Description of Capital Stock of the Registrant
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EX-4.4 2 exhibit44.htm EX-4.4 Document
Exhibit 4.4
DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES REGISTERED
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
The following is a summary of the rights of our common and preferred stock and some of the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws, and certain provisions of Delaware General Corporation Law. The descriptions herein are qualified in their entirety by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws, copies of which have been filed as exhibits to our Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this description is a part, as well as certain provisions of Delaware General Corporation Law. References to the terms “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to C3.ai, Inc., unless the context otherwise requires.
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of the following:
•1,000,000,000 shares designated as Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share;
•3,500,000 shares designated as Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share; and
•200,000,000 shares designated as preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.
As of April 30, 2021, only our Class A common stock was registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.
Class A and Class B Common Stock
All authorized but unissued shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock are available for issuance by our board of directors without any further stockholder action, except as required by the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, except with respect to voting rights and conversion rights, our Class A common stock and Class B common stock are treated equally and identically.
Voting Rights
Holders of Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted upon by our stockholders, and holders of Class B common stock are entitled to 50 votes per share on all matters to be voted upon by our stockholders. Holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock generally vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, unless otherwise required by Delaware law or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Delaware law could require either holders of Class A common stock or Class B common stock to vote separately as a single class in the following circumstances, among others:
•if we were to seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of a class of our capital stock (other than our preferred stock), then that class would be required to vote separately to approve the proposed amendment;
•if we were to seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to increase or decrease the par value of a class of our capital stock, then that class would be required to vote separately to approve the proposed amendment; and
•if we were to seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation in a manner that alters or changes the powers, preferences, or special rights of a class of our capital stock in a manner that affected its holders adversely, then that class would be required to vote separately to approve the proposed amendment.
As a result, in these instances, the holders of a majority of shares of Class A common stock entitled to vote could defeat an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting for the election of directors.
Dividend Rights
Holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are entitled to ratably receive dividends if, as and when declared from time to time by our board of directors at its own discretion out of funds legally available for that purpose, after payment of dividends required to be paid on outstanding preferred stock, if any.
Right to Receive Liquidation Distributions
Upon our dissolution, liquidation or winding-up, the assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders are distributable ratably among the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, subject to prior satisfaction of all outstanding debt and liabilities and the preferential rights and payment of liquidation preferences, if any, on any outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Conversion
Each share of Class B common stock is convertible at any time at the option of the holder into one share of Class A common stock. In addition, each share of Class B common stock will convert automatically into one share of Class A common stock upon any transfer, whether or not for value, except certain transfers to entities, to the extent the transferor retains sole dispositive power and exclusive voting control with respect to the shares of Class B common stock, and certain other transfers described in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. All outstanding shares of Class B common stock will convert into shares of Class A common stock upon the earliest of (1) the date that is six months following the death or incapacity of Mr. Siebel, (2) the date that is six months following the date that Mr. Siebel is no longer providing services to us as an officer, employee, director or consultant, (3) the 20-year anniversary of the date of the closing of our initial public offering, and (4) the date specified by the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Class B common stock, voting as a separate class.
Other Matters
The Class A common stock and Class B common stock have no preemptive rights pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Class A common stock and Class B common stock.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors may, without further action by our stockholders, fix the rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions of up to an aggregate of 200,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more
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series and authorize their issuance. These rights, preferences, and privileges could include dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of our common stock. The issuance of our preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power of holders of our common stock and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control or other corporate action.
No shares of preferred stock are currently outstanding.
Registration Rights
We are party to an amended and restated registration rights agreement, or the Registration Rights Agreement, that provides demand, piggyback and shelf registration rights to certain holders of our common stock. The registration of shares of our common stock by the exercise of registration rights described below would enable the holders to sell these shares without restriction under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, when the applicable registration statement is declared effective.
The demand, piggyback and shelf registration rights provided pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement will expire three years after the completion of our initial public offering or, with respect to any particular stockholder, (1) the time that such stockholder can sell all of its shares entitled to registration rights under Rule 144 of the Securities Act during any 90-day period or (2) the time that such stockholder owns less than 1% of our outstanding Class A common stock. We will pay the registration expenses, not to exceed $25,000, of the shares registered by the demand, piggyback and shelf registrations conducted pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
Some provisions of Delaware law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that could make the following transactions more difficult: (1) an acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; (2) an acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; (3) or the removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions which provide for payment of a premium over the market price for our shares.
These provisions, summarized below, are intended to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of the increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
Dual Class Stock
As described above in “—Class A and Class B Common Stock—Voting Rights,” our amended and restated certificate of incorporation establishes for a dual class common stock structure, which provides our founders with significant influence over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the
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election of directors and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our company or our assets.
Stockholder Meetings
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by our chairman of the board, chief executive officer or president, or by a resolution adopted by a majority of our board of directors.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals
Our amended and restated bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals to be brought before a stockholder meeting and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the board of directors or a committee of the board of directors.
Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws eliminate the right of stockholders to act by written consent without a meeting.
Staggered Board
Our board of directors is divided into three classes. The directors in each class serve for a three-year term, with one class elected each year by our stockholders. This system of electing and removing directors may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.
Removal of Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that no member of our board of directors may be removed from office by our stockholders except for cause and, in addition to any other vote required by law, upon the approval of not less than two thirds of the total voting power of all of our outstanding voting stock then entitled to vote in the election of directors.
Stockholders Not Entitled to Cumulative Voting
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not permit stockholders to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they choose, other than any directors that holders of our preferred stock may be entitled to elect.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits persons deemed to be “interested stockholders” from engaging in a “business combination” with a publicly held Delaware corporation for three years following the date these persons become interested stockholders unless the business combination is, or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder was, approved in a prescribed manner or another prescribed exception applies. Generally, an “interested
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stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. The existence of this provision may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors.
Choice of Forum
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty or other wrongdoing by any of our directors, officers, employees, or agents to us or our stockholders; (3) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; (4) any action to interpret, apply, enforce, or determine the validity of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; or (5) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. The provisions would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the U.S. federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. However, as Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act, and an investor cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such a provision. To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the U.S. federal district courts will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act.
While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and there can be no assurance that the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.
These exclusive forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. If a court were to find either exclusive-forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur further significant additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, all of which could seriously harm our business.
Amendment of Charter Provisions
The amendment of any of the above provisions, except for the provision making it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock, would require approval by holders of at least two-thirds of the total voting power of all of our outstanding voting stock.
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Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Class A common stock and Class B common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A. The transfer agent’s address is 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021.
Exchange Listing
Our Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AI”.
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