in case it shall default in the payment of any installment of interest on any of the Securities of a series, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series as and when the same shall have become due and payable, and such default shall have continued for a period of 90 Business Days, or (ii) in case it shall default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of a series when the same shall have become due and payable, whether upon maturity of the Securities of a series or upon redemption or upon declaration or otherwise then, upon demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Securities of that series, the whole amount that then shall have been become due and payable on all such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) or interest, or both, as the case may be, with interest upon the overdue principal (and premium, if any) and (to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law) upon overdue installments of interest at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of that series; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, and the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06.

 

(b) If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceedings at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or other obligor upon the Securities of that series and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law or equity out of the property of the Company or other obligor upon the Securities of that series, wherever situated.

 

 

(c) In case of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, readjustment, arrangement, composition or judicial proceedings affecting the Company, or its creditors or property, the Trustee shall have power to intervene in such proceedings and take any action therein that may be permitted by the court and shall (except as may be otherwise provided by law) be entitled to file such proofs of claim and other papers and documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and of the holders of Securities of such series allowed for the entire amount due and payable by the Company under the Indenture at the date of institution of such proceedings and for any additional amount that may become due and payable by the Company after such date, and to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claim, and to distribute the same after the deduction of the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization is hereby authorized by each of the holders of Securities of such series to make such payments to the Trustee, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to such Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it under Section 7.06.

 

(d) All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or under any of the terms established with respect to Securities of that series, may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of such Securities, or the production thereof at any trial or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for payment to the Trustee of any amounts due under Section 7.06, be for the ratable benefit of the holders of the Securities of such series.

 

In case of an Event of Default hereunder, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any of such rights, either at law or in equity or in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in the Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.

 

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities of that series or the rights of any holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such proceeding.

 

 

Section 6.03 Application of Moneys or Property Collected.

 

Any moneys or property collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article with respect to a particular series of Securities shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such moneys or property on account of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Securities of that series, and notation thereon of the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

 

FIRST: To the payment of reasonable costs and expenses of collection and of all amounts payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06;

 

SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon Securities of such series for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and

 

THIRD: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or any other Person lawfully entitled thereto as requested by the Company.

 

Section 6.04 Limitation on Suits.

 

No holder of any Security of any series shall have any right by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any suit, action or proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to this Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless (i) such holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance thereof with respect to the Securities of such series specifying such Event of Default, as hereinbefore provided; (ii) the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action, suit or proceeding in its own name as Trustee hereunder; (iii) such holder or holders shall have offered to the Trustee such reasonable indemnity as it may require against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred therein or thereby; (iv) the Trustee for 90 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity, shall have failed to institute any such action, suit or proceeding and (v) during such 90 day period, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of that series do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.

 

Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary or any other provisions of this Indenture, the right of any holder of any Security to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Security, as therein provided, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security (or in the case of redemption, on the redemption date), or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates or redemption date, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such holder and by accepting a Security hereunder it is expressly understood, intended and covenanted by the taker and holder of every Security of such series with every other such taker and holder and the Trustee, that no one or more holders of Securities of such series shall have any right in any manner whatsoever by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of the holders of any other of such Securities, or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other such holder, or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all holders of Securities of such series. For the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and every Securityholder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be given either at law or in equity.

 

 

Section 6.05 Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

 

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.07, all powers and remedies given by this Article to the Trustee or to the Securityholders shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any other powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the holders of the Securities, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the performance or observance of the covenants and agreements contained in this Indenture or otherwise established with respect to such Securities.

 

(b) No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any holder of any of the Securities to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Event of Default occurring and continuing as aforesaid shall impair any such right or power, or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such default or an acquiescence therein; and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.04, every power and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or the Securityholders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Securityholders.

 

Section 6.06 Control by Securityholders.

 

The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding, determined in accordance with Section 8.04, shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to such series; provided, however, that such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture. Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer or officers of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed, subject to the Trustee’s duties under the Trust Indenture Act, would involve the Trustee in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the Securityholders not involved in the proceeding. The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding affected thereby, determined in accordance with Section 8.04, may on behalf of the holders of all of the Securities of such series waive any past default in the performance of any of the covenants contained herein or established pursuant to Section 2.01 with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any of the Securities of that series as and when the same shall become due by the terms of such Securities otherwise than by acceleration (unless such default has been cured and a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest and principal and any premium has been deposited with the Trustee (in accordance with Section 6.01(c)). Upon any such waiver, the default covered thereby shall be deemed to be cured for all purposes of this Indenture and the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Securities of such series shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

 

Section 6.07 Undertaking to Pay Costs.

 

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any Securities by such holder’s acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Securityholder, or group of Securityholders, holding more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Securityholder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security of such series, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security or established pursuant to this Indenture.

 

ARTICLE 7

 

CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE

 

Section 7.01 Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.

 

(a) The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing of all Events of Default with respect to the Securities of that series that may have occurred, shall undertake to perform with respect to the Securities of such series such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. In case an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series has occurred (that has not been cured or waived), the Trustee shall exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

 

 

(b) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:

 

(i) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default with respect to that series that may have occurred:

 

(A) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of such series be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to the Securities of such series except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

 

(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee may with respect to the Securities of such series conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirement of this Indenture;

 

(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

 

(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series; and

 

(iv) None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if there is reasonable ground for believing that the repayment of such funds or liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of this Indenture or adequate indemnity against such risk is not reasonably assured to it.

 

Section 7.02 Certain Rights of Trustee.

 

Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01:

 

(a) The Trustee may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, security or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

 

 

(b) Any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution or an instrument signed in the name of the Company by any authorized officer of the Company (unless other evidence in respect thereof is specifically prescribed herein);

 

(c) The Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or suffered or omitted hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

 

(d) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Securityholders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that may be incurred therein or thereby; nothing contained herein shall, however, relieve the Trustee of the obligation, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to a series of the Securities (that has not been cured or waived), to exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and to use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs;

 

(e) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;

 

(f) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, security, or other papers or documents, unless requested in writing so to do by the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of the particular series affected thereby (determined as provided in Section 8.04); provided, however, that if the payment within a reasonable time to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or liabilities likely to be incurred by it in the making of such investigation is, in the opinion of the Trustee, not reasonably assured to the Trustee by the security afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee may require reasonable indemnity against such costs, expenses or liabilities as a condition to so proceeding. The reasonable expense of every such examination shall be paid by the Company or, if paid by the Trustee, shall be repaid by the Company upon demand; and

 

(g) The Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.

 

In addition, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default except (1) any Event of Default occurring pursuant to Sections 6.01(a)(1), 6.01(a)(2) and 4.01 hereof or (2) any Default or Event of Default of which the Trustee shall have received written notification in the manner set forth in this Indenture or a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have obtained actual knowledge. Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee under Section 5.03 is for informational purposes only and the information and the Trustee’s receipt of the foregoing shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein, or determinable from information contained therein including the Company’s compliance with any of their covenants thereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely conclusively on an Officers’ Certificate).

 

 

Section 7.03 Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance or Securities.

 

(a) The recitals contained herein and in the Securities shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the same.

 

(b) The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities.

 

(c) The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any of the Securities or of the proceeds of such Securities, or for the use or application of any moneys paid over by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture or established pursuant to Section 2.01, or for the use or application of any moneys received by any paying agent other than the Trustee.

 

Section 7.04 May Hold Securities.

 

The Trustee or any paying agent or Security Registrar, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, paying agent or Security Registrar.

 

Section 7.05 Moneys Held in Trust.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 11.05, all moneys received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any moneys received by it hereunder except such as it may agree with the Company to pay thereon.

 

Section 7.06 Compensation and Reimbursement.

 

(a) The Company covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee, and the Trustee shall be entitled to, such reasonable compensation (which shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust) as the Company and the Trustee may from time to time agree in writing, for all services rendered by it in the execution of the trusts hereby created and in the exercise and performance of any of the powers and duties hereunder of the Trustee, and, except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the Company will pay or reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its counsel and of all Persons not regularly in its employ), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may arise from its negligence or bad faith and except as the Company and Trustee may from time to time agree in writing. The Company also covenants to indemnify the Trustee (and its officers, agents, directors and employees) for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust, including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim of liability in the premises.

 

 

(b) The obligations of the Company under this Section to compensate and indemnify the Trustee and to pay or reimburse the Trustee for reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances shall constitute additional indebtedness hereunder. Such additional indebtedness shall be secured by a lien prior to that of the Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the benefit of the holders of particular Securities.

 

Section 7.07 Reliance on Officers’ Certificate.

 

Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01, whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it reasonably necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee and such certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.

 

Section 7.08 Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.

 

If the Trustee has or shall acquire any “conflicting interest” within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee and the Company shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

Section 7.09 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.

 

There shall at all times be a Trustee with respect to the Securities issued hereunder which shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or any state or territory thereof or of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or other Person permitted to act as trustee by the Securities and Exchange Commission, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least fifty million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000), and subject to supervision or examination by federal, state, territorial, or District of Columbia authority.

 

 

If such corporation or other Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation or other Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. The Company may not, nor may any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company, serve as Trustee. In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 7.10.

 

Section 7.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

 

(a) The Trustee or any successor hereafter appointed may at any time resign with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company and by transmitting notice of resignation by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Securityholders of such series, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register.

 

Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor trustee. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 30 days after the mailing of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series, or any Securityholder of that series who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.

 

(b) In case at any time any one of the following shall occur:

 

(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of Section 7.08 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months; or

 

(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.09 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Securityholder; or

 

 

(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or commence a voluntary bankruptcy proceeding, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or consented to, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation; then, in any such case, the Company may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may, on behalf of that holder and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.

 

(c) The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding may at any time remove the Trustee with respect to such series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company and may appoint a successor Trustee for such series with the consent of the Company.

 

(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of a series pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section shall become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 7.11.

 

(e) Any successor trustee appointed pursuant to this Section may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more series or all of such series, and at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series.

 

Section 7.11 Acceptance of Appointment By Successor.

 

(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all the rights, powers, and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.

 

 

(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates, (ii) shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust, that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee and that no Trustee shall be responsible for any act or failure to act on the part of any other Trustee hereunder; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein, such retiring Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates have no further responsibility for the exercise of rights and powers or for the performance of the duties and obligations vested in the Trustee under this Indenture, and each such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor trustee, to the extent contemplated by such supplemental indenture, the property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates.

 

(c) Upon request of any such successor trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.

 

(d) No successor trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

 

(e) Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this Section, the Company shall transmit notice of the succession of such trustee hereunder by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. If the Company fails to transmit such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be transmitted at the expense of the Company.

 

Section 7.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.

 

Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided that such corporation shall be qualified under the provisions of Section 7.08 and eligible under the provisions of Section 7.09, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

 

 

Section 7.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company.

 

The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, excluding any creditor relationship described in Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act. A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent included therein.

 

Section 7.14 Notice of Default

 

If any Default or any Event of Default occurs and is continuing and if such Default or Event of Default is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act notice of the Default or Event of Default within 45 days after it occurs and becomes known to the Trustee, unless such Default or Event of Default has been cured; provided, however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or Responsible

 

Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Securityholders.

 

ARTICLE 8

 

CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS

 

Section 8.01 Evidence of Action by Securityholders.

 

Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of a majority or specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action the holders of such majority or specified percentage of that series have joined therein may be evidenced by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by such holders of Securities of that series in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing.

 

If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders of any series any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an Officers’ Certificate, fix in advance a record date for such series for the determination of Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be given before or after the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for the purposes of determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Securities of that series have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities of that series shall be computed as of the record date; provided, however, that no such authorization, agreement or consent by such Securityholders on the record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.

 

 

Section 8.02 Proof of Execution by Securityholders.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, proof of the execution of any instrument by a Securityholder (such proof will not require notarization) or his agent or proxy and proof of the holding by any Person of any of the Securities shall be sufficient if made in the following manner:

 

(a) The fact and date of the execution by any such Person of any instrument may be proved in any reasonable manner acceptable to the Trustee.

 

(b) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register of such Securities or by a certificate of the Security Registrar thereof.

 

The Trustee may require such additional proof of any matter referred to in this Section as it shall deem necessary.

 

Section 8.03 Who May be Deemed Owners.

 

Prior to the due presentment for registration of transfer of any Security, the Company, the Trustee, any paying agent and any Security Registrar may deem and treat the Person in whose name such Security shall be registered upon the books of the Company as the absolute owner of such Security (whether or not such Security shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notice of ownership or writing thereon made by anyone other than the Security Registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of, premium, if any, and (subject to Section 2.03) interest on such Security and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any paying agent nor any Security Registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

Section 8.04 Certain Securities Owned by Company Disregarded.

 

In determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Securities of a particular series have concurred in any direction, consent or waiver under this Indenture, the Securities of that series that are owned by the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination, except that for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent or waiver, only Securities of such series that the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. The Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding for the purposes of this Section, if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not a Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other obligor. In case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee.

 

 

Section 8.05 Actions Binding on Future Securityholders.

 

At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any action by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any holder of a Security of that series that is shown by the evidence to be included in the Securities the holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee, and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Security. Except as aforesaid any such action taken by the holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future holders and owners of such Security, and of any Security issued in exchange therefor, on registration of transfer thereof or in place thereof, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Security. Any action taken by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this

 

Indenture in connection with such action shall be conclusively binding upon the Company, the Trustee and the holders of all the Securities of that series.

 

ARTICLE 9

 

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

 

Section 9.01 Supplemental Indentures Without the Consent of Securityholders.

 

In addition to any supplemental indenture otherwise authorized by this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect), without the consent of the Securityholders, for one or more of the following purposes:

 

(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect, or inconsistency herein or in the Securities of any series;

 

(b) to comply with Article Ten;

 

(c) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities and to make all appropriate changes for such purpose;

 

 

(d) to add to the covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions relating to the Company for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series), to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;

 

(e) to add to, delete from, or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication, and delivery of Securities, as herein set forth;

 

(f) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder in any material respect;

 

(g) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the Securities of any series as provided in Section 2.01, to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or any series of Securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of Securities;

 

(h) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee; or

 

(i) to comply with any requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor in connection with the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.

 

The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

 

Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the holders of any of the Securities at the time Outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 9.02.

 

 

Section 9.02 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders.

 

With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 8.01) of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture or indentures at the time Outstanding, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect) for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner not covered by Section 9.01 the rights of the holders of the Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the holders of each Security then Outstanding and affected thereby, (a) extend the fixed maturity of any Securities of any series, or reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest thereon, or reduce any premium payable upon the redemption thereof or (b) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture.

 

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders of any series affected thereby under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.

 

Section 9.03 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

 

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.01, this Indenture shall, with respect to such series, be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the holders of Securities of the series affected thereby shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.

 

Section 9.04 Securities Affected by Supplemental Indentures.

 

Securities of any series affected by a supplemental indenture, authenticated and delivered after the execution of such supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.01, may bear a notation in form approved by the Company, provided such form meets the requirements of any securities exchange upon which such series may be listed, as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of that series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee and delivered in exchange for the Securities of that series then Outstanding.

 

 

Section 9.05 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

 

Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by its Board Resolutions authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Security holders required to consent thereto as aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion but shall not be obligated to enter into such supplemental indenture. The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, will be entitled to receive and will be fully protected in relying upon an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article is authorized or permitted by, and conforms to, the terms of this Article and that it is proper for the Trustee under the provisions of this Article to join in the execution thereof; provided, however, that such Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel need not be provided in connection with the execution of a supplemental indenture that establishes the terms of a series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.

 

Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the Trustee shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, a notice, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture, to the Securityholders of all series affected thereby as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. Any failure of the Trustee to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.

 

ARTICLE 10

 

SUCCESSOR ENTITY

 

Section 10.01 Company May Consolidate, Etc.

 

Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, nothing contained in this Indenture shall prevent any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company) or successive consolidations or mergers in which the Company or its successor or successors shall be a party or parties, or shall prevent any sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of the property of the Company or its successor or successors as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to any other corporation (whether or not affiliated with the Company or its successor or successors) authorized to acquire and operate the same; provided, however, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that, upon any such consolidation or merger (in each case, if the Company is not the survivor of such transaction), sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, the due and punctual payment of the principal of (premium, if any) and interest on all of the Securities of all series in accordance with the terms of each series, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and observance of all the covenants and conditions of this Indenture with respect to each series or established with respect to such series pursuant to Section 2.01 to be kept or performed by the Company shall be expressly assumed, by supplemental indenture (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, as then in effect) reasonably satisfactory in form to the Trustee executed and delivered to the Trustee by the entity formed by such consolidation, or into which the Company shall have been merged, or by the entity which shall have acquired such property.

 

 

Section 10.02 Successor Entity Substituted.

 

(a) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition and upon the assumption by the successor entity by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the obligations set forth under Section 10.01 on all of the Securities of all series Outstanding, such successor entity shall succeed to and be substituted for the Company with the same effect as if it had been named as the Company herein, and thereupon the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

 

(b) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, such changes in phraseology and form (but not in substance) may be made in the Securities thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.

 

(c) Nothing contained in this Article shall require any action by the Company in the case of a consolidation or merger of any Person into the Company where the Company is the survivor of such transaction, or the acquisition by the Company, by purchase or otherwise, of all or any part of the property of any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company).

 

Section 10.03 Evidence of Consolidation, Etc. to Trustee.

 

The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, may receive an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, and any such assumption, comply with the provisions of this Article.

 

ARTICLE 11

 

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

 

Section 11.01 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

 

If at any time: (a) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee for cancellation all Securities of a series theretofore authenticated and not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (other than any Securities that shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that shall have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.07 and Securities for whose payment money or Governmental Obligations have theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereupon repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 11.05); or (b) all such Securities of a particular series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation shall have become due and payable, or are by their terms to become due and payable within one year or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption, and the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds the entire amount in moneys or Governmental Obligations or a combination thereof, sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay at maturity or upon redemption all Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder with respect to such series by the Company then this Indenture shall thereupon cease to be of further effect with respect to such series except for the provisions of Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.07, 4.01, 4.02, 4.03 and 7.10, that shall survive until the date of maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, and Sections 7.06 and 11.05, that shall survive to such date and thereafter, and the Trustee, on demand of the Company and at the cost and expense of the Company shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction of and discharging this Indenture with respect to such series.

 

 

Section 11.02 Discharge of Obligations.

 

If at any time all such Securities of a particular series not heretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation or that have not become due and payable as described in Section 11.01 shall have been paid by the Company by depositing irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds moneys or an amount of Governmental Obligations sufficient to pay at maturity or upon redemption all such Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company with respect to such series, then after the date such moneys or Governmental Obligations, as the case may be, are deposited with the Trustee the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to such series shall cease to be of further effect except for the provisions of Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.07, 4,01, 4.02, 4,03, 7.05, 7.10 and 11.05 hereof that shall survive until such Securities shall mature and be paid.

 

Thereafter, Sections 7.06 and 11.05 shall survive.

 

Section 11.03 Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust.

 

All moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Sections 11.01 or 11.02 shall be held in trust and shall be available for payment as due, either directly or through any paying agent (including the Company acting as its own paying agent), to the holders of the particular series of Securities for the payment or redemption of which such moneys or Governmental Obligations have been deposited with the Trustee.

 

Section 11.04 Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents.

 

In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture all moneys or Governmental Obligations then held by any paying agent under the provisions of this Indenture shall, upon demand of the Company, be paid to the Trustee and thereupon such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations.

 

 

Section 11.05 Repayment to Company.

 

Any moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with any paying agent or the Trustee, or then held by the Company, in trust for payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of a particular series that are not applied but remain unclaimed by the holders of such Securities for at least two years after the date upon which the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such Securities shall have respectively become due and payable, or such other shorter period set forth in applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law, shall be repaid to the Company on May 31 of each year or upon the Company’s request or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and thereupon the paying agent and the Trustee shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations, and the holder of any of the Securities entitled to receive such payment shall thereafter, as a general creditor, look only to the Company for the payment thereof.

 

ARTICLE 12

 

IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

 

Section 12.01 No Recourse.

 

No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of this Indenture, or of any Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, past, present or future as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any such predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that this Indenture and the obligations issued hereunder are solely corporate obligations, and that no such personal liability whatever shall attach to, or is or shall be incurred by, the incorporators, stockholders, officers or directors as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, or any of them, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom; and that any and all such personal liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by constitution or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such incorporator, stockholder, officer or director as such, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of such Securities.

 

 

ARTICLE 13

 

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

Section 13.01 Effect on Successors and Assigns.

 

All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture made by or on behalf of the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

 

Section 13.02 Actions by Successor.

 

Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or officer of the Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the corresponding board, committee or officer of any corporation that shall at the time be the lawful successor of the Company.

 

Section 13.03 Surrender of Company Powers.

 

The Company by instrument in writing executed by authority of its Board of Directors and delivered to the Trustee may surrender any of the powers reserved to the Company, and thereupon such power so surrendered shall terminate both as to the Company and as to any successor corporation.

 

Section 13.04 Notices.

 

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, any notice, request or demand that by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be given, made or served by the Trustee or by the holders of Securities or by any other Person pursuant to this Indenture to or on the Company may be given or served by being deposited in first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Trustee), as follows: 9 North West Fourth Ring Road, Yingu Mansion Ste 1708, Haidian District, Beijing F4 100190, with a copy to Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC, 1450 Broadway, 26^th Floor, New York, NY 10018, Attn: Joan Wu, Esq. Any notice, election, request or demand by the Company or any Securityholder or by any other Person pursuant to this Indenture to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or made in writing at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

 

Section 13.05 Governing Law.

 

This Indenture and each Security shall be deemed to be a contract made under the internal laws of the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be construed in accordance with the laws of said State, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.

 

 

Section 13.06 Treatment of Securities as Debt.

 

It is intended that the Securities will be treated as indebtedness and not as equity for federal income tax purposes. The provisions of this Indenture shall be interpreted to further this intention.

 

Section 13.07 Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent.

 

(a) Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture (other than the certificate to be delivered pursuant to Section 13.13) relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

 

(b) Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant in this Indenture shall include (i) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; (iii) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he has made such examination or investigation as is reasonably necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

 

Section 13.08 Payments on Business Days.

 

Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, in any case where the date of maturity of interest or principal of any Security or the date of redemption of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the nominal date of maturity or redemption, and no interest shall accrue for the period after such nominal date.

 

Section 13.09 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.

 

If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties shall control.

 

 

Section 13.10 Indenture and Securities Solely Corporate Obligations.

 

No recourse for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Securities, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company in this Indenture or in any supplemental indenture or in any Security, or because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, shareholder, employee, agent, officer, director or subsidiary, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor entity, either directly or through the Company or any successor entity, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute, or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of the Securities.

 

Section 13.11 Counterparts.

 

This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

Section 13.12 Separability.

 

In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Indenture or in the Securities of any series shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of such Securities, but this Indenture and such Securities shall be construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.

 

Section 13.13 Compliance Certificates.

 

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year during which any Securities of any series were outstanding, a compliance certificate stating whether or not the signer knows of any Default or Event of Default that occurred during such fiscal year. Such certificate shall contain a certification from the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer of the Company that a review has been conducted of the activities of the Company and the Company’s performance under this Indenture and that the Company has complied with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture. For purposes of this Section 13.13, such compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under this Indenture. If the officer of the Company signing such certificate has knowledge of such a Default or Event of Default, the certificate shall describe any such Default or Event of Default and its status.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.

 

	SOS LIMITED
	By:
	Name:
	Title:
	[TRUSTEE], as Trustee
	By:
	Name:
	Title:

 

 

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE (1)

 

Section of Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as Amended		Section of Indenture
310(a)		7.09
310(b)		7.08
		7.10
310(c)		Inapplicable
311(a)		7.13
311(b)		7.13
311(c)		Inapplicable
312(a)		5.01
		5.02(a)
312(b)		5.02(c)
312(c)		5.02(c)
313(a)		5.04(a)
313(b)		5.04(b)
313(c)		5.04(a)
		5.04(b)
313(d)		5.04(c)
314(a)		5.03
		13.12
314(b)		Inapplicable
314(c)		13.07(a)
314(d)		Inapplicable
314(e)		13.07(b)
314(f)		Inapplicable
315(a)		7.01(a)
		7.01(b)
315(b)		7.14
315(c)		7.01
315(d)		7.01(b)
315(e)		6.07
316(a)		6.06
		8.04
316(b)		6.04
316(c)		8.01
317(a)		6.02
317(b)		4.03
318(a)		13.09

 

(1)

This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions.

 

 

47

Exhibit 4.6

 

 

SOS LIMITED

 

Issuer

 

 

 

AND

 

 

 

[TRUSTEE]

 

Trustee

 

  

INDENTURE

 

Dated as of [●], 20[●]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subordinated Debt Securities

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS		1
Section 1.01	Definitions of Terms.	1
ARTICLE 2 ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES		4
Section 2.01	Designation and Terms of Securities.	4
Section 2.02	Form of Securities and Trustee’s Certificate.	6
Section 2.03	Denominations: Provisions for Payment.	6
Section 2.04	Execution and Authentication.	8
Section 2.05	Registration of Transfer and Exchange.	8
Section 2.06	Temporary Securities.	9
Section 2.07	Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities.	10
Section 2.08	Cancellation.	10
Section 2.09	Benefits of Indenture.	10
Section 2.10	Authenticating Agent.	11
Section 2.11	Global Securities.	11
ARTICLE 3 REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS		12
Section 3.01	Redemption.	12
Section 3.02	Notice of Redemption.	12
Section 3.03	Payment Upon Redemption.	13
Section 3.04	Sinking Fund.	14
Section 3.05	Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.	14
Section 3.06	Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.	14
ARTICLE 4 COVENANTS		14
Section 4.01	Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.	14
Section 4.02	Maintenance of Office or Agency.	15
Section 4.03	Paying Agents.	15
Section 4.04	Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of Trustee.	16
Section 4.05	Compliance with Consolidation Provisions.	16
ARTICLE 5 SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE		16
Section 5.01	Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Securityholders.	16
Section 5.02	Preservation Of Information; Communications With Securityholders.	16
Section 5.03	Reports by the Company.	17
Section 5.04	Reports by the Trustee.	17

 

 

ARTICLE 6 REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS ON EVENT OF DEFAULT		17
Section 6.01	Events of Default.	17
Section 6.02	Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.	19
Section 6.03	Application of Moneys or Property Collected.	20
Section 6.04	Limitation on Suits.	20
Section 6.05	Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver.	21
Section 6.06	Control by Securityholders.	21
Section 6.07	Undertaking to Pay Costs.	22
ARTICLE 7 CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE		22
Section 7.01	Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.	22
Section 7.02	Certain Rights of Trustee.	23
Section 7.03	Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance or Securities.	24
Section 7.04	May Hold Securities.	24
Section 7.05	Moneys Held in Trust.	25
Section 7.06	Compensation and Reimbursement.	25
Section 7.07	Reliance on Officers’ Certificate.	25
Section 7.08	Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.	25
Section 7.09	Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.	26
Section 7.10	Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.	26
Section 7.11	Acceptance of Appointment By Successor.	27
Section 7.12	Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.	28
Section 7.13	Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company.	28
Section 7.14	Notice of Default	28
ARTICLE 8 CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS		29
Section 8.01	Evidence of Action by Securityholders.	29
Section 8.02	Proof of Execution by Securityholders.	29
Section 8.03	Who May be Deemed Owners.	29
Section 8.04	Certain Securities Owned by Company Disregarded.	30
Section 8.05	Actions Binding on Future Securityholders.	30
ARTICLE 9 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES		30
Section 9.01	Supplemental Indentures Without the Consent of Securityholders.	30
Section 9.02	Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders.	31
Section 9.03	Effect of Supplemental Indentures.	32
Section 9.04	Securities Affected by Supplemental Indentures.	32
Section 9.05	Execution of Supplemental Indentures.	32
ARTICLE 10 SUCCESSOR ENTITY		33
Section 10.01	Company May Consolidate, Etc.	33
Section 10.02	Successor Entity Substituted.	33
Section 10.03	Evidence of Consolidation, Etc. to Trustee.	33

 

 

ARTICLE 11 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE		34
Section 11.01	Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.	34
Section 11.02	Discharge of Obligations.	34
Section 11.03	Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust.	34
Section 11.04	Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents.	35
Section 11.05	Repayment to Company.	35
ARTICLE 12 IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, SHAREHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS		35
Section 12.01	No Recourse.	35
ARTICLE 13 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS		36
Section 13.01	Effect on Successors and Assigns.	36
Section 13.02	Actions by Successor.	36
Section 13.03	Surrender of Company Powers.	36
Section 13.04	Notices.	36
Section 13.05	Governing Law.	36
Section 13.06	Treatment of Securities as Debt.	36
Section 13.07	Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent.	36
Section 13.08	Payments on Business Days.	37
Section 13.09	Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.	37
Section 13.10	Indenture and Securities Solely Corporate Obligations.	37
Section 13.11	Counterparts.	37
Section 13.12	Separability.	38
Section 13.13	Compliance Certificates.	38
ARTICLE 14 SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES		38
Section 14.01	Subordination Terms.	38

 

(1)

This Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions.

 

 

INDENTURE

 

INDENTURE, dated as of [●], 20[●], among SOS Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), and [TRUSTEE], as trustee (the “Trustee”).

 

WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance of subordinated debt securities (hereinafter referred to as the “Securities”), in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued from time to time in one or more series as in this Indenture provided, as registered Securities without coupons, to be authenticated by the certificate of the Trustee;

 

WHEREAS, to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the execution of this Indenture; and

 

WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed as follows for the equal and ratable benefit of the holders of Securities:

 

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.01 Definitions of Terms.

 

The terms defined in this Section (except as in this Indenture or any indenture supplemental hereto otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section and shall include the plural as well as the singular. All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined in the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or that are by reference in such Act defined in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (except as herein or any indenture supplemental hereto otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires), shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in said Trust Indenture Act and in said Securities Act as in force at the date of the execution of this instrument.

 

“Authenticating Agent” means an authenticating agent with respect to all or any of the series of Securities appointed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.10.

 

“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

 

“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of such Board.

 

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification.

 

“Business Day” means, with respect to any series of Securities, any day other than a day on which federal or state banking institutions in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, or in the city of the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, are authorized or obligated by law, executive order or regulation to close.

 

 

“Certificate” means a certificate signed by any Officer. The Certificate need not comply with the provisions of Section 13.07.

 

“Company” means SOS Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company, and, subject to the provisions of Article Ten, shall also include its successors and assigns.

 

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at .

 

“Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

 

“Default” means any event, act or condition that with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.

 

“Depositary” means, with respect to Securities of any series for which the Company shall determine that such Securities will be issued as a Global Security, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, another clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or other applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case, shall be designated by the Company pursuant to either Section 2.01 or 2.11.

 

“Event of Default” means, with respect to Securities of a particular series, any event specified in Section 6.01, continued for the period of time, if any, therein designated.

 

“Global Security” means, with respect to any series of Securities, a Security executed by the Company and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, all in accordance with the Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee.

 

“Governmental Obligations” means securities that are (a) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America that, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof at any time prior to the stated maturity of the Securities, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such Governmental Obligation or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such Governmental Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt; provided, however, that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Governmental Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the Governmental Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.

 

“herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and other words of similar import, refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

 

“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

 

“Interest Payment Date”, when used with respect to any installment of interest on a Security of a particular series, means the date specified in such Security or in a Board Resolution or in an indenture supplemental hereto with respect to such series as the fixed date on which an installment of interest with respect to Securities of that series is due and payable.

 

“Officer” means, with respect to the Company, the chairman of the Board of Directors, a chief executive officer, a president, a chief financial officer, chief operating officer, any executive vice president, any senior vice president, any vice president, the treasurer or any assistant treasurer, the controller or any assistant controller or the secretary or any assistant secretary.

 

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by any two Officers. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 13.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.

 

“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion in writing subject to customary exceptions of legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel for the Company, that is delivered to the Trustee in accordance with the terms hereof. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 13.07, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.

 

“Outstanding”, when used with reference to Securities of any series, means, subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, as of any particular time, all Securities of that series theretofore authenticated and delivered by the Trustee under this Indenture, except (a) Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or any paying agent, or delivered to the Trustee or any paying agent for cancellation or that have previously been canceled; (b) Securities or portions thereof for the payment or redemption of which moneys or Governmental Obligations in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any paying agent (other than the Company) or shall have been set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own paying agent); provided, however, that if such Securities or portions of such Securities are to be redeemed prior to the maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall have been given as in Article Three provided, or provision satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been made for giving such notice; and (c) Securities in lieu of or in substitution for which other Securities shall have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.07.

 

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, joint-stock company, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization, any other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.

 

“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 2.07 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.

 

“Responsible Officer” when used with respect to the Trustee means the chairman of its board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president, any vice president, the secretary, the treasurer, any trust officer, any corporate trust officer or any other officer or assistant officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

 

“Securities” means the debt Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

 

 

“Securityholder”, “holder of Securities”, “registered holder”, or other similar term, means the Person or Persons in whose name or names a particular Security shall be registered on the books of the Company kept for that purpose in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.

 

“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” shall have the meanings as set forth in Section 2.05.

 

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, (i) any corporation at least a majority of whose outstanding Voting Stock shall at the time be owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its Subsidiaries or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any general partnership, joint venture or similar entity, at least a majority of whose outstanding partnership or similar interests shall at the time be owned by such Person, or by one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries and (iii) any limited partnership of which such Person or any of its Subsidiaries is a general partner.

 

“Trustee” means , and, subject to the provisions of Article Seven, shall also include its successors and assigns, and, if at any time there is more than one Person acting in such capacity hereunder, “Trustee” shall mean each such Person. The term “Trustee” as used with respect to a particular series of the Securities shall mean the trustee with respect to that series.

 

“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

 

“Voting Stock”, as applied to stock of any Person, means shares, interests, participations or other equivalents in the equity interest (however designated) in such Person having ordinary voting power for the election of a majority of the directors (or the equivalent) of such Person, other than shares, interests, participations or other equivalents having such power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency.

 

ARTICLE 2

ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND
EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES

 

Section 2.01 Designation and Terms of Securities.

 

(a) The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series up to the aggregate principal amount of Securities of that series from time to time authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or pursuant to one or more indentures supplemental hereto. Prior to the initial issuance of Securities of any series, there shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto:

 

(1) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that series from all other Securities);

 

(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of that series);

 

(3) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable, any original issue discount that may apply to the Securities of that series upon their issuance, the principal amount due at maturity, and the place(s) of payment;

 

 

(4) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest or the manner of calculation of such rate or rates, if any;

 

(5) the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest will be payable or the manner of determination of such Interest Payment Dates, the place(s) of payment, and the record date for the determination of holders to whom interest is payable on any such Interest Payment Dates or the manner of determination of such record dates;

 

(6) the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of such extension;

 

(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

 

(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund, mandatory redemption, or analogous provisions (including payments made in cash in satisfaction of future sinking fund obligations) or at the option of a holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions upon which, Securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

 

(9) the form of the Securities of the series including the form of the Certificate of Authentication for such series;

 

(10) if other than denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the series shall be issuable;

 

(11) any and all other terms (including terms, to the extent applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the Securities of that series and any security for the obligations of the Company with respect to such Securities) with respect to such series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the terms of this Indenture, as amended by any supplemental indenture) including any terms which may be required by or advisable under United States laws or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that series;

 

(12) whether the Securities are issuable as a Global Security and, in such case, the terms and the identity of the Depositary for such series;

 

(13) whether the Securities will be convertible into or exchangeable for ordinary shares or other securities of the Company or any other Person and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at the Company’s option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, and the applicable conversion or exchange period;

 

(14) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.01;

 

 

(15) any additional or different Events of Default or restrictive covenants (which may include, among other restrictions, restrictions on the Company’s ability or the ability of the Company’s Subsidiaries to: incur additional indebtedness; issue additional securities; create liens; pay dividends or make distributions in respect of their capital stock; redeem capital stock; place restrictions on such Subsidiaries placing restrictions on their ability to pay dividends, make distributions or transfer assets; make investments or other restricted payments; sell or otherwise dispose of assets; enter into sale-leaseback transactions; engage in transactions with shareholders and affiliates; issue or sell stock of their Subsidiaries; or effect a consolidation or merger) or financial covenants (which may include, among other financial covenants, financial covenants that require the Company and its Subsidiaries to maintain specified interest coverage, fixed charge, cash flow-based or asset-based ratios) provided for with respect to the Securities of the series;

 

(16) if other than dollars, the coin or currency in which the Securities of the series are denominated (including, but not limited to, foreign currency);

 

(17) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the Company shall pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the Securities of the series to any Securityholder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes;

 

(18) any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the Securities of the series; and

 

(19) the subordination terms of the Securities of the series.

 

All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to any such Board Resolution or in any indentures supplemental hereto.

 

If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution of the Company, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officers’ Certificate of the Company setting forth the terms of the series.

 

Securities of any particular series may be issued at various times, with different dates on which the principal or any installment of principal is payable, with different rates of interest, if any, or different methods by which rates of interest may be determined, with different dates on which such interest may be payable and with different redemption dates.

 

Section 2.02 Form of Securities and Trustee’s Certificate.

 

The Securities of any series and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by such Securities shall be substantially of the tenor and purport as set forth in one or more indentures supplemental hereto or as provided in a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, and they may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements printed, lithographed or engraved thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange on which Securities of that series may be listed, or to conform to usage.

 

Section 2.03 Denominations: Provisions for Payment.

 

The Securities shall be issuable as registered Securities and in the denominations of one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof, subject to Section 2.01(a)(10). The Securities of a particular series shall bear interest payable on the dates and at the rate specified with respect to that series. Subject to Section 2.01(a)(16), the principal of and the interest on the Securities of any series, as well as any premium thereon in case of redemption thereof prior to maturity, shall be payable in the coin or currency of the United States of America that at the time is legal tender for public and private debt, at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. Interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months.

 

 

The interest installment on any Security that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of that series shall be paid to the Person in whose name said Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest installment. In the event that any Security of a particular series or portion thereof is called for redemption and the redemption date is subsequent to a regular record date with respect to any Interest Payment Date and prior to such Interest Payment Date, interest on such Security will be paid upon presentation and surrender of such Security as provided in Section 3.03.

 

Any interest on any Security that is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of the same series (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date by virtue of having been such holder; and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at its election, as provided in clause (1) or clause (2) below:

 

(1) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each such Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall not be more than 15 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such special record date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor to be mailed, first class postage prepaid, to each Securityholder at his or her address as it appears in the Security Register (as hereinafter defined), not less than 10 days prior to such special record date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered on such special record date.

 

(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on any Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

 

Unless otherwise set forth in a Board Resolution or one or more indentures supplemental hereto establishing the terms of any series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the term “regular record date” as used in this Section with respect to a series of Securities and any Interest Payment Date for such series shall mean either the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the first day of a month, or the first day of the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the fifteenth day of a month, whether or not such date is a Business Day.

 

 

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security of a series delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security of such series shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, that were carried by such other Security.

 

Section 2.04 Execution and Authentication.

 

The Securities shall be signed on behalf of the Company by one of its Officers. Signatures may be in the form of a manual or facsimile signature.

 

The Company may use the facsimile signature of any Person who shall have been an Officer, notwithstanding the fact that at the time the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered or disposed of such Person shall have ceased to be such an officer of the Company. The Securities may contain such notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication by the Trustee.

 

A Security shall not be valid until authenticated manually by an authorized signatory of the Trustee, or by an Authenticating Agent. Such signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, signed by an Officer, and the Trustee in accordance with such written order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.

 

In authenticating such Securities and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the form and terms thereof have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture.

 

The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner that is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

 

Section 2.05 Registration of Transfer and Exchange.

 

(a) Securities of any series may be exchanged upon presentation thereof at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, for other Securities of such series of authorized denominations, and for a like aggregate principal amount, upon payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, all as provided in this Section. In respect of any Securities so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange therefor the Security or Securities of the same series that the Securityholder making the exchange shall be entitled to receive, bearing numbers not contemporaneously outstanding.

 

(b) The Company shall keep, or cause to be kept, at its office or agency designated for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, or such other location designated by the Company, a register or registers (herein referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall register the Securities and the transfers of Securities as in this Article provided and which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the Trustee. The registrar for the purpose of registering Securities and transfer of Securities as herein provided shall be appointed as authorized by Board Resolution (the “Security Registrar”).

 

 

Upon surrender for transfer of any Security at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose, the Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in the name of the transferee or transferees a new Security or Securities of the same series as the Security presented for a like aggregate principal amount.

 

All Securities presented or surrendered for exchange or registration of transfer, as provided in this Section, shall be accompanied (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) by a written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company or the Security Registrar, duly executed by the registered holder or by such holder’s duly authorized attorney in writing.

 

(c) Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, no service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Securities, or issue of new Securities in case of partial redemption of any series, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge in relation thereto, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 2.06, Section 3.03(b) and Section 9.04 not involving any transfer.

 

(d) The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, exchange or register the transfer of any Securities during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of less than all the Outstanding Securities of the same series and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, nor (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of any series or portions thereof called for redemption, other than the unredeemed portion of any such Securities being redeemed in part. The provisions of this Section 2.05 are, with respect to any Global Security, subject to Section 2.11 hereof.

 

Section 2.06 Temporary Securities.

 

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities (printed, lithographed or typewritten) of any authorized denomination. Such temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, but with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for temporary Securities, all as may be determined by the Company. Every temporary Security of any series shall be executed by the Company and be authenticated by the Trustee upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with like effect, as the definitive Securities of such series. Without unnecessary delay the Company will execute and will furnish definitive Securities of such series and thereupon any or all temporary Securities of such series may be surrendered in exchange therefor (without charge to the holders), at the office or agency of the Company designated for the purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, and the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange for such temporary Securities an equal aggregate principal amount of definitive Securities of such series, unless the Company advises the Trustee to the effect that definitive Securities need not be executed and furnished until further notice from the Company. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of such series shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series authenticated and delivered hereunder.

 

 

Section 2.07 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities.

 

In case any temporary or definitive Security shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company (subject to the next succeeding sentence) shall execute, and upon the Company’s request the Trustee (subject as aforesaid) shall authenticate and deliver, a new Security of the same series, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Security, or in lieu of and in substitution for the Security so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for a substituted Security shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also furnish to the Company and the Trustee evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of the applicant’s Security and of the ownership thereof. The Trustee may authenticate any such substituted Security and deliver the same upon the written request or authorization of any officer of the Company. Upon the issuance of any substituted Security, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

 

In case any Security that has matured or is about to mature shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute Security, pay or authorize the payment of the same (without surrender thereof except in the case of a mutilated Security) if the applicant for such payment shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as they may require to save them harmless, and, in case of destruction, loss or theft, evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee of the destruction, loss or theft of such Security and of the ownership thereof.

 

Every replacement Security issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the Company whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be found at any time, or be enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of the same series duly issued hereunder. All Securities shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities, and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) any and all other rights or remedies, notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement or payment of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.

 

Section 2.08 Cancellation.

 

All Securities surrendered for the purpose of payment, redemption, exchange or registration of transfer shall, if surrendered to the Company or any paying agent, be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, or, if surrendered to the Trustee, shall be cancelled by it, and no Securities shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly required or permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture. In the absence of such request the Trustee may dispose of canceled Securities in accordance with its standard procedures and deliver a certificate of disposition to the Company. If the Company shall otherwise acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

Section 2.09 Benefits of Indenture.

 

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and the holders of the Securities (and, with respect to the provisions of Article Fourteen, the holders of any indebtedness of the Company to which the Securities of any series are subordinated) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Indenture, or under any covenant, condition or provision herein contained; all such covenants, conditions and provisions being for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and of the holders of the Securities (and, with respect to the provisions of Article Fourteen, the holders of any indebtedness of the Company to which the Securities of any series are subordinated).

 

 

Section 2.10 Authenticating Agent.

 

So long as any of the Securities of any series remain Outstanding there may be an Authenticating Agent for any or all such series of Securities which the Trustee shall have the right to appoint. Said Authenticating Agent shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon exchange, transfer or partial redemption thereof, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. All references in this Indenture to the authentication of Securities by the Trustee shall be deemed to include authentication by an Authenticating Agent for such series. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall be a corporation that has a combined capital and surplus, as most recently reported or determined by it, sufficient under the laws of any jurisdiction under which it is organized or in which it is doing business to conduct a trust business, and that is otherwise authorized under such laws to conduct such business and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities. If at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with these provisions, it shall resign immediately.

 

Any Authenticating Agent may at any time resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time (and upon request by the Company shall) terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon resignation, termination or cessation of eligibility of any Authenticating Agent, the Trustee may appoint an eligible successor Authenticating Agent acceptable to the Company. Any successor Authenticating Agent, upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder, shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent pursuant hereto.

 

Section 2.11 Global Securities.

 

(a) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.01 that the Securities of a particular series are to be issued as a Global Security, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section 2.04, authenticate and deliver, a Global Security that (i) shall represent, and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of, all of the Outstanding Securities of such series, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect: “Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11 of the Indenture, this Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.”

 

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.05, the Global Security of a series may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the manner provided in Section 2.05, only to another nominee of the Depositary for such series, or to a successor Depositary for such series selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.

 

 

(c) If at any time the Depositary for a series of the Securities notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such series or if at any time the Depositary for such series shall no longer be registered or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, and a successor Depositary for such series is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be, or if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Company has received a request from the Depositary, this Section 2.11 shall no longer be applicable to the Securities of such series and the Company will execute, and subject to Section 2.04, the Trustee will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. In addition, the Company may at any time determine that the Securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a Global Security and that the provisions of this Section 2.11 shall no longer apply to the Securities of such series. In such event the Company will execute and, subject to Section 2.04, the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officers’ Certificate evidencing such determination by the Company, will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange of the Global Security for such Securities in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, the Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Such Securities in definitive registered form issued in exchange for the Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the Depositary for delivery to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.

 

ARTICLE 3

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS

 

Section 3.01 Redemption.

 

The Company may redeem the Securities of any series issued hereunder on and after the dates and in accordance with the terms established for such series pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.

 

Section 3.02 Notice of Redemption.

 

(a) In case the Company shall desire to exercise such right to redeem all or, as the case may be, a portion of the Securities of any series in accordance with any right the Company reserved for itself to do so pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the Company shall, or shall cause the Trustee to, give notice of such redemption to holders of the Securities of such series to be redeemed by mailing, first class postage prepaid, a notice of such redemption not less than 30 days and not more than 90 days before the date fixed for redemption of that series to such holders at their last addresses as they shall appear upon the Security Register, unless a shorter period is specified in the Securities to be redeemed. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the registered holder receives the notice. In any case, failure duly to give such notice to the holder of any Security of any series designated for redemption in whole or in part, or any defect in the notice, shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Securities of such series or any other series. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers’ Certificate evidencing compliance with any such restriction.

 

Each such notice of redemption shall specify the date fixed for redemption and the redemption price at which Securities of that series are to be redeemed, and shall state that payment of the redemption price of such Securities to be redeemed will be made at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, upon presentation and surrender of such Securities, that interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption will be paid as specified in said notice, that from and after said date interest will cease to accrue and that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case. If less than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the notice to the holders of Securities of that series to be redeemed in part shall specify the particular Securities to be so redeemed.

 

 

In case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice that relates to such Security shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed, and shall state that on and after the redemption date, upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities of such series in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued.

 

(b) If less than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the Company shall give the Trustee at least 45 days’ notice (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) in advance of the date fixed for redemption as to the aggregate principal amount of Securities of the series to be redeemed, and thereupon the Trustee shall select, by lot or in such other manner as it shall deem appropriate and fair in its discretion and that may provide for the selection of a portion or portions (equal to one thousand U.S. dollars ($1,000) or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of such Securities of a denomination larger than $1,000, the Securities to be redeemed and shall thereafter promptly notify the Company in writing of the numbers of the Securities to be redeemed, in whole or in part. The Company may, if and whenever it shall so elect, by delivery of instructions signed on its behalf by an Officer, instruct the Trustee or any paying agent to call all or any part of the Securities of a particular series for redemption and to give notice of redemption in the manner set forth in this Section, such notice to be in the name of the Company or its own name as the Trustee or such paying agent may deem advisable. In any case in which notice of redemption is to be given by the Trustee or any such paying agent, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to, or permit to remain with, the Trustee or such paying agent, as the case may be, such Security Register, transfer books or other records, or suitable copies or extracts therefrom, sufficient to enable the Trustee or such paying agent to give any notice by mail that may be required under the provisions of this Section.

 

Section 3.03 Payment Upon Redemption.

 

(a) If the giving of notice of redemption shall have been completed as above provided, the Securities or portions of Securities of the series to be redeemed specified in such notice shall become due and payable on the date and at the place stated in such notice at the applicable redemption price, together with interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption and interest on such Securities or portions of Securities shall cease to accrue on and after the date fixed for redemption, unless the Company shall default in the payment of such redemption price and accrued interest with respect to any such Security or portion thereof. On presentation and surrender of such Securities on or after the date fixed for redemption at the place of payment specified in the notice, said Securities shall be paid and redeemed at the applicable redemption price for such series, together with interest accrued thereon to the date fixed for redemption (but if the date fixed for redemption is an interest payment date, the interest installment payable on such date shall be payable to the registered holder at the close of business on the applicable record date pursuant to Section 2.03).

 

(b) Upon presentation of any Security of such series that is to be redeemed in part only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and the office or agency where the Security is presented shall deliver to the holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security of the same series of authorized denominations in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Security so presented.

 

 

Section 3.04 Sinking Fund.

 

The provisions of Sections 3.04, 3.05 and 3.06 shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.01 for Securities of such series.

 

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment,” and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment”. If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 3.05. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series.

 

Section 3.05 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.

 

The Company (i) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series and (ii) may apply as a credit Securities of a series that have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such series, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the redemption price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.

 

Section 3.06 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.

 

Not less than 45 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of the series, the portion thereof, if any, that is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 3.05 and the basis for such credit and will, together with such Officers’ Certificate, deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.02 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.02. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Section 3.03.

 

ARTICLE 4

COVENANTS

 

Section 4.01 Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.

 

The Company will duly and punctually pay or cause to be paid the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities of that series at the time and place and in the manner provided herein and established with respect to such Securities.

 

 

Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.

 

So long as any series of the Securities remain Outstanding, the Company agrees to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, with respect to each such series and at such other location or locations as may be designated as provided in this Section 4.02, where (i) Securities of that series may be presented for payment, (ii) Securities of that series may be presented as herein above authorized for registration of transfer and exchange, and (iii) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be given or served, such designation to continue with respect to such office or agency until the Company shall, by written notice signed by any officer authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate and delivered to the Trustee, designate some other office or agency for such purposes or any of them. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, notices and demands. The Company initially appoints the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee located in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York as its paying agent with respect to the Securities.

 

Section 4.03 Paying Agents.

 

(a) If the Company shall appoint one or more paying agents for all or any series of the Securities, other than the Trustee, the Company will cause each such paying agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section:

 

(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series (whether such sums have been paid to it by the Company or by any other obligor of such Securities) in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto;

 

(2) that it will give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company (or by any other obligor of such Securities) to make any payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series when the same shall be due and payable;

 

(3) that it will, at any time during the continuance of any failure referred to in the preceding paragraph (a)(2) above, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such paying agent; and

 

(4) that it will perform all other duties of paying agent as set forth in this Indenture.

 

(b) If the Company shall act as its own paying agent with respect to any series of the Securities, it will on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on Securities of that series, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay such principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due on Securities of that series until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of such action, or any failure (by it or any other obligor on such Securities) to take such action. Whenever the Company shall have one or more paying agents for any series of Securities, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with the paying agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such paying agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of this action or failure so to act.

 

 

(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, (i) the agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section is subject to the provisions of Section 11.05, and (ii) the Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or direct any paying agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such paying agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same terms and conditions as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such paying agent; and, upon such payment by the Company or any paying agent to the Trustee, the Company or such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

 

Section 4.04 Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of Trustee.

 

The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.10, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.

 

Section 4.05 Compliance with Consolidation Provisions.

 

The Company will not, while any of the Securities remain Outstanding, consolidate with or merge into any other Person, in either case where the Company is not the survivor of such transaction, or sell or convey all or substantially all of its property to any other Person unless the provisions of Article Ten hereof are complied with.

 

ARTICLE 5

SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY
THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE

 

Section 5.01 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Securityholders.

 

The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee (a) within 15 days after each regular record date (as defined in Section 2.03) a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the holders of each series of Securities as of such regular record date, provided that the Company shall not be obligated to furnish or cause to furnish such list at any time that the list shall not differ in any respect from the most recent list furnished to the Trustee by the Company and (b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided, however, that, in either case, no such list need be furnished for any series for which the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar .

 

Section 5.02 Preservation Of Information; Communications With Securityholders.

 

(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the holders of Securities contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 and as to the names and addresses of holders of Securities received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar (if acting in such capacity).

 

(b) The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

 

(c) Securityholders may communicate as provided in Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and, in connection with any such communications, the Trustee shall satisfy its obligations under Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the provisions of Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

 

Section 5.03 Reports by the Company.

 

The Company covenants and agrees to provide a copy to the Trustee, after the Company files the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Securities and Exchange Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) that the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to deliver to the Trustee any materials for which the Company has sought and received confidential treatment by the SEC. The Company shall also comply with the requirements of Section 314 of the Trust Indenture Act, but only to the extent then applicable to the Company.

 

Section 5.04 Reports by the Trustee.

 

(a) On or before July 1 in each year in which any of the Securities are Outstanding, the Trustee shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register, a brief report dated as of the preceding May 1, if and to the extent required under Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

(b) The Trustee shall comply with Section 313(b) and 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Securityholders, be filed by the Trustee with the Company, with each securities exchange upon which any Securities are listed (if so listed) and also with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company agrees to notify the Trustee when any Securities become listed on any securities exchange.

 

ARTICLE 6

REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
ON EVENT OF DEFAULT

 

Section 6.01 Events of Default.

 

(a) Whenever used herein with respect to Securities of a particular series, “Event of Default” means any one or more of the following events that has occurred and is continuing:

 

(1) the Company defaults in the payment of any installment of interest upon any of the Securities of that series, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by the Company in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose;

 

(2) the Company defaults in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of that series as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such Securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any;

 

 

(3) the Company fails to observe or perform any other of its covenants or agreements with respect to that series contained in this Indenture or otherwise established with respect to that series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof (other than a covenant or agreement that has been expressly included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of Securities other than such series) for a period of 90 days after the date on which written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder, shall have been given to the Company by the Trustee, by registered or certified mail, or to the Company and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities of that series at the time Outstanding;

 

(4) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law (i) commences a voluntary case, (ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case, (iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property or (iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or

 

(5) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order under any Bankruptcy Law that (i) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case, (ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company for all or substantially all of its property or (iii) orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days.

 

(b) In each and every such case (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (4) or clause (5) above), unless the principal of all the Securities of that series shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Securityholders), may declare the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of that series to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become and shall be immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in clause (4) or clause (5) above occurs, the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities of that series shall automatically be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or the holders of the Securities.

 

(c) At any time after the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities of that series shall have been so declared due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if: (i) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest upon all the Securities of that series and the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any and all Securities of that series that shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent that such payment is enforceable under applicable law, upon overdue installments of interest, at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of that series to the date of such payment or deposit) and the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06, and (ii) any and all Events of Default under the Indenture with respect to such series, other than the nonpayment of principal on (and premium, if any, on) and accrued and unpaid interest on Securities of that series that shall not have become due by their terms, shall have been remedied or waived as provided in Section 6.06.

 

No such rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

(d) In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right with respect to Securities of that series under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of such rescission or annulment or for any other reason or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceedings, the Company and the Trustee shall be restored respectively to their former positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Company and the Trustee shall continue as though no such proceedings had been taken.

 

 

Section 6.02 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

 

(a) The Company covenants that (i) in case it shall default in the payment of any installment of interest on any of the Securities of a series, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series as and when the same shall have become due and payable, and such default shall have continued for a period of 90 Business Days, or (ii) in case it shall default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of a series when the same shall have become due and payable, whether upon maturity of the Securities of a series or upon redemption or upon declaration or otherwise then, upon demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Securities of that series, the whole amount that then shall have been become due and payable on all such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) or interest, or both, as the case may be, with interest upon the overdue principal (and premium, if any) and (to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law) upon overdue installments of interest at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of that series; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, and the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06.

 

(b) If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceedings at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or other obligor upon the Securities of that series and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law or equity out of the property of the Company or other obligor upon the Securities of that series, wherever situated.

 

(c) In case of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, readjustment, arrangement, composition or judicial proceedings affecting the Company, or its creditors or property, the Trustee shall have power to intervene in such proceedings and take any action therein that may be permitted by the court and shall (except as may be otherwise provided by law) be entitled to file such proofs of claim and other papers and documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and of the holders of Securities of such series allowed for the entire amount due and payable by the Company under the Indenture at the date of institution of such proceedings and for any additional amount that may become due and payable by the Company after such date, and to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claim, and to distribute the same after the deduction of the amount payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization is hereby authorized by each of the holders of Securities of such series to make such payments to the Trustee, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to such Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it under Section 7.06.

 

(d) All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or under any of the terms established with respect to Securities of that series, may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of such Securities, or the production thereof at any trial or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for payment to the Trustee of any amounts due under Section 7.06, be for the ratable benefit of the holders of the Securities of such series.

 

 

In case of an Event of Default hereunder, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any of such rights, either at law or in equity or in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in the Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.

 

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities of that series or the rights of any holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such proceeding.

 

Section 6.03 Application of Moneys or Property Collected.

 

Any moneys or property collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article with respect to a particular series of Securities shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such moneys or property on account of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Securities of that series, and notation thereon of the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

 

FIRST: To the payment of reasonable costs and expenses of collection and of all amounts payable to the Trustee under Section 7.06;

 

SECOND: To the payment of all indebtedness of the Company to which such series of Securities is subordinated to the extent required by Section 7.06 and Article Fourteen;

 

THIRD: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon Securities of such series for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and

 

FOURTH: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or any other Person lawfully entitled thereto, as requested by the Company.

 

Section 6.04 Limitation on Suits.

 

No holder of any Security of any series shall have any right by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any suit, action or proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to this Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless (i) such holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance thereof with respect to the Securities of such series specifying such Event of Default, as hereinbefore provided; (ii) the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action, suit or proceeding in its own name as Trustee hereunder; (iii) such holder or holders shall have offered to the Trustee such reasonable indemnity as it may require against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred therein or thereby; (iv) the Trustee for 90 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity, shall have failed to institute any such action, suit or proceeding and (v) during such 90 day period, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of that series do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.

 

 

Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary or any other provisions of this Indenture, the right of any holder of any Security to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Security, as therein provided, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security (or in the case of redemption, on the redemption date), or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates or redemption date, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such holder and by accepting a Security hereunder it is expressly understood, intended and covenanted by the taker and holder of every Security of such series with every other such taker and holder and the Trustee, that no one or more holders of Securities of such series shall have any right in any manner whatsoever by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of the holders of any other of such Securities, or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other such holder, or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all holders of Securities of such series. For the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and every Securityholder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be given either at law or in equity.

 

Section 6.05 Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

 

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.07, all powers and remedies given by this Article to the Trustee or to the Securityholders shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any other powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the holders of the Securities, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the performance or observance of the covenants and agreements contained in this Indenture or otherwise established with respect to such Securities.

 

(b) No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any holder of any of the Securities to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Event of Default occurring and continuing as aforesaid shall impair any such right or power, or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such default or an acquiescence therein; and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.04, every power and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or the Securityholders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Securityholders.

 

Section 6.06 Control by Securityholders.

 

The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding, determined in accordance with Section 8.04, shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to such series; provided, however, that such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture. Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer or officers of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed, subject to the Trustee’s duties under the Trust Indenture Act, would involve the Trustee in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the Securityholders not involved in the proceeding. The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding affected thereby, determined in accordance with Section 8.04, may on behalf of the holders of all of the Securities of such series waive any past default in the performance of any of the covenants contained herein or established pursuant to Section 2.01 with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any of the Securities of that series as and when the same shall become due by the terms of such Securities otherwise than by acceleration (unless such default has been cured and a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest and principal and any premium has been deposited with the Trustee (in accordance with Section 6.01(c)). Upon any such waiver, the default covered thereby shall be deemed to be cured for all purposes of this Indenture and the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Securities of such series shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

 

Section 6.07 Undertaking to Pay Costs.

 

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any Securities by such holder’s acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Securityholder, or group of Securityholders, holding more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Securityholder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security of such series, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security or established pursuant to this Indenture.

 

ARTICLE 7

CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE

 

Section 7.01 Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.

 

(a) The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing of all Events of Default with respect to the Securities of that series that may have occurred, shall undertake to perform with respect to the Securities of such series such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. In case an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series has occurred (that has not been cured or waived), the Trustee shall exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

 

(b) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:

 

(i) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default with respect to that series that may have occurred:

 

(A) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of such series be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to the Securities of such series except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

 

 

(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee may with respect to the Securities of such series conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirement of this Indenture;

 

(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

 

(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series; and

 

(iv) None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if there is reasonable ground for believing that the repayment of such funds or liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of this Indenture or adequate indemnity against such risk is not reasonably assured to it.

 

Section 7.02 Certain Rights of Trustee.

 

Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01:

 

(a) The Trustee may rely conclusively and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, security or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

 

(b) Any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution or an instrument signed in the name of the Company by any authorized officer of the Company (unless other evidence in respect thereof is specifically prescribed herein);

 

(c) The Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or suffered or omitted hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

 

(d) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Securityholders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that may be incurred therein or thereby; nothing contained herein shall, however, relieve the Trustee of the obligation, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to a series of the Securities (that has not been cured or waived), to exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and to use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs;

 

(e) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;

 

 

(f) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, security, or other papers or documents, unless requested in writing so to do by the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of the particular series affected thereby (determined as provided in Section 8.04); provided, however, that if the payment within a reasonable time to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or liabilities likely to be incurred by it in the making of such investigation is, in the opinion of the Trustee, not reasonably assured to the Trustee by the security afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee may require reasonable indemnity against such costs, expenses or liabilities as a condition to so proceeding. The reasonable expense of every such examination shall be paid by the Company or, if paid by the Trustee, shall be repaid by the Company upon demand; and

 

(g) The Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.

 

In addition, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default except (1) any Event of Default occurring pursuant to Sections 6.01(a)(1), 6.01(a)(2) and 4.01 hereof or (2) any Default or Event of Default of which the Trustee shall have received written notification in the manner set forth in this Indenture or a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have obtained actual knowledge. Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee under Section 5.03 is for informational purposes only and the information and the Trustee’s receipt of the foregoing shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein, or determinable from information contained therein including the Company’s compliance with any of their covenants thereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely conclusively on an Officers’ Certificate).

 

Section 7.03 Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance or Securities.

 

(a) The recitals contained herein and in the Securities shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the same.

 

(b) The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities.

 

(c) The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any of the Securities or of the proceeds of such Securities, or for the use or application of any moneys paid over by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture or established pursuant to Section 2.01, or for the use or application of any moneys received by any paying agent other than the Trustee.

 

Section 7.04 May Hold Securities.

 

The Trustee or any paying agent or Security Registrar, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, paying agent or Security Registrar.

 

 

Section 7.05 Moneys Held in Trust.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 11.05, all moneys received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any moneys received by it hereunder except such as it may agree with the Company to pay thereon.

 

Section 7.06 Compensation and Reimbursement.

 

(a) The Company covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee, and the Trustee shall be entitled to, such reasonable compensation (which shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust) as the Company and the Trustee may from time to time agree in writing, for all services rendered by it in the execution of the trusts hereby created and in the exercise and performance of any of the powers and duties hereunder of the Trustee, and, except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the Company will pay or reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its counsel and of all Persons not regularly in its employ), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may arise from its negligence or bad faith and except as the Company and Trustee may from time to time agree in writing. The Company also covenants to indemnify the Trustee (and its officers, agents, directors and employees) for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust, including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim of liability in the premises.

 

(b) The obligations of the Company under this Section to compensate and indemnify the Trustee and to pay or reimburse the Trustee for reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances shall constitute indebtedness of the Company to which the Securities are subordinated. Such additional indebtedness shall be secured by a lien prior to that of the Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the benefit of the holders of particular Securities.

 

Section 7.07 Reliance on Officers’ Certificate.

 

Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01, whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it reasonably necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee and such certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.

 

Section 7.08 Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.

 

If the Trustee has or shall acquire any “conflicting interest” within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee and the Company shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

 

Section 7.09 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.

 

There shall at all times be a Trustee with respect to the Securities issued hereunder which shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or any state or territory thereof or of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or other Person permitted to act as trustee by the Securities and Exchange Commission, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least fifty million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000), and subject to supervision or examination by federal, state, territorial, or District of Columbia authority.

 

If such corporation or other Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation or other Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. The Company may not, nor may any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company, serve as Trustee. In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 7.10.

 

Section 7.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

 

(a) The Trustee or any successor hereafter appointed may at any time resign with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company and by transmitting notice of resignation by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Securityholders of such series, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor trustee. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 30 days after the mailing of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series, or any Securityholder of that series who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.

 

(b) In case at any time any one of the following shall occur:

 

(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of Section 7.08 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months; or

 

(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.09 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Securityholder; or

 

(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or commence a voluntary bankruptcy proceeding, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or consented to, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation;

 

then, in any such case, the Company may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may, on behalf of that holder and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.

 

 

(c) The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding may at any time remove the Trustee with respect to such series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company and may appoint a successor Trustee for such series with the consent of the Company.

 

(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of a series pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section shall become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 7.11.

 

(e) Any successor trustee appointed pursuant to this Section may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more series or all of such series, and at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series.

 

Section 7.11 Acceptance of Appointment By Successor.

 

(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all the rights, powers, and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.

 

(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates, (ii) shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust, that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee and that no Trustee shall be responsible for any act or failure to act on the part of any other Trustee hereunder; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein, such retiring Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates have no further responsibility for the exercise of rights and powers or for the performance of the duties and obligations vested in the Trustee under this Indenture, and each such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor trustee, to the extent contemplated by such supplemental indenture, the property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor trustee relates.

 

 

(c) Upon request of any such successor trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.

 

(d) No successor trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

 

(e) Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this Section, the Company shall transmit notice of the succession of such trustee hereunder by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. If the Company fails to transmit such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be transmitted at the expense of the Company.

 

Section 7.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.

 

Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided that such corporation shall be qualified under the provisions of Section 7.08 and eligible under the provisions of Section 7.09, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

 

Section 7.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company.

 

The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, excluding any creditor relationship described in Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act. A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent included therein.

 

Section 7.14 Notice of Default

 

If any Default or any Event of Default occurs and is continuing and if such Default or Event of Default is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act notice of the Default or Event of Default within 45 days after it occurs and becomes known to the Trustee, unless such Default or Event of Default has been cured; provided, however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Securityholders.

 

 

ARTICLE 8

CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS

 

Section 8.01 Evidence of Action by Securityholders.

 

Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of a majority or specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action the holders of such majority or specified percentage of that series have joined therein may be evidenced by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by such holders of Securities of that series in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing.

 

If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders of any series any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an Officers’ Certificate, fix in advance a record date for such series for the determination of Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be given before or after the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for the purposes of determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Securities of that series have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities of that series shall be computed as of the record date; provided, however, that no such authorization, agreement or consent by such Securityholders on the record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.

 

Section 8.02 Proof of Execution by Securityholders.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, proof of the execution of any instrument by a Securityholder (such proof will not require notarization) or his agent or proxy and proof of the holding by any Person of any of the Securities shall be sufficient if made in the following manner:

 

(a) The fact and date of the execution by any such Person of any instrument may be proved in any reasonable manner acceptable to the Trustee.

 

(b) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register of such Securities or by a certificate of the Security Registrar thereof.

 

The Trustee may require such additional proof of any matter referred to in this Section as it shall deem necessary.

 

Section 8.03 Who May be Deemed Owners.

 

Prior to the due presentment for registration of transfer of any Security, the Company, the Trustee, any paying agent and any Security Registrar may deem and treat the Person in whose name such Security shall be registered upon the books of the Company as the absolute owner of such Security (whether or not such Security shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notice of ownership or writing thereon made by anyone other than the Security Registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of, premium, if any, and (subject to Section 2.03) interest on such Security and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any paying agent nor any Security Registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

 

Section 8.04 Certain Securities Owned by Company Disregarded.

 

In determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Securities of a particular series have concurred in any direction, consent or waiver under this Indenture, the Securities of that series that are owned by the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of that series shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination, except that for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent or waiver, only Securities of such series that the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. The Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding for the purposes of this Section, if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not a Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other obligor. In case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee.

 

Section 8.05 Actions Binding on Future Securityholders.

 

At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any action by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any holder of a Security of that series that is shown by the evidence to be included in the Securities the holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee, and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Security. Except as aforesaid any such action taken by the holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future holders and owners of such Security, and of any Security issued in exchange therefor, on registration of transfer thereof or in place thereof, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Security. Any action taken by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such action shall be conclusively binding upon the Company, the Trustee and the holders of all the Securities of that series.

 

ARTICLE 9

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

 

Section 9.01 Supplemental Indentures Without the Consent of Securityholders.

 

In addition to any supplemental indenture otherwise authorized by this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect), without the consent of the Securityholders, for one or more of the following purposes:

 

(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect, or inconsistency herein or in the Securities of any series;

 

(b) to comply with Article Ten;

 

 

(c) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities and to make all appropriate changes for such purpose;

 

(d) to add to the covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions relating to the Company for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series), to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;

 

(e) to add to, delete from, or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication, and delivery of Securities, as herein set forth;

 

(f) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder in any material respect;

 

(g) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the Securities of any series as provided in Section 2.01, to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or any series of Securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of Securities;

 

(h) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee; or

 

(i) to comply with any requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor in connection with the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.

 

The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

 

Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the holders of any of the Securities at the time Outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 9.02.

 

Section 9.02 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders.

 

With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 8.01) of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture or indentures at the time Outstanding, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect) for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner not covered by Section 9.01 the rights of the holders of the Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the holders of each Security then Outstanding and affected thereby, (a) extend the fixed maturity of any Securities of any series, or reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest thereon, or reduce any premium payable upon the redemption thereof or (b) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture.

 

 

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders of any series affected thereby under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.

 

Section 9.03 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

 

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.01, this Indenture shall, with respect to such series, be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the holders of Securities of the series affected thereby shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.

 

Section 9.04 Securities Affected by Supplemental Indentures.

 

Securities of any series affected by a supplemental indenture, authenticated and delivered after the execution of such supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.01, may bear a notation in form approved by the Company, provided such form meets the requirements of any securities exchange upon which such series may be listed, as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of that series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee and delivered in exchange for the Securities of that series then Outstanding.

 

Section 9.05 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

 

Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by its Board Resolutions authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Securityholders required to consent thereto as aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion but shall not be obligated to enter into such supplemental indenture. The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, will be entitled to receive and will be fully protected in relying upon an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article is authorized or permitted by, and conforms to, the terms of this Article and that it is proper for the Trustee under the provisions of this Article to join in the execution thereof; provided, however, that such Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel need not be provided in connection with the execution of a supplemental indenture that establishes the terms of a series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.

 

Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the Trustee shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, a notice, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture, to the Securityholders of all series affected thereby as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. Any failure of the Trustee to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.

 

 

ARTICLE 10

SUCCESSOR ENTITY

 

Section 10.01 Company May Consolidate, Etc.

 

Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, nothing contained in this Indenture shall prevent any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company) or successive consolidations or mergers in which the Company or its successor or successors shall be a party or parties, or shall prevent any sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of the property of the Company or its successor or successors as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to any other corporation (whether or not affiliated with the Company or its successor or successors) authorized to acquire and operate the same; provided, however, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that, upon any such consolidation or merger (in each case, if the Company is not the survivor of such transaction), sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, the due and punctual payment of the principal of (premium, if any) and interest on all of the Securities of all series in accordance with the terms of each series, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual performance and observance of all the covenants and conditions of this Indenture with respect to each series or established with respect to such series pursuant to Section 2.01 to be kept or performed by the Company shall be expressly assumed, by supplemental indenture (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, as then in effect) reasonably satisfactory in form to the Trustee executed and delivered to the Trustee by the entity formed by such consolidation, or into which the Company shall have been merged, or by the entity which shall have acquired such property.

 

Section 10.02 Successor Entity Substituted.

 

(a) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition and upon the assumption by the successor entity by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the obligations set forth under Section 10.01 on all of the Securities of all series Outstanding, such successor entity shall succeed to and be substituted for the Company with the same effect as if it had been named as the Company herein, and thereupon the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

 

(b) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, such changes in phraseology and form (but not in substance) may be made in the Securities thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.

 

(c) Nothing contained in this Article shall require any action by the Company in the case of a consolidation or merger of any Person into the Company where the Company is the survivor of such transaction, or the acquisition by the Company, by purchase or otherwise, of all or any part of the property of any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company).

 

Section 10.03 Evidence of Consolidation, Etc. to Trustee.

 

The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, may receive an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, and any such assumption, comply with the provisions of this Article.

 

 

ARTICLE 11

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

 

Section 11.01 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

 

If at any time: (a) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee for cancellation all Securities of a series theretofore authenticated and not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (other than any Securities that shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that shall have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.07 and Securities for whose payment money or Governmental Obligations have theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereupon repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 11.05); or (b) all such Securities of a particular series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation shall have become due and payable, or are by their terms to become due and payable within one year or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption, and the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds the entire amount in moneys or Governmental Obligations or a combination thereof, sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay at maturity or upon redemption all Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder with respect to such series by the Company then this Indenture shall thereupon cease to be of further effect with respect to such series except for the provisions of Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.07, 4.01, 4.02, 4.03 and 7.10, that shall survive until the date of maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, and Sections 7.06 and 11.05, that shall survive to such date and thereafter, and the Trustee, on demand of the Company and at the cost and expense of the Company shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction of and discharging this Indenture with respect to such series.

 

Section 11.02 Discharge of Obligations.

 

If at any time all such Securities of a particular series not heretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation or that have not become due and payable as described in Section 11.01 shall have been paid by the Company by depositing irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds moneys or an amount of Governmental Obligations sufficient to pay at maturity or upon redemption all such Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company with respect to such series, then after the date such moneys or Governmental Obligations, as the case may be, are deposited with the Trustee the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to such series shall cease to be of further effect except for the provisions of Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.07, 4,01, 4.02, 4,03, 7.05, 7.10 and 11.05 hereof that shall survive until such Securities shall mature and be paid.

 

Thereafter, Sections 7.06 and 11.05 shall survive.

 

Section 11.03 Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust.

 

All moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Sections 11.01 or 11.02 shall be held in trust and shall be available for payment as due, either directly or through any paying agent (including the Company acting as its own paying agent), to the holders of the particular series of Securities for the payment or redemption of which such moneys or Governmental Obligations have been deposited with the Trustee.

 

 

Section 11.04 Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents.

 

In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture all moneys or Governmental Obligations then held by any paying agent under the provisions of this Indenture shall, upon demand of the Company, be paid to the Trustee and thereupon such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations.

 

Section 11.05 Repayment to Company.

 

Any moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with any paying agent or the Trustee, or then held by the Company, in trust for payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of a particular series that are not applied but remain unclaimed by the holders of such Securities for at least two years after the date upon which the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such Securities shall have respectively become due and payable, or such other shorter period set forth in applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law, shall be repaid to the Company on May 31 of each year or upon the Company’s request or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and thereupon the paying agent and the Trustee shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations, and the holder of any of the Securities entitled to receive such payment shall thereafter, as a general creditor, look only to the Company for the payment thereof.

 

ARTICLE 12

IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, SHAREHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

 

Section 12.01 No Recourse.

 

No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of this Indenture, or of any Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, past, present or future as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any such predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that this Indenture and the obligations issued hereunder are solely corporate obligations, and that no such personal liability whatever shall attach to, or is or shall be incurred by, the incorporators, shareholders, officers or directors as such, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, or any of them, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom; and that any and all such personal liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by constitution or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such incorporator, shareholder, officer or director as such, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of such Securities.

 

 

ARTICLE 13

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

Section 13.01 Effect on Successors and Assigns.

 

All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture made by or on behalf of the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

 

Section 13.02 Actions by Successor.

 

Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or officer of the Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the corresponding board, committee or officer of any corporation that shall at the time be the lawful successor of the Company.

 

Section 13.03 Surrender of Company Powers.

 

The Company by instrument in writing executed by authority of its Board of Directors and delivered to the Trustee may surrender any of the powers reserved to the Company, and thereupon such power so surrendered shall terminate both as to the Company and as to any successor corporation.

 

Section 13.04 Notices.

 

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, any notice, request or demand that by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be given, made or served by the Trustee or by the holders of Securities or by any other Person pursuant to this Indenture to or on the Company may be given or served by being deposited in first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Trustee), as follows: 9 North West Fourth Ring Road, Yingu Mansion Ste 1708, Haidian District, Beijing F4 100190, with a copy to Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC, 1450 Broadway, 26^th Floor, New York, NY 10018, Attn: Joan Wu, Esq. Any notice, election, request or demand by the Company or any Securityholder or by any other Person pursuant to this Indenture to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or made in writing at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

 

Section 13.05 Governing Law.

 

This Indenture and each Security shall be deemed to be a contract made under the internal laws of the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be construed in accordance with the laws of said State, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.

 

Section 13.06 Treatment of Securities as Debt.

 

It is intended that the Securities will be treated as indebtedness and not as equity for federal income tax purposes. The provisions of this Indenture shall be interpreted to further this intention.

 

Section 13.07 Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent.

 

(a) Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture (other than the certificate to be delivered pursuant to Section 13.13) relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

 

 

(b) Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant in this Indenture shall include (i) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; (iii) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he has made such examination or investigation as is reasonably necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

 

Section 13.08 Payments on Business Days.

 

Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.01 pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, in any case where the date of maturity of interest or principal of any Security or the date of redemption of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the nominal date of maturity or redemption, and no interest shall accrue for the period after such nominal date.

 

Section 13.09 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.

 

If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties shall control.

 

Section 13.10 Indenture and Securities Solely Corporate Obligations.

 

No recourse for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Securities, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company in this Indenture or in any supplemental indenture or in any Security, or because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, shareholder, employee, agent, officer, director or subsidiary, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor entity, either directly or through the Company or any successor entity, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute, or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of the Securities.

 

Section 13.11 Counterparts.

 

This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

 

Section 13.12 Separability.

 

In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Indenture or in the Securities of any series shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of such Securities, but this Indenture and such Securities shall be construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.

 

Section 13.13 Compliance Certificates.

 

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year during which any Securities of any series were outstanding, a compliance certificate stating whether or not the signer knows of any Default or Event of Default that occurred during such fiscal year. Such certificate shall contain a certification from the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer of the Company that a review has been conducted of the activities of the Company and the Company’s performance under this Indenture and that the Company has complied with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture. For purposes of this Section 13.13, such compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under this Indenture. If the officer of the Company signing such certificate has knowledge of such a Default or Event of Default, the certificate shall describe any such Default or Event of Default and its status.

 

ARTICLE 14

SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES

 

Section 14.01 Subordination Terms.

 

The payment by the Company of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on any series of securities issued hereunder shall be subordinated to the extent set forth in an indenture supplemental hereto relating to such Securities.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed all as of the day and year first above written.

 

	SOS LIMITED
	By:
	Name:
	Title:
	[TRUSTEE], as Trustee
	By:
	Name:
	Title:

 

 

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE (1)

 

Section of Trust Indenture Act Of 1939, as Amended		Section of Indenture
310(a)		7.09
310(b)		7.08
		7.10
310(c)		Inapplicable
311(a)		7.13
311(b)		7.13
311(c)		Inapplicable
312(a)		5.01
		5.02(a)
312(b)		5.02(c)
312(c)		5.02(c)
313(a)		5.04(a)
313(b)		5.04(b)
313(c)		5.04(a)
		5.04(b)
313(d)		5.04(c)
314(a)		5.03
		13.12
314(b)		Inapplicable
314(c)		13.07(a)
314(d)		Inapplicable
314(e)		13.07(b)
314(f)		Inapplicable
315(a)		7.01(a)
		7.01(b)
315(b)		7.14
315(c)		7.01
315(d)		7.01(b)
315(e)		6.07
316(a)		6.06
		8.04
316(b)		6.04
316(c)		8.01
317(a)		6.02
317(b)		4.03
318(a)		13.09

 

(1)

This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of the Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions.

 

 

40

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

 

 

Our ref

JLH/696731-000001/31662364v3

 

SOS Limited

PO Box 309, Ugland House

Grand Cayman, KY1-1104

Cayman Islands

 

14 March 2025

 

Dear Sirs

 

SOS Limited

 

We have acted as Cayman Islands legal advisers to SOS Limited (the “Company”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3, including all amendments or supplements thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended to date relating to:

 

A.	the registration of the following securities to be issued and sold by the Company from time to time in one or more offerings (the “Securities”):

 

(a)

certain Class A ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.005 each of the Company (the “Ordinary Shares”), including in the form of American depositary shares, each representing 150 Ordinary Shares (the “ADSs”);

 

(b)

certain preferred shares with a par value of US$0.005 each of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”);

 

(c)

debt securities of the Company, which may include debt securities exchangeable for or convertible into Ordinary Shares or Preferred Shares (collectively the “Debt Securities”), each series of Debt Securities to be issued under indentures to be entered into by the Company and the trustee for such Debt Securities (the “Indentures”);

 

(d)

warrants to subscribe for ADSs, Ordinary Shares and/or Preferred Shares of the Company (the “Warrants”) to be issued under warrant agreements to be entered into between the Company and the warrant agent for such Warrants thereunder (the “Warrant Agreements”);

 

(e)

rights to purchase ADSs, Ordinary Shares and/or Preferred Shares of the Company (the “Rights”) to be issued under standby underwriting agreements or rights agent agreement to be entered into among the Company and one or more underwriters for such Rights thereunder (the “Rights Agreements”); and

 

(f)

units comprising of one or more of the ADSs, Ordinary Shares, Preferred Shares, Debt Securities, Warrants or Rights in any combination (the “Units”) to be issued under unit agreements to be entered into between the Company and the unitholder for such Units thereunder (the “Unit Agreements”).

 

 

B.

the offering and resale, from time to time, by the selling shareholders identified in the Registration Statement (the “Selling Shareholders”) of up to an aggregate of 484,281,240 Ordinary Shares (the “Warrant Shares”) issuable to the Selling Shareholders upon the exercise of certain 2024 Warrants (as defined below).

 

The ADSs representing the Ordinary Shares shall be issued in accordance with a deposit agreement dated 4 May 2017 made among the Company, Citibank, N.A. as the depositary (the “Depositary”) and all holders and beneficial owners of ADSs issued thereunder, as amended or varied (the “Deposit Agreement”).

 

We are furnishing this opinion as Exhibits 5.1 and 23.2 to the Registration Statement.

 

1	Documents Reviewed

 

For the purposes of this opinion, we have reviewed only originals, copies or final drafts of the following documents:

 

1.1

The Certificate of Registration By Way of Continuation dated 18 August 2015, the Certificate of Incorporation On Change of Name dated 18 August 2015, and the Certificate of Incorporation On Change of Name dated 20 July 2020.

 

1.2

The Sixth Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company as adopted by a special resolution dated 26 July 2021 (the “Memorandum and Articles”).

 

1.3

The minutes of the annual general meetings of the shareholders of the Company (the “AGMs”) held on 1 May 2023 and 15 August 2024 (the “AGM Minutes”).

 

1.4

The written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) dated 4 March 2025 (the “Board Resolutions”).

 

1.5

A certificate of good standing dated 12 March 2025 issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands (the “Certificate of Good Standing”).

 

1.6

A certificate from a director of the Company, a copy of which is attached hereto (the “Director’s Certificate”).

 

1.7

The Registration Statement.

 

 

1.8

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Decai Kong by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

1.9

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Guochao Zheng by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

1.10

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Chunying Liu by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

1.11

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Jingming Li by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

1.12

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Jianmin Zhao by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

1.13

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Nana Feng by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

1.14

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Pengen Duan by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

1.15

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Xiaoqiang Yu by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

1.16

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Xueli Zhao by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

1.17

A warrant to purchase 48,428,124 Ordinary Shares issued to Xinjian Feng by the Company dated 19 June 2024.

 

Documents 1.8 to 1.17 are collectively referred to as the “2024 Warrants”.

 

2

Assumptions

 

The following opinions are given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion letter. These opinions only relate to the laws of the Cayman Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion letter. In giving these opinions we have relied (without further verification) upon the completeness and accuracy, as of the date of this opinion letter, of the Director’s Certificate and the Certificate of Good Standing. We have also relied upon the following assumptions, which we have not independently verified:

 

2.1

The Deposit Agreement, Indentures, Warrant Agreements, Rights Agreements and Unit Agreements (together, the “Transaction Documents”), and the Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares), have been, or will be, authorised and duly executed and unconditionally delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands).

 

2.2

The Transaction Documents and the Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) are, or will be, legal, valid, binding and enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with their terms under the laws of the State of New York and all other relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands).

 

 

2.3

The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law of the Transaction Documents and the Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) has been, or will be, made in good faith and would be regarded as a valid and binding selection which will be upheld by the courts of the State of New York and any other relevant jurisdiction (other than the Cayman Islands) as a matter of the laws of the State of New York and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands).

 

2.4

Copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals.

 

2.5

All signatures, initials and seals are genuine.

 

2.6

The capacity, power, authority and legal right of all parties under all relevant laws and regulations (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands) to enter into, execute, unconditionally deliver and perform their respective obligations under the Transaction Documents and the Securities.

 

2.7

There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under Cayman Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from issuing the Ordinary Shares or the Preferred Shares or the ADSs or entering into and performing its obligations under the Registration Statement, the Transaction Documents and the Securities.

 

2.8

No monies paid to or for the account of any party under the Transaction Documents or the Securities or any property received or disposed of by any party to the Transaction Documents or the Securities in each case in connection with the Transaction Documents or the Securities, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, represent or will represent proceeds of criminal conduct or criminal property or terrorist property (as defined in the Proceeds of Crime Act (As Revised) and the Terrorism Act (As Revised), respectively).

 

2.9

There is nothing contained in the minute book or corporate records of the Company (which other than the records set out in paragraphs 1.1 to 1.5 of the opinion letter, we have not inspected) which would or might affect the opinions set out below.

 

2.10

There is nothing under any law (other than the law of the Cayman Islands) which would or might affect the opinions set out below. Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of the laws of the State of New York.

 

2.11

The Company will have sufficient authorised capital to effect the issue of the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares at the time of issuance and at the time of issue of the Warrant Shares upon exercise of the 2024 Warrants.

 

2.12

The Company will receive money or money’s worth in consideration for the issue of the Ordinary Shares and the Preferred Shares, and none of the Ordinary Shares or the Preferred Shares will be issued for less than their par value.

 

2.13

No invitation has been or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for any of the Securities.

 

2.14

The ADSs, Debt Securities, Warrants, Rights, and Units will respectively be issued and authenticated as required in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement or a duly authorised, executed and delivered Indenture, Warrant Agreement, Rights Agent Agreement, and Unit Agreement (as the case may be).

 

2.15

The Transaction Documents and the Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) will be, or have been, duly executed and delivered by an authorised person of the parties thereto.

 

 

3

Opinion

 

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set out below and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

 

3.1

The Company has been duly incorporated as an exempted company with limited liability and is validly existing and in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

 

3.2

The authorised share capital of the Company is US$50,000,000 divided into 10,000,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.005 each, comprising of 9,000,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares of a par value of US$0.005 each and 1,000,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares of a par value of US$0.005 each.

 

3.3

With respect to the Ordinary Shares, including those represented by ADSs, and the Preferred Shares, when (i) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) the issue of such Ordinary Shares or Preferred Shares has been recorded in the Company’s register of members (shareholders); and (iii) the subscription price of such Ordinary Shares or Preferred Shares, (being not less than the par value of the Ordinary Shares or Preferred Shares, as the case may be) has been fully paid in cash or other consideration approved by the Board, the Ordinary Shares or Preferred Shares will be duly authorised, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

3.4

With respect to each issue of the Debt Securities, when (i) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation and terms of the Debt Securities and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) an Indenture relating to the Debt Securities and the Debt Securities shall have been authorised and duly executed and delivered by and on behalf of the Company and all the relevant parties thereunder in accordance with all relevant laws; and (iii) when such Debt Securities issued thereunder have been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and authenticated in the manner set forth in the Indenture relating to such issue of Debt Securities and delivered against due payment therefor pursuant to, and in accordance with, the terms of the Registration Statement and any relevant prospectus supplement, such Debt Securities issued pursuant to the Indenture will have been duly executed, issued and delivered.

 

3.5

With respect to each issue of Warrants, when (i) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation and terms of the Warrants and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) a Warrant Agreement relating to the Warrants shall have been duly authorised and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the warrant agent thereunder in accordance with all relevant laws; and (iii) the certificates representing the Warrants have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered in accordance with the Warrant Agreement relating to the Warrants and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Board upon payment of the consideration therefor provided therein, the Warrants will be duly authorised, legal and binding obligations of the Company.

 

3.6

With respect to each issue of the Rights, when (i) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation and terms of the Rights and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) a Rights Agreement relating to the Rights shall have been duly authorised and duly executed and delivered by the Company and all the relevant parties thereunder in accordance with all relevant laws; and (iii) the certificates representing the Rights have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered in accordance with the Rights Agreement relating to the Rights and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Board upon payment of the consideration therefor provided therein, such Rights will be duly authorised, legal and binding obligations of the Company.

 

 

3.7

With respect to each issue of the Units, when (i) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation and terms of the Units and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) a Unit Agreement relating to the Units and the Units shall have been authorised and duly executed and delivered by and on behalf of the Company and all the relevant parties thereunder in accordance with all relevant laws; and (iii) when such Units issued thereunder have been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and authenticated in the manner set forth in the Unit Agreement relating to such issue of Units and delivered against due payment therefor pursuant to, and in accordance with, the terms of the Registration Statement and any relevant prospectus supplement, such Units issued pursuant to the Unit Agreement will be duly authorised, legal and binding obligations of the Company.

 

3.8

The issue and allotment of the Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and when allotted and issued by the Company upon exercise of the 2024 Warrants against payment of the consideration set forth in the 2024 Warrants, the Warrant Shares will be duly and validly issued, fully-paid and non-assessable. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members (shareholders).

 

4

Qualifications

 

The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:

 

4.1

To maintain the Company in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands, annual filing fees must be paid and returns made to the Registrar of Companies within the time frame prescribed by law.

 

4.2

The obligations assumed by the Company under the Transaction Documents, the Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) and the 2024 Warrants will not necessarily be enforceable in all circumstances in accordance with their terms. In particular:

 

(a)

enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, reorganisation, readjustment of debts or moratorium or other laws of general application relating to, protecting or affecting the rights of creditors and/or contributories;

 

(b)

enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity. For example, equitable remedies such as specific performance may not be available, inter alia, where damages are considered to be an adequate remedy;

 

(c)

some claims may become barred under relevant statutes of limitation or may be or become subject to defences of set off, counterclaim, estoppel and similar defences;

 

(d)

where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, they may not be enforceable in the Cayman Islands to the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of that jurisdiction;

 

(e)

the courts of the Cayman Islands have jurisdiction to give judgment in the currency of the relevant obligation and statutory rates of interest payable upon judgments will vary according to the currency of the judgment. If the Company becomes insolvent and is made subject to a liquidation proceeding, the courts of the Cayman Islands will require all debts to be proved in a common currency, which is likely to be the “functional currency” of the Company determined in accordance with applicable accounting principles. Currency indemnity provisions have not been tested, so far as we are aware, in the courts of the Cayman Islands;

 

 

(f)

arrangements that constitute penalties will not be enforceable;

 

(g)

enforcement may be prevented by reason of fraud, coercion, duress, undue influence, misrepresentation, public policy or mistake or limited by the doctrine of frustration of contracts;

 

(h)

provisions imposing confidentiality obligations may be overridden by compulsion of applicable law or the requirements of legal and/or regulatory process;

 

(i)

the courts of the Cayman Islands may decline to exercise jurisdiction in relation to substantive proceedings brought under or in relation to the Transaction Documents or Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) in matters where they determine that such proceedings may be tried in a more appropriate forum;

 

(j)

we reserve our opinion as to the enforceability of the relevant provisions of the Transaction Documents or Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) to the extent that they purport to grant exclusive jurisdiction as there may be circumstances in which the courts of the Cayman Islands would accept jurisdiction notwithstanding such provisions;

 

(k)

a company cannot, by agreement or in its articles of association, restrict the exercise of a statutory power and there is doubt as to the enforceability of any provision in the Transaction Documents or Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) whereby the Company covenants to restrict the exercise of powers specifically given to it under the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands (the “Companies Act”), including, without limitation, the power to increase its authorised share capital, amend its memorandum and articles of association or present a petition to a Cayman Islands court for an order to wind up the Company; and

 

(l)

enforcement or performance of any provision in the Transaction Documents or Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) which relates, directly or indirectly, to an interest in the Company constituting shares, voting rights or ultimate effective control over management in the Company may be prohibited or restricted if any such relevant interest is or becomes subject to a restrictions notice issued under the Beneficial Ownership Transparency Act (As Revised) (“BOT Act”).

 

4.3

We express no opinion as to the meaning, validity or effect of any references to foreign (i.e. non-Cayman Islands) statutes, rules, regulations, codes, judicial authority or any other promulgations and any references to them in the Transaction Documents or Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) or the 2024 Warrants.

 

4.4

We have not reviewed the final form of any of the Indentures, the Debt Securities to be issued thereunder, the Warrant Agreements or the Warrants to be issued thereunder, the Rights Agreements or the Rights to be issued thereunder, or the Unit Agreements or the Units to be issued thereunder, and our opinions are qualified accordingly.

 

4.5

We reserve our opinion as to the extent to which the courts of the Cayman Islands would, in the event of any relevant illegality or invalidity, sever the relevant provisions of the Transaction Documents or Securities (other than the Ordinary Shares and Preferred Shares) or the 2024 Warrants and enforce the remainder or the transaction of which such provisions form a part, notwithstanding any express provisions in this regard.

 

 

4.6

Under the Companies Act, the register of members of a Cayman Islands company is by statute regarded as prima facie evidence of any matters which the Companies Act directs or authorises to be inserted therein. A third party interest in the shares in question would not appear. An entry in the register of members may yield to a court order for rectification (for example, in the event of fraud or manifest error).

 

4.7

In this opinion the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to the issuance of shares in the Company, that a shareholder shall not, in respect of the relevant shares and in the absence of a contractual arrangement, or an obligation pursuant to the memorandum and articles of association, to the contrary, have any obligation to make further contributions to the Company’s assets (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).

 

4.8

The obligations of the Company may be subject to restrictions pursuant to:

 

(a)

United Nations and United Kingdom sanctions extended to the Cayman Islands by Orders in Council; and

 

(b)

sanctions imposed by Cayman Islands authorities under Cayman Islands legislation.

 

Except as specifically stated herein, we make no comment with respect to any representations and warranties which may be made by or with respect to the Company in any of the documents or instruments cited in this opinion or otherwise with respect to the commercial terms of the transactions, which are the subject of this opinion.

 

The opinions in this opinion letter are strictly limited to the matters contained in the opinions section above and do not extend to any other matters. We have not been asked to review and we therefore have not reviewed any of the ancillary documents relating to the Transaction Documents or Securities and express no opinion or observation upon the terms of any such document.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our name under the headings “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” and “Legal Matters” and elsewhere in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

Yours faithfully

 

/s/ Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

 

Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

 

 

8

 

Exhibit 5.2

 

Hebei Changjun Law Firm

March 14, 2025

 

To:

SOS Limited

Building 6, East Seaview Park, 298 Haijing Road, Yinzhu Street

West Coast New District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province 266400

China

 

Re: Legal Opinion Regarding Certain PRC Law Matters

 

To whom it may concern,

 

Hebei Changjun Law Firm (“We”), a qualified law firm of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”, for the purpose of issuing this opinion, excluding Hong Kong Special Administration Region, Macau Special Administration Region and Taiwan) is asked by SOS Ltd (the “Company”), a company incorporated in Cayman and listed on NYSE, to provide our opinion on the laws and regulations of the PRC effective as of the date hereof. We act as the PRC legal counsel for the Company, solely in connection with (i) the proposed offering (the “Offering”) of certain number of securities and (ii) the offer and resale of 484,281,240 Class A Ordinary Shares by the selling shareholder named therein, as set forth in the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3, including all amendments or supplements thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (as amended) on March 14, 2025.

 

A. Documents and Assumptions

 

In rendering this opinion, we have examined the Registration Statement, originals or copies of the due diligence documents provided to us by the Company and the PRC Entities (as defined below) and such other documents, corporate records and certificates issued by the governmental authorities in the PRC (collectively the “Documents”) as we have deemed necessary and appropriate as a basis for the opinions hereinafter set forth.

 

In rendering this opinion, we have made the following assumptions:

 

(a)

the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to the originals of those documents submitted to us as copies;

 

  

(b)

in response to our due diligence inquiries, requests and investigation for the purpose of this opinion, all the relevant information and materials that have been provided to us by the Company and the PRC Entities, including all factual statements in the documents and all other factual information provided to us by the Company and the PRC Entities, and the statements made by the Company, the PRC Entities and relevant government officials, are true, accurate, complete and not misleading, and that the Company has not withheld anything that, if disclosed to us, would reasonably cause us to alter this opinion in whole or in part. Where important facts were not independently established to us, we have relied upon certificates issued by governmental authorities and appropriate representatives of the Company and/or other relevant entities and/or upon representations made by such persons in the course of our inquiry and consultation;

 

(c)

All Documents submitted to us still exist, remain in full force and effect up to the date of this opinion and have not been revoked, amended, varied, cancelled or superseded by any other document or agreement or action; and no revocation or termination has occurred, with respect to any of the Documents after they were submitted to us for the purposes of this opinion;

 

(d)

that all parties to the documents provided to us in connection with this opinion, other than the PRC Entities, have the requisite power and authority to enter into, and have duly executed, delivered and/or issued those documents to which they are parties, and have the requisite power and authority to perform their obligations thereunder; and

 

(e)

with respect to all parties, the due compliance with, and the legality, validity, effectiveness and enforceability under, all laws other than the laws of the PRC.

 

B. Definitions

 

In addition to the terms defined in the context of this opinion, the following capitalized terms used in this opinion shall have the meanings ascribed to them as follows:

 

(a)

“CSRC” means the China Securities Regulatory Commission;

 

(b)

“Governmental Agency” or “Governmental Agencies” mean any national, provincial or local governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, agency or commission in the PRC, or any court, tribunal or any other judicial body in the PRC, or anybody exercising, or entitled to exercise, any administrative, judicial, legislative, police, regulatory, or taxing authority or power of similar nature in the PRC;

 

 

(c)

“Governmental Authorization” means any license, approval, consent, waiver, order, sanction, certificate, authorization, filing, disclosure, registration, exemption, permission, endorsement, annual inspection, clearance, qualification, permit or license by, from or with any Governmental Agency pursuant to any PRC Laws;

 

(d)

“M&A Rules” mean the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors promulgated jointly by the PRC Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Administration for Taxation, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the CSRC, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on August 8, 2006, which became effective on September 8, 2006 and were amended on June 22, 2009 by the Ministry of Commerce;

 

(e)

“SPV” means special-purpose vehicle. A “SPV” under the M&A Rules is defined as an overseas company that a domestic company or natural person directly or indirectly controls for the purpose of making its actual domestic company equities get listed abroad, and such term shall apply to a special-purpose company, which, for the purpose of getting listed abroad, its shareholders or the special-purpose company purchase (purchases) the equities of the shareholders of a domestic company or the share increase of a domestic company by paying with the equities of the special-purpose company it holds or by paying with the share-increase of the special-purpose company;

 

(f)

“Overseas Listing Trial Measures” mean the Trial Administrative Measures of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies promulgated by the CSRC on February 17, 2023, which became effective on March 31, 2023;

 

(g)

“CAC Rules” mean related laws and rules regarding the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”), including the Cyber Security Law (effective as of June 1, 2017), the Data Security Law (effective as of September 1, 2021), the Personal Information Protection Law (effective as of November 1, 2021), the Cyber Security Review Measure (as amended on November 16, 2021 and effective as of February 15, 2022, adopted by CAC and other related governmental authorities and departments, including CSRC), the Measures of Data Cross-Border Transfer Security Assessment (as amended on May 19, 2022 and effective as of September 1, 2022, adopted by CAC) and the Regulations on the Network Data Security Administration (as released on September 30, 2024 and will effective as of January 1, 2025).

 

(h)

“PRC Entities” mean the PRC companies, as listed in Schedule 1, as at the date of this opinion;

 

(i)

“PRC Subsidiaries” mean the PRC operating companies.;

 

 

(j)

“PRC Laws” mean all applicable national, provincial and local laws, regulations, statues, rules, orders, decrees, notices and supreme court’s judicial interpretations of the PRC currently in effect and publicly available on the date of this opinion;

 

(k)

“Prospectus” means the prospectus, including all amendments or supplements thereto, that forms part of the Registration Statement.

 

Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings described in the Registration Statement.

 

C. Opinions

 

Based on our review of the Documents and subject to the Assumptions and the Qualifications, we are of the opinion that:

 

(a)

With Respect to Permissions and Approvals from the PRC Authorities.

 

Each of the PRC Entities has received from the PRC authorities all requisite licenses, permissions, and approvals needed to engage in the businesses currently conducted in the PRC, which solely include the business licenses that authorize the scope of business operations, and no permission or approval has been denied. However, in the future, if any additional approvals or permissions are required, we cannot assure that any of these entities will be able to receive clearance of compliance requirements in a timely manner, or at all. Any failure to fully comply with any compliance requirements may cause the PRC Entities, to be unable to operate their businesses in the PRC, subject them to fines, relevant businesses or operations suspension for rectification, or other sanctions.

 

(b)

With respect to the M&A Rules.

 

The M&A Rules, among other things, purport to require CSRC approval prior to the listing and trading on an overseas stock exchange of the securities of an offshore special purpose vehicle established or controlled directly or indirectly by PRC Subsidiaries or individuals and formed for the purpose of overseas listing through the acquisition of PRC domestic interests held by such PRC Subsidiaries or individuals. Based on our understanding of the explicit provisions under PRC Laws, the CSRC’s approval is not required under the M&A Rules for the Offering. However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the M&A Rules, other PRC Laws and future PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that any Governmental Agency will not take a view that is contrary to or otherwise different from our opinion stated herein.

 

 

(c)

Overseas Listing Trial Measures.

 

The Overseas Listing Trial Measures and relevant five guidelines require PRC domestic companies that seek to offer and list securities in overseas markets, either in direct or indirect means, to complete the filing procedure with the CSRC and submit relevant information. Based on our understanding of the Overseas Listing Trial Measures, securities issued using a “shelf” registration process shall complete the filing procedures with CSRC within three business days after the completion of an offering pursuant to any accompanying prospectus supplement to the Registration Statement. Therefore, the Company are required to file with CSRC after the completion of an offering pursuant to any accompanying prospectus supplement to the Registration Statement, and prepare a summary report to the CSRC after the completion of all offerings under this Registration Statement. The Selling Shareholders’ resale of the Ordinary Sales as described in the Registration Statement does not constitute a “subsequent offering” under the CSRC rules and hence the Company is not required to complete the filing procedures with CSRC for the Selling Shareholders’ resale. However, as uncertainties still exist regarding the interpretation and implementation of the Trial Measures, our opinion stated above is subject to any new laws, rules, regulations, and/or detailed implementations and interpretations in any form related to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures.

 

(d)

With respect to the CAC Rules.

 

According to the Cyber Security Law effective as of June 1, 2017, the CAC is responsible for the overall planning and coordination of cyber security work and relevant supervision and management to the construction, operation, maintenance and use of the network within the territory of the PRC.

 

According to the Data Security Law effective as of September 1, 2021, the Cyber Security Law shall apply to the outbound security management of the important data collected or produced by “critical information infrastructure operators” (the “CIIO”) during their operation within the territory of PRC, and the measures for the outbound security management of the important data collected or produced by “others data processors” during their operation within the territory of the PRC shall be formulated by CAC in conjunction with the relevant departments under the State Council.

 

 

According to the Personal Information Protection Law effective as of November 1, 2021, a personal information processor that truly needs to provide personal information outside the territory of PRC for business sake or other reason shall meet one of the following requirements: 1) passing the security assessment organized by CAC, 2) obtaining personal information protection certification from the relevant specialized institution according to the provisions issued by the CAC, 3) concluding a contract stipulating both parties’ rights and obligations with the overseas recipient in accordance with the standard contract formulated by the CAC, and 4) meeting other conditions set forth by laws and administrative regulations and by the CAC.

 

According to the Cyber Security Review Measure (as amended on November 16, 2021 and effective as of February 15, 2022, adopted by CAC and other related governmental authorities and departments, including CSRC), the purchase of cyber products and services by “critical information infrastructure operators” and “network platform operators” which engage in data processing activities that affects or may affect national security shall be subject to the cybersecurity review by the CAC and the Cybersecurity Review Office, the department which is responsible for the implementation of cybersecurity review as designated by the CAC. The network platform operators with personal information data of more than one million users that seek listing in a foreign country are obliged to apply for a cybersecurity review by the CAC and the Cybersecurity Review Office, and the CAC together with other competent authorities will review and make an assessment if such applicant’s seeking for listing in an overseas market may cause risks to national security

 

According to the Measures of Data Cross-Border Transfer Security Assessment (as amended on May 19, 2022 and effective as of September 1, 2022, adopted by CAC), if data processors providing data oversea meets one of the following conditions, the data cross-border security assessment shall report to national CAC through province level CAC: 1) data processors provide important data oversea, 2) personal information provided overseas by CIIOs or data processors handling personal information of more than 1 million people, 3) the cumulative amount of personal information provided overseas reached 100,000 people since January 1st of the last year; or the cumulative amount of sensitive personal information provided overseas reached 10,000 people since January 1st of the last year, and 4) other circumstances CAC defined that need report data cross-border transfer security assessment.

 

 

On September 30, 2024, the State Council released the Regulations on the Network Data Security Administration (the “Data Security Administration”), which will become effective on January 1, 2025. The Data Security Administration requires that network data processors conducting data processing activities that affect or may affect national security shall undergo a national security review in accordance with relevant national regulations.

 

We are of the opinion that, i) the CAC Rules will not apply to the Company, since the Company is a foreign entity outside jurisdiction of PRC, in case there is no applicable international treatments, and according to our inquiry, the Company does not conduct any business in the territory of PRC directly, ii) the PRC subsidiaries and all their businesses including corporate business training services, corporate consulting services, and computer hardware sales and software development etc. will not be subject to CAC’s review or approval regarding data cyber security under current-effective CAC Rules since according to inquiry with the PRC Subsidiaries, (A) all of collection and processing of any personal information or other data in the ordinary course of business are conducted by related PRC Subsidiaries within the territory of PRC, (B) such personal information or operational data handled by the PRC Subsidiaries will not be construed as important data threatening China’s national security, (C) the PRC Subsidiaries are not data processors handling personal information of more than 1 million people, and (D) none of the PRC Subsidiaries are CIIOs, which are subject to direct and more strict regulatory supervision under CAC Rules, and to our knowledge, there is no other current-effective regulations, enforceable process or procedures to implement such provisions to require a foreign entity listed overseas or any of its operating companies in PRC to obtain approval or permission from CAC.

 

However, neither the Cyber Security Review Measure, nor the Measures of Data Cross-Border Transfer Security Assessment, nor the CAC nor any other competent authorities provides any further detailed interpretation or explanation of applicable scope with respect to the companies’ “overseas listing” and such circumstances will “affect or may affect national security,” and we cannot assure that CAC or any other Chinese governmental authorities may have broad discretion in interpreting and enforcing these laws and regulations, including through the adoption of Regulations on the Administration of Network Data Security, which may require related PRC Subsidiaries being subject to CAC’s supervision and assessment with respect to cyber or data security review and make filings with CAC or other competent authorities.

 

 

(e)

PRC Foreign Investment Law

 

The operations of the PRC Subsidiaries are not subject to the foreign investment restrictions or prohibitions set forth in the “negative list” currently issued by the State Council and foreign investors are allowed to hold 100% equity interests of the PRC Subsidiaries. Therefore, we believe that as of the date of this prospectus, the operations of the PRC Subsidiaries are not restricted or limited by PRC laws and regulations for foreign investment. However, it is uncertain whether operations of the PRC Subsidiaries will be subject to the foreign investment restrictions or prohibitions in the future. While the Company’s structure does not include any VIE and the Company has no intention to rely on a VIE structure in their PRC operations, if the PRC laws and regulations were to change in the future, such changes may result in adverse changes in their operations, and the Class A ordinary shares may decline significantly in value. Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of newly enacted PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of the corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.

 

(f)

Enforceability of Civil Procedures.

 

The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between the PRC and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. The PRC does not have any treaties or other form of reciprocity with the United States or the Cayman Islands that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC will not enforce a foreign judgment against a company or its directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.

 

 

(g)

Legal litigation and arbitration.

 

To our best knowledge after due and reasonable inquiries, there are no legal, arbitral or governmental proceedings in progress or pending, to which any of the PRC Entities is a party or of which any property of any PRC Entities located within the PRC is the subject which would individually or in aggregate, insofar as the PRC Laws are concerned, if determined adversely on such PRC Entities, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(h)

PRC Laws.

 

All statements set forth in the Registration Statement under the sections entitled “PROSPECTUS SUMMARY”, “RISK FACTORS”, “ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES”, to the extent that they describe or summarize matters of PRC Laws or documents, agreements or proceedings governed by the PRC Laws, are true and accurate in all material respects, and fairly present or fairly summarize in all material respects the PRC legal and regulatory matters, proceedings referred to therein, and nothing has been omitted from such statements which would make the same misleading in any material respect.

 

D. Qualifications

 

(a)

We are only engaged by the Company to provide this Letter on the issues provided hereof, and our opinion shall not be interpreted in any extended way or be interpreted as a formal authoritative interpretation.

 

(b)

This Letter is rendered on the basis of PRC Laws that are publicly available and currently in force on the date hereof and there is no guarantee that any of such laws, or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, will not be changed, amended or revoked in the future with or without retrospective effect. In addition, we cannot guarantee whether relevant government departments will adopt detailed provisions or release any interpretations contrary to our analysis.

 

(c)

We are only qualified to practice the laws of PRC, therefore, we do not intend to provide any opinions or suggestions on any other non-legal subject matter (including without limitation the Company’s accounting, auditing, tax and asset evaluation), nor laws of any jurisdiction other than PRC.

 

(d)

Our opinion is subject to the effects of (1) judicial discretion with respect to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief, indemnifications, remedies or defenses, the calculation of damages, the entitlement of attorneys’ fees and other costs, the waiver of immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from legal proceedings; and (2) the discretion of any competent PRC legislative, administrative or judicial bodies in exercising their authority in the PRC which will have retroactive effect.

 

 

(e)

We may rely, as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent we deem proper, on certificates and confirmations of responsible officers of the PRC Entities and PRC government officials.

 

(f)

This opinion is intended to be used in the context which is specifically referred to herein.

 

(g)

As used in this opinion, the expression “to our best knowledge” or similar language with reference to matters of fact refers to the current actual knowledge of the attorneys of this firm who have worked on matters for the Company in connection with the Offering thereunder. We have not undertaken any independent investigation to determine the existence or absence of any fact, and no inference as to our knowledge of the existence or absence of any fact should be drawn from our representation of the Company or the rendering of this opinion.

 

This opinion is delivered in our capacity as the Company’s PRC legal counsel solely for the purpose of the Registration Statement publicly submitted to the SEC on the date of this opinion and shall not be used for any other purpose without our prior written consent.

 

The Company or its affiliates shall make an independent judgment on the matters mentioned in this Letter in accordance with the principle of prudence, and shall not hold us liable solely based on our opinions, suggestions or conclusions. We shall not be liable in any way to any other third party for any part of this Letter.

 

We hereby consent to the use of this opinion in, and the filing hereof as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and to the reference to our name in such Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of the person whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Yours faithfully,

/s/ Hebei Changjun Law Firm

 

 

Schedule Ⅰ

 

List of the PRC Entities

 

No.		PRC Entities
1.		Qingdao SOS Investment Management Co., Ltd
2.		Qingdao SOS Investment LLP
3.		SOS International Trading Co.,Ltd
4.		Common Prosperity Technology co., Ltd
5.		Xinxin Ranran International Trading Co., ltd
6.		Inner Mongolia SOS Insurance Agency Co.,Ltd.
7		Shuyun International trading Co., Ltd
8		Weigou International Trading Co., Ltd
9		Qingdao Zhiyuan Digital Technology Co., Ltd
10		SOS Auto Service Co., Ltd
11		Zhongjian Tianxia (Beijing) Investment Management Co., Ltd
12		ChexiaoerTechnology Co., Ltd
13		Chexiaoer (Tianjin) Automobile Maintenance Co., Ltd
14		Hebei Chexiaoer Technology Co., ltd

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

	A Top 18 Audit Firm                         10 Anson Road, #20-16 International Plaza, Singapore 079903.

 

UEN: T12LL1223B GST Reg No: M90367663E Tel: (65) 6227 5428

Website: www.allianceaudit.com

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Form F-3 of our report dated May 15, 2024, relating to the consolidated financial statements of SOS Limited and subsidiaries, appearing in its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023. 

 

We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in this registration statement.

 

/s/ Audit Alliance LLP

 

Singapore

March 14, 2025

 

Exhibit 23.3

 

Hebei Changjun Law Firm

Date: March 14, 2025

 

To:

SOS Limited (the “Company”)

Building 6, East Seaview Park, 298 Haijing Road, Yinzhu Street

West Coast New District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province 266400

China

 

Dear Sir/Madam:

 

We are lawyers licensed and qualified to practice law in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”) and have acted as special PRC counsel of the Company to issue this letter of legal opinion (the “Legal Opinion”) dated as of March 14, 2025. In connection with the above Legal Opinion, we hereby consent:

 

1.

to the references to our firm in connection with the registration statement of the Company on Form F-3, including all amendments or supplements thereto (the “Registration Statement”), initially filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 14, 2025 under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (as amended), and

 

2.

to the filing with the SEC of the above Legal Opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

 

In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of the person whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

/s/ Hebei Changjun Law Firm

March 14, 2025  

Exhibit 107

 

Calculation of Filing Fee Tables

 

F-3

(Form Type)

 

SOS Ltd

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities

 

		Security Type		Security Class Title		Fee Calculation Rule		Amount Registered(1)		Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit(2)				Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(3)				Fee Rate				Amount of Registration Fee
Fees to be paid		Equity		Class A Ordinary Shares, as represented by American Depository Shares		Rule 457(o)
		Other		Warrants		Rule 457(o)
		Debt		Debt Securities		Rule 457(o)
		Other		Units		Rule 457(o)
		Other		Rights		Rule 457(o)
														$	500,000,000				0.00015310			$	76,550
		Equity		Class A Ordinary Shares, as represented by American Depository Shares		Rule 457(o)								$	15,884,424.70	(4)			0.00015310			$	2,431.91
				Total Offering Amounts										$	515,884,424.70				0.00015310			$	78,981.91
				Total Fees Previously Paid																		$	-
				Total Fee Offsets																		$	-
				Net Fee Due																		$	78,981.91

 

(1)	Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (or the Securities Act), an indeterminate number of additional securities are registered hereunder that may be issued to prevent dilution in connection with a stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, or similar event or adjustment. In addition, an indeterminate number of common shares are registered hereunder that may be issued upon conversion of or exchange for any other securities.
(2)	There are being registered hereunder such indeterminate number of the securities of each identified class being registered as may be sold from time to time at indeterminate prices, with an initial aggregate public offering price not to exceed $500,000,000. Separate consideration may or may not be received for securities that are issuable on exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities or that are issued in units. To the extent that separate consideration is received for any such securities, the aggregate amount of such consideration will be included in the aggregate offering price of all securities sold. If any debt securities are issued at an original issue discount, then the offering may be in such greater principal amount as shall result in a maximum aggregate offering price not to exceed $500,000,000, less the aggregate dollar amount of all securities previously issued hereunder. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as part of units, which may consist of any combination of the securities registered hereunder.

 

(3)	Pursuant to Instructions to the Calculation of Filing Fee Tables and Related Disclosure of Form F-3, the table does not specify by each class information as to the proposed maximum aggregate offering price. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with other securities registered hereunder.
(4)	On June 11, 2024, the Company entered into certain securities purchase agreement (the “SPA”) with the Selling Shareholders, pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell an aggregate of 161,427,080 units, each of which included three Warrants, each to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share. This number is calculated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act. The proposed maximum offering price per share and the proposed maximum aggregate offering price are based on the average of the high and low sale prices of the registrant’s ADSs on the NYSE on March 12, 2025, or $4.92, divided by 150 (to give effect to the 150:1 ratio of Class A Ordinary Shares to ADSs).

 

 

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