Exhibit 5.1
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| Costa Mesa, California 92626-1925 | ||||
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www.lw.com
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November 18, 2019
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. 166 North Roadrunner Parkway, Suite 1C Las Cruces, New Mexico 88011 | FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES | |||
| Beijing | Moscow | |||
| Boston | Munich | |||
| Brussels | New York | |||
| Century City | Orange County | |||
| Chicago | Paris | |||
| Dubai | Riyadh | |||
| Düsseldorf | San Diego | |||
| Frankfurt | San Francisco | |||
| Hamburg | Seoul | |||
| Hong Kong | Shanghai | |||
| Houston | Silicon Valley | |||
| London | Singapore | |||
| Los Angeles | Tokyo | |||
| Madrid | Washington, D.C. | |||
| Milan | ||||
| Re: | Registration Statement on FormS-3 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed issuance of up to 30,999,976 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, issuable from time to time upon exercise of issued and outstanding warrants (including warrants included in outstanding units) (the “Warrants”). The Shares are included in a registration statement on FormS-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on November 18, 2019 (the “Registration Statement”). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of RegulationS-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or related prospectus (the “Prospectus”), other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issue of the Shares.
As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to t the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.
Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares initially issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”) shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name of or on behalf of the Warrant holders, and have been issued by the Company against payment therefor (not less than par value) in the circumstances contemplated by the Warrants, such Warrant Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the DGCL.
November 18, 2019
Page 2
With your consent, we have assumed (a) that the Warrants have been or will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto other than the Company, (b) that such securities constitute or will constitute legally valid and binding obligations of the parties thereto other than the Company, enforceable against each of them in accordance with their respective terms and (c) that the status of the Warrants as legally valid and binding obligations of the parties will not be affected by any (i) breaches of, or defaults under, agreements or instruments, (ii) violations of statutes, rules, regulations or court or governmental orders or (iii) failures to obtain required consents, approvals or authorizations from, or to make required registrations, declarations or filings with, governmental authorities.
This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm in the Prospectus under the heading “Legal Matters.” In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
| Very truly yours, |
| /s/ Latham & Watkins LLP |
