Description of Securities
EXHIBIT 4.1
DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPANY’S SECURITIES
The following summary is a description of the material terms of our capital stock. This summary is not complete, and is qualified by reference to our amended and restated articles of incorporation, and our amended and restated bylaws, which are filed as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are incorporated by reference herein. We encourage you to read our amended and restated articles of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and the applicable provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes for additional information.
Common stock
iCoreConnect is authorized to issue 600,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share. Holders of shares of iCoreConnect Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders and are not entitled to cumulative voting rights. iCoreConnect’s shares of common stock do not carry any preemptive, conversion or subscription rights, and there are no sinking fund or redemption provisions applicable to the shares of iCoreConnect’s common stock. Holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends and other distributions in cash, stock or property as may be declared by iCoreConnect’s Board of Directors from time to time out of assets or funds legally available for dividends or other distributions, subject to dividend or distribution preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding shares of preferred stock. In the event of iCoreConnect’s voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of shares of iCoreConnect’s common stock are entitled to share ratably in the assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after payment of all debts and other liabilities and satisfaction of the liquidation preference, if any, granted to the holders of any preferred stock then outstanding. All outstanding shares of iCoreConnect’s common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.
Preferred Stock
iCoreConnect is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share, of which no shares are outstanding. iCoreConnect’s articles of incorporation authorizes its Board of Directors to establish one or more series of preferred stock (including convertible preferred stock). Unless required by law, the authorized shares of preferred stock will be available for issuance without further action by iCoreConnect’s stockholders. iCoreConnect’s Board of Directors is able to determine, with respect to any series of preferred stock, the powers (including voting powers), preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof.
iCoreConnect could issue a series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of the series, impede or discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction that some, or a majority, of the holders of common stock might believe to be in their best interests or in which the holders of common stock might receive a premium for the common stock over the market price of the common stock. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may adversely affect the holders of common stock by restricting dividends on the common stock, diluting the voting power of the common stock or subordinating the liquidation rights of the common stock. As a result of these or other factors, the issuance of preferred stock could have an adverse impact on the market price of iCoreConnect’s common stock.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Neither iCoreConnect’s articles of incorporation nor bylaws prevent it from indemnifying its officers, directors and agents to the extent permitted under the Nevada Revised Statutes (“NRS”). NRS Section 78.7502, provides that a corporation may indemnify any director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation against expenses, including fees, actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with any defense to the extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to Section 78.7502(1) or 78.7502(2), or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein.
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NRS 78.7502(1) provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, except an action by or in the right of the corporation, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses, including fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the action, suit or proceeding if he: (a) is not liable pursuant to NRS 78.138; or (b) acted in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.
NRS Section 78.7502(2) provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses, including amounts paid in settlement and fees actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of the action or suit if he: (a) is not liable pursuant to NRS 78.138; or (b) acted in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation. Indemnification may not be made for any claim, issue or matter as to which such a person has been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction, after exhaustion of all appeals there from, to be liable to the corporation or for amounts paid in settlement to the corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court in which the action or suit was brought or other court of competent jurisdiction determines upon application that in view of all the circumstances of the case, the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the court deems proper.
NRS Section 78.747 provides that except as otherwise provided by specific statute, no director or officer of a corporation is individually liable for a debt or liability of the corporation, unless the director or officer acts as the alter ego of the corporation. The court as a matter of law must determine the question of whether a director or officer acts as the alter ego of a corporation.
iCoreConnect’s articles of incorporation provides that it will indemnify its directors and officers to the extent and in the manner permitted by the provisions of the NRS, as amended from time to time, subject to any permissible expansion or limitation of such indemnification, as may be set forth in any stockholders’ or directors’ resolution or by contract. Any repeal or modification of these provisions approved by iCoreConnect’s stockholders will be prospective only and will not adversely affect any limitation on the liability of any of iCoreConnect’s directors or officers existing as of the time of such repeal or modification. iCoreConnect is also permitted to apply for insurance on behalf of any director, officer, employee or other agent for liability arising out of his actions, whether or not the NRS would permit indemnification.
Nevada Anti-Takeover Statutes
The following provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes (“NRS”) could, if applicable, have the effect of discouraging takeovers of iCoreConnect.
Transactions with Interested Stockholders. The NRS prohibits a publicly-traded Nevada company from engaging in any business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder unless, prior to that date, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination itself or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder.
An “interested stockholder” is defined as any entity or person beneficially owning, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with, controlling, or controlled by any of these entities or persons. The definition of “business combination” is sufficiently broad to cover virtually any type of transaction that would allow a potential acquirer to use the corporation’s assets to finance the acquisition or otherwise benefit its own interests rather than the interests of the corporation and its stockholders.
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In addition, business combinations that are not approved and therefore take place after the three year waiting period may also be prohibited unless approved by the board of directors and stockholders or the price to be paid by the interested stockholder is equal to the highest of (i) the highest price per share paid by the interested stockholder within the 3 years immediately preceding the date of the announcement of the business combination or in the transaction in which he or she became an interested stockholder, whichever is higher; (ii) the market value per common share on the date of announcement of the business combination or the date the interested stockholder acquired the shares, whichever is higher; or (iii) if higher for the holders of preferred stock, the highest liquidation value of the preferred stock.
Acquisition of a Controlling Interest. The NRS contains provisions governing the acquisition of a “controlling interest” and provides generally that any person that acquires 20% or more of the outstanding voting shares of an “issuing corporation,” defined as Nevada corporation that has 200 or more stockholders at least 100 of whom are Nevada residents (as set forth in the corporation’s stock ledger); and does business in Nevada directly or through an affiliated corporation, may be denied voting rights with respect to the acquired shares, unless a majority of the disinterested stockholder of the corporation elects to restore such voting rights in whole or in part.
The statute focuses on the acquisition of a “controlling interest” defined as the ownership of outstanding shares sufficient, but for the control share law, to enable the acquiring person, directly or indirectly and individually or in association with others, to exercise (i) one-fifth or more, but less than one-third; (ii) one-third or more, but less than a majority; or (iii) a majority or more of the voting power of the corporation in the election of directors.
The question of whether or not to confer voting rights may only be considered once by the stockholders and once a decision is made, it cannot be revisited. In addition, unless a corporation’s articles of incorporation or bylaws provide otherwise (i) acquired voting securities are redeemable in whole or in part by the issuing corporation at the average price paid for the securities within 30 days if the acquiring person has not given a timely information statement to the issuing corporation or if the stockholders vote not to grant voting rights to the acquiring person’s securities; and (ii) if voting rights are granted to the acquiring person, then any stockholder who voted against the grant of voting rights may demand purchase from the issuing corporation, at fair value, of all or any portion of their securities.
The provisions of this section do not apply to acquisitions made pursuant to the laws of descent and distribution, the enforcement of a judgment, or the satisfaction of a security interest, or acquisitions made in connection with certain mergers or reorganizations.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on the OTC Link (previously “Pink Sheets”) operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. under the symbol “ICCT.”
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