Description of Securities Registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

EX-4.12 2 wkhs-2019x10kxexx412de.htm EX-4.12 Document

Exhibit 4.12


As of December 31, 2019, Workhorse Group Inc. had common stock, $0.001 par value per share, registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the trading symbol "WKHS".

DESCRIPTION OF WORKHORSE GROUP CAPITAL STOCK
 
Our articles of incorporation provide that we are authorized to issue 250 million shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 75 million shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.
 
Common Stock
 
Voting Rights
 
The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted upon by our shareholders, including the election of directors. Cumulative voting is not permitted in the election of directors.
 
Dividend Rights
 
Subject to preferences that may apply to shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available if our board of directors, in its discretion, determines to issue dividends and then only at the times and in the amounts that our board may determine.
 
Liquidation Rights
 
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, our common shareholders will receive ratably any net assets that remain after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities, subject to the senior rights of any outstanding preferred stock.
 
Other
 
Our shares of common stock are not convertible into any other security and do not have any preemptive rights, conversion rights, redemption rights or sinking fund provisions. The rights, preferences and privileges, including voting rights, of holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of preferred stock that the board may designate and issue in the future. There are currently no preferred shares outstanding.
 
Preferred Stock
 
We are authorized to issue up to 75 million shares of preferred stock, in one or more series with such designations, relative rights, preferences, voting rights, limitations, dividend rates, redemption prices, liquidation prices, conversion rights, sinking or purchase fund rights, and other provisions as the board may fix or determine. Any series of preferred stock may have rights and privileges superior to those of common stock. There are presently 1.25 million shares of Series B Preferred Stock, with a stated value of $20.00 per share (the “Stated Value”) and a par value of $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”) outstanding.
 
The rights, preferences, privileges and limitations of the Preferred Stock are set forth in a certificate of designation filed by the Company with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada (the “Certificate of Designation”). The Preferred Stock ranks senior to the Company’s common stock with respect to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, winding-up or dissolution. The Preferred Stock is entitled to annual dividends at a rate equal to 8.0% simple interest per annum on the Stated Value of the Preferred Stock. Accrued dividends will be



payable quarterly in shares of common stock of the Company based on a share price of $1.62, which was the average closing price of the Company’s common stock on the five trading days immediately preceding May 31, 2019 and in excess of the closing price of $1.60 on May 30, 2019.
 
The Preferred Stock is not convertible and does not hold voting rights. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, liquidation of the Company’s assets will be made in the following order of priority: (a) first, payment or provision for payment of debts and other liabilities; (b) second, payment to the holders of the Preferred Stock an amount with respect to each share of the Preferred Stock’s Stated Value plus any accrued but unpaid dividends thereon; and (c) third, payment to the holders of common stock.
 
On the fourth anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company shall redeem all the outstanding shares of the Preferred Stock at the Stated Value, plus accrued and unpaid dividends. At any time prior to such date, the Company subject to the repayment and retirement, in accordance with its terms, of the Credit Agreement dated as of December 31, 2018 (the “Credit Agreement”), among the Company, as the borrower, the lenders thereto and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Agent, the Company may, in its sole discretion, redeem any outstanding shares of Preferred Stock at the Stated Value, plus accrued and unpaid dividends (“Optional Redemption”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may effect an Optional Redemption prior to the fourth anniversary of the Closing Date so long as it obtains from the lenders to the Credit Agreement their prior written consent to such Optional Redemption.

Anti-Takeover Provisions Under Nevada Law.
 
Combinations with Interested Stockholder. Sections 78.411-78.444, inclusive, of the Nevada Revised Statutes (“NRS”) contain provisions governing combinations with an interested stockholder. For purposes of the NRS, “combinations” include: (i) any merger or consolidation with any interested stockholder, (ii) any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition to any interested stockholder of corporate assets with an aggregate market value equal to 5% or more of the aggregate market value of the corporation’s consolidated assets, 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the corporation or 10% or more of the earning power or net income of the corporation, (iii) the issuance to any interested stockholder of voting shares (except pursuant to a share dividend or similar proportionate distribution) with an aggregate market value equal to 5% or more of the aggregate market value of all the outstanding shares of the corporation, (iv) the dissolution of the corporation if proposed by or on behalf of any interested stockholder, (v) any reclassification of securities, recapitalization or corporate reorganization that will have the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the corporation’s outstanding voting shares held by any interested stockholder and (vi) any receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit (except proportionately as a stockholder) of any loan, advance, guarantee, pledge or other financial assistance. For purposes of the NRS, an “interested stockholder” is defined to include any beneficial owner of more than 10% of any class of the voting securities of a Nevada corporation and any person who is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and was at any time during the preceding three years the beneficial owner or more than 10% of any class of the voting securities of the Nevada corporation.
 
Subject to certain exceptions, the provisions of the NRS governing combinations with interested stockholders provide that a Nevada corporation may not engage in a combination with an interested stockholder for two years after the date that the person first became an interested stockholder unless the combination or the transaction by which the person first became an interested stockholder is approved by the board of directors before the person first became an interested stockholder.
 
Control Share Acquisitions

The NRS also contains a “control share acquisitions statute.” If applicable to a Nevada corporation this statute restricts the voting rights of certain stockholders referred to as “acquiring persons,” that acquire or offer to acquire ownership of a “controlling interest” in the outstanding voting stock of an “issuing corporation.” For purposes of these provisions a “controlling interest” means with certain exceptions the ownership of outstanding voting stock sufficient to enable the acquiring person to exercise one-fifth or more but less than one-third, one-third or more but less than a majority, or a majority or more of all voting power in the election of directors and “issuing



corporation” means a Nevada corporation that has 200 or more stockholders of record, at least 100 of whom have addresses in Nevada appearing on the stock ledger of the corporation, and which does business in Nevada directly or through an affiliated corporation. The voting rights of an acquiring person in the affected shares will be restored only if such restoration is approved by the holders of a majority of the voting power of the corporation. The NRS allows a corporation to “opt-out” of the control share acquisitions statute by providing in such corporation’s articles of incorporation or bylaws that the control share acquisitions statute does not apply to the corporation or to an acquisition of a controlling interest specifically by types of existing or future stockholders, whether or not identified.
 
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
 
No Cumulative Voting. Where cumulative voting is permitted in the election of directors, each share is entitled to as many votes as there are directors to be elected and each shareholder may cast all of its votes for a single director nominee or distribute them among two or more director nominees. Thus, cumulative voting makes it easier for a minority shareholder to elect a director. Our articles of incorporation deny shareholders the right to vote cumulatively.

Authorized But Unissued Shares

Our articles of incorporation permit the board to authorize the issuance of preferred stock, and to designate the rights and preferences of our preferred stock, without obtaining shareholder approval. One of the effects of undesignated preferred stock may be to enable the board to render more difficult or to discourage a third party’s attempt to obtain control of Workhorse Group by means of a tender offer, proxy contest, merger, or otherwise. The issuance of shares of preferred stock also may discourage a party from making a bid for the common stock because the issuance may adversely affect the rights of the holders of common stock. For example, preferred stock that we issue may rank prior to the common stock as to dividend rights, liquidation preference, or both, may have special voting rights and may be convertible into shares of common stock. Accordingly, the issuance of shares of preferred stock may discourage bids for our common stock or may otherwise adversely affect the market price of our common stock.