Description of Securities
Exhibit 4.3
DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
As of March 1, 2021, ImmunoGen, Inc. (“ImmunoGen,” “we,” “us” or the “Company”) had one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”): Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”) . The Company’s ssecurities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act are listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market.
Description of Common Stock
We are authorized to issue 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $.01 per share.
The following summary of certain provisions of our common stock does not purport to be complete. You should refer to our restated articles of organization, as amended, and our amended and restated by-laws, both of which are included as exhibits to the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and certain other of the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The summary below is also qualified by provisions of applicable law.
General
Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders, and do not have cumulative voting rights. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares of preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds legally available for dividend payments. All shares of common stock outstanding as of the date of this annual report on Form 10-K are fully paid and nonassessable. The holders of common stock have no preferences or rights of conversion, exchange, pre-emption or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs, holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in our assets that are remaining after payment or provision for payment of all of our debts and obligations and after liquidation payments to holders of outstanding shares of preferred stock, if any.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc.
The Nasdaq Global Select Market
Our common stock is listed for quotation on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “IMGN.”
Certain Provisions of Massachusetts Law and of the Company’s Articles of Organization and By-Laws
Anti-Takeover Provisions under Massachusetts law and our Massachusetts Articles of Organization and By-Laws
Provisions of Massachusetts law and our restated articles of organization, as amended, and amended and restated by-laws contain other provisions that are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of the board of directors and which may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a future takeover or change in control of our company unless such takeover or change in control is approved by our board of directors.
These provisions, summarized below, are expected 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 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.
Massachusetts statutory business combinations provisions. We are subject to Chapter 110F of the Massachusetts General Laws, an anti-takeover law. In general, this statute prohibits a publicly-held Massachusetts corporation from engaging in a "business combination" with an "interested stockholder" for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person becomes an interested stockholder, unless (i) the interested stockholder obtains the approval of the board of directors prior to becoming an interested stockholder, (ii) the interested stockholder acquires 90% of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation (excluding shares held by certain affiliates of the corporation) at the time it becomes an interested stockholder, or (iii) the business combination is approved by both the board of directors and the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation (excluding shares held by the interested stockholder). Generally, an 'interested stockholder" is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns (or at any time within the prior three years did own) 5% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation. A "business combination" includes a merger, a stock or asset sale, and certain other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the interested shareholders.
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 110D, entitled "Regulation of Control Share Acquisitions," in general provides that any shareholder of a company subject to this statute who acquires 20% or more of the outstanding voting stock of a company may not vote such stock unless the shareholders of the company so authorize. Although our amended and restated by-laws currently exclude us from this statute, the board of directors may amend our by-laws to subject us to this statute prospectively.
Chapter 110C of the Massachusetts General Laws requires the person commencing a takeover bid to file certain information with the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the target company and provides that a bidder who fails to disclose its intent to gain control over a target corporation prior to acquiring 5% of the target company's stock is precluded from making any takeover bid for a period of one year after crossing the 5% threshold.
Blank check preferred stock. Our restated articles of organization, as amended, allows our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock without the approval of our shareholders, which is referred to as "blank check" preferred stock. The effects of such issuance, among other things, could include the dilution in the voting power of our common stock if the preferred stock has voting rights and the reduction or restriction in the rights of holders of our common stock to receive a payment in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our company. In some circumstances, the issuance of shares of preferred stock may render more difficult or expensive or tend to discourage a merger, tender offer or proxy contest, the assumption of control by a holder of a large block of our securities or the removal of incumbent management. In addition, the board of directors could also utilize the shares of preferred stock in order to adopt a shareholder rights plan, or "poison pill," which could have the effect of discouraging or delaying a takeover of the company.
Advance notice provisions for shareholder proposals and shareholder nominations of directors. Our amended and restated by-laws provide that, for nominations to the board of directors or for other business to be properly brought by a shareholder before a meeting of shareholders, the shareholder must first have given timely notice of the proposal in writing to our Secretary. For an annual meeting, a shareholder's notice generally must be delivered not less than 45 days nor more than 75 days prior to the anniversary of the mailing date of the proxy statement for the previous year's annual meeting. For special meetings called to elect directors, a shareholder's notice must generally be delivered not less than 60 days (or ten days after public disclosure of the meeting date if later) nor more than 90 days prior to the meeting. Detailed requirements as to the form of the notice and information required in the notice are specified in the amended and restated by-laws. If it is determined that business was not properly brought before a meeting in accordance with our amended and restated by-laws, such business will not be conducted at the meeting. Although our amended and restated by-laws do not give our board of directors the power to approve or disapprove shareholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual meeting, our amended and restated by-laws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of some
business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or defer a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
Classified board of directors. Section 8.06(b) of the Massachusetts Business Corporation Act provides that unless a company decides otherwise, the terms of directors of a public Massachusetts company shall be staggered by dividing the directors into three groups, as nearly equal in number as possible, with only one group of directors being elected each year. Sections 8.06(d) and (e) of the Massachusetts Business Corporation Act provide that when directors are so classified, (i) shareholders may remove directors only for cause, (ii) the number of directors shall be fixed only by the vote of the board of directors, (iii) vacancies and newly created directorships shall be filled solely by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors, and (iv) a decrease in the number of directors will not shorten the term of any incumbent director. Our board of directors opted out of this staggered board of directors requirement, and all of our directors currently serve for one-year terms and are elected annually. Under Section 8.06(c)(2) of the Massachusetts Business Corporation Act, our board of directors may opt into the staggered board of directors requirements of Section 8.06(b) and application of Sections 8.06(d) and (e). If the board of directors opts into this structure, these provisions are likely to increase the time required for shareholders to change the composition of the board of directors. For example, in general, at least two annual meetings would be necessary for shareholders to effect a change in a majority of the members of the board of directors. The provision for a classified board could prevent a party who acquires control of a large portion of our outstanding common stock from obtaining control of our board of directors until our second annual shareholders meeting following the date the acquirer obtains the stock interest. The classified board provision could have the effect of discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us and could increase the likelihood that incumbent directors will retain their positions.
Shareholder can only act by unanimous written consent and restrictions on who can call a special meeting of shareholders. Although our restated articles of organization, as amended, and amended and restated by-laws allow our shareholders to act by written consent, such written consent must be signed by all shareholders entitled to vote on the matter approved. This significantly restricts the ability of our shareholders to act by written consent and essentially provides that our shareholders may only act at a duly called shareholders meeting. In addition, special meetings of the shareholders may be called only by our President, our board of directors and one or more shareholders holding at least 40% of our voting stock.
Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Our restated articles of organization, as amended, and amended and restated by-laws limit the liability of our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by the Massachusetts Business Corporation Act and provides that we will indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by such law.
