ADVAXIS,INC. CERTIFICATEOF DESIGNATIONS OF PREFERENCES, RIGHTSAND LIMITATIONS OF SERIES APREFERRED STOCK

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Stock Agreements
EX-4.1 2 v161315_ex4-1.htm
Exhibit 4.1
 
ADVAXIS, INC.
 
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS OF PREFERENCES,
RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS
OF
SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK
 
The undersigned, Thomas A. Moore, hereby certifies that:
 
1.           He is the Chief Executive Officer of Advaxis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”).
 
2.           The Corporation is authorized to issue 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, none of which are issued or outstanding.
 
3.           The following resolutions were duly adopted by the Board of Directors:
 
WHEREAS, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation provides for a class of its authorized stock known as preferred stock, comprised of 5,000,000 shares, $0.001 par value per share (the Preferred Stock”), issuable from time to time in one or more series;
 
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Corporation is authorized to fix the dividend rights, dividend rate, voting rights, conversion rights, rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences of any wholly unissued series of Preferred Stock and the number of shares constituting any series and the designation thereof, of any of them; and
 
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, pursuant to its authority as aforesaid, to fix the rights, preferences, restrictions and other matters relating to a series of Preferred Stock, which shall consist of up to 1000 shares of the Preferred Stock which the Corporation has the authority to issue, as follows:
 
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors does hereby provide for the issuance of a series of Preferred Stock for cash or exchange of other securities, rights or property and does hereby fix and determine the rights, preferences, restrictions and other matters relating to such series of Preferred Stock as follows:
 
TERMS OF PREFERRED STOCK
 
1.           Designation, Amount and Par Value.  The series of Preferred Stock shall be designated as the Corporation’s Series A Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares so designated shall be 1000 (which shall not be subject to increase without the consent of all of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock (each a “Holder” and collectively, the “Holders”).  Each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.001 per share.

 

 

2.           Ranking.  The Series A Preferred Stock shall, with respect to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, winding-up or dissolution, rank:
 
a.           senior to the Corporation’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), and any other class or series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation other than a class or series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation that the Corporation intends to cause to be listed for trading or quoted on any one of the NASDAQ Capital Market, the NASDAQ Global Market, the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the NYSE Amex, or the New York Stock Exchange (collectively, together with any warrants, rights, calls or options exercisable for or convertible into such Preferred Stock, the “Junior Shares”); and
 
b.           junior to all existing and future indebtedness of the Corporation and any class or series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation that the Corporation intends to cause to be listed for trading or quoted on any one of the NASDAQ Capital Market, the NASDAQ Global Market, the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the NYSE Amex, or the New York Stock Exchange (collectively, together with any warrants, rights, calls or options exercisable for or convertible into such Preferred Stock, the “Senior Shares”).
 
3.           Dividends and Other Distributions.  Commencing on the date of the issuance of any such shares of Series A Preferred Stock (each respectively an “Issuance Date”), Holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive dividends on each outstanding share of Series A Preferred Stock (“Dividends”), which shall accrue in shares of Series A Preferred Stock at a rate equal to 10.0% per annum.
 
a.           Any calculation of the amount of such Dividends payable pursuant to the provisions of this Section 3 shall be made based on a 365-day year and on the number of days actually elapsed during the applicable calendar quarter, compounded annually.
 
b.           So long as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, no dividends or other distributions will be paid, declared or set apart with respect to any Junior Shares.  The Common Stock shall not be redeemed while the Series A Preferred Stock is outstanding.
 
4.           Protective Provision.  So long as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative approval of the Holders of a majority of the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding, (a) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series A Preferred Stock or alter or amend this Certificate of Designations, (b) authorize or create any class of stock ranking as to distribution of assets upon a liquidation senior to or otherwise pari passu with the Series A Preferred Stock (other than Senior Shares), (c) amend its certificate or articles of incorporation or other charter documents in breach of any of the provisions hereof, (d) increase the authorized number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, (e) liquidate, dissolve or wind-up the business and affairs of the  Corporation, or effect any Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined below), or (f) enter into any agreement with respect to the foregoing.

 
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a.           A “Deemed Liquidation Event” shall mean:  (i) a merger or consolidation in which the Corporation is a constituent party or a subsidiary of the Corporation is a constituent party and the Corporation issues shares of its capital stock pursuant to such merger or consolidation, except any such merger or consolidation involving the Corporation or a subsidiary in which the shares of capital stock of the Corporation outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continue to represent, or are converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock that represent, immediately following such merger or consolidation, at least a majority, by voting power, of the capital stock of the surviving or resulting corporation or if the surviving or resulting corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of another corporation immediately following such merger or consolidation, the parent corporation of such surviving or resulting corporation; or (ii) the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation of all or substantially all the assets of the Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole,  or the sale or disposition (whether by merger or otherwise) of one or more subsidiaries of the Corporation if substantially all of the assets of the Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation.
 
b.           The Corporation shall not have the power to effect a Deemed Liquidation Event referred to in Section 4(a) unless the agreement or plan of merger or consolidation for such transaction provides that the consideration payable to the stockholders of the Corporation shall be allocated among the holders of capital stock of the Corporation in accordance with Section 5.
 
5.           Liquidation.
 
a.           Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, after payment or provision for payment of debts and other liabilities of the Corporation, before any distribution or payment shall be made to the holders of any Junior Shares by reason of their ownership thereof, but after any distribution or payment to be made to the holders of any Senior Shares, the Holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders an amount with respect to each share of Series A Preferred Stock equal to $10,000.00 (the “Original Series A Issue Price”), plus any accrued but unpaid Dividends thereon (collectively, the “Series A Liquidation Value”).  If, upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, and after any distribution or payment to be made to the holders of any Senior Shares, the amounts payable with respect to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock are not paid in full, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall share equally and ratably in any distribution of assets of the Corporation in proportion to the liquidation preference and an amount equal to all accumulated and unpaid Dividends, if any, to which each such holder is entitled.
 
b.           After payment has been made to the Holders of the Series A Preferred Stock of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Value, any remaining assets of the Corporation shall be distributed among the holders of the Corporation’s Junior Shares in accordance with the Corporation’s Certificates of Designation and Certificate of Incorporation.
 
c.           If, upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the assets of the Corporation shall be insufficient to make payment in full to all Holders, then such assets shall be distributed among the Holders at the time outstanding, ratably in proportion to the full amounts to which they would otherwise be respectively entitled.

 
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6.           Redemption.
 
a.           Corporation’s Redemption Option.  Upon or after the fifth anniversary of the initial Issuance Date, the Corporation shall have the right, at the Corporation’s option, to redeem all or a portion of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, at a price per share of Series A Preferred Stock equal to the Series A Liquidation Value (the “Corporation Redemption Price”).
 
b.           Mechanics of Redemption.  If the Corporation elects to redeem any of the Holders’ Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding, it shall deliver written notice thereof via facsimile and overnight courier (“Notice of Redemption at Option of Corporation”) to each Holder, which Notice of Redemption at Option of Corporation shall indicate (A) the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that the Corporation is electing to redeem and (B) the Corporation Redemption Price.
 
c.           Payment of Redemption Price.  Upon receipt by any Holder of a Notice of Redemption at Option of Corporation, such Holder shall promptly submit to the Corporation such Holder’s Series A Preferred Stock certificates.  Upon receipt of such Holder’s Series A Preferred Stock certificates, the Corporation shall pay the Corporation Redemption Price in cash to such Holder.
 
7.           Transferability.
 
a.           The Series A Preferred Stock constitutes “restricted securities” as such term is defined in Rule 144(a)(3) under the Act and may only be disposed of in compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Series A Preferred Stock may not be offered for sale, sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise distributed unless (A) subsequently registered thereunder, (B) Holder shall have delivered to the Corporation an opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable to the Corporation, in a form generally acceptable to the Corporation, to the effect that such Series A Preferred Stock to be offered for sale, sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise distributed may be offered for sale, sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise distributed pursuant to an exemption from such registration, or (C) Holder provides the Corporation and its legal counsel with reasonable assurance that such Series A Preferred Stock can be offered for sale, sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise distributed pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Act;
 
b.           So long as is required by this Section 7, the certificates or other instruments representing the Series A Preferred Stock shall bear any legends as required by applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws, in addition to the following restrictive legend (and that a stop-transfer order shall be placed against transfer of such certificates):

 
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THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY.
 
c.           The Corporation shall keep at its principal office, or at the offices of the Transfer Agent, a register of the Series A Preferred Stock.  Upon the surrender of any certificate representing Series A Preferred Stock at such place, the Corporation, at the request of the record Holder of such certificate, shall execute and deliver (at the Corporation’s expense) a new certificate or certificates in exchange therefor representing in the aggregate the number of shares represented by the surrendered certificate.  Each such new certificate shall be registered in such name and shall represent such number of shares as is requested by the Holder of the surrendered certificate and shall be substantially identical in form to the surrendered certificate.
 
8.           Miscellaneous.
 
a.           Notices.  Any and all notices to the Corporation shall be addressed to the Corporation’s President or Chief Executive Officer at the Corporation’s principal place of business on file with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.  Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Corporation to any Holder hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile, sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the facsimile telephone number or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Corporation, or if no such facsimile telephone number or address appears, at the principal place of business of the Holder. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile telephone number specified in this section prior to 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, (ii) the date after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile telephone number specified in this section later than 5:30 p.m. but prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on such date, (iii) the second business day following the date of mailing, if sent by nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.
 
b.           Lost or Mutilated Preferred Stock Certificate.  Upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation (an affidavit of the registered Holder shall be satisfactory) of the ownership and the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of any certificate evidencing shares of Series A Preferred Stock, and in the case of any such loss, theft or destruction upon receipt of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation (provided that if the Holder is a financial institution or other institutional investor its own agreement shall be satisfactory) or in the case of any such mutilation upon surrender of such certificate, the Corporation shall, at its expense, execute and deliver in lieu of such certificate a new certificate of like kind representing the number of shares of such class represented by such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated certificate and dated the date of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated certificate.

 
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c.           Headings.  The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Certificate of Designations and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
 
RESOLVED, FURTHER, that the chairman, chief executive officer, president or any vice-president, and the secretary or any assistant secretary, of the Corporation be and they hereby are authorized and directed to prepare and file a Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Preferred Stock in accordance with the foregoing resolution and the provisions of Delaware law.
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Certificate this 24th day of September 2009.
 
By: 
/s/ Thomas A. Moore
Name: Thomas A. Moore
Title: Chief Executive Officer

 
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