Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration Statement No. 333-266448
PROSPECTUS
11,593,170
Ordinary Shares, which may be represented by American Depositary Shares
This prospectus relates to the proposed resale from time to time of up to 11,593,170 ordinary shares, nominal value €0.10 per share (the “Resale Shares”), which may be represented by American Depositary Shares, or ADSs, by the selling shareholder named herein.
We are registering the offer and sale of the Resale Shares from time to time by the selling shareholder to satisfy the registration rights they were granted in connection with the issuance of the Resale Shares. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Resale Shares by the selling shareholder.
The selling shareholder may offer and sell or otherwise dispose of the Resale Shares described in this prospectus from time to time through public or private transactions at prevailing market prices, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices. The selling shareholder will bear all underwriting fees, commissions and discounts, if any, attributable to the sales of Resale Shares and any transfer taxes. We will bear all other costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the Resale Shares. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information about how the selling shareholder may sell or dispose of its Resale Shares.
Our ordinary shares may be sold in the form of ADSs. Each ADS represents one-half of one ordinary share. Our ordinary shares in the form of ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “DBVT.” On August 10, 2022, the last reported sale price of the ADSs on Nasdaq was $2.71 per ADS. Our ordinary shares are traded on Euronext Paris under the symbol “DBV.” On August 10, 2022, the last reported sale price of the ordinary shares on Euronext Paris was €5,14 per share.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” on page 5 of this prospectus and any similar section contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is August 11, 2022.
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This prospectus is a part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) utilizing a shelf registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the selling shareholder may from time to time sell our ordinary shares, ordinary shares in the form of ADSs or any combination thereof described in this prospectus in one or more offerings or otherwise as described under “Plan of Distribution.” This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer.
This prospectus may be supplemented from time to time by one or more prospectus supplements. Such prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, you must rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. You should carefully read both this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information” before deciding to invest in any shares being offered.
Neither we nor the selling shareholder have authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any related prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus that we have authorized. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. The shares are not being offered in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the respective dates of such document. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “DBV,” “the company,” “our company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to DBV Technologies S.A. and our consolidated subsidiaries. All references in this prospectus to “$,” “US$,” “U.S.$,” “U.S. dollars,” “dollars” and “USD” mean U.S. dollars and all references to “€” and “euros,” mean euros, unless otherwise noted. Throughout this prospectus, references to ADSs mean ADSs or ordinary shares represented by ADSs, as the case may be.
Neither we, nor any agent, underwriter or dealer has authorized any person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. This prospectus, any applicable supplement to this prospectus or any related free writing prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus, any applicable supplement to this prospectus or any related free writing prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction.
You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is delivered, or securities are sold, on a later date.
This prospectus and the information incorporated herein by reference contain summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information”.
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For investors outside the United States: We have not done anything that would permit the offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the securities described herein and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States.
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The following summary highlights selected information from this prospectus and does not contain all of the information that you need to consider in making your investment decision. You should carefully read the entire prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, including the risks of investing in our securities discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You should also carefully read the information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including our financial statements, and the exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “DBV,” “the company,” “our company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to DBV Technologies S.A. and our consolidated subsidiary.
Overview
We are a clinical-stage specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on changing the field of immunotherapy by developing a novel technology platform called Viaskin. Our therapeutic approach is based on epicutaneous immunotherapy, or EPIT, our proprietary method of delivering biologically active compounds to the immune system through intact skin using Viaskin, an epicutaneous patch (i.e., a skin patch). We have generated significant data demonstrating that Viaskin’s mechanism of action is novel and differentiated, as it targets specific antigen-presenting immune cells in the skin, called Langerhans cells, that capture the antigen and migrate to the lymph node in order to activate the immune system without passage of the antigen into the bloodstream, minimizing systemic exposure in the body. We are advancing this unique technology to treat patients, including infants and children, suffering from food allergies, for whom safety is paramount, since the introduction of the offending allergen into their bloodstream can cause severe or life-threatening allergic reactions, such as anaphylactic shock.
Corporate Information
Our legal and commercial name is DBV Technologies S.A. We were incorporated as a société par actions simplifiée (S.A.S.) under the laws of the French Republic on March 29, 2002 for a period of 99 years and subsequently converted on March 13, 2003 into a société anonyme (S.A.). We are registered at the Nanterre Commerce and Companies Register under the number 441 772 522. Our principal executive offices are located at 177-181 Avenue Pierre Brossolette – 92120 Montrouge France and our telephone number is +33 1 55 42 78 78. Our agent for service of process in the United States is DBV Technologies Inc. We maintain a corporate website at www.dbv-technologies.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.
Our ordinary shares in the form of ADSs have been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “DBVT” since October 22, 2014. Our ordinary shares have been trading on Euronext Paris under the symbol “DBV” since March 28, 2012.
We own various trademark registrations and applications, and unregistered trademarks and service marks, including “Viaskin™,” “EPIT™” “DBV Technologies®,” “Abyldis™” and our corporate logo. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement are the property of their respective owners. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this prospectus
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or any prospectus supplement are the property of their respective holders. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement may be referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend to use or display other companies’ trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
Implications of Being a Smaller Reporting Company
We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. We may take advantage of certain scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled down disclosures for so long as (i) our voting and non-voting ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million measured as of June 30th of such fiscal year or (ii) our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our voting and non-voting ordinary shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million measured as of June 30th of such fiscal year.
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Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully review the specific risks discussed below as well as the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as updated by any subsequently filed periodic reports and other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, before deciding whether to purchase any of the securities being registered pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Each of the risk factors described in the documents referenced above could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition, as well as adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities, and the occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations.
Future sales of ordinary shares or ADSs by existing shareholders could depress the market price of the ADSs.
As of July 25, 2022, 94,025,192 ordinary shares were issued and outstanding, including treasury shares. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our ordinary shares or ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our securities and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. In addition to the registration of the Resale Shares under this Registration Statement we are registering 59,269,629 ordinary shares (including the 28,276,331 Warrant Shares) under an “Additional Registration Statement” related to a registration rights agreement (the “PIPE Registration Rights Agreement”) we entered into with certain investors named therein (together, the “PIPE Investors”). Upon the effectiveness of this registration statement and the Additional Registration Statement, 70,862,799 ordinary shares will be freely tradable, without restriction, in the public market, subject to certain beneficial ownership limitations contained in the pre-funded warrants. A substantial number of our shares are now generally freely tradable, subject, in the case of sales by our affiliates, to the volume limitations and other provisions of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. If holders of these shares sell, or indicate an intent to sell, substantial amounts of our securities in the public market, the trading price of our securities could decline significantly.
In addition, we have filed a registration statement with the SEC to register the ordinary shares that may be issued under our equity incentive plans. The ordinary shares subject to outstanding options under our equity incentive plans, ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under our equity incentive plans and ordinary shares subject to outstanding warrants will become eligible for sale in the public market in the future, subject to certain legal and contractual limitations. Sales of a large number of the shares issued under these plans in the public market could have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities.
U.S. holders of ADSs may suffer adverse tax consequences if we are characterized as a passive foreign investment company.
Under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, we will be a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for any taxable year in which, after the application of certain “look-through” rules with respect to subsidiaries, either (i) 75% or more of our gross income consists of “passive income,” or (ii) 50% or more of the average quarterly value of our assets, including cash, consists of assets that produce, or are held for the production of, “passive income.” Passive income generally includes interest, dividends, rents, certain non-active royalties and capital gains. Whether we will be a PFIC in any year depends on the composition of our income and the nature and composition of our assets, which we expect may vary substantially over time. Based on the composition of our gross income and the nature and composition of our gross assets, we believe that we likely were not a PFIC for the taxable year ending December 31, 2021. Because the determination of our PFIC status is based on complicated provisions of the Code and applicable administrative authorities, there can be no assurance that our conclusions concerning our PFIC status for the taxable year ending December 31, 2021 are correct and will not be successfully challenged by applicable tax authorities, and we cannot provide any assurance regarding our PFIC status for the current taxable year or any future taxable year.
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If you are a U.S. holder (as defined below under “Material Income Tax Considerations—Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”) during a taxable year when the Company is considered a PFIC, then regardless of whether we continue to be characterized as a PFIC in subsequent taxable years, you may suffer adverse tax consequences, including the treatment of gains realized on the sale of our ADSs as ordinary income, rather than as capital gain, the inapplicability of the preferential rate that otherwise would be applicable to dividends received on our ADSs by individual U.S. Holders, the addition of interest charges to the tax on such gains and certain distributions, and additional reporting requirements.
A U.S. holder in certain circumstances may mitigate the adverse tax consequences of the PFIC rules by filing an election to treat the PFIC as a QEF, or, if shares of the PFIC are “marketable stock” for purposes of the PFIC rules, by making a mark-to-market election with respect to the shares of the PFIC. For any taxable year in which we are a PFIC, we will determine whether we will provide to U.S. holders the information required to make a QEF election; however, there is no assurance that such information will be provided, and prospective investors should assume that a QEF election will not be available.
U.S. holders are strongly urged to consult with, and rely solely upon, their personal tax advisors regarding the implications of the tax provisions applicable to U.S. persons who own, directly or indirectly, interests in a foreign corporation that is or may become a PFIC. See “Material Income Tax Considerations—Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
If a United States person is treated as owning at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ADSs, such United States person may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
If a U.S. holder (as defined below under “Material Income Tax Considerations—Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”) is treated as owning (directly, indirectly or constructively) at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ordinary shares (including through ownership of ADSs), such U.S. holder may be treated as a “United States shareholder” with respect to each “controlled foreign corporation” in our group (if any), which may subject such person to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences. Because our group includes a U.S. subsidiary (DBV Technologies Inc.) and non-U.S. subsidiaries, our current non-U.S. subsidiaries, along with any non-U.S. subsidiaries that we form or acquire in the future, will be treated under current law as controlled foreign corporations. A United States shareholder of a controlled foreign corporation will be required to report annually and include in its U.S. taxable income its pro rata share of “subpart F income,” “global intangible low-taxed income,” and investments in U.S. property by the controlled foreign corporations, regardless of whether we make any distributions. An individual that is a United States shareholder with respect to a controlled foreign corporation generally will not be allowed certain tax deductions or foreign tax credits that are available to a United States shareholder that is a U.S. corporation. We cannot provide any assurance that we will assist investors in determining whether we or any of our non-U.S. subsidiaries are treated as a controlled foreign corporation or furnish to any United States shareholder the information required to comply with the tax reporting and payment obligations discussed above. Failure to comply with such obligations may subject a U.S. holder that is a United States shareholder to significant monetary penalties and may prevent the statute of limitations from starting with respect to such holder’s U.S. federal income tax return for the year for which reporting was due. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of these rules to their investment in our ADSs.
The biotechnology industry has been included in the list of critical technologies subject to foreign investment control procedure in France, which may limit the ability to certain non-French investors to participate in this or any other offering of our securities.
As a result of the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2019/452 of the European Parliament and of the Council of March 19, 2019, which established a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments into the European Union, the list of sectors of activity which are subject to a control by the French authorities has been extended to cover foreign investments in additional economic sectors. Prior authorization of the Minister of Economy is
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required for investments in, for instance: (i) businesses participating, even occasionally, under the exercise of French public authority, (ii) businesses that would be liable to negatively impact public order, public security or the national defense interest, (iii) businesses focused on research, production or trade of arms, ammunition, gunpowder and explosive substances and (iv) businesses involved in research and development activities in relation to critical technologies.
A foreign direct investment will require authorization where (a) any non-French citizen, (b) any French citizen not residing in France, (c) any non-French entity, (d) any French entity controlled by one of the aforementioned persons or entities or (e) any person that belongs to the chain of control of an entity referred to in (c) or (d) above (i) acquires control, under article L.233-3 of the French Commercial Code, of an entity subject to French law or (ii) acquires all or part of a branch of activity of an entity subject to French law.
Further, a foreign direct investment will require authorization where a “non-European” investor, crosses directly or indirectly, and acting alone or in concert, the 25% voting rights threshold of an entity subject to French law. It being specified that a “non-European” investor is any investor other than (i) a natural person who is a citizen of a Member State of the European Union or of a State that is a party to the agreement on the European Economic Area and that entered into an administrative assistance agreement with France as part of its fight against fraud and tax evasion, and who is a resident in one of these States, or (ii) an entity, which members of the chain of control, within the meaning of Article R. 151-1 II of the French Monetary and Financial Code, fall within the scope of the law of one of these States, or are citizens of these States and are residents in these States.
The French government has adapted the foreign investment control procedure in France within the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in two ways: (i) the inclusion, by a Ministerial order (arrêté) of April 27, 2020, of biotechnologies in the list of critical technologies and (ii) the addition, by a Decree (décret) of July 22, 2020, as last amended by Decree n° 2021-1758 of December 22, 2021, of the crossing, directly or indirectly, acting alone or in concert, by a “non-European” investor, of the threshold of 10% of voting rights of a company subject to French law whose securities are listed on a stock exchange as triggering the control procedure.
The Decree of July 22, 2020, as last amended by the Decree of December 22, 2021, currently provides that this new 10% threshold will be effective until December 31, 2022, and there is a fast-track review procedure for foreign investments exceeding this threshold.
If an investment in the company subject to prior authorization occurs without this authorization having been granted, the Minister will be able to order the investor, subject to a fine for non-performance, to: (i) file an authorization application, (ii) unwind the unauthorized investment, or (iii) amend the investment. Additionally, if he considers that the conditions for the authorization have not been met, the Minister may also revoke the authorization or order the investor, subject to a fine for non-performance, to comply with the authorization. In both cases, the Minister may also take provisional measures.
Furthermore, an investor who has carried out a transaction without prior authorization or has not complied with the orders or measures set by the French Minister of Economy will be liable to an administrative fine of up to the greater of the following amounts: (i) twice the amount of the unauthorized investment, (ii) 10% of the turnover (excluding taxes) of the company, (iii) five million euros for legal entities, and (iv) one million euros for individuals.
In addition, any violation of this requirement may be criminally sanctioned by five years of imprisonment and a criminal fine of up to twice the amount of the relevant investment. This amount may be increased fivefold if the violation is made by a legal entity.
Inclusion of biotechnologies in the list of critical technologies subject to foreign investment control procedure may discourage foreign investment in our securities and could therefore limit our access to foreign sources of funding. If investors interested in participating in this offering have not or are unable to obtain such authorization, their investment may be unwound, they be subject to additional fees or penalties, or both.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain forward-looking statements. These are based on our management’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions about future events, conditions and results and on information currently available to us. Discussions containing these forward-looking statements may be found, among other places, in the sections entitled “Business,” “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained in the documents incorporated by reference herein.
Any statements in this prospectus, or incorporated herein, about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and are forward-looking statements. Within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, these forward-looking statements include statements regarding:
| • | the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including the emergence of new variant strains of COVID-19, and its effects on our operations, research and development, clinical trials and ability to obtain financing and potential disruption in the operations and business of third-party manufacturers, contract research organizations, other service providers and collaborators with whom we conduct business; |
| • | the timing of and our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for our product candidates; |
| • | our ability to continue as a going concern; |
| • | our expectations regarding the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, including with respect to our anticipated re-submission of a Biologics License Application for Viaskin Peanut to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; |
| • | the initiation, timing, progress and results of our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, and our research and development programs; |
| • | the sufficiency of our existing capital resources; |
| • | our business model and our other strategic plans for our business, product candidates and technology; |
| • | our ability to manufacture clinical and commercial supplies of our product candidates and comply with regulatory requirements related to the manufacturing of our product candidates; |
| • | our ability to build our own sales and marketing capabilities, or seek collaborative partners, to commercialize Viaskin Peanut and/or our other product candidates, if approved; |
| • | the commercialization of our product candidates, if approved; |
| • | our expectations regarding the potential market size and the size of the patient populations for Viaskin Peanut and/or our other product candidates, if approved, and our ability to serve such markets; |
| • | the pricing and reimbursement of our product candidates, if approved; |
| • | the rate and degree of market acceptance of Viaskin Peanut and/or our other product candidates, if approved, by physicians, patients, third-party payors and others in the medical community; |
| • | our ability to advance product candidates into, and successfully complete, clinical trials; |
| • | the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates and technology; |
| • | estimates of our expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing; |
| • | the potential benefits of strategic collaboration agreements and our ability to enter into strategic arrangements; |
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| • | our ability to maintain and establish collaborations or obtain additional grant funding; |
| • | our financial performance; |
| • | developments relating to our competitors and our industry, including competing therapies; and |
| • | other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein. |
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “might,” “can,” “will,” “to be,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “objective,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “likely,” “continue” and “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
You should refer to the “Risk Factors” section contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, for a discussion of important factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this prospectus will prove to be accurate, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all.
Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or developments occurring after the date of this prospectus, even if new information becomes available in the future.
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DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL AND BYLAWS
The following description of our share capital summarizes certain provisions of our by-laws and relevant provisions of French law. Such summaries do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, our by-laws, a copy of which has been filed with the SEC, and to the applicable provisions of French law. We encourage you to read our by-laws and the applicable provisions of French law for additional information.
Holders of ADSs will be able to exercise their rights with respect to the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs only in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. See the description under the caption “American Depositary Shares.”
General
As of June 30, 2022, our outstanding share capital, including treasury shares, consisted of a total of 94,022,679 issued ordinary shares, fully paid and with a nominal value €0.10 per share. We have no preferred shares outstanding.
Under French law, our by-laws set forth only our issued and outstanding share capital as of the date of the by-laws. Our fully diluted share capital represents all issued and outstanding shares, as well as all potential shares which may be issued upon exercise of outstanding employee warrants, employee share options and non-employee warrants, as approved by our shareholders and granted by our board of directors.
Reconciliation of the Number of Ordinary Shares Outstanding (Including Treasury Shares) through June 30, 2022
Shares outstanding (including treasury shares) at March 31, 2022 | 55,096,537 | |||
Number of ordinary shares primarily issued in connection with the At-The-Market Offering and PIPE transaction | 38,926,142 | |||
Shares outstanding (including treasury shares) at June 30, 2022 | 94,022,679 |
Shareholder Authorizations Regarding Share Capital
At our 2022 combined shareholders’ meeting held on May 12, 2022, our board of directors received the following authorizations from shareholders:
| • | authorization to buy back up to 5% of our shares at a maximum price of €50.00 per share for a duration of 18 months (of which no shares have been bought back as of August 1, 2022); |
| • | authorization to cancel the shares bought back by the Company up to 5% of our shares (such authorization being capped to a maximum of 5% of our share capital at the date of the relevant cancellation decision) and to decrease our share capital accordingly for a duration of 18 months (of which no shares have been canceled as of August 1, 2022); |
| • | delegation of authority to increase our share capital by incorporation of reserves, profits or premium either by the issuance of new shares attributed to each existing shareholder or by the increase of the nominal value per share, or by combining these two methods, for a duration of 26 months within a maximum aggregate potential dilution of 47,012,596 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at August 1, 2022 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution of 50% of our share capital at the date of the relevant share capital increase) (of which no shares have been issued as of August 1, 2022); and |
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| • | delegation of authority to increase our share capital by issuing ordinary shares, giving, as necessary, access to ordinary shares or to the allocation of debt securities (of the Company or of any group company) and/or securities giving access to ordinary shares (of the Company or of any group company) with pre-emptive rights, for a duration of 18 months within a maximum potential dilution of 94,025,192 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at August 1, 2022 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution of 100% of our share capital at the date of the relevant share capital increase) (of which 32,855,669 shares have been issued as of August 1, 2022); |
| • | authorization to grant a customary over-allotment option for a share capital issuance, limited to a maximum of 15% of the initial issuance (no shares have been issued as of August 1, 2022); |
| • | delegation of powers to be granted to the Board of Directors to increase the capital by means of the issue of Ordinary Shares and/or securities giving access to capital, up to the limit of 10% of the capital, in consideration for contributions in kind of equity securities or securities giving access to the capital, duration of the delegation (no shares have been issued as of August 1, 2022); |
| • | delegation of power to be granted to the Board of Directors to issue Ordinary Shares to be issued immediately or in the future by the Company, with pre-emptive subscription rights waived in favor of a category of persons meeting specified characteristics within the framework of an equity financing agreement on the United States stock market known as “At-The-Market Offering” or “ATM Program” (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution of 100% of our share capital at the date of the relevant share capital increase) (no shares have been issued as of August 1, 2022); |
| • | delegation of powers to the Board of Directors to issue stock warrants (BSA), subscription and/or acquisition of new and/or existing stock warrants (BSAANE) and/or subscription and/or acquisition of new and/or existing redeemable stock warrants (BSAAR) without preferential subscription rights, to the benefit of a category of persons, for a duration of 18 months, within a maximum potential dilution of 305,663 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at the date of the shareholders’ meeting (such authorization being capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to 0.5% of our share capital at the date of the shareholders’ meeting) (no warrants have been granted and subscribed as of August 1, 2022), for which delegation our shareholders waived automatically their preferential subscription rights with respect to all such grants; |
| • | delegation of authority to increase our share capital by issuing ordinary shares and/or securities giving access to our share capital without preferential subscription rights, to the benefit of employees investing in our company saving plan (plan d’épargne entreprise), for a duration of 26 months, within a maximum aggregate potential dilution of 1,222,655 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at the date of the shareholders’meeting (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to 2% of our share capital at the date of the General Meeting) (of which no shares have been issued as of August 1, 2022), for which such delegation our shareholders automatically waived their preferential subscription rights with respect to all such issuances; |
| • | authorization to grant free shares (attribution gratuite d’actions) to our employees and/or certain officers, for a duration of 18 months, within a maximum potential dilution of 1,880,503 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at August 1, 2022 (such authorization being capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to 2% of our share capital at the date of the relevant granting) (69,900 free shares have been granted and no shares have been issued as of August 1, 2022) for which delegation our shareholders waived automatically their preferential subscription rights with respect to all such grants; |
| • | authorization to grant share options (options de souscription et/ou d’achat d’actions) to our employees and/or certain officers for a maximum duration of 18 months, within a maximum potential dilution of 7,051,889 shares based on the ordinary shares outstanding at August 1, 2022 (such delegation of authority being capped to a maximum potential dilution equal to 7.5% of our share capital at the date of |
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the relevant granting) (of which 154,500 options have been granted and no shares have been issued as of August 1, 2022), for which delegation our shareholders waived automatically their preferential subscription rights with respect to all such grants. |
Key Provisions of Our By-laws and French Law Affecting Our Ordinary Shares
The description below reflects the terms of our by-laws, and summarizes the material rights of holders of our ordinary shares under French law. Please note that this is only a summary and is not intended to be exhaustive. For further information, please refer to the full version of our by-laws.
Corporate Purpose (Article 4 of the By-laws)
Our corporate purpose in France and abroad includes:
| • | the development of any innovative medical product, and in particular any drug, diagnostic, or care product; |
| • | the study, research, development, industrial manufacture, and marketing of such products; and |
| • | the use and the development of all patents or any licenses relating to these products, and generally, all commercial transactions, moveable or immoveable, financial or otherwise, directly or indirectly related, in whole or in part, to the company’s objective or any other similar or related objective, which may facilitate operation and business development. |
Directors
Directors’ Designation. Directors are designated at a shareholders’ ordinary general meeting, by a simple majority vote of the shareholders present and voting at the meeting in person or by proxy, for a period of three years that expires at the end of the shareholders’ general meeting convened to approve the financial statements for the past fiscal year and held in the year during which the respective director’s term expires. By way of exception and in order to allow exclusively for the implementation or maintenance of the staggered terms of office of the directors, the ordinary general meeting of shareholders may appoint one or more directors for a term of two or one year(s).
Vacancies on the Board of Directors. Under French law, vacancies on the board of directors resulting from death or a resignation, provided that at least three directors remain in office, may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors pending ratification by the shareholders by the next shareholders’ meeting.
Quorum and Voting (Article 11 of the By-laws). The board of directors can only deliberate if at least half of the directors attend the meeting in the manners provided for in our by-laws. French law and the rules of procedure of the board allow deliberations of the board of directors to be made through meetings in person or, to the extent permitted by applicable law, through written consultations or by videoconference or other telecommunications arrangements. Decisions of the board of directors are taken by the majority of the voting rights held by the directors present or represented. In the event of a tie vote, the chairman of the board of directors shall have a casting vote.
Directors’ Voting Powers on Proposal, Arrangement or Contract in which any Director Is Materially Interested. Under French law, any agreement entered into (directly or through an intermediary) between us and any director that is not entered into (1) in the ordinary course of our business and (2) upon standard market terms is subject to the prior authorization of the board of directors (it being specified that the interested director cannot vote on such decision). The same provision applies to agreements between us and another company if one of our directors is the owner or a general partner, manager, director, general manager or member of the executive or supervisory board of the other company, as well as to agreements in which one of our directors has an indirect interest.
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Directors’ Compensation. The aggregate amount of the compensation (rémunération de l’activité) of the board of directors is determined at the shareholders’ annual ordinary general meeting, on the basis of a submission of the board of directors of proposed compensation for the board of directors, following the recommendation of the compensation committee (comité des rémunérations) which is comprised of three directors, of which at least two are independent, to the board. The board of directors then divides this aggregate amount among some or all of its members by a simple majority vote, on the basis of a proposal of the compensation committee.
In addition, the board of directors may grant exceptional compensation (rémunérations exceptionnelles) to individual directors on a case-by-case basis for special and temporary assignments. The board of directors may also authorize the reimbursement of reasonable travel and accommodation expenses, as well as other expenses incurred by directors in the corporate interest.
Board of Directors’ Borrowing Powers. There are currently no limits imposed on the amounts of loans or borrowings that the board of directors may approve.
Directors’ Age Limits (Article 10 of the By-laws). The number of directors who are more than 80 years old may not exceed one-third of the directors in office.
Directors’ Share Ownership Requirements. None.
Rights, Preferences and Restrictions Attaching to Ordinary Shares
Dividends (Article 37 of the By-laws). We may only distribute dividends out of our “distributable profits,” plus any amounts held in our reserves that the shareholders decide to make available for distribution, other than those reserves that are specifically required by law.
“Distributable Profits” consist of our unconsolidated net profit in each fiscal year, as increased or reduced by any profit or loss carried forward from prior years, less any contributions to the reserve accounts pursuant to French law (see below).
Legal Reserve. Pursuant to French law, we must allocate at least 5% of our unconsolidated net profit for each year to our legal reserve fund before dividends may be paid with respect to that year. Funds must be allocated until the amount in the legal reserve is equal to 10% of the aggregate par value of our issued and outstanding share capital. This restriction on the payment of dividends also applies to our French subsidiary on an unconsolidated basis.
Approval of Dividends. Pursuant to French law, our board of directors may propose a dividend for approval by the shareholders at the annual ordinary general meeting.
Upon recommendation of our board of directors, our shareholders may decide to allocate all or part of any distributable profits to special or general reserves, to carry them forward to the next fiscal year as retained earnings or to allocate them to the shareholders as dividends. However, dividends may not be distributed when our net assets are or would become as a result of such distribution lower than the amount of the share capital plus the amount of the legal reserves which, under French law, may not be distributed to shareholders (the amount of our share capital which may not be distributed is nil on March 31, 2022).
Our board of directors may distribute interim dividends after the end of the fiscal year but before the approval of the financial statements for the relevant fiscal year when the interim balance sheet, established during such year and certified by an auditor, reflects that we have earned distributable profits since the close of the last financial year, after recognizing the necessary depreciation and provisions and after deducting prior losses, if any, and the sums to be allocated to reserves, as required by law or the by-laws, and including any retained earnings. The amount of such interim dividends may not exceed the amount of the profit so defined.
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Distribution of Dividends. Dividends are distributed to shareholders pro rata according to their respective holdings of shares. In the case of interim dividends, distributions are made to shareholders on the date set by our board of directors during the meeting in which the distribution of interim dividends is approved. The actual dividend payment date is decided by the shareholders at an ordinary general shareholders’ meeting or by our board of directors in the absence of such a decision by the shareholders. Shareholders that own shares on the actual payment date are entitled to the dividend.
Dividends may be paid in cash or, if the shareholders’ meeting so decides, in kind, provided that all shareholders receive a whole number of assets of the same nature paid in lieu of cash.
Timing of Payment. Pursuant to French law, dividends must be paid within a maximum of nine months after the close of the relevant fiscal year, unless extended by court order. Dividends not claimed within five years after the payment date shall be deemed to expire and revert to the French state.
Voting Rights (Article 33 of the By-laws). Each share shall entitle its holder to vote and be represented in the shareholders’ meetings in accordance with the provisions of French law and of our by-laws. Ownership of one share implies, ipso jure, adherence to our by-laws and the decisions of the shareholders’ meeting.
In general, each shareholder is entitled to one vote per share at any general shareholders’ meeting. Pursuant to Law no. 2014-384 of March 29, 2014, as of April 2016, double voting rights are automatically granted to shares registered under a shareholder’s name for more than two years, unless the by-laws are modified in order to provide otherwise. Our by-laws (Article 23 of the by-laws) were amended by the general meeting dated June 23, 2015 in order to expressly prohibit the use of double voting rights following the modification of the provisions of Article L. 225-123 of the French Commercial Code by Law no. 2014-384 of March 29, 2014. As a consequence, each shareholder is entitled to one vote per share at any general shareholders’ meeting.
Under French law, treasury shares or shares held by entities controlled by us are not entitled to voting rights and do not count for quorum purposes.
Rights to Share in Our Profit. Each ordinary share entitles its holder to a portion of the corporate profits and assets proportional to the amount of share capital represented thereby.
Rights to Share in the Surplus in the Event of Liquidation (Article 38 of the By-laws). If we are liquidated, any assets remaining after payment of the debts, liquidation expenses and all of the remaining obligations will first be used to repay in full the par value of our shares. Any surplus will be distributed pro rata among shareholders in proportion to the number of shares respectively held by them, taking into account, where applicable, of the rights attached to shares of different classes.
Repurchase and Redemption of Shares. Under French law, we may acquire our own shares for the following purposes only:
| • | to decrease our share capital, provided that such a decision is not driven by losses and that a purchase offer is made to all shareholders on a pro rata basis, with the approval of the shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting; in this case, the shares repurchased must be cancelled within one month from the expiry of the purchase offer; |
| • | to provide shares for distribution to employees or managers under a profit-sharing, free share or share option plan; in this case the shares repurchased must be distributed within 12 months from their repurchase failing which they must be cancelled; or |
| • | under a buy-back program to be authorized by the shareholders in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 22-10-62 of the French Commercial Code and in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 16, 2014 on market abuse, or MAR, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of March 8, 2016, and the general regulations of, and market practices accepted by the Autorité des marchés financiers, or the AMF. |
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No such repurchase of shares may result in us holding, directly or through a person acting on our behalf, more than 10% of our issued share capital. Shares repurchased by us continue to be deemed “issued” under French law but are not entitled to dividends or voting rights so long as we hold them directly or indirectly, and we may not exercise the preemptive rights attached to them.
Sinking Fund Provisions. Our by-laws do not provide for any sinking fund provisions.
Liability to Further Capital Calls. Shareholders are liable for corporate liabilities only up to the par value of the shares they hold; they are not liable to further capital calls.
Requirements for Holdings Exceeding Certain Percentages. None except as described under the section of this prospectus titled “—Form, Holding and Transfer of Shares—Ownership of Shares by Non-French Persons.”
Actions Necessary to Modify Shareholders’ Rights
Shareholders’ rights may be modified as allowed by French law. Only the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting is authorized to amend any and all provisions of our by-laws. It may not, however, increase shareholder commitments without the prior approval of each shareholder.
Special Voting Rights of Warrant Holders
Under French law, the holders of warrants of the same class (i.e., warrants that were issued at the same time and with the same rights), including founders’ warrants, are entitled to vote as a separate class at a general meeting of that class of warrant holders under certain circumstances, principally in connection with any proposed modification of the terms and conditions of the class of warrants or any proposed issuance of preferred shares or any modification of the rights of any outstanding class or series of preferred shares.
Rules for Admission to and Calling Annual Shareholders’ Meetings and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meetings
Access to, Participation in and Voting Rights at Shareholders’ Meetings (Articles 20 & 21 of the by-laws). Shareholders’ meetings are composed of all shareholders. Each shareholder has the right to attend the meetings and participate in the discussions (1) personally, or (2) by granting proxy to any individual or legal entity of his choosing; or (3) by sending a proxy to the company without indication of the mandate, or (4) by voting by correspondence, or (5) by videoconference or another means of telecommunication in accordance with applicable laws that allow identification. The board of directors organizes, in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, the participation and vote of these shareholders at the meeting, assuring, in particular, the effectiveness of the means of identification.
Participation in shareholders’ general meetings, in any form whatsoever, is subject to registration or registration of shares under the conditions and time limits provided for applicable laws.
The final date for returning voting ballots by correspondence is set by the board of directors and disclosed in the notice of meeting published in the French Journal of Mandatory Statutory Notices (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO)). This date cannot be earlier than three days prior to the meeting.
The shareholder having voted by correspondence will no longer be able to participate directly in the meeting or to be represented. In the case of returning the proxy form and the voting by correspondence form, the proxy form is taken into account, subject to the votes cast in the voting by correspondence form.
Any shareholder may be represented at meetings by any individual or legal entity of his choosing, by means of a proxy form which is addressed to him by us (1) at his request, addressed to us by any means. This request must be received at the registered office at least five days before the date of the meeting; or (2) at our initiative.
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The proxy is only valid for a single meeting or for successive meetings convened with the same agenda. It can also be granted for two meetings, one ordinary, the other extraordinary, held on the same day or within a period of fifteen days.
Any shareholder may vote by correspondence by means of a voting form, which is sent by us (1) upon request, addressed in writing (this request must be received at the registered office at least six days before the date of the meeting); or (2) at our initiative; or (3) in appendix to a proxy voting form under the conditions provided for by current laws and requirements. In any case this voting form is available on our website at least 21 days before the date of the meeting.
The voting by correspondence form addressed by a shareholder is only valid for a single meeting or for successive meetings convened with the same agenda.
To better understand the voting rights of the ADSs, you should carefully read the section in this prospectus titled “Description of American Depositary Shares—Voting Rights.”
Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meetings. Shareholders’ meetings are convened by our board of directors, or, failing that, by the statutory auditors, or by a court appointed agent or liquidator in certain circumstances. Meetings are held at our registered offices or at any other location indicated in the convening notice. A convening notice is published in the French Journal of Mandatory Statutory Notices (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO)) at least 35 days prior to a meeting, as well as on our website at least 21 days prior to the meeting. In addition to the particulars relative to the company, it indicates, notably, the meeting’s agenda and the draft resolutions that will be presented. The requests for recording of issues or draft resolutions on the agenda must be addressed to the company under the conditions provided for in the current legislation.
Subject to special legal provisions, the meeting notice is sent out at least fifteen days prior to the date of the meeting, by means of a notice inserted both in a legal announcement bulletin of the registered office department and in the French Journal of Mandatory Statutory Notices (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO)). Further, the holders of registered shares for at least a month at the time of the latest of the insertions of the notice of meeting shall be summoned individually, by regular letter (or by registered letter if they request it and include an advance of expenses) sent to their last known address. This notice may also be transmitted by electronic means of telecommunication, in lieu of any such mailing, to any shareholder requesting it beforehand by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, specifying his e-mail address. The latter may at any time expressly request by registered letter to the company with acknowledgment of receipt that the aforementioned means of telecommunication should be replaced in the future by a mailing.
The convening notice must also indicate the conditions under which the shareholders may vote by correspondence and the places and conditions in which they can obtain voting forms by mail.
The convening notice may be addressed, where appropriate, with a proxy form and a voting by correspondence form, under the conditions specified in our by-laws, or with a voting by correspondence form alone, under the conditions specified in our by-laws. When the shareholders’ meeting cannot deliberate due to the lack of the required quorum, the second meeting must be called at least ten days in advance in the same manner as used for the first notice.
We also file proxy statements and related materials in accordance with applicable SEC requirements.
Agenda and Conduct of Annual Shareholders’ Meetings. The agenda of the shareholders’ meeting shall appear in the notice to convene the meeting and is set by the author of the notice. The shareholders’ meeting may only deliberate on the items on the agenda except for the removal of directors and the appointment of their successors which may be put to vote by any shareholder during any shareholders’ meeting. One or more shareholders
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representing a percentage of share capital required by French law (currently at 2.70% on the basis of a share capital of EUR 5,509,653.70 as at March 31, 2022), and acting in accordance with legal requirements and within applicable time limits, may request the inclusion of items or proposed resolutions on the agenda.
Shareholders’ meetings shall be chaired by the Chairman of the board of directors or, in his or her absence, the meeting itself shall elect a Chairman. Vote counting shall be performed by the two members of the meeting who are present and accept such duties, who represent, either on their own behalf or as proxies, the greatest number of votes.
Ordinary Shareholders’ Meeting. Ordinary shareholders’ meetings are those meetings called to make any and all decisions that do not amend our by-laws. An ordinary meeting shall be convened at least once a year within six months of the end of each fiscal year in order to approve the annual and consolidated accounts for the relevant fiscal year or, in case of postponement, within the period established by court order. Upon first notice, the meeting may validly deliberate only if the shareholders present or represented by proxy or voting by mail represent at least one-fifth of the shares entitled to vote. Upon second notice, no quorum is required. Decisions are made by a majority of the votes cast by the shareholders present or represented (by proxy or by mail). The votes cast do not include those attached to shares for which the shareholder did not participate in the vote, abstained, voted blank or for which the vote is otherwise void. In addition, pursuant to an AMF recommendation dated June 15, 2015, French listed companies may be required to conduct a consultation of the ordinary shareholders meeting prior to the disposal of the majority of their assets, under certain circumstances.
Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting. Only an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting is authorized to amend our by-laws. It may not, however, increase shareholder commitments without the approval of each shareholder. Subject to the legal provisions governing share capital increases from reserves, profits or share premiums, the resolutions of the extraordinary meeting shall be valid only if the shareholders present, represented by proxy or voting by mail represent at least one quarter of all shares entitled to vote upon first notice, and, upon second notice, if the shareholders present, represented by proxy or voting by mail represent at least one-fifth of all shares entitled to vote. If the latter quorum is not reached, the second meeting may be postponed to a date no later than two months after the date for which it was initially called.
Decisions are made by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the shareholders present or represented (by proxy or by mail). The votes cast do not include those attached to shares for which the shareholder did not participate in the vote, abstained, voted blank or for which the vote is otherwise void.
Temporary measures for Board of Directors meetings due to COVID-19 crisis
Temporary measures for shareholders meetings and Board of Directors meetings due to COVID-19 crisis as provided by French ordinance No.2020-321 (as amended) are no longer effective. However, on January 22, 2022, the French government adopted the law no. 2022-46 providing, until July 31, 2022, the possibility for the Board of Directors to hold meetings through conference call or videoconference or to adopt decisions through written resolutions of the Board of Directors.
Provisions Having the Effect of Delaying, Deferring or Preventing a Change in Control of the Company
Provisions contained in our by-laws and the corporate laws of France, the country in which we are incorporated, could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire us, even if doing so might be beneficial to our shareholders. These provisions include the following:
| • | under French law, the owner of 90% of the share capital or voting rights of a public company listed on a regulated market in a Member State of the European Union or in a state party to the EEA Agreement, including from the main French Stock Exchange, has the right to force out minority shareholders following a tender offer made to all shareholders; |
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| • | a merger (i.e., in a French law context, a stock for stock exchange following which our company would be dissolved into the acquiring entity and our shareholders would become shareholders of the acquiring entity) of our company into a company incorporated in the European Union would require the approval of our board of directors as well as a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the shareholders present, represented by proxy or voting by mail at the relevant meeting (unless the merger will result in an increase of the shareholders’ commitments, in which case the approval of each shareholder is required); |
| • | a merger of our company into a company incorporated outside of the European Union would require 100% of our shareholders to approve it; |
| • | under French law, a cash merger is treated as a share purchase and would require the consent of each participating shareholder; |
| • | our shareholders have granted and may grant in the future our board of directors broad authorizations to increase our share capital or to issue additional ordinary shares or other securities (for example, warrants) to our shareholders, the public or qualified investors, including as a possible defense following the launching of a tender offer for our shares; |
| • | our shareholders have preferential subscription rights on a pro rata basis on the issuance by us of any additional securities for cash or a set-off of cash debts, which rights may only be waived by the extraordinary general meeting (by a two-thirds majority vote) of our shareholders or on an individual basis by each shareholder; |
| • | our board of directors has the right to appoint new directors to fill a vacancy created by the resignation or death of a director, subject to the approval by the shareholders of such appointment at the next shareholders’ meeting, which prevents shareholders from having the sole right to fill vacancies on our board of directors; |
| • | our board of directors can only be convened by its chairman or, when no board meeting has been held for more than two consecutive months, by directors representing at least one fourth of the total number of directors; |
| • | our board of directors meetings can only be regularly held if at least half of the directors attend either physically or by way of videoconference or teleconference enabling the directors’ identification and ensuring their effective participation in the board’s decisions; |
| • | the shares are nominative or bearer, if the legislation so permits, according to the shareholder’s choice. Shares issued are registered in individual accounts opened by the company or any authorized intermediary, in the name of each shareholder and kept according to the terms and conditions laid down by the legal and regulatory provisions; |
| • | under French law, a non-resident of France may have to file an administrative notice with French authorities in connection with a direct or indirect investment in us, as defined by administrative rulings; see the section of this prospectus titled “Limitations Affecting Shareholders of a French Company”; |
| • | under French law, certain investments in a French company relating to certain strategic industries by individuals or entities are subject to prior authorization of the French Minister of the Economy pursuant to Law 2019-486; |
| • | approval of at least a majority of the votes cast by shareholders present, represented by a proxy, or voting by mail at the relevant ordinary shareholders’ general meeting is required to remove directors with or without cause; |
| • | advance notice is required for nominations to the board of directors or for proposing matters to be acted upon at a shareholders’ meeting, except that a vote to remove and replace a director can be proposed at any shareholders’ meeting without notice; |
| • | the by-laws can be amended in accordance with applicable laws; |
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| • | the crossing of certain thresholds has to be disclosed and can impose certain obligations; see the section of this prospectus below titled “Declaration of Crossing of Ownership Thresholds”; |
| • | transfers of shares shall comply with applicable insider trading rules and in particular with MAR; and |
| • | pursuant to French law, our by-laws, including the sections relating to the number of directors and election and removal of a director from office may only be modified by a resolution adopted by at least a two-thirds majority vote of our shareholders present, represented by a proxy or voting by mail at the meeting. |
Declaration of Crossing of Ownership Thresholds
Set forth below is a summary of certain provisions of our by-laws and of the French Commercial Code applicable to us. This summary is not intended to be a complete description of applicable rules under French law.
Any individual or legal entity referred to in Articles L.233-7, L.233-9 and L.223-10 of the French Commercial Code coming to directly or indirectly own, alone or in concert, a number of shares representing a fraction of the company’s capital or voting rights greater or equal to 2.5% or a multiple of this percentage must inform the company of the total number of shares and voting rights and of securities giving access to the capital or voting rights that it owns immediately or over time, by registered letter with request for acknowledgment of receipt addressed to the registered office within a period of four trading days from the crossing of the said holding thresholds.
This obligation also applies under the same conditions when crossing each of the above-mentioned thresholds in a downward direction.
In case of failure to declare, shares or voting rights exceeding the fraction that should have been declared are deprived of voting rights at general meetings of shareholders for any meeting that would be held until the expiry of a period of two years from the date of regularization of the notification in accordance with Article L. 233-14 of the Commercial Code, if the failure to declare has been determined and one or several shareholders holding at least 2.5% of the capital make the request recorded in the minutes of the general meeting.
Any individual or legal entity referred to in Articles L. 233-7, L. 233-9 and L. 223-10 of the French Commercial Code coming to directly or indirectly own, or cease to own, alone or in concert, a number of shares representing a fraction of the Company’s capital or voting rights greater or equal to 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 33.33%, 50%, 66.66%, 90% and 95% shall inform the Company, as well as the AMF, of the total number of shares and voting rights and of securities giving access to the capital or voting rights that it owns immediately or over time within a period of four trading days from the crossing of said holding thresholds. This obligation applies when crossing each of the above-mentioned thresholds in a downward direction.
In case of failure to declare shares or voting rights exceeding the fraction that should have been declared, such shares shall be deprived of voting rights at general meetings of shareholders for any meeting that would be held until the expiry of a period of two years from the date of regularization of the notification in accordance with Article L. 233-14 of the French Commercial Code. Additional sanctions may apply in particular pursuant to Article L.621-15 of the French Monetary and Financial Code.
Further, any shareholder crossing, alone or acting in concert, the 10%, 15%, 20% or 25% threshold shall file a declaration with the AMF pursuant to which it shall expose its intention over the following 6 months, including notably whether it intends to continue acquiring shares of the company, it intends to acquire control over the company, its intended strategy for the company.
Further, and subject to certain exemptions, any shareholder crossing, alone or acting in concert, the 30% threshold shall file a mandatory public tender offer. Also, any shareholder holding directly or indirectly a number
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between 30% and 50% of the capital or voting rights and who, in less than twelve consecutive months, increases his/her/its holding of capital or voting rights by at least 1% company’s capital or voting rights, shall file a mandatory public tender offer.
Changes in Share Capital
Increases in Share Capital. Pursuant to French law, our share capital may be increased only with shareholders’ approval at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting following the recommendation of our board of directors. The shareholders may delegate to our board of directors either the authority (délégation de compétence) or the power (délégation de pouvoir) to carry out any increase in share capital.
Increases in our share capital may be effected by:
| • | issuing additional shares; |
| • | increasing the par value of existing shares; |
| • | creating a new class of equity securities; and |
| • | exercising the rights attached to securities giving access to the share capital. |
Increases in share capital by issuing additional securities may be effected through one or a combination of the following:
| • | in consideration for cash; |
| • | in consideration for assets contributed in kind; |
| • | through an exchange offer; |
| • | by conversion of previously issued debt instruments; |
| • | by capitalization of profits, reserves or share premium; and |
| • | subject to certain conditions, by way of offset against debt incurred by us. |
Decisions to increase the share capital through the capitalization of reserves, profits and/or share premium require shareholders’ approval at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting, acting under the quorum and majority requirements applicable to ordinary shareholders’ meetings. Increases effected by an increase in the par value of shares require unanimous approval of the shareholders, unless effected by capitalization of reserves, profits or share premium. All other capital increases require shareholders’ approval at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting acting under the regular quorum and majority requirements for such meetings.
Reduction in Share Capital. Pursuant to French law, any reduction in our share capital requires shareholders’ approval at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting following the recommendation of our board of directors. The share capital may be reduced either by decreasing the par value of the outstanding shares or by reducing the number of outstanding shares. The number of outstanding shares may be reduced by the repurchase and cancellation of shares. Holders of each class of shares must be treated equally unless each affected shareholder agrees otherwise.
Preferential Subscription Right. According to French law, if we issue additional securities for cash, current shareholders will have preferential subscription rights to these securities on a pro rata basis. Preferential subscription rights entitle the individual or entity that holds them to subscribe pro rata based on the number of shares held by them to the issuance of any securities increasing, or that may result in an increase of, our share capital by means of a cash payment or a set-off of cash debts. The preferential subscription rights are transferable during the subscription period relating to a particular offering.
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The preferential subscription rights with respect to any particular offering may be waived at an extraordinary general meeting by a two-thirds vote of our shareholders or individually by each shareholder. Our board of directors and our independent auditors are required by French law to present reports to the shareholders’ meeting that specifically address any proposal to waive the preferential subscription rights.
In the future, to the extent permitted under French law, we may seek shareholder approval to waive preferential subscription rights at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting in order to authorize the board of directors to issue additional shares and/or other securities convertible or exchangeable into shares.
Form, Holding and Transfer of Shares
Form of Shares. The shares are nominative or bearer, if the legislation so permits, according to the shareholder’s choice.
Further, in accordance with applicable laws, we may request at any time from the central depository responsible for holding our shares, the information referred to in Article L. 228-2 of the French Commercial Code. Thus, we are, in particular and at any time, entitled to request the name and year of birth or, in the case of a legal entity, the name and the year of incorporation, nationality and address of holders of securities conferring immediate or long-term voting rights at its general meetings of shareholders and the amount of securities owned by each of them and, where applicable, the restrictions that the securities could be affected by.
Holding of Shares. In accordance with French law concerning the “dematerialization” of securities, the ownership rights of shareholders are represented by book entries instead of share certificates. Shares issued are registered in individual accounts opened by us or any authorized intermediary, in the name of each shareholder and kept according to the terms and conditions laid down by the legal and regulatory provisions.
Ownership of Shares by Non-French Persons. Neither French law nor our by-laws limit the right of non-residents of France or non-French persons to own or, where applicable, to vote our securities.
Neither French law nor our bylaws limit the right of non-residents of France or non-French persons to own or, where applicable, to vote our securities. However, under French law, certain investments in any entity governed by a French law relating to certain strategic industries (such as research and development in biotechnologies and activities relating to public health) and activities by individuals or entities not French, not resident in France or controlled by entities not French or not resident in France are subject to prior authorization of the Ministry of Economy (See “Limitations Affecting Shareholders of a French Company.”) Moreover, (a) any non-French citizen, (b) any French citizen not residing in France, (c) any non-French entity or (d) any French entity controlled by one of the aforementioned persons or entities must file a declaration for statistical purposes with the Bank of France (Banque de France) within twenty working days following the date of certain direct foreign investments in us, including any purchase of our ADSs. In particular, such filings are required in connection with investments exceeding €15,000,000 that lead to the acquisition of at least 10% of our share capital or voting rights or cross such 10% threshold. Violation of this filing requirement may be sanctioned by five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to twice the amount of the relevant investment. This amount may be increased fivefold if the violation is made by a legal entity.
Assignment and Transfer of Shares. Shares are freely negotiable, subject to applicable legal and regulatory provisions. French law notably provides for standstill obligations and prohibition of insider trading.
Registration Rights
We entered into a registration rights agreement, dated as of March 23, 2018, between the Company and entities affiliated with the selling shareholder (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the selling shareholder is entitled to rights with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of ordinary shares and
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ADSs, including ordinary shares or ADSs issuable upon the exercise or conversion of any other securities (whether equity, debt or otherwise) owned or subsequently acquired by the selling shareholder. These rights include demand registration rights and piggyback registration rights. All fees, costs and expenses of underwritten registrations will be borne by us and all selling expenses, including underwriting commissions, will be borne by the selling shareholder. Under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, we are required, upon the request of the selling shareholder, to file a registration statement covering, and use our reasonable best efforts to effect, the registration of the ordinary shares, including in the form of ADSs, requested to be registered for public resale. Subject to certain exceptions, we and any underwriters may limit the number of ordinary shares or ADSs included in an underwritten offering conducted pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement if such underwriters believe that including such securities would adversely affect the offering. The registration rights granted under the Registration Rights Agreement will terminate upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the date on which the securities may be resold by the selling shareholder without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, (ii) the date on which all of the securities have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (iii) March 23, 2028.
In June 2022, we entered into the PIPE Registration Rights Agreement with the PIPE Investors, pursuant to which we are required to file a registration statement no later than August 12, 2022, covering, and use our reasonable best efforts to effect, the registration of the ordinary shares and ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of pre-funded warrants (the “Warrant Shares”) (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) issued in connection with that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated June 8, 2022, by and among us and the PIPE investors. All fees, costs and expenses of underwritten registrations will be borne by us and all selling expenses, including underwriting commissions, will be borne by the PIPE investors. Subject to certain exceptions, we and the underwriters may limit the number of ordinary shares or ADSs included in an underwritten offering conducted pursuant to the terms of the PIPE Registration Rights Agreement if the underwriters believe that including such securities would adversely affect the offering.
Differences in Corporate Law
France | Delaware | |||
| Number of Directors | Under French law, a société anonyme must have at least three (3) and may have up to eighteen (18) directors. The number of directors is fixed by or in the manner provided in the by-laws. The number of directors of each gender may not be less than 40%. Any appointment made in violation of this limit that is not remedied will be null and void. | Under Delaware law, a corporation must have at least one director and the number of directors shall be fixed by or in the manner provided in the by-laws. | ||
| Director Qualifications | Under French law, a corporation may prescribe qualifications for directors under its by-laws. In addition, under French law, members of a board of directors of a corporation may be legal entities, and such legal entities may designate an individual to represent them and to act on their behalf at meetings of the board of directors. | Under Delaware law, a corporation may prescribe qualifications for directors under its certificate of incorporation or by-laws. Under Delaware law, only individuals may be members of a corporation’s board of directors. | ||
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| Removal of Directors | Under French law, directors may be removed from office, with or without cause, at any shareholders’ meeting without notice or justification, by a simple majority vote of the shareholders present and voting at the meeting in person or by proxy. | Under Delaware law, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, directors may be removed from office, with or without cause, by a majority stockholder vote, though in the case of a corporation whose board is classified, stockholders may effect such removal only for cause. | ||
| Vacancies on the Board of Directors | Under French law, vacancies on the board of directors resulting from death or a resignation, provided that at least three (3) directors remain in office, may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors pending ratification by the shareholders by the next shareholders’ meeting. | Under Delaware law, vacancies on a corporation’s board of directors, including those caused by an increase in the number of directors, may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors. | ||
| Annual General Meeting | Under French law, the annual general meeting of shareholders shall be held at such place, on such date and at such time as decided each year by the board of directors and notified to the shareholders in the convening notice of the annual meeting, within six months after the close of the relevant fiscal year unless such period is extended by court order. | Under Delaware law, the annual meeting of stockholders shall be held at such place, on such date and at such time as may be designated from time to time by the board of directors or as provided in the certificate of incorporation or by the by-laws. | ||
| General Meeting | Under French law, general meetings of the shareholders may be called by the board of directors or, failing that, by the statutory auditors, or by a court appointed agent or liquidator in certain circumstances, or by the majority shareholder in capital or voting rights following a public tender offer or exchange offer or the transfer of a controlling block on the date decided by the board of directors or the relevant person. | Under Delaware law, special meetings of the stockholders may be called by the board of directors or by such person or persons as may be authorized by the certificate of incorporation or by the by-laws. | ||
| Notice of General Meetings | A convening notice is published in the French Journal of Mandatory Statutory Notices (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO)) at least 35 days prior to a meeting and made available on the | Under Delaware law, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws, written notice of any meeting of the stockholders must be given to each stockholder | ||
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website of the company at least twenty-one days prior to the meeting. Subject to special legal provisions, the meeting notice is sent out at least fifteen days prior to the date of the meeting, by means of a notice inserted both in a legal announcement bulletin of the registered office department and in the BALO. Further, the holders of registered shares for at least a month at the time of the latest of the insertions of the notice of meeting shall be summoned individually, by regular letter (or by registered letter if they request it and include an advance of expenses) sent to their last known address. This notice may also be transmitted by electronic means of telecommunication, in lieu of any such mailing, to any shareholder requesting it beforehand by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, specifying his e-mail address. When the shareholders’ meeting cannot deliberate due to lack of required quorum, the second meeting must be called at least 10 calendar days in advance in the same manner as used for the first notice.
The convening notice shall specify the name of the company, its acronym, legal form, share capital, registered office address, registration number with the French Trade and Companies Register (Registre du commerce et des sociétés), the place, date, hour and agenda of the meeting and its nature (ordinary or extraordinary meeting). This notice must also indicate the conditions under which the shareholders may vote by correspondence and the places and conditions in which they can | entitled to vote at the meeting not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting and shall specify the place, date, hour, and purpose or purposes of the meeting. |
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| obtain voting forms by mail and, as the case may be, the e-mail address to which they may send written questions. | ||||
| Proxy | Each shareholder has the right to attend the meetings and participate in the discussions (i) personally, or (ii) by granting proxy to any individual or legal entity of his choosing; or (iii) by sending a proxy to the company without indication of the mandate, or (iv) by voting by correspondence, or (v) by videoconference or another means of telecommunication in accordance with applicable laws that allow identification. The proxy is only valid for a single meeting or for successive meetings convened with the same agenda. It can also be granted for two meetings, one ordinary, the other extraordinary, held on the same day or within a period of fifteen days. | Under Delaware law, at any meeting of stockholders, a stockholder may designate another person to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period.
A director of a Delaware corporation may not issue a proxy representing the director’s voting rights as a director. | ||
| Shareholder Action by Written Consent | Under French law, shareholders’ action by written consent is not permitted in a société anonyme. | Under Delaware law, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation (1) may permit stockholders to act by written consent if such action is signed by all stockholders, (2) may permit stockholders to act by written consent signed by stockholders having the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to take such action at a meeting or (3) may prohibit actions by written consent. | ||
| Preemptive Rights | Under French law, in case of issuance of additional shares or other securities for cash or set-off against cash debts, the existing shareholders have preferential subscription rights to these securities on a pro rata basis unless such rights are waived by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the shareholders present at the extraordinary meeting deciding or authorizing the capital | Under Delaware law, unless otherwise provided in a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, a stockholder does not, by operation of law, possess preemptive rights to subscribe to additional issuances of the corporation’s stock. | ||
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| increase, voting in person or represented by proxy or voting by mail. In case such rights are not waived by the extraordinary general meeting, each shareholder may individually either exercise, assign or not exercise its preferential rights. Preferential subscription rights may only be exercised during the subscription period. In accordance with French law, the exercise period shall not be less than five trading days. Preferential subscription rights are transferable during a period equivalent to the subscription period but starting two business days prior to the opening of the subscription period and ending two business days prior to the closing of the subscription period. | ||||
| Sources of Dividends | Under French law, dividends may only be paid by a French société anonyme out of “distributable profits,” plus any distributable reserves and “distributable premium” that the shareholders decide to make available for distribution, other than those reserves that are specifically required by law.
“Distributable profits” consist of the unconsolidated net profits of the relevant corporation for each fiscal year, as increased or reduced by any profit or loss carried forward from prior years.
“Distributable premium” refers to the contribution paid by the shareholders in addition to the par value of their shares for their subscription that the shareholders decide to make available for distribution.
Except in case of a share capital reduction, no distribution can be made to the shareholders when the net equity is, or would become, | Under Delaware law, dividends may be paid by a Delaware corporation either out of (1) surplus or (2) in case there is no surplus, out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year, except when the capital is diminished by depreciation in the value of its property, or by losses, or otherwise, to an amount less than the aggregate amount of capital represented by issued and outstanding stock having a preference on the distribution of assets. | ||
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| lower than the amount of the share capital plus the reserves which cannot be distributed in accordance with the law or by-laws. | ||||
| Repurchase of Shares | Under French law, a corporation may acquire its own shares. Such acquisition may be challenged on the ground of market abuse regulations. However, MAR provides for safe harbor exemptions when the acquisition is made for the following purposes:
• to decrease its share capital, provided that such decision is not driven by losses and that a purchase offer is made to all shareholders on a pro rata basis, with the approval of the shareholders at the extraordinary general meeting deciding the capital reduction; in this case, the shares
• with a view to distributing within one year of their repurchase the relevant shares to employees or managers under a profit-sharing, free share or share option plan; or
• under a buy-back program to be authorized by the shareholders in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 22-10-62 of the French Commercial Code, in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 16, 2014 on market abuse, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of March 8, 2016, and in accordance with the general regulations of the AMF. | Under Delaware law, a corporation may generally redeem or repurchase shares of its stock unless the capital of the corporation is impaired or such redemption or repurchase would impair the capital of the corporation. | ||
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No such repurchase of shares may result in the company holding, directly or through a person acting on its behalf, more than 10% of its issued share capital. | ||||
| Liability of Directors and Officers | Under French law, the by-laws may not include any provisions limiting the liability of directors.
Civil liability of the directors may be sought for (1) an infringement of laws and regulations applicable to the company, (2) breach of the by-laws and (3) mismanagement. | Under Delaware law, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation may include a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation and its stockholders for damages arising from a breach of fiduciary duty as a director. However, no provision can limit the liability of a director for:
• any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders;
• acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
• intentional or negligent payment of unlawful dividends or stock purchases or redemptions; or
• any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit. | ||
| Voting Rights | French law provides that, unless otherwise provided in the by-laws, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by such shareholder. Further to the introduction of Law No. 2014-384 dated March 29, 2014 (Loi Florange), shares registered under a shareholder’s name for more than two years shall automatically be granted double voting rights from 2016, unless the by-laws expressly reject this measure (and it being specified that our by-laws expressly prohibit this measure). | Delaware law provides that, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder. | ||
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| Shareholder Vote on Certain Transactions | Generally, under French law, completion of a merger, dissolution, sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of a corporation’s assets requires:
• the approval of the board of directors; and
• approval by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the shareholders present, represented by proxy or
voting by mail at the relevant meeting or, in the case of a merger with a non-EU company, approval of all shareholders of the corporation. | Generally, under Delaware law, unless the certificate of incorporation provides for the vote of a larger portion of the stock, completion of a merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of a corporation’s assets or dissolution requires:
• the approval of the board of directors; and
• approval by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding stock or, if the certificate of incorporation provides for more or less than one vote per share, a majority of the votes of the outstanding stock of a corporation entitled to vote on the matter. | ||
| Dissent or Dissenters Appraisal Rights | French law does not provide for any such right but provides that a merger is subject to either shareholders’ approval by a two-thirds majority vote, or unanimous decisions of the shareholders, as stated above. | Under Delaware law, a holder of shares of any class or series has the right, in specified circumstances, to dissent from a merger or consolidation by demanding payment in cash for the stockholder’s shares equal to the fair value of those shares, as determined by the Delaware Chancery Court in an action timely brought by the corporation or a dissenting stockholder. Delaware law grants these appraisal rights only in the case of mergers or consolidations and not in the case of a sale or transfer of assets or a purchase of assets for stock. Further, no appraisal rights are available for shares of any class or series that is listed on a national securities exchange or held of record by more than 2,000 stockholders, unless the agreement of merger or consolidation requires the holders to accept for their shares anything other than:
• shares of stock of the surviving corporation; | ||
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• shares of stock of another corporation that are either listed on a national securities exchange or held of record by more than 2,000 stockholders;
• cash in lieu of fractional shares of the stock described in the two preceding bullet points; or
• any combination of the above.
In addition, appraisal rights are not available to holders of shares of the surviving corporation in specified mergers that do not require the vote of the stockholders of the surviving corporation. | ||||
| Standard of Conduct for Directors | French law does not contain specific provisions setting forth the standard of conduct of a director. However, directors have a duty to act without self-interest, on a well-informed basis and they cannot make any decision against a corporation’s corporate interest (intérêt social). | Delaware law does not contain specific provisions setting forth the standard of conduct of a director. The scope of the fiduciary duties of directors is generally determined by the courts of the State of Delaware. In general, directors have a duty to act without self-interest, on a well- informed basis and in a manner they reasonably believe to be in the best interest of the stockholders. | ||
| Shareholder Suits | French law provides that a shareholder, or a group of shareholders, may initiate a legal action to seek indemnification from the directors of a corporation in the corporation’s interest if it fails to bring such legal action itself. If so, any damages awarded by the court are paid to the corporation and legal fees relating to such action are borne by the relevant shareholder or the group of shareholders.
The plaintiff must remain a shareholder through the duration of the legal action. | Under Delaware law, a stockholder may initiate a derivative action to enforce a right of a corporation if the corporation fails to enforce the right itself. The complaint must:
• state that the plaintiff was a stockholder at the time of the transaction of which the plaintiff complains or that the plaintiff’s shares thereafter devolved on the plaintiff by operation of law; and
• allege with particularity the efforts made by the plaintiff to obtain the action the | ||
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There is no other case where shareholders may initiate a derivative action to enforce a right of a corporation.
A shareholder may alternatively or cumulatively bring individual legal action against the directors, provided he has suffered distinct damages from those suffered by the corporation. In this case, any damages awarded by the court are paid to the relevant shareholder. | plaintiff desires from the directors and the reasons for the plaintiff’s failure to obtain the action; or
• state the reasons for not making the effort.
Additionally, the plaintiff must remain a stockholder through the duration of the derivative suit. The action will not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the Delaware Court of Chancery. | |||
| Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation | Unlike companies incorporated under Delaware law, which organizational documents are comprised of a certificate of incorporation and by-laws, companies incorporated under French law only have by-laws (statuts) as organizational documents.
As indicated below, only the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting is authorized to adopt or amend the by-laws under French law. | Under Delaware law, generally a corporation may amend its certificate of incorporation if:
• its board of directors has adopted a resolution setting forth the amendment proposed and declared its advisability; and
• the amendment is adopted by the affirmative votes of a majority (or greater percentage as may be specified by the corporation) of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment and a majority (or greater percentage as may be specified by the corporation) of the outstanding shares of each class or series of stock, if any, entitled to vote on the amendment as a class or series. | ||
| Amendment of By-laws | Under French law, only the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting is authorized to adopt or amend the by-laws.
The extraordinary shareholders’ meeting may authorize the board of directors to amend the bylaws to comply with mandatory legal provisions, subject to the ratification of such amendments | Under Delaware law, the stockholders entitled to vote have the power to adopt, amend or repeal by-laws. A corporation may also confer, in its certificate of incorporation, that power upon the board of directors. | ||
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| by the next extraordinary shareholders’ meeting. The board of directors is authorized to amend the bylaws as a result of a decision to relocate the company’s registered office in France, subject to ratification by the next ordinary shareholders’ meeting. |
Other French and E.U. Law Considerations
Takeover Provisions
Declaration for Statistical Purpose. Under French law, a non-French resident as well as any French entity controlled by non-French residents may have to file a declaration for statistical purposes with the Banque de France, within 20 working days following the date of certain direct foreign investments in us, including any purchase of our ADSs. In particular, such filings are required in connection with investments exceeding €15,000,000 that lead to the acquisition of at least 10% of our share capital or voting rights or cross such 10% threshold. Violation of this filing requirement may be sanctioned by five years of imprisonment and a fine up to twice the amount of the relevant investment. This amount may be increased fivefold if the violation is made by a legal entity.
Authorization of the Ministry of Economy. Under French law, certain investments in a French company relating to strategic sectors and activities likely to prejudice the interests of national defense, participating in the exercise of public authority or likely to prejudice public order and public security (such as research and development in biotechnologies intended to be carried out in a sensitive activity within the meaning of § I or II of Article R. 151-3 of the French Monetary and Financial code or activities relating to infrastructure, goods or services essential to guarantee the protection of public health) by individuals or entities not French, not resident in France or controlled by entities not French or not resident in France are subject to prior authorization of the Ministry of Economy pursuant to Articles L. 151-1 and seq. and R. 151-1 and seq. of the French Monetary and financial code.
Majority Shareholder Rights. The owner of 90% of the share capital and voting rights of a public company listed on a regulated market in a Member State of the European Union or in a state party to the EEA Agreement, including from the main French Stock Exchange, has the right to force out minority shareholders following a tender offer made to all shareholders.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our ADSs is Citibank, N.A. The transfer agent and registrar for our ordinary shares is Société Générale Securities Services.
Listing
Our ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “DBVT” and our ordinary shares are listed on Euronext Paris under the symbol “DBV.”
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DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES
Citibank, N.A. acts as the depositary for our ADSs. Citibank’s depositary offices are located at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013. ADSs represent ownership interests in securities that are on deposit with the depositary. ADSs may be represented by certificates that are commonly known as American Depositary Receipts, or ADRs. The depositary typically appoints a custodian to safekeep the securities on deposit. In this case, the custodian is Citibank Europe Plc, located at EGSP 186, 1 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 Ireland.
We have appointed Citibank as depositary pursuant to a deposit agreement. A copy of the deposit agreement is on file with the SEC under cover of a Registration Statement on Form F-6EF. You may obtain a copy of the deposit agreement from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Please refer to Registration Number 333-265201 when retrieving such copy.
We are providing you with a summary description of the material terms of the ADSs and of your material rights as an owner of ADSs. Please remember that summaries by their nature lack the precision of the information summarized and that the rights and obligations of an owner of ADSs will be determined by reference to the terms of the deposit agreement and not by this summary. We urge you to review the deposit agreement in its entirety. The portions of this summary description that are italicized describe matters that may be relevant to the ownership of ADSs but that may not be contained in the deposit agreement.
Each ADS represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial ownership interests in, one-half of one ordinary share on deposit with the depositary or the custodian. An ADS also represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial ownership interests in, any other property received by the depositary or the custodian on behalf of the owner of the ADS but that has not been distributed to the owners of ADSs because of legal restrictions or practical considerations. We and the depositary may agree to change the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio by amending the deposit agreement. This amendment may give rise to, or change, the depositary fees payable by ADS owners. The custodian, the depositary and their respective nominees will hold all deposited property for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of ADSs. The deposited property does not constitute the proprietary assets of the depositary, the custodian or their nominees. Beneficial ownership in the deposited property will under the terms of the deposit agreement be vested in the beneficial owners of the ADSs. The depositary, the custodian and their respective nominees will be the record holders of the deposited property represented by the ADSs for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of the corresponding ADSs. A beneficial owner of ADSs may or may not be the holder of ADSs. Beneficial owners of ADSs will be able to exercise beneficial ownership interests in the deposited property only through the registered holders of the ADSs, by the registered holders of the ADSs (on behalf of the applicable ADS owners) only through the depositary, and by the depositary (on behalf of the owners of the corresponding ADSs) directly, or indirectly through the custodian or their respective nominees, in each case upon the terms of the deposit agreement.
If you become an owner of ADSs, you will become a party to the deposit agreement and therefore will be bound to its terms and to the terms of any ADR that represents your ADSs. The deposit agreement and the ADR specify our rights and obligations as well as your rights and obligations as owner of ADSs and those of the depositary. As an ADS holder you appoint the depositary to act on your behalf in certain circumstances. The deposit agreement and the ADRs are governed by New York law. However, our obligations to the holders of ordinary shares will continue to be governed by the laws of France, which may be different from the laws in the United States.
In addition, applicable laws and regulations may require you to satisfy reporting requirements and obtain regulatory approvals in certain circumstances. You are solely responsible for complying with such reporting requirements and obtaining such approvals. Neither the depositary, the custodian, us or any of their or our respective agents or affiliates shall be required to take any actions whatsoever on your behalf to satisfy such reporting requirements or obtain such regulatory approvals under applicable laws and regulations.
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As an owner of ADSs, we will not treat you as one of our shareholders and you will not have direct shareholder rights. The depositary will hold on your behalf the shareholder rights attached to the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. As an owner of ADSs you will be able to exercise the shareholders rights for the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs through the depositary only to the extent contemplated in the deposit agreement. To exercise any shareholder rights not contemplated in the deposit agreement you will, as an ADS owner, need to arrange for the cancellation of your ADSs and become a direct shareholder.
The manner in which you own the ADSs (e.g., in a brokerage account vs. as registered holder, or as holder of certificated vs. uncertificated ADSs) may affect your rights and obligations, and the manner in which, and extent to which, the depositary’s services are made available to you. As an owner of ADSs, you may hold your ADSs either by means of an ADR registered in your name, through a brokerage or safekeeping account, or through an account established by the depositary in your name reflecting the registration of uncertificated ADSs directly on the books of the depositary, commonly referred to as the direct registration system, or DRS. The direct registration system reflects the uncertificated (book-entry) registration of ownership of ADSs by the depositary. Under the direct registration system, ownership of ADSs is evidenced by periodic statements issued by the depositary to the holders of the ADSs. The direct registration system includes automated transfers between the depositary and The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, the central book-entry clearing and settlement system for equity securities in the United States. If you decide to hold your ADSs through your brokerage or safekeeping account, you must rely on the procedures of your broker or bank to assert your rights as ADS owner. Banks and brokers typically hold securities such as the ADSs through clearing and settlement systems such as DTC. The procedures of such clearing and settlement systems may limit your ability to exercise your rights as an owner of ADSs. Please consult with your broker or bank if you have any questions concerning these limitations and procedures. All ADSs held through DTC will be registered in the name of a nominee of DTC. This summary description assumes you have opted to own the ADSs directly by means of an ADS registered in your name and, as such, we will refer to you as the “holder.” When we refer to “you,” we assume the reader owns ADSs and will own ADSs at the relevant time.
The registration of the ordinary shares in the name of the depositary or the custodian shall, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, vest in the depositary or the custodian the record ownership in the applicable ordinary shares with the beneficial ownership rights and interests in such ordinary shares being at all times vested with the beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the ordinary shares. The depositary or the custodian shall at all times be entitled to exercise the beneficial ownership rights in all deposited property, in each case only on behalf of the holders and beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the deposited property.
Dividends and Distributions
As a holder of ADSs, you generally have the right to receive the distributions we make on the securities deposited with the custodian. Your receipt of these distributions may be limited, however, by practical considerations and legal limitations. Holders of ADSs will receive such distributions under the terms of the deposit agreement in proportion to the number of ADSs held as of a specified record date, after deduction the applicable fees, taxes and expenses.
Distributions of Cash
Whenever we make a cash distribution for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the funds with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of the deposit of the requisite funds, the depositary will arrange for the funds received in a currency other than U.S. dollars to be converted into U.S. dollars and for the distribution of the U.S. dollars to the holders, subject to French laws and regulations.
The conversion into U.S. dollars will take place only if practicable and if the U.S. dollars are transferable to the United States. The depositary will apply the same method for distributing the proceeds of the sale of any property (such as undistributed rights) held by the custodian in respect of securities on deposit.
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The distribution of cash will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. The depositary will hold any cash amounts it is unable to distribute in a non-interest bearing account for the benefit of the applicable holders and beneficial owners of ADSs until the distribution can be effected or the funds that the depositary holds must be escheated as unclaimed property in accordance with the laws of the relevant states of the United States.
Distributions of Ordinary Shares
Whenever we make a free distribution of ordinary shares for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the applicable number of ordinary shares with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the depositary will either distribute to holders new ADSs representing the ordinary shares deposited or modify the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio, in which case each ADS you hold will represent rights and interests in the additional ordinary shares so deposited. Only whole new ADSs will be distributed. Fractional entitlements will be sold and the proceeds of such sale will be distributed as in the case of a cash distribution.
The distribution of new ADSs or the modification of the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio upon a distribution of ordinary shares will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. In order to pay such taxes or governmental charges, the depositary may sell all or a portion of the new ordinary shares so distributed.
No such distribution of new ADSs will be made if it would violate a law (i.e., the U.S. securities laws) or if it is not operationally practicable. If the depositary does not distribute new ADSs as described above, it may sell the ordinary shares received upon the terms described in the deposit agreement and will distribute the proceeds of the sale as in the case of a distribution of cash.
Distributions of Rights
Whenever we intend to distribute rights to subscribe for additional ordinary shares, we will give prior notice to the depositary and we will assist the depositary in determining whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to distribute rights to subscribe for additional ADSs to holders.
The depositary will establish procedures to distribute rights to subscribe for additional ADSs to holders and to enable such holders to exercise such rights if it is lawful and reasonably practicable to make the rights available to holders of ADSs, and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement (such as opinions to address the lawfulness of the transaction). You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges to subscribe for the new ADSs upon the exercise of your rights. The depositary is not obligated to establish procedures to facilitate the distribution and exercise by holders of rights to purchase new ordinary shares other than in the form of ADSs.
The depositary will not distribute the rights to you if:
| • | we do not timely request that the rights be distributed to you or we request that the rights not be distributed to you; or |
| • | we fail to deliver satisfactory documents to the depositary; or |
| • | it is not reasonably practicable to distribute the rights. |
The depositary will sell the rights that are not exercised or not distributed if such sale is lawful and reasonably practicable. The proceeds of such sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution. If the depositary is unable to sell the rights, it will allow the rights to lapse.
Elective Distributions
Whenever we intend to distribute a dividend payable at the election of shareholders either in cash or in additional ordinary shares, we will give prior notice thereof to the depositary and will indicate whether we wish the elective
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distribution to be made available to you. In such case, we will assist the depositary in determining whether such distribution is lawful and reasonably practicable.
The depositary will make the election available to you only if it is reasonably practicable and if we have provided all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement. In such case, the depositary will establish procedures to enable you to elect to receive either cash or additional ADSs, in each case as described in the deposit agreement.
If the election is not made available to you, you will receive either cash or additional ADSs, depending on what a shareholder in France would receive upon failing to make an election, as more fully described in the deposit agreement.
Other Distributions
Whenever we intend to distribute property other than cash, ordinary shares or rights to purchase additional ordinary shares, we will notify the depositary in advance and will indicate whether we wish such distribution to be made to you. If so, we will assist the depositary in determining whether such distribution to holders is lawful and reasonably practicable.
If it is reasonably practicable to distribute such property to you and if we provide to the depositary all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the depositary will distribute the property to the holders in a manner it deems practicable.
The distribution will be made net of fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. In order to pay such taxes and governmental charges, the depositary may sell all or a portion of the property received.
The depositary will not distribute the property to you and will sell the property if:
| • | we do not request that the property be distributed to you or if we ask that the property not be distributed to you; or |
| • | we do not deliver satisfactory documents to the depositary; or |
| • | depositary bank determines that all or a portion of the distribution to you is not reasonably practicable. |
The proceeds of such a sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution.
Redemption
Whenever we decide to redeem any of the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will notify the depositary in advance. If it is practicable and if we provide all of the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the depositary will provide notice of the redemption to the holders.
The custodian will be instructed to surrender the ordinary shares being redeemed against payment of the applicable redemption price. The depositary will convert the redemption funds received in a currency other than U.S. dollars into U.S. dollars upon the terms of the deposit agreement and will establish procedures to enable holders to receive the net proceeds from the redemption upon surrender of their ADSs to the depositary. You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges upon the redemption of your ADSs. If less than all ADSs are being redeemed, the ADSs to be retired will be selected by lot or on a pro rata basis, as the depositary may determine.
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Changes Affecting Ordinary Shares
The ordinary shares held on deposit for your ADSs may change from time to time. For example, there may be a change in nominal or par value, a split-up, cancellation, consolidation or reclassification of such ordinary shares or a recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of assets.
If any such change were to occur, your ADSs would, to the extent permitted by law and the deposit agreement, represent the right to receive the property received or exchanged in respect of the ordinary shares held on deposit. The depositary may in such circumstances deliver new ADSs to you, amend the deposit agreement, the ADRs and the applicable Registration Statement(s) on Form F-6, call for the exchange of your existing ADSs for new ADSs and take any other actions that are appropriate to reflect as to the ADSs the change affecting the ordinary shares. If the depositary may not lawfully distribute such property to you, the depositary may sell such property and distribute the net proceeds to you as in the case of a cash distribution.
Issuance of ADSs upon Deposit of Ordinary Shares
Upon completion of an offering, the ordinary shares being offered pursuant to this prospectus will be deposited by us with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the depositary will issue ADSs to the underwriters, dealer or other purchaser, in each case as named in the prospectus.
The depositary may create ADSs on your behalf if you or your broker deposit ordinary shares with the custodian. The depositary will deliver these ADSs to the person you indicate only after you pay any applicable issuance fees and any charges and taxes payable for the transfer of the ordinary shares to the custodian. Your ability to deposit ordinary shares and receive ADSs may be limited by U.S. and French legal considerations applicable at the time of deposit.
The issuance of ADSs may be delayed until the depositary or the custodian receives confirmation that all required approvals have been given and that the ordinary shares have been duly transferred to the custodian. The depositary will only issue ADSs in whole numbers.
When you make a deposit of ordinary shares, you will be responsible for transferring good and valid title to the depositary. As such, you will be deemed to represent and warrant that:
| • | The ordinary shares are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, non-assessable and legally obtained. |
| • | All preemptive (and similar) rights, if any, with respect to such ordinary shares have been validly waived or exercised. |
| • | You are duly authorized to deposit the ordinary shares. |
| • | The ordinary shares presented for deposit are free and clear of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, charge, mortgage or adverse claim, and are not, and the ADSs issuable upon such deposit will not be, “restricted securities” (as defined in the deposit agreement). |
| • | The ordinary shares presented for deposit have not been stripped of any rights or entitlements. |
If any of the representations or warranties are incorrect in any way, we and the depositary may, at your cost and expense, take any and all actions necessary to correct the consequences of the misrepresentations.
Transfer, Combination and Split Up of ADRs
As an ADR holder, you will be entitled to transfer, combine or split up your ADRs and the ADSs evidenced thereby. For transfers of ADRs, you will have to surrender the ADRs to be transferred to the depositary and also must:
| • | ensure that the surrendered ADR is properly endorsed or otherwise in proper form for transfer; |
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| • | provide such proof of identity and genuineness of signatures as the depositary deems appropriate; |
| • | provide any transfer stamps required by the State of New York or the United States; and |
| • | pay all applicable fees, charges, expenses, taxes and other government charges payable by ADR holders pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, upon the transfer of ADRs. |
To have your ADRs either combined or split up, you must surrender the ADRs in question to the depositary with your request to have them combined or split up, and you must pay all applicable fees, charges and expenses payable by ADR holders, pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, upon a combination or split up of ADRs.
Withdrawal of Ordinary Shares Upon Cancellation of ADSs
As a holder, you will be entitled to present your ADSs to the depositary for cancellation and then receive the corresponding number of underlying ordinary shares at the custodian’s offices. Your ability to withdraw the ordinary shares held in respect of the ADSs may be limited by U.S. and French legal considerations applicable at the time of withdrawal. In order to withdraw the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs, you will be required to pay to the depositary the fees for cancellation of ADSs and any charges and taxes payable upon the transfer of the ordinary shares being withdrawn. You assume the risk for delivery of all funds and securities upon withdrawal. Once canceled, the ADSs will not have any rights under the deposit agreement.
If you hold ADSs registered in your name, the depositary may ask you to provide proof of identity and genuineness of any signature and such other documents as the depositary may deem appropriate before it will cancel your ADSs. The withdrawal of the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs may be delayed until the depositary receives satisfactory evidence of compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Please keep in mind that the depositary will only accept ADSs for cancellation that represent a whole number of securities on deposit.
You will have the right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs at any time except for:
| • | temporary delays that may arise because (i) the transfer books for the ordinary shares or ADSs are closed, or (ii) ordinary shares are immobilized on account of a shareholders’ meeting or a payment of dividends |
| • | obligations to pay fees, taxes and similar charges; or |
| • | restrictions imposed because of laws or regulations applicable to ADSs or the withdrawal of securities on deposit. |
The deposit agreement may not be modified to impair your right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs except to comply with mandatory provisions of law.
Voting Rights
As a holder, you generally have the right under the deposit agreement to instruct the depositary to exercise the voting rights for the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. The voting rights of holders of ordinary shares are described in the sections of this prospectus titled “Description of Share Capital and Bylaws” and “Limitations Affecting Shareholders of a French Company.”
At our request, the depositary will distribute to you any notice of shareholders’ meeting received from us together with information explaining how to instruct the depositary to exercise the voting rights of the securities represented by ADSs.
If the depositary timely receives voting instructions from a holder of ADSs, it will endeavor to vote the securities (in person or by proxy) represented by the holder’s ADSs in accordance with such voting instructions.
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Please note that the ability of the depositary to carry out voting instructions may be limited by practical and legal limitations and the terms of the securities on deposit. We cannot assure you that you will receive voting materials in time to enable you to return voting instructions to the depositary in a timely manner. Securities for which no voting instructions have been received will not be voted.
Fees and Charges
As an ADS holder, you will be required to pay the following service fees to the depositary:
| Service | Fees | |
1. Issuance of ADSs upon deposit of ordinary shares (excluding issuances as a result of distributions described in paragraph (4) below). | Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS issued | |
2. Delivery of deposited securities against surrender of ADSs. | Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS canceled | |
3. Distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions (i.e., sale of rights and other entitlements). | Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS held | |
4. Distribution of ADSs pursuant to (i) stock dividends or other free stock distributions, or (ii) exercise of rights to purchase additional ADSs. | Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS held | |
5. Distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs (i.e., spin-off shares). | Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS held | |
6. ADS Services. | Up to U.S. $0.05 per ADS held on the applicable record date(s) established by the depositary |
As an ADS holder you will also be responsible to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the depositary and certain taxes and governmental charges such as:
| • | taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) and other governmental charges; |
| • | such registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of ordinary shares or other deposited securities on the share register and applicable to transfers of ordinary shares or other deposited securities to or from the name of the custodian, the depositary or any nominees upon the making of deposits and withdrawals, respectively; |
| • | such cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery expenses as are expressly provided in the deposit agreement to be at the expense of the person depositing ordinary shares or withdrawing deposited securities or of the holders and beneficial owners of ADSs; |
| • | the expenses and charges incurred by the depositary in the conversion of foreign currency; |
| • | such fees and expenses as are incurred by the depositary in connection with compliance with exchange control regulations and other regulatory requirements applicable to ordinary shares, deposited securities, ADSs and ADRs; and |
| • | the fees and expenses incurred by the depositary, the custodian, or any nominee in connection with the servicing or delivery of deposited property |
ADS fees and charges payable upon (i) deposit of ordinary shares against issuance of ADSs and (ii) surrender of ADSs for cancellation and withdrawal of deposited securities will be payable by the person to whom the ADSs so issued are delivered by the depositary (in the case of ADS issuances) and by the person who delivers the
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ADSs for cancellation to the depositary (in the case of ADS cancellations). In the case of ADSs issued by the depositary into DTC or presented to the depositary via DTC, the ADS issuance and cancellation fees and charges will be payable by the DTC participant(s) receiving the ADSs from the depositary or the DTC participant(s) surrendering the ADSs to the depositary for cancellation, as the case may be, on behalf of the beneficial owner(s) and will be charged by the DTC participant(s) to the account(s) of the applicable beneficial owner(s) in accordance with the procedures and practices of the DTC participant(s) as in effect at the time. ADS fees and charges in respect of distributions and the ADS service fee are payable by holders as of the applicable ADS record date established by the depositary. In the case of distributions of cash, the amount of the applicable ADS fees and charges is deducted from the funds being distributed. In the case of (i) distributions other than cash and (ii) the ADS service fee, the applicable holders as of the ADS record date established by the depositary will be invoiced for the amount of the ADS fees and charges. For ADSs held through DTC, the ADS fees and charges for distributions other than cash and the ADS service fee are charged to the DTC participants in accordance with the procedures and practices prescribed by DTC from time to time and the DTC participants in turn charge the amount of such ADS fees and charges to the beneficial owners for whom they hold ADSs.
In the event of refusal to pay the depositary fees, the depositary may, under the terms of the deposit agreement, refuse the requested service until payment is received or may set off the amount of the depositary fees from any distribution to be made to the ADS holder.
Note that the fees and charges you may be required to pay may vary over time and may be changed by us and by the depositary. You will receive prior notice of such changes.
The depositary may reimburse us for certain expenses incurred by us in respect of the ADR program established pursuant to the deposit agreement, by making available a portion of the depositary fees charged in respect of the ADR program or otherwise, upon such terms and conditions as we and the depositary may agree from time to time.
Amendments and Termination
We may agree with the depositary to modify the deposit agreement at any time without your consent. We undertake to give holders 30 days’ prior notice of any modifications that would materially prejudice any of their substantial rights under the deposit agreement. We will not consider to be materially prejudicial to your substantial rights any modifications or supplements that are reasonably necessary for the ADSs to be registered under the Securities Act or to be eligible for book-entry settlement, in each case without imposing or increasing the fees and charges you are required to pay. In addition, we may not be able to provide you with prior notice of any modifications or supplements that are required to accommodate compliance with applicable provisions of law.
You will be bound by the modifications to the deposit agreement if you continue to hold your ADSs after the modifications to the deposit agreement become effective. The deposit agreement cannot be amended to prevent you from withdrawing the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs (except as permitted by law).
We have the right to direct the depositary to terminate the deposit agreement. Similarly, the depositary may in certain circumstances on its own initiative terminate the deposit agreement. In either case, the depositary must give notice to the holders at least 30 days before termination. Until termination, your rights under the deposit agreement will be unaffected.
After termination, the depositary will continue to collect distributions received (but will not distribute any such property until you request the cancellation of your ADSs) and may sell the securities held on deposit. After the sale, the depositary will hold the proceeds from such sale and any other funds then held for the holders of ADSs in a non-interest bearing account. At that point, the depositary will have no further obligations to holders other than to account for the funds then held for the holders of ADSs still outstanding (after deduction of applicable fees, taxes and expenses).
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Books of Depositary
The depositary will maintain ADS holder records at its depositary office. You may inspect such records at such office during regular business hours but solely for the purpose of communicating with other holders in the interest of business matters relating to the ADSs and the deposit agreement.
The depositary will maintain in New York facilities to record and process the issuance, cancellation, combination, split-up and transfer of ADSs. These facilities may be closed from time to time, to the extent not prohibited by law.
Limitations on Obligations and Liabilities
The deposit agreement limits our obligations and the depositary’s obligations to you. Please note the following:
| • | We and the depositary are obligated only to take the actions specifically stated in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith. |
| • | The depositary disclaims any liability for any failure to carry out voting instructions, for any manner in which a vote is cast or for the effect of any vote, provided it acts in good faith and in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. |
| • | The depositary disclaims any liability for any failure to determine the lawfulness or practicality of any action, for the content of any document forwarded to you on our behalf or for the accuracy of any translation of such a document, for the investment risks associated with investing in ordinary shares, for the validity or worth of the ordinary shares, for any tax consequences that result from the ownership of ADSs, for the credit-worthiness of any third party, for allowing any rights to lapse under the terms of the deposit agreement, for the timeliness of any of our notices or for our failure to give notice. |
| • | We and the depositary will not be obligated to perform any act that is inconsistent with the terms of the deposit agreement. |
| • | We and the depositary disclaim any liability if we or the depositary are prevented or forbidden from or subject to any civil or criminal penalty or restraint on account of, or delayed in, doing or performing any act or thing required by the terms of the deposit agreement, by reason of any provision, present or future of any law or regulation, or by reason of present or future provision of any provision of our Articles of Incorporation, or any provision of or governing the securities on deposit, or by reason of any act of God or war or other circumstances beyond our control. |
| • | We and the depositary disclaim any liability by reason of any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in the deposit agreement or in our Articles of Incorporation or in any provisions of or governing the securities on deposit. |
| • | We and the depositary further disclaim any liability for any action or inaction in reliance on the advice or information received from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting ordinary shares for deposit, any holder of ADSs or authorized representatives thereof, or any other person believed by either of us in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information. |
| • | We and the depositary also disclaim liability for the inability by a holder to benefit from any distribution, offering, right or other benefit that is made available to holders of ordinary shares but is not, under the terms of the deposit agreement, made available to you. |
| • | We and the depositary may rely without any liability upon any written notice, request or other document believed to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper parties. |
| • | We and the depositary also disclaim liability for any consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the deposit agreement. |
| • | No disclaimer of any Securities Act liability is intended by any provision of the deposit agreement. |
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| • | Nothing in the deposit agreement gives rise to a partnership or joint venture, or establishes a fiduciary relationship, among us, the depositary bank and you as ADS holder. |
| • | Nothing in the deposit agreement precludes Citibank (or its affiliates) from engaging in transactions in which parties adverse to us or the ADS owners have interests, and nothing in the deposit agreement obligates Citibank to disclose those transactions, or any information obtained in the course of those transactions, to us or to the ADS owners, or to account for any payment received as part of those transactions. |
As the above limitations relate to our obligations and the depositary’s obligations to you under the deposit agreement, we believe that, as a matter of construction of the clause, such limitations would likely to continue to apply to ADS holders who withdraw the ordinary shares from the ADS facility with respect to obligations or liabilities incurred under the deposit agreement before the cancellation of the ADSs and the withdrawal of the ordinary shares, and such limitations would most likely not apply to ADS holders who withdraw the ordinary shares from the ADS facility with respect to obligations or liabilities incurred after the cancellation of the ADSs and the withdrawal of the ordinary shares and not under the deposit agreement.
In any event, you will not be deemed, by agreeing to the terms of the deposit agreement, to have waived our or the depositary’s compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. In fact, you cannot waive our or the depositary’s compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Pre-Release Transactions
The depositary bank has informed us that it no longer engages in pre-release transactions, and has no intention to do so in the future.
Taxes
You will be responsible for the taxes and other governmental charges payable on the ADSs and the securities represented by the ADSs. We, the depositary and the custodian may deduct from any distribution the taxes and governmental charges payable by holders and may sell any and all property on deposit to pay the taxes and governmental charges payable by holders. You will be liable for any deficiency if the sale proceeds do not cover the taxes that are due.
The depositary may refuse to issue ADSs, to deliver, transfer, split and combine ADRs or to release securities on deposit until all taxes and charges are paid by the applicable holder. The depositary and the custodian may take reasonable administrative actions to obtain tax refunds and reduced tax withholding for any distributions on your behalf. However, you may be required to provide to the depositary and to the custodian proof of taxpayer status and residence and such other information as the depositary and the custodian may require to fulfill legal obligations. You are required to indemnify us, the depositary and the custodian for any claims with respect to taxes based on any tax benefit obtained for you.
Foreign Currency Conversion
The depositary will arrange for the conversion of all foreign currency received into U.S. dollars if such conversion is practical, and it will distribute the U.S. dollars in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. You may have to pay fees and expenses incurred in converting foreign currency, such as fees and expenses incurred in complying with currency exchange controls and other governmental requirements.
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If the conversion of foreign currency is not practical or lawful, or if any required approvals are denied or not obtainable at a reasonable cost or within a reasonable period, the depositary may take the following actions in its discretion:
| • | convert the foreign currency to the extent practical and lawful and distribute the U.S. dollars to the holders for whom the conversion and distribution is lawful and practical; |
| • | distribute the foreign currency to holders for whom the distribution is lawful and practical; and |
| • | hold the foreign currency (without liability for interest) for the applicable holders. |
Governing Law/Waiver of Jury Trial
The deposit agreement, the ADRs and the ADSs will be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The rights of holders of ordinary shares (including ordinary shares represented by ADSs) are governed by the laws of France.
As an owner of ADSs, you irrevocably agree that any legal action arising out of the Deposit Agreement, the ADSs or the ADRs, involving the Company or the Depositary, may only be instituted in a state or federal court in the city of New York.
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We have prepared this prospectus to allow the selling shareholder to offer and sell from time to time up to 11,593,170 ordinary shares for its own account, which may be in the form of ADSs, or the Resale Shares held by the selling shareholder.
We are registering the offer and sale of the Resale Shares beneficially owned by the selling shareholder to satisfy certain registration obligations that we granted the selling shareholder in connection with the Registration Rights Agreement. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, we have agreed to use our reasonable best efforts to keep the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, effective until the earlier to occur of: (i) the date on which the securities may be resold by the selling shareholder without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, (ii) the date on which all of the securities have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (iii) March 23, 2028.
The following table sets forth (i) the name of the selling shareholder, (ii) the number of shares beneficially owned by the selling shareholder, including the Resale Shares, (iii) the number of Resale Shares that may be offered under this prospectus and (iv) the number of our ordinary shares beneficially owned by the selling shareholder assuming all of the Resale Shares covered hereby are sold.
The number of ordinary shares set forth in the following table for the selling shareholder reflects the exercise limitations as set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrants. The Pre-Funded Warrants provide that the holder of the Pre-Funded Warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its Pre-Funded Warrants if such holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own in excess of 9.99% of the number of ordinary shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”). The holder may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, provided, however, that the holder may only increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation by (i) obtaining authorization from the French Ministry of Economy in the event the Beneficial Ownership Limitation is being raised above 9.99%, and (ii) by providing 61 days’ notice to the Company, except that in no event will the Beneficial Ownership Limitation exceed 19.99%. Accordingly, the number of ordinary shares set forth in the following table for any shareholder may exceed the number of ordinary shares that it could own beneficially at any given time. In addition, we do not know how long the selling shareholder will hold the Resale Shares before selling them, and we currently have no agreements, arrangements or understandings with the selling shareholder regarding the sale or other disposition of any Resale Shares.
To our knowledge, the selling shareholder does not, nor did it during the three years prior to the date of this prospectus have, any position, office or other material relationships with us or any of our affiliates, except that (i) we and the selling shareholder are party to the PIPE Registration Rights Agreement relating to the Warrant Shares, (ii) we and the selling shareholder entered into the Registration Rights Agreement in March 2018, pursuant to which the selling shareholder is entitled to rights with respect to the registration under the Securities Act of ordinary shares, which may be represented by ADSs, and (iii) our director Michael J. Goller is an employee of an affiliate of the selling shareholder. To our knowledge, the selling shareholder is not a broker-dealer or affiliated with a broker-dealer, nor at the time of the acquisition did the selling shareholder have direct or indirect agreements or understandings with any person to distribute any ordinary shares, including the Resale Shares and the Warrant Shares.
The information set forth in the table below is based upon information obtained from the selling shareholder. Beneficial ownership of the selling shareholder is determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3(d) under the Exchange Act. The percentage of shares beneficially owned after the offering is based on 94,025,192 ordinary shares outstanding as of July 25, 2022, after giving effect to the issuance of 11,593,170 Resale Shares.
As used in this prospectus, the term “selling shareholder” includes the selling shareholder listed in the table below, together with any additional selling shareholders listed in a prospectus supplement, and their donees,
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pledgees, assignees, transferees, distributees and successors-in-interest that receive Resale Shares in any non-sale transfer after the date of this prospectus. Unless otherwise indicated, the address for the selling shareholder is c/o DBV Technologies Inc., 106 Allen Road, Suite 400, Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920.
| Beneficial Ownership After this Offering | ||||||||||||||||
Name of Selling Shareholder | Ordinary Shares Beneficially Owned Prior to this Offering | Number of Shares Being Offered | Number of Ordinary Shares | Percent of Outstanding Ordinary Shares | ||||||||||||
Entities affiliated with Baker Bros. Advisors LP(1) | 23,468,170 | 11,593,170 | 11,875,000 | 12.63 | % | |||||||||||
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| (1) | Consists of (i) 1,200,369 ADSs held by 667, L.P., (ii) 13,413,895 ADSs held by Baker Brothers Life Sciences, L.P., (iii) 1,585,054 ordinary shares held by 667, L.P., (iv) 14,575,984 ordinary shares held by Baker Brothers Life Sciences, L.P.. (v) 1,383,352 Warrant Shares held by 667, L.P., and (vi) 11,732,979 Warrant Shares held by Baker Brothers Life Sciences, L.P. The Warrant Shares are subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the amounts and percentages in the table give effect to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Baker Bros. Advisors LP (“the Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Funds and has the sole voting and investment power with respect to the securities held by the Funds and thus may be deemed to beneficially own such securities. Baker Bros. Advisors (GP) LLC (the “Adviser GP”) is the sole general partner of the Adviser and thus may be deemed to beneficially own the securities held by the Funds. The managing members of the Adviser GP are Julian C. Baker and Felix J. Baker, who may be deemed to beneficially own the securities held by the Funds. Julian C. Baker, Felix J. Baker, the Adviser and the Adviser GP disclaim beneficial ownership of all shares held by the Funds, except to the extent of their indirect pecuniary interest therein. Michael Goller is an employee of the Selling Shareholder and one of our directors. The business address of the Adviser, the Adviser GP, Julian C. Baker and Felix J. Baker is 860 Washington Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10014. |
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LIMITATIONS AFFECTING SHAREHOLDERS OF A FRENCH COMPANY
Ownership of ADSs or Shares by Non-French Residents
Neither the French Commercial Code nor our by-laws presently impose any restrictions on the right of non- French residents or non-French shareholders to own and vote shares.
Foreign Exchange Controls
Under current French foreign exchange control regulations there are no limitations on the amount of cash payments that we may remit to residents of foreign countries. Laws and regulations concerning foreign exchange controls do, however, require that all payments or transfers of funds made by a French resident to a non-resident such as dividend payments be handled by an accredited intermediary. All registered banks and substantially all credit institutions in France are accredited intermediaries.
Availability of Preferential Subscription Rights
In accordance with French law, our shareholders have preferential subscription rights to subscribe for new shares or other securities giving rights to acquire additional shares on a pro rata basis, as described under the section of this prospectus titled “Description of Share Capital and Bylaws—Key Provisions of Our By-laws and French Law Affecting Our Ordinary Shares—Changes in Share Capital—Preferential Subscription Rights.” Holders of our securities in the U.S. (which may be in the form of shares or ADSs) may not be able to exercise preferential subscription rights for their securities unless a registration statement under the Securities Act is effective with respect to such rights or an exemption from the registration requirements imposed by the Securities Act is available. We may, from time to time, issue new shares or other securities giving rights to acquire additional shares (such as warrants) at a time when no registration statement is in effect and no Securities Act exemption is available. If so, holders of our securities in the U.S. will be unable to exercise any preferential subscription rights and their interests will be diluted. We are under no obligation to file any registration statement in connection with any issuance of new shares or other securities. We intend to evaluate at the time of any rights offering the costs and potential liabilities associated with registering the rights, as well as the indirect benefits to us of enabling the exercise by holders of shares and holders of ADSs in the U.S. of the subscription rights, and any other factors we consider appropriate at the time, and then to make a decision as to whether to register the rights. We cannot assure you that we will file a registration statement.
For holders of our ordinary shares in the form of ADSs, the depositary may make these rights or other distributions available to ADS holders. If the depositary does not make the rights available to ADS holders and determines that it is impractical to sell the rights, it may allow these rights to lapse. In that case the holders will receive no value for them. The section of this prospectus titled “Description of American Depositary Shares—Dividends and Distributions” explains in detail the depositary’s responsibility in connection with a rights offering.
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The selling shareholder of the securities and any of their pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their securities covered hereby on The Nasdaq Global Select Market or any other stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the securities are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. The selling shareholder may use any one or more of the following methods when selling securities:
| • | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers; |
| • | block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| • | purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
| • | an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; |
| • | privately negotiated transactions; |
| • | settlement of short sales entered into after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part; |
| • | in transactions through broker-dealers that agree with the selling shareholder to sell a specified number of such securities at a stipulated price per security; |
| • | through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise; |
| • | a combination of any such methods of sale; or |
| • | any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
The selling shareholder may also sell securities under Rule 144 or any other exemption from registration under the Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus.
Broker-dealers engaged by the selling shareholder may arrange for other brokers-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the selling shareholder (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of securities, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this Prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction not in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA Rule 2121; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA IM 2121.01.
In connection with the sale of the securities or interests therein, the selling shareholder may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling shareholder may also sell securities short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the securities to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling shareholder may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or create one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of securities offered by this prospectus, which securities such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).
The selling shareholder and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the securities may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the securities purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act.
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The selling shareholder and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the securities may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the securities purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. The selling shareholder has informed the Company that it does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the securities.
The Company is required to pay certain fees and expenses incurred by the Company incident to the registration of the securities; provided, however, that the selling shareholder will pay all underwriting discounts and selling commissions, if any, and certain related legal expenses incurred by it. The Company has agreed to indemnify the selling shareholder against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. The Company may be indemnified by the selling shareholder against civil liabilities, including liabilities, that may arise from any written information furnished to the Company by the selling shareholder specifically for use in this prospectus in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement, or any violation by the selling shareholder of its obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or the Company may be entitled to contribution.
We agreed to keep this registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, effective until the earlier of (i) the date on which the securities may be resold by the selling shareholder without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, (ii) the date on which all of the securities have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect or (iii) March 23, 2028. The resale securities will be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states, the resale securities covered hereby may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.
Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the resale securities may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to the ordinary shares for the applicable restricted period, as defined in Regulation M, prior to the commencement of the distribution. In addition, the selling shareholder will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of the ordinary shares by the selling shareholder or any other person. We will make copies of this prospectus available to the selling shareholder and have informed them of the need to deliver a copy of this prospectus to each purchaser at or prior to the time of the sale (including by compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).
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ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are a corporation organized under the laws of France. The majority of our directors are citizens and residents of countries other than the United States, and the majority of our assets are located outside of the United States. Accordingly, it may be difficult for investors:
| • | obtain jurisdiction over us or our non-U.S. resident officers and directors in U.S. courts in actions predicated on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws; |
| • | to enforce judgments obtained in such actions against us or our non-U.S. resident officers and directors; |
| • | to bring an original action in a French court to enforce liabilities based upon the U.S. federal securities laws against us or our non-U.S. resident officers or directors; and |
| • | to enforce against us or our directors in non-U.S. courts, including French courts, judgments of U.S. courts predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. |
Nevertheless, a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by any federal or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the U.S. federal securities laws, would be recognized and enforced in France provided that a French judge considers that this judgment meets the French legal requirements concerning the recognition and the enforcement of foreign judgments and is capable of being immediately enforced in the United States. A French court is therefore likely to grant the enforcement of a foreign judgment without a review of the merits of the underlying claim, only if (1) that judgment resulted from legal proceedings compatible with French standards of due process, (2) that judgment does not contravene international public order and public policy of France and (3) the jurisdiction of the United States federal or state court has been based on principles of French private international law. The French court would also require that the U.S. judgment is not tainted with fraud and is not incompatible with a judgment rendered by a French court in the same matter, or with an earlier judgment rendered by a foreign court in the same matter.
In addition, French law guarantees full compensation for the harm suffered but is limited to the actual damages, so that the victim does not suffer or benefit from the situation. Such system excludes damages such as, but not limited to, punitive and exemplary damages.
As a result, the enforcement, by U.S. investors, of any judgments obtained in U.S. courts in civil and commercial matters, including judgments under the U.S. federal securities law against us or members of our board of directors, officers or certain experts named herein who are residents of France or countries other than the United States would be subject to the above conditions.
Finally, there may be doubt as to whether a French court would impose civil liability on us, the members of our board of directors, our officers or certain experts named herein in an original action predicated solely upon the U.S. federal securities laws brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in France against us or such members, officers or experts, respectively.
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Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following discussion describes certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the ownership and disposition of ADSs by U.S. holders (as defined below). This summary applies to U.S. holders that hold our ADSs as capital assets. This summary is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all as in effect on the date hereof and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. This discussion does not address all of the U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to specific U.S. holders in light of their particular circumstances, or to U.S. holders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws (such as certain financial institutions, insurance companies, broker-dealers and traders in securities or other persons that generally mark their securities to market for U.S. federal income tax purposes, tax-exempt entities, retirement plans, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, certain former citizens, expatriates or long-term residents of the United States, persons that hold ADSs as part of a “straddle,” “hedge,” “conversion transaction,” “synthetic security” or integrated investment, persons deemed to sell our ADSs under the constructive sale provisions of the Code, persons who hold or receive our ADSs pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation, persons that have a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar, persons that own directly, indirectly or through attribution 10% or more of the voting power or value of our ADSs, corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax, partnerships and other pass-through entities (or arrangements treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes), and investors in such pass-through entities). This summary does not address any U.S. state or local tax consequences, non-U.S. tax consequences or any U.S. federal estate, gift or alternative minimum tax consequences, the application of special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code or the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income.
As used in this discussion, the term “U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of ADSs that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or is treated as: (1) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, (2) a corporation (or entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia, (3) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source or (4) a trust (x) with respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or (y) that has elected under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a domestic trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds ADSs, the U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to an investment in ADSs will depend in part upon the status and activities of such entity or arrangement and the particular partner. Any such entity or arrangement and a partner of any such entity should consult its tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to it (and, as applicable, its partners) of the purchase, ownership and disposition of ADSs.
Persons considering an investment in ADSs should consult their tax advisors as to the particular tax consequences applicable to them relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of ADSs, including the applicability of U.S. federal, state and local tax laws and non-U.S. tax laws.
The discussion below assumes that the representations contained in the deposit agreement are true and that the obligations in the deposit agreement and any related agreement will be complied with in accordance with their terms. Generally, a holder of an ADS should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the beneficial owner of the ordinary shares represented by the ADS. Accordingly, no gain or loss will be recognized upon an exchange of ADSs for ordinary shares. The U.S. Treasury has expressed concerns that intermediaries in the chain of ownership between the holder of an ADS and the issuer of the security underlying the ADS may be taking actions that are inconsistent with the beneficial ownership by the holder of the underlying security. Accordingly,
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the creditability of foreign taxes, if any, as described below, could be affected by actions taken by intermediaries in the chain of ownership between the holders of ADSs and our company if as a result of such actions the holders of ADSs are not properly treated as beneficial owners of the underlying ordinary shares.
Passive foreign investment company consequences
In general, a corporation organized outside the United States will be treated as a passive foreign investment company, or a PFIC, for any taxable year in which, after applying certain look-through rules, either (1) at least 75% of its gross income is “passive income”, or (2) on average at least 50% of the value of its assets, determined on the basis of a quarterly average, are assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income. Passive income for this purpose generally includes, among other things, dividends, interest, certain royalties, rents, and gains from the sale or exchange of property that gives rise to passive income. Assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income generally include cash, even if held as working capital or raised in a public offering, marketable securities, and other assets that may produce passive income. Generally, in determining whether a non-U.S. corporation is a PFIC, a proportionate share of the income and assets of each corporation in which it owns, directly or indirectly, at least a 25% interest (by value) is taken into account.
Our status as a PFIC will depend on the nature and composition of our gross income, and the nature, composition and value of our gross assets from time to time. We have not yet determined whether we expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year. Based on the nature of our gross income and the estimated value and composition of our gross assets, we do not believe we were a PFIC during the taxable year ended December 31, 2021. Because we may hold a substantial amount of cash and cash equivalents, and because the calculation of the value of our assets may be based in part on the value of our ADSs or ordinary shares, which may fluctuate considerably, we may be a PFIC in the current taxable year or future taxable years. Even if we determine that we are not a PFIC for a taxable year, there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with our conclusion or would not successfully challenge our position. Our status as a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis applying principles and methodologies that are unclear in some respects and subject to varying interpretations. In particular, the characterization of our assets as active or passive may depend in part on our current and intended future business plans, which are subject to change. Accordingly, we cannot provide any assurance, and our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status for any prior, current or future taxable year.
If we are a PFIC in any taxable year during which a U.S. holder owns ADSs, the U.S. holder could be liable for additional taxes and interest charges under the “PFIC excess distribution regime” upon (1) a distribution paid during a taxable year that is greater than 125% of the average annual distributions paid in the three preceding taxable years, or, if shorter, the U.S. holder’s holding period for the ADSs, and (2) any gain recognized on a sale, exchange or other disposition, including a pledge, of the ADSs, whether or not we continue to be a PFIC. Under the PFIC excess distribution regime, the tax on such distribution or gain would be determined by allocating the distribution or gain ratably over the U.S. holder’s holding period for the ADSs. The amount allocated to the current taxable year (i.e., the year in which the distribution occurs or the gain is recognized) and any year prior to the first taxable year in which we are a PFIC will be taxed as ordinary income earned in the current taxable year. The amount allocated to other taxable years will be taxed at the highest marginal rates in effect for individuals or corporations, as applicable, to ordinary income for each such taxable year, and an interest charge, generally applicable to underpayments of tax, will be added to the tax.
If we are a PFIC for any year during which a U.S. holder holds ADSs, we generally must continue to be treated as a PFIC by that holder for all succeeding years during which the U.S. holder holds the ADSs, unless we cease to meet the requirements for PFIC status and the U.S. holder makes a “deemed sale” election with respect to the ADSs. If the election is made, the U.S. holder will be deemed to sell the ADSs it holds at their fair market value on the last day of the last taxable year in which we qualified as a PFIC, which may result in recognition of gain (but not loss) taxable under the PFIC excess distribution regime without the receipt of any corresponding cash.
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After the deemed sale election, the U.S. holder’s ADSs would not be treated as shares of a PFIC unless we subsequently again become a PFIC.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. holder holds ADSs and one of our subsidiaries or other entity in which we held a direct or indirect equity interest is also a PFIC (i.e., a lower-tier PFIC), such U.S. holder would be treated as owning a proportionate amount (by value) of the shares of the lower-tier PFIC and would be subject to U.S. federal income tax under the PFIC excess distribution regime on certain distributions by the lower-tier PFIC and on gain from the disposition of shares of the lower-tier PFIC even though such U.S. holder would not receive the proceeds of those distributions or dispositions. Each U.S. holder is advised to consult its tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to our non-U.S. subsidiaries.
If we are a PFIC, a U.S. holder will not be subject to tax under the PFIC excess distribution regime on distributions or gain recognized on ADSs if such U.S. holder makes a valid “mark-to-market” election for our ADSs. A mark-to-market election is available to a U.S. holder only for “marketable stock.” Our ADSs will be marketable stock as long as they remain listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or other “qualified exchange” and are regularly traded, other than in de minimis quantities, on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter. If a mark-to-market election is in effect, a U.S. holder generally would take into account, as ordinary income each year, the excess of the fair market value of the ADSs held at the end of such taxable year over the adjusted tax basis of such ADSs. The U.S. holder also would take into account, as an ordinary loss each year, the excess of the adjusted tax basis of such ADSs over their fair market value at the end of the taxable year, but only to the extent of the excess of amounts previously included in income over ordinary losses deducted as a result of the mark-to-market election. The U.S. holder’s tax basis in ADSs would be adjusted to reflect any income or loss recognized as a result of the mark-to-market election. Any gain from a sale, exchange or other disposition of ADSs in any taxable year in which we are a PFIC would be treated as ordinary income and any loss from such sale, exchange or other disposition would be treated first as ordinary loss (to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains previously included in income) and thereafter as capital loss. If, after having been a PFIC for one or more taxable years, we cease to be classified as a PFIC for the remainder of a U.S. holder’s holding period in ADSs, the U.S. holder would not be required to take into account any unrecognized gain or loss in the manner described above and any subsequently recognized gain or loss would be subject to tax as described below “—Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of ADSs.”
A mark-to-market election will not apply to ADSs for any taxable year during which we are not a PFIC, but will remain in effect with respect to any subsequent taxable year in which we become a PFIC. Such election will not apply to our subsidiaries. Accordingly, a U.S. holder may continue to be subject to tax under the PFIC excess distribution regime with respect to any lower-tier PFICs notwithstanding the U.S. holder’s mark-to-market election for the ADSs.
The tax consequences that would apply if we are a PFIC also would be different from those described above if a U.S. holder were able to make a valid qualified electing fund, or a QEF, election. We have not yet determined whether we will provide the information necessary for US. Holders to make a QEF election, and prospective investors should assume that a QEF election will not be available.
Each U.S. person that is a shareholder of a PFIC is generally required to file an annual information return on IRS Form 8621 containing such information as the U.S. Treasury Department may require. The failure to file IRS Form 8621 could result in the imposition of penalties and the extension of the statute of limitations with respect to U.S. federal income tax.
The U.S. federal income tax rules relating to PFICs are very complex. Prospective U.S. holders are strongly urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to the impact of PFIC status on the purchase, ownership and disposition of ADSs, the consequences to them of an investment in a PFIC, any elections available with respect to the ADSs and the IRS information reporting obligations with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of ADSs.
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Distributions
We currently do not expect to make distributions on our ADSs. Subject to the discussion above under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Consequences,” a U.S. holder that receives a distribution with respect to ADSs generally will be required to include the gross amount of such distribution in gross income as a dividend when actually or constructively received to the extent of the U.S. holder’s pro rata share of our current and/or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). To the extent a distribution received by a U.S. holder is not a dividend because it exceeds the U.S. holder’s pro rata share of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, it will be treated first as a tax-free return of capital and reduce (but not below zero) the adjusted tax basis of the U.S. holder’s ADSs. To the extent the distribution exceeds the adjusted tax basis of the U.S. holder’s ADSs, the remainder will be taxed as capital gain. Because we do not expect to account for our earnings and profits in accordance with U.S. federal income tax principles, U.S. holders should expect all distributions to be reported to them as dividends. Distributions on ADSs that are treated as dividends generally will constitute income from sources outside the United States for foreign tax credit purposes and generally will constitute passive category income. If any foreign withholding tax is imposed on dividends paid on ADSs, U.S. holders may be eligible for a foreign tax credit against such U.S. holder’s federal income tax liability, or an itemized deduction in lieu of a foreign tax credit. Such dividends will not be eligible for the “dividends received” deduction generally allowed to corporate shareholders with respect to dividends received from U.S. corporations.
Dividends paid by a “qualified foreign corporation” are eligible under current law for taxation at a reduced capital gains rate rather than the marginal tax rates generally applicable to ordinary income provided that certain requirements are met. A non-U.S. corporation (other than a corporation that is classified as a PFIC with respect to the U.S. holder for the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year) generally will be considered to be a qualified foreign corporation (a) if it is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States that the Secretary of Treasury of the United States determines is satisfactory for this purpose and that includes an exchange of information provision, or (b) with respect to any dividend it pays on shares that are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. We believe that the Company qualifies as a resident of France for purposes of, and are eligible for the benefits of, the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the French Republic for the Avoidance of Double and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and Capital, signed January 1, 1996, as amended and currently in force, or the Treaty. We also believe that the Treaty should be treated as satisfying conditions described in clause (a) above, although there can be no assurance in this regard. Further, our ADSs will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, which is an established securities market in the United States, and we expect the ADSs to be readily tradable on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, although there can be no assurance in this regard. Subject to the discussion above under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Consequences,” if the Treaty is applicable, or if the ADSs are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States, dividends paid on ADSs generally will be “qualified dividend income” in the hands of individual U.S. holders, provided that certain conditions are met, including certain holding period requirements and the absence of certain risk reduction transactions. Each U.S. holder is urged to consult its tax advisors regarding the availability of the reduced tax rate on dividends with regard to its particular circumstances.
Sale or other taxable disposition of ADSs
Subject to the discussion above under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Consequences,” a U.S. holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the sale or other taxable disposition of ADSs in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the amount realized (i.e., the amount of cash plus the fair market value of any property received) on the sale, exchange or other disposition and such U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the ADSs. Such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain taxable at a reduced rate for non-corporate U.S. holders, or long-term capital loss if, on the date of sale or other taxable disposition, the ADSs were held by the U.S. holder for more than one year. Any capital gain of a non-corporate
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U.S. holder that is not long-term capital gain is taxed at ordinary income rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. Any gain or loss recognized from the sale or other disposition of ADSs will generally be gain or loss from sources within the United States for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes.
Information reporting and backup withholding
U.S. holders may be required to file certain U.S. information reporting returns with the IRS with respect to an investment in ADSs, including, among others, IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets). As described above under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Consequences”, each U.S. holder who is a shareholder of a PFIC must file an annual report containing certain information.
Dividends on and proceeds from the sale or other disposition of ADSs may be reported to the IRS unless the U.S. holder establishes a basis for exemption. Backup withholding may apply to amounts subject to reporting if the U.S. holder fails to provide an accurate U.S. taxpayer identification number or otherwise establish a basis for exemption, or is described in certain other categories of persons. However, U.S. holders that are corporations generally are excluded from these information reporting and backup withholding tax rules. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules generally will be allowed as a refund or a credit against a U.S. holder���s U.S. federal income tax liability if the required information is furnished by the U.S. holder on a timely basis to the IRS.
U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the backup withholding tax and information reporting rules.
THIS SUMMARY OF CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND IS NOT TAX ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP, AND DISPOSITION OF ADSs ARISING UNDER U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX RULES OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, NON-U.S. OR ANY OTHER TAXING JURISDICTION.
THE DISCUSSION ABOVE IS A GENERAL SUMMARY. IT DOES NOT COVER ALL TAX MATTERS THAT MAY BE OF IMPORTANCE TO A PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR ABOUT THE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO IT OF AN INVESTMENT IN ADSS IN LIGHT OF THE INVESTOR’S OWN CIRCUMSTANCES.
Material French Income Tax Considerations
The following describes the material French income tax consequences to U.S. holders of purchasing, owning and disposing of our ADSs and, unless otherwise noted, this discussion is the opinion of McDermott Will & Emery A.A.R.P.I, our French tax counsel, insofar as it relates to matters of French tax law and legal conclusions with respect to those matters.
This discussion does not purport to be a complete analysis or listing of all potential tax effects of the acquisition, ownership or disposition of our ADSs to any particular investor, and does not discuss tax considerations that arise from rules of general application or that are generally assumed to be known by investors. All of the following is subject to change. Such changes could apply retroactively and could affect the consequences described below.
The description of the French income tax and real estate wealth tax consequences set forth below is based on the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the French
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Republic for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital of August 31, 1994, or the Treaty, which came into force on December 30, 1995 (as amended by any subsequent protocols, including the protocol of January 13, 2009), and the tax guidelines issued by the French tax authorities in force as of the date of this prospectus supplement, or the Treaty.
If a partnership (or any other entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds ADSs, the tax treatment of the partnership and a partner in such partnership generally will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Such partner or partnership is urged to consult its own tax advisor regarding the specific tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of ADSs.
French tax rules applicable to French assets that are held by or in foreign trusts provide inter alia for the inclusion of trust assets in the settlor’s net assets for the purpose of applying the French real estate wealth tax, for the application of French gift and death duties to French assets held in trust, for a specific tax on capital on the French assets of foreign trusts not already subject to the French real estate wealth tax and for a number of French tax reporting and disclosure obligations. The following discussion does not address the French tax consequences applicable to securities (including ADSs) held in trusts. If ADSs are held in trust, the grantor, trustee and beneficiary are urged to consult their own tax advisor regarding the specific tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of securities (including ADSs).
This discussion applies only to investors that hold ADSs as capital assets, that have the U.S. dollar as their functional currency, that are entitled to Treaty benefits under the “Limitation on Benefits” provision contained in the Treaty, and whose ownership of the ADSs is not effectively connected to a permanent establishment or a fixed base in France. Certain U.S. holders (including, but not limited to, U.S. expatriates, partnerships or other entities classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, banks, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, tax-exempt organizations, financial institutions, persons subject to the alternative minimum tax, persons who acquired the securities pursuant to the exercise of employee share options or otherwise as compensation, persons that own (directly, indirectly or by attribution) 5% or more of our voting stock or 5% or more of our outstanding share capital, dealers in securities or currencies, persons that elect to mark their securities to market for U.S. federal income tax purposes and persons holding securities as a position in a synthetic security, straddle or conversion transaction) may be subject to special rules not discussed below.
U.S. holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of securities in light of their particular circumstances, especially with regard to the “Limitations on Benefits” provision.
Estate and Gift Taxes
In general, a transfer of securities by gift or by reason of death of a U.S. holder that would otherwise be subject to French gift or inheritance tax, respectively, will not be subject to such French tax by reason of the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the French Republic for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Estates, Inheritances and Gifts, dated November 24, 1978 (as amended by the protocol of December 8, 2004), unless (i) the donor or the transferor is domiciled in France at the time of making the gift or at the time of his or her death, or (ii) the securities were used in, or held for use in, the conduct of a business through a permanent establishment or a fixed base in France.
Tax on Financial Transactions
Pursuant to Article 235 ter ZD of the Code général des impôts (French Tax Code, or FTC), purchases of certain securities, including ADSs, issued by a French company listed on a regulated market of the European Union or on a foreign regulated market formally acknowledged by the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) are subject to a 0.3% French tax on financial transactions provided that the issuer’s market capitalization exceeds
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1 billion euros as of December 1 of the year preceding the taxation year. A list of French relevant companies whose market capitalization exceeds 1 billion euros as of December 1 of the year preceding the taxation year is published annually and at least once a year, by the French State. Pursuant to Regulations BOI-ANNX-000467-29/12/2021 issued on December 29, 2021, as at December 1, 2021, our market capitalization did not exceed 1 billion euros and are therefore not included in such list. In addition, the Nasdaq Global Select Market is not currently acknowledged by the French AMF but this may change in the future.
As a consequence, neither the ADSs nor the ordinary shares are currently within the scope of the French tax on financial transactions.
Following this offering, purchases of our securities may be subject to such tax in the future provided that our market capitalization exceeds 1 billion euros in the year preceding the taxation year and that the Nasdaq Global Select Market is acknowledged by the French AMF.
Registration Duties
In the case where the French tax on financial transactions provided for under Article 235 ter ZD of the FTC is not applicable, transfers of shares issued by a French company, which is listed on a regulated or organized market within the meaning of the French Monetary and Financial Code (Code monétaire et financier), are subject to uncapped registration duties at the rate of 0.1% if the transfer is evidenced by a written statement (“acte”) executed either in France or outside France. Although there is no case law or official guidelines published by the French tax authorities on this point, transfers of ADSs should remain outside of the scope of the aforementioned 0.1% registration duties.
Tax on Sale or Other Disposition
As a matter of principle, under French tax law, a U.S. holder should not be subject to any French tax on any capital gain from the sale, exchange, repurchase or redemption by us of ordinary shares or ADSs (it being however specified as regards redemption that redemption proceeds may under certain circumstances be partially or fully qualified as dividends for French domestic tax law and, as a result, be subject to French dividend withholding tax), provided such U.S. holder is not a French tax resident for French tax purposes, and has not held more than 25% of our dividend rights, known as “droits aux bénéfices sociaux” at any time during the preceding five years, either directly or indirectly.
As an exception, a U.S holder resident, established or incorporated in a non-cooperative State or territory as defined in Article 238-0 A of the FTC other than those States or territories mentioned in 2° of 2 bis of the same Article 238-0 A should be subject to a 75% withholding tax in France on any such capital gain, regardless of the fraction of the dividend rights it holds. The list of non-cooperative State or territories is published by decree and is in principal updated annually. This list was last updated on March 02, 2022, and currently includes American Samoa, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Fiji, Guam, Palaos, Panama, Samoa, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States Virgin Islands and Vanuatu. States referred to in Article 238-0 A 2 bis 2° of the Code général des impôts, and thus outside of the scope of Article 125 A III of the Code général des impôts, are currently American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palaos, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States Virgin Islands.
Under application of the Treaty, a U.S. holder who is a U.S. resident for purposes of the Treaty and entitled to Treaty benefit will not be subject to French tax on any such capital gain unless the ordinary shares or the ADSs form part of the business property of a permanent establishment or fixed base that the U.S. holder has in France. U.S. holders who own ordinary shares or ADSs through U.S. partnerships that are not resident for Treaty purposes are advised to consult their own tax advisors regarding their French tax treatment and their eligibility for Treaty benefits in light of their own particular circumstances.
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A U.S. holder that is not a U.S. resident for Treaty purposes or is not entitled to Treaty benefit (and in both cases is not resident, established or incorporated in a non-cooperative State or territory as defined in Article 238-0 A of the FTC other than those States or territories mentioned in 2° of 2 bis of the same Article 238-0 A) and has held more than 25% of our dividend rights, known as “droits aux bénéfices sociaux,” at any time during the preceding five years, either directly or indirectly, and, as relates to individuals, alone or with relatives will be subject to a levy in France at the rate of 12.8% if such U.S. holder is an individual or 25% for corporate bodies or other legal entities. Special rules apply to U.S. holders who are residents of more than one country.
Taxation of Dividends
Dividends paid by a French corporation to non-residents of France are generally subject to French withholding tax at a rate of 12.8% when the recipient is an individual and 25% otherwise. Dividends paid by a French corporation in a non-cooperative State or territory, as defined in Article 238-0 A of the FTC other than those States or territories mentioned in 2° of 2 bis of the same Article 238-0 A, may be subject to French withholding tax at a rate of 75%. However, eligible U.S. holders, other than individuals subject to the French withholding tax at a rate of 12.8%, entitled to Treaty benefits under the “Limitation on Benefits” provision contained in the Treaty who are U.S. residents, as defined pursuant to the provisions of the Treaty, will not be subject to this 25% or 75% withholding tax rate, but may be subject to the withholding tax at a reduced rate (as described below).
Under the Treaty, the rate of French withholding tax on dividends paid to an eligible U.S. holder who is a U.S. resident as defined pursuant to the provisions of the Treaty and whose ownership of the ordinary shares or ADSs is not effectively connected with a permanent establishment or fixed base that such U.S. holder has in France, may be reduced to 15%, or to 5% if such U.S. holder is a corporation and owns directly or indirectly at least 10% of the share capital of the issuer; such U.S. holder may claim a refund from the French tax authorities of the amount withheld in excess of the Treaty rates of 15% or 5%, if any.
For U.S. holders that are not individuals but are U.S. residents, as defined pursuant to the provisions of the Treaty, the requirements for eligibility for Treaty benefits, including the reduced 5% or 15% withholding tax rates contained in the “Limitation on Benefits” provision of the Treaty, are complex, and certain technical changes were made to these requirements by the protocol of January 13, 2009. U.S. holders are advised to consult their own tax advisors regarding their eligibility for Treaty benefits in light of their own particular circumstances. Dividends paid to an eligible U.S. holder may immediately be subject to the reduced rates of 5% or 15% provided that:
| • | such holder establishes before the date of payment that it is a U.S. resident under the Treaty by completing and providing the depositary with a treaty form (Form 5000) in accordance with the French guidelines (BOI-INT-DG-20-20-20-20-12/09/2012); or |
| • | the depositary or other financial institution managing the securities account in the United States of such holder provides the French paying agent with a document listing certain information about the U.S. holder and its ordinary shares or ADSs and a certificate whereby the financial institution managing the U.S. holder’s securities account in the United States takes full responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided in the document. |
Otherwise, dividends paid to a U.S. holder, other than individuals subject to the French withholding tax at a rate of 12.8%, will be subject to French withholding tax at the rate of 25%, or 75% if paid in a non-cooperative State or territory (as defined in Article 238-0 A of the FTC, other than those States or territories mentioned in 2° of 2 bis of the same Article 238-0 A), and then reduced at a later date to 5% or 15%, provided that such holder duly completes and provides the French tax authorities with the treaty forms Form 5000 and Form 5001 before December 31 of the second calendar year following the year during which the dividend is paid.
Certain qualifying pension funds and certain other tax-exempt entities are subject to the same general filing requirements as other U.S. holders except that they may have to supply additional documentation evidencing their entitlement to these benefits.
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Form 5000 and Form 5001, together with instructions, will be provided by the depositary to all U.S. holders registered with the depositary. The depositary will arrange for the filing with the French tax authorities of all such forms properly completed and executed by U.S. holders of ordinary shares or ADSs and returned to the depositary in sufficient time so that they may be filed with the French tax authorities before the distribution in order to immediately obtain a reduced withholding tax rate. Otherwise, the depositary must withhold tax at the full rate of 25% or 75% as applicable. In that case, the U.S. holders may claim a refund from the French tax authorities of the excess withholding tax.
Since the withholding tax rate applicable under French domestic law to U.S. holders who are individuals does not exceed the cap provided in the Treaty (i.e. 15%), the 12.8% rate shall apply, without any reduction provided under the Treaty.
Besides, please note that pursuant to Article 235 quater of the FTC and under certain conditions (in particular reporting obligations), a corporate U.S. holder which is in a tax loss position for the fiscal year during which the dividend is received may be entitled to a deferral regime, and obtain a withholding tax refund. The tax deferral ends in respect of the first financial year during which this U.S. holder is in a profit making position, as well as in the cases set out in Article 235 quater of the FTC.
Real Estate Wealth Tax
On January 1, 2018, the French wealth tax was replaced with a real estate wealth tax (“impôt sur la fortune immobilière”, or IFI). Individuals holding directly or indirectly through one or more legal entities real estate assets or rights with a value exceeding €1,300,000 may fall within the scope of the IFI. A general exclusion applies to real estate assets owned by companies carrying out a commercial or industrial activity when the taxpayer (together with the members of his/her household) holds directly or indirectly less than 10% of the share capital or voting rights of the company. ADSs owned by a U.S. holder should not fall within the scope of the IFI provided that such U.S. holder does not own (together with the members of his/her household) directly or indirectly a shareholding exceeding 10% of the financial rights and voting rights of our share capital. U.S. holders holding directly or indirectly a shareholding exceeding 10% of the financial rights and voting rights of our share capital should seek additional advice.
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Unless otherwise indicated in any prospectus supplement, McDermott Will & Emery AARPI will pass upon the validity of the ordinary shares, including ordinary shares in the form of ADSs and other legal matters relating to French law, including matters of French income tax law, in connection with any offering. Any underwriters will be advised about other issues relating to any offering by their own legal counsel.
The consolidated financial statements of DBV Technologies SA. as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2021, have been incorporated herein by reference to DBV Technologies’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 in reliance upon the report of Deloitte & Associés and KPMG S.A., independent registered public accounting firms, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of such firms as experts in auditing and accounting.
The report of Deloitte & Associés and KPMG S.A. contains an explanatory paragraph that states that as discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has incurred operating losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception and current cash and cash equivalents are not projected to be sufficient for at least the next twelve months. These matters raise substantial doubt about the ability of the Company to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are described in Note 1. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
The offices of Deloitte & Associés are located at 6, place de la Pyramide, 92908 Paris-la-Défense Cedex, Puteaux, France.
The offices of KPMG S.A. are located at 2, avenue Gambetta, CS 60055, 92066 Paris-la-Défense, France.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits to the registration statement. For further information with respect to us and the securities we are offering under this prospectus, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as a part of the registration statement. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of the securities offered by this prospectus.
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at www.dbv-technologies.com. Information contained in or accessible through our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The SEC file number for the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus is 001-36697. The documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus contain important information that you should read about us.
The following documents are incorporated by reference into this document:
| • | Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 9, 2022, including the information specifically incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K by reference from our definitive proxy statement for our annual ordinary and extraordinary meeting of shareholders, filed with the SEC on April 25, 2022; |
| • | Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 2, 2022, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on August 1, 2022; |
| • | Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 2, 2022, May 16, 2022, June 7, 2022 and June 13, 2022 (in each case, except for information contained therein which is furnished rather than filed); and |
| • | The description of our ordinary shares and ADSs contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, which was filed with the SEC on October 17, 2014, including any amendments or reports filed for the purposes of updating such description. |
We also incorporate by reference into this prospectus all documents (other than current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items) that are filed by us with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (i) after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement, or (ii) after the date of this prospectus but prior to the termination of the offering. These documents include periodic reports, such as Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as proxy statements.
We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, without charge upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus, including exhibits that are specifically incorporated by reference into such documents. You should direct any requests for documents, either in writing to Corporate Secretary, c/o DBV Technologies S.A., 177-181 Avenue Pierre Brossolette, 92120 Montrouge, France or by telephone at +33 1 55 42 78 78.
You also may access these filings on our website at www.dbv-technologies.com. We do not incorporate the information on our website into this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus (other than those filings with the SEC that we specifically incorporate by reference into this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus).
Any statement contained in this prospectus or contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or any subsequently filed supplement to this prospectus, or document deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus, modifies or supersedes such statement.
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11,593,170
Ordinary Shares, which may be represented by American Depositary Shares
PROSPECTUS
August 11, 2022
