Exhibit 2
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
The following description of the capital stock of MorphoSys AG (“us,” “our,” “we” or the “Company”) is a summary of the rights of our ordinary shares and certain provisions of our articles of association in effect as of March 11, 2021. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of our articles of association previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 20-F of which this Exhibit 2 is a part, as well as to the applicable provisions of German legislation on stock corporations. We encourage you to read our articles of association and applicable German legislation on stock corporations carefully.
Share Capital
As of March 11, 2021, our registered share capital consists of 32,890,046 ordinary shares outstanding, no par value.
Ordinary Shares
Authorized Capital 2020-I. The management board, with the consent of the supervisory board, is – amongst other authorizations—authorized, until and including May 26, 2025, to increase the registered share capital of MorphoSys AG by up to €3,286,539.00 by issuing up to 3,286,539 new ordinary bearer shares with no par value of MorphoSys AG, against contribution in cash. Our shareholders are principally entitled to subscription rights. The shares may also be subscribed to by one or several credit institutions with the obligation to offer the shares to shareholders for subscription. With the supervisory board’s consent, the management board is, however, until and including May 26, 2025, authorized to exclude the subscription rights of shareholders in the following cases:
| • | to the extent such exclusion is necessary to avoid fractional shares; or |
| • | if the issue price of the new shares is not significantly below the market price of shares of the same class already listed and the total number of shares issued against contribution in cash, excluding subscription rights, during the term of this authorization is in effect does not exceed 10% of the share capital on the date authorization takes effect or at the time it is exercised, in accordance with or in the respective application of Section 186 (3) sentence 4 AktG. |
The total number of shares to be issued via capital increases against contribution in cash, excluding subscription rights and based on the authorizations mentioned above shall not exceed 10% of the share capital when calculated based on the authorizations’ effective date or exercise, whichever amount is lower. The 10% limit mentioned above shall take into account (i) treasury shares sold with the exclusion of subscription rights after the effective date of these authorizations (unless they service the entitlements of members of executive management bodies and/or employees of the Company and its affiliated companies under employee participation programs); (ii) shares to be issued with the exclusion of subscription rights during the effective period of these authorizations from other authorized capital existing on the effective date of these authorizations(unless they service the entitlements of members of executive management bodies and/or employees of the Company and its affiliated companies under employee participation programs); and (iii) shares to be issued during the effective period of these authorizations to service bonds with conversion or warrant rights, whose authorization basis exists on the effective date of these authorizations, to the extent the bonds with conversion or warrant rights were issued with the exclusion of shareholders’ subscription rights (unless they service the entitlements of members of executive management bodies and/or employees of the Company and its affiliated companies under employee participation programs).
Dividend Rights. Under German law, distributions of dividends on shares for a given fiscal year are generally determined by a process in which the management board and supervisory board submit a proposal to our annual general shareholders’ meeting held in the subsequent fiscal year and such annual general shareholders’ meeting adopts a resolution.
German law provides that a resolution concerning dividends and distribution thereof may be adopted only if the company’s unconsolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with German law show net retained profits.
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In determining the profit available for distribution, the result for the relevant year must be adjusted for profits and losses brought forward from the previous year and for withdrawals from or transfers to reserves. Certain reserves are required by law and must be deducted when calculating the profit available for distribution.
Shareholders participate in profit distributions in proportion to the number of shares they hold. Dividends on shares resolved by the general shareholders’ meeting are paid annually, shortly after the general shareholders’ meeting and, in compliance with the rules of the respective clearing system. Dividend payment claims are subject to a three-year statute of limitation in the company’s favor.
Liquidation Rights. Apart from liquidation as a result of insolvency proceedings, we may be liquidated only with a vote of the holders of at least three-quarters of the share capital represented at the shareholders’ meeting at which such a vote is taken. If we are liquidated, any assets remaining after all of our liabilities have been paid off would be distributed among our shareholders in proportion to their holdings in accordance with German statutory law. The German Stock Corporation Act provides certain protections for creditors which must be observed in the event of liquidation.
Form, Certification and Transferability of the Shares. The form and contents of our global share certificates, any dividend certificates, renewal certificates and interest coupons are determined by our management board with the approval of our supervisory board. A shareholder’s right to certificated shares is excluded, to the extent permitted by law and to the extent that certification is not required by the stock exchange on which the shares are admitted to trading. We are permitted to issue global share certificates that represent one or more shares.
All of our outstanding shares are no par-value bearer shares (auf den Inhaber lautende Stückaktien ohne Nennbetrag). Any resolution regarding a capital increase may determine the profit participation of the new shares resulting from such capital increase.
Our shares are freely transferable under German law, with the transfer of ownership governed by the rules of the relevant clearing system.
Our articles of association do not include any provisions that would have a direct effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control. However, in the event of a hostile takeover, we could use our authorized capital to increase our share capital to issue new shares to an investor at a premium. An increase in the number of shares outstanding could have a negative effect on a party’s ability to carry out a hostile takeover.
Shareholders’ Meetings, Resolutions and Voting Rights. Pursuant to our articles of association, shareholders’ meetings may be held at our registered offices or at the registered seat of a German stock exchange. In general, shareholders’ meetings are convened by our management board. The supervisory board is additionally required to convene a shareholders’ meeting in cases where this is required under binding statutory law (i.e., if this is in the best interest of our company). In addition, shareholders who, individually or as a group, own at least 5% of our share capital may request that our management board convenes a shareholders’ meeting. If our management board does not convene a shareholders’ meeting upon such a request, the shareholders may petition the competent German court for authorization to convene a shareholders’ meeting.
Pursuant to our articles of association, the convening notice for a shareholders’ meeting must be made public at least 36 days prior to the meeting. Shareholders who, individually or as a group, own at least 5% or € 500,000 of our share capital may require that additional items be added to the agenda of the shareholders’ meeting. For each new item, an explanation of the requested change must be provided or a voting proposal (Beschlussvorlage). Any request for an amendment of the agenda of the shareholders’ meeting must be received by the Company within 30 days prior to the meeting. The Company must publish any requests for the amendment of the agenda of the shareholders’ meeting immediately. Under German law, our annual general shareholders’ meeting must take place within the first eight months of each fiscal year. Among other things, the general shareholders’ meeting is required to decide on the following issues:
| • | appropriation and use of annual net income; |
| • | discharge or ratification of the actions taken by the members of our management board and our supervisory board; |
| • | the appointment of our statutory auditors; |
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| • | increases or decreases in our share capital; |
| • | the election of supervisory board members; and |
| • | to the extent legally required, the approval of our financial statements. |
Each ordinary share grants one vote in a shareholders’ meeting. Voting rights may be exercised by authorized proxies, which may be appointed by the Company (Stimmrechtsvertreter). The granting of a power of attorney must be made in text form. Generally, the shareholder or an authorized proxy must be present at the shareholders’ meeting to cast a vote. However, under the Company’s articles of association, the management board may determine in the invitation to the shareholders’ meeting that shareholders may submit their votes in writing or by means of electronic communication without attending the shareholders’ meeting in person.
Our articles of association provide that the resolutions of the shareholders’ meeting are adopted by a simple majority of the votes cast to the extent mandatory law does not provide for differently.
Neither German law nor our articles of association provide for a minimum participation for a quorum for our shareholders’ meetings.
Under German law, certain resolutions of fundamental importance require the vote of at least three-quarters of the share capital present or represented in the voting at the time of adoption of the resolution. Resolutions of fundamental importance include, in particular, capital increases with exclusion of subscription rights, capital decreases, the creation of authorized or conditional share capital, the dissolution of a company, a merger into or with another company, split-offs and split-ups, the conclusion of inter-company agreements (Unternehmensverträge) as defined in the German Stock Corporation Act (in particular domination agreements (Beherrschungsverträge) and profit and loss transfer agreements (Ergebnisabführungsverträge)), and a change of the legal form of a company.
Authorization to Acquire Our Own Shares. We may not acquire our own shares unless authorized by the shareholders’ meeting or in other very limited circumstances as set out in the German Stock Corporation Act. Shareholders may not grant a share repurchase authorization lasting for more than five years. The German Stock Corporation Act generally limits repurchases to 10% of our share capital and resales must generally be made either on a stock exchange, in a manner that treats all shareholders equally, or in accordance with the rules that apply to subscription rights relating to a capital increase.
Squeeze-Out of Minority Shareholders. Under German law, the shareholders’ meeting of a stock corporation may resolve upon request of a shareholder that holds at least 95% of the share capital that the shares held by any remaining minority shareholders be transferred to this shareholder against payment of “adequate cash compensation” (Ausschluss von Minderheitsaktionären). This amount must take into account the full value of the company at the time of the resolution, which is generally determined using the future earnings value method (Ertragswertmethode).
A squeeze-out in the context of a merger (umwandlungsrechtlicher Squeeze-Out) only requires a majority shareholder to hold at least 90% of the share capital. A squeeze-out following a successful public takeover offer (übernahmerechtlicher Squeeze-Out) requires – among others – a majority shareholder to hold at least 95%. .
Disclosure Requirements for Shareholdings and Mandatory Offer. The German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz) requires every shareholder whose equity participation in a company with a registered seat in Germany, and that is listed for trading on an organized market in a member state of the European Union or a country that is a party to the Treaty on the European Economic Area, reaches, exceeds, or falls below thresholds of 3%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 30%, 50%, or 75% of the voting rights of such company to inform the company and the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, or “BaFin”) without undue delay and, in any case, no later than four trading days after reaching, exceeding or falling below these thresholds, using a standardized form. In the context of this requirement, the German Securities Trading Act and other regulations contain various rules that are meant to ensure that share ownership is attributed to the person that actually controls the voting rights pertaining to such shares. As long as a shareholder fails to make such notification, such shareholder may generally not exercise any rights pertaining to these shares (including voting rights and dividend rights). Upon receipt of any such shareholder notification, the German company is required to immediately publish the notification by a so-called European media bundle.
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In addition, the European Market Abuse Regulation requires, inter alia, the members of the management board and the supervisory board, their spouses and close relatives, who purchase or sell shares, or other types of securities representing the right to acquire shares, including convertible bonds and bonds with warrants attached, issued by a company whose shares have been admitted to trading on a German stock exchange in excess of a de minimis number, to immediately notify the issuer and the BaFin of such purchases or sales. Upon receipt of such notice, the issuer is required to publish this notification by, among other things, posting it on its website.
Pursuant to the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Übernahmegesetz), every person or entity gaining control over a listed company, that is whose shares of voting rights reach or exceed 30% of the voting rights in such company, is obliged to publish this fact, including the percentage of its voting rights, immediately but within seven calendar days latest by (i) publication on the internet and (ii) through electronic media for disseminating financial information. Furthermore, this person has to submit a mandatory public takeover offer to all shareholders of the company unless an exemption from this obligation has been granted by the BaFin. If the respective shareholder fails to publish the mandatory notice, this shareholder is obliged to pay interests for the consideration owed to the other shareholders for the duration of the delinquency. In addition, the respective shareholder has to submit an offer document for a public takeover bid to the BaFin within four weeks after the publishing of gaining control which is also to be published (i) on the internet and (ii) as an announcement in the German Federal Gazette.
Management Board
Composition. The Management Board shall consist of at least two members. The number of members of the Management Board shall otherwise be determined by the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board may appoint one member of the Management Board to be Chairman and one or more members of the Board of Management to be Vice Chairman of the Management Board.
Company Management and Representation
| 1) | The members of the Management Board are required to manage the business affairs of the Company on the basis of applicable laws, the Articles of Association and the Management Board’s rules of procedure. The Management Board shall unanimously adopt rules of procedure and undertakes the allocation of responsibilities if the Supervisory Board has not adopted rules of procedure for the Management Board. |
| 2) | The Company is represented by two members of the Management Board or by one member of the Management Board acting jointly with a Prokurist (authorized signatory with full power of representation). The Supervisory Board may grant individual members of the Management Board authorization to represent the Company individually and may revoke such authorization. |
| 3) | The Supervisory Board may exempt one or more members of the Management Board from the prohibition on multiple representation in Section 181 of the BGB [German Civil Code] and that is without consideration of whether the Company is monistic or dualistic and likewise in the event the Company becomes a dualistic or monistic company. |
Supervisory Board
| 1) | The Supervisory Board consists of six members elected by the shareholders in accordance with the German Stock Corporation Act. |
| 2) | The members of the Supervisory Board shall be elected for a term extending at most to the end of the General Meeting that resolves about ratification of the actions of the Supervisory Board in the fourth fiscal year after commencement of their terms of office. The fiscal year in which the terms of office begin shall not be counted for such purposes. The General Meeting may determine a shorter term of office. |
| 3) | Any member of the Supervisory Board, and every substitute member, may resign his or her office by means of a written declaration to be submitted to the Chairman of the Supervisory Board or to the Management Board on one month’s notice. Resignation may be effective immediately for good cause. |
| 4) | In the event a member of the Supervisory Board elected by the General Meeting leaves the Supervisory Board prior to the expiration of his or her term of office, election for a replacement shall be held at the next General Meeting. |
| 5) | The General Meeting may appoint substitute members for those members of the Supervisory Board it elects who shall become members of the Supervisory Board in the order laid down when the election takes place in the event members of the Supervisory Board leave prior to the expiration of their respective term of office. The term of office of a substitute member of the Supervisory Board ends upon the conclusion of the General Meeting at which an election pursuant to the terms of the preceding paragraph (4) is held. |
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American Depository Shares
The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary, registers and delivers American Depository Shares, or ADSs. Each ADS represents one-quarter (1/4) of a deposited share with The Bank of New York Mellon SA/N.V., as custodian for the depositary in Frankfurt. Each ADS also represents any other securities, cash or other property which may be held by the depositary. The depositary’s office at which the ADSs will be administered is located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286. The Bank of New York Mellon’s principal executive office is located at 225 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10286.
A deposit agreement among us, the depositary and the ADS holders sets out the ADS holder rights as well as the rights and obligations of the depositary. New York law governs the deposit agreement and the ADSs. A copy of the deposit agreement is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to this annual report.
Fees and Expenses
Persons depositing or withdrawing shares or ADS holders must pay: | For: | |
| $5.00 (or less) per 100 ADSs (or portion of 100 ADSs) | Issuance of ADSs, including issuances resulting from a distribution of shares or rights or other property | |
| Cancelation of ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal, including if the deposit agreement terminates | ||
| $0.5 (or less) per ADS | Any cash distribution to ADS holders | |
| A fee equivalent to the fee that would be payable if securities distributed to you had been shares and the shares had been deposited for issuance of ADSs | Distribution of securities distributed to holders of deposited securities (including rights) that are distributed by the depositary to ADS holders | |
| $0.5 (or less) per ADS per calendar year | Depositary services | |
| Registration or transfer fees | Transfer and registration of shares on our share register to or from the name of the depositary or its agent when you deposit or withdraw shares | |
| Expenses of the depositary | Cable and facsimile transmissions (when expressly provided in the deposit agreement) Converting foreign currency to U.S. dollars | |
| Taxes and other governmental charges the depositary or the custodian has to pay on any ADSs or shares underlying ADSs, such as stock transfer taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes | As necessary | |
| Any charges incurred by the depositary or its agents for servicing the deposited securities | As necessary | |
The depositary collects its fees for delivery and surrender of ADSs directly from investors depositing ordinary shares or surrendering ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal or from intermediaries acting for them. The depositary collects fees for making distributions to investors by deducting those fees from the amounts distributed or by selling a portion of distributable property to pay the fees. The depositary may collect its annual fee for depositary services by deduction
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from cash distributions or by directly billing investors or by charging the book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The depositary may collect any of its fees by deduction from any cash distribution payable (or by selling a portion of securities or other property distributable) to ADS holders that are obligated to pay those fees. The depositary may generally refuse to provide fee-attracting services until its fees for those services are paid.
From time to time, the depositary may make payments to us to reimburse us for costs and expenses generally arising out of establishment and maintenance of the ADS program, waive fees and expenses for services provided to us by the depositary or share revenue from the fees collected from ADS holders. In performing its duties under the deposit agreement, the depositary may use brokers, dealers, foreign currency dealers or other service providers that are owned by or affiliated with the depositary and that may earn or share fees, spreads or commissions.
The depositary may convert currency itself or through any of its affiliates and, in those cases, acts as principal for its own account and not as agent, advisor, broker or fiduciary on behalf of any other person and earns revenue, including, without limitation, transaction spreads, that it will retain for its own account. The revenue is based on, among other things, the difference between the exchange rate assigned to the currency conversion made under the deposit agreement and the rate that the depositary or its affiliate receives when buying or selling foreign currency for its own account. The depositary makes no representation that the exchange rate used or obtained in any currency conversion under the deposit agreement will be the most favorable rate that could be obtained at the time or that the method by which that rate will be determined will be the most favorable to ADS holders, subject to the depositary’s obligations under the deposit agreement. The methodology used to determine exchange rates used in currency conversions is available upon request.
Dividends and Other Distributions. The depositary has agreed to pay or distribute to ADS holders the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on ordinary shares or other deposited securities, upon payment or deduction of its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of shares your ADSs represent.
Cash. The depositary will convert any cash dividend or other cash distribution we pay on our ordinary shares into U.S. dollars, if it can do so on a reasonable basis and can transfer the U.S. dollars to the United States and will promptly distribute the amount thus received. If that is not possible or if any government approval is needed and cannot be obtained, the deposit agreement allows the depositary to distribute the foreign currency only to those ADS holders to whom it is possible to do so. It will hold the foreign currency it cannot convert for the account of the ADS holders who have not been paid. It will not invest the foreign currency and it will not be liable for any interest.
Before making a distribution, any withholding taxes, or other governmental charges that must be paid will be deducted. See “Taxation”. The depositary will distribute only whole U.S. dollars and cents and will round fractional cents to the nearest whole cent. If the exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary cannot convert the foreign currency, you may lose some of the value of the distribution.
Shares. The depositary may distribute additional ADSs representing any ordinary shares we distribute as a dividend or free distribution. The depositary will only distribute whole ADSs. It will sell ordinary shares which would require it to deliver a fraction of an ADS (or ADSs representing those shares) and distribute the net proceeds in the same way as it does with cash. If the depositary does not distribute additional ADSs, the outstanding ADSs will also represent the new shares. The depositary may sell a portion of the distributed ordinary shares (or ADSs representing those shares) sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in connection with that distribution.
Rights to purchase additional shares. If we offer holders of our securities any rights to subscribe for additional ordinary shares or any other rights, the depositary may (i) exercise those rights on behalf of ADS holders if instructed to do so by the relevant ADS holders, (ii) distribute those rights to ADS holders or (iii) sell those rights and distribute the net proceeds to ADS holders, in each case after deduction or upon payment of its fees and expenses. To the extent the depositary does not do any of those things, it will allow the rights to lapse. In that case, you will receive no value for them. The depositary will exercise or distribute rights only if we ask it to and provide satisfactory assurances to the depositary that it is legal to do so. If the depositary will exercise rights, it will purchase the securities to which the rights relate and distribute those securities or, in the case of shares, new ADSs representing the new shares, to subscribing ADS holders, but only if ADS holders have paid the exercise price to the depositary. U.S. securities laws may restrict the ability of the depositary to distribute rights or ADSs or other securities issued on exercise of rights to all or certain ADS holders, and the securities distributed may be subject to restrictions on transfer.
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There can be no assurance that you will be given the opportunity to exercise rights on the same terms and conditions as the holders of our ordinary shares or be able to exercise such rights at all.
Other Distributions. The depositary will send to ADS holders anything else we distribute on deposited securities by any means it thinks is legal, equitable and practical. If it cannot make the distribution in that way, the depositary has a choice. It may decide to sell what we distributed and distribute the net proceeds, in the same way as it does with cash. Or, it may decide to hold what we distributed, in which case ADSs will also represent the newly distributed property. However, the depositary is not required to distribute any securities (other than ADSs) to ADS holders unless it receives satisfactory evidence from us that it is legal to make that distribution. The depositary may sell a portion of the distributed securities or property sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in connection with that distribution. U.S. securities laws may restrict the ability of the depositary to distribute securities to all or certain ADS holders, and the securities distributed may be subject to restrictions on transfer.
The depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any ADS holders. We have no obligation to register ADSs, shares, rights or other securities under the Securities Act. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, shares, rights or anything else to ADS holders. This means that you may not receive the distributions we make on our shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you.
Deposit, Withdrawal and Cancellation. The depositary will deliver ADSs if you or your broker deposits shares or evidence of rights to receive shares with the custodian. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, the depositary will register the appropriate number of ADSs in the names you request and will deliver the ADSs to or upon the order of the person or persons that made the deposit.
You may surrender your ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal at the depositary’s office. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, the depositary will deliver the ordinary shares and any other deposited securities underlying the ADSs to the ADS holder or a person the ADS holder designates at the office of the custodian. Or, at your request, risk and expense, the depositary will deliver the deposited securities at its office, if feasible. The depositary may charge you a fee and its expenses for instructing the custodian regarding delivery of deposited securities.
You may surrender your ADR to the depositary for the purpose of exchanging your ADR for uncertificated ADSs. The depositary will cancel that ADR and will send to the ADS holder a statement confirming that the ADS holder is the registered holder of uncertificated ADSs. Upon receipt by the depositary of a proper instruction from a registered holder of uncertificated ADSs requesting the exchange of uncertificated ADSs for certificated ADSs, the depositary will execute and deliver to the ADS holder an ADR evidencing those ADSs.
Voting Rights. ADS holders may instruct the depositary how to vote the number of deposited ordinary shares their ADSs represent at any meeting at which you are entitled to vote pursuant to applicable law and our articles of association. If we request the depositary to solicit your voting instructions (and we are not required to do so), the depositary will notify you of such shareholders’ meeting and send or make voting materials available to you. Those materials will describe the matters to be voted on and explain how ADS holders may instruct the depositary how to vote. For instructions to be valid, they must reach the depositary by a date set by the depositary. The depositary will try, as far as practical, subject to the laws of Germany and the provisions of our articles of association or similar documents, to vote or to have its agents vote the ordinary shares or other deposited securities as instructed by ADS holders. If we do not request the depositary to solicit your voting instructions, you can still send voting instructions, and, in that case, the depositary may try to vote as you instruct, but it is not required to do so.
Except by instructing the depositary as described above, you won’t be able to exercise voting rights unless you surrender your ADSs and withdraw the ordinary shares. However, you may not know about the meeting enough in advance to withdraw the ordinary shares. In any event, the depositary will not exercise any discretion in voting deposited securities and it will only vote or attempt to vote as instructed.
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We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote your ordinary shares. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for the manner of carrying out voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise voting rights and there may be nothing you can do if your ordinary shares are not voted as you requested.
In order to give you a reasonable opportunity to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of voting rights relating to Deposited Securities, if we request the Depositary to act, we agree to give the depositary notice of any such meeting and details concerning the matters to be voted upon at least 45 days in advance of the meeting date.
Payment of Taxes. You will be responsible for any taxes or other governmental charges payable on your ADSs or on the deposited securities represented by any of your ADSs. The depositary may refuse to register any transfer of your ADSs or allow you to withdraw the deposited securities represented by your ADSs until those taxes or other charges are paid. It may apply payments owed to you or sell deposited securities represented by your American Depositary Shares to pay any taxes owed and you will remain liable for any deficiency. If the depositary sells deposited securities, it will, if appropriate, reduce the number of ADSs to reflect the sale and pay to ADS holders any proceeds, or send to ADS holders any property, remaining after it has paid the taxes.
Tender and Exchange Offers; Redemption, Replacement or Cancellation of Deposited Securities. The depositary will not tender deposited securities in any voluntary tender or exchange offer unless instructed to do by an ADS holder surrendering ADSs and subject to any conditions or procedures the depositary may establish.
If deposited securities are redeemed for cash in a transaction that is mandatory for the depositary as a holder of deposited securities, the depositary will call for surrender of a corresponding number of ADSs and distribute the net redemption money to the holders of called ADSs upon surrender of those ADSs.
If there is any change in the deposited securities such as a subdivision, combination or other reclassification, or any merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization affecting the issuer of deposited securities in which the depositary receives new securities in exchange for or in lieu of the old deposited securities, the depositary will hold those replacement securities as deposited securities under the deposit agreement. However, if the depositary decides it would not be lawful and to hold the replacement securities because those securities could not be distributed to ADS holders or for any other reason, the depositary may instead sell the replacement securities and distribute the net proceeds upon surrender of the ADSs.
If there is a replacement of the deposited securities and the depositary will continue to hold the replacement securities, the depositary may distribute new ADSs representing the new deposited securities or ask you to surrender your outstanding ADRs in exchange for new ADRs identifying the new deposited securities.
If there are no deposited securities underlying ADSs, including if the deposited securities are cancelled, or if the deposited securities underlying ADSs have become apparently worthless, the depositary may call for surrender or of those ADSs or cancel those ADSs upon notice to the ADS holders.
Amendment and Termination. We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the ADRs without your consent for any reason. If an amendment adds or increases fees or charges, except for taxes and other governmental charges or expenses of the depositary for registration fees, facsimile costs, delivery charges or similar items, or prejudices a substantial right of ADS holders, it will not become effective for outstanding ADSs until 30 days after the depositary notifies ADS holders of the amendment. At the time an amendment becomes effective, you are considered, by continuing to hold your ADSs, to agree to the amendment and to be bound by the ADRs and the deposit agreement as amended.
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The depositary will initiate termination of the deposit agreement if we instruct it to do so. The depositary may initiate termination of the deposit agreement if:
| • | 60 days have passed since the depositary told us it wants to resign but a successor depositary has not been appointed and accepted its appointment; |
| • | we delist our shares from an exchange on which they were listed and do not list the shares on another exchange; |
| • | we appear to be insolvent or enter insolvency proceedings; |
| • | all or substantially all the value of the deposited securities has been distributed either in cash or in the form of securities; |
| • | there are no deposited securities underlying the ADSs or the underlying deposited securities have become apparently worthless; or |
| • | there has been a replacement of deposited securities. |
If the deposit agreement will terminate, the depositary will notify ADS holders at least 90 days before the termination date. At any time after the termination date, the depositary may sell the deposited securities. After that, the depositary will hold the money it received on the sale, as well as any other cash it is holding under the deposit agreement, unsegregated and without liability for interest, for the pro rata benefit of the ADS holders that have not surrendered their ADSs. Normally, the depositary will sell as soon as practicable after the termination date.
After the termination date and before the depositary sells, ADS holders can still surrender their ADSs and receive delivery of deposited securities, except that the depositary may refuse to accept a surrender for the purpose of withdrawing deposited securities if it would interfere with the selling process. The depositary may refuse to accept a surrender for the purpose of withdrawing sale proceeds until all the deposited securities have been sold. The depositary will continue to collect distributions on deposited securities, but, after the termination date, the depositary is not required to register any transfer of ADSs or distribute any dividends or other distributions on deposited securities to the ADSs holder (until they surrender their ADSs) or give any notices or perform any other duties under the deposit agreement except as described in this paragraph.
Limitations on Obligations and Liability. The deposit agreement expressly limits our obligations and the obligations of the depositary. It also limits our liability and the liability of the depositary. We and the depositary:
| • | are only obligated to take the actions specifically set forth in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith; |
| • | are not liable if we are or it is prevented or delayed by law or by events or circumstances beyond our or its ability to prevent or counteract with reasonable care or effort from performing our or its obligations under the deposit agreement; |
| • | are not liable if we or it exercises discretion permitted under the deposit agreement; |
| • | are not liable for the inability of any holder of ADSs to benefit from any distribution on deposited securities that is not made available to holders of ADSs under the terms of the deposit agreement, or for any special, consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the deposit agreement; |
| • | have no obligation to become involved in a lawsuit or other proceeding related to the ADSs or the deposit agreement on your behalf or on behalf of any other person; |
| • | are not liable for the acts or omissions of any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system; and |
| • | may rely upon any documents we believe or it believes in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. |
In the deposit agreement, we and the depositary agree to indemnify each other under certain circumstances.
Requirements for Depositary Actions. Before the depositary will deliver or register a transfer of ADSs, make a distribution on ADSs, or permit withdrawal of ordinary shares, the depositary may require:
| • | payment of stock transfer or other taxes or other governmental charges and transfer or registration fees charged by third parties for the transfer of any shares or other deposited securities; |
| • | satisfactory proof of the identity and genuineness of any signature or other information it deems necessary; and |
| • | compliance with regulations it may establish, from time to time, consistent with the deposit agreement, including presentation of transfer documents. |
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The depositary may refuse to deliver ADSs or register transfers of ADSs when the transfer books of the depositary or our transfer books are closed or at any time if the depositary or we think it advisable to do so.
Your Right to Receive the Shares Underlying your ADSs. ADS holders have the right to cancel their ADSs and withdraw the underlying ordinary shares at any time except:
| • | when temporary delays arise because: (i) the depositary has closed its transfer books or we have closed our transfer books; (ii) the transfer ordinary of shares is blocked to permit voting at a shareholders’ meeting; or (iii) we are paying a dividend on our ordinary shares; |
| • | when you owe money to pay fees, taxes and similar charges; or |
| • | when it is necessary to prohibit withdrawals in order to comply with any laws or governmental regulations that apply to ADSs or to the withdrawal of shares or other deposited securities. |
This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other provision of the deposit agreement.
Pre-release of ADSs. The deposit agreement permits the depositary to deliver ADSs before deposit of the underlying ordinary shares. This is called a pre-release of the ADSs. The depositary may also deliver shares upon cancellation of pre-released ADSs (even if the ADSs are canceled before the pre-release transaction has been closed out). A pre-release is closed out as soon as the underlying shares are delivered to the depositary. The depositary may receive ADSs instead of shares to close out a pre-release. The depositary may pre-release ADSs only under the following conditions: (1) before or at the time of the pre-release, the person to whom the pre-release is being made represents to the depositary in writing that it or its customer owns the shares or ADSs to be deposited; (2) the pre-release is fully collateralized with cash or other collateral that the depositary considers appropriate; (3) the depositary must be able to close out the pre-release on not more than five business days’ notice; and (4) subject to all indemnities and credit regulations the depositary deems appropriate. In addition, the depositary will limit the number of ADSs that may be outstanding at any time as a result of pre-release, although the depositary may disregard the limit from time to time if it thinks it is appropriate to do so.
Direct Registration System. In the deposit agreement, all parties to the deposit agreement acknowledge that the Direct Registration System, also referred to as DRS, and Profile Modification System, also referred to as Profile, will apply to the ADSs. DRS is a system administered by DTC that facilitates interchange between registered holding of uncertificated ADSs and holding of security entitlements in ADSs through DTC and a DTC participant. Profile is feature of DRS that allows a DTC participant, claiming to act on behalf of a registered holder of uncertificated ADSs, to direct the depositary to register a transfer of those ADSs to DTC or its nominee and to deliver those ADSs to the DTC account of that DTC participant without receipt by the depositary of prior authorization from the ADS holder to register that transfer.
In connection with and in accordance with the arrangements and procedures relating to DRS/Profile, the parties to the deposit agreement understand that the depositary will not determine whether the DTC participant that is claiming to be acting on behalf of an ADS holder in requesting registration of transfer and delivery as described in the paragraph above has the actual authority to act on behalf of the ADS holder (notwithstanding any requirements under the Uniform Commercial Code). In the deposit agreement, the parties agree that the depositary’s reliance on and compliance with instructions received by the depositary through the DRS/Profile system and in accordance with the deposit agreement will not constitute negligence or bad faith on the part of the depositary.
Shareholder Communications; Inspection of Register of Holders of ADSs. The depositary will make available for your inspection at its office all communications that it receives from us as a holder of deposited securities that we make generally available to holders of deposited securities. The depositary will send you copies of those communications or otherwise make those communications available to you if we ask it to. You have a right to inspect the register of holders of ADSs, but not for the purpose of contacting those holders about a matter unrelated to our business or the ADSs.
Frankfurt Stock Exchange Listing
Our Ordinary shares are listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “MOR.”
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Nasdaq Global Select Market Listing
Our American Depository Shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “MOR.”
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