Exhibit 5.2
CRONE KLINE RINDE LLP
488 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Lion Biotechnologies, Inc.
21900 Burbank Blvd., Third Floor
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Attn: Michael Handelman, Chief Financial Officer
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are acting as special counsel to Lion Biotechnologies, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), in connection with its registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the proposed public offering of debt securities (the “Debt Securities”), which will be issued pursuant to one or more indentures in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented from time to time (each, an “Indenture”), between the Company, as obligor, and a trustee chosen by the Company and qualified to act as such under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trustee”). This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfill the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K, 17 C.F.R. § 229.601(b)(5), in connection with the Registration Statement.
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed that (i) the issuance, sale, amount and terms of any Debt Securities of the Company to be offered from time to time will have been duly authorized and established by proper action of the board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee of such board (“Board Action”) consistent with the procedures and terms described in the applicable Indenture, and in accordance with the Company’s charter and bylaws and the General Corporation Law of the State of Nevada, in a manner that does not violate any law, government or court-imposed order or restriction or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company or otherwise impair the legal or binding nature of the obligations represented by the applicable Debt Securities; (ii) at the time of offer, issuance and sale of any Debt Securities, the Registration Statement will have been declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and no stop order suspending its effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect; (iii) any Debt Securities will be issued pursuant to the applicable Indenture, which will be filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement; (iv) each applicable Indenture will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended; (v) if being sold by the issuer thereof, the Debt Securities will be delivered against payment of valid consideration therefor and in accordance with the terms of the applicable Board Action authorizing such sale and any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement and as contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the applicable prospectus supplement; and (vi) the Company will remain a Nevada corporation.
To the extent that the obligations of the Company with respect to the Debt Securities may be dependent upon such matters, we assume for purposes of this opinion that the other party under an applicable Indenture, namely, the Trustee, is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization; that such other party is duly qualified to engage in the activities contemplated by the applicable Indenture; that the applicable Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the other party and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the other party enforceable against the other party in accordance with its terms; that such other party is in compliance with respect to performance of its obligations under the applicable Indenture, with all applicable laws and regulations; and that such other party has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under the applicable Indenture.
This opinion letter is based as to matters of law solely on the General Corporation Law of the State of Nevada and the laws of the State of New York (but not including any laws, statutes, ordinances, administrative decisions, rules or regulations of any political subdivision below the state level). We express no opinion herein as to any other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations (and in particular, we express no opinion as to any effect that such other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations may have on the opinions expressed herein).
When the issuance and the terms of the sale of the Debt Securities have been duly authorized by the appropriate Board Action and duly established in conformity with the applicable Indenture so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under, or breach of, any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its property, and the Debt Securities have been duly executed, authenticated, issued, delivered and sold in accordance with the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the related Prospectus Supplement, and in the manner provided for in the applicable Indenture against payment of the purchase price therefor, the Debt Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms.
The opinion expressed above with respect to the valid and binding nature of obligations may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights (including, without limitation, the effect of statutory and other law regarding fraudulent conveyances, fraudulent transfers and preferential transfers) and by the exercise of judicial discretion and the application of principles of equity, good faith, fair dealing, reasonableness, conscionability and materiality (regardless of whether the Debt Securities are considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
This opinion letter has been prepared for use in connection with the Registration Statement. We assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the effective date of the Registration Statement.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to this firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are an “expert” within the meaning of the Act.
Very truly yours,
/s/ CRONE KLINE RINDE LLP
CRONE KLINE RINDE LLP
