Description of Securities

EX-4.4 2 exhibit44-descriptionofsec.htm EX-4.4 Document

Exhibit 4.4

DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED

The following description of the capital stock of Solo Brands, Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our”) and certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), our Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”), the Stockholders Agreement, dated as of October 27, 2021 (the “Stockholders Agreement”), by and among the Company and the stockholders party thereto, and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and the Stockholders Agreement, copies of which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and the applicable provisions of the DGCL. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC, of which this Exhibit 4.4 is a part.

Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes capital stock consisting of:
475,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share;
50,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share; and
10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), our Class A Common Stock.

Class A Common Stock

Voting Rights

Holders of our Class A Common Stock are entitled to cast one vote per share. Holders of our Class A Common Stock are not be entitled to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. Generally, all matters to be voted on by stockholders must be approved by a majority (or, in the case of election of directors, by a plurality) of the votes entitled to be cast by all holders of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a single class. Except as otherwise provided by law, amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation must be approved by a majority or, in some cases, a super-majority of the combined voting power of all shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, voting together as a single class.

Dividend Rights

Holders of Class A Common Stock will share ratably (based on the number of shares of Class A Common Stock held) if and when any dividend is declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor, subject to any statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any restrictions on the payment of dividends imposed by the terms of any outstanding preferred stock.

Liquidation Rights

On our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each holder of Class A Common Stock will be entitled to a pro rata distribution of any assets available for distribution to common stockholders.

Other Matters

No shares of Class A Common Stock are subject to redemption or have preemptive rights to purchase additional shares of Class A Common Stock. Holders of shares of our Class A Common Stock do not have subscription, redemption or conversion rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Class A Common Stock.

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Class B Common Stock

Issuance of Class B Common Stock with LLC Interests

Shares of Class B Common Stock have only been issued to Continuing LLC Owners. Shares of Class B Common Stock will only be issued in the future to the extent necessary to maintain a one-to-one ratio between the number of LLC Interests held by the Continuing LLC Owners and the number of shares of Class B Common Stock issued to the Continuing LLC Owners. Shares of Class B Common Stock are transferable only together with an equal number of LLC Interests. Shares of Class B Common Stock will be cancelled on a one-for-one basis if we, at the election of the Continuing LLC Owners, redeem or exchange their LLC Interests pursuant to the terms of the Holdings LLC Agreement.

Voting Rights

Holders of Class B Common Stock are entitled to cast one vote per share, with the number of shares of Class B Common Stock held by the Continuing LLC Owners being equivalent to the number of LLC Interests held by such Continuing LLC Owners. Holders of our Class B Common Stock are not be entitled to cumulate their votes in the election of directors.

Generally, all matters to be voted on by stockholders must be approved by a majority (or, in the case of election of directors, by a plurality) of the votes entitled to be cast by all Class A and Class B stockholders present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a single class. Except as otherwise provided by law, amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation must be approved by a majority or, in some cases, a super-majority of the combined voting power of all shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, voting together as a single class.

Dividend Rights

Holders of our Class B Common Stock will not participate in any dividend declared by the board of directors.

Liquidation Rights

On our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of Class B Common Stock shall be entitled to receive $0.001 per share and will not be entitled to receive any distribution of our assets.

Transfers

Pursuant to the Holdings LLC Agreement, each holder of Class B Common Stock agrees that:
the holder will not transfer any shares of Class B Common Stock to any person unless the holder transfers an equal number of LLC Interests to the same person; and
in the event the holder transfers any LLC Interests to any person, the holder will transfer an equal number of shares of Class B Common Stock to the same person.

Other Matters

No shares of Class B Common Stock will have preemptive rights to purchase additional shares of Class B Common Stock. Holders of shares of our Class B Common Stock do not have subscription, redemption or conversion rights. There will be no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Class B Common Stock.

Preferred Stock

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our board of directors has the authority, without action by the stockholders, to designate and issue up to 10 million shares of preferred stock in one or more classes or series and to fix the powers, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of each class or series of preferred stock, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption privileges, liquidation preferences and the number of shares constituting any class or series, which may be greater than the rights of the holders of the common stock.

The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions, future financings and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third-party to acquire, or could discourage a third-party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may adversely affect the holders of our Class A Common Stock by restricting dividends on the Class A Common Stock, diluting the voting power of the Class A Common Stock or subordinating the liquidation rights of the
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Class A 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 our Class A Common Stock.

Exclusive Venue

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery 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) and any appellate court therefrom is the sole and exclusive forum for the following claims or causes of action under the Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative claim or cause of action brought on our behalf; (ii) any claim or cause of action for a breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers, or other employees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any claim or cause of action against us or any of our current or former directors, officers or other employees arising out of or pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our Certificate of Incorporation, or our Bylaws (as each may be amended from time to time); (iv) any claim or cause of action seeking to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws (as each may be amended from time to time, including any right, obligation, or remedy thereunder); (v) any claim or cause of action as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; and (vi) any claim or cause of action against us or any of our current or former directors, officers, or other employees governed by the internal-affairs doctrine, in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause or causes of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including all causes of action asserted against an defendant to such complaint. The choice of forum provisions would not apply to claims or causes of action brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

For the avoidance of doubt, these provisions are intended to benefit and may be enforced by us, our officers and directors, the underwriters to any offering giving rise to such complaint, and any other professional entity whose profession gives authority to a statement made by that person or entity and who has prepared or certified any part of the documents underlying the offering. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions, and there can be no assurance that such provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions. We note that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Additionally, Certificate of Incorporation provides that any person or entity holding, owning or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, our Bylaws and Delaware Law

Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws also contain provisions that may delay, defer or discourage another party from acquiring control of us. We expect that these provisions, which are summarized below, will discourage coercive takeover practices or 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, which we believe may result in an improvement of the terms of any such acquisition in favor of our stockholders. However, they also give our board of directors the power to discourage acquisitions that some stockholders may favor.

Classified Board of Directors

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our board of directors is divided into three classes, with the classes as nearly equal in number as possible and each class serving three-year staggered terms. In addition, Certificate of Incorporation provides that directors may only be removed from our board of directors with cause. These provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying or discouraging hostile takeovers, or changes in control of us or our management.

Authorized but Unissued Shares

The authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuance without stockholder approval, subject to any limitations imposed by the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate finance transactions, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could make more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

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Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Meetings, Nominations and Proposals

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors or by a qualified stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to our secretary of the stockholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, subject to applicable law, special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by a resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of the majority of the directors then in office. Our Bylaws prohibit the conduct of any business at a special meeting other than as specified in the notice for such meeting. In addition, any stockholder who wishes to bring business before an annual meeting or nominate directors must comply with the advance notice and duration of ownership requirements set forth in our Bylaws and provide us with certain information. These provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying or discouraging hostile takeovers or changes in control of us or our management.

Stockholder Action by Written Consent

Pursuant to Section 228 of the DGCL, any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote if a consent or consents
in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of our stock entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, unless our Certificate of Incorporation provides otherwise. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that stockholder action by written consent will be permitted only if the action to be effected by such written consent and the taking of such action by such written consent have been previously approved by the board of directors.

Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws

The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Our Bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the votes which all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any annual election of directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the votes which all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any election of directors will be required to amend or repeal or to adopt any provisions inconsistent with any of the provisions of our certificate described above.

The foregoing provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change in control. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our board of directors and in the policies formulated by our board of directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change of control. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The provisions also are intended 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, as a consequence, they also may inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our shares of Class A Common Stock that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. Such provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our management or delaying or preventing a transaction that might benefit you or other minority stockholders.

In addition, we are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL. Subject to certain exceptions, Section 203 prevents a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with any “interested stockholder” for three years following the date that the person became an interested stockholder, unless the interested stockholder attained such status with the approval of our board of directors or unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger or consolidation involving us and the “interested stockholder” and the sale of more than 10% of our assets. In general, an “interested stockholder” is any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such entity or person.

Because we have “opted out” of Section 203 of the DGCL in our Certificate of Incorporation, the statute does not apply to business combinations involving us.

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Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide indemnification for our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors that may, in some cases, be broader than the specific indemnification provisions contained under Delaware law. In addition, as permitted by Delaware law, our Certificate of Incorporation includes provisions that eliminate the personal liability of our directors for monetary damages resulting from breaches of certain fiduciary duties as a director. The effect of this provision is to restrict our rights and the rights of our stockholders in derivative suits to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except that a director will be personally liable for:
any breach of his duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit; or
improper distributions to stockholders.

These provisions may be held not to be enforceable for violations of the federal securities laws of the United States.

Corporate Opportunities

In recognition that partners, principals, directors, officers, members, managers and/or employees of the Original LLC Owners and their affiliates and investment funds, which we refer to as the Corporate Opportunity Entities, may serve as our directors and/or officers, and that the Corporate Opportunity Entities may engage in activities or lines of business similar to those in which we engage, our Certificate of Incorporation provides for the allocation of certain corporate opportunities between us and the Corporate Opportunity Entities. Specifically, none of the Corporate Opportunity Entities has any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same or similar business activities or lines of business that we do. In the event that any Corporate Opportunity Entity, through its partner, principal, director, officer, member, manager or employee or otherwise, acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for itself and us, we will not have any expectancy in such corporate opportunity, and the Corporate Opportunity Entity will not have any duty to communicate or offer such corporate opportunity to us and may pursue or acquire such corporate opportunity for itself or direct such opportunity to another person. In addition, if a director of our Company who is also a partner, principal, director, officer, member, manager or employee of any Corporate Opportunity Entity acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for us and a Corporate Opportunity Entity, we will not have any expectancy in such corporate opportunity. Matthew Guy-Hamilton and Paul Furer, who serve as directors on our board of directors, are or are affiliated with Original LLC Owners. In the event that any other director of ours acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for us we will not have any expectancy in such corporate opportunity unless such potential transaction or matter was presented to such director expressly in his or her capacity as such.

By becoming a stockholder in our Company, you will be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation. Any amendment to the foregoing provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all shares of our common stock then outstanding.

Dissenters’ Rights of Appraisal and Payment

Under the DGCL, with certain exceptions, our stockholders will have appraisal rights in connection with a merger or consolidation. Pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL, stockholders who properly demand and perfect appraisal rights in connection with such merger or consolidation will have the right to receive payment of the fair value of their shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Stockholders’ Derivative Actions

Under the DGCL, any of our stockholders may bring an action in our name to procure a judgment in our favor, also known as a derivative action, provided that the stockholder bringing the action is a holder of our shares at the time of the transaction to which the action relates or such stockholder’s stock thereafter devolved by operation of law and such suit is brought in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware.

Listing

Our Class A Common Stock is listed on the NYSE under the trading symbol “DTC”.

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Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our Class A Common Stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. The transfer agent’s address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219.
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