Description of Securities

EX-4.2 2 exhibit42.htm EX-4.2 Document

Exhibit 4.2
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

The following summary describes the common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of FormFactor, Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our”), which is the only class of securities of the Company registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Description of Common Stock
The following description of our common stock is based upon our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (our “certificate of incorporation”), our amended and restated bylaws (our “bylaws”) and applicable provisions of law. We have summarized certain portions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws below. The summary is not complete. Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws have been incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this Exhibit 4.2 is a part. You should read our certificate of incorporation and bylaws for the provisions that are important to you.
Certain provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws may have an anti-takeover effect. This may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interests, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for shares of our common stock.
Authorized Capital Stock
Our authorized capital stock consists of 250,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share.
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences that may apply to shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of assets legally available at the times and in the amounts that our board of directors may determine from time to time.
Voting Rights
Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. We have not provided for cumulative voting for the election of directors in our certificate of incorporation. This means that the holders of a majority of the shares voted can elect all of the directors then standing for election. In addition, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that certain actions require the approval of two-thirds, rather than a majority, of the shares entitled to vote. For a description of these actions, see “Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws” below.
No Preemptive, Conversion or Redemption Rights
Our common stock is not entitled to preemptive rights and is not subject to conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions.
Right to Receive Liquidation Distributions
Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, the holders of common stock are entitled to share in all assets remaining after payment of all liabilities and the liquidation preferences of any outstanding preferred stock. Each outstanding share of common stock is fully paid and nonassessable.





Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
Certain provisions of Delaware law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us.
Delaware Law
We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law regulating corporate takeovers. In general, Section 203 prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combination with any interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:
the transaction is approved by the board of directors before the date the interested stockholder attained that status;
upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced; or
on or after the date the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at a meeting of stockholders by at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.
Section 203 defines “business combination” to include the following:
any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder;
any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation involving the interested stockholder;
subject to certain exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder;
any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; or
the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation.
In general, Section 203 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by any of these entities or persons.
A Delaware corporation may opt out of Section 203 either with an express provision in its original certificate of incorporation or in an amendment to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws approved by its stockholders. We have not opted out of this provision. Section 203 could prohibit or delay mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts and, accordingly, may discourage attempts to acquire us.
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that:
no action can be taken by stockholders except at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders called in accordance with our bylaws, and stockholders may not act by written consent;
the approval of holders of two-thirds of the shares entitled to vote at an election of directors is required to adopt, amend or repeal our bylaws or amend or repeal the provisions of our certificate of incorporation regarding the election and removal of directors and the ability of stockholders to take action;

        


our board of directors is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal our bylaws;
stockholders may not call special meetings of the stockholders or fill vacancies on the board of directors;
our board of directors is divided into three classes serving staggered three-year terms. This means that only one class of directors will be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders, with the other classes continuing for the remainder of their respective terms;
our board of directors is authorized to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval;
directors may only be removed for cause by the holders of two-thirds of the shares entitled to vote at an election of directors; and
we will indemnify officers and directors against losses that they may incur in investigations and legal proceedings resulting from their services to us, which may include services in connection with takeover defense measures.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the trading symbol “FORM.”