DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
Exhibit 4.3
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
The following summary of the material terms of our securities is not intended to be a complete summary of the rights and preferences of such securities. The descriptions below are qualified by reference to the actual text of the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of SeaStar Medical Holding Corporation, as amended (the “Charter”) and our Second Amended and Restated By-laws (the “Bylaws”). We urge you to read the Charter and the Bylaws in its entirety for a complete description of the rights and preferences of our securities.
Authorized and Outstanding Stock
The Charter authorizes the issuance of 460,000,000 shares, consisting of (a) 450,000,000 shares of Common Stock and (b) 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock (the “Preferred Stock”).
The outstanding shares of Common Stock issued in the Business Combination are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. All outstanding shares of LMAO Class B Common Stock following the Business Combination were converted into shares of LMAO Class A Common Stock on a one-to-one basis. Immediately following the conversion of such Class B Common Stock into shares of Class A Common Stock, each share of Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding was reclassified, redesignated and changed into one validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable share of Common Stock.
Common Stock
The Charter provides the following with respect to the rights, powers, preferences and privileges of the Common Stock:
Voting Power
Except as otherwise required by law or as otherwise provided in any certificate of designation for any series of preferred stock, the holders of Common Stock possess all voting power for the election of the Company’s directors and all other matters requiring stockholder action. Holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share on matters to be voted on by stockholders. The Charter does not provide for cumulative voting rights.
Dividends
Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, under the Charter, holders of Common Stock will be entitled to receive such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our Board of Directors (the “Board”) in its discretion out of funds legally available therefor.
Liquidation, Dissolution and Winding Up
In the event of the Company’s voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, distribution of assets or winding-up, the holders of the Common Stock will be entitled to receive an equal amount per share of all of the Company’s assets of whatever kind available for distribution to stockholders, after the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock have been satisfied and after payment or provision for payment of the Company’s debts.
Preemptive or Other Rights
There are no preemptive rights or sinking fund provisions applicable to the shares of the Company’s Common Stock.
Preferred Stock
The Charter provides that shares of Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our Board is authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional, or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations, and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our Board will be able to, without stockholder approval, issue Preferred Stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the Common Stock and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our Board to issue Preferred Stock without stockholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no Preferred Stock outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any shares of Preferred Stock, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future.
While we have no current plans to issue Preferred Stock, circumstances in which we might issue Preferred Stock in the future could include, among others, offerings of Preferred Stock undertaken for capital raising purposes (whether before or in connection with our initial business combination or thereafter), issuances in connection with acquisitions we might make in the future, or issuances in connection with potential change of control or strategic transactions involving us. Any determination by us to issue shares of Preferred Stock in the future will be dependent on the facts and circumstances at the time.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of our Charter, our Bylaws and Delaware Law
Some provisions of Delaware law and our Charter and Bylaws contain provisions that could make the following transactions more difficult: acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or 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 that might result in a premium over the market price for our shares.
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 the Board. 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.
Delaware Anti-takeover Statute
We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits persons deemed “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 stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, beneficially 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 Board, such as discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of our common stock.
Undesignated Preferred Stock
The ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for the Board to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to institute a change of control of our company. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.
Special Stockholder Meetings
Our Charter provides that a special meeting of stockholders may only be called by the Board.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals
Our Bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the Board or a committee of the Board.
Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent
Our Bylaws eliminate the right of stockholders to take action by written consent any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Company.
Classified Board; Election and Removal of Directors; Filling Vacancies
The Board is divided into three classes. The directors in each class serve for a three-year term, one class being elected each year by our stockholders. Only one class of directors is elected at each annual meeting of our stockholders, with the other classes continuing for the remainder of their respective three-year terms. Because our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights, our stockholders holding a majority of the shares of common stock outstanding will be able to elect all of our directors. Our Charter provides for the removal of any of our directors only for cause and requires a stockholder vote by the holders of at least a 66-2/3% of the outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors or class of directors, voting together as a single class, at a meeting of the stockholders called for that purpose. Furthermore any new directorships or vacancies in the Board, including new directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors to serve on the whole board and/or any unfilled vacancies by reason of death,
resignation, disqualification, removal for cause, failure to elect or otherwise with respect to any director, may be filled by only the vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director. This system of electing and removing directors and filling vacancies 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 our directors.
Choice of Forum
Our Charter provides that, unless a majority of the Board, acting on our behalf, consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, another state court located within the State of Delaware or, if no court located within the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, our Charter, our Bylaws or as to which the Delaware General Corporation Law confers jurisdiction to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our Charter also provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America are the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act.
We believe these provisions may benefit us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law and federal securities laws by chancellors and judges, as applicable, particularly experienced in resolving corporate disputes, efficient administration of cases on a more expedited schedule relative to other forums and protection against the burdens of multi-forum litigation. However, these provisions may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers. The exclusive forum provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act.
Our exclusive forum provision does not relieve us of our duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and our stockholders are not deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations.
Although our Charter contains the choice of forum provisions described above, it is possible that a court could find that such a provision is inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provision is unenforceable.
Amendment of Charter Provisions
Our Charter grants us the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision in our Charter in the manner prescribed by the DGCL (the “Delaware General Corporation Law”). Under Section 242 of the DGCL, our Charter requires a greater vote, a proposed amendment to our Charter must be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding stock entitled to vote thereon and a majority of the outstanding stock of each class entitled to vote as a class.
Amendment of Bylaw Provisions
Our Bylaws grant the Board the authority to amend, alter, repeal, or adopt new Bylaws in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Bylaws themselves. The Board can make such changes by a majority vote of all Board members at any regular or special meeting. Additionally, stockholders have the right to amend, alter, repeal, or adopt new bylaws by an affirmative vote of at least 50% of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors.
The provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our Charter and our Bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they may also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions may 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 may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Warrants
Listed Warrants
Exercising a total of 25 Listed Warrants entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Common Stock at an aggregate price of $287.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time after November 27, 2022. The Listed Warrants will expire on October 28, 2027, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of Common Stock underlying the Listed Warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue shares of Common Stock upon exercise of a warrant unless Common Stock issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed
to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the Listed Warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any Listed Warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of Common Stock underlying such unit.
We will use our best efforts to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Common Stock until the Listed Warrants expire, as specified in the warrant agreement. Notwithstanding the above, if our Common Stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of Listed Warrants who exercise their Listed Warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will be required to use our reasonable best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
Once the Listed Warrants become exercisable, we may call the Listed Warrants for redemption (other than the Private Placement Warrants, as described below):
If and when the Listed Warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the Listed Warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Common Stock may fall below the $450.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, and the like) as well as the $287.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
If we call the Listed Warrants for redemption as described above, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise its warrant to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their Listed Warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of Listed Warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of our Listed Warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, all holders of Listed Warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their Listed Warrants for that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing: (x) the product of the number of shares of Common Stock underlying the Listed Warrants, multiplied by the difference between the exercise price of the Listed Warrants and the “fair market value” (defined below); by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average reported last sale price of the Common Stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of Listed Warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of shares of Common Stock to be received upon exercise of the Listed Warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the Listed Warrants after our initial business combination. If we call our Listed Warrants for redemption and our management does not take advantage of this option, our Sponsor and its permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their Private Placement Warrants (as described below) for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had all warrant holders been required to exercise their Listed Warrants on a cashless basis, as described in more detail below.
A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
If the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is increased by a stock dividend payable in shares of Common Stock, or by a split-up of shares of Common Stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such stock dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in
the outstanding shares of Common Stock. A rights offering to holders of Common Stock entitling holders to purchase shares of Common Stock at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a stock dividend of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the product of: (i) the number of shares of Common Stock actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock); and (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of: (x) the price per share of Common Stock paid in such rights offering, divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes: (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock, in determining the price payable for Common Stock, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion; and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Common Stock as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the shares of Common Stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if we, at any time while the Listed Warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Common Stock on account of such shares of Common Stock (or other shares of our capital stock into which the Listed Warrants are convertible), other than: (a) as described above; or (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each share of Common Stock in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding shares of our Common Stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse stock split or reclassification of shares of Common Stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of Common Stock.
Whenever the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of the Listed Warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted (to the nearest cent) by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of the Listed Warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares of Common Stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such shares of Common Stock), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding shares of Common Stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the Listed Warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the Listed Warrants and in lieu of the shares of our Common Stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the Listed Warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their Listed Warrants immediately prior to such event. If less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of Common Stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of Common Stock in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the Listed Warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the Listed Warrants pursuant to which the holders of the Listed Warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the Listed Warrants.
The Listed Warrants were issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental, as warrant agent, and us. The description of the Listed Warrants set forth herein is a summary and does not purport to be complete. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the Listed Warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding Listed Warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of Listed Warrants.
The Listed Warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of Listed Warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Common Stock and any voting rights until they exercise their Listed Warrants and receive shares of Common Stock. After the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Listed Warrants, each holder will be entitled to one (1) vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by stockholders.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the City of New York, County of New York, State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to claims under the Exchange Act or any claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
Listing
Our Common Stock and Listed Warrants are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “ICU” and “ICUCW,” respectively.
