Description of Securities

EXHIBIT 4.2

DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES

REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

As of December 31, 2019, Harvard Bioscience, Inc. had one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), being our common stock, $0.01 par value. The following description of our common stock is a summary and does not purport to be complete. It is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (as amended, the “Charter”) and our Amended and Restated By-laws (as amended, the “Bylaws”), each of which are incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this Exhibit 4.2 is a part. We encourage you to read our Charter, our Bylaws and the applicable provisions of Delaware law for additional information.

Authorized Capital Stock

Our authorized capital stock consists of 80,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. 

Common Stock

Voting Rights. Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders; provided, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of common stock are not entitled to vote on any amendment to the Charter that changes the powers, preferences, rights or other terms of one or more series of undesignated preferred stock if the holders of the affected series are entitled to vote, separately or together, with the holders of one or more other such series, on such amendment pursuant to the Charter or Delaware General Corporation Law.

Classified Board of Directors. Our Charter provides that our Board of Directors (the “Board”) shall be divided into three classes, each consisting as nearly as reasonably may be possible of one-third of the total number of directors constituting the entire Board, with each class’s term expiring on a staggered basis. Newly-created directorships and vacancies on our Board may only be filled by a majority of the members of the incumbent board then in office, though less than a quorum, and not by our stockholders. Directors may be removed from office only for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the outstanding shares entitled to be cast on the election of directors by the then-outstanding shares of all classes and series of capital stock, voting together as a single class.

Liquidation. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, after the satisfaction in full of the liquidation preferences of holders of any preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to ratable distribution of the remaining assets available for distribution to stockholders.

Dividend Rights. Holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately any such dividends declared by our Board, out of legally available funds for dividends, subject to any preferences that may be applicable to any shares of preferred stock that may be outstanding at that time.

Rights and Preferences. Holders of common stock have no preemptive, redemption or conversion rights and are not subject to future calls or assessments. No sinking fund provisions apply to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.

Fully Paid and Nonassessable. All outstanding shares are fully-paid and non-assessable.

Listing

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “HBIO.”

Anti-takeover Effects of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and Delaware Law

Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Certain provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and of our Charter and Bylaws could have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us. These provisions, which are summarized below, are expected to discourage certain types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and, as a consequence, they might also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions are also designed in part to encourage anyone seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our Board. These provisions might also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. However, we believe that the advantages gained by protecting our ability to negotiate with any unsolicited and potentially unfriendly acquirer outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging such proposals, including those priced above the then-current market value of our common stock, because, among other reasons, the negotiation of such proposals could improve their terms.

Our Charter, our Bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that could discourage, delay or prevent a third party from acquiring us, even if doing so may be beneficial to our stockholders. In addition, these provisions could limit the price investors would be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. The following are examples of such provisions in our Charter and Bylaws:

Additionally, as required by the Delaware General Corporation Law, any amendment of our Charter must first be approved by a majority of our Board and, as required by our Charter, thereafter be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and a majority of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, except that the amendment of the provisions relating to stockholder action, directors, limitation of liability, the amendment of our Bylaws and Charter and forum must be approved by not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class. Our Bylaws may be amended by either (i) a vote of at least a majority of our entire Board or (ii) a vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the combined voting power of the outstanding shares of all classes and series of our capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment, voting together as a single class.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Law

We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or did own within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, fifteen percent (15%) or more of the corporation’s voting stock. Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of the following conditions: