Description of the Securities of Ovid Therapeutics Inc

EX-4.3 2 ovid-ex43_544.htm EX-4.3 ovid-ex43_544.htm

EXHIBIT 4.3

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES OF OVID THERAPEUTICS INC.

The following description of our capital stock and provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and amended and restated bylaws are summaries. You should also refer to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and the amended and restated bylaws, which are included as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K.  All references to the “we,” “our,” or “us” refer to Ovid Therapeutics Inc.

General

Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation we are authorized to issue up to 125,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share, all of which shares of preferred stock are undesignated. Our board of directors has designated 10,000 shares of preferred stock as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, or Series A Preferred Stock, and may establish the rights and preferences of other series of preferred stock from time to time.

Common Stock

 

Voting Rights

Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. The affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock, voting as a single class, will be required to amend certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, including provisions relating to amending our amended and restated bylaws, the classified board, the size of our board, removal of directors, director liability, vacancies on our board, special meetings, stockholder notices, actions by written consent and exclusive jurisdiction.

Dividends

Subject to preferences that may apply to any outstanding preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends that our board of directors may declare out of funds legally available for that purpose on a non-cumulative basis.

Liquidation

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred stock.

Rights and Preferences

Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate in the future.

Preferred Stock

Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the number, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof. These rights, preferences and privileges could include dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences and sinking fund terms, and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of common stock. The issuance of our preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control or other corporate action, or make the removal of management more difficult.

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Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of decreasing the market price of the common stock.

The Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, which is the law of the state of our incorporation, provides that the holders of preferred stock will have the right to vote separately as a class (or, in some cases, as a series) on an amendment to our certificate of incorporation if the amendment would change the par value, the powers, preferences or special rights of the class or series so as to adversely affect the class or series, as the case may be, or, unless the certificate of incorporation provided otherwise, the number of authorized shares of the class. This right is in addition to any voting rights that may be provided for in the applicable certificate of designation.

 

Series A Convertible Preferred Stock

 

Our board of directors has designated 10,000 shares of preferred stock as Series A Preferred Stock. Our Series A Preferred Stock is not registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The following summary of certain terms and provisions of our Series A Preferred Stock is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the terms and provisions set forth in our certificate of designation of preferences, rights and limitations of Series A Preferred Stock.

 

Rank

 

The Series A Preferred Stock ranks senior to all of our common stock.

Conversion

 

Each share of the Series A Preferred Stock is convertible into 1,000 shares of our common stock (subject to adjustment as provided in the related certificate of designation of preferences rights and limitations) at any time at the option of the holder, provided that the holder will be prohibited, subject to certain exceptions, from converting Series A Preferred Stock into shares of our common stock if, as a result of such conversion, the holder, together with its affiliates, would own more than, at the written election of the holder, either 9.99% or 14.99% of the total number of shares of our common stock then issued and outstanding, which percentage may be changed at the holder’s election to any other number less than or equal to 19.99% upon 61 days’ notice to us; provided, however, that effective 61 days after delivery of such notice, such beneficial ownership limitations shall not be applicable to any holder that beneficially owns at least either 10.0% or 15.0%, as applicable based on the holder’s initial written election noted above, of the total number of shares of our common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to delivery of such notice.

 

Liquidation Preference

 

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will receive a payment equal to $0.001 per share of Series A Preferred Stock before any proceeds are distributed to the holders of our common stock.

 

Fundamental Transaction

 

Upon consummation of a Fundamental Transaction (as defined below) pursuant to which holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to receive securities, cash or property, then upon any subsequent conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock, the holder thereof shall have the right to receive, in lieu of the right to receive the shares of our common stock underlying the Series A Preferred Stock, for each share of common stock that it would have otherwise been entitled to receive upon such conversion immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if it had been, immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction, the holder of one share of our common stock. If holders of our common stock are given a choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the holder of the Series A Preferred Stock shall be given the same choice as to the consideration it receives upon any exercise of the Series A Preferred Stock following such Fundamental Transaction.

 

A “Fundamental Transaction” means:

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we effect any merger or consolidation with or into another person or any stock sale to, or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, share exchange or scheme of arrangement) with or into another person (other than such a transaction in which we are the surviving or continuing entity and our common stock is not exchanged for or converted into other securities, cash or property);

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we effect any sale of all or substantially all of our assets in one transaction or a series of related transactions;

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any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by us or another person) is completed pursuant to which more than 50% of the common stock not held by us or such person is exchanged for or converted into other securities, cash or property; or

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we effect any reclassification of our common stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant (other than specified dividends, subdivisions or combinations) to which our common stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property.

 

Voting Rights

 

Shares of Series A Preferred Stock will generally have no voting rights, except as required by law and except that the consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock will be required to amend the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock.

 

Dividends

 

Shares of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive dividends at a rate equal to (on an as-if-converted-to-common stock basis), and in the same form and manner as, dividends actually paid on shares of common stock.

 

Redemption

 

We are not obligated to redeem or repurchase any shares of Series A Preferred Stock. Shares of Series A Preferred Stock are not otherwise entitled to any redemption rights or mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions.

 

Registration Rights

 

Certain holders of shares of our common stock have the right to demand that we file a registration statement or request that we cover their shares by a registration statement that we otherwise file, as described below.

 

Demand Registration Rights

 

The holders of at least 75% of the shares having demand registration rights may, on not more than one occasion, request that we register all or a portion of their shares of common stock for sale under the Securities Act, subject to certain specified exceptions. Such request for registration must cover at least 75% of the registrable securities then outstanding for an aggregate offering price equal or greater than $25.0 million and a price per share equal to at least $26.79. In addition, holders of at least 25% of the shares having demand registration rights may, on no more than two registrations on Form S-3 within any 12-month period, request that we register all or a portion of their common stock for sale under the Securities Act on Form S-3, or any successor form, subject to specific exceptions, so long as the aggregate offering price to the public in connection with any such offering is more than $25.0 million.

 

Incidental Registration Rights

 

If we propose to register any shares of our common stock under the Securities Act either for our own account or for the account of other stockholders, the holders of all shares having piggyback registration rights are entitled to notice of the registration and to include all or a portion of their shares of common stock in the registration.

 

Other Provisions

 

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In the event that any registration in which the holders of registrable shares participate pursuant to the investors’ rights agreement is an underwritten public offering, the number of registrable shares to be included may, in specified circumstances, be limited due to market conditions.

 

We will pay all registration expenses, other than underwriting discounts, selling commissions and stock transfer taxes, and the reasonable fees and expenses of a single special counsel for the selling stockholders, related to any demand, piggyback and Form S-3 registration. The investors’ rights agreement contains customary cross-indemnification provisions, pursuant to which we must indemnify the selling stockholders in the event of material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us, and they must indemnify us for material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to them.

 

The demand, piggyback and Form S-3 registration rights described above will expire no later than five years after our initial public offering, or with respect to any particular holder, at such time that such holder can sell its shares under Rule 144 of the Securities Act during any three-month period.

 

Anti-Takeover Provisions

 

Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law

 

We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combination with any interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, with the following exceptions:

 

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before such date, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

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upon completion 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 began, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder, those shares owned (i) by persons who are directors and also officers and (ii) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or

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on or after such date, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

In general, Section 203 defines a “business combination” to include the following:

 

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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;

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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;

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any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock or any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; or

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the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits by or through the corporation.

 

In general, Section 203 defines an “interested stockholder” as an entity or person who, together with the entity or person’s affiliates and associates, beneficially owns, or is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and within three years prior to the time of determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation.

 

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws

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Among other things, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws:

 

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permit our board of directors to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences and privileges as they may designate, including the right to approve an acquisition or other change in control;

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provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of our board of directors;

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provide that our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors;

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provide that, subject to the rights of any series of preferred stock to elect directors, directors may only be removed for cause, which removal may be effected, subject to any limitation imposed by law, by the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all of our then-outstanding shares of the capital stock entitled to vote generally at an election of directors;

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provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law, be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;

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require that any action to be taken by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and not be taken by written consent or electronic transmission;

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provide that stockholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at a meeting of stockholders must provide advance notice in writing, and also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice;

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provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the chairman of our board of directors, our chief executive officer or president or by our board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors; and

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not provide for cumulative voting rights, therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose.

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The amendment of any of these provisions would require approval by the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of all of our then-outstanding common stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

The combination of these provisions will make it more difficult for our existing stockholders to replace our board of directors as well as for another party to obtain control of us by replacing our board of directors. Because our board of directors has the power to retain and discharge our officers, these provisions could also make it more difficult for existing stockholders or another party to effect a change in management. In addition, the authorization of undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change our control.

 

These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continued stability in the composition of our board of directors and its policies and to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to reduce our vulnerability to hostile takeovers and to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and may have the effect of delaying changes in our control or management. As a consequence, these provisions may also inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our stock that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. We believe that the benefits of these provisions, including increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure our company, outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging takeover proposals, because negotiation of takeover proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

 

Choice of Forum

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery

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of the State of Delaware lacks subject matter jurisdiction, any state court located within the State of Delaware or, if and only if all such state courts lack subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware), the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (2) any action or proceeding commenced by any of our stockholders (including any class action) asserting a breach of fiduciary duty owed, or other wrongdoing, by any director, officer, employee or agent to us or our stockholders, (3) any action or proceeding commenced by any of our stockholders (including any class action) asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the DGCL our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws, (4) any action or proceeding commenced by any of our stockholders (including any class action) to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws, or (5) any action or proceeding commenced by any of our stockholders (including any class action) asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with one or more actions or proceedings described above, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable.

 

 

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